Dan Henderson vs. Babalu and Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Nick Diaz Strikeforce Match-Ups a Possibility for October CBS Show

(Video Courtesy YouTube/JoeRogan.net)
Match-ups between four Strikeforce stand-out fighters are being discussed for a potential October CBS-broadcasted event according to various industry sources.
MMAFighting reports that although he is noncommital …

(Video Courtesy YouTube/JoeRogan.net)

Match-ups between four Strikeforce stand-out fighters are being discussed for a potential October CBS-broadcasted event according to various industry sources.

MMAFighting reports that although he is noncommital whether one of the bouts — a light heavyweight tilt between Dan Henderson and Renato "Bablu" Sobral will happen on the card,  if indeed at all, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker wouldn’t rule out the possibility that the fight could take place on the rumored October CBS show.

read more

Wednesday Morning MMA Link Club

(Paul Thatcher shoots model Jade Bryce for FIGHT!’s July 2010 issue. She enjoys camping, Roger Huerta, and covering her boobs with boxing gloves. Props: FIGHT! Magazine)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-…

(Paul Thatcher shoots model Jade Bryce for FIGHT!’s July 2010 issue. She enjoys camping, Roger Huerta, and covering her boobs with boxing gloves. Props: FIGHT! Magazine)

Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…

– Bold MMA Predictions For The Second Half Of 2010 (Heavy.com/MMA)

– Chad Griggs: Lashley Is Strikeforce’s Golden Child, But Very Beatable (MMA Fighting)

– The Most Ridiculous Nick Diaz T-Shirt Ever Printed (MiddleEasy)

– Community Interview: WEC Featherweight Contender Josh Grispi Answers Questions From Fans (LowKick)

– After TUF Loss, DaMarques Johnson Still Climbing the UFC Ranks (Versus MMA Beat)

– Mitrione vs. Beltran, Dollaway vs. Doerkson set for UFC 119 Prelims on Spike TV (Five Ounces of Pain)

– Brock Lesnar Makes it Rain, PPV Buys That Is (Watch Kalib Run)

– Knockout of the Day: Segio Junior vs. Thiago Gomes da Silva (MMA Scraps)

9 Questions You Should Never Ask in an MMA Interview

(Leave it to the professionals, Andy…)
A couple weeks ago, I stumbled across a Bleacher Report article titled "The Top 10 Questions Every MMA Fighter Should Be Asked." It was written by a teenage contributor named Dale De Souza who, at th…


(Leave it to the professionals, Andy…)

A couple weeks ago, I stumbled across a Bleacher Report article titled "The Top 10 Questions Every MMA Fighter Should Be Asked." It was written by a teenage contributor named Dale De Souza who, at that point, had only done one interview with an MMA fighter, but still felt like he’d accumulated enough wisdom to put together a guide for aspiring MMA journalists. Isn’t that adorable? For the most part, De Souza’s question suggestions are pretty standard fare if you’re interviewing an up-and-comer that fans don’t know much about, and you don’t mind being unoriginal. (i.e., "How did you get into the sport?" "Which team are you training with in preparation for your next bout?" "Do you like to stand with your opponents or take them to the ground?")

As the founding editor of CagePotato.com, I’ve been interviewing MMA fighters for nearly three years, and through trial and error, I’ve learned a lot about what not to ask during fighter interviews. Dale will learn this stuff in time, but to save him (and others like him) a lot of heartbreak, uncomfortable silences, and dull articles, I’ve put together a list of my own. Read on, and avoid these interview questions at all costs…

1. Will you choke me out?/Will you kick me in the leg?
Don’t do it. It’s been done, and you might end up in the hospital. You’ll have to find another way to make your name by humiliating yourself. (By the way, barfing on camera has also been done.)

2. What’s your gameplan for [opponent’s name]?
As it turns out, very few fighters are willing to publicly reveal what they’re planning to do to their opponents, in specific detail; go figure. So don’t expect a satisfying response to this question. Most of the time, you’ll get some variation of "I’m just gonna focus on what I do best, and try to show everybody what I’m capable of." Boooooooring.

read more

Jake Shields Close to Being a UFC Fighter; Says Strikeforce’s Problem is that the Company Only Pushes Has-Beens

(Shields was pleasantly surprised to find his locker at the UFC training centre stuffed with the "respect" Strikeforce failed to show him.)
When Jake Shields announced that he would be testing the free agent waters when his Strikeforce contra…


(Shields was pleasantly surprised to find his locker at the UFC training centre stuffed with the "respect" Strikeforce failed to show him.)

When Jake Shields announced that he would be testing the free agent waters when his Strikeforce contract ended this summer, every MMA fan and journalist collectively thought, "He’s going to the UFC." Strikeforce must have been thinking the same thing, considering they let Shields, who is their middleweight champ, go without a fight by releasing him without tendering a final offer before he began the open negotiation period with other promotions.

Even if a company like the UFC made an offer, Strikeforce, by rights could have matched any offer on the table, but by releasing him from his contract, the only thing they did was possibly prevent a bidding war resulting salary increase for Shields.

He told BJPenn.com that the release was totally unexpected.

“It came as kind of a surprise. I hadn’t really been talking to Strikeforce and pretty much everyone knows that I want to go to the UFC. We got our negotiations going with the UFC and they (Strikeforce) dropped me without any warning and it came out of nowhere. It is what it is and I’m moving ahead with the UFC contract and hopefully that will be worked out soon.”

read more

Friday Link Dump

(Video courtesy YouTube/Fight!Magazine)
It’s do or die time for Stephan Bonnar Saturday night (MMAMania)
Rashad cool with waiting until March for shot at Shogun (MMAJunkie)
Lesnar will make ten times what  Carwin will tomorrow night (MiddleEasy)

(Video courtesy YouTube/Fight!Magazine)

It’s do or die time for Stephan Bonnar Saturday night (MMAMania)

Rashad cool with waiting until March for shot at Shogun (MMAJunkie)

Lesnar will make ten times what  Carwin will tomorrow night (MiddleEasy)

Nick Diaz will be out until late summer serving SF suspension (MMAWeekly)

Erin Toughill isn’t afraid of Cyborg (TheGarv)

Bibiano Fernandes explains how he was recruited to help BJ prepare for Edgar (TATAME)

20 hottest ring girls (Heavy)

Backflips ain’t easy (Break)

Newly casted movie Spiderman is a dweeb (ScreenJunkies)

7 frighteningly smokin’ screen babes (Chickipedia)

First look at the 2011 Ford Mustang RTR (MadeMan)

LOL race pics: blame Gordon (AllLeftTurns)

Dwayne Wade has second meeting with Chicago Bulls (ScoresReport)

Assassins Creed Brotherhod gameplay (FileFront)

Don’t eat it (FunnyJunk)

Sweet ass parade (NothingToxic)

A thank you to creepy late night gas stations (HolyTaco)


Strikeforce’s Middleweight Tournament Could Be All Kinds of Epic

(Jason "Mayhem" Miller, shown here with two of the countless enemies he’s made over the years.)
Losing your middleweight champ to the UFC after his contract runs out? Disaster. But Strikeforce plans to turn their lemons into lemonade with a…


(Jason "Mayhem" Miller, shown here with two of the countless enemies he’s made over the years.)

Losing your middleweight champ to the UFC after his contract runs out? Disaster. But Strikeforce plans to turn their lemons into lemonade with an upcoming eight-man tournament that will crown a new champion in their deepest division. Here’s what King Coker had to say about the MWGP he’ll put together if Jake Shields splits the scene:

Coker told MMAjunkie.com he is considering eight fighters for a potential tournament to begin at an event planned for Aug. 21: Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Robbie Lawler, Tim Kennedy, Dan Henderson, Nick Diaz [Ed. note: Nick’s already the Strikeforce welterweight champ, so he’d be trying to scoop up his homey’s belt and rule over a second weight class] and "Mayhem" Miller. Additionally, the winner of a June 26 bout between Scott Smith and Cung Le is under consideration for a tourney spot, as is the winner of an upcoming World Victory Road/Sengoku bout between Kazuo Misaki and champ Jorge Santiago. The tournament would take place over two events, the Strikeforce CEO said. Houston is targeted for the first event, though the promotion has not confirmed a city or venue.

A two-event tournament means that the semi-finals and finals could potentially be held on the same night, Japan-style. And looking at that lineup, we see a lot of potential for sick matchups and serious grudge-settling. Think about it…

read more