Tag: UFC 121

Trainer: Velasquez Must Be Technically Better, Not Faster Than Lesnar

Filed under: UFCLOS ANGELES — Conventional wisdom in the fight game tells us that if you want to prepare for a specific opponent, the best way to do it is to bring in sparring partners that can mimic that opponent’s signature attributes.

But when yo…

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LOS ANGELES — Conventional wisdom in the fight game tells us that if you want to prepare for a specific opponent, the best way to do it is to bring in sparring partners that can mimic that opponent’s signature attributes.

But when you’re facing Brock Lesnar, whose success is built at least in part on his uncommon physical attributes, where do you even find such a training partner?

This is the problem that Cain Velasquez‘s trainer, AKA’s Javier Mendez, had to confront over the last several weeks as they prepared for the UFC 121 title fight.

“See, that’s the dilemma. Where do you find someone like Brock to train with? You don’t. There is no one like him,” Mendez told MMA Fighting. “All we can do is bring Division I, high-level wrestlers in, like Daniel Cormier, Mark Ellis. That was it. You can’t duplicate Brock.”

‘Thankful’ Brock Lesnar Shows a Softer Side Before UFC 121 Showdown

Filed under: UFCLOS ANGELES – For most of Wednesday afternoon’s UFC 121 pre-fight press conference, it was a kinder, gentler Brock Lesnar sitting in the champion’s chair. He smiled. He cracked jokes. He even answered questions about his new beard, and …

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Brock LesnarLOS ANGELES – For most of Wednesday afternoon’s UFC 121 pre-fight press conference, it was a kinder, gentler Brock Lesnar sitting in the champion’s chair. He smiled. He cracked jokes. He even answered questions about his new beard, and there were plenty of them.

“I finally hit puberty and I just wanted to try it,” Lesnar joked, to the delight of the fans in attendance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. “No, It’s wintertime, I’m going hunting, and I’m from Minnesota. It’s that time of year. We just grow beards.”

See that? No more of the gruff goliath who, at some points in the past, treated media responsibilities as if they were the worst kind of torture. This time when he encountered a question he didn’t like, such as when MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani asked if he enjoyed filming the “UFC Primetime” series that brought a film crew into his gym and dangerously close to the boundaries of his closely guarded personal life, it was as if you could almost see Lesnar suppressing his natural urges.

Cain Velasquez Believes Mexican Promotional Angle ‘Makes Sense’

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosLOS ANGELES — MMA Fighting spoke to Cain Velasquez on Wednesday at the UFC 121 press conference about his upcoming title fight against Brock Lesnar, how he has been dealing with all the extra med…

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LOS ANGELES — MMA Fighting spoke to Cain Velasquez on Wednesday at the UFC 121 press conference about his upcoming title fight against Brock Lesnar, how he has been dealing with all the extra media attention and pressure and the emphasis on his Mexican heritage before the fight.

Matt Hamill Not Offended by Tito Ortiz’s Comments About Deaf Community

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosLOS ANGELES — MMA Fighting spoke to Matt Hamill at the UFC 121 press conference on Wednesday about some of the negative things Tito Ortiz said about the deaf community in the weeks leading up to …

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LOS ANGELES — MMA Fighting spoke to Matt Hamill at the UFC 121 press conference on Wednesday about some of the negative things Tito Ortiz said about the deaf community in the weeks leading up to the fight, his improvement as a fighter and what he expects to see from the former light heavyweight champion come fight night.

Martin Kampmann Won’t Argue With Those Who Call Jake Shields Boring

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosLOS ANGELES — MMA Fighting spoke to Martin Kampmann about his UFC 121 fight against Jake Shields on Wednesday, facing the UFC newcomer, dealing with his frustrating style and whether he feels sli…

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LOS ANGELES — MMA Fighting spoke to Martin Kampmann about his UFC 121 fight against Jake Shields on Wednesday, facing the UFC newcomer, dealing with his frustrating style and whether he feels slighted that he won’t be given a title shot if he wins.

Dana White Previews UFC 121, Fires Back at Frank Shamrock

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, VideosLOS ANGELES — MMA Fighting spoke to Dana White at the UFC 121 press conference about spending time with Vice President Joe Biden, the way the UFC 121 main event has been promoted, Jake Shields’ U…

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LOS ANGELES — MMA Fighting spoke to Dana White at the UFC 121 press conference about spending time with Vice President Joe Biden, the way the UFC 121 main event has been promoted, Jake Shields’ UFC debut, whether Tito Ortiz still has what it takes to be a player at 205 and his thoughts on Frank Shamrock’s recent comments about him.