We’ll also look back at UFC 131 and ahead to Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum.
And of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.
*** You can now stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
We’ll also look back at UFC 131 and ahead to Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum.
And of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.
*** You can now stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
Filed under: UFCKurt Pellegrino surprised many when he announced last week on his website that he was stepping away from MMA, effectively retiring as a fighter. But to those closest to him, it likely didn’t come as a surprise at all.
Kurt Pellegrino surprised many when he announced last week on his website that he was stepping away from MMA, effectively retiring as a fighter. But to those closest to him, it likely didn’t come as a surprise at all.
“I’ve been thinking about retirement since (fighting) Josh Neer (at UFC 101 in August 2009),” Pellegrino told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.” “I’ve been talking to my wife about it since then, anyway. When it was time to do it, I just said, ‘Do it now.'”
“I wrote this thing all out and pressed send,” Pellegrino recalled. “I left my house and drove around for a bit. That was how I dealt with it, because it was a hard thing to do. Do I want to fight again? Right now, I kind of don’t.”
His initial statement about stepping away left room to return. But Pellegrino (16-6, 7-5 UFC) said Monday it’s not likely, and cited missing key moments with his family during his fighting career as a key reason he’s liable to keep the gloves on a hanger.
“I’m really happy where I’m at right now in my life. I have no regrets with my decision,” Pellegrino said. “Being away, I missed so much of my daughter’s life when she was a girl, when she was a baby … you miss those little things. I probably fed my daughter with a bottle I don’t think even 20 times. I felt like a really bad father. A lot of guys that fight I think care a lot more about traveling and being away from their families than being with them. And I’d rather be with them.”
Pellegrino and his wife also have a new baby boy to go with their daughter.
Pellegrino was on a four-fight winning streak in the UFC before dropping a unanimous decision to George Sotiropoulos at UFC 116 last July. He followed that with a split decision loss to Gleison Tibau in his home state of New Jersey at UFC 128 in March. During his four-fight streak, he won UFC bonuses for a Fight of the Night against Thiago Tavares at UFC 88 and Submission of the Night against Fabricio Camoes at UFC 111 – and in that fight, he also injured his knee. But he trained anyway, refusing to pull out of his fight with Sotiropoulos just over three months later.
But for that fight, Pellegrino said the doubts about his future in the sport began to enter his mind. “In my mind, I didn’t care if I got my hand raised,” Pellegrino said. “When that started happening, I didn’t want to be a part of the sport anymore. If I was 100 percent Kurt, I would’ve been able to beat (Sotiropoulos).”
Pellegrino said the UFC, specifically matchmaker Joe Silva, understood his position and released him from his contract. He also said Silva sensed it might be coming at his last fight against Tibau, and Pellegrino let his wife in on it at that time, too.
“Talking with Joe, he said, ‘I don’t see the fire in you, buddy,'” Pellegrino recalled. “My wife, I told her before the weigh-ins, ‘I don’t wanna do this no more.’ Thirteen years I’ve been with my wife, and it’s been 13 years of Kurt Pellegrino. It’s time to be a part of their lives a little bit, too.”
For now, Pellegrino said he will stay plenty busy with the school he runs, where he teaches all the jiu-jitsu classes. And he said every Tuesday and Thursday, he’ll be home to be with his kids while his wife runs the spray-tan business he purchased for her.
But regrets? Pellegrino said he won’t have any – yet.
“I told my father and wife when I was 30, I’d never, ever compete again,” said Pellegrino, who is now 32. “I’ve been wrestling since I was 5 years old. I’ve been cutting weight since I was 12. I got to (fight in the UFC) 12 times and win Fight of the Night honors. … Most (fighters) live and die just for the life – I could care less.
“This is the right choice for my life right now. I kind of need to go find myself a little bit.”
Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosThe MMA Hour returns on Monday, and five personalities from around the mixed martial arts world will be stopping by.
* MMA legend Renzo Gracie will visit our studio for the very first time.
The MMA Hour returns on Monday, and five personalities from around the mixed martial arts world will be stopping by.
* MMA legend Renzo Gracie will visit our studio for the very first time.
* Kurt Pellegrino will discuss why he is temporarily walking away from the sport.
* Female MMA fighter Felice Herrig will discuss her recent win and what’s next for her.
* UFC newcomer Jason Young will discuss his UFC 131 bout against Dustin Poirier.
* MMA trainer Duke Roufus will talk about Anthony Pettis and Danny Downes’ losses at the TUF 13 Finale.
* And Aaron Rosa, another UFC rookie, will discuss his UFC 131 bout against Joey Beltran.
Of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193 or 212-254-0237.
*** You can now stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
(Editor’s note: The show is now over, but the video should be back Tuesday.)
The MMA Hour will be off on Monday due to Memorial Day, but the show returns on Tuesday at its usual 1 p.m. ET / 10 p.m. PT start time with another loaded lineup. Here’s who you will hear from:
* Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren will be in studio to talk about his upcoming title defense against Jay Hieron.
* Clay Guida will discuss Saturday night’s lightweight battle against Anthony Pettis.
* Mike Swick will talk about his long road back to the Octagon and his upcoming fight at UFC 134.
* Chad Mendes will explain why he chose to fight at UFC 133 instead of wait for Jose Aldo to get healthy.
* Kyle Kingsbury will discuss his TUF Finale fight on Saturday night against Fabio Maldonado.
* Heavyweight Travis Browne will discuss his first round knockout win against Stefan Struve at UFC 130.
Of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193 or 212-254-0237.
*** You can now stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
Editor’s Note: Today’s show is over and a replay will be available by Wednesday.
The MMA Hour will be off on Monday due to Memorial Day, but the show returns on Tuesday at its usual 1 p.m. ET / 10 p.m. PT start time with another loaded lineup. Here’s who you will hear from:
* Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren will be in studio to talk about his upcoming title defense against Jay Hieron.
* Clay Guida will discuss Saturday night’s lightweight battle against Anthony Pettis.
* Mike Swick will talk about his long road back to the Octagon and his upcoming fight at UFC 134.
* Chad Mendes will explain why he chose to fight at UFC 133 instead of wait for Jose Aldo to get healthy.
* Kyle Kingsbury will discuss his TUF Finale fight on Saturday night against Fabio Maldonado.
* Heavyweight Travis Browne will discuss his first round knockout win against Stefan Struve at UFC 130.
Of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193 or 212-254-0237.
*** You can now stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
Editor’s Note: Today’s show is over and a replay will be available by Wednesday.
Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosThe MMA Hour returns on Monday with another stacked lineup. Here’s a list of who will be stopping.
* Former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner will be in studio to talk about life after WEC.
…
The MMA Hour returns on Monday with another stacked lineup. Here’s a list of who will be stopping.
* Former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner will be in studio to talk about life after WEC.
* Lightweight Roger Huerta will update us on where he’s been and where’s headed next.
* Golden Glory trainer Martijn de Jong will discuss Glory World Series and upcoming fights for Alistair Overeem, Jon Olav Einemo, Marloes Coenen and others.
* UFC lightweight contender Gray Maynard will talk about his recent injury and when he expects to return to action.
* And MMA Fighting’s Ben Fowlkes will stop by to preview UFC 130 and look at other news making headlines in MMA.
Of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193 or 212-254-0237.
*** You can now stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the show live below beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
Filed under: UFCNo one would ever fancy Joe Rogan a shy guy. And he has never minced words on UFC broadcasts when it comes to questionable judging decisions in fights.
On Monday, Rogan, the UFC’s color commentator for nearly 10 years, reiterated his s…
No one would ever fancy Joe Rogan a shy guy. And he has never minced words on UFC broadcasts when it comes to questionable judging decisions in fights.
On Monday, Rogan, the UFC’s color commentator for nearly 10 years, reiterated his stance that the mixed martial arts judging system needs an overhaul. And as he has done in the past, he put some of the blame for perhaps the biggest perceived problem in the sport on the shoulders of Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
“I think very clearly, the people that we have in the position of choosing judges and deciding how the judges’ criteria (and) the scoring criteria is set upon, they really don’t want to do anything about it,” Rogan told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “We know the Nevada State Athletic Commission is very aware that people are upset about it, yet they do nothing. It’s a political system, I think. Keith Kizer is a politician. If you step up and fire all these people that you’ve hired and had working for you for years, and you do make a big change, it opens you up for criticism.”
The MMA Hour is back in your life on Monday with another two-hour live show. Here’s a partial list of who will be stopping by:
The MMA Hour
No one would ever fancy