Israel Adesanya, Shevchenko, Volkanovski Revealed as EA Sports UFC 5 Cover Athletes

When Israel Adesanya graced the cover of UFC 4 three years ago, he was considered a rising up-and-comer. Now, standing as arguably the best pound-for-pound…

When Israel Adesanya graced the cover of UFC 4 three years ago, he was considered a rising up-and-comer. Now, standing as arguably the best pound-for-pound…

Robert Whittaker Enters Skyrim As Fully Voiced Companion Character

Your Skyrim journeys can now include former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.

If you know anything about Whittaker, other than the fact that he is one of the best fighters in the world today, it is that he loves playing video games. While…

Robert Whittaker Skyrim

Your Skyrim journeys can now include former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.

If you know anything about Whittaker, other than the fact that he is one of the best fighters in the world today, it is that he loves playing video games. While he is sometimes hard to pin down for interviews, he is constantly seen doing live streams, getting to the point that he is even a brand ambassador for the Australia and New Zealand branch of Bethesda Game Studios. This has led to a pretty big moment for Whittaker.

According to a recent report. Bethesda ANZ commissioned an NPC companion character of the former champ to be added as a companion character in Skyrim, which is the studio’s most popular RPG and one of the highest-selling video games of all time.

There are plenty of celebrity mods that have been created for Skyrim over the years since its initial 2011 introduction to the world and many subsequent re-releases. However, what makes this mod of Robert Whittaker special is the fact that it is fully voiced by the top middleweight contender, himself.

This is surely a massive honor for Whittaker, who has been a big fan of Skyrim for a long time and has been playing it for years. Now, fans can have him join them on missions as they traverse the wilderness, face dragons, and cast spells, all with the Oceanic accent of the former champ cheering them on.

As a companion, Whittaker will have “scripted combat behaviour,” unique abilities, and a “unique fighting style” once fans complete a recruitment quest to acquire him as a companion. This unique fighting style will involve plenty of punching, namely a massive overhand right.

Going alongside this announcement, Robert Whittaker announced that he’d be live-streaming a session of Skyrim Anniversary Edition at 10 AM AEDT today in support of the charity Game On Cancer. The free mod will be available for download soon.

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Enters Skyrim As Fully Voiced Companion Character at MMA News.

CagePotato PSA: ‘MMA Federation’ Is the Next Great MMA Game (and We’re In It!)

Boy oh boy, Potato Nation, do we have some exciting news for you. In partnership with our partners at AddictingGames.com, Defy Media and CagePotato will be exclusively sponsoring the launch of MMA Federation, the debut release from 360 Studios hitting Android and iOS today!!

What is MMA Federation, you ask? Only the next evolution in mobile fighting games!

You can check out the official trailer for MMA Federation above, but basically, it works like this:

— MMA Federation is a multiplayer, mobile game that allows you to challenge players worldwide and become the ultimate MMA champion
— Start by creating an elite squad of fighters and upgrade your fighting abilities with over 20 addicting mini-games
— Create your own unique, Ranger Stott-esque fighting style to dismantle your opponents, and earn rewards to move up the leaderboard

Addicting Games will be the exclusive North American publisher of MMA Federation, so get all of the details after the jump!

The post CagePotato PSA: ‘MMA Federation’ Is the Next Great MMA Game (and We’re In It!) appeared first on Cagepotato.

Boy oh boy, Potato Nation, do we have some exciting news for you. In partnership with our partners at AddictingGames.com, Defy Media and CagePotato will be exclusively sponsoring the launch of MMA Federation, the debut release from 360 Studios hitting Android and iOS today!!

What is MMA Federation, you ask? Only the next evolution in mobile fighting games!

You can check out the official trailer for MMA Federation above, but basically, it works like this:

– MMA Federation is a multiplayer, mobile game that allows you to challenge players worldwide and become the ultimate MMA champion
– Start by creating an elite squad of fighters and upgrade your fighting abilities with over 20 addicting mini-games
– Create your own unique, Ranger Stott-esque fighting style to dismantle your opponents, and earn rewards to move up the leaderboard

Addicting Games will be the exclusive North American publisher of MMA Federation, so get all of the details after the jump!

With the ultimate goal of giving sports sims a good shake up, 360 Studio’s debut release MMA Federation is set to hit iOS and Android in the UK and US on January 14th, handing mobile martial arts fans the chance to take part in player vs player action for the very first time.

MMA Federation – which has already made major waves in Canada reaching the country’s top fighting game on the App Store ahead of its global debut – is a turn based battler at heart, with players able to call on moves from five unique fighting styles as they fight rivals from around the globe to propel up to eight different characters up the game’s global ranks.

Despite this fresh approach, however, MMA Federation has some serious experience behind it, with studio head Rick Giolito having previously made his name being the legendary creator and executive producer on flagship EA games like KnockOut Kings™ and Medal of Honor™.

We wanted to create a truly authentic MMA game where players take complete control of their fighter – their look, fighting style and gameplay strategy,” offered Giolito. “We are working with top MMA teams like Tristar, American Top Team, Blackzilians, Straight Blast Gym, and Rofusport, as well as top promotional organizations including World Series of Fighting (WSOF) and Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) in USA, Hard Knocks Fighting and Elite 1 MMA in Canada, Pancrase in Japan and BAMMA in the UK. From Europe to South Africa to Japan, we wanted to create an immersive MMA world packed with real gyms, stunning arenas, famous fighters and MMA legends.”

Indeed, one of the additional advantages of MMA Federation over more narrowly focused MMA fighting game licenses has been its ability to reach out to the rest of the MMA and martial arts family, deploying an in-game shop packed with branded sportswear and equipment used by professional fighters, including gear from brands like Bad Boy, Jaco, Hayabusa, Revgear and many more. It’s 360 Studios’ view that MMA Federation isn’t just another accomplished fighting game, but a release designed to bring together and represent the entire MMA community in a fun way.

Part of this approach is allowing live, player vs player contests without lag where players can join real MMA teams like Tristar, American Top Team and SBG, making use of the moves they’ve picked up in training mode.  Training your fighters, which is available offline for when you don’t have an internet connect, is ‘taught’ by world famous fighters such as Michael ‘Venom’ Page, King Mo and coaches like Bas Rutten (Elite MMA), Firas Zahabi (Tristar) and John Kavanagh (SBG). Gamers will be able to both merge and master a multitude of different fighting techniques &styles – from Muay Thai, Boxing, and Kickboxing, to Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling – to create their own unique fighting style.

Tapping into authentic events with real Promoters and global tournaments, the world MMA Federation sits in is designed to feel instantly familiar to any martial arts fans, though the turn based battle system means play is strategic and will also appeal to more casual players looking to take their first steps into the MMA arena.

And not only that, but the CagePotato “Devil Horns” logo will be watching over you as you train and compete! So head over to the MMA Federation page, get it on Google play or download it from the app store, and start swangin’ them bungalows today!

The post CagePotato PSA: ‘MMA Federation’ Is the Next Great MMA Game (and We’re In It!) appeared first on Cagepotato.

GamePotato: The 12 Original Super Smash Bros. Characters and Their UFC Fighter Equivalents


(I’d be jealous of those biceps too, Roy.)

By Jared Jones

It is a widely-accepted fact that any MMA fan who discovered the sport circa 2000 A.D did so thanks to the release of Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64. Whether any of us who grew up in the 90’s realize it or not, Smash Bros. is almost solely responsible for our infatuation with mixed martial arts and the modern era boom of the UFC. Smash Bros. is in our DNA, as the Baldfather would put it.

Ye, the similarities between SSB and the UFC run deep, my friends. Both pitted competitors of all shapes and sizes against one another in a tournament-style battle of wills, with the ultimate goal of proving which fighting style could truly defeat the rest. Both have also drawn harsh criticism for being an excessively violent and harmful influence on the fragile minds of our nation’s youth. Super Smash Bros. was released (in Europe) on November 19th, 1999. UFC 23: Ultimate Japan 2 went down on November 19th, 1999. I rest my case.

It was the glaring similarities between Smash Bros and the UFC (along with Ben’s thrilling take on the Buffalo Wild Wing sauces and their fighter equivalents) that ultimately led to the creation of this article. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to join me in this skull-shatteringly stupid escapade into the world of Super Smash Bros, then tweet at me how much you loved it/hated it with the hashtag #WeekofDanga. Enjoy (or don’t)!

Donkey Kong

Wiki description: “Donkey Kong is one of the most powerful characters in the game, with the downside of being one of the slowest as well.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: With his freakish proportions and serious KO power in his right hand, DK’s gotta be Antonio Silva, and not just because they stand next to one another on the evolutionary scale.


(I’d be jealous of those biceps too, Roy.)

By Jared Jones

It is a widely-accepted fact that any MMA fan who discovered the sport circa 2000 A.D did so thanks to the release of Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64. Whether any of us who grew up in the 90′s realize it or not, Smash Bros. is almost solely responsible for our infatuation with mixed martial arts and the modern era boom of the UFC. Smash Bros. is in our DNA, as the Baldfather would put it.

Ye, the similarities between SSB and the UFC run deep, my friends. Both pitted competitors of all shapes and sizes against one another in a tournament-style battle of wills, with the ultimate goal of proving which fighting style could truly defeat the rest. Both have also drawn harsh criticism for being an excessively violent and harmful influence on the fragile minds of our nation’s youth. Super Smash Bros. was released (in Europe) on November 19th, 1999. UFC 23: Ultimate Japan 2 went down on November 19th, 1999. I rest my case.

It was the glaring similarities between Smash Bros and the UFC (along with Ben’s thrilling take on the Buffalo Wild Wing sauces and their fighter equivalents) that ultimately led to the creation of this article. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to join me in this skull-shatteringly stupid escapade into the world of Super Smash Bros, then tweet at me how much you loved it/hated it with the hashtag #WeekofDanga. Enjoy (or don’t)!

Donkey Kong

Wiki description: “Donkey Kong is one of the most powerful characters in the game, with the downside of being one of the slowest as well.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: With his freakish proportions and serious KO power in his right hand, DK’s gotta be Antonio Silva, and not just because they stand next to one another on the evolutionary scale.

Mario

Wiki description: “He’s balanced in virtually every way, which is understandable since he’s the mascot of Nintendo.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: If Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira isn’t the poster boy for all that is great about MMA, I don’t know who is. Whether it was his ability to recover from being run over by a truck as a child or his comeback wins over Bob Sapp, Cro Cop, or Tim Sylvia, Nogueira’s career stands as a testament to the triumph of human will. As someone who once spent three days straight trying to defeat Bowser in the Sky on Mario 64, I can pretty easily identify with Big Nog’s struggle.

Luigi

Wiki description: “Luigi is an odd character since basically he is so similar to Mario, yet dramatically underpowered.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: Sorry, Rogerio, but this can’t be the first time you’ve heard this, right?

Yoshi

Wiki description: ”Yoshi is another complicated character who is fantastic in the hands of those who know how to use him. One of his greatest strengths is the fact that he has the highest and farthest double jump in the game.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: A laid back islander with some amazing hops? “Yoshi-esque in his appearance is BJ Penn, Joe.”

Captain Falcon

Wiki description: ”Captain Falcon is the fastest character in Super Smash Bros., and is perhaps best known for his ability to perform a variety of combos.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: Speed and combinations might not be his strong suits these days, but I’m going with Dan Henderson, if only because the H-Bomb is identical to the Falcon Punch in terms of its setup and destructive capabilities.

Samus

Wiki description: “Samus Aran has a great resistance to attacks. Despite her high defense, she is also one of the fastest characters in the game and has some of the most devastating special moves.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: Ronda Rousey’s armbar > Samus Aran’s charge shot

Fox McCLoud

Wiki description: ”Fox McCloud is one of the faster characters in the game, though he’s very weak. Nevertheless he’s one of the game’s better jugglers and can reflect.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: Dominick Cruz. Fast and efficient while lacking true KO power, and prone to injury. Not to mention that we will sooner be flying Arwings to work than seeing Cruz in the octagon again.

JigglyPuff

Wiki description: “Jigglypuff is a Pokémon character who was included because of its popularity in Japan.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: Lame, ineffective, and only being kept around to please local fans, Jigglypuff could be anyone of the nameless, subpar fighters shuffled between Fight Pass undercards in recent months. It’s ability to put opponents to sleep mid-fight, however, can only make it Jared Rosholt, whose UFC tenure has been excruciatingly dull thus far.

Pikachu

Wiki description: “According to pro players, Pikachu is the best character in the game.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: Fedor Emelianenko. Doi!

Kirby

Wiki description: “The most notable aspect of Kirby is his uncanny ability to suck in his opponents and copy their abilities.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: Anderson Silva, because this video.

Link

Wiki description: “He specializes in both close up combat and ranged combat, but he’s not very powerful.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: Georges St. Pierre, obviously. Link is well-rounded, wholesome and inoffensive, and hero to an entire nation of peaceful, forest-dwelling nymphs. In other words, Canadian.

Ness

Wiki description: “Ness’ recovery, while unique and powerful, is hard to execute. When this move is used against enemies it’s very powerful yet dangerous.”
UFC Fighter Equivalent: To this day, I have no understanding of where Ness comes from. I don’t *want* to know, quite honestly. I only know that his soulless, beady little eyes cast a shadow on my soul and force me into a ferocious internal debate over his origins whenever he is onscreen. Who are Ness’ parents? Do they willingly allow him to compete in such a violent game, or does he lead some sort of secret double life? If it’s the latter, how has he developed such incredible fighting skills at such a young age? Is he some kind of sleeper cell agent with Benjamin Button disease? And what exactly is he carrying in the backpack? Drugs? Severed heads? A collection of butterfly knives? Do those severed heads belong to his parents? Does Ness grow up to be one of the killers in The Strangers? So many questions.

Only Colin Fletcher has ever made me feel so physically uncomfortable while watching something I love, so this honor goes to him.

EA Sports UFC: Release Date, Fighter Roster, Features and Gameplay Preview

On June 17, EA Sports is set to bring the fight to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in the form of its new mixed martial arts title.
EA Sports UFC has already wowed gamers with the visuals in screenshots and the demo that released on June 2. 
With the f…

On June 17, EA Sports is set to bring the fight to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in the form of its new mixed martial arts title.

EA Sports UFC has already wowed gamers with the visuals in screenshots and the demo that released on June 2. 

With the full release due to drop on Tuesday, we will soon have all the power of the strikes, takedowns and submissions in our hands.

The roster is not all inclusive, but it is vast. Here’s a look at the fighters and arenas that will appear in the game at launch. The “(c)” represents the current champion in each division.

Ladies first…

 

Women’s Bantamweight

(c)”Rowdy” Ronda Rousey
Sara McMann
Sarah Kaufman
Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis
Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche
Cat “Alpha” Zingano
Miesha “Cupcake” Tate

 

Flyweight

(c) Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson
Louis “Goodnight” Gaudinot
John “The Magician” Dodson
Joseph Benavidez
Darren “BC” Uyenoyama
Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall
Tim Elliott
Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen

 

Men’s Bantamweight

Renan Barao
Eddie Wineland
Brad “One-Punch” Pickett
Erik “El Goyito” Perez
Michael “Mayday” McDonald
Bruce Lee*
Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson
Urijah “California Kid” Faber
Mike “The Hulk” Easton
“The Dominator” Dominick Cruz
Brian Bowles

 

Featherweight

(c) Jose “Scarface” Aldo
Cub Swanson
Dennis Siver
Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier
“The Prodigy” BJ Penn
Chad “Money” Mendes
“Notorious” Conor McGregor
Bruce Lee*
Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas
“The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung
Clay “The Carpenter” Guida
Urijah “The California Kid” Faber
Frankie “The Answer” Edgar

 

Lightweight

(c) Anthony “Showtime” Pettis
Benson “Smooth” Henderson
TJ Grant
Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon
Josh “The Punk” Thomson
“The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung
Bruce Lee*
Gray “The Bully” Maynard
“Notorious” Conor McGregor
“El Nino” Gilbert Melendez
Jim Miller
Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov 
Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson
“The Prodigy” BJ Penn
Jose “Scarface” Aldo
“Cowboy” Donald Cerrone
Nate Diaz

 

Welterweight

(c) Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks
Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger
Nick Diaz
Nate Diaz
“The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit
Georges “Rush” St-Pierre
Tarec “Sponge” Saffiedine
“The Prodigy” BJ Penn
Demian Maia
Rory “Ares” Macdonald
Bruce Lee*
“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler
Pascal “Panzer” Krauss
Josh “Kos” Koscheck
Martin “The HitmanKampmann

 

Middleweight

(c) “All-American” Chris Weidman
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza
Chael “The American Gangster” Sonnen
“The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva
Anderson “Spider” Silva
Luke Rockhold
Costas Philippou
“The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Mark Munoz
Demian Maia
Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida
Cung Le
“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler
Dan “Hendo” Henderson
Royce Gracie**
Rich Franklin
Francis “Limitless” Carmont
Michael “The Count” Bisping
Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort

 

Light Heavyweight

(c) Jon “Bones” Jones
Dan “Hendo” Henderson
Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson
Forrest Griffin
Rich “Ace” Franklin
Rashad “Suga” Evans
Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis
Daniel “DC” Cormier
Michael “The Count” Bisping
Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort
Ryan “Darth” Bader
Glover Teixeira
Chael “The American Gangster” Sonnen
Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva
Anderson “Spider” Silva
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira
Gegard “The DreamcatcherMousasi
Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida
Chuck “Iceman” Liddell

 

Heavyweight

(c) Cain Velasquez
Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva
Alistair “The Reem” Overeem
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira
Roy “Big Country” Nelson
Frank Mir
Mark “The Super Samoan” Hunt
Junior “Cigano” dos Santos
Daniel “DC” Cormier
Travis “Hapa” Browne
Pat “HD” Barry
Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum

* Bruce Lee is a pre-order bonus who can be unlocked by finishing the career mode on pro difficulty or higher.

** Royce Gracie can be unlocked by finishing the game on pro difficulty or higher.

 

Arenas

MGM Grand

Staples Center
Honda Center
Prudential Center
Toyota Center
Madison Square Garden
Air Canada Centre
Bell Center
Rio Arena
Chicago Arena

 

Roster Notes

Bruce Lee and Royce Gracie

MMA legends Bruce Lee and Royce Gracie have been included in the roster. Lee is playable in five weight classes, while Gracie is exclusive to the middleweight division.

Veteran referee Yves Lavigne got a kick out of seeing Lee stick it to The Prodigy in this E3 presentation.

Gracie has appeared in UFC games in the past, but this is the first time his render looked this spot on.

This is obviously the older Gracie, but because there’s a possibility of seeing younger versions of some fighters on the roster, don’t be shocked if the MMA pioneer shows up in his younger days as part of DLC.

That, per creative director Brian Hayes, would not be free, if it does happen.

 

Notable Omissions

There are a few guys and women whom fans of the UFC will indeed miss at launch. Newly crowned bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw is the first who comes to mind.

He completely dominated Renan Barao at UFC 173 to claim the title. Brendan Schaub, who will face Andrei Arlovski at UFC 174 on Saturday, is another.

Ali Bagautinov will challenge Johnson for his flyweight title on Saturday, and he isn’t part of the roster. If he were to win, the game would be devoid of two current champions upon release.

That would be unfortunate.

Jessica Andrade is perhaps the most notable woman not included in the roster.

There’s all the reason in the world to believe that these gaps will be filled in shortly.

The guys at UndisputedOnline.net had hands-on time with the game and spoke to creative director Brian Hayes. He said that there will be free and regular roster updates to add fighters like Dillashaw post-release. That’s great news and something to look forward to for fans of the game.

New stars emerge all the time in the UFC. It’s good to know that there is a commitment to putting them into the game after it releases.

 

Features and the Demo

Enhanced Graphics and Animations

The fighter likenesses are among the best character models you’ll see in any game. They truly rival—and may even surpass—the ones we marveled at with NBA 2K14 in Oct. 2013.

This visual realism is enhanced when you see the full-body deformation from strikes and grappling.

The progressive and graphic facial damage also bring the brutality of MMA right to your monitor or TV. If a game’s graphics were likened to the exterior beauty of a woman, this one is a supermodel.

I had an opportunity to speak with Hayes about this and other features in the interview below.

 

MMAi

Great graphics can only be fully appreciated if the characters behave intelligently and realistically.

Per EA Sports, the MMAi feature promises each fighter will have a unique fight plan. Those plans will have options A, B and C for every fight. Direct from the game’s page on the EA Sports website, the feature description reads: “Down on the scorecards, look for the AI to end the fight with a knockout or a submission. A smarter opponent equals a more challenging and unpredictable fights.”

If you’ve played the demo, you’ve seen evidence of that. If you have not, here are two separate fight videos to add some level of reference.

The demo only allows you to use Jones or Gustafsson, but it’s clear to see how each man fights differently. If you begin to land strikes against Bones, he’ll fall back on his wrestling prowess and attempt to take you down.

Brian Parker, aka Paakaa 10, of Good Game Bro offered this assessment of Gustafsson‘s aggressiveness in the demo: “The brazen offensive onslaught unleashed by the CPU AI was confusing to me in the demo at first, but in truth this is not out of character with how Alexander Gustafsson approaches fights, including the one real-life head-to-head fight with Jon Jones.”

In the long term, I’m not sure if this will be good or bad. For now it’s fun.

Once we get our hands on other fighters, we’ll be able to gauge the level of variety in the way all the other fighters behave.

 

Submission Battles

Submissions are a tricky thing in MMA games. Button mashing isn’t a good thing, but overcomplicating the process is a deterrent. 

EA Sports UFC attempts to find a happy medium. With a good number of hours put into playing the demo, I’ll admit that I’m very much a work in progress when it comes to submissions.

Essentially, the submission system is a bit of a guess-and-counter contest between you and your opponent. Fatigue, damage and the skill of the two men play a big role in success and failure.

Without enough time and variation of fighters to speak on, it’s best to save the evaluation of this part of the game for the review of the full retail version.

 

Career Mode

We haven’t actually seen a lot of the career mode, but we do know that you get an opportunity to create a fighter. You can use the awesome GameFace feature that allows you to upload an image of yourself, or you can simply use the wizard-like database available.

You begin your career as part of the very popular UFC reality series The Ultimate Fighter.

As your career progresses, you’re obviously trying to win championships and level up your skill set. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the mode is that your fighter has a longevity rating.

Because MMA is such a brutal sport, this takes into account the amount of damage your fighter takes. Bloody battles are awesome, but too much wear and tear takes a toll on the body and shortens careers.

 

The Demo

For those of you who haven’t had an opportunity to download the demo, it is currently available for free on the Xbox Marketplace and PlayStation Network.

Look for the full review to drop on Tuesday, June 17 when the game officially releases. 

 

Follow me. My name is Brian…and I’m a sports gamer.

@BMaziqueFPBR

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