Back by popular demand is World Series of Fighting ring girl Jessica Sutton, an Elk Township, New Jersey native who has been featured in Maxim, Babes of MMA, and Busted Coverage and now makes her triumphant return to our Hot Potato gallery.
A four-year cross-country track star throughout high school, Jessica has been keeping busy ever since moving to Las Vegas. Aside from getting her license in cosmetology, Jessica is now the host of her own home improvement show on Youtube, “The Real Tool Time”, where she “tackles the transformation of her home in Las Vegas, documenting the challenges of demolition work, laying tile down, creating a workshop, wiring lighting and electrical – taking on home improvement projects that every good homeowner should.”
Wait, so she’s not only a smokin’ hot ring girl, but a Home Improvementfan *and* someone who knows her way around a reciprocating saw? DIBS, YOU GUYS.
Check out some of Jessica’s latest photos above from photographer Brian B. Hayes, follow her on Twitter, and be sure to look for her in action at WSOF 9: Carl vs. Palhares on March 29th.
Back by popular demand is World Series of Fighting ring girl Jessica Sutton, an Elk Township, New Jersey native who has been featured in Maxim, Babes of MMA, and Busted Coverage and now makes her triumphant return to our Hot Potato gallery.
A four-year cross-country track star throughout high school, Jessica has been keeping busy ever since moving to Las Vegas. Aside from getting her license in cosmetology, Jessica is now the host of her own home improvement show on Youtube, “The Real Tool Time”, where she “tackles the transformation of her home in Las Vegas, documenting the challenges of demolition work, laying tile down, creating a workshop, wiring lighting and electrical – taking on home improvement projects that every good homeowner should.”
Wait, so she’s not only a smokin’ hot ring girl, but a Home Improvementfan *and* someone who knows her way around a reciprocating saw? DIBS, YOU GUYS.
Check out some of Jessica’s latest photos above from photographer Brian B. Hayes, follow her on Twitter, and be sure to look for her in action at WSOF 9: Carl vs. Palhares on March 29th.
If you recall, Okami was released from the UFC last September (to make room for the Jumabieke Tuerxuns of the world) despite going 3-1 in his last 4 fights, because whatever, fuck you. “Thunder” was quickly snatched up by the WSOF but has been sitting on the shelf ever since his signing for reasons unknown. Regardless, it was announced earlier today that Okami will make his promotional debut against Bulgarian Svetlozar Savov at WSOF 9 on March 29th.
With 11 finishes in his 12 victories, Savov is pretty much the antithesis of Okami, who collected just 4 stoppages in his 18-fight UFC career. That being said, expect Okami to come in as a huge favorite here. Not Cormier vs. Cummins huge, but somewhere around that. Thankfully, this squash match will likely slip completely under the radar once Rousimar Palhares inevitably maims Steve Carl in the evening’s main event.
Seriously, I cannot begin to comprehend why the WSOF is essentially rewarding Paul Harris for his repeated acts of douchebaggery in the cage by giving him an immediate title shot — it’s like giving a convicted arsonist a book of matches, a gallon of kerosene, and the keys to the home of the judge who sentenced him. “Tickets got to be sold,” I guess.
If you recall, Okami was released from the UFC last September (to make room for the Jumabieke Tuerxuns of the world) despite going 3-1 in his last 4 fights, because whatever, fuck you. “Thunder” was quickly snatched up by the WSOF but has been sitting on the shelf ever since his signing for reasons unknown. Regardless, it was announced earlier today that Okami will make his promotional debut against Bulgarian Svetlozar Savov at WSOF 9 on March 29th.
With 11 finishes in his 12 victories, Savov is pretty much the antithesis of Okami, who collected just 4 stoppages in his 18-fight UFC career. That being said, expect Okami to come in as a huge favorite here. Not Cormier vs. Cummins huge, but somewhere around that. Thankfully, this squash match will likely slip completely under the radar once Rousimar Palhares inevitably maims Steve Carl in the evening’s main event.
Seriously, I cannot begin to comprehend why the WSOF is essentially rewarding Paul Harris for his repeated acts of douchebaggery in the cage by giving him an immediate title shot — it’s like giving a convicted arsonist a book of matches, a gallon of kerosene, and the keys to the home of the judge who sentenced him. “Tickets got to be sold,” I guess.
Major props are in order for CP reader Lewis Scott for passing along this video of British women’s Muay Thai world champion Iman Barlow’s latest fight, which went down in Melton Mowbray, UK last weekend.
Those of you not familiar with Barlow should know that despite being just 20 years of age, she is a multi-title holder who has compiled over 130 fights since making her professional debut when she was only twelve years old. Riding a three fight, three decision win streak into last Saturday’s match with Maritzarda Hersisia, Barlow came out aggressive and looking for the kill, which she would find a minute into the second round via a beautiful right high kick.
Hersisia crumpled to the mat in classic lawn chair fashion, and Barlow walked off with her latest championship — the 2014 Golden Belt World Title. Check out the vicious KO above, then follow us below for the big highlight from last weekend’s WSOF Canada event.
Major props are in order for CP reader Lewis Scott for passing along this video of British women’s Muay Thai world champion Iman Barlow’s latest fight, which went down in Melton Mowbray, UK last weekend.
Those of you not familiar with Barlow should know that despite being just 20 years of age, she is a multi-title holder who has compiled over 130 fights since making her professional debut when she was only twelve years old. Riding a three fight, three decision win streak into last Saturday’s match with Maritzarda Hersisia, Barlow came out aggressive and looking for the kill, which she would find a minute into the second round via a beautiful right high kick.
Hersisia crumpled to the mat in classic lawn chair fashion, and Barlow walked off with her latest championship — the 2014 Golden Belt World Title. Check out the vicious KO above, then follow us below for the big highlight from last weekend’s WSOF Canada event.
Did anyone know that World Series of Fighting put on an event last weekend? Or that World Series of Fighting (Canada)was even a thing? Well, they are, and the main event of their most recent card featured Bellator veteran Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford breaking out the Sensei Seagal Signature Front Kick against journeyman Joel Powell. The video may not be the best quality, but the sound it was able to capture from Ford’s kick should more than make up for it. Seriously, it sounded like someone fired a starter pistol into a bag of flour when that thing landed.
The win improved Ford’s record to a solid 22-4 and secured him the promotion’s (Canadian) welterweight crown. Wait, WSOF gives out separate titles for their Canadian champions? I’m sorry I ever doubted you, BG.
You barely need to watch it; the audio has everything you need.
Ryan Ford, a promising if controversial welterweight prospect, poured a few gallons of rocket fuel on the inaugural World Series of Fighting Canada card Friday night with an absolute…
You barely need to watch it; the audio has everything you need.
Ryan Ford, a promising if controversial welterweight prospect, poured a few gallons of rocket fuel on the inaugural World Series of Fighting Canada card Friday night with an absolutely brutal flash knockout of Joel Powell.
The clean KO came only 53 seconds into the first round of the evening’s main event. With the win, Ford became the first welterweight champion for WSOF Canada, the North-facing offshoot of the World Series of Fighting promotion.
Out of nowhere, Ford fired a front kick that slammed home with a loud cracking sound right under Powell’s chin. The Edmonton, Alberta crowd immediately went wild.
Although the card went down on Feb. 21, it will not air until Feb. 28 because of Winter Olympics conflicts. In the United States, the card will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.
The win moved the 31-year-old Ford to 22-4 as a professional fighter. It was Ford’s sixth victory in a row and 10th in his last 11. He has also notched wins over fairly well-known fighters like Karo Parisyan, Luis Santos and Pete Spratt.
In 2003, Ford was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a home invasion in Alberta. It is safe to say that incident hampered his MMA career and rendered him damaged goods in the eyes of many in and around the sport.
In 2011, Ford signed with Aggression MMA—which WSOF purchased in September and changed to WSOF Canada—after a protracted contract battle with Maximum Fighting Championship, another Canadian promotion. He also lost the second half of 2013 to a broken arm.
However, Ford now appears to be back on the straight and narrow. Ford twice competed in Bellator in 2012, going 2-0 under that banner with wins over Santos and Kyle Baker. Ford has not competed for Bellator since, and though he has previously indicated he is not overly interested in fighting again for Bellator, his reasons are murky.
Ford is presumably interested in putting past controversies behind him. Performances like Friday’s scintillating knockout will surely help him accomplish that.
Scott Harris writes about MMA, including fighter prospects, for Bleacher Report. Follow Scott on Twitter.
A discussion about the MMA media surfaced on r/MMA recently, with the inflammatory title “Why do people on this subreddit refuse to acknowledge that the MMA media is bought and paid for?”
The OP (original poster for those unfamiliar with Internet lingo) linked our Shill ‘Em All series as proof of the media’s misdeeds, and also discussed Zach Arnold’s Fight Opinion piece about the connection between WSOF and Zuffa.
MMA fans responded with apathy and quips. Here three select comments:
1. “Sports journalism should be about the sport, they are covering UFC fighters and fights, you don’t need to be unbiased to write who won a fight and how it looked.
I personally don’t give a flying fuck about what did Dana White do today, so if someone is biased and reports only the good stuff that paints him in a good light or someone is shitting on him I don’t give a fuck either way.
My favorite writer is Jack Slack, and I don’t think he mentioned UFC-s promotional practice or what color DW-s shit is, I read him because he is very good at analyzing fights and fighters, if I wanted to know about contracts, pay and substance abuse I’d go read a real newspaper (or not, given the state of journalism in general).”
2. “Who the fuck cares? Mma media sucks because of blog spam and click baiting, not your bullshit.”
And my personal favorite:
3. “Cagepotato are only bitter because they had their credentials pulled.”
(“ARIEL!! ARIEL!! OMG HE TOTES JUST LOOKED IN OUR DIRECTION, YOU GUYS!!” *faints* Photo via Sherdog.)
A discussion about the MMA media surfaced on r/MMA recently, with the inflammatory title “Why do people on this subreddit refuse to acknowledge that the MMA media is bought and paid for?”
The OP (original poster for those unfamiliar with Internet lingo) linked our Shill ‘Em All series as proof of the media’s misdeeds, and also discussed Zach Arnold’s Fight Opinion piece about the connection between WSOF and Zuffa.
MMA fans responded with apathy and quips. Here three select comments:
1. “Sports journalism should be about the sport, they are covering UFC fighters and fights, you don’t need to be unbiased to write who won a fight and how it looked.
I personally don’t give a flying fuck about what did Dana White do today, so if someone is biased and reports only the good stuff that paints him in a good light or someone is shitting on him I don’t give a fuck either way.
My favorite writer is Jack Slack, and I don’t think he mentioned UFC-s promotional practice or what color DW-s shit is, I read him because he is very good at analyzing fights and fighters, if I wanted to know about contracts, pay and substance abuse I’d go read a real newspaper (or not, given the state of journalism in general).”
2. “Who the fuck cares? Mma media sucks because of blog spam and click baiting, not your bullshit.”
And my personal favorite:
3. “Cagepotato are only bitter because they had their credentials pulled.”
There were many other comments (and Bleacher Report’s own Jeremy Botter made a guest appearance to dispel the whispers about the WSOF-Zuffa connection) but the three above—specifically the first two—summarize the general sentiment MMA fans had towards the MMA media. Some only care about what happens in the cage. Others really didn’t care much at all outside of maligning the copy + paste websites that litter the landscape.
Regarding the first comment about outside-the-cage stories not mattering: I’m tempted to call fight breakdowns a lost art in MMA, save for the fact that they’re everywhere come fight time. Extremely high quality ones, however, are harder to find. The Reddit commenter who mentioned Jack Slack is right. Slack is by far the greatest assessor of in-cage techniques that has graced the keyboard.
But most fans fail to realize that much of MMA takes place outside the Octagon. Contracts, fighter pay, fighter behavior, PEDs, and other matters have a tremendous impact on the sport. These issues need to be covered. If a fan doesn’t care about these problems, they’re viewing the sport through an Octagonal microscope. What happens during a fight simultaneously matters most and least and in MMA. The fight is the only reason for all the so-called trappings, yet the trappings have such an influence on the fight that they seemingly exceed it in importance and urgency. What’s a fight without promotion and marketing? What’s a fighter without a fair wage and a good contract? What’ll happen to the sport if the UFC doesn’t crack down on TRT? What if Dana White’s heavy-handedness backfires? Question like that matter. If the media isn’t objective about them, they won’t be answered properly, if at all. Abiding by a list of topics you’re not allowed to talk about doesn’t help anyone but Zuffa and the people who shill for them.
Fans not caring about this kind of stuff is disheartening. While some MMA fans are amazingly passionate and cool, the more vocal fans are awful. Look at their reaction to Tyler Manawaroa’s recent Instagram woes. As Bloody Elbow poster Nick Yidaris said, “the worst part of being an MMA fan is MMA fans”.
A sport’s perception reflects its fans. Is it any doubt then that when major news and culture websites finally give MMA some coverage, it’susuallynegative.
Worshiping (or even liking) the media isn’t necessary. But paying attention to it, and reading about all the stories in MMA—not just fight breakdowns, live blogs, and post-event summaries—is crucial.
To harness my inner Dana White, DO YOU WANNA BE A FUCKIN’ MMA FAN? If so, you need to pay attention to everything that happens in MMA, including media matters.
In an interview with MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani, famed straight edge pro wrestler and former WWE champ CM Punk expressed an interest in taking an MMA fight, as well as thoughts about his doubtful future with the WWE. Punk left the WWE not long after this interview.
To MMA fans and pundits, the urge to connect the dots was too great. Punk departed the WWE shortly after he mentioned MMA. Therefore, he MUST have left the WWE to start fighting.
In an interview with MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani, famed straight edge pro wrestler and former WWE champ CM Punk expressed an interest in taking an MMA fight, as well as thoughts about his doubtful future with the WWE. Punk left the WWE not long after this interview.
To MMA fans and pundits, the urge to connect the dots was too great. Punk departed the WWE shortly after he mentioned MMA. Therefore, he MUST have left the WWE to start fighting.
Cue the insanity.
Rampant speculation about CM Punk, his MMA abilities, his MMA “career” and his potential opponent—which many slated as former Power Ranger Jason David Frank since Frank issued a public challenge to Punk—polluted MMA headlines across the Internet.
MMA didn’t need it quite as much when CM Punk first announced that an MMA fight was on his bucket list. There’s just not a whole lot of interest in the day-to-day affairs of MMA like there was in the past. Look at the numbers for the most recent TUF season—they’re horrific. Fans don’t care about low/mid-level UFC fighters and even some high level UFC fighters. We live in an era where one of the only ways to draw big interest (and big traffic) is to tease Brock Lesnar’s UFC return for the umpteenth time. GSP is gone and Zuffa is apparently going to bury him sooner rather than later. Rousey can always generate buzz, but Hollywood is poaching that cash cow. Talking grand about CM Punk fighting for real is one of the only ways to brighten the drudgery of “Two C-level guys got added to some UFC fight pass card in who cares where. Please donate your click” articles.
And regarding Punk’s actual future in MMA, he doesn’t have one. He’s a 35-year-old ex-pro wrestler with no combat sports experience (he’s trained, yes, but hasn’t competed). At best, he’ll participate in a handful of fights that get lots of hype and then retire from competition after fulfilling yet another goal in life while MMA media members roast him, a novice MMA fighter, for looking like a novice MMA fighter.
