LAS VEGAS — Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz were playing so nicely together for most of Wednesday’s UFC 141 pre-fight press conference. Then they came face to face for the customary staredown photo op, and that’s when it all fell apart.
While the two posed for the cameras in one another’s personal space, Cerrone muttered something to Diaz that made the Stockton, Calif.-native slap Cerrone’s trademark cowboy hat off his head and then back him up with a shove before the two were separated.
And really, UFC president Dana White should have seen this one coming, but he too was taken in by their amicable demeanors up until that point, he said.
“I was expecting it,” said White, who chastised himself for being too slow to step in. “But they were being so cool today, I didn’t see it coming.”
According to White, “Cerrone said something like, ‘I’m getting in that [expletive] tomorrow’ or something. …That’s why [Diaz] did it.” But of course, this feud has deeper roots, and both men know it.
The story goes that, well before this fight was signed, Cerrone tried to introduce himself to Diaz when he saw him talking to longtime friend and teammate Leonard Garcia. Diaz slapped his hand away and swore at him before walking off, which didn’t exactly make Cerrone hesitant to accept a fight with Diaz when it was offered shortly thereafter, he told reporters at Tuesday’s open workouts.
But at Wednesday’s press conference, it seemed like even Cerrone had realized that, when it comes to one of the Diaz brothers, stuff like that isn’t personal — it’s just how they operate.
“I never met the kid. I went up to shake his hand. I understand where he comes from. He doesn’t want to be friends. He doesn’t want any kind of interaction with any guys who he fights, and that’s just how he approaches his fights. At the time, I didn’t realize that. …Words were exchanged. The fight’s signed, and Friday we’re going to dance.”
Diaz remarked that the incident had been made “into more than it really was,” and Cerrone seemed to accept that explanation, saying, “I didn’t understand at first, but if that’s the way he approaches it. …If that’s what he has to do to get ready to fight, hey, hate me, love me, I don’t care. We’re fighting.”
Maybe they weren’t quite on the path to becoming best friends, but at least it was something resembling professional courtesy. Then came the staredown, the muttered comment, and the hat slap. While it might seem like good pre-fight build-up, White is not a fan, he explained later.
“There’s going to be times when heated stuff happens,” he said. “I’m not happy that Nate slapped Cerrone’s hat off today. I don’t like the guys touching each other [before the fight]. That’s why I’m standing there. I’m not there to mug up into the camera. I’m there to make sure that [expletive] doesn’t happen. I didn’t do my job today, apparently.”
White said he wasn’t “overly concerned about it,” but the negative appearance created by two fighters laying hands on one another in public days before they’re actually supposed to is still “something that I think about, no doubt about it,” the UFC president remarked.
Fortunately, this incident amounted to little more than an exciting few seconds in the lobby of the MGM Grand. And after all, it’s not like they won’t get a chance to settle their differences very soon, White pointed out, and in a fashion they both understand.
“Everybody knows how nasty the Diaz brothers are,” said White. “But Donald Cerrone’s not the nicest guy in the world either, you know what I mean?”
LAS VEGAS — Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz were playing so nicely together for most of Wednesday’s UFC 141 pre-fight press conference. Then they came face to face for the customary staredown photo op, and that’s when it all fell apart.
While the two posed for the cameras in one another’s personal space, Cerrone muttered something to Diaz that made the Stockton, Calif.-native slap Cerrone’s trademark cowboy hat off his head and then back him up with a shove before the two were separated.
And really, UFC president Dana White should have seen this one coming, but he too was taken in by their amicable demeanors up until that point, he said.
“I was expecting it,” said White, who chastised himself for being too slow to step in. “But they were being so cool today, I didn’t see it coming.”
According to White, “Cerrone said something like, ‘I’m getting in that [expletive] tomorrow’ or something. …That’s why [Diaz] did it.” But of course, this feud has deeper roots, and both men know it.
The story goes that, well before this fight was signed, Cerrone tried to introduce himself to Diaz when he saw him talking to longtime friend and teammate Leonard Garcia. Diaz slapped his hand away and swore at him before walking off, which didn’t exactly make Cerrone hesitant to accept a fight with Diaz when it was offered shortly thereafter, he told reporters at Tuesday’s open workouts.
But at Wednesday’s press conference, it seemed like even Cerrone had realized that, when it comes to one of the Diaz brothers, stuff like that isn’t personal — it’s just how they operate.
“I never met the kid. I went up to shake his hand. I understand where he comes from. He doesn’t want to be friends. He doesn’t want any kind of interaction with any guys who he fights, and that’s just how he approaches his fights. At the time, I didn’t realize that. …Words were exchanged. The fight’s signed, and Friday we’re going to dance.”
Diaz remarked that the incident had been made “into more than it really was,” and Cerrone seemed to accept that explanation, saying, “I didn’t understand at first, but if that’s the way he approaches it. …If that’s what he has to do to get ready to fight, hey, hate me, love me, I don’t care. We’re fighting.”
Maybe they weren’t quite on the path to becoming best friends, but at least it was something resembling professional courtesy. Then came the staredown, the muttered comment, and the hat slap. While it might seem like good pre-fight build-up, White is not a fan, he explained later.
“There’s going to be times when heated stuff happens,” he said. “I’m not happy that Nate slapped Cerrone’s hat off today. I don’t like the guys touching each other [before the fight]. That’s why I’m standing there. I’m not there to mug up into the camera. I’m there to make sure that [expletive] doesn’t happen. I didn’t do my job today, apparently.”
White said he wasn’t “overly concerned about it,” but the negative appearance created by two fighters laying hands on one another in public days before they’re actually supposed to is still “something that I think about, no doubt about it,” the UFC president remarked.
Fortunately, this incident amounted to little more than an exciting few seconds in the lobby of the MGM Grand. And after all, it’s not like they won’t get a chance to settle their differences very soon, White pointed out, and in a fashion they both understand.
“Everybody knows how nasty the Diaz brothers are,” said White. “But Donald Cerrone’s not the nicest guy in the world either, you know what I mean?”
In a matchup between two of the UFC Heavyweight division’s most physically imposing competitors, fans have been animate with anticipation at the thought of having Brock Lesnar square off with Alistair Overeem inside of the Octagon. …
In a matchup between two of the UFC Heavyweight division’s most physically imposing competitors, fans have been animate with anticipation at the thought of having Brock Lesnar square off with Alistair Overeem inside of the Octagon. Not only is there going to a combined weight of 500 pounds smashing into each other, both individuals are highly decorated athletes allowing most fans to think that this would be a true clash of titans. Just taking a brief view of past accomplishments might encourage one to believe it.
Brock Lesnar, a former NCAA Division I Collegiate Wrestling Champion, a former World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar, a former Minnesota Vikings try-out and a former UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Alistair Overeem, a former Dream Heavyweight Champion, a former K-1 World Grand Prix Champion and the last Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion.
With the belief that these two are both top-five competitors, there isn’t many out there who could think this fight would be anything but exciting. But I am one who believes that this will be one of the worst fights of the year.
My opinion is not based off of my personal thought of either fighter but more the plain factual evidence that lies before everybody.
Lesnar has been a pleasant surprise since entering the UFC, bringing over large amounts of new fans and actually reaching the top of the UFC’s Heavyweight division. He has notable wins over Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. So what could be the problem?
Lesnar’s Chin– It’s no secret that in Lesnar’s last three fights, he was rocked by Mir and Carwin and knocked out by Cain Velasquez.
Surgeries – Not only has Lesnar’s multiple surgeries left him spending the majority of his time recovering, it will more than likely have an effect on both his strength and stamina.
Time Off – Ring rust is a real element in MMA. Lesnar hasn’t fought in nearly one and a half years and has only fought three times since July of 2009.
Aura – When Lesnar first entered the UFC he seemed almost invincible, rolling through his competition with his mammoth size and wrestling but looked less than stellar in his last return. He nearly lost to Shane Carwin in a bout that would 99 percent of the time be stopped then he looked like an amateur against Velasquez, scattering about the Octagon until the fight was called to a stop.
Improvement – Seriously, with his time being spent recovering how can this man improve when time lost is not recoverable. Skills, strength and stamina deteriorate rapidly over time so I find it hard to believe that any improvement has been made.
Age – Let’s face it, Lesnar is 34 years of age and will be 35 years of age in 2012. His body has been through a lot of punishment in his lifetime. At his age, his body reacts differently and it is hard to believe that time has worked in reverse.
Ground and Pound – Lesnar has been praised for his ground-and-pound offense, but who has he dominated other than Frank Mir with it? Mir himself is known for letting a guy pound on him while on the ground as he searches for better position of a submission opening.
Overeem has also been a pleasant surprise since turning into a full-time heavyweight. One cannot argue with a 11-fight unbeaten streak and an overall record of 11-1-1 since doing so. He also held the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship for four full years. That is quite an impressive record so what could be wrong?
Quality of Opponents – Other than Fabricio Werdum, can you think of a single top-10 opponent who Overeem has faced since becoming a heavyweight? Not only that, but Overeem only defended his Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship one time in four years.
Cardio – In Round 3 of a three-round fight against Fabricio Werdum, it appeared that Overeem was gassing. Notably this is a very slow-paced fight where Werdum constantly was attempting to pull guard. Muscles require oxygen and this is a five-round fight.
Footwork – In that same fight, Werdum constantly was able to get in close to Overeem and attempt a takedown. Footwork and speed will be important to react to a Lesnar takedown.
How good is his striking – Unable to dominate Werdum, is his striking as good as advertised? With his attention focused on preventing a takedown, will his striking even factor in?
11 Losses – This should be a concern to any fighter, who has lacked top competition because the majority of his losses have came when he attempted to step up.
Ground Avoidance, Ground Offense, and Ground Defense – The footwork isn’t there. There is no wrestling game. He isn’t a BJJ black belt. If he finds himself on his back, will he be able to get a dominant wrestler off of him?
UFC – This is his first fight in the UFC. Pressure to perform will be at its peak.
Though a heavyweight fight has more potential to end in the first round, I just see the questionable factors in this fight prevailing, making this fight a candidate for Worst Fight of the Year.
In a typical striker-versus-wrestler matchup, you usually see the striker being very wary of opening up his offensive arsenal and attack. I fully expect this to happen when it comes to Overeem. Just as he didn’t want to find himself in Werdum’s guard, he does not want to find himself underneath Lesnar.
Personally, I find this fight being dominated by Lesnar’s wrestling for five full rounds. I do not expect a stoppage. I do not expect much offense from either fighter. I expect a single takedown per round and for Lesnar to lay on top of a gassed Overeem winning a 50-45 decision.
LAS VEGAS — Miguel Torres has paid his price, served his penance, and his sins are now forgiven. Just 20 days after being fired from the UFC for an offensive tweet, UFC president Dana White appeared alongside Torres following Wednesday’s UFC 141 pre-fight press conference to announce that the former WEC bantamweight champ is officially back in the organization.
“I was on vacation the last ten days, and his manager texted me and asked if they could come meet with me today,” White told reporters. “So I said yes — none of this was planned or anything — I said yes, and he came in this morning and sat me down and basically said, since the incident happened, he’s gone and reached out to every rape crisis center in Chicago and met with the people who run it and sat down and talked to them. He’s donated money to all the rape crisis centers. He’s been taking rape sensitivity classes, etcetera, etcetera.”
A soft-spoken Torres said he visited five different rape crisis centers in the Chicago area, donating money and talking with the people there about the power his words have, even in an off-hand attempt at humor on Twitter, he said.
“I got educated, basically,” said Torres. “I got put to school.”
White said that Torres undertook that endeavor entirely on his own, and with no prompting or promises from the UFC.
“He wasn’t told to do it,” White said. “He wasn’t told, if you do this, we’ll think about bringing you back or if you do this, you’ll come back. He wasn’t told anything, because we never talked.”
Torres again apologized to the people he’d offended with his tweet about a “rape van,” and thanked the supporters who stood behind him. As for what he would have done had the UFC not taken him back, he said, there was no back-up plan.
“When I got cut, it showed me that what I say on Twitter, what I say on social media is very powerful. I took a lot of heat for what I said. I manned up and I took it on the chin. I realized that words are very powerful, and I’m very sorry. I know what I say can hurt people.”
If anyone could sympathize with a man tormented by the swift retribution for controversial public remarks, it’s White. He made repeated reference to a video blog he put out in 2009 where he used homosexual epithets to describe anonymous sources in an article by reporter Loretta Hunt, and said that experience still lingers with him long after he issued a public apology.
“It’s hard to explain what you go through when something like this happens,” said White. “I’ve been there and done it. And then you get labeled. I’m labeled as a homophobe. They still come after me for that. It’s the furthest thing from the truth. And if I was, I’d tell you, trust me.”
But now that Torres has made peace with the UFC and gotten himself back on the roster, what is White planning to ensure these incidents don’t happen again? Not much, as it turns out. At least, not officially. If seeing one of their own get cut for such a questionable use of social media didn’t make enough of an impact, fighters might have to find out for themselves on a case-by-case basis, White suggested.
When fighters are trying to figure out what will and won’t get them in trouble, he said, “It’s common sense. And listen, sometimes we’ve got to go through stuff like this to realize it.”
In other words, no formal policy for UFC fighters on matters like these is in the works. And why not?
“Because I don’t want to,” White said.
“I was criticized for cutting him. Now I’ll be criticized for bringing him back,” said the UFC president. “The bottom line is I don’t give a [expletive] what anybody thinks or what anybody says. I don’t give a [expletive] what your opinion is, I’m going to do this the way I want to do it.”
LAS VEGAS — Miguel Torres has paid his price, served his penance, and his sins are now forgiven. Just 20 days after being fired from the UFC for an offensive tweet, UFC president Dana White appeared alongside Torres following Wednesday’s UFC 141 pre-fight press conference to announce that the former WEC bantamweight champ is officially back in the organization.
“I was on vacation the last ten days, and his manager texted me and asked if they could come meet with me today,” White told reporters. “So I said yes — none of this was planned or anything — I said yes, and he came in this morning and sat me down and basically said, since the incident happened, he’s gone and reached out to every rape crisis center in Chicago and met with the people who run it and sat down and talked to them. He’s donated money to all the rape crisis centers. He’s been taking rape sensitivity classes, etcetera, etcetera.”
A soft-spoken Torres said he visited five different rape crisis centers in the Chicago area, donating money and talking with the people there about the power his words have, even in an off-hand attempt at humor on Twitter, he said.
“I got educated, basically,” said Torres. “I got put to school.”
White said that Torres undertook that endeavor entirely on his own, and with no prompting or promises from the UFC.
“He wasn’t told to do it,” White said. “He wasn’t told, if you do this, we’ll think about bringing you back or if you do this, you’ll come back. He wasn’t told anything, because we never talked.”
Torres again apologized to the people he’d offended with his tweet about a “rape van,” and thanked the supporters who stood behind him. As for what he would have done had the UFC not taken him back, he said, there was no back-up plan.
“When I got cut, it showed me that what I say on Twitter, what I say on social media is very powerful. I took a lot of heat for what I said. I manned up and I took it on the chin. I realized that words are very powerful, and I’m very sorry. I know what I say can hurt people.”
If anyone could sympathize with a man tormented by the swift retribution for controversial public remarks, it’s White. He made repeated reference to a video blog he put out in 2009 where he used homosexual epithets to describe anonymous sources in an article by reporter Loretta Hunt, and said that experience still lingers with him long after he issued a public apology.
“It’s hard to explain what you go through when something like this happens,” said White. “I’ve been there and done it. And then you get labeled. I’m labeled as a homophobe. They still come after me for that. It’s the furthest thing from the truth. And if I was, I’d tell you, trust me.”
But now that Torres has made peace with the UFC and gotten himself back on the roster, what is White planning to ensure these incidents don’t happen again? Not much, as it turns out. At least, not officially. If seeing one of their own get cut for such a questionable use of social media didn’t make enough of an impact, fighters might have to find out for themselves on a case-by-case basis, White suggested.
When fighters are trying to figure out what will and won’t get them in trouble, he said, “It’s common sense. And listen, sometimes we’ve got to go through stuff like this to realize it.”
In other words, no formal policy for UFC fighters on matters like these is in the works. And why not?
“Because I don’t want to,” White said.
“I was criticized for cutting him. Now I’ll be criticized for bringing him back,” said the UFC president. “The bottom line is I don’t give a [expletive] what anybody thinks or what anybody says. I don’t give a [expletive] what your opinion is, I’m going to do this the way I want to do it.”
Previously, Todd Duffee held the distinction for his :07 routing of Tim Hague at UFC 102 back in 2009 and it was believed that Chan-Sung Jung mirrored The Duffman’s time earlier this month when he knocked out Mark Hominick at UFC 140.
On closer inspection it seems that neither fighter really holds the record as it really belongs to Ludwig, whose 2006 knockout over Jonathan Goulet at UFN 3 was previously in the books at :11.
(Why does Keith have to be such a mean old Grinch? Pic props Getty Images)
Previously, Todd Duffee held the distinction for his :07 routing of Tim Hague at UFC 102 back in 2009 and it was believed that Chan-Sung Jung mirrored The Duffman’s time earlier this month when he knocked out Mark Hominick at UFC 140.
On closer inspection it seems that neither fighter really holds the record as it really belongs to Ludwig, whose 2006 knockout over Jonathan Goulet at UFN 3 was previously in the books at :11.
(Video courtesy of YouTube/UFC)
As White points out, from the time Mario Yamasaki claps his hands to start the bout to when he touches “Bang” to indicate the fight is over is 6.06 seconds. Duffee’s actual finishing time was 7.56 seconds and “The Korean Zombie’s” was 6.26 seconds.
Translation: The top three fastest KOs in UFC history were Ludwig over Goulet (6.06 seconds), Jung over Hominick (6.26 seconds) and Duffee over Hague (7.56 seconds).
Unfortunately, the Nevada State Athletic Commission doesn’t believe that its employee made a mistake and as such it is refusing to accept the record change, even if the UFC has.
“The ruling is that it stays at 11. There’s no legal avenue to overturn it. I timed it myself with a stopwatch. It was eight seconds. Officially, it’s got to stay at 11 seconds, but unofficially, it could be at eight,” NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer told MMAjunkie on Monday. “If you use a stopwatch, from the time the fight starts to the time that Mario grabs Duane, it’s about 7.9 seconds. Why the official timekeeper had it at 11, I don’t know. But it wasn’t 11, and it wasn’t four, either.”
Although the World Boxing Council’s records list Duffee as the holder as the fastest KO in UFC history and Jung as the only person to tie the feat, Zuffa isn’t recognizing their erroneous records.
“They can say whatever they want,” Kizer said. “Sounds like they want to be the WBC for some reason.”
When the UFC and WEC merged late last year, they brought a host of new lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight talent into the world’s largest MMA organization.Putting these fighters on the big stage has allowed many of them to become stars.Donald …
When the UFC and WEC merged late last year, they brought a host of new lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight talent into the world’s largest MMA organization.
Putting these fighters on the big stage has allowed many of them to become stars.
Donald Cerrone has proven to be one of the brightest.
Cerrone is a warrior through and through. Ever time he steps into the octagon, he is quick to engage and fight in crowd-pleasing fashion. He always hunts for a finish.
He has been so impressive in his MMA career that he won five “fight of the night” bonuses in ten WEC appearances and has already claimed one submission and knockout of the night in just four UFC appearances.
The man is amazing.
Couple that with his impressive six-fight win streak, and here is a fighter who is knocking on the door for a title shot.
At UFC 141, Cerrone will face Nate Diaz in the co-main-event, in what is sure to be one of the biggest events of the year.
More eyes will be on him than ever before.
If Cerrone can pull out a win in the jump-out-of-your-seat style he is known for, expect him to make a strong case for a title shot in 2012.
It just wouldn’t make sense to prevent this red-hot prospect from staking his claim at the top.
Going into this Friday’s major pay-per-event featuring the return of Brock Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champion’s training partner, Pat Barry, reminds fans that this isn’t a K1 striking match in a recent interview with StudioMMA.com.”You’re goin…
Going into this Friday’s major pay-per-event featuring the return of Brock Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champion’s training partner, Pat Barry, reminds fans that this isn’t a K1 striking match in a recent interview with StudioMMA.com.
“You’re going to see Alistair Overeem’s MMA striking,” said Barry, who has trained with Lesnar since 2010. “You’re not going to see K1-level striking. That’s something I can finally admit to being a former kickboxer now turned martial artist. You can’t get in the ring and kickbox the way you do in a fight with ropes and no wrestling.”
Fans anticipate the match to be the classic style matchup of wrestler vs. striker. As a former NCAA Division I wrestler, Lesnar will want to take this fight to the mat. Overeem will be looking for his openings standing, and it could be the beginning of the end for whoever imposes their skill set first.
“That’s totally different,” Barry continued. “People tell me all the time, ‘you’re supposed to be this bad*** striker and we haven’t seen it yet.’ I’m like, ‘we haven’t done a kickboxing match yet.’ We have a kickboxing match, I’ll show you something you’ve never seen, but until then, as long as it’s MMA, things are going to be different.”
Barry is currently riding a two-fight losing streak, but anticipates his return to the cage on January 20, which will come against Christian Morecraft at UFC Fight Night 26.
Lesnar will enter his bout with Overeem having come off a loss to Cain Velasquez in Oct. 2010. Overeem was last seen defeating Fabricio Werdum in a June rematch.
LAS VEGAS — Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz were playing so nicely together for most of Wednesday’s UFC 141 pre-fight press conference. Then they came face to face for the customary staredown photo op, and that’s when it all fell apart.
In a matchup between two of the UFC Heavyweight division’s most physically imposing competitors, fans have been animate with anticipation at the thought of having 
LAS VEGAS — 