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Yogi Berra once said: “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

In pursuing mixed-martial arts concurrently with her highly successful boxing career, Albuquerque’s Holly Holm is making Yogi sound like a sage.

Holm, 32-2-3 as a boxer, will seek to improve her MMA record to 3-0 when she headlines the local portion of a Bellator MMA card scheduled Feb. 28 at the Santa Ana Star Center. Her opponent has not yet been selected. “I just want to take the opportunity in front of me,” Holm said Tuesday at a news conference. “… I’m very excited about MMA. It’s definitely something I’m 100 percent into, not something that’s just, like, in between time.”

In the boxing ring, Holm defeated Australia’s Diana Prazak in December – setting up, or so it appeared, a showdown with unbeaten Norwegian Cecilia Braekhus. Instead, Braekhus opted for a fight in April against Mia St. John.

When Holm’s management team was offered the MMA opportunity, it didn’t hesitate. Nor did Holm.

Though she has had only two MMA fights, both victories by knockout, Holm’s combat-sports roots are in the martial arts. From the beginning, she has trained with Mike Winkeljohn, who with Greg Jackson operates one of the world’s most successful MMA gyms.

“I’ve been around MMA, kickboxing and boxing all combined, and I feel like it’s been really good for me to be around that,” she said.

Still, she acknowledges, the learning curve can be steep.

In her first MMA fight, against Christina Domke in March 2011, Holm dropped her opponent with powerful leg kicks – then, instead of going ground-and-pound, stood there like a boxer waiting for the count to start.

Six months later, in her second MMA fight against Jan Finney, she did not repeat that mistake.

“I feel like I’ve learned a heck of a lot from those two,” she said, “and I want to multiply that by 100 as far as how much better I’ll be for this fight.”

LOOK SHARP: Pojoaque featherweight Angelo Sanchez (12-3) is a former King of the Cage champion and has contested 11 of his 15 pro fights in KOTC action.

He’s aware that an impressive showing against Missouri transplant Kevin Croom (7-4) might catch someone’s eye at Bellator, the second-largest MMA organization in the nation.

But, he said, first things first.

“It’s an awesome opportunity,” he said. “But, for me, I’m trying not to think about that right now because I’ve got Kevin Croom right in front of me.”

LOVATO RETURNS: Middleweight Lenny Lovato Jr.’s MMA nickname is “The Godfather,” but “The Dad” might be more appropriate.

Of his 2 1/2-year absence from the cage, Lovato (8-1), said: “I’ve just been making lots of babies. I’ve got three kids and one on the way.”

Lovato said he always intended to return.

“I believe at age 28 that I’m still in the prime,” he said.

Lovato is scheduled to face Blas Avena (7-6) of Las Vegas, Nev.

THE CARD: The Feb. 28 undercard, headlined by Holm, is scheduled to be streamed on spike-com, starting at 6 p.m. The main card, headlined by a Bellator light heavyweight title fight between Christian M’Pumbo (18-4) of Kinshasa, Congo, and Attila Vegh (28-4) of Bratislava, Slovakia, will start at 8 and will be aired live on Spike.

Holm Looks To ImproveShe’s Taking On 3rd MMA BoutMarla Brose/Journal MMA fighters, from left, Nick Gonzales, Adrian Cruz, Holly Holm and Angelo Sanchez pose after a news conference promoting the Feb. 28 Bellator card at the Santa Ana Star Center.




ABQJournal Sports » Holm Looks To Go 3-0 in MMA

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Josh Barnett may not be coming back to the UFC after all.

According to Barnett's manager Leland LaBarre, Barnett has officially declined the promotion's latest contract offer.

"We agreed on guaranteed compensation," LaBarre said. "In fact, we never even countered. We accepted their original offer.

"However, there are some outlying issues -- one in particular -- that as of this point we were unable to agree on."

Labarre said he didn't feel it was appropriate at this time to discuss which issue both sides couldn't come to terms on.

UFC officials declined to comment on the situation.

Barnett (32-6) last fought in the UFC in March 2002. His latest contract expired following his January win over Nandor Guelmino in Strikeforce.

Last week, UFC president Dana White expressed optimism that the organization would reach a deal with Barnett, who is talking to other promotions.

"We want to find the best deal for Josh and his final MMA home," LaBarre said.







Josh Barnett officially declines UFC contract offer - MMA Fighting

Alexander Shlemenko earned a middleweight title shot by winning his second Bellator tournament 15 months ago, but it wasn't until Thursday night at The Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, Ga., that he got his championship shot. Shlemenko (47-7) , a native of Omsk, Siberia, stopped Brazilian Maiquel Falcao (31-5) after punches. first standing, and then on the ground. The win came at 2:18 of the second round to capture the title vacated last year when Hector Lombard signed with UFC.

Shlemenko debuted in Bellator in 2010, winning a tournament to earn a shot at Lombard on Oct. 28, 2010. He lost that fight via five-round decision, his only defeat in his last 17 fights. He won a second tournament that ended on Nov. 12, 2011, with a win over Vitor Vianna. He spent the last year plus fighting in Russia and India waiting for Bellator to finish a second tournament to create an opponent for him to face in a title match.

Falcao, a former UFC fighter, battled Shlemenko tight in the first round with both fighters landing a lot of shots. Falcao seemed to win the round with pair of takedowns. But Shlemenko took control in the second round, with a key shot being a hard left to the liver that took the steam out of the Brazilian. Seconds later, Falcao went down after a short right that seemed to surprise Shlemenko that it was so effective. From there, Shlemenko threw hard body punches, opening Falcao up for two head punches on the ground and the match was waved off.

"It was a liver shot first, liver shot, head shot, liver shot, head shot and I finished him," said Shlemenko in the ring through an interpreter.

Thursday's event also featured the first round of a featherweight tournament for a shot at the winner of an April 4 fight in Atlantic City, N.J., between champion Pat Curran against Daniel Straus.

Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra (15-2) got an armbar from the bottom to force Genair Da Silva (13-5) to tap in 1:40 of the first round. Bezerra had earlier scored a knockdown and was constantly working for a submission from there.
Bezerra will face hard-hitting Mike Richman (14-2) in the semifinals.

Richman stopped Mitch Jackson (20-3) with a head kick, and landing hard punches on the ground before it was stopped at 4:57 of the first round. The head kick was the fourth knockdown Richman had scored in the round.
The other semifinal has Brazilian Marlon Sandro (24-4) against Russian Frodo Khasbulaev (19-5)

Sandro, the 35-year-old former star of the Japanese scene, looked like age had caught up with him in most of the first two rounds, looking slower and not having the aggression standing that he's known for.

But he still scored a majority decision over Akop Stepanyan (12-5) in a fight that wasn't without controversy.

Stepanyan was getting the better of Sandro for most of the first round with punches and flashy spinning kicks. Sandro did score with a running powerslam with 12 seconds left in the round, and that was enough for two judges to give him the round.

Stepanyan clearly dominated the second round, but ref George Allen docked him a point for grabbing the fence, which he had been warned about in the first round, to block being taken off his feet late in the round.

Sandro got two takedowns in the third round, which he clearly won. With the penalty point, the fight was scored 28-28, 29-27 and 29-27 for Sandro even though he clearly took more damage in the fight.

Khasbulaev used an arm triangle at 1:15 of the second round on Brazilian Fabricio Guerriero (17-2) to advance. Both fighters were aggressive in a first round that saw wild punching and submission attempts coming from both sides.







Bellator 88 Results: Patience pays off for Alexander Shlemenko - MMA Fighting

With three victories in eight weeks for the Texas-based Ultimate Warrior Fighting organization, welterweight Lucas Pimenta (8-2) did his job. After Pimenta's paycheck for the tournament win bounced, he's hoping the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration (TDLR) can do the same.

Onetime Bellator MMA veteran Pimenta expected to be paid $25,000 for his work, which included wins over John Malbrough, Mitch Whitesel and "The Ultimate Fighter 13" cast member Shamar Bailey, the last of which took place this past June. Instead, a bankrupt promoter and commission red tape means the Brazilian is struggling to pay his bills.

"Lucas quit his job to train for those three fights, and he borrowed money to pay for his airfare, which he's trying now to pay back," Pimenta's manager, Wade Hempel, told MMAjunkie-com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps – MMAjunkie-com). "He had to pay his cornermen for the fights, too. After that, he didn't have money to pay for Christmas gifts for his family. He's two months behind on rent. He's in a bad spot."

Ultimate Warrior Fighting was launched in 2011 by Oscar Enriquez and debuted with a splash, as UFC veterans War Machine and Roger Huerta squared off in the main event. The promotion would eventually host four events in Texas, including the three fight cards on which Pimenta competed, as well as one co-promotion with Bellator MMA.

Unfortunately for Enriquez, who started the promotion after retiring from a 30-year stint in the construction business, the events were not profitable.

"I lost about $260,000 of my money," Enriquez said. "I lost my retirement.

"I'm about 50 years old. I retired from construction a year-and-a-half ago. I had an opportunity to get into this. I did, and I lost my entire life savings."

According to Enriquez, Pimenta was the lone fighter from his cards that did not get paid. While TDLR officials require fight-purse checks to be written in advance, Enriquez ultimately put in a stop payment order on the check when the commission pointed out that he had not withheld a government-mandated $7,800 to be paid directly to the Internal Revenue Service. When it came time to re-issue the check, Enriquez says there was simply no money left in the bank.

"I'm not one of these promoters that took off running with the money," Enriquez said. "I lost my whole entire life savings. I had to go back into the construction business to pay my bills."

Fortunately, it would seem, the TDLR (like most athletic commissions) has a backup plan in place to prevent such tragedies. Enriquez secured two separate bonds worth $15,000 each through Washington International Insurance Company. One bond was to be considered an insurance policy for taxes on the event's gross receipts while the other would help to protect fighters against any unpaid purses.

End of story, right? Unfortunately, it's not.

"I've been working with the state," Enriquez said. "I've done everything I possibly can. I called the commission and told them I was short on money but had the bonds in place. What's really frustrating is that the state won't do s--- about it. They work like molasses. Since the bonds remain to the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration, they're the only ones that can actually cash it in."

As it turns out, the state also had an issue with Enriquez, who also did not have the money needed to cover the event's sales taxes, which totaled $3,195.12. The state also filed a complaint against Enriquez and levied a $3,500 "administrative penalty," payable in 12 monthly installments beginning Feb. 5, 2013.

Enriquez said he has already made the first payment on that order.

So if the TDLR is already receiving money to make up for what they're missing, why isn't Pimenta? According to the state, it's simply a matter of waiting through the due process required in such a case.

"We have 28 different statutes," a representative from the TDLR explained. "We have over 600,000 licensees. So we receive a lot of complaints, and it's just a matter of time. What happens is the complaint goes to enforcement, and they determine whether or not it's in our jurisdiction. Then it's turned over to an investigator, who investigates the facts. Then it's turned over to a prosecutor, and a prosecutor looks at it and determines what the violation is and how much we'll be asking for in an administrative penalty. Then a notice of violation goes out, and they have 30 days to respond to that.

"It's just a long process. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is. I would say that he does always have the option – and I know distance is a consideration here – but there's always small claims court."

As for Enriquez, his promoter's license expired this past September, and with mounting debts, he declined to renew.

"The whole reason I got into promotion was because of the fighters," Enriquez said. "I was trying to bring something to them, and the bad thing is the only money we generated was through ticket sales, and at the end it just wasn't there."

In the meantime, he did in September send $1,500 via wire transfer to Pimenta's wife. However, Pimenta said his bills are still mounting, and he has had to cut back on training in order to take a day job in construction and a night job as a bouncer. He hasn't competed since a September 2012 loss to Jeff Rexroad at Legacy Fighting Championship 14.

"I just wish I could get that money," Pimenta said. "I'm not in a very comfortable situation. It's getting desperate.

"I'm still trying to train as hard as I can. I want to be the best 170-pounder in the world, and I know I can do it. But right now, I can't afford to train. I have to get my bills paid. Once that happens, I can actually do what I love."

One of Pimenta's primary sponsors, Dom Fight Gear, has committed to donating 50 percent of its February profits to the fighter. Additionall

UFC welterweight Dan Hardy has a plan, and it might just include retirement from MMA relatively soon. The British fighter has always had a unique way of looking at the sport and it seems like some aspects of it are beginning to grate on him. In an interview with MMA Junkie, Hardy was guarded about the reasons but did lay out how he feels about possibly moving on:

"I'm ready for a new challenge, I'll be honest. There are a lot of things about this sport that I love, and a lot of things about this sport that I don't like at all."

...

"Martial arts for me has always been a tool to understand myself a little more, and it's getting to the stage where it's run its course now. The structure the sport has taken on is taking away from that for me, and I think I'm best served to be somewhere else in the future."

Hardy's stock plummeted when he lost four fights in a row in the UFC, which led some fans to ask why he was still employed with the organization. But he rebounded by knocking out Duane Ludwig and picking up a decision win over Amir Sadollah, and Hardy is looking to ride the momentum into his UFC on Fox 7 bout with Matt Brown. He has a very specific plan before his retirement - five straight wins, which includes winning the UFC welterweight title and defending it once. And if he's able to do that, he'll walk away:

"As of right now, I just need to embrace that instinctual inner-reptile and have a run at the belt again. I'm excited about this year because my potential is sky-high, and it's completely open for me to do whatever I like with it. I'm very determined to make this a big year for me and step away from the top of the sport and do something else for a while."

The quest will begin on April 20th in San Jose.






Dan Hardy says he might retire from MMA next year - Bloody Elbow

That's sad news.

Glover Texeira, of Danbury, wants to work in his own state.

As much as the Brazilian-born mixed martial arts combatant loved his winning fight last month before 16,000 people in Chicago, Texeira is hoping that this could be the year that Connecticut finally allows it.

"I want to be light heavyweight champion, fighting in Connecticut someday, in front of my crowd and in front of my friends," he told state lawmakers last week.

A soft-spoken 33-year-old with a shaved head, Texeira is rated fifth in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's light heavyweight division.

Texeira is the public face last week of the growing sport, which for years the General Assembly has refused to sanction outside the sovereign domains of the two Indian casinos.

But with support from most members of the Legislature's Public Safety and Security Committee, from venues including the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport and from the State Boxing Commission, a bill that would legalize and regulate mixed martial arts is getting a big push.

A legislative hearing last week captured the arguments both sides of the mixed martial arts debate are making.

Opponents said the sport promotes violence in an unhealthy way, charging that a Las Vegas-based casino with ties to UFC is embroiled in 88 unfair labor practices.

"There's enough violence and hate already," said Lori Pelletier, secretary/treasurer of the state AFL-CIO.

Rep. David W. Yaccarino, R-North Haven, said there is violence in many sports. "These are good, high-paying jobs," Yaccarino told Pelletier.

"This is a blood sport," Rep. Steven Mikutel, D-Griswold said. "It stands by itself in the violent message to young people. Are we going to have MMA youth centers popping up? I can see all the little kids going to the MMA centers kicking each other in the head. There are other ways to make money. We can put slot machines in nursing homes."

Michael P. Mersch, senior vice president for Zuffa, LLC, which does business as the UFC, said that MMA is one of the fastest-growing sports, one of the safest and legal everywhere but New York and Connecticut. He said there are 425 fighters under contract and there are about a dozen bouts in the average arena show, of which UFC sponsors 35 a year.

He said MMA supports physical fitness and respect. "It is very positive messaging in the subculture of the sport," said Mersch, noting that most of the UFC contractors have fewer than three bouts a year.

Texeira said pre-fight trash talk is strictly aimed at hyping the nearly no-holds-barred fights that aim at the 18-to-35 demographic and are widely available through television, where 40 percent of the viewers are women.

"We would like to get Connecticut on our schedule as soon as possible," Mersch said. "The nice thing about our fans is they travel and when they travel, they spend money."

He said the free-wheeling fights, in which participants wear light gloves and no footwear, have safeguards. Vulnerable fighters can touch the mat to indicate their submission; winners can outpoint opponents or losers can be declared after sustaining concussive hits to the head.

"It's a combat sport," said Charlie Dowd, vice president of operations for Harbor Yard Sports & Entertainment at the Webster Bank Arena, adding that on nights when there are events, downtown Bridgeport is full of life and there are 250 part time jobs in the arena.

"It makes a huge difference to our downtown," Dowd said, adding that the arena would like to stage three or four MMA events a year. "We could welcome whatever the market would bear."

Rep. Stephen Dargan, D-West Haven, chairman of the legislative Public Safety and Security Committee, said Thursday he would like to have Texeira around toward the end of the legislative session.

"There's a number of other legislators and lobbyists I need to get a good neck hold around, you know, when they give me a hard time," Dargan said.

Read more: MMA fights for acceptance in Connecticut - NewsTimes

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: The news that wrestling will be dropped as an Olympic sport from the year 2020 has been met with almost universal scorn.

And the mixed martial arts (MMA) community has responded more loudly than most. Ask any MMA coach worth their salt which is the single most important element of MMA, and they will tell you it's wrestling.

The fight for body position can open so many doors to successful attacks in the cage, and it's a battle more often won by the guy with better wrestling skills.

American fighters dominate MMA and it's in no small part down to the fact they wrestled competitively all through school and college. Only the Brazilians, who were brought up on jiu-jitsu, can argue a claim to the title of producers of the highest percentage of world class MMA fighters.

On one hand, the scrapping of wrestling from the Olympics is likely to damage future generations of MMA fighters as colleges and schools in the States may place less importance on the sport. With no chance of Olympic medals in the future, is there much point in investing so heavily in wrestling?

On the other hand, with no Olympic prize on offer, more top level wrestlers might try their luck in MMA instead, potentially increasing the influx of talent into the world of MMA after the 2016 Olympic Games.

In Scotland, our MMA fighters have not been exposed to top level wrestling in their formative years. So the best gyms focus very heavily on the importance of wrestling as a core skill in the cage, to try make sure our fighters aren't exposed when they come up against skilled wrestlers in the cage.

Some of Britain's Commonwealth and Olympic level wrestlers have been brought in as coaches, helping to mould more well rounded MMA fighters. It's a sensible approach, especially for our elite MMA fighters taking on American opponents in the quest to reach the promised land of the UFC.

Some have suggested the IOC has dropped wrestling as it seeks to introduce more exciting options. That has led to more optimistic fans to call for MMA to take its place. Certainly there can be few sports as exciting to watch as cagefighting, but the truth is that MMA is not even on the IOC's radar and it is unlikely it will ever be considered as a potential Olympic sport in our lifetimes.

The dismissal of wrestling from the Olympic table is, surely, bad news for MMA. But one thing that won't change is the importance of wrestling skills to the battle for dominance in the MMA arena.

Poor wrestling skills will continue to be exposed in the cage. Perhaps the playing field will eventually be levelled by this development as Americans place less focus on wrestling, but it won't take away the need for a balanced skill set in MMA.

Yesterday’s news that wrestling will be dropped from the Olympic roster at the 2020 Games has sent shockwaves through the mixed martial arts community.

Adding to the sadness of the removal of one of the few remaining original Olympic sports, and the realisation that future generations will never get to hear Roy and HG commentate Greco Roman again, the MMA community could be left with a gaping hole in one of its biggest development pathways.

Ask any MMA trainer worth his paycheck what the most important skill in MMA is and nine times out of ten they will say it is wrestling.

So often strong wrestlers are able to dictate the terms of a fight and effectively render their opponents skills null and void by using the strength and grappling they originally developed on the wrestling mat.

As MMA has grown it has used the North American amateur wrestling setup as its major feeder system.

Fighters such as Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier wrestled at an international and even Olympic level before turning their hand to MMA.

Countless other well-known MMA names and champions hit the mats throughout high school and college, building up the skill base they would eventually employ in the Octagon.

I literally cannot list them all here but trust me when I say it is a lot.

It just cannot be stressed enough how important the North American wrestling system is to mixed martial arts today.

The optimist may say that wrestling moving on is fine, because while it may have mattered in years gone by, MMA has gone mainstream so young athletes will want to train for it anyway and will develop their skills in dedicated MMA classes.

Guys like Rory MacDonald never trained in wrestling at school and they may say he picked it up fine.

They may even more blindly argue that if wrestling is being moved on for a ‘more exciting sport’, as seems to be the trend in the IOC at the moment, then MMA could naturally fit in the hole left over.

However it misses a key and extremely important point.

While the lack of wrestling won’t affect the current generation of fighters, as wrestling loses its IOC ranking so too it loses bucket loads of government and private funding which sustain those amazing school and college development pathways MMA currently relies on. Remember all those debates about elite sport funding in Australia after the Olympics?

Imagine all that funding but on an American level (they do things bigger there, remember) being taken out of a sport.

Gone will be the dedicated coaches at school, gone will be many of the lucrative tournaments and gone could be many of the big college scholarships which over the years have enticed wrestlers into building up their skills.

And don’t expect them to start offering cage fighting as a sports alternative at school.

MMA will recover from this, don’t get me wrong, however the cancellation of wrestling as an IOC sport has the potential to derail and drastically alter the way the sport currently operates, particularly in its heartland of North America.

But over to you Roarers, how will MMA overcome the loss of ameture wrestling as its dominant development pathway?

Since January, Bellator MMA has been putting on some good shows on Spike TV, the former home of the UFC.

With a good number of elite fighters on their roster, Bellator is a promotion worth keeping an eye on. Many fans of the sport, however, remain unsure about what is now one of the largest promotions in the world.

Well, for all the folks out there who are curious about the promotion, or those just looking to learn names to drop around the water cooler each Friday morning, this is the guide for you. Welcome to The Definitive Guide to Bellator MMA!

Prepare to learn who the top dogs of the promotion are, and get ready to know who to root for, and what to watch.


Pictures: The Definitive Guide to Bellator MMA | Bleacher Report

49ers linebacker Aldon Smith’s preparation for another Super Bowl run is underway. On Friday, he began learning mixed martial arts moves with two-time Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier with AKA wrestling club in San Jose. Smith plans on continuing to train there throughout the offseason as he prepares for his third season with the 49ers. 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith participates in a MMA practice session at The American Kickboxing Academy on Feb. 15, 2013. Smith's preparation for another Super Bowl run is underway. On Friday, he began learning mixed martial arts moves with two-time Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier with AKA wrestling club in San Jose. Smith plans on continuing to train there throughout the offseason as he prepares for his third season with the 49ers. He set a franchise record 19 1/2 sacks last season as the 49ers reached Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 on Feb. 3. (Dai Sugano/Staff).

Pictures: 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith practices MMA – - Mercury News Media Center

There are no secrets to Paul Sass's game plan: the Liverpool lightweight goes for submissions early and often, with 12 subs in his 13 career wins.

Danny Castillo knew this and didn't care. The Team Alpha Male fighter showed Sass little respect Saturday, as he went straight to the ground and dominated Sass. Castillo won their UFC on Fuel 7 at London's Wembley Arena via scores of 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28. Sass got off to a fast start in round one with a triangle on a standing Castillo, but Castillo broke out. Throughout the first round, Sass went for several leglocks and heel hooks, but Castillo survived them and took control as the round went on.

In the second, it was clear Sass didn't have much of a Plan B. Sass managed to get an armbar, but Castillo picked Sass up and slammed him to break it. Castillo dominated the rest of the second round and then most of the third.

Castillo improved to 15-5 and won for the fourth time in the past five fights; Sass lost his second in a row and dropped to 13-2.

Saturday's UFC show from London set records in a couple of ways. The $1.3 million live gate was the all-time record for any event ever held at Wembley Arena, a 79-year-old building that has featured nearly every major recording act from the last 50 years from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones. But one can argue that's not as impressive as it sounds, since UFC was regularly doing bigger numbers for previous shows in the city at the larger O2 Arena.

The second record set, was for the most decisions, with nine in 12 fights. Normally one would hear that stat and think of a dull show, but that wouldn't be accurate here. The show was hardly as eventful as UFC's show two weeks earlier in Las Vegas. And it's certainly not going to be as memorable or historic as this coming Saturday's show in Anaheim, Calif., featuring the first women's bout in UFC history.

Still, the majority of fights were entertaining with two standout bouts. Local favorite Tom "Kong" Watson's come-from-behind win over Stanislav Nedkov (12-1, 1 no-contest) had the locals going crazy, and put 100 grand extra in his pocket with the best bout and best knockout bonuses. And the fight many pegged ahead of time as the show stealer, Cub Swanson's win over Dustin Poirier, lived up to expectations.

The theme of Saturday's show were fighters coming in with impressive won-loss records being given tests.
Nedkov, moving down from light heavyweight to middleweight, wasn't successful as he picked up his first loss although that's somewhat misleading. Nedkov was moving down after losing via submission to Thiago Silva at light heavyweight, but the loss was expunged from his record when Silva tested positive for marijuana metabolites.
Michael McDonald was the loser against interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao in a battle of fighters who had only lost once previously. Gunnar Nelson and Jimi Manuwa remained unbeaten, but still have questions if they have to face a higher level of competition.

In looking at the fortunes changing for five of the key fighters on the show, you have to start at the very top.

RENAN BARAO - It's hard to not give someone their due when they came into a fight with a 31-1 (1 no-contest) record in this sport and is coming off a dominant win over Urijah Faber in their previous outing.

Barao's 33-fight unbeaten streak which dates back to his debut loss at the age of 18, is the longest in the history of the sport of anyone who has reached the championship level in a major promotion. Yet, of all UFC's champions, he is clearly the one with the least marquee value. Part of it is size. Part is that he doesn't speak English. Part is that he comes from the same camp and has the same style as Jose Aldo Jr., who has had more time in the spotlight.

Barao proved to be one of the best fighters, regardless of weight class in the sport, as he finished the division's top challenger, McDonald, with a head and arm choke in the fourth round. Barao, never in any trouble, showed the same superior all-around game that fans have seen for years from Aldo. In doing so, the bantamweight division now has Barao and injured champion Dominick Cruz appearing at a different level than everyone else.

Cruz (19-1), who has been out 16 months after two major knee operations, will face Barao as soon as he recovers. Dana White noted that he hoped the match could be put together this summer, but it all depends on Cruz's recovery time. If Cruz won't be ready, Eddie Wineland (20-8-1), coming off impressive wins over Scott Jorgensen and Brad Pickett, would appear to be the most logical opponent. But right now it doesn't appear there is anyone who is going to seriously test him until Cruz returns. And Cruz will be the one filled with questions, having a style dependent on speed coming back after reconstructive surgery, and facing such a legitimate test coming off a long layoff.

MICHAEL MCDONALD - At 22 years old, McDonald (15-2) had the chance to become the youngest champion in the company's history. But even being healthy for the first time in a UFC fight after years battling hand problems, Saturday showed the difference in quality between the old guard that dominated the division, Miguel Torres, who he went through quickly to make his name, and the skill level of the current elite.

The week before the fight, McDonald noted that he had never wanted to rush into a championship match, feeling when he got the fight he wanted to be ready for a decisive win. Saturday's fight was not one that can be excused by a bad break, or any excuse other than he is not yet where he needs to be to win a title.

But in just getting to the top contender spot, he was ahead of the career path of virtually every major star in the history of the sport. McDonald should improve, but while a hard hitter when it comes to the championship level in his division, Barao and Cruz, they are faster than he is, and it's a speed-driven division. McDonald has the chance for a long career as a top fighter, but he also clearly has a long way to go before he's likely to win the championship.

CUB SWANSON - Swanson (19-5) picked up his fourth win in a row, beating Poirier on 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 scores. The first two rounds were both close, and Swanson appeared tired in the third. But he got two takedowns and dominated the ground game in round three to clinch the win.

What's notable in Swanson's wins over the past year is that all came against strong competition. He scored knockout of the night honors over Ross Pearson, a former Ultimate Fighter lightweight winner, and then did the same with Charles Oliveira.

The featherweight division has an interesting logjam right now. The top guys who have been in the weight class have taken a back seat, first to Frankie Edgar, and now to Anthony Pettis, better known lightweights moving down and getting title chances.

Ricardo Lamas, who has a prior win over Swanson and defeated Erik Koch on a higher-profile show, along

Who doesn’t love and respect Georges St-Pierre, Randy Couture or Lyoto Machida? Those guys ooze respect, honor and sportsmanship. They seem, by all accounts, great guys and fine ambassadors for the sport.

But the world isn’t all smiles and handshakes. The world needs its villains, and MMA is no different.

Who wants to watch the same stagnant clone of a persona take the microphone after brutally pummeling another man into submission every fight?

Bad boys, or rebels if you’d prefer, are a necessary counter the sport’s good guys. They keep the eyes wide and the ears cocked, and they keep butts in seats. If you’ve got your doubts, take a look at this list, and think for a moment about how many of these men are major financial draws.


Pictures: The Top Bad Boys in MMA Today | Bleacher Report

Lightweight brawlers Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and K.J. Noons have agreed to square off at UFC 160. The match-up was announced on Tuesday's episode of UFC Tonight.

UFC 160 takes place May 25, 2013 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cain Velasquez defends his UFC heavyweight strap against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in the night's main event.

Cerrone (19-5, 1 NC) looks to rebound from a quick and decisive TKO loss at the hands of Anthony Pettis last month. Prior to the setback, the former WEC standout rattled off eight victories over nine fights, earning seven Zuffa post-fight bonuses in the process.

Noons (11-6), meanwhile, readies for his UFC debut following a rocky three-year run with Strikeforce, which saw the 30-year-old compile a 3-4 record inside the promotion's hexagon. Noons most recently fought against Ryan Couture at Strikeforce's final event, losing a controversial split decision.

Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons added to UFC 160 - MMA Fighting

The new face of women's MMA has no intention of revealing much more than that to the world.

Ultimate fighting "it girl" Ronda Rousey, known as much for her pin-up looks as her brutal fighting style, has ruled out the possibility of posing nude for magazines such as Playboy despite a loyal - and growing - male fanbase. While no official offer has been made, the UFC Women's Bantamweight champion told HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumble that not even a huge payday would convince her to strip down to her birthday suit for the cameras.

"No one should be able to see my cash and prizes for $5, okay? I don't care how much money they gave me," Rousey said.

That's not to say that Rousey won't show some skin in the right situation. Just last year she appeared in ESPN The Magazine's "The Body Issue," treating fans to artistic shots of her well-sculpted physique - minus the "cash and prizes," of course.

"I felt like it was a good way to promote myself and women's MMA. It wasn't like it was Playboy," Rousey said. "If you want exposure, you have to expose yourself, to some extent."

No one is more exposed in women's MMA these days than the 26-year-old Rousey, a notorious trash talker who backs it up in the octagon with an undefeated record and a devastating armbar technique that she's used to beat every single opponent she's faced in the first round.

And while she makes no apologies for her abrasive nature, Rousey does take issue with her supposed sex-symbol status.

"I don't really see myself as a sex symbol because ever since people have started calling me a sex symbol, I haven't had a lot of sex in my life," Rousey revealed. "Like, it's just, it's not really working out great for me."

Read more: MMA bombshell Ronda Rousey rules out posing nude for Playboy, brushes off sex symbol tag - NY Daily News

Eddie Ng can pass off as a real-life video game hero.

It’s not just the boyish good looks, impossibly ripped torso, or the fact that he fights for a living. The professional mixed martial artist (MMA), who’s been based in Singapore for the last two years, also has the sort of inspiring backstory and personal philosophy that are the stuff of Street Fighter legend – whether it’s dusting off racism or taking on a challenge.

By challenge, Ng doesn’t mean physical confrontation. In fact, when Yahoo! Singapore jokingly asked him how many men he could take down in a pub brawl, the soft-spoken 26 year-old laughed it off. “Zero. I wouldn’t fight. Since I started doing MMA, I haven’t been in one street fight… There’s no benefit to hit somebody outside.”

Perhaps not quite what you would imagine from a rising star in a sport often labeled as brutally competitive, but Ng’s been defying expectations all his life.

Born and raised in England by parents hailing from Hong Kong, Ng’s ethnicity led to him being singled out and bullied – once, someone spat in his face. His self-confidence was so low that at one point, Ng even resented being Chinese. Then Bruce Lee came along.

“I saw a Bruce Lee movie, and I could relate to how he was fighting against stereotypes,” he explained. “And I found out that people in my school respected Bruce, regardless of his ethnic origin, not because he was a movie star, but because he was a martial artist.”

So Ng began his love affair with martial arts through Wing Chun, as practiced by Lee himself. But his first true passion was Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), which he chanced upon after watching a tape of BJJ exponent Royce Gracie winning the first ever Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

“I saw this skinny guy, maybe the smallest, in a tournament filled with wrestlers, boxers and karate and taekwondo experts. He beat everyone… without even throwing a punch. That got me interested.”

BJJ, Ng patiently informed us, is primarily a grappling art focused on ground fighting. But the desire to add stand-up striking to his self-taught repertoire would introduce him to the nuances of MMA and soon after, its competitive levels. “When I first started competing, there was no way I thought I could make it into a profession,” recalled Ng, who stands at 1.73 metres and currently fights in the lightweight division. “But here’s my mentality: if somebody says I can’t do something, then I want to try and find a way to do it no matter what.”

It was his friends who tested his resolve. After being repeatedly rejected in their attempts to get him to “party” with them, they started questioning the “stupid kung fu” that he couldn’t “make a living out of”.

Wanting to prove his friends wrong, a then 17 year-old Ng signed up for a local amateur MMA event. After two more fights, he paused for university, but the long break had him aching to return to the cage. Upon graduating in 2007, Eddie Ng decided to go professional.

The rest, as the MMA world says, is history-in-the-making. Ng’s record currently stands at five wins and one loss. He’s collected the scalps of some experienced European fighters, and is set to up his game even further. In 2011, he moved to Singapore after signing with Asian MMA promotion giant ONE Fighting Championship, and also to train and teach with the increasingly dominant Evolve fight team.

Twice a day, up to six times a week, all-year round: that’s how often you can catch Ng rolling on mats and hammering pads at Evolve’s gym. “I’m always training. I don’t take any time off,” he shrugged. What does he train for?

“When I started fighting, it wasn’t to become UFC champion. It wasn’t to make a lot of money, or buy a nice car either. It was purely a challenge,” said Ng.

“I just want to continuously take hard fights. The more people say I can’t win the fight, the better it is for me. As long as at the end of my career, I’m known as somebody who takes big fights… I’ll be happy.” But he also admitted that winning the ONE FC title would be “huge”, if only to guarantee the highest level of – again – challenge.

Ng’s next test, for now, takes place at ONE FC’s upcoming ‘Kings & Champions’ event in April, when he takes on French welterweight champ Arnaud Lepont.

Ng insisted, more than once during our interview, that he’s just a “normal” and “ordinary” person. Yet the life lessons he offers are anything but.

And when he and his opponent step out into the Singapore Indoor Stadium come April, thousands of fans – more still on TV and online – will have to choose a fighter. This writer knows his already: “ordinary” Eddie Ng.


Bruce Lee inspires rising MMA star to battle stereotypes | Fit to Post Sports - Yahoo! Sports Singapore

Henry Cejudo, the youngest American wrestler to win gold at the Olympics, has officially embarked on the next stage of his athletic career.

Five years removed from a triumphant run at the Beijing Games, Cejudo, 26, will compete in mixed martial arts for the first time this March as a bantamweight.

Following his pro debut March 2 in Tucson, Ariz., Cejudo has agreed to a multifight agreement with California-based Gladiator Challenge. The first fight on that deal, announced Thursday, is scheduled for March 24 at Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, Calif.

"Gladiator Challenge will provide me with a consistent platform to grow as a fighter and has made a substantial commitment to me so that I may gain the necessary experience to become a world champion," Cejudo said in a statement. Since debuting as a regional event in 1999, Gladiator Challenge helped kick off the careers of several known fighters, including Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, Urijah Faber and Michael McDonald.

"Cejudo had many options open to him, as multiple promoters were clamoring to sign him, but he chose to fight for us," Gladiator Challenge CEO and UFC veteran Tedd Williams said. "Cejudo recognized the many positive changes under way as a result of the recent change in ownership of Gladiator Challenge and felt confident that this was a good home to begin his fight career."

No opponent has been named for Cejudo's bout on March 24. Financial terms of the deal were not released.

Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, the former Strikeforce light heavyweight titleholder, became friends with Cejudo while training together at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Lawal, who is currently campaigning for Bellator MMA, predicted Cejudo "will be a champion."

Cejudo is the fifth American gold-medal wrestler to try MMA, joining Kenny Monday, Mark Schultz, Kevin Jackson and Rulon Gardner. The Mexican-American, born in Los Angeles to undocumented immigrants, dabbled in amateur boxing, winning a Copper Gloves tournament in Phoenix in 2010.

He failed in a bid to return to the Olympics in 2012, losing during the U.S. trials at 55 kilograms.


Gold medalist wrestler Henry Cejudo makes move to MMA - ESPN

Mohamed "King Mo" Lawal is one of mixed martial arts' most colourful characters. The Bellator fighter has a unique dual contract that also sees him take part in professional wrestling with TNA Impact Wrestling in the States.

His ring entrances, wearing a crown, while attractive women throw rose petals at his feet, are among the most grandiose in the sport.

But when he's in action, the former US national champion in freestyle wrestling is considered as one of the top light-heavyweight fighers in the world.

But he came unstuck in spectacular fashion last night at the Bellator 90 event in West Valley City, Utah.

Taking on Emanuel Newton in the Bellator Season 8 semi-finals, Lawal dodged a huge right hook from his opponent, but didn't see Newton's follow-up strike.

After missing with the hook, Newton spun instantly, throwing a lighting-fast spinning backfist which landed perfectly on Lawal's chin. The punch knocked Lawal out in an instant.

After a brief pause, Lawal toppled and fell, causing the bout to be stopped straight away.

It was undoubtedly one of the knockouts of the year, and came on a night where all the main card bouts finished by stoppage.


Video: Bellator 90: Watch MMA star "King Mo" Lawal get knocked out by spinning backfist - Mirror Online

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- At the UFC 156 postfight press conference in Las Vegas on Feb. 2, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo Jr., fresh off an exciting victory over former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, said he thought a potential fight with Anthony Pettis sounded interesting.

Since, then, though, Aldo has apparently changed his mind. According to UFC president Dana White, Aldo has balked at the notion of defending his title against the former WEC lightweight champion.

"Jose Aldo came out and said ‘There's no way in hell I'm fighting Pettis,'" White told reporters following the UFC 157 post-fight press conference at the Honda Center. "He's absolutely refusing to fight Pettis. Doesn't think he deserves the shot."

According to White, Aldo's manager, Andre Pederneiras, met with White and Lorenzo Feritta last week in London and said his fighter won't take a bout with Pettis.

"He sat down with me and Lorenzo and he said "we don't think he deserves it," White said. ‘I said ‘What do you mean, you don't think he deserves it?' I said ‘Are you out of your f--- mind? Are you serious, did you seriously just ask that question?' It's like if Aldo wanted to move up to 155, we're going to say he's not the No. 1 contender? What are you talking about?"

A planned Aldo-Pettis fight has drawn quite a bit of reaction from MMA fans, both pro and con. On one hand, purists don't believe Pettis, winner of three straight fights and seven of his past eight, should be granted an immediate shot at the champion of another weight class. On the other, the bout from a stylistic standpoint looks to be a potential thriller, at a time when there's no clear-cut number-one contender at featherweight for Aldo, who hasn't lost since 2005. White's in the latter camp, and he insists he'll get his way in the end.

"That's fight's on," White said. "He's going to fight Pettis or he's not going to like how this is going to turn out."

Dana White: Jose Aldo is refusing to fight Anthony Pettis - MMA Fighting