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Yushin Okami Eyeing Title Shot…Again

With all of the understandable hype surrounding Jon “Bones” Jones (no one can say that guy isn’t amongst the best in the ‘holy sh-t’ factor) as he heads into tonight’s bout with veteran Vladimir Matyushenko, it’s probably safe to say that the middleweight tilt between Yushin Okami and Mark Munoz has been overshadowed a little […]

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With all of the understandable hype surrounding Jon “Bones” Jones (no one can say that guy isn’t amongst the best in the ‘holy sh-t’ factor) as he heads into tonight’s bout with veteran Vladimir Matyushenko, it’s probably safe to say that the middleweight tilt between Yushin Okami and Mark Munoz has been overshadowed a little bit. When you consider that you’ve got a dude in Okami with a UFC record of 8-2, taking on a rising star in Munoz, a lot is riding on the tilt.

Despite the fact that several of Okami’s wins haven’t exactly been those of the jump out of your seat variety, anyone who understands the game has to concede that fighting the massive judo beast can’t be fun. The guy’s been stopped just once and that was in 2003, and in the Octagon, he’s only lost to Rich Franklin and Chael Sonnen. Point being? Well, considering Okami’s record and his recent stoppage victories, a win over Munoz has to get the dude close to a title shot no? Speaking in the preview program for tonight’s card, Mr. Okami apparently agrees:

“I feel that this is a great test for my title shot. I need to clear this fight and I need to prove that I am very close to a title fight.”

Of course getting the win over Munoz isn’t going to be easy. Like Sonnen, who earned a controlling UD win over Okami, Munoz is also a wrestling machine. We’ll be watching. To bet on the tilt head here.

Yushin Okami Eyeing Title Shot…Again

“I feel that this is a great test for my title shot. I need to clear this fight and I need to prove that I am very close to a title fight.”

“Rampage” Jackson “Done With Fighting” When Movie Career Takes Off

You likely can recall last September, when the internet was rife with speculation and reports, as to whether or not “Rampage” Jackson would ever step foot in the Octagon again. At the time, the former light-heavyweight champ and UFC boss man Dana White were fully engaged in an all out ‘don’t blame me, blame him’ […]

You likely can recall last September, when the internet was rife with speculation and reports, as to whether or not “Rampage” Jackson would ever step foot in the Octagon again. At the time, the former light-heavyweight champ and UFC boss man Dana White were fully engaged in an all out ‘don’t blame me, blame him’ tit for tat, after Jackson postponed his December fight with Rashad Evans to take part in the A-Team. While many observers likely never thought Jackson was really ‘retired’ (somehow in sports the word retirement just doesn’t mean the same thing), we were kind of surprised to find out that Jackson had done a complete reversal earlier this year, when it was announced he had signed a new 6 fight deal.

After Jackson lost by UD to his arch nemesis Evans at UFC 114, and looked rusty while doing so, a lot of post fight talk immediately turned to who and Rampage would fight next (Lyoto Machida, November 20th…awesome). Talk about his acting career kind of seems to have taken a back seat no? Does that mean it’s MMA from here on out? Nope. In a recent interview with fellow A-Team actor Sharlto Copley, Rampage had this to say when asked about his future in fighting (thanks to MMA Bay for the tip).

“Honestly, when movies start paying me as much, just as much, same amount; I gotta keep up my lifestyle, I’m like done with fighting. Right now fighting is my bread, it’s my living.”

Huh. Not exactly a long term commitment to fighting now is it? (Not that anyone should truly be shocked by this) Your thoughts Mr. White?

Verbal Assault from Chael Sonnen Continues

If you’ve been following the verbal warfare Chael Sonnen’s launched at Anderson Silva as they head into their tilt next weekend, then you know he’s got a teee-onne of sh-t ready to be dumped on his bed, if he gets bombed out on the 7th. We jumped all over Chael’s ‘what did he say now?’ […]

If you’ve been following the verbal warfare Chael Sonnen’s launched at Anderson Silva as they head into their tilt next weekend, then you know he’s got a teee-onne of sh-t ready to be dumped on his bed, if he gets bombed out on the 7^th. We jumped all over Chael’s ‘what did he say now?’ trash talk when the bout was first made official, but over the last couple of weeks, the tough as nails wrestler has really been pouring it on huh? Sure its damn entertaining, but even some of Sonnen’s biggest supporters must be thinking about the massive humble pie their boys going to have to eat, if he in fact loses.

It seemed like for a few days there (at least from our always clouded perspective) Sonnen’s trash talk had simmered down just a tad, but more recently, things have apparently ‘perked up.’ For example, in the recent UFC teleconference, Sonnen was quoted saying (thanks to ESPN UK for the quotes):

“I’m the toughest guy in the company period, whether it’s Anderson or any other opponent,” stated Sonnen. “There’s never been a guy with earrings that could out-tough me and he’s not going to be the first.”….”You’ve got to understand; I could drag Anderson Silva outside the hotel and beat him up any time I want. I’ve made a commitment to wait until August 7th and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure millions of people watch me do it.”

Wow. A little enraging here, a few laughs there; now that’s how you hype a fight no? To bet on the bout head here.

Report: Phil Baroni “I Want to Matter Again”

Back when your local pub would receive more requests to show bowling than the UFC, the tiny world of MMA was often a buzz about Phil “The New York Bad Ass” Baroni. Not just because of his ‘is this guy serious?’ showmanship, but also because of his ability to violently bounce opponent’s heads with his […]

Back when your local pub would receive more requests to show bowling than the UFC, the tiny world of MMA was often a buzz about Phil “The New York Bad Ass” Baroni. Not just because of his ‘is this guy serious?’ showmanship, but also because of his ability to violently bounce opponent’s heads with his fists. Baroni’s KTFO victory over Dave Menne at UFC 39 remains a highlight reel favorite; not bad for a clip that’s nearly 8 years old.

Of course Baroni’s career has had some ups, and quite a few downs, but a lot of old school fans continue to want to see him throw down. Case in point, the UFC brought Baroni back after he lost by UD to Joe Riggs at a Strikeforce event last June; how often does that happen?

Up next, Baroni was scheduled to fight John Salter at UFC 118 next month, but as bad luck would have it, the NYBA injured his collarbone in training and was forced to drop out. In a revealing interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, Baroni not only talked about his financial need to fight, but also, his desire to regain some of the notoriety he once had. Here’s a sample:

“I just want to be a contender. I want respect from my peers, the fans, media and the promotions. I wanted to say, ‘I’m still here, don’t f**king forget about me. I’m not dead yet. I want to be a contender — I want to matter again. I want to be the biggest comeback story ever — a Cinderella Man.”

Alright, the sceptical alarm as to whether that’s possible is sounding, but that’s a pre-req for any comeback story no?

Jake Shields Says Return to Welterweight Was His Decision

It’s been a few days since the UFC confirmed the signing of Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields (yes, yes, technically he’s the ‘former’- but really, until blood is spilt over winning the vacated belt why argue?) and it’s probably still too soon to tell, whether the average TUF generation fan even gives a damn about […]

It’s been a few days since the UFC confirmed the signing of Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields (yes, yes, technically he’s the ‘former’- but really, until blood is spilt over winning the vacated belt why argue?) and it’s probably still too soon to tell, whether the average TUF generation fan even gives a damn about his upcoming Octagon debut. Of course, Shields has long been a highly regarded fighter in the eyes of MMA nerds and pundits, but there’s a ton of people who’ve never seem the grappling master cruise through an opponent like Dan Henderson (save the first round beat down of course).

As far as the aforementioned hardcore fans, as always, we continue to discuss and debate every last detail of the Shields signing (you could do a lot worse). What, if any, will be the impact on Strikeforce? How will Shields fair in the UFC? And who and why was it determined that Shields should return to the welterweight division? (You may recall that Dana White stated he believed Shields was better suited to compete at 170)

Well, speaking on MMA Weekly Radio recently, Shields had this to say about making his UFC debut as a welterweight.

“They called and asked if I wanted (Martin Kampmann) at 70 and I said sure. They didn’t give me any pressure; they gave me the option. Some people were saying I was forced to go down, which certainly wasn’t the case. They said I could fight at either weight, but they offered me a fight at 70, and I was like I might as well jump and take it.”

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