podcast | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

UFC’s Tim Boetsch Blames Rash Of Injuries On Fighters Undergoing “Super-Intense Training”

UFC middleweight Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch is scheduled to welcome former Bellator champ Hector Lombard to the Octagon next month in Calgary, Alberta at UFC 149. Originally both Boetsch and Lombard were scheduled to face different opponents, but with the rash of injuries plaguing upcoming UFC events both fighters were pitted against one another for […]

Tim Boetsch

UFC middleweight Tim ‘The Barbarian’ Boetsch is scheduled to welcome former Bellator champ Hector Lombard to the Octagon next month in Calgary, Alberta at UFC 149.

Originally both Boetsch and Lombard were scheduled to face different opponents, but with the rash of injuries plaguing upcoming UFC events both fighters were pitted against one another for the upcoming Canadian show. Boetsch was to have faced Michael Bisping at UFC 149, while Lombard was to have headlined the UFC on FOX 4 event opposite Brian Stann.

During a segment on “The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo” the former light heavyweight, who has gone 3-0 since dropping down to 185-lbs, Boetsch was asked to comment on all of the fighter injuries over the past few weeks.

“I think a lot of fighters out there are caught up in the super-intense training all the time,” Boetsch told theScore.com. “There might not be enough periodization in their training and they’re wearing themselves down and becoming prone to injury. I’ve run into a lot of guys doing that.”

According to Boetsch, if fighters want to remain healthy and active they can’t go hard at it every single minute in the gym because the human body just can’t handle the physical toll. Not only that, but that sort of over-training won’t help their performance in the ring, either.

“If you want to fight year-round, you need to switch it up, you can’t go intense all the time,” he said. “Typically, there’s five or six weeks that I go super hard before a fight but other than that we’re maintaining technique and doing other things and letting the body heal and recover from the damage of previous training. The recovery phase of training and making sure you’re body’s in peak condition to go hard in that small window before the fight is critical and I think some fighters are missing out on that.”

‘The Barbarian’ earned his last victory in February when he earned a third round, come-from-behind victory against Yushin Okami at UFC 144 in Japan. Along with that win, Boetsch also earned decisions against Nick Ring and Kendall Grove since dropping down to middleweight.

Also featured on Tuesday’s podcast was UFC flyweight Joseph Benavidez, MMA legend Wallid Ismail, Showtime’s David Dinkins, and XFC lighweight Nick Newell.

“I Fell Like I Hit The Lottery,” Brandon Vera On Facing ‘Shogun’ Rua

UFC light heavyweight Brandon ‘The Truth’ Vera (12-5, 1NC) has seen some highs and lows over the past year-and-a-half, seeing himself cut from the top promotion to headlining the upcoming UFC on FOX 4 event against former UFC and Pride champion, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. Vera had been scheduled to face fellow light heavyweight James Te-Huna […]

Brandon Vera

UFC light heavyweight Brandon ‘The Truth’ Vera (12-5, 1NC) has seen some highs and lows over the past year-and-a-half, seeing himself cut from the top promotion to headlining the upcoming UFC on FOX 4 event against former UFC and Pride champion, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua.

Vera had been scheduled to face fellow light heavyweight James Te-Huna at next months UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman event in San Jose.

An injury to Vera’s nemesis Thiago Silva, who had been set to meet Rua at UFC 149 in Calgary, as well as injuries to Brian Stann and Michael Bisping, helped to reshuffle several event cards leading to a headlining bout between Vera and Rua for the upcoming FOX show.

Speaking on “The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo” podcast Vera talked about being offered the match with ‘Shogun’ and it’s meaning to him.

“I don’t have anything to lose anything anymore,” he said. “I’ve reached the bottom. There’s nothing else to lose. This is the fight I’ve always dreamt about. Besides Randy, he’s the guy I’ve always wanted to fight.

“This for sure is going to be one of the fights that defines me as a person and as a fighter. This will be one of my greatest performances ever. I’ve never felt this good or alive in a really long time, since the fight with Randy (at UFC 105).”

“All I said was, ‘F*** yeah, let’s do this,’” he said of his conversation with his manager. “I felt like I hit the lottery. Like f***, I’ve never had an opportunity like this in my life. This is big. This is huge.”

And while most fans on social media have been quick to call this a squash match, Vera is confident he’ll prove them all wrong by coming out on top of what has the potential to be a five-round muay Thai war between two of the best strikers at 205 pounds.

“I’m super excited to be standing with Shogun. I’m super excited to see what happens,” he said. “Brandon Vera’s back. I’m going to make myself relevant to the MMA world again in one evening, in one fight.”

UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera (aka UFC on FOX 4) is expected to take place on August 4, 2012 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The bout between Rua and Vera will air on FOX television and include a currently, eleven bout card for the LA show.

With Decision Win At UFC 146, Mike Brown Reconsidering Retirement Talk

Former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown (26-8) had talked about retiring following his fight with Daniel Pineda this past weekend at UFC 146 in Las Vegas. The 36-year-old fighter earned a unanimous decision victory over Pineda on the preliminary portion of the pay-per-view event Saturday night. Speaking on Monday as a guest on the podcast […]

Mike Brown earns a win over Daniel Pineda – Photo by Donald Miralle via UFC.com

Former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown (26-8) had talked about retiring following his fight with Daniel Pineda this past weekend at UFC 146 in Las Vegas.

The 36-year-old fighter earned a unanimous decision victory over Pineda on the preliminary portion of the pay-per-view event Saturday night.

Speaking on Monday as a guest on the podcast “The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo”, Brown says he’s still undecided about retirement and that he “felt so good” in his fight against Pineda that “it’s going to be a hard decision” on whether he retires or not.

“I’m still thinking about it. Going into the fight, I thought there would be a high chance of finishing with this one. My body hasn’t been feeling that great and I’ve been having medical issues. When I had the bad streak my body was shutting down. Out of nowhere, nothing’s really changed, I’m just coming out of it.

“I had planned on retiring but I felt so good, and it’s going to be a hard decision. I’m going to sit down the next couple weeks and think about it.”

Hit the link above to listen to the podcast, which also includes guests Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Brazilian MMA journalist Marcelo Alonso, AKA’s Javier Mendez, Bellator Season Six lightweight tourny winner Rick Hawn, and United Glory Commentator Stephen Quadros.

Chael Sonnen on Joe Rogan’s Podcast (Video)

Before the release of Chael Sonnen‘s book, The Voice of Reason: A VIP Pass to Enlightenment, which comes out Tuesday, the former UFC title challenger made an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast to talk about everything in the sport of …

Bellator Featherweight Finalist Daniel Strauss Wants To Win Tournament For Family & Friends

Featherweight Daniel Straus (19-4) has fought his way into the final of his second straight Bellator tournament and will face Marlon Sandro this Friday (May 11, 2012) in the main event of Bellator 68. This will be Straus’s second attempt at capturing the $100,000 check and a shot at Bellator gold. Straus lost to Patricio […]

Daniel Straus

Featherweight Daniel Straus (19-4) has fought his way into the final of his second straight Bellator tournament and will face Marlon Sandro this Friday (May 11, 2012) in the main event of Bellator 68.

This will be Straus’s second attempt at capturing the $100,000 check and a shot at Bellator gold.

Straus lost to Patricio Freire a year ago in the Season Four finals and vows this year will be different, that this year he’s fighting for more than himself, he’s fight for his family and friends.

As a guest on “The MMA Show with Maruo Ranallo“, Straus talked about his loss to the ‘Pitbull’ last year, his fight win Sandro, and his desire for a rematch with current Bellator champ Pat Curran.

“If I got the chance to fight Pat again it would definitely go differently than the first time we met,” Straus told Mauro Ranallo on The MMA Show. “I faced him early on in my career and I’ve got a lot better. When I first fought him I didn’t have the coaching that I have now and I wasn’t the fighter I am now. I’ve stepped up my training and I’m a completely different fighter.”

….

“I need this. I don’t need it just for myself, I need it for my friends, family, teammates, coaches, fans, supporters, everyone that’s helped me,” he said. “When I go inside that cage and fight it’s not just me, it’s a group of people fighting through one person. We had a teammate, Chris Smith, pass not too long and that memory of him, it definitely fuels me to get in there and win.

“It’s going to be in my heart, man.”

Also on Wednesday’s podcast was former UFC welterweight Chris Lytle, comedian Joey Diaz, and Ontario Athletic Comission member Richard Hustwick.

Bellator’s Bjorn Rebney Would Let Eddie Alvarez Face Michael Chandler In Non-Title Bout

But that is as far as the Bellator Fighting Championships CEO is willing to let things go. Ever since the promotions former lightweight champion lost his title to Michael Chandler last November at Bellator 58, Alvarez has been campaigning for a title rematch against the current undefeated champion. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has stuck to […]

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney

But that is as far as the Bellator Fighting Championships CEO is willing to let things go.

Ever since the promotions former lightweight champion lost his title to Michael Chandler last November at Bellator 58, Alvarez has been campaigning for a title rematch against the current undefeated champion.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has stuck to his guns by saying that if Alvarez wants another shot at the title, he’ll have to enter the lightweight tournament and win his way into a title fight.

Speaking as a guest on “The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo” podcast, Rebney has softened his stance but only slightly. Saying that he would allow the two fighters to meet again, but only in a non-title bout. If he lets that happen, he knows there will be a ton of controversy from fans because the rematch isn’t for the 155-lbs title.

“I think that from a format perspective it’d be tough for us to throw caution to the wind and go, ‘You know what, I know Candler won, I know he won convincingly, I know he submitted Alvarez and won the belt, but we’ll change everything for Eddie and give him a rematch for the title.’ Would we allow them to fight in a three-round non-title superfight? Yes, but you hear me say that and I can hear a little bit of air go out of the balloon because if you see them fight again, you’d want it to be for five rounds with the gold on the line. If Ed wants that though, he needs to beat three guys in a tournament first.”

Other guests on Wednesday’s podcast include Bellator champ Michael Chandler and FRO scores Brent Gambrel.