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Yushin Okami Eyeing Title Shot…Again

With all of the understandable hype surrounding Jon “Bones” Jones (no one can say that guy isn’t amongst the best in the ‘holy sh-t’ factor) as he heads into tonight’s bout with veteran Vladimir Matyushenko, it’s probably safe to say that the middleweight tilt between Yushin Okami and Mark Munoz has been overshadowed a little […]

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With all of the understandable hype surrounding Jon “Bones” Jones (no one can say that guy isn’t amongst the best in the ‘holy sh-t’ factor) as he heads into tonight’s bout with veteran Vladimir Matyushenko, it’s probably safe to say that the middleweight tilt between Yushin Okami and Mark Munoz has been overshadowed a little bit. When you consider that you’ve got a dude in Okami with a UFC record of 8-2, taking on a rising star in Munoz, a lot is riding on the tilt.

Despite the fact that several of Okami’s wins haven’t exactly been those of the jump out of your seat variety, anyone who understands the game has to concede that fighting the massive judo beast can’t be fun. The guy’s been stopped just once and that was in 2003, and in the Octagon, he’s only lost to Rich Franklin and Chael Sonnen. Point being? Well, considering Okami’s record and his recent stoppage victories, a win over Munoz has to get the dude close to a title shot no? Speaking in the preview program for tonight’s card, Mr. Okami apparently agrees:

“I feel that this is a great test for my title shot. I need to clear this fight and I need to prove that I am very close to a title fight.”

Of course getting the win over Munoz isn’t going to be easy. Like Sonnen, who earned a controlling UD win over Okami, Munoz is also a wrestling machine. We’ll be watching. To bet on the tilt head here.

Jon Jones Says Vladimir Matyushenko “Not Really Great at Anything”

Depending on your opinion, which as your elders always reminded you as a child–that’s all it is, Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko is just hours away from becoming the latest victim of Jon “Bones” Jones. As we all know Jones is a huge favorite heading into tonight’s UFC on Versus card, despite the fact that by […]

Depending on your opinion, which as your elders always reminded you as a child–that’s all it is, Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko is just hours away from becoming the latest victim of Jon “Bones” Jones. As we all know Jones is a huge favorite heading into tonight’s UFC on Versus card, despite the fact that by the time the walking highlight reel made his pro debut in 2008, Matyushenko already had 20 bouts under his belt (one would think a tool belt could come in handy for a janitor no?).

If you’re someone who thinks Matyushenko will give Jones a run for his money, the argument could sound like this: the former IFL champ will look to use his extensive wrestling abilities, control Jones against the cage or on the mat, and grind out the win. Jones’ thoughts on this? Well in a recent interview with MMA Weekly he dismissed that line of thinking, stating that people said similar things about Jake O’Brien and Matt Hamill. True, neither dude made out that well (unless you think Hamill’s DQ win by eating illegal elbows is cause for celebration). Jones also offered this:

“What I’m most excited about with this fight is Vladimir’s not really great at anything,” said Jones. “He’s a good wrestler, he’s a powerful puncher, he’s decent at jiu-jitsu, but he’s not known for being great at anything. This is going to be a fight where I can display how well rounded I am right now.”

Not a bad breakdown really, although Vladimir would disagree, particularly about the wrestling part. But that’s just Jon’s opinion. To bet on the fight head here.

You Gotta Be Sh*ttin’ Me Alert: Brains Behind ‘Felony Fights’ Set to Launch ‘Cage vs. Cons’

(*… sigh … * VideoProps: Baller Status.com … we guess)
Seriously you guys, how many patently bad ideas can the mixed martial arts industry possibly support before it collapses inward on itself like a dying star? Answer: At least one more.
Props…

(*… sigh … * VideoProps: Baller Status.com … we guess)

Seriously you guys, how many patently bad ideas can the mixed martial arts industry possibly support before it collapses inward on itself like a dying star? Answer: At least one more.

Props to the boys at MiddleEasy.com for pulling our coat to this thing, which frankly sounds like the worst proposal since Nick Cannon married Mariah Carey. It seems a couple of impresarios previously responsible for a video series called “Felony Fights” – which reportedly pits recently released prisoners against each other in what we can only imagine are incredibly gripping no rules fights – are bringing their singular promotional talents to MMA with an event called “Cage vs. Cons,” … and yeah, it’s exactly what you think it is: Professional MMA fighters battling ex-cons inside the cage.

No, we’re not making this up.

Verbal Assault from Chael Sonnen Continues

If you’ve been following the verbal warfare Chael Sonnen’s launched at Anderson Silva as they head into their tilt next weekend, then you know he’s got a teee-onne of sh-t ready to be dumped on his bed, if he gets bombed out on the 7th. We jumped all over Chael’s ‘what did he say now?’ […]

If you’ve been following the verbal warfare Chael Sonnen’s launched at Anderson Silva as they head into their tilt next weekend, then you know he’s got a teee-onne of sh-t ready to be dumped on his bed, if he gets bombed out on the 7^th. We jumped all over Chael’s ‘what did he say now?’ trash talk when the bout was first made official, but over the last couple of weeks, the tough as nails wrestler has really been pouring it on huh? Sure its damn entertaining, but even some of Sonnen’s biggest supporters must be thinking about the massive humble pie their boys going to have to eat, if he in fact loses.

It seemed like for a few days there (at least from our always clouded perspective) Sonnen’s trash talk had simmered down just a tad, but more recently, things have apparently ‘perked up.’ For example, in the recent UFC teleconference, Sonnen was quoted saying (thanks to ESPN UK for the quotes):

“I’m the toughest guy in the company period, whether it’s Anderson or any other opponent,” stated Sonnen. “There’s never been a guy with earrings that could out-tough me and he’s not going to be the first.”….”You’ve got to understand; I could drag Anderson Silva outside the hotel and beat him up any time I want. I’ve made a commitment to wait until August 7th and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure millions of people watch me do it.”

Wow. A little enraging here, a few laughs there; now that’s how you hype a fight no? To bet on the bout head here.

Report: Phil Baroni “I Want to Matter Again”

Back when your local pub would receive more requests to show bowling than the UFC, the tiny world of MMA was often a buzz about Phil “The New York Bad Ass” Baroni. Not just because of his ‘is this guy serious?’ showmanship, but also because of his ability to violently bounce opponent’s heads with his […]

Back when your local pub would receive more requests to show bowling than the UFC, the tiny world of MMA was often a buzz about Phil “The New York Bad Ass” Baroni. Not just because of his ‘is this guy serious?’ showmanship, but also because of his ability to violently bounce opponent’s heads with his fists. Baroni’s KTFO victory over Dave Menne at UFC 39 remains a highlight reel favorite; not bad for a clip that’s nearly 8 years old.

Of course Baroni’s career has had some ups, and quite a few downs, but a lot of old school fans continue to want to see him throw down. Case in point, the UFC brought Baroni back after he lost by UD to Joe Riggs at a Strikeforce event last June; how often does that happen?

Up next, Baroni was scheduled to fight John Salter at UFC 118 next month, but as bad luck would have it, the NYBA injured his collarbone in training and was forced to drop out. In a revealing interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, Baroni not only talked about his financial need to fight, but also, his desire to regain some of the notoriety he once had. Here’s a sample:

“I just want to be a contender. I want respect from my peers, the fans, media and the promotions. I wanted to say, ‘I’m still here, don’t f**king forget about me. I’m not dead yet. I want to be a contender — I want to matter again. I want to be the biggest comeback story ever — a Cinderella Man.”

Alright, the sceptical alarm as to whether that’s possible is sounding, but that’s a pre-req for any comeback story no?

Ryan Couture Signs Multi-Fight Deal with Strikeforce

(photo courtesy Xtreme Couture)
Now depending on where you’re at in this ever shrinking world of ours, you may want to take another sip of that morning java and squint: the above headline reads ‘Ryan’, not ‘Randy’. Yes indeedy, Strikeforce has announced today that it has signed the 27 year-old son of legendary fighter Randy Couture, […]

(photo courtesy Xtreme Couture)

Now depending on where you’re at in this ever shrinking world of ours, you may want to take another sip of that morning java and squint: the above headline reads ‘Ryan’, not ‘Randy’. Yes indeedy, Strikeforce has announced today that it has signed the 27 year-old son of legendary fighter Randy Couture, Ryan, to a “multi-fight agreement.” The lightweight, who naturally (pun intended) trains out of pop’s Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas, will make his pro debut against Lucas Stark (2-4) at Strikeforce’s upcoming August 13^th show in Phoenix.

If you’re only a part-time MMA addict, then you might not really be aware of Ryan’s amateur career to date; the fighter decided to punt his career as a banker in 2006 to begin training in MMA. Since then he’s gone 5-1-1 in amateur competition, with all five of his victories coming way of submission. For some info on Ryan’s ‘doing it for free’ pugilistic endeavours, check out this Fix video from March. Couture made it be known at that juncture, “that if all goes well”, he would be turning pro soon after.

So, there you have it; really it’s a smart move by Strikeforce. When your pa is one of the sport’s most accomplished and beloved fighters, people are going to tune in to see how you fight. In addition, Strikeforce doesn’t have the kind of depth at lightweight that the UFC has, so really, it makes sense for Ryan to test the pro waters there first. Now if Ryan had spent the last decade plus boxing, and could talk some serious sh-t, then you might have seen him making his pro debut in the Octagon.