Tag: quick quote

TUF 15 Coach Urijah Faber Calls Dominick Cruz “Consistent” But “A Little Arrogant”

Former WEC featherweight champ, and current UFC bantamweight contender, Urijah ‘The California Kid’ Faber (26-5) is set to debut as a coach this Friday night on FX television. Opposing him will be UFC champ Dominick Cruz, who earned a decision over Faber in their last bout putting the fighters at 1-1 in their career against […]

Photo via UFC.com

Former WEC featherweight champ, and current UFC bantamweight contender, Urijah ‘The California Kid’ Faber (26-5) is set to debut as a coach this Friday night on FX television.

Opposing him will be UFC champ Dominick Cruz, who earned a decision over Faber in their last bout putting the fighters at 1-1 in their career against one another.

Fans can expect some entertaining trash talk every Friday night for the next thirteen weeks between the two coaches.

During a segment on “The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo” Faber expressed his excitement about coaching on “TUF” versus Cruz, as well as his thoughts on the champ as a person and a fighter.

“I think Dominick’s a solid fighter. He doesn’t have that ‘it’ factor or a finishing move so he’s not a scary fighter, but he’s very good at what he does. As a person he’s alright. He’s a little arrogant — I think he thinks he’s better than he is and holds himself up on a pedestal. But he’s got things that are admirable like his work ethic, and the way he trains is commendable. He’s also consistent.”

Listen to the full podcast, which also includes interview with Bellator champ Michael Chandler and Canadian welterweight Ryan Ford. Or jump to the interview with Faber by moving ahead to 13:30 on the webplayer.

Bellator Champ Michael Chandler Excited To Fight, Just Not Excited For Akihiro Gono

Undefeated Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler (9-0) has his next fight scheduled for May 4, 2012 in the headliner of Bellator 67 versus Japanese veteran Akihiro Gono (32-17-7) in a non-title “Super Fight”. Chandler is coming off the biggest win of his career, having stopped Eddie Alvarez for the Bellator strap last November. The new […]

Undefeated Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler (9-0) has his next fight scheduled for May 4, 2012 in the headliner of Bellator 67 versus Japanese veteran Akihiro Gono (32-17-7) in a non-title “Super Fight”.

Chandler is coming off the biggest win of his career, having stopped Eddie Alvarez for the Bellator strap last November.

The new champ is ready and excited to get back into the cage to show that he is one of the best fighters in the world, he’s just not that excited to face Gono.

Chandler was a guest on “The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo” (interview with Chandler starts at 7:50) on Thursday to talk about his upcoming fight. Hit play to listen to the full podcast which includes TUF 15 coach Urijah Faber and Canadian welterweight Ryan Ford who makes his Bellator debut at the May 4 event.

“I am a fan of (non-title fights) because of timing,” the undefeated Chandler told The MMA Show. “There’s no way I wanted to sit out for almost a year because I won’t defend my title until this fall or winter. If I was to sit out for that long that’s just too long. I’m 25-years old, I’m young, hungry and improving by the day. I’m a fighter and I want to go out and fight because that’s our job. Our job is to go out there and fight as much as possible and put on a show for all the fans. I’m excited that I’m only going to be laid off for six months now (since the November against Alvarez). It’s still too long, but it’s a lot better than 12.”

“… I’m just excited to fight. I’m not necessarily pumped for Gono, but he’s definitely a veteran of the sport and everyone of the sport who is a true fan, that has been watching since the PRIDE and UFC 1 days, they’ll know who he is,” Chandler said. “He’s had some crazy fights with some of the biggest names in our sport, so it’s going to be cool and I’m excited to go out there and put on a show. No matter who I’m fighting, I only have one goal and that’s to go out there and dominate — that’s all I really can control.”

Chandler has won nine straight, six of which have occurred in the Bellator cage as well as two wins under the Strikeforce banner.

Chandler and Gono are set to meet on May 4, 2012 in Rama, Ontario, Canada at the Casino Rama hotel and casino.

Drop To Featherweight Not Even A Consideration For Frankie Edgar According To Management

Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar (14-2-1) has his rematch with newly crowned title holder Bensen Henderson, following some fierce negotiations between Edgar’s manager Ali Abdel-Aziz and the UFC matchmakers. There had been talk of passing Edgar over for a new face, but after ‘The Answer’ re-matched each of his last two opponents, […]

Edgar and Henderson faceoff – Photo by Al Bello/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar (14-2-1) has his rematch with newly crowned title holder Bensen Henderson, following some fierce negotiations between Edgar’s manager Ali Abdel-Aziz and the UFC matchmakers.

There had been talk of passing Edgar over for a new face, but after ‘The Answer’ re-matched each of his last two opponents, BJ Penn and Gray Maynard, the Ultimate Fighting Championship relented granting Edgar a chance to regain his title.

Part of those negotiations did involve the promotions president, Dana White, who was very vocal when speaking to the media that he wanted Edgar to drop to featherweight for an immediate title shot with 145-lbs champion Jose Aldo.

According to Abdel-Aziz, dropping down to featherweight wasn’t even a consideration for his fighter.

Abdel-Aziz was a guest on “The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo” on Wednesday, along with UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, to talk about Edgar’s rematch and the negotiations that took place between the two sides.

“It wasn’t at all (something Edgar considered),” Edgar’s manager Ali Abdel-Aziz told The MMA Show today. “It was out of the picture.”

“(Edgar vs. Henderson) was a great fight. Ben is a great fighter and a great champion, but we thought Frankie won the fight,” his manager said. “Frankie’s really excited to get back into the gym and get his title back. This is what he wants to do. I just want to thank the UFC for giving him the opportunity. This is why they are the best promotion in the world.”

“We met with Dana and Lorenzo (Fertitta) in New York last night,” he said. “We had a great meeting and they offered him an immediate title shot against Aldo, but Frankie said no, he’s staying at 155 for now. He’s going to try and get his title back and maybe after that he goes to 145.”

Henderson earned a decision over Edgar just a few short weeks ago in Japan in the main event of UFC 144.

Ray Sefo Predicting A Stoppage Victory Over Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ This Weekend

It’s not mixed martial arts, but both ‘Suga’ Ray Sefo and Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovi? are both legends in their own rights. Filipovi? certainly found more success in mma than Sefo has, earning a PRIDE championship and competing in the UFC. Now both of these legends are set to meet in a K-1 rules kickboxing […]

Ray Sefo versus Valentijn Overeem

It’s not mixed martial arts, but both ‘Suga’ Ray Sefo and Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovi? are both legends in their own rights. Filipovi? certainly found more success in mma than Sefo has, earning a PRIDE championship and competing in the UFC.

Now both of these legends are set to meet in a K-1 rules kickboxing match this weekend in Filipovi?’s native Croatia, headlining the K-1 Final Fight event from the Zagreb Arena in Zagreb.

Both men are not as quick as they once were, with Sefo turning 41 last month and ‘Cro Cop’ turning 38 in September, but both still possess knockout power in their strikes.

In an interview with Fighers Only Magazine, Sefo says it’s that power that each of them still has in their striking that will end this fight quickly, predicting an end with someone layed out on the mat by the end of the night.

FO: Obviously ten years ago you were both younger and therefore faster and more explosive and so on; can we expect a classic fight?

I’ve watched pretty much all of his fights. I agree to a certain point that he has lost some speed, I don’t feel I have lost speed or power, I move just as fast now if not faster than my last four years of K-1 because I work with a strength and conditioning coach now.

It depends how you train, I live in the gym. People might think I am old for the game but I don’t drink, I don’t smoke I don’t do drugs I don’t party. I don’t do drugs. I live in the gym, six times a week, twice a day. I’m always in the gym. So I can last a lot longer, I think, than a lot of people.

We will not see the final bell. I guarantee you one hundred per cent. One hundred per cent. No decision. Not at all.

FO: You’re predicting a stoppage win for yourself then?

Oh I have no doubt in my mind. I am confident, I know that I am going to be very aggressive, my training has been tremendous. I am a fast starter, a fighter that is in your face, and CroCop is a very slow starter and is a ‘mover’. I think I am a really bad match-up for him.

Well yeah when you have been fighting as long as I have you are always going to be carrying some battle wounds and so on, but its mind over matter. You get in there and you do your thing.

With Bellator Title Bout Looming, Pat Curran Still Evolving As A Fighter

With days left before a featherweight title match versus Joe Warren, Bellator Summer Series tournament winner Pat Curran (16-4) credits his evolution as a fighter for getting him to this point of his career. Curran has already battled for a Bellator title, losing to former lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez in April of last year. He […]

With days left before a featherweight title match versus Joe Warren, Bellator Summer Series tournament winner Pat Curran (16-4) credits his evolution as a fighter for getting him to this point of his career.

Curran has already battled for a Bellator title, losing to former lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez in April of last year.

He took the lessons of that loss, opted to drop to 145-lbs for the Summer Series and walked away the winner beating Luis Palomino, Ronnie Mann, and Marlon Sandro to earn the $100,000 contact as well as a second shot at Bellator gold.

Speaking on “The MMA Show Podcast with Mauro Ranallo” on Tuesday, Curran discussed his career as a fighter and why he feels that he’s the best fighter at 145-lbs outside of the UFC.

“I’m always evolving as a fighter, from my ground game to my striking,” he said. “I’m young at 24 and I have the attitude that I can always learn. I’m always trying to better myself in that sense. After every fight I look back on the tapes and I improve on the mistakes I see I need to correct.

“I have to give a lot of credit to my cousin Jeff because he introduced me to the sport. I’m originally from Florida, but since I moved to Chicago when I was 20 he threw me right into the fight game. (Now) I’m in the gym training every day around vets like him and Bart Palaszewski. I see how they act and how they train and I look up to them. It makes it a lot easier for me.”

“This weight division is stacked. Everyone is a good fighter,” he said. “The weight class is always evolving, always getting better, and you have to keep evolving to keep on that level.”

Curran faces Warren this Friday (March 9, 2012) in the main event of Bellator 60 at The Venue at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. The main card is set to air live on MTV2 while the prelim card is expected to stream live at Spike.com.

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney Still Negotiating To Re-Sign Middleweight Champ Hector Lombard

Middleweight fighter Hector Lombard (31-2-1, 1NC) and the Bellator Fighting Championship promotion still have not reached a deal to re-sign the 185-lbs champion according to company CEO Bjorn Rebney. Lombard is the promotions first middleweight champ and is supposed to defend the title for a second time in a rematch with Alexander Shlemenko who won […]

Middleweight fighter Hector Lombard (31-2-1, 1NC) and the Bellator Fighting Championship promotion still have not reached a deal to re-sign the 185-lbs champion according to company CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Lombard is the promotions first middleweight champ and is supposed to defend the title for a second time in a rematch with Alexander Shlemenko who won his second tournament to fight for the title.

In a recent interview with MMAMania.com, Rebney had nothing but praise for the fighter who is on an incredible twenty-five bout undefeated streak, saying that the two sides have yet to reach an agreement but if Lombard does opt out Bellator still has the right to match any offers.

Alexander Shlemenko came out with a video blog a couple days ago saying he was frustrated with the Hector Lombard situation and he doesn’t think that the fight’ seven gonna be made this spring. There was some talk that Lombard’s contract ran out and you guys are in a negotiating period. I was wondering what your thoughts are on that whole situation and what’s going on right now.

Bjorn Rebney: Well, Hector remains our champion right now. We are in the midst of a pretty substantial negotiation relative to his future with the organization. I’ve said many times I think he’s the best middleweight in mixed martial arts so it’s not an easy negotiation by any stretch of the imagination. Alexander Shlemenko, who has earned the right to face our champion, has been prepping for that fight for over a year, has been to a certain extent caught in the crossfire and he’s not the beneficiary of these negotiations.

We’re in a state now where we’ve got to negotiate with Hector and potentially resign him. People forget, Hector Lombard and Ed Alvarez have been with this organization now for four years so you lose track of it because our initial distribution platform was ESPN Deportes and Fox Sports Net and it’s been a long build up but Ed and Hector have been with us from the very start. You know, all good things come to an end at some point and four years is a very long time on any kind of agreement.

We’ve got the right to match on any deal. We’re either gonna sign him before he goes out to the marketplace or he’s going to go out to the marketplace and we’re gonna have a determination as to whether we’re gonna match or not match and we’re gonna see where it ends up. I love the guy and he’s an awesome talent. He’s been nothing but a pure pleasure for me to work with. He’s been a great guy for me to work with and he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and every time I’ve put him in a cage, he’s knocked people silly. You can’t really ask for more than that from a guy.

It would certainly be a blow to Bellator to lose such a dominant champion in Lombard, but fans could certainly expect that if he doesn’t re-sign with the Chicago based promotion that a trip to the Octagon would likely be in the Cuban-Australian’s future.