Tag: War Machine

Bellator 100 Results & Videos: War Machine Marches On, Saunders Is Damn Near Decapitated

(Douglas Lima vs. Ben Saunders. KO at 11:04)

Friday night’s Bellator 100 card main event saw Douglas Lima earn another welterweight title shot with a second round-knockout of Ben Saunders in Bellator’s Season 8 Welterweight Tournament Final. In the first round, both men went hard on the feet with Saunders also seeking unsuccessfully to take the fight to the ground.

In the second stanza, Lima found his range and began to take it to Saunders, dropping him to the mat with a right hand. Saunders was cut badly by the shot but survived until the final thirty seconds of the round when Lima connected with a right kick to the head that put the “Killa B” out for good.

Deja vu alert: Lima and Saunders had previously squared off at Bellator 57 back in November 2011, with Lima scoring a second-round KO in that fight as well, to win Season Five’s Welterweight Tournament. Last night’s stoppage, however, was twice as ugly. Check out the video above to see what we mean.

Bellator 100 also featured the quarterfinals of the Season Nine Welterweight Tournament (confused yet?), with War Machine and Vaughn Anderson engaging in a ground war for two rounds before the troubled TUF veteran finished it with a rear naked choke.

War Machine took Anderson down early in the first but was swept. From there, WM attempted a couple triangle choke attempts that were shrugged off by Anderson. The round ended with WM back on his feet. In the second round, WM again took Anderson down, securing a crucifix position and landing strikes.

Anderson escaped that hold only to give up his back. WM got hold of his neck, sunk in a rear naked choke and forced Anderson unconscious, at which point the referee stepped in and called a halt to the fight. War Machine is now 2-0 since his last jail stint, and advances to the Season Nine Welterweight Semi-Finals on October 18th.

Full card results and more fight videos after the jump!


(Douglas Lima vs. Ben Saunders. KO at 11:04)

Friday night’s Bellator 100 card main event saw Douglas Lima earn another welterweight title shot with a second round-knockout of Ben Saunders in Bellator’s Season 8 Welterweight Tournament Final. In the first round, both men went hard on the feet with Saunders also seeking unsuccessfully to take the fight to the ground.

In the second stanza, Lima found his range and began to take it to Saunders, dropping him to the mat with a right hand. Saunders was cut badly by the shot but survived until the final thirty seconds of the round when Lima connected with a right kick to the head that put the “Killa B” out for good.

Deja vu alert: Lima and Saunders had previously squared off at Bellator 57 back in November 2011, with Lima scoring a second-round KO in that fight as well, to win Season Five’s Welterweight Tournament. Last night’s stoppage, however, was twice as ugly. Check out the video above to see what we mean.

Bellator 100 also featured the quarterfinals of the Season Nine Welterweight Tournament (confused yet?), with War Machine and Vaughn Anderson engaging in a ground war for two rounds before the troubled TUF veteran finished it with a rear naked choke.

War Machine took Anderson down early in the first but was swept. From there, WM attempted a couple triangle choke attempts that were shrugged off by Anderson. The round ended with WM back on his feet. In the second round, WM again took Anderson down, securing a crucifix position and landing strikes.

Anderson escaped that hold only to give up his back. WM got hold of his neck, sunk in a rear naked choke and forced Anderson unconscious, at which point the referee stepped in and called a halt to the fight. War Machine is now 2-0 since his last jail stint, and advances to the Season Nine Welterweight Semi-Finals on October 18th.

Full card results and more fight videos after the jump!

War Machine vs. Vaughn Anderson:

Bubba Jenkins vs. LaRue Burley:

Rick Hawn vs. Herman Terrado:

Brent Weedman vs. Justin Baesman:

Mighty Mo vs. Dan Charles:

Adam McDonough vs. Johny Buck:

Main Card Results:

Douglas Lima knocks Ben Saunders out in the First Round of their Season Eight Welterweight Tournament final.
War Machine earns a technical submission win in the Second Round over Vaughn Anderson with a rear naked choke in this season’s welterweight tournament opening round.
Rick Hawn wins a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) over Herman Terrado via unanimous decision in their welterweight tournament bout.
Ron Keslar defeats Sergio Junior via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) in another welterweight tournament opening round fight.
Brent Weedman beats Justin Baesman via with an arm bar submission in the first round of their welterweight tournament contest.

Prelim Results:

Efrain Escudero beats Zack Surdyka via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Travis Marx defeats Brandon Bender via TKO due to strikes in Round Two in their bantamweight tournament semifinal.
LaRue Burley gets a Third Round TKO stoppage over Bubba Jenkins.
Clifford Starks defeats Joe Yager via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27).
Liam McGeary beats Beau Tribolet with a First Round knockout due to a punch.
Siala-Mou Siliga defeats Dan Charles with a Third round TKO from punches.
Adam McDonough beats Johnny Buck with a First Round TKO due to strikes.

– Elias Cepeda

Friday Link Dump: Jones vs. Gustafsson Extended Preview, Nerdiest UFC Fighters, Touchdown Celebration Fails + More

(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

TUF 18 Interview: Going 1-on-1 With Jessamyn Duke After Episode 1 (BleacherReport)

And the Latest War Machine Tweet That Might Get Him Fired Is… (MMAFighting)

Report: Johny Hendricks Has Yet to File VADA Paperwork (BloodyElbow)

Jade Bryce always knows how to brighten our day. (Facebook.com/CagePotato)

Mayweather Guaranteed $41.5 Million for Canelo Fight (MMAPayout)

GRAPHIC: Australian Muay Thai Fighter Breaks Leg After His Kick Is Checked (MiddleEasy)

The UFC’s Five Nerdiest Fighters (MMAConvert)

Heidi Klum’s Hottest Instagrams (MadeMan)

The 25 Worst Touchdown Celebration Fails (Complex)

Strength Training for Marathon Runners (MensFitness)

Must See: 8 Strange and Hilarious Craigslist Ads (DoubleViking)

Scary Video: Elephant Rams Car (EgoTV)

Broncos Cheerleader Gives America a Show (Break)


(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

TUF 18 Interview: Going 1-on-1 With Jessamyn Duke After Episode 1 (BleacherReport)

And the Latest War Machine Tweet That Might Get Him Fired Is… (MMAFighting)

Report: Johny Hendricks Has Yet to File VADA Paperwork (BloodyElbow)

Jade Bryce always knows how to brighten our day. (Facebook.com/CagePotato)

Mayweather Guaranteed $41.5 Million for Canelo Fight (MMAPayout)

GRAPHIC: Australian Muay Thai Fighter Breaks Leg After His Kick Is Checked (MiddleEasy)

The UFC’s Five Nerdiest Fighters (MMAConvert)

Heidi Klum’s Hottest Instagrams (MadeMan)

The 25 Worst Touchdown Celebration Fails (Complex)

Strength Training for Marathon Runners (MensFitness)

Must See: 8 Strange and Hilarious Craigslist Ads (DoubleViking)

Scary Video: Elephant Rams Car (EgoTV)

Broncos Cheerleader Gives America a Show (Break)

War Machine Makes Twitter Rape Jokes, Bellator Gives Him A Not-So-Stern Talking To


(Posting this image alone seems inappropriate enough given the “context” of this article, but we’ll get to that in a minute.) 

The man formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver but now spoken only of in terrified whispers as “War Machine” just can’t stop making himself look like an absolute dipshit. Or won’t stop.

The twice imprisoned Bellator welterweight has been fired in the past for making his insane thoughts public, to the point that he is currently the face of the “Think Twice, Then Type” campaign on the social networking site. His most recent remark, also on Twitter, may be his worst to date. However, it does not appear that his employer cares in the slightest.

Just raped @ChristyMack She tried to make me wait until “after errands” As if! =p” War Machine tweeted August 10th.

Christy Mack, of course, is his adult film actress girlfriend.

Koppenhaver went on to declare that, “Real men rape. (Their GF’s and wives, not strangers, don’t get your panties in a bunch.)” Yes, Mr. Machine, let us not jump to conclusions when judging your moral turpitude.

As one would expect, Machine’s latest musings were not received without criticism. Thankfully, we can all rest assured knowing that Machine’s thoughts — which he typed himself, mind you — were taken out of context.

“Apparently you idiots didn’t read my tweet prior to the one y’all are crying about, it puts it in the right context. Sensitive ass bitches,” he scribed, likely while wearing an ascot and smoking a corncob pipe. “Context is the word…y’all motherfuckers just love to take what I say out of CONTEXT and then attempt to demonize me with it. #DIESLOW.”


(Posting this image alone seems inappropriate enough given the “context” of this article, but we’ll get to that in a minute.) 

The man formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver but now spoken only of in terrified whispers as “War Machine” just can’t stop making himself look like an absolute dipshit. Or won’t stop.

The twice imprisoned Bellator welterweight has been fired in the past for making his insane thoughts public, to the point that he is currently the face of the “Think Twice, Then Type” campaign on the social networking site. His most recent remark, also on Twitter, may be his worst to date. However, it does not appear that his employer cares in the slightest.

Just raped @ChristyMack She tried to make me wait until “after errands” As if! =p” War Machine tweeted August 10th.

Christy Mack, of course, is his adult film actress girlfriend.

Koppenhaver went on to declare that, “Real men rape. (Their GF’s and wives, not strangers, don’t get your panties in a bunch.)” Yes, Mr. Machine, let us not jump to conclusions when judging your moral turpitude.

As one would expect, Machine’s latest musings were not received without criticism. Thankfully, we can all rest assured knowing that Machine’s thoughts — which he typed himself, mind you — were taken out of context.

“Apparently you idiots didn’t read my tweet prior to the one y’all are crying about, it puts it in the right context. Sensitive ass bitches,” he scribed, likely while wearing an ascot and smoking a corncob pipe. “Context is the word…y’all motherfuckers just love to take what I say out of CONTEXT and then attempt to demonize me with it. #DIESLOW.”

…

Without coming off as the PC police, I think we can all agree that War Machine’s rant crossed a line. What intrigues us most, however, is the correlation between Twitter, MMA and rape jokes. I mean, there’s obviously some hidden connection there, but why exactly? Is there something about only having 150 characters to express oneself that makes MMA fighters want to assert themselves sexually by force? Details at 11.

Shortly after, however, War Machine became enlightened and issued a heartfelt tweetology, “I tweeted something earlier that was stupid, insensitive and wrong. Rape is never something to joke about ever. I sincerely apologize.”

Listen, I like Jon. Or at least the guy named Jon I briefly interviewed years ago shortly after his season of The Ultimate Fighter. *Jon* seemed earnest and courageously spoke openly about his psychological and emotional issues, as well as the help he was seeking for them.War Machine, on the other hand, needs to get a hold of himself and perhaps cancel his Twitter account. He’s a talented and skilled fighter but may be close to once again having his livelihood threatened by stuff he says or does outside of the ring.

Or not. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney issued a long-winded statement that amounted to a whole lot of nothing regarding his organization’s stance on its fighters being insensitive about rape in response. “I agree with those who found Jon’s earlier statement to be offensive and inappropriate,” the statement began.

And, while his public apology surely does not excuse his statement, it does evidence his recognition of the seriousness of the situation and his realization that what he said was offensive, ignorant and hurtful. Since the day I entered this business, I’ve believed that my job was to treat our fighters like human beings and not like property. Human beings make mistakes and sometimes say stupid things. I’m surely prepared to take action in warranted situations as evidenced by recent promotional contracts we have terminated with well-known, popular fighters who have committed assault and/or who have broken the law. But, in this situation, I remain hopeful that Jon will learn from his mistake, redeem himself and become a better man for it and I would like to give him that chance.

We probably shouldn’t be surprised that Bellator isn’t even appearing to try to dissuade its fighters from saying and doing reprehensible things via actual forms of punishment. After all, they signed Brett Rogers. And nothing short of smacking a woman at a gas station will get you released from your contract over there.

I’m not calling for Machine’s release but goodness, Bjorn, would it be too much trouble to do or say anything of consequence that might make it seem like Bellator does not let its fighters, especially those with violent criminal pasts, say this type of thing publicly? YOU’RE MAKING US ALL LOOK LIKE ASSHOLES.

– Elias Cepeda

Photo of the Day: War Machine & Christy Mack Validate Their Relationship With Matching Ink


(Two tattoos, zero real names. Photo via War Machine’s Twitter.)

According to our poll, a staggering 55.3% of you believed that former TUF star and current Bellator badass War Machine had the hottest pornstar girlfriend of them all in Ms. Christy Mack (to the 2 people who suggested “our mom,” that doesn’t even make sense. To the man/woman who suggested GSP & Dakota Cochrane, bravo.). Clearly, Mr. Machine agrees with this sentiment, which is why he and his significant other got coordinating tattoos over the weekend. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned about a pornstar’s love, it’s that it’s forever.

On the heels of a first round TKO over Blas Avena in his Bellator debut, it appears that War Machine is riding pretty high these days. Gone are the days of assaulting his pornstar girlfriends at parties and, well, assaulting the patrons of Vegas gay clubs. Nowadays, a humbler, simpler War Machine can be found “crucifying” his pornstar girlfriend (his words, not ours) on Twitter when he’s not giving Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lessons to children whose parents have clearly never visited BeenVerified.com. It’s the American dream, really, and we wish these two kids the best of luck.

–J. Jones


(Two tattoos, zero real names. Photo via War Machine’s Twitter.)

According to our poll, a staggering 55.3% of you believed that former TUF star and current Bellator badass War Machine had the hottest pornstar girlfriend of them all in Ms. Christy Mack (to the 2 people who suggested “our mom,” that doesn’t even make sense. To the man/woman who suggested GSP & Dakota Cochrane, bravo.). Clearly, Mr. Machine agrees with this sentiment, which is why he and his significant other got coordinating tattoos over the weekend. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned about a pornstar’s love, it’s that it’s forever.

On the heels of a first round TKO over Blas Avena in his Bellator debut, it appears that War Machine is riding pretty high these days. Gone are the days of assaulting his pornstar girlfriends at parties and, well, assaulting the patrons of Vegas gay clubs. Nowadays, a humbler, simpler War Machine can be found “crucifying” his pornstar girlfriend (his words, not ours) on Twitter when he’s not giving Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lessons to children whose parents have clearly never visited BeenVerified.com. It’s the American dream, really, and we wish these two kids the best of luck.

–J. Jones

CagePotato Poll: Which MMA Fighter Had the Hottest Porn Star Girlfriend?


(Contestant 1: Christy Mack. In case you’re new to the Internet, you can see lots more of her on Google or her twitter page. Above image via Ranker)

Earlier this month, Bellator welterweight/retired porn-actor War Machine confirmed that he is in a romantic relationship with Christy Mack, a porn actress with a punk-vibe who has appeared in such flicks as Tattooed Anal Sluts and Trashy. How you react to this news depends a lot on your personal relationship with porn, and specifically with the porn featuring Christy Mack. For the record, Christy seems like a super lady, and we think the tattoo of the tall ship on her back is unique and eye-catching.

So, for those of you who care: Where does War Machine’s romance with Christy Mack rank in the short list of MMA fighters who have dated porn stars? Check out our quick rundown below, then vote in the SurveyMonkey widget at the end of page 2. Results will be collected and perhaps revealed if tomorrow turns out to be a really slow news day.


(Contestant 2: Jayden Jaymes)


(Contestant 1: Christy Mack. In case you’re new to the Internet, you can see lots more of her on Google or her twitter page. Above image via Ranker)

Earlier this month, Bellator welterweight/retired porn-actor War Machine confirmed that he is in a romantic relationship with Christy Mack, a porn actress with a punk-vibe who has appeared in such flicks as Tattooed Anal Sluts and Trashy. How you react to this news depends a lot on your personal relationship with porn, and specifically with the porn featuring Christy Mack. For the record, Christy seems like a super lady, and we think the tattoo of the tall ship on her back is unique and eye-catching.

So, for those of you who care: Where does War Machine’s romance with Christy Mack rank in the short list of MMA fighters who have dated porn stars? Check out our quick rundown below, then vote in the SurveyMonkey widget at the end of page 2. Results will be collected and perhaps revealed if tomorrow turns out to be a really slow news day.


(Contestant 2: Jayden Jaymes)

In 2009, just after breaking off his engagement with Erin Wilson, UFC legend Chuck Liddell was spotted staring blankly in the distance while in Mexico with porn star Jayden Jaymes. It seemed like Chuck and Jayden had a good thing going — briefly, at least, in a rebound sort of way — until the Iceman realized that Jayden was just using him for publicity. Since then, Chuck has settled into a quiet life outside of the spotlight with Heidi Northcott.


(Contestant 3: Jenna Jameson. Click image for full-size version.)

Certainly the most famous — and unstable — pairing of an MMA star and a porn star, Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson started dating in 2006, had twin sons together, and endured more than their share of public drama before calling it quits (we hope?) last month. We’re not going to say another word about it, so let’s just remember them in happier times.


(Contestant 4: Lexxi Tyler. She’s the one on the left.)

Lexxi and her husband — former WEC lightweight champ “Razor” Rob McCullough — look downright normal compared to the rest of these weirdos. Married since 2009, the couple has a three-year-old son together, and Rob gave up drinking and partying in order to be a better father. By the way, Lexxi has only done girl-on-girl scenes during her porn career, so Rob doesn’t even have to pretend he’s not bothered by his wife getting railed by other dudes. Pretty sweet set-up, if you ask me.

On the next page: Brittney, Lux, and the poll you’ve been waiting for…

Bellator 96 Recap: King Mo and War Machine Score First-Round Wins, Babalu Sobral Announces Retirement Following Loss


(Like I said, betting money on Petruzelli would be a *terrible* idea. / Photo via Facebook.com/BellatorMMA)

Bellator’s 2013 Summer Series kicked off last night in Thackerville, Oklahoma — population: 404 — with the semifinals of the promotion’s latest light-heavyweight and heavyweight tournaments. The televised card was an overall success, featuring fast action, brutal stoppages, and much-needed wins for a pair of marquee names. But it didn’t go well for everybody. Here are the important points…

War Machine Is Back in General Population
In a non-tournament bout that opened the broadcast, charmingly outspoken welterweight War Machine returned to competition for the first time since his latest stint in jail, facing journeyman Blas Avena. Machine appeared to be in fine form, putting Avena on his back in the second half of the opening round, trapping his arm, and slugging Avena with left hands until the match was stopped at the 3:55 mark. Random thought: War really needs to be a coach on season 2 of Fight Master. You want drama? There’s your drama.

Heavyweights Gonna Heavyweight
Both of the heavyweight tournament semi-finals resulted in gnarly first-round knockouts. During the prelims, Ryan Martinez — who came in as a short-notice replacement for the injured Vinicius Queiroz — slugged out Richard Hale with punches from the top. And on the main card, undefeated Russian prospect Vitaly Minakov needed just 32 seconds to beat the crap out of Ron Sparks. Minakov is now 11-0, with six of those wins coming in the first minute of the fight. He and Martinez will now face each other at Bellator 97, July 31st in Albuquerque.

Farewell, Sweet Babalu


(Like I said, betting money on Petruzelli would be a *terrible* idea. / Photo via Facebook.com/BellatorMMA)

Bellator’s 2013 Summer Series kicked off last night in Thackerville, Oklahoma — population: 404 — with the semifinals of the promotion’s latest light-heavyweight and heavyweight tournaments. The televised card was an overall success, featuring fast action, brutal stoppages, and much-needed wins for a pair of marquee names. But it didn’t go well for everybody. Here are the important points…

War Machine Is Back in General Population
In a non-tournament bout that opened the broadcast, charmingly outspoken welterweight War Machine returned to competition for the first time since his latest stint in jail, facing journeyman Blas Avena. Machine appeared to be in fine form, putting Avena on his back in the second half of the opening round, trapping his arm, and slugging Avena with left hands until the match was stopped at the 3:55 mark. Random thought: War really needs to be a coach on season 2 of Fight Master. You want drama? There’s your drama.

Heavyweights Gonna Heavyweight
Both of the heavyweight tournament semi-finals resulted in gnarly first-round knockouts. During the prelims, Ryan Martinez — who came in as a short-notice replacement for the injured Vinicius Queiroz — slugged out Richard Hale with punches from the top. And on the main card, undefeated Russian prospect Vitaly Minakov needed just 32 seconds to beat the crap out of Ron Sparks. Minakov is now 11-0, with six of those wins coming in the first minute of the fight. He and Martinez will now face each other at Bellator 97, July 31st in Albuquerque.

Farewell, Sweet Babalu
Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Jacob Noe was certainly the most competitive fight on the main card, with both light-heavyweights landing well through the first two rounds. The third round could have been the deciding frame, but Noe didn’t let it go to the judges. After stunning Sobral with punches and opening up a cut near his left eye, Noe threw the kitchen sink at Babalu, who stumbled around and ate punches until the ref called a standing TKO at the 3:32 mark of the final round. Despite his wooziness, Sobral didn’t appear too pleased with the call.

If you’re a well-traveled MMA veteran who has fought for the biggest organizations in the world, but you’re now being stopped by a virtual unknown in the opening round of a Bellator tournament, it might be a good sign to hang up the gloves — and that’s exactly what Babalu did after the fight, announcing his retirement in the cage. It’s hard to say if Sobral’s retirement will be permanent, or one of those temporary retirements that fighters seem to love so much. But for now, the BJJ black-belt leaves behind a 37-11 career record, and can claim victories over Chael Sonnen, Mauricio Rua, Robbie Lawler, Jeremy Horn, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.

King Mo Smashes — and I Mean Smashes — Seth Petruzelli


(Skip to the 1:11 mark for the brain-damage.)

Look, I still think making Muhammad Lawal a 15-1 favorite in this fight was ludicrous. This wasn’t exactly Cro Cop vs. Dos Caras Jr. — it was a halfway legitimate matchup. But King Mo won, and he made it look easy. As soon as Lawal completed his first takedown, it was the beginning of the end. With Petruzelli on his back, Lawal grabbed his feet, swung them out of the way, and dived in with one of the most savage haymakers-from-above in MMA history. Nobody could have survived that shot, and Petruzelli was no exception. And so, Lawal bounces back from his surprise upset against Emanuel Newton at Bellator 90, and will now face Jacob Noe in the finals of the light-heavyweight summer tourney at Bellator 97. Meanwhile, Petruzelli’s Bellator record drops to 1-2.

And now, full results from Bellator 96…

MAIN CARD
Muhammed Lawal def. Seth Petruzelli via KO, 1:35 of round 1
Jacob Noe def. Renato Sobral via TKO, 3:32 of round 3
Vitaly Minakov def. Ron Sparks via TKO, 0:32 of round 1
War Machine def. Blas Avena via TKO, 3:55 of round 1

PRELIMINARY CARD
Damon Jackson def. Keith Miner via TKO, 2:00 of round 1
Raphael Butler def. Jeremiah O’Neal via TKO, 2:57 of round 1
Ryan Martinez def. Richard Hale via KO, 2:19 of round 1
Brandon Halsey def. Joe Yager via split decision (30-28 x 2, 28-30)*
Derek Campos def. Brandon Girtz via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
Justin McNally def. Steven Artoff via verbal submission (triangle choke), 2:44 of round 1

UNAIRED MATCHES (FOLLOWING THE MAIN CARD BROADCAST)
Chas Skelly def. Jarrod Card via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
Keith Berry def. Cortez Coleman via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29)
Mike Maldonado def. Chavous Smith via submission (rear-naked choke), 2:27 of round 1

* That 28-30 has to be a scoring error by the judge. Yager had a point deducted for groin-strikes, so even if he won every round, the highest score he could have received would be 29.