UFC 130: Brian Stann and 10 MMA Fighters with Military Backgrounds

If given the opportunity to wish for anything in the world, the average civilian would request multiple materialistic items such as a new car or a pair of golden slippers or a robot that cooks better than their spouse. But there is only one thing that …

If given the opportunity to wish for anything in the world, the average civilian would request multiple materialistic items such as a new car or a pair of golden slippers or a robot that cooks better than their spouse.

But there is only one thing that our troops oversees would ask for, and that is simply to come home in one piece and be with their loved ones again.

The noble warriors of the United States Military are away from their families for years on end when on deployments. When and if they do eventually return home, they rarely ever come back in the same condition.

In the absolute worst cases, some never return at all.

These men and women died for our freedom. Their lives were lost defending the Constitution of the United States and fighting to protect each and every single one of us.

As part of a continued effort to help support the armed forces, The Ultimate Fighting Championship recently partnered with The Boot Campaign and The Lone Survivor Foundation.

The partnership will offer a charity auction that will benefit the Lone Survivor Foundation’s construction of the Veteran Ranch in Texas. The Ranch will cater to veterans recovering from traumatic injuries and mental stress from the war on terror.

Naturally, many Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Seamen find MMA very appealing. In fact, there are many MMA fighters that have served our country in the past before they ever stepped foot in a cage.

In honor of former Marine Captain and current middleweight contender Brian Stann’s upcoming Memorial Day weekend bout with Jorge Santiago at UFC 130, let’s take a look at 10 MMA fighters with military backgrounds.

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MMA Video: The 10 Worst Injuries in Fight Sports

DISCLAIMER: The content of these videos is violent and may be considered disturbing to some. Please watch at your own discretion. Throughout the history of Fightsports, there have been devastating injuries and sometimes, death. In this Bleacher Report …

DISCLAIMER: The content of these videos is violent and may be considered disturbing to some. Please watch at your own discretion.

Throughout the history of Fightsports, there have been devastating injuries and sometimes, death.

In this Bleacher Report video slideshow, we will review 10 of the worst injuries sustained not only in MMA, but in the entire world of combat sports.

As stated above, some of these videos are not for the faint-hearted.

Enjoy!

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Nick and Nate Diaz and the Top Five Brother Duos Ever

Since MMA’s inception, the general concept of family has been an integral part of a sport that is often billed as individualistic. Now more than ever the sport has seen family competition, with fathers training sons, brothers fighting on the same cards…

Since MMA‘s inception, the general concept of family has been an integral part of a sport that is often billed as individualistic.

Now more than ever the sport has seen family competition, with fathers training sons, brothers fighting on the same cards, and overall family camaraderie on high display.

The Gracie family popularized the idea of one style being better than another, with numerous fighters and families have tried to disprove the Gracie theory, with not very many proving successful.

Take Royce Gracie for example at UFC 1. After his impressive wins over Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock, and Gerard Gordeau, Gracie realized his family’s true purpose: proving his family’s style was the best in the world. Surely a better feeling than any belt or dollar can give a fighter.

Flash forward to UFC 128 in New Jersey. Dan and Jim Miller of Sparta, N.J., fight in front of their hometown crowd at the Prudential Center. Though Dan lost and Jim won, nothing will take away the experience the brothers had that night.

And so, brotherly love has been redefined in and outside of the octagon. However, one question remaining is which brotherly duo is the best MMA has to offer?

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10 of the Funniest MMA Videos on YouTube

The main events of UFC 130 and 131 have left many people feeling a little bummed.Instead of seeing the third war between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, we are now treated to Quinton Jackson vs Matt Hamill as the main event of UFC 130.With no disrespec…

The main events of UFC 130 and 131 have left many people feeling a little bummed.

Instead of seeing the third war between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, we are now treated to Quinton Jackson vs Matt Hamill as the main event of UFC 130.

With no disrespect directed towards either of those fighters, Jackson vs Hamill just doesn’t have the pizazz of Edgar vs Maynard.

Instead of seeing if Brock Lesnar can claw his way back to the top of the UFC’s heavyweight division, we now have Shane Carwin and Junior dos Santos fighting for the chance to take on current champion Cain Velasquez.

Zuffa can’t be happy with this, because it is a guarantee that 131’s pay-per-view buy rates will drop by more than half.

During these trying times MMA fans are dealing with, what is better than a little humor to cheer everyone up?

After much searching, here are a few videos that should put a smile on your face.

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Alistair Overeem: 3 Reasons the Demolition Man Is an Elite Heavyweight

Alistair Overeem has had great success in the last four years yet he continues to be criticized by many people in the MMA universe. Overeem has not fought the same competition that the UFC has to offer, but he has done things in the years since he left…

Alistair Overeem has had great success in the last four years yet he continues to be criticized by many people in the MMA universe. Overeem has not fought the same competition that the UFC has to offer, but he has done things in the years since he left Pride Fighting Championships that make him stand as an elite heavyweight in mixed martial arts.

If he beats Fabricio Werdum next month there will be a long of people saying that they knew he was capable of this and that they knew he could do it. But right now in May 2011 his detractors are large in numbers and they are quite outspoken.

I will present three reasons why Alistair Overeem is an elite heavyweight and why he deserves to be in the top ten in the world.

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Chael Sonnen: Why Possible UFC Return May Be the Best Thing for UFC and MMA

Initially, it was reported that Chael Sonnen’s indefinite suspension at the hands of the California State Athletic Commission would continue—effectively retiring Sonnen from the sport of mixed martial arts forever since it is a common practice fo…

Initially, it was reported that Chael Sonnen’s indefinite suspension at the hands of the California State Athletic Commission would continue—effectively retiring Sonnen from the sport of mixed martial arts forever since it is a common practice for other athletic commissions to honor each other’s suspensions.

However, news has recently broken that the commission made a mistake in interpreting their suspension law. Sonnen does not have to wait for a year to seek a renewal of his license and instead can seek renewal on June 29th, 2011.

This is huge news not only for Sonnen, but for UFC President Dana White, for all of the middleweight fighters on the roster, and for all fans who follow MMA.

Love him or hate him, Chael Sonnen is one of the most controversial figures in the sport and is thus a massive draw. With that being said, there are three specific things that can happen if Dana White uses Sonnen and his finely tuned trash talk properly that could be of immense benefit to the UFC and therefore to the sport itself.

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