Nick Newell meets Bellator Fighting Championship veteran Eric Reynolds in the main event of "XFC 21: Night of Champions II" LIVE from Nashville, Tennessee on Friday, December 7 at 10:00pm ET on AXS TV. (December 6, 2012- Dallas, Texas) AXS TV Fights is LIVE from Nashville, Tennessee for "XFC 21: Night of Champions II" where undefeated one-armed MMA sensation Nick Newell meets Bellator Fighting Championship veteran Eric Reynolds in the main event Friday, December 7 at 10:00pm ET on AXS TV.
Nick "Notorious" Newell (8-0) has impressed and inspired fight fans with 6 of his 8 wins coming in the first round, including his recent August victory against Adam David Mays. AXS TV Fights aired the first round knockout as part of it's XFC 19 - Charlotte Showdown LIVE fight coverage.
However, his fight with experienced veteran Eric "It's a Wrap" Reynolds (16-5) is sure to be the toughest test yet in his young career. Newell says that he's ready and told Inside MMA's Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten, "I've picked up some new tricks...I fight to win."
AXS TV Fight fans can predict the Newell vs Reynolds battle and even score the fight competing with others in real-time via the AXS TV Fights app now available free for iPhone and iPad.
Fight fans can also connect with AXS TV Fights on Facebook and Twitter:
XFC 21: NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS II
LIVE Exclusively on AXS TV
Friday, December 7 at 10pm ET / 7pm PT
Mike Ricci and Colton Smith will square off for the TUF 16 title.
The two welterweights advanced to the finals after winning their respective semifinal fights. Ricci knocked out Neil Magny in the first round while Smith outworked Jon Manley en route to a unanimous decision victory.
The finale takes place on Dec. 15 from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and the winner gets a UFC contract.
Smith captured the first spot in the finals, largely by crowding Manley against the cage and on the ground. He built up a lead over the first two rounds with his grappling and held on in the third, warding off Manley's late comeback try.
Smith scored several takedowns in the fight, at least one in all three rounds, but never had Manley in any significant trouble. Manley landed some powerful right hands in the final moments but Smith held on.
His road to the finals also included decision victories over Eddy Ellis and Igor Araujo.
Ricci's win was far more impressive, as he knocked Magny down with a straight left hand, and two minutes later in the round, he finished it with a one-strike knockout with a crushing elbow while against the fence.
Ricci beat Dom Waters and Michael Hill previously in the 16-man tourney. His KO of Magny was only the second tourney finish since the action shifted to the TUF house in Las Vegas.
Ricci was Team Carwin's third pick in the draft while Smith went fourth to team Nelson.
The TUF 16 Finale will be headlined by a match between Roy Nelson and Matt Mitrione, who replaced the injured Shane Carwin. Also on the card is another heavyweight match, this one pitting Shane del Rosario against Pat Barry, as well as an anticipated lightweight scrap pitting Melvin Guillard vs. Jamie Varner. In a rarity during a TUF finale, Ricci vs. Smith is the only fight featuring TUF 16 talent.
For 14 months, B.J. Penn was no longer a part of the world which he helped build, instead choosing a self-imposed exile to his homeland of Hawaii. He returned with thoughts of a future rich with success that would build upon his already established legacy. He left with more heartache. And headache. And ... well, you get the picture.
The former two-division champion was routed by Rory MacDonald at UFC on FOX 5, a beating so physically taxing that Penn had to be transported to a Seattle area hospital for observation, according to UFC officials. While he's expected to be OK, his fight career may not survive. If he was turned off to the idea of fighting by a lopsided loss to Nick Diaz in October 2011, his defeat by MacDonald can only serve to convince him his first instincts were correct.
Since Penn hasn't commented since the loss, that remains to be seen. As for UFC president Dana White, he's seen enough.
Following the event, White said during a FUEL TV interview that he wanted and expected to see Penn hang up his gloves for good.
"He didn't say it tonight but I think BJ is probably going to retire," White said. "I wouldn't mind seeing that. He came back with a fire lit under him. Let me tell you what: That kid looked so good tonight. Rory looked better than he ever looked. The body punches he threw, you dont see punches like that in mixed martial arts. He really put it to B.J. tonight.
"B.J. is a warrior," he continued. "Talk about a guy who doesn't give up, doesn't quit, and just keeps coming. I have so much respect for B.J. I always have, even though the good times and bad times. I‘d like to see him retire. He’s got plenty of money, he's got a great family that loves him, he's got babies, a beautiful wife ... He has nothing left to prove to anybody, and everybody loves him. You heard the arena here tonight. I'd like to see B.J. retire.
Penn has only won once in his last six fights, a knockout win over Matt Hughes at UFC 123 in November 2010.
He holds a 16-9-2 record, which doesn't look great on paper, but 12 of his 27 career fights took place above his natural 155-pound weight class. Penn is one of only two men who've won titles in two UFC weight classes. The other is Hall of Famer Randy Couture. Penn is likely to earn the same honor, making the only question about his career whether or not he decides to give it one more go.
Dana White wants B.J. Penn to retire - MMA Fighting
There's nothing special about an MMA fighter causing an opponent to tap out with a choke hold to claim a championship.
Unless that fighter is Nick Newell - a 26-year-old with a perfect MMA record and only one arm.
Newell was born with a condition called congenital amputation - his left arm stopped past the elbow and he's lived with it all his life.
He wrestled at school, but dreamed of making it big in MMA after a stellar wrestling career.
Unfortunately Newell found it difficult to break into the sport - opponents turned down fights with the Connecticut native because they didn't want to fight someone with one arm.
But the man nicknamed 'Notorious' achieved his dream in 2009 and up until this weekend had a perfect 8-0 record.
And then he fought veteran Eric Reynolds for the XFC Lightweight Championship this weekend.
Here's the fight: One-armed MMA fighter claims ultimate glory Yahoo!7 Sport
You can see exactly what it means to Newell when he's awarded the fight.
Not only has he been able to compete with able-bodied athletes, he's been able to rise to the top.
Congratulations to a man many times braver than we are - well done, Nick, on making a dream come true.
You are an inspiration.
Diego Sanchez's long and winding road is ready to take another turn.
With little prompting, the "Ultimate Fighter 1" champion and Jackson's MMA fighter took to Twitter on Monday and announced he is moving back to the lightweight division.
"MY NEXT FIGHT WILL BE AT LIGHTWEIGHT," Sanchez tweeted, the caps all his. The news came an hour after Sanchez tweeted "Announcement about my next fight will be coming soon this week."
The move sounds like good news for fans of the veteran fighter. One of the most consistently exciting competitors in the UFC, Sanchez experienced his greatest success at 155 pounds, where he defeated Clay Guida via split decision in what many consider 2009‘s Fight of the Year and a title shot at then-champion B.J. Penn.
After losing the title challenge to Penn at UFC 107, though, Sanchez (23-5) made the decision to move back to 170 pounds. There, Sanchez continued to deliver his trademark, action-packed brawls, earning Fight of the Night bonuses in each of his past three fights. But he's gone 2-2 since going back to welterweight, including a decision loss to Jake Ellenberger in his last fight on Feb. 15.
In an August appearance on The MMA Hour, Sanchez dropped the hint that a move back to lightweight was on his mind.
"I went over it with Greg Jackson and my coaches, and, it just makes sense," Sanchez said. "Everyone's dropping weight. When I saw [Nate] Marquardt fight at 170, I was like, this guy's a monster. He's huge, he's strong, he's in shape. I'm just not that physically big, so I was like, I better do what I have to do, get down to 155, be where I'm going to have the most leverage, strength, speed, the best technique. And also on top of that have less injuries training with smaller guys, less weight, less load on the knees. Its a smarter decision toward the end of my career."
Diego Sanchez says his next fight will be at lightweight - MMA Fighting
The 30-year-old Thamesford, Ontario native made the announcement on UFC Tonight on FUEL
Hominick (20-12-0) leaves the UFC with a 3-4-0 mark. He most recently lost a decision to Pablo Garza at UFC 154.
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“Over the last 11 years, I’ve followed my passion in the UFC,” he explained on UFC Tonight. “Now, I’ll say UFC 154 was my last fight in the Octagon as I’m retiring and moving on to next phase of my career. I have a young daughter at home and another on the way. I’ll always be involved in the sport. But I know the commitment I have to make. I have to make a commitment to this as I have to fighting in the past.”
He lost his trainer and friend Shawn Tompkins to an unexpected heart attack in August of 2011. He was asked if Tompkins’ passing influenced his decision.
“Losing him was a blow to all of us. But it actually motivated me to carry on in his name, tradition and legacy,” he said. “I want to do the same on the outside of the Octagon. I’ve reached a lot of my goals in my life. Now I want to carry on with my life and my family.”
“Right now I’m not rushing into anything. Mixed martial arts is my passion and it drives me every day. I’m taking a step away from Octagon, but not the sport. I’m sure I’ll find my way. The UFC has been one big family for me and I’ll always be a part of it.”
Recently the MMA world saw the return of B.J. Penn to the octagon at UFC on FOX 5 against Rory MacDonald.
“This is a true retirement,” Hominick emphasized. “With a daughter on way, I know the sacrifices I have to make. I was one of those fighters in cage who would lay it on the line. It’s an all-or-nothing kind of thing for me and I’m ready to move on.”
His career highlight? The UFC 129 homecoming.
MMA Crossfire Vault: Mark Hominick’s heart does Canada proud
“I’d have to say fighting against Jose Aldo for the title. It put me on the map. I felt like I was competing in obscurity before that fight. I got to fight in front of 55,000 people in my home country and it really put me on the map in MMA world. I got to show people who I was as a fighter and a man.”
Hominick joins fellow Canadian Nick Denis who recently retired to protect himself from any further brain injuries.
Rory MacDonald challenged Carlos Condit to a rematch just seconds after his UFC on FOX 5 win over B.J. Penn Saturday night, and the UFC wasted no time in putting the fight together.
Both MacDonald and Condit have been offered the fight, according to sources, and both have agreed to meet in 2013. The rematch is expected to take place March 16 in Montreal, although, the UFC has yet to officially confirm its return to "La Belle Province" on that date.
Condit defeated MacDonald via TKO with just 7 seconds remaining in their UFC 115 fight in June 2010. Had the fight gone the distance, most believe MacDonald would have won via judges' decision.
"I was humiliated and embarrassed after that fight," MacDonald told FUEL TV Saturday night. "I think about that fight all the time. It haunts me, and I really need to get past that chapter in my life."
Condit responded to MacDonald's challenge with two words: "I'm in."
Since their first meeting, Condit (28-6) has gone 3-1, most recently losing a welterweight unification bout against Georges St-Pierre in Montreal last month.
MacDonald (14-1) has rebounded to win his last four in a row since suffering the first loss of his career against Condit in his home province of British Columbia.
Rory MacDonald vs. Carlos Condit rematch set - MMA Fighting
Veteran mixed martial artist Duane Ludwig has accepted the position of head coach at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif., perhaps marking the end of a professional career that started in 2000.
Ludwig, 34, will oversee the camp and create game plans for a stable of fighters that includes Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez and Chad Mendes, among others.
"I know too much not to teach," Ludwig told ESPN-com. "I've never just been a dumb fighter. I feel like I have a good head on my shoulders. I've been teaching since I was 19. People have always come to me for advice over the years.
"I've paid attention to how the body works and I'm glad I did that, because now I have this opportunity."
Ludwig will replace Thonglor "Mater Thong" Armatsena, a longtime staple of the Sacramento-based gym. Ludwig (21-14) is on a three-fight losing streak in the UFC. He lost a bout against Che Mills in September, when he tore his left ACL during the first round.
The Denver-based fighter, who is planning a move to Sacramento in January, will undergo knee surgery next week. Ludwig stopped just short of formally announcing his retirement, but said the procedure will keep him sidelined for at least one year.
"I've been fighting the last few years with a roller coaster of emotions," Ludwig said. "If I had the opportunity a couple years ago to step away financially, I probably would have, but I couldn't afford to step away.
"I'll take a year off and see where my heart lies. I've been looking for motivation to push me in the sport, and when you start doing that, it becomes an issue."
Bad luck has played its part in Ludwig's financial hardship, as the fighter admits he's lived paycheck to paycheck throughout his career and even maintained a second job as an electrician "90 percent of my career."
Twice, he was the recipient of the infamous UFC fight night bonus, however each of them occurred before the award consisted of thousands of dollars as it does now.
He was given a $500 bonus for a first-round knockout of Jonathan Goulet in 2006, which the UFC recognizes as the fastest knockout in its history. Following a hard-fought decision win over Genki Sudo in 2003, the promotion gave Ludwig an Xbox.
Years ago, any dreams of winning the UFC title changed to dreams of paying off his mortgage and providing security to his wife and two children. Facing the prospect of a year with no fight checks, the offer from Alpha Male came at a good time.
"For me, there was a lot of pressure," Ludwig said of his recent fights. "You always want to win but waiting for that decision to be read, I would think, 'I need to win this fight, financially.'
"I've never made great money. I always tried to shoot for that bonus to get my life back on track, and it just hasn't happened. I've always done everything I could do, just had a run of bad luck."
Ludwig's overall mark in the UFC rests at 4-5. His career has seen him face some of the biggest names in the sport, including Jens Pulver and BJ Penn.
The official recorded time of his knockout against Goulet is 11 seconds, however the UFC declared in 2011 it had timed the fight at 6.06 seconds, which gave Ludwig the unofficial fastest knockout record.
"I'll take that," Ludwig said. "I think it's a good accomplishment. When I get older, hopefully it's still around or at least in the top five. It will be cool for my kids when they get older."
MMA veteran Duane Ludwig to train fighters at California gym - ESPN
After a brief drop to featherweight, Ross Pearson returned to where he came from, the 155-pound division, with a challenging match against former lightweight contender Georges Sotiropoulos. The bout had been long simmering, as the two coached against each other on the UK vs. Australia edition of The Ultimate Fighter, and grew a dislike for each other as a result.
Before the fight, Pearson said he would be fighting with anger for the first time, but when it came time to compete in the UFC on FX 6 main event, he fought with self-control, carefully choosing his spots in picking apart Sotiropoulos, chopping him down bit by bit en route to a TKO victory.
The finish came 41 seconds into the third round. Pearson knocked Sotiropoulos down four times in the fight, at least once in each round. In the previous occasions, Sotiropoulos was able to force a clinch and give himself recovery time, but Pearson didn't also didn't blow his energy reserves trying to force the finish. He showed patience and just continued on methodically, taking complete control of the bout.
"It was just patience," he said afterward. "I knew when I wanted to land. I knew all along I just need to touch him."
Pearson established himself as the superior striker early on with a power right, a punch that left Sotiropoulos on wobbly legs. Pearson dropped him in the second with a left hook, and in the third, finished with a left hook/right hand combo. By that time, Sotiropoulos was bloodied, bruised, and just had enough.
Sotiropoulos did put a scare into the Brit in the last minute of the first round after scoring his only takedown in six tries. After that, he quickly got Pearson's back and worked to sink in the choke. Pearson denied him and got free, and that was really Sotiropoulos' last stand.
In winning his return to lightweight, Pearson improved to 14-6 while Sotiropoulos dropped his third straight and is now 14-5.
Class of 2007 Titusville High graduate Muhammed De’Reese (6-0) captured his second amateur mixed martial arts title in only 14 seconds by knockout earlier this month in South Carolina.
The former Class 2A state champion wrestler knocked down his opponent with a punching combination and then followed with ground-and-pound — which is allowed in South Carolina amateur MMA rules — to finish the contest and claim the Conflict MMA light heavyweight (205-pound) title.
“When I got off of him they (the crowd) all started to boo,” De’Reese said about his win over the hometown favorite.
“I thought it was going to be an all-out war. I was practicing my take-down defense and how to get out of a choke, but when I first got in there he threw a leg kick. So I mirrored him and went for a one-two (jab-straight combination).”
The two-title champion wants to turn professional next year, but admits there is unfinished business left in the amateur ranks.
“I want to defend my belts a couple of times,” De’Reese said.
De’Reese held a perfect record (27-0) his senior year wrestling for the Terriers, and finished his high school career 100-17.
Mixed martial artist Ray Elbe likely suffered the worst injury of his career earlier this month.
This one, however, occurred outside the octagon.
Elbe, who announced he's currently on a training tour in southeast Asia, took to his personal website over the weekend to confirm he sustained a penile fracture during intense intercourse with his girlfriend.
“Keeping it safe during sex isn’t just wearing a condom,” Elbe said in an online video message. “As it happened you can imagine the shock and the horror that was going on. Obviously my girlfriend was frantic. We’re in a foreign country that doesn’t speak English."
As Malaysian security teams and health care workers arrived at his condo, the Ultimate Fighter Season 9 competitor described in vivid detail the trauma associated with the injury. While local doctors expect Elbe, who has a career fighting record of 23 wins and 11 losses since entering mixed martial arts in 2002, to make a full recovery, he was holed up in hospital for a number of days.
“I pretty much was on display the entire time I’ve been in the hospital,” he said. “Let’s face it, guys, it’s probably the worst nightmare you can think of.”
He expects to be issued a clean bill of health within the next few days before travelling to the Philippines to continue MMA training.
“I came forward with (the injury) because I really want people to understand the significance of the emergency,” Elbe said. “As I Googled this online, a lot of guys actually get to the point where there is no repair because they’re embarrassed and don’t go to the emergency room right away.”
There are many adjectives in the lexicon that can accurately describe MMA fighters—"warrior" isn't one of them.
The word is used far too liberally by fans and pundits alike; it's time to put it to rest for good.
Fighters are brave individuals. They risk their health and their lives in order to entertain the masses. That's commendable but it doesn't make them "warriors."
Warriors engage in war.
MMA, while dangerous, isn't a war. A particularly grueling fight may be called a "war" but that comparison is only figurative. War is what happens between governments and armies, not what happens between two athletes in a cage.
Despite this truth, the W-word finds its way to many post-fight discussions. Phrases like "That guy is a [expletive] warrior, bro" or "Did you see the punishment he took? What a warrior," are commonplace after brutal affairs. True, Forrest Griffin's and Stephan Bonnar's efforts in their first bout (a fight that's considered by many to be the peak of "warriordom" in MMA) were laudable and impressive enough to put the common man (including myself) to shame.
But throwing and receiving punches and kicks does not make a warrior.
Frankie Edgar is not a warrior for surviving Gray Maynard's assaults and then knocking him out in their third fight.
Fabio Maldonado is not a warrior for withstanding an unbelievable beating from Glover Teixeira before the doctor stopped the fight after the second round.
That's another problem with the word "warrior" in MMA. Fans typically use it to describe fighters who excel at absorbing damage rather than dishing it out.
You never hear "Man, Anderson Silva is such a warrior for destroying Vitor Belfort with a front kick to the face!" Instead, the MMA world gets diatribes about how living punching bags are the bravest "warriors" the human race has ever known.
MMA, no matter how much you want to emphasize the violence, is ultimately naught but a sporting contest. It's participants are athletes who are trying to kick ass and make money, not warriors who are risking their lives daily on the front lines of any of the world's numerous conflicts.
MMA is a young sport and there's still time to influence its terminology. Let's start now, and let's start with removing "warrior" from the sport's lexicon once and for all.
Let's Put "Warrior" to Rest When Describing MMA Fighters | Bleacher Report
BURBANK, Calif. -- Dana White had a story Wednesday which illustrated his theory on why there are so many training injuries in the UFC these days.
Speaking to reporters at a media luncheon, he related an item told to him by UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
"Georges St-Pierre told me a story where, he showed up to camp one time," White said. "They were going to have them spar with Shane Carwin. Georges said, ‘Why the f--- would I spar with Shane Carwin? How does that help me?' What does that do for me, for my career?' When you hear stupid s--- like that its like, no wonder why guys are getting hurt left and right."
The way White sees it, mixed martial arts camps were once run the way major boxing gyms approached big fights, and it wouldn't hurt if the sport went back in that direction.
"Back 10 years ago, Chuck Liddell was at his camp, he was the top dog, Tito [Ortiz] was down at his camp, [Randy] Couture at his," White said. "[Matt] Hughes had probably the most guys, you look at [Pat] Miletich's crew, they had the most killers, the top gym. Nowadays these gym are packed. Look how boxing does it. If Floyd Mayweather is training for a fight, they build a camp around Floyd. Guys come in and you have sparring partners and all this stuff. [In MMA] they have 10 guys where they're all training for a fight. It's so hard, its different now. They need to start building these camps around one guy.
"We had a situation, and I'm not singling out Greg Jackson here, I can't remember if it was Rashad [Evans] who rolled over onto Diego Sanchez's knee, or the other. They were training right next to each other. There needs to be a more professional approach to training camps than there is right now."
As a promoter, though, it's not White's job to tell trainers and coaches how to do theirs, and he knows it.
"It's one of those things I can't control though. I can't call them and go 'I want you to do this and I want you to do that.'"
Dana White: MMA camps need 'a more professional approach' - MMA Fighting
BURBANK, Calif. -- Although she doesn't turn 26 until February, Ronda Rousey has already accomplished more as an athlete that most people can dream.
A child prodigy in judo who went to her first Olympics at 17, the Santa Monica, Calif. native has transitioned from Olympic judo bronze medalist to UFC champion and pay-per-view headliner with breathtaking speed.
And as Rousey looks back on the past several years, she's drawn the conclusion that one of her chosen athletic pursuits is pure, and the other isn't.
"The UFC and MMA stuff is so much more pure compared to all that to me," Rousey said. "No one is going to change the rules of MMA because they prefer European style over Japanese style. It's never going to be like that. It will be as close to a real fight as possible and whoever wins, wins.
"I like that there's a lot of money involved, that there isn't going to be people who are selling out for nothing. You can't predict people like that. There are people [in judo] called sellouts, and stabbing you on the back so they can get on some committee that pays you nothing."
Rousey soured on her Olympic experience after coming home from Beijing, where she won the bronze medal at 70 kilograms, and realizing that not only did years of effort do nothing to pay her bills, but there was a clique of people living high off her work.
"The Olympians in our country are pretty much useless," she said. "You spend your whole life trying to get this medal and you don't do it to make money, you do it for your country, for your pride, for your family, and there's nothing set in place for what happens afterwards. They used to have a program where I'd work at Home Depot 20 hours a week and they'd pay me full-time, that was the only Olympic job program I have. There's nothing afterwards. There's no scholarship program, there's no job placement, after you won an Olympic medal and you've spent $100,000, you get 10 grand, which they tax you on. You get 10K for a bronze, 15K for silver, 25K for gold, which you get taxed on, and a handshake. I couldn't even buy a 2005 used Honda Accord LX with that."
Rousey's worst suspicions of the nature of the international amateur sports scene were confirmed on a trip across the world.
"We had the 2005 judo world championships in Cairo, Egypt," she said. "Me and like one other person got their way fully paid, three other athletes got partially paid. They sent 11 officials, first class, five-star hotels, all their meals paid. ... they'd spend a ridiculous amount of money on entertainment. I was like, ‘entertainment, for the referees?' I'm starving over here, I can't buy a car. It's all spent the wrong way and it's super shady."
Of course, that's all changed now. Rousey is undefeated as a mixed martial artist, has ditched her Accord in favor of a new BMW, and, as you all know by now, will compete in the first women's fight in UFC history when she defends her bantamweight tile against Liz Carmouche in the main event of UFC 157 in Anaheim, Calif. on Feb. 23.
As an added bonus, Rousey says, as a mixed martial arts fighter, she has plenty more room to be herself than she did in the staid world of Olympic judo.
"With the Olympics, you're representing your country, so you can't speak your mind," Rousey said. "Your answer to everything is 'What do you want? World peace, world peace!' I like having that freedom now especially because people are used to it, I have a margin of error. I don't have to pretend to be anything else like I did before. I'm just being what I am. I like that I have room for error, the whole bad girl thing. I can mess up, I'm not walking around saying, ‘I'm a virgin, I never touch alcohol,' when here I am with a bottle of Jack in a brothel. I can be myself. I kind of like that, it's cool."
Ronda Rousey: UFC is 'more pure' than the Olympics - MMA Fighting
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has had a lot to do with the growth of MMA in the last two decades, and the promotion has been greatly rewarded over the years.
The best MMA fighters in the world all aspire to fight under the UFC's banner, and they're clearly the face of the fastest growing sport. Some casual fans even refer to MMA as "UFC," oblivious to the fact that the two terms aren't interchangeable.
The UFC is clearly poised to be a big part of MMA for quite some time, that is, if their dominance doesn't end up destroying the sport.
Journey to the top
After enjoying a bit of success in its earlier years, MMA in the U.S. ran into problems when politicians like former presidential hopeful, John McCain, decided it was too brutal to be legal. The campaign against the UFC forced pay-per-view carriers to drop its events in 1997. And for a moment, it seemed like the era of cage fights was just another fad about to come to an end.
Fortunately, Zuffa LLC saw the potential in the UFC, buying the promotion from Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG) in 2001. They immediately decided to rebrand the sport, moving towards rules and regulations. Gloves were issued, weight classes were formed, a bunch on new rules were installed, and soon enough the UFC returned to pay-per-view.
While the UFC was battling legal issues in the U.S., their number-one competitor, Pride Fighting Championships, was enjoying a lot of success in Japan. Given the UFC's struggles at the time, many of their fighters decided to join Pride's ranks, and for a few years, the Japanese promotion was the top MMA organization.
Fortunately for the UFC, they eventually regained their momentum back in the U.S., and reestablished themselves as the top MMA organization around. The UFC outdid its competitors by going after the best fighters in the world and marketing the sport like never before. They even jumped aboard the reality TV trend, creating "The Ultimate Fighter" series, which turned out to be a huge success.
In 2007, Zuffa bought out Pride FC, removing their top competitor from the picture. When Strikeforce started gaining some momentum in 2011, Zuffa struck again, absorbing the promotion.
Smart business moves by the UFC, but unfortunately for fans it might not be good for MMA as a whole. Competition brings out the best in everyone, and the lack of it usually has an inverse effect.
Impact on MMA in the long-run
Prior to the UFC's buyout of Pride, the top MMA fighters in the world had a lot more mobility than they do today. If a fighter didn't like the terms of a contract he was offered by the UFC, he simply moved over to Pride.
Now, top MMA fighters are at the UFC's mercy, and any decision to go against the promotion's brass could have dire consequences.
Besides putting current fighters in a tough spot, the UFC's dominance in MMA is also a turn off for young athletes who could very well be the next Jon Jones. Even with the UFC's increasing popularity, the average genetically blessed kid would rather try their luck with basketball, soccer, football, or other established sports, where they'll have a lot more control over their destiny.
If an athlete in the NBA isn't getting along with the owner of his team, no big deal. He can simply take his services to another team, and he'll still get to earn the same amount of money he's used too. For MMA fighters, a dispute with the UFC's brass usually leads to fighting on smaller shows for meager purses.
Why would a kid who is the best wrestler and basketball player in his high school choose to pursue an MMA career over playing college ball and then the NBA? It definitely wouldn't be a logical choice.
Then, there's the issue of fighter pay.
While the UFC pays its fighters significantly better than any other MMA promotion around, there's still a lot of room for improvement. Even top UFC fighters don't make anything to close to what their counterparts in other sports make.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was the highest paid MMA fighter in 2010, netting an estimated $5.3 million in purses and pay-per-view shares. Second-tier players in the NBA and MLB make more than that.
What would happen if the UFC had a serious competitor?
For the sake of argument, imagine that some billionaire investor with unlimited funding decided to give MMA a try. In a bid to recruit the best talent in the world, the person makes offers to Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Jon Jones, Junior dos Santos, and all the other top names in the UFC, promising to triple their earnings.
Would the UFC just stand back and watch the stars they've spent years building up take their services elsewhere?
Of course not, the UFC would try to match the competitor's offer, as long as they still had room to make a profit. It's basic economics really.
The result, the fighters get better compensation, a larger number of young athletes are interested in MMA, and the sport becomes even better.
The UFC's Dominance Might End Up Hurting MMA - Yahoo! Sports
MMA fans are perhaps the most in-touch fanbase in sports today. The early years made having the Internet a must for fans to keep up with the latest happenings in the MMA world.
The same notion holds true today as fans are constantly checking the front page of web sites like Bleacher Report each day. Looking for a major story each day doesn't typically involve too much searching as there's at least one hot item each day in the MMA world.
2012 was full of stories that created a wide range of emotions in fans. Some made us laugh, others upset, and a few made us look at the screen and pull a double check to make sure of what we just read. The stories on this list could be found on the front page of nearly every MMA web site at some point in 2012 and were the most talked about by MMA fans worldwide.
MMA: The Biggest News Stories from 2012 | Bleacher Report
If the current landscape of UFC champions is any indicator of the future, 30 might be the new 40 in mixed martial arts.
The average age of today’s UFC titleholder is just under 29 years old. That number drops significantly if you remove old man Anderson Silva, 37, from the equation.
Keep in mind that’s how old these guys are right now. If you look at the average age of each champ when he won the title, it drops to an even 26.
That’s right, 26 years old. That doesn’t mean the 30-somethings on the UFC roster can’t or won’t win a belt, but it might mean we probably shouldn’t refer to any fighter 26-and-older as a “prospect.”
The reason I bring it up is because four lightweights are scheduled to compete at UFC 155 who are under the age of 30. All have shown flashes of elite-level talent, but none have fought for a UFC title.
Melvin Guillard, Jamie Varner, Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon -- they definitely have time. You could argue none have peaked yet. Still, considering the trend of younger UFC champs, the best time for them to start a title run is probably now.
Do any of them have a title run in them? Let’s discuss their chances. We’re all pretty familiar with Guillard’s strengths and weaknesses, so I’ll spare you any talk about his athleticism. He is 1-3 in his past four fights -- a train wreck compared to the five-fight win streak that preceded it.
It’s worth noting how the losses went, though. In the NFL, you hear stats about how a team is 4-8 but hasn’t suffered a loss by more than a touchdown. That’s kind of Guillard during this skid. He was never dominated. He is reckless, which cost him against Lauzon (he basically ran into a counter left) and Miller (taken down off an ill-advised flying knee). Against Donald Cerrone, Guillard's lack of confidence in that fight was obvious, but he still nearly pulled it off when Cerrone got off to a bad start.
Guillard’s problems are all mental. Yes, he needs to improve his submission defense, but more importantly, he needs to settle down and fight smart. Aggression is part of what makes him successful, but against better competition, you can’t sprint around the cage throwing haymakers and expect to win consistently.
It is interesting that of the four lightweights I'm talking about, Guillard is probably the most naturally talented, but by the end of the year, he might be 0-3 against the field. There’s a lot to like about Lauzon, but of the four, his chances of winning it all are undoubtedly the worst. Historically, submission specialists just don’t become UFC champions. Champs have a ground game, but you don’t see many of them rely on it as much as Lauzon would have to. Frank Mir is probably the best example, and he won the belt eight years ago with wins over Tank Abbott, Wes Sims and Tim Sylvia.
Does anyone else think Lauzon won’t lose much sleep over this, though? His style will probably never earn him win gold, but it has seen him win eight "Fight Night" bonuses in his last eight fights -- five submissions of the night and three fights of the night. That’s crazy. That’s $445,000 in disclosed bonus money. Compare that to flying to Japan to get his head kicked by Anthony Pettis at UFC 144, where he probably made around $24,000. At some point, wouldn’t you say, “You know, Donald Cerrone sounds fun, but I think I’d rather shoulderlock Curt Warburton again”? He is undersized for the division, but if Frankie Edgar could do it, Miller can do it, right? Well, Miller has a different style than Edgar, and it’s one that doesn’t translate as well into fighting bigger guys.
Miller fights as if he is the bigger man. He doesn’t dance on his toes. He plods forward. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it shouldn’t surprise you that all his UFC losses came to bigger guys with more horsepower: Nate Diaz, Benson Henderson and Gray Maynard.
A wild card to win the belt, Miller has the pound-for-pound skills, toughness and intelligence to become a champ. What it will ultimately depend on is whether he can modify his game when he runs into those bad matchups. It will go against the way he typically fights, but you can’t outbully a Maynard or Henderson, so Miller will have to develop more of a finesse game. The source of what remains one of my all-time favorite MMA quotes: “I caught the top of his hard head, and next thing I know, my hand’s broke, my foot’s broke, and I’m getting kicked in the nuts -- a lot.”
Those were Varner’s words following a split draw to Kamal Shalorus at WEC 49 in June 2010. Shalorus seemed to target Varner’s jewels the entire fight with kicks and had a point deducted in the second round (and could have easily been deducted again in the third). Varner broke his hand and foot but outfought Shalorus in the eyes of just about everyone watching only to end up with a draw.
I reflect on that fight because it was the sort of humbling experience Varner actually needed. He won the WEC belt at age 23, and while there were never rumors of him not training, his swagger grew to a level that appeared to be self-damaging. The Shalorus draw was followed by back-to-back losses that ended with Varner not signing with the UFC after the WEC dissolved.
After he knocked out Edson Barboza at UFC 146, Varner turned to reporters on press row and said, “I’m back.” Physically speaking, I don’t think he was ever really gone, but he is in a good spot mentally -- confident, but not to the point he thinks a fight is over before it starts.
Varner is well-rounded and an underrated wrestler and can be difficult to hit cleanly. His toughest matchups will be against athletic lightweights with good submission skills who aren’t easily outwrestled (Pettis, Diaz).
Can any UFC 155 LW fight for the belt? - Mixed Martial Arts Blog - ESPN
If you sit back and really look closely at it, the PED issue is a lot deeper than just some fighters using steroids. The problem that has perhaps been even bigger than the actual juicing is the lack of condemnation from inside the fight industry.
Actions speak far louder than words, and the UFC's actions have included immediate title shots for stripped champions like Tim Sylvia and Sean Sherk, opening up a spot for Josh Burkman on TUF Season 2 after a failed drug test kept him off Season 1, a willingness to accept Josh Barnett back into the fold and on and on. At no point has the UFC actually shown that they care if their fighters are on PEDs.
Perhaps worse, however, is that fighters have not done much when it comes to holding their coworkers' feet to the fire on this issue.
Why this is remains a mystery. Sure, some fighters are outspoken on the PED problem in MMA. Roy Nelson, for example, jabbed at both Matt Mitrione and Shane Carwin for not submitting to voluntary drug testing before the TUF 16 finale. However, most fighters just have not spoken out against PEDs or fighters caught using these banned substances. That is, until now. 2012 has seen fighters, finally, start actively calling out their disgraced future (or past) opponents.
As you probably know, Alistair Overeem checked in before UFC 146 with an elevated level of testosterone. While this does not definitively link Overeem to steroids, the Dutch kickboxer has long been suspected of PED abuse, as fans saw him go from a lanky light heavyweight to one of the biggest heavyweights in the sport, all while fighting in Japan, a country which does not drug test fighters.
The reason for his unnatural testosterone levels, he claims, was because of a prescribed injection of a steroidal anti-inflammatory at his physician's office (and the shady doctor corroborates). The excuse stinks, and taking a magnifying glass to it reveals that this is because it is purely ridiculous (as broken down here by our lead writer). This left many fans, pundits and bloggers believing that he was lying to cover up his PED abuse.
While in the past, this would get swept under the rug and forgotten about, Overeem has found himself a pariah among other heavyweights.
Heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos said that Overeem's wins “cannot be taken seriously” because of the failed drug test. Fabricio Werdum, who lost to Overeem in 2011, said that the Dutch kickboxer was definitely “taking special juice” when they fought. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva said that, when the two fight in early 2013, “he won't be clean for sure”. The list goes on, and not just in regards to Overeem. Nate Marquardt's history of steroids and his more recent use of TRT came under fire from Strikeforce welterweight Tyron Woodley before the two fought. Ronda Rousey has made sure to jeer Cris “Cyborg” Santos every chance she gets and always throws in a dig about her testing positive for an anabolic steroid. Dan Henderson took a swipe at Vitor Belfort's failed post-fight drug test from his days fighting in Pride earlier this year.
This does not even get into the back-and-forth war over TRT's place in MMA (which, wrongly, is considered a form of using steroids by many fighters).
Does this mean that the days of PEDs in MMA are coming to a close? No. Will cattiness from other fighters be a legitimate deterrent for fighters that are using? Probably not.
Regardless, the culture in the sport is starting to shift in a positive way. That's something we haven't been able to say in a long while.
MMA Fighters Calling out PED Users a Positive Sign for the Sport | Bleacher Report
All 22 fighters who participated in The Ultimate Fighter season 16 Finale returned negative results from drug tests taken during the Dec. 15 event.
The results were announced by Nevada state athletic commission executive director Keith Kizer, who distributed them to MMA Fighting and other media outlets via email.
Fighters are tested for drugs of abuse as well as performance-enhancers.
The event took place in Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The show was headlined by a heavyweight fight pitting Roy Nelson against Matt Mitrione. Nelson won the fight in a first-round TKO.
Nelson also enrolled in and completed testing through the Voluntary Anti-Drug Association, an independent testing agency that conducts more rigorous drug screenings. He follows B.J. Penn and Rory MacDonald as MMA fighters who have done so.
TUF 16 Finale participants test clean - MMA Fighting
Nick "Notorious" Newell (8-0) has impressed and inspired fight fans with 6 of his 8 wins coming in the first round, including his recent August victory against Adam David Mays. AXS TV Fights aired the first round knockout as part of it's XFC 19 - Charlotte Showdown LIVE fight coverage.
However, his fight with experienced veteran Eric "It's a Wrap" Reynolds (16-5) is sure to be the toughest test yet in his young career. Newell says that he's ready and told Inside MMA's Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten, "I've picked up some new tricks...I fight to win."
AXS TV Fight fans can predict the Newell vs Reynolds battle and even score the fight competing with others in real-time via the AXS TV Fights app now available free for iPhone and iPad.
Fight fans can also connect with AXS TV Fights on Facebook and Twitter:
XFC 21: NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS II
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