In the Inferno, poet Dante Alighieri stands on the precipice of hell itself. Soon he will travel deep into the underworld, encountering the worst of humanity and witnessing their punishments. But before he begins this epic journey, he encounters t…
In the Inferno, poet Dante Alighieri stands on the precipice of hell itself. Soon he will travel deep into the underworld, encountering the worst of humanity and witnessing their punishments. But before he begins this epic journey, he encounters three mythical beasts. The lion, representing violence and pride. A lynx, symbolizing lust and sins of the flesh.
But worst of all was the she-wolf. The she-wolf was greed. Ravenously hungry, the more she had, the more she wanted. There was no end to her desires. Man, the poet was saying, once victim to the paralyzing power of avarice, can be consumed with wanting more.
Strangely enough, I understand people trapped in this spiral of despair. Not because of money, sex, or any otherworldly vice. My product is violence. Hardcore MMA fans call it the V. And I can’t get enough. Maybe that’s why the UFC’s long absence has sent me into a downward spin?
Years ago, the UFC was essentially a quarterly event. Every few months, the best fighters in the world would gather together in a small market city and try to do each other irreparable harm. And we loved it. It gave us our fill.
As the years went by, the UFC grew. Dana White and the Fertittas found ways to bring the V we needed, a supply by then we couldn’t do without, to the masses. They upped the ante in a major way. And we consumed it all. Reality shows, numbered events, Spike TV specials—we loved them all. It was the violence business and business was good.
Last year, now running on all cylinders, the UFC promoted 27 mixed martial arts events. Twenty-seven! The most addicted were in a heavenly trance. You couldn’t go more than a couple of weeks without that boom, that pow, that punch, kick, wow! Life was good.
This year the UFC plans to promote more than 30 shows. It’s a golden age of mixed martial arts. But it comes with a catch. Between March 3, 2012 and April 14, 2012, there were no scheduled UFC events. None!
Now imagine my pain. It’s probably not hard if you are a fan. This is how football fans feel in the off season, but multiplied by 100. Because football fans are used to an off season. It’s par for the course. Sure, it’s a crushing disappointment, but one that comes every year. You can prepare for it.
Jonathan, you might say, why not fill the void with Bellator or another local event? And that makes sense. But once you’ve been mainlining heroin, can you really give yourself a high with some over the counter cold medicine?
I am here to speak out, as loudly as I can, about the lack of UFC in my life. I need that good V, the kind only the world’s best fighters can provide. Dana White—don’t let this happen again. You’ve made monsters of us all. Please never go away.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last week, you will probably have heard by now that Asia’s biggest mixed martial arts organization is putting on its best card ever and will be letting fans watch all 11 fights for free.ONE Fighting Cham…
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last week, you will probably have heard by now that Asia’s biggest mixed martial arts organization is putting on its best card ever and will be letting fans watch all 11 fights for free.
ONE Fighting Championship has been hitting the headlines for all the right reasons and also made history earlier in the week when an in-depth feature appeared on SportsCenter—the first time ever that MMA fighters were invited onto this program.
Everything seems to be falling into place for this organization, which is definitely living up to its promise to be the most prestigious in all of Asia. With a free YouTube stream and a delayed broadcast on ESPN which allows people all over Asia to tune in and watch the show, ONE FC has already established a vast viewership.
Fans will be treated to a card on Saturday which is pretty special and features champions from Japan, the Philippines and Brazil as well as some legends like Melvin Manhoef.
When the smoke clears and all is said and done, we can shake hands and be friends. Right? Wrong! On June 16, 2012, Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen will step into the cage so that MMA fans can bear witness to the biggest rematch in UFC history. UFC…
When the smoke clears and all is said and done, we can shake hands and be friends. Right? Wrong!
On June 16, 2012, Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen will step into the cage so that MMA fans can bear witness to the biggest rematch in UFC history. UFC 147 is not only expected to be the biggest PPV event of the year, but it also looks like it could break the PPV record currently held by UFC 100, which also featured a grudge match rematch in the main event.
“Why should they fight again? We already saw it!” Just because you saw the same two guys get into the cage before doesn’t mean that you’ll see the same fight the second time around. Just look at Lesnar vs Mir and Liddell vs Couture as examples of different outcomes occurring in a hotly anticipated rematch.
Personal beef between fighters isn’t the only reason why fans want to see rematches.The way I see it, there are 10 primary situations that would make a rematch necessary:
Controversial Decision
Controversial Stoppage
Fight Ends in a Draw
Extremely Close Fight
Extremely Exciting Fight
Outside Factor Tainted First Fight
Close Contention within Division
Animosity Between Opponents
Underdog Shocks Heavy Favorite
Winner Tested Positive for Performance Enhancer
Here is a list of 20 Rematches that MMA Fans Want to See…whether they know it or not!
Although the UFC has had a long layoff since UFC on FX 2 in Australia, there has been plenty of good MMA action going down. In the previous couple of weeks, promotions such as Bellator, BAMMA and Tachi Palace Fights have worked hard to suffice the appe…
Although the UFC has had a long layoff since UFC on FX 2 in Australia, there has been plenty of good MMA action going down. In the previous couple of weeks, promotions such as Bellator, BAMMA and Tachi Palace Fights have worked hard to suffice the appetite of hardcore mixed martial arts fans.
This weekend holds a number of cards, with a mixture of promising prospects and big-fight veterans. These fights will be held from Singapore to Brazil, from Connecticut to Texas.
Here is a look ahead at what to watch for this weekend.
Bellator 63
When: Friday (prelims start at 7 p.m. ET, main card starts at 8 p.m. ET)
Where: Uncasville, Connecticut
Where to Watch it: MTV 2, Bellator.com and Spike.com
What to Watch for
Bellator’s sixth season continues this weekend, holding the quarterfinals for its welterweight tournament. The preliminary card also hosts a number of lesser-known fighters looking to make a name for themselves in mixed martial arts.
This season’s welterweight participants include UFC veterans Ben Saunders and Jordan Smith, Bellator tournament veterans Bryan Baker and Chris Lozano and a number of other talented fighters.
Here is the entire card:
Main Card
Karl Amoussou vs. Chris Lozano (welterweight-tourney opening round)
Raul Amaya vs. Ben Saunders (welterweight-tourney opening round)
David Rickels vs. Jordan Smith (welterweight-tourney opening round)
Bryan Baker vs. Carlos Pereira (welterweight-tourney opening round)
Preliminary Card
Marianna Kheyfets vs. Munah Holland
Dan Cramer vs. Jeff Nader
Andrey Koreshkov vs. Taiwan Howard
Saul Almeida vs. Matt Bessette
Parker Porter vs. Randy Smith
Ryan Quinn vs. Marc Stevens
Pete Rogers vs. Brandon Fleming
RFA 2: Alexander vs. Yvel
When: Friday (8 p.m. ET)
Where: Kearney, Nebraska
Where to Watch it: Sherdog.com
What to Watch for
Resurrection Fighting Alliance brings their second show live Friday night on Sherdog.com. The show is headlined by big show veterans Houston “The Assassin” Alexander and Gilbert Yvel.
Alexander is best known for his stint in the UFC, where he was known for his knockout power, while Yvel has fought all over the world, including the UFC.
Also notably on the card are former UFC champion Maurice Smith, women’s MMA veteran Tara LaRosa and highly regarded bantamweight prospect Josh Rave.
Notable Fights from the Card
Houston Alexander vs. Gilbert Yvel
Maurice Smith vs. Kyle Keeney
Tara LaRosa vs. Kelly Warren
Josh Rave vs. Timothy Elliott
Derrick Lewis vs. Justin Frazier
Elaina Maxwell vs. Ashley Sanchez
Aaron Derrow vs. Jordan Johnson
ONE FC: War of the Lions
When: Saturday (8 a.m. ET)
Where: Kallang, Singapore
Where to Watch it: YouTube.com
What to Watch for
ONE Fighting Championship has quickly become the premier fight league in Asia as of recent, and showing its appreciation, they will be airing this event free on YouTube.
Headlining the card is Japanese juggernaut Tatsuya Kawajiri and his opponent Donald Sanchez.
Also on the card will be notables Felipe Enomoto, Eduard Folayang, Yuya Shirai and Melvin Manhoef.
Notable Fights on the Card
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Donald Sanchez
Felipe Enomoto vs. Zorobabel Moreira
Eduard Folayang vs. Ole Larsen
Yuya Shirai vs. Fabricio Monteiro
Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi
Masakazu Imanari vs. Kevin Belingon
Richie Whitson vs. Danny van Bergen
Amazon Forest Combat 2
When: Saturday
Where: Manaus, Brazil
Where to Watch it: Unknown
What to Watch for
Amazon Forest Combat comes to you with a stacked card on Saturday, hosting a batch of notable fighters from around the world. Headlining are former champions Murilo Bustamante and Dave Menne, in a rematch from a UFC championship match back in the day, which Bustamante won.
Also on the card are a bevy of UFC veterans, including Patrick Cote, Thales Leites and Josh Burkman.
Notable Fights on the Card
Murilo Bustamante vs. Dave Menne
Thales Leites vs. Matt Horwich
Patrick Cote vs. Gustavo Machado
Josh Burkman vs. Daniel Acacio
Rameau Sokoudjou vs. Satoshi Ishii
Ronys Torres vs. Ferrid Kheder
WMMA 1: McCorkle vs. Heden
When: Saturday
Where: El Paso, Texas
Where to Watch it: Unknown
What to Watch for
WMMA comes to you with its inaugural event, which is a benefit for the American military. Headlining the card are heavyweights Brian Heden and Sean McCorkle.
This card also hosts a number of MMA notables, including Karo Parisyan, Paul Buentello and Lyle Beerbohm.
Notable Fights on the Card
Sean McCorkle vs. Brian Heden
Thomas Denny vs. Karo Parisyan
Lyle Beerbohm vs. Derrick Noble
Drew Fickett vs. Kevin Knabjian
Willie Parks vs. Jamaine Facey
Rodney Wallace vs. Derrick Mehmen
Darrill Schoonover vs. Paul Buentello
Frank Gomez vs. Chris Gruetzemaker
So there you have it—a weekend chalked full of fights. With a number of former champions, UFC veterans and well-traveled mixed martial artists fighting for your entertainment, there should be no shortage on the amount of MMA you can consume this weekend.
And don’t forget. The Ultimate Fighter continues this Friday on FX, as Team Cruz’s Myles Jury takes on Team Faber’s top pick, Al Iaquinta.
Also, The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil continues its amazing action Sunday night on tuf.tv, as Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort choose their teams and set the first fight.
Despite his one-minute loss to Junior dos Santos last November, Cain Velasquez remains one of the best heavyweights in the world.Actually, I’d say he’s the best overall heavyweight in the world, despite no longer holding the title. After all, anybody c…
Despite his one-minute loss to Junior dos Santos last November, Cain Velasquez remains one of the best heavyweights in the world.
Actually, I’d say he’s the best overall heavyweight in the world, despite no longer holding the title. After all, anybody can get clipped with the kind of punch Velasquez did. The loss doesn’t diminish his skills in the slightest.
I’m a realist. I knew I wasn’t going to go through my career undefeated. That’s how this sport is. People lose. Even the best guys lose. I knew as soon as it was over, I had to pick myself back up and keep going forward. I do have some extra motivation now, for sure, but I wish that for that night things had gone differently and that the fans had gotten the fight they came to see.
That’s a smart line of thinking for any fighter in the game. The level of talent in the game today far surpasses, at least from an overall sense, the kind of heavyweight talent that existed back when Fedor Emelianenko was running up his undefeated record. You can be a dominant heavyweight and still run into someone with the power to put you on your back with an errant punch behind your ear.
Velasquez still has the best wrestling pedigree in the UFC’s heavyweight division, at least until Daniel Cormier makes his way over from Strikeforce. He also has brutal punching power, speed and a gas tank that will enable him to fight forever without getting tired.
I have a feeling Frank Mir‘s going to find this out the hard way when he faces off with Velasquez at UFC 146 in May.
Close your eyes and picture a professional fighter. What do you see? Jacked muscles? Cauliflower ears? A scowling leathery face that has been hardened from years of eating punches? While no two fighters look the same, there is a bit of a mold that thes…
Close your eyes and picture a professional fighter. What do you see? Jacked muscles? Cauliflower ears? A scowling leathery face that has been hardened from years of eating punches? While no two fighters look the same, there is a bit of a mold that these guys seem to step out of.
This is a list of 10 professional fighters who don’t fit the standard mold. Be it their generally chipper demeanor or their less-than-chiseled physique, but if you had never seen a lot of these guys in action before, you would never guess that they cause pain for a living. These are athletes who, if you encountered in a bar, you might actually feel as if you could kick their ass. If you didn’t know better, these professional punishment providers could pass as tax attorneys, eye doctors or the opening act for Larry The Cable Guy.
Just for fun, I’ve decided to throw in some Hollywood Casting Agent magic. If these fighters went to a casting agency, looking for work in film, their appearance would greatly determine what role they landed. I’ve taken a guess at which part some of these fighters would receive.
