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Bellator Welterweight Douglas Lima Says He “Blacked Out” In Loss Versus Ben Askren

Bellator Season Five Welterweight tournament winner, and former Maximum Fighting Championship title holder, Douglas ‘The Phenom’ Lima (21-5) had the biggest opportunity of his young career this past weekend in Windsor, Ontario fighting Bellator champ Ben Askren for the title at Bellator 64. Despite some high hopes Askren would retain the title, controlling the fight […]

Bellator Season Five Welterweight tournament winner, and former Maximum Fighting Championship title holder, Douglas ‘The Phenom’ Lima (21-5) had the biggest opportunity of his young career this past weekend in Windsor, Ontario fighting Bellator champ Ben Askren for the title at Bellator 64.

Despite some high hopes Askren would retain the title, controlling the fight for all five rounds from top position on the mat cruising to a unanimous decision victory.

As Lima explains to Tatame.com, despite all of his preparations for the fight, it all went out the window as he “blacked out” versus Askren and “did everything wrong” in the match.

“I did a terrible job. I didn’t do what I trained to do. Before the bout I was feeling fine, but I couldn’t do it when I got in there. It wasn’t my night. I was very disappointed because I really trained hard and I was ready, but it wasn’t meant to be. I’m training even more to come back with everything I’ve got”.

“I knew he would be tough at Wrestling and that he would take me down eventually. But I expected more from me. I know I did everything wrong, but I hope to correct it and never let it happen again”, guaranteed.

“I even went for a submission, but I couldn’t get it right. He did a good job defending himself when I could sweep or do the stand-up game. We trained a lot and it worked on training, but when I fought I just blacked out. My bad”.

Lima wants to return to action as soon as he can and explains that he will be included in next seasons Bellator tournament. ‘The Phenom’ has expressed a desire to fight in Japan, it’s possible that with all of the collaboration between Bellator and DREAM, Lima may find his next fight overseas.

“If You Feel 100% And Perfect Going Into A Fight…You Weren’t Training Hard Enugh,” Rory MacDonald

Canadian welterweight Rory ‘The Wateboy’ MacDonald (12-1) is winding down the intensity of his training camp with less than two weeks to go before he meets Che Mills at UFC 145. MacDonald, who trains out of the Tri-Star gym in Montreal, talked about training in his recent Blog for Sportsnet.ca recently discussing a recent cold […]

Rory MacDonald

Canadian welterweight Rory ‘The Wateboy’ MacDonald (12-1) is winding down the intensity of his training camp with less than two weeks to go before he meets Che Mills at UFC 145.

MacDonald, who trains out of the Tri-Star gym in Montreal, talked about training in his recent Blog for Sportsnet.ca recently discussing a recent cold that he’s been battling. It’s nothing that has prevented him from his preparations, it’s just something that every fighter deals with whether it’s an injury or an illness.

‘The Waterboy’ notes that “If you feel 100 per cent and perfect going into a fight, there’s a good chance you weren’t training hard enough.”

I’ve got a pretty tough week ahead of me now, but for the most part, the toughest stage of training is now done and I’m just gearing up for fight week. I was sick for a couple of weeks, when everybody in the gym was fighting a cold, but I haven’t let it impact my training or my progress. I still feel extremely strong and fit, despite having to shake off that cold along the way.

There are always bugs and illnesses going around the gym and that’s just something you have to deal with. Very few fighters will ever go through a camp completely unscathed. You’ll either pick up some sort of cold or niggle. That’s just the business we’re in. If you feel 100 per cent and perfect going into a fight, there’s a good chance you weren’t training hard enough.

Luckily, this training camp has been one of my healthiest to date. Aside from the cold I mentioned, there has been very little else wrong with me during preparation. This has allowed me to knuckle down and work harder than ever for this fight.

MacDonald is currently 3-1 in the UFC with back-to-back wins over Mike Pyle and Nate Diaz last year. He had been scheduled to face Brian Ebersole last December at UFC 140 but was forced to pull out due to injury.

UFC on FUEL TV 2: Denis Siver Hoping Feels He’ll Be “More Explosive” Fighting At Featherweight

UFC veteran Dennis Siver (19-8) is ready to test himself in a new weight class as his upcoming featherweight debut against Diego Nunes nears. The two fighters are scheduled to meet this weekend in Sweden as part of the UFC on FUEL TV 2 card. Siver drops down to 145-lbs following a one-sided loss to […]

Dennis Siver

UFC veteran Dennis Siver (19-8) is ready to test himself in a new weight class as his upcoming featherweight debut against Diego Nunes nears. The two fighters are scheduled to meet this weekend in Sweden as part of the UFC on FUEL TV 2 card.

Siver drops down to 145-lbs following a one-sided loss to Donald Cerrone last October at UFC 137, ending a four fight win streak for the German based fighter.

Talking about the drop in weight, and his upcoming fight to UFC.com, Siver expects to be “more explosive” at featherweight as well as an even bigger “powerhouse” in his new weight class.

“I wanted to try something new and felt a real surge of motivation when I thought of dropping down in weight,” said Siver, who will make his featherweight debut this Saturday in Sweden against Diego Nunes. “Obviously, my reach is much better suited for the featherweight division than the lightweight division.”

“I was a real powerhouse at 155 and expect to be able to use my power to my advantage even more at 145,” said Siver through translator Oliver Copp. “Fighting at 145 should also make me more explosive.”

…

“I haven’t had any trouble making weight. While I did have to take a long hard look at my diet and change up some things, the changes weren’t dramatic. Mostly, I increased the percentage of fruit and vegetables in my diet and significantly reduced the amount of candy I eat. (Laughs) I’ll admit it – I do have a bit of a sweet tooth.”

“Not really,” he said. “This fight against Diego is a test for me. I want to see how my body reacts in competition to the new weight class. Maybe I’ll stay at featherweight, maybe I won’t. But if I decide to stay, I’ll be setting my sights on the gold. I’ve been around for a while and have worked hard to get better every time I fight. It’s now or never, as I’m not getting any younger either.”

Siver and Nunes will compete on the main card of the UFC on FUEL TV 2 card, which takes place on April 14, 2012 at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

Alexander Gustafsson “Motivated” To Beat Thiago Silva This Saturday In Sweden

Light heavyweight Alexander ‘The Mauler’ Gustafsson (13-1) will headline his first UFC event this Saturday at home in Sweden as part of the UFC on Fuel TV 2 event. Gustafsson faces a returning Thiago Silva who was suspended a year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for falsifying his urine. Gustafsson is well motivated for […]

Alexander Gustafsson

Light heavyweight Alexander ‘The Mauler’ Gustafsson (13-1) will headline his first UFC event this Saturday at home in Sweden as part of the UFC on Fuel TV 2 event. Gustafsson faces a returning Thiago Silva who was suspended a year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for falsifying his urine.

Gustafsson is well motivated for this fight, probably more so than versus his original opponent Antônio Rogério Nogueira who withdrew due to injury.

A win over Silva could help propel ‘The Mauler’ into title contention, but as a teammate to Brandon Vera, who fought Silva last and was heavily disrespected by the Brazilian in their bout, it’s an added motivation for the big Swede to earn a win this Saturday.

Gustafsson spoke to Brian Hemminger of MMAMania.com about matching up versus Silva and what he expects from the striker.

Brian Hemminger: Let’s talk about your upcoming opponent Thiago Silva. Now Thiago kind of disrespected your Alliance teammate Brandon Vera in his last fight. Does that give you added motivation heading into this or do you try to block that out?
Alexander Gustafsson: Absolutely. He’s a great fighter but he’s not a good sportsman. He’s lacking in respect in his fights and it just makes me more motivated to fight him. He’s a very entertaining fighter too, so it’s gonna be a good fight for the fans.

Would it bother you if he tried to do some similar [disrespectful] tactics in the fight against you?
Alexander Gustafsson: No, absolutely not. I’m a professional and I stick to my game. He will probably do it too so I’m prepared for it. It’s not going to affect me at all.

…

Do you feel like keeping this fight at a distance will be a huge benefit to you because he’ll have to wade in pretty far to land anything significant?
Yeah, that’s my fight. I like to use my range and that’s one of my strengths and a tactic I try to use in every fight. I will definitely be using it against him.

Thiago Silva is a highly ranked fighter. If you defeat him, you’ll be among the elite level in the light heavyweight division. Do you think about what a victory over Silva would mean to you?
Alexander Gustafsson: It means everything to me. It’s my career. I don’t look past him. This is my biggest opponent of my life so far and it’s a big step for me. I just want to fight better guys every time. I’m very excited.

UFC on Fuel TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva (aka UFC on Fuel TV 2) is scheduled to take place on April 14, 2012 at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. The preliminary card will stream live on Facebook while the main card will air live on FUEL TV.

Swedish Welterweight Papy Abedi Credits Dominick Cruz & Alliance MMA With Improved Skills Leading Up To UFC on FUEL TV 2 Bout

Zaire born, and Swedish based welterweight, Papy ‘Makambo’ Abedi (8-1) is ready for his first win in the Octagon having lost his debut, and his first pro bout, to Thiago Alves last November at UFC 138. Abedi is set to meet James Head this coming weekend in Stockholm, Sweden on the preliminary card of UFC […]

Papy Abedi

Zaire born, and Swedish based welterweight, Papy ‘Makambo’ Abedi (8-1) is ready for his first win in the Octagon having lost his debut, and his first pro bout, to Thiago Alves last November at UFC 138.

Abedi is set to meet James Head this coming weekend in Stockholm, Sweden on the preliminary card of UFC on FUEL TV 2.

Abedi has changed things up since the loss to Alves, coming to America to train joining the Alliance MMA gym in San Diego to work with fighters such as UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, Phil Davis, Brandon Vera, and Alexander Gustafsson, among others.

Reflecting on his loss to Alves in an interview with UFC.com, Abedi feels things would have been very different if he had trained for the ‘Pitbull’ as he’s done now for Head, crediting the Alliance MMA gym with his vast improvement in wrestling since that loss.

“I wanted to test myself and I always want to fight the best,” Abedi, speaking Swedish, said courtesy of Michael’s English translation. “But it was early, in my first UFC fight, to fight one of the best in the weight division. I still feel that if I had the type of training, preparation and sparring that I have now – because I changed teams for this fight … the fight would have been completely different. So it was early for me, but it was a healthy experience that will help me grow and become a better MMA fighter. I needed to work with people that know how to bring the best out of me.”

“It was a good experience working with such good UFC athletes and a great champion like Dominick Cruz,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot for my wrestling and cagework game. If I had trained like this for Thiago Alves the outcome would have been a lot different. So it’s been an awesome camp that my head trainer, Andreas, put together. I’ve developed a lot as an MMA fighter working with the best.”

“There’s not a lot to say about him (Head) because everyone in the UFC is a good fighter,” Abedi said. “It’s going to be a good match. I’ve trained very hard and I hope James Head has trained hard as well because I want to put on a really good show for the fans in Sweden. The arena sold out in three hours. I’ve got the home advantage, the crowd, my family and friends behind me. It’s a friendly and familiar environment. At the same time, there’s a lot of stress and pressure because it is at home. But I’m honored and happy to be a part of this historic event. I’m honored to fight in my home country.”

Anthony Johnson Says His Body Got Confused Trying To Add Then Drop Weight For UFC 142

Former UFC veteran Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson (10-4) is ready to move on with his life following his dismissal from the UFC following a badly failed weight-cut versus Vitor Belfort at UFC 142. Johnson is set to headline the upcoming Titan Fighting 22 event in Kansas City next May versus another former UFC vet, Dave Branch […]

Former UFC veteran Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson (10-4) is ready to move on with his life following his dismissal from the UFC following a badly failed weight-cut versus Vitor Belfort at UFC 142.

Johnson is set to headline the upcoming Titan Fighting 22 event in Kansas City next May versus another former UFC vet, Dave Branch (10-2).

‘Rumble’ is concentrating on his new career at 185-lbs, training with the Blackzilian camp in Florida.

Speaking to MMAjunkie.com, Johnson reflected on why he was unable to make middleweight limit versus Belfort when he stepped on the scales at 197-lbs at the Brazilian event.

“When it came down to making weight for 185, I just think my body had to adjust from losing muscle to packing on muscle, then trying to lose it (again),” he said. “My body was just confused. ‘What are you doing to me.’”

“But it is what it is. I can’t complain about it, I just have to keep going forward and not even think about the past and just think about my future.”

The 28-year-old Johnson admits he envisions a return to the UFC, but he doesn’t have a certain timetable in mind.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Of course my ultimate goal is to get back in the UFC, but I’m with Titan right now, so I can’t think about anything else.”

“I’ve just got to think about who I’m with and who I have to compete against. I’ve just got to be ready for David Branch. I’m not thinking about who is in the UFC or what the UFC is doing. When my time comes, it will come.”

Johnson suffered a first round submission loss to Belfort in the co-main event, ending a two fight win streak for ‘Rumble’.

Branch meanwhile, has won two straight since his dismissal from the UFC after a loss to Rousimar Palhares at the UFC on Versus 3 show just ove a year ago.