UFC MMA archive

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the flagship organization in MMA. The UFC first started holding events in 1993. There had been similar types of events before then, but MMA as it is currently really came into being as a result of the UFC. The sport’s first-era superstars, like Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, have only recently retired, so brain injuries like what boxing great Muhammad Ali faces have not become apparent to this point. However, there are some MMA fighters, like Gary Goodridge, who do show lingering effects from fighting.

The reality is that sports involving contact between the athletes leads to injuries, which are sometimes serious. If soccer players like Abby Wambach can get concussions, then athletes in MMA can certainly expect to get concussions. As Joe Rogan, the color commentator for most UFC events likes to say, there is only so many beatings a fighter can take. Anyone interested in fighting in MMA should be aware of the possibilities and understand the risks they are taking.


(The National Football League (NFL) has been dealing with brain injuries for years, including a massive lawsuit that over 4,000 former players have joined saying that the league covered up the potential for brain damage. Other sports are dealing with the same brain injuries as the NFL, including women’s soccer, which recently had their own high-profile issues concussions with star player Abby Wambach. By comparison, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has not had many high-profile issues with brain injuries, possibly due to the fact that it is still a relatively new sport. On May 8, 2013, Bleacher Report published an article detailing the urgency in MMA to find out what issues the sport is facing with brain injuries.)



Does MMA lead to brain injuries? - Washington DC MMA Fitness | Examiner-com

Of Course it does, football to 😁

Nick Newell, the unbeaten one-handed fighter who persevered through his disability to capture the XFC lightweight championship last December, has been stripped of the belt before ever making a defense.

XFC president John Prisco said on Friday that Newell refused to defend the title against top contender Scott Holtzman. The two had been expected to meet on June 14.

In a post made on the XFC website, Prisco said Newell's management requested more money for the matchup, and that after XFC matched that, they still refused the fight.

Newell did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

"Nick built his name on fighters who were willing to step up and fight him," Prisco said in the post. "And now, the opportunity he received, he is not willing to extend to Scott, even though they both carry the same XFC record (4-0). To me, that’s hypocritical and I have zero respect and no room for any individual that acts like that in my organization."

Prisco also accused Newell of ducking out of the fight because he feared defeat, and then predicted that he would have lost.

"I think Nick knows what I believe. He was going to lose," he said. "Nick knows he can’t defend himself when someone like Scott puts him on his back. I believe Scott is one of the most talented 155ers on the planet. He’s training on the west coast right now with Benson Henderson for that very reason. In my eyes, I saw the fight going 1st round stoppage – Holtzman by ground and pound."

Newell has a perfect record in his career, 9-0 with eight first-round stoppages. He captured the belt with an 82-second submission win over veteran Eric Reynolds (16-6) last December.

By comparison, his anticipated opponent Holtzman is 4-0 with three stoppage wins.

Newell has long targeted a chance to fight in the UFC, and is currently training at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. While Prisco did not explicitly announce Newell's release, he wished him well in "his future endeavors."

Meanwhile, Holtzman will still compete for the championships on the June 14 event, just against a different opponent.


Nick Newell stripped of XFC lightweight title - MMA Fighting

The whole debate about whether to legalize professional mixed martial arts in New York State largely has overshadowed one very important fact: Pro MMA is already here.

On any given afternoon in a garage tucked behind Route 9, the thud of punches pelting a sparring mitt fills the makeshift gym in which 48-year-old Andy Faragon trains about a half-dozen professional MMA fighters.

Because New York is one of only two states yet to legalize pro MMA, Faragon's team fights in neighboring Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

But in New York, there's nothing illegal about training in boxing, wrestling or Ju Jitsu, a few of the disciplines that comprise MMA.

Amateur MMA fights, which are legal, have drawn close to a thousand fans at Washington Avenue Armory, and martial arts training centers are sprouting like dandelions all over the region.

"Pretty much at every corner, you look around and there's a gym opening," said Marvin Maldonado, one of Faragon's trainees. "It's all MMA right now."

Faragon, with his booming voice and broad shoulders cut from his days of playing lineman at Colonie High and then professionally kick-boxing, is better known as a boxing trainer whose adopted son, Mike Faragon, is 18-0 as a pro.

But now he's also a leader in an MMA community that grows and spreads, even as the push to legalize pro MMA in New York stalls and fizzles. If anything, the sport's decade-long struggle has galvanized the community.

"Honestly, I didn't even like MMA when it first came out," Faragon said. "But I've gotten to like it because of the people in it. All the coaches, all the fighters, it's civil. They all get along. I've met probably 300 MMA fighters, and they're all good dudes."

By now, the arguments for and against legal MMA have become more well-worn than Faragon's sparring mitts. The sport would bring needed tax revenue. The sport is too violent. The sport isn't even a sport at all, more like a street fight.

"Let's go to an NFL football game and stand on the sideline," Faragon said. "Watch Ray Lewis hit somebody, and tell me that's not violent. I don't think it's any more violent than football."

Faragon points out MMA fighters, though wearing only thinly padded gloves, absorb fewer blows to the head than boxers.

He speaks with more authority on the subject than most: He takes 12 pills every morning to combat post-concussion syndrome, symptoms that include wobbly balance, spotty short-term memory and headaches.

He says unlike boxers and kick-boxers, MMA fighters spend only a fraction of their time sparring, because they're also grappling and practicing Jiu Jitsu, exercises easier on the head.

Plus, he points out, he and his fighters hardly come from street-fighting backgrounds.

Faragon was a longtime Pop Warner coach in Colonie who also coached a Guilderland travel baseball team; he still coaches high school football in Lansingburgh, too. Before delving deep into MMA, he trained boxers for years, working with well-known local fighters like Kimdo Bethel as well as trainers Jamel Eady and Cory Landy at the Quail Street gym in Albany.

One of his top MMA fighters, 26-year-old Roger Zapata, is a University at Albany graduate with a degree in urban planning.

"The guys on TV who act like knuckleheads, they don't last long," Zapata said. "The guys that come from a disciplined background are the guys that stick around."

Zapata and his fellow fighters vow to stick. Their goals, they say, are the big-time fights that once were relegated to Pay-Per-View but now are mainstream enough to be shown on Fox Sports.

Inside the gym, as Zapata and Faragon shuffle their feet across the mat, Zapata's fists pounding Faragon's mitts above the ding-ding-ding of a round timer, it's obvious pro MMA isn't coming to New York State. It's already here.

Read more: Iorizzo: State of MMA is strong - Times Union

In a twist so weird it could only happen in MMA, it turns out that Leonard Garcia wasn't offered a Bellator contract after all. Or, who knows, maybe he was.

Garcia certainly seemed to think so. But that voice on the other end of the phone? The one offering him a Bellator contract so soon after his UFC release? That was a Bellator impersonator, according to Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

That explanation sounds a little too convenient to Garcia's management team, which has essentially accused the Viacom-owned entity of being the awkward boy who asks a girl out on a date and then quickly adds, "Just kidding!" immediately after she says no.

The situation is just murky enough to make it difficult to tell exactly what happened here, except for one detail that has yet to be called into question: Garcia, thinking he was hearing a legitimate offer from Bellator, turned it down.

That's right, the guy coming off five straight losses, the guy who'd just been released from the UFC at age 33, told the No. 2 MMA promotion in the world thanks, but no thanks. Or, at least, he thought he did. According to comments Garcia made to MMA Fighting, he wasn't even interested in hearing what Bellator had to say. He'd heard "some stories," he explained. Stories about Bellator short-changing fighters, locking them down, doing them dirty. If those stories turned out to be untrue, he might consider a future with Bellator, he said. But now?

"At the moment those are the stories that I'm hearing, and you can't fight for a company like that," Garcia said. "You just can't do it."

There's a lesson in here somewhere, and it's one that ought to be a wakeup call for Bellator.

Before we go any further, we should note that there is some reason to think Rebney is telling the truth about the Bellator impersonator. About a month ago Bellator emailed some media members warning of just such a fraud. Unless that was part of an elaborate setup just to get out of a minor embarrassment later on, it seems the "Bellator Phantom" might be a real thing (which is to say, a real fake thing).

More importantly, nothing about Bellator's track record suggests that it would go after a UFC castoff with an 0-5 record in his past five fights. While I still don't get why you'd pass on Jon Fitch just to sign Vladimir Matyushenko, I can understand why Bellator would stay away from Garcia. That would be consistent with what we know of Bellator's general strategy, which is why it's easy to believe that that's what happened. Of course, that logic also works the same way in the other direction, which is what Bellator should be worried about right now.

If you've heard anything about Bellator in the past week or so, chances are it wasn't positive. The MMA blogosphere has been filled with all manner of accusations from former Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez, who's currently engaged in an increasingly bitter legal battle with the promotion, as well as rumors of mistreatment and discontent surrounding fighters like Cosmo Alexandre and Zach Makovsky.

Rebney insists that it's all lies, damn lies. He has detailed explanations to counter all these claims. What he doesn't have is a good explanation for why Bellator seems to find itself on the receiving end of so many baseless accusations from disgruntled employees. At a certain point it starts to seem like there's either some kernel of truth at the heart of it all, or else there's something about Bellator that makes fighters more likely to spread vicious lies about it. Neither would be particularly good for Bellator's image.

It's a similar story with the Alvarez lawsuit. By engaging in a prolonged legal battle with one of its own fighters, Bellator has backed itself into a peculiar corner. If it wins the case, it will have spent a lot of money, time and energy to retain the services of a former champ who would clearly rather be elsewhere. Then, after a judge has essentially ordered Alvarez back into the Bellator fold, you're telling me that's when it will try to promote a pay-per-view event featuring Alvarez as the most reluctant co-star in MMA history? It's hard to see how all this negative attention could possibly be worth it to achieve that result.

And what if Bellator loses the case? Then it will have gone through all this trouble just to have it declared by a court of law that it cannot offer a fighter the same things that the UFC can. That's like paying for a billboard advertising your chief competitor's overall superiority. Remind me again how the positives for Bellator outweigh these potential negatives.

So why go through with it? Maybe Bellator feels its gone too far to turn back now. Maybe it genuinely wants Alvarez, or maybe it just wants to match its contract up against the UFC's in court to see what happens.

What Bellator and Viacom seem to be forgetting, however, is that these battles don't stay in the courtroom. They have a way of expanding, of bleeding out into the larger narrative. They change the way fans think of a fight promotion and the way fighters talk about it among themselves. That's why the perception surrounding everything from a legal battle that is to a contract offer that maybe isn't matters so much. Whether positive or negative, right or wrong, that perception is always hanging over your head, threatening to become your reality.



The rumors and the damage done for Bellator MMA | News – MMAjunkie-com

From early 2007 until January 2013, Showtime was one of the most visible players in mixed martial arts broadcasting.

The dissolution of Strikeforce marked an end of an era for the premium cable network, however according to Showtime Sports executive Stephen Espinoza, Showtime's absence from the MMA scene will only be temporary.

"I definitely want it back. I think we, as a company, want it back," Espinoza said on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour.

"We're going to be very careful because, being completely candid, there's a lot of MMA programming out there already. And the real question for us is, if we're going to get back into it on the programming side, what is going to be the compelling reason for us to do so? What's going to be different about the organization that we're involved in, as the way we present the sport? Because if we're just going out there to put more hours of MMA television on the air, I don't think it makes sense."

Espinoza's desire for something unique leads to obvious questions about the most unique of the visible major promotions in the current MMA landscape: all-female organization Invicta FC. Espinoza opened the door for a potential partnership, although he made it clear that any talk at this stage is simply conjecture.

"If there was an obvious choice or a clear choice about getting back into MMA, we would've done it already," Espinoza said. "But I agree that, probably the highest visibility, probably the most noteworthy promotion that's distinguished itself out there, other than the ones aligned with TV networks, is probably Invicta.

"The UFC relationship (with Invicta FC) is absolutely not a problem, whatsoever. I still run into those guys, from the Fertitta's, to part of their management, from Lawrence Epstein to Peter Dropick, and it's friendly. It was a situation that didn't work out, but bygones are bygones. It was a strange situation that no one really created in and of themselves, so you move on and look for the next opportunity."

Aside from Invicta, Espinoza revealed that Showtime is more than willing to scour the world in search of its next opportunity to dive back into the sport.

"We have looked at some of the international promotions, and there's a lot of talent there," Espinoza said. "It would be something new and different. But there's challenges with marketing non-English speakers, in particular. There's additional costs with doing non-U.S. events. So there's a lot to consider, but we still want in and we're still looking around very carefully."

Espinoza is quick to emphasize that Showtime currently isn't in serious negotiations with any promotion. However, when asked to name the biggest goal left on his checklist, he can't help but admit it would be "figuring a way back into MMA."

To that end, Espinoza hopes to get a deal done relatively soon.

"Look, there's always new talent. We always keep an eye out for amassing more boxing talent, but I liked having a well-rounded combat sports program," Espinoza concluded. "I think there's a lot to be said about being able to market, promote both audiences at the same time, with both types of combat sports.

"Certainly the summer is out of the question. That doesn't give anyone sufficient time to really ramp up. So it would either be late this year or in 2014, unless lightning struck and a deal fell into our laps that made sense immediately. I think more likely it's late 2013 or 2014."




Showtime Sports 'definitely' wants MMA back - MMA Fighting

Montsir Mohammad admits Saturday night will amount to the most pressure-packed situation he has ever encountered.

The amateur mixed martial artist from Paterson will headline a show for the first time at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Mohammad, a former Kennedy High School wrestler who answers to "Monster," will face New York’s Christopher Vallaro in the main event of a 14-bout card promoted by Hani Darwish, a former Clifton High School wrestler who owns and operates Extreme Fight Club in Woodland Park.

Mohammad is concerned almost as much about who’ll attend "Extreme Fighting Championships: MMA Mania." Members of his family, who own and operate a chain of restaurants in Baltimore, will watch the three-round light heavyweight fight live.

They worry for his safety and wish he would stop pursuing a career in professional MMA.

"They are supportive, but they worry about me too much," Mohammad, 24, said. "My mom asked me to quit this, to stop fighting. I always told her no, that this is what I like to do. If I don’t go professional, I’ll have to go back to beating up people in the street. That’s not where I want to be."

Mohammad is 2-2 in amateur MMA matches, but Darwish has seen a lot of improvement in him, particularly in his stand-up game. The more Mohammad hones his boxing skills and becomes a better striker, the quicker he’ll be able to turn pro.

"He’s a talented kid, a real tough kid," Darwish said. "He finally has started dedicating himself, and his hands are getting so much better. I expect big things from him."

The outgoing Mohammad has developed a large local following, particularly within the south Paterson neighborhood in which he grew up after returning at age 10 from a seven-year stay in his family’s native Syria. He hopes to show them, as well as his mother, father, brothers, cousins and uncles, that he’s ready to take another significant step in his career Saturday night.

"I don’t want to just stop here as an amateur," Mohammad said. "I think I can be with those guys I watch on TV, those guys in UFC. I have the heart. I have the body, and if I put in more time, put in 100 percent, and get more support from my family, I think I can do it."



Idec on boxing: Paterson fighter climbing MMA ladder - NorthJersey-com

Former women’s MMA-star-turned-actress, Gina Carano, was on hand for the Manila premiere of “Fast and Furious 6” alongside lead actor Vin Diesel.

Photos and videos of Vin Diesel in Manila riding a jeepney and interacting with fans have gone viral on social media networks. The macho male action star was greeted to a throng of rabid “Dom Toretto” fans, the movie’s main character, at the Mall of Asia during premiere night.

The “Fast and the Furious” serious has produced 6 iterations, with each one pushing the limit on automobile stunts. The perennial hit movie continues to add a slew of fresh new faces each time around, adding Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in their last film, and this time, Gina Carano, former StrikeForce Women’s MMA standout.

Crush, the American Gladiator

Carano started her career in Kickboxing and Muay Thai, gaining valuable fight experience while amassing a record of 12-1-1. She was also known as Crush, a female member of the show American Gladiators.

Carano then joined StrikeForce in late 2006, defeating Elaina Maxwell in StrikeForce’s first ever female fight, proving that she wasn’t just gorgeous, but also had the talent to be competitive in MMA.

The hype was heavy on Carano, who is just as beautiful as she is fierce. Featuring a diverse stand-up game, Carano was known for her superior striking abilities and would brutalize opponents in the cage with her thunderous punches and kicks.

'Hottest Woman in America'

Apart from fighting, she is also known for her curvaceous upper extremities and skull-crushing thighs. Carano was voted “Hottest Woman in America” by Big Biz Magazine in the Spring 2008 issue and ranked #16 in Maxim’s Hot 100 list.

In 2009, Gina Carano faced Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos for the right to be called the first ever StrikeForce Women’s middelweight champion. However, in just the very first round, Carano was brutally stopped at 4:59 by Technical Knockout. Her opponent, Santos, was later suspended after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs post-fight.

It was then that Carano turned her efforts from MMA towards a film career, landing the lead role in the spy thriller, Haywire. She was described as an “intriguing mix of muscular power and eye-catching femininity.”

Role in Fast 6

In the Fast and Furious 6, Carano landed a role portraying a member of Special Agent Luke Hobbs’ (Dwayne Johnson) team.

Along with Vin Diesel, Carano graced the red carpet premiere with co-stars Michelle Rodriguez, who plays the previously thought to be deceased character Letty, and Luke Evans who plays the movie’s primary antagonist, Owen Shaw.

The 3-day promotional event and the Manila leg of the world tour was handled by Solar Entertainment Corp. Other stops include major cities such as London, Beijing, Seoul and Cabo San Lucas.

Vin Diesel arrived in Manila early Tuesday morning on a private jet while Carano, along with Rodriguez and Evans, arrived shortly after on another flight.

Hardcore fans of Mixed Martial Arts, a sport which is quickly gaining in popularity in the country, will be quick to recognize Carano who was known earlier in her career as the “Face of Women’s MMA.”

Though no longer actively competing in Mixed Martial Arts, Carano continues to maintain a unique and unmistakable edge in the way she appears on screen. Her world class Muay Thai skills and high level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are prominent showcases in nearly all of her fight scenes.




Ex-MMA star in Manila for Fast and Furious 6

Nate Diaz has been been suspended by the UFC after using a gay slur in a tweet Thursday afternoon.

"We are very disappointed by Nate Diaz’s comments, which are in no way reflective of our organization. Nate is currently suspended pending internal investigation and we will provide further comment once the matter has been decided," the UFC said in a statement.


Diaz tweeted the above statement in his defense of Pat Healy, who was stripped of his bonus money after a positive marijuana test at UFC 159. The "guy who took the money" is believed to be Bryan Caraway, who was recently awarded the submission of the night bonus.

Diaz's troubles could be much more than a suspension.

"We are going to fine, suspend or cut him. One or two of those three will happen," UFC president Dana White told MMA Fighting's Dave Meltzer.

White also told Meltzer the UFC would ultimately decide Diaz's punishment when he returns from Germany on Friday morning.


Nate Diaz suspended over controversial tweet - MMA Fighting

Just after being interviewed in 2006 about his impending trip to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championships, which was the last time Luke Rockhold traveled to Brazil, the Santa Cruz native suffered a nasty spill.

Biking down a hill back to his day job, the chain on Rockhold's cruiser popped off, resulting in a belly slide that left him with a busted chin that required 10 interior stitches and 15 exterior stitches. The injury was so bad that he was unable to train in the month leading up to the championships, where he eventually performed below his own expectations.

Very little has managed to keep Rockhold down since that day. The Soquel High graduate has instead undergone a meteoric rise in the mixed-martial arts world, ever since he won the Strikeforce middleweight belt in September 2011.

And whereas Rockhold won gold at the BJJ world championships the year following his cruiser crash, essentially kickstarting his career, the 28-year-old middleweight is now poised to take another monumental leap forward with his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut Saturday night.

Rockhold will take on MMA veteran Vitor Belfort in the headlining event at UFC on FX 8 in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The fight will be televised on FX beginning at 6 p.m.

No longer bruised and battered, the circumstances have certainly changed for Rockhold in his return trip to the South American country.

"Well, I'm healthy, for one. I've been training, and I've done everything I need to do to win this fight," Rockhold said in a phone interview last week. "And I'm still driving cruiser bikes, but my cruiser bikes are much more well greased these days."

Consider it the perks of being a champion.

Rockhold hasn't fought since July 2012, when he defended his Strikeforce belt with a unanimous decision against Tim Kennedy. Yet the American Kickboxing Academy product has nevertheless remained in the limelight.

The fact that Rockhold was the last middleweight titleholder in Strikeforce, which went belly up in January, means he is in line to contend for the same belt in UFC. Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez was granted an immediate title shot upon joining UFC, while contenders like Dan Henderson, the last light heavyweight champ, earned a title shot after winning his UFC debut.

"This is my chance to prove something," Rockhold said, "to try and be the best."

Rockhold is well aware that a win Saturday against Belfort could have him squaring off against middleweight champ Anderson Silva in the near future -- an opponent he's been pining for since he first defended his middleweight belt in Strikeforce. Back then, it seemed like a longshot that Rockhold might ever stand toe-to-toe with Silva -- the top pound-for-pound fighter, according to UFC.

It was also perhaps a longshot for Belfort to ever stand across from Rockhold. The Santa Cruz fighter was just 12 when the now-36-year-old Brazilian made his UFC debut in 1997.

But each win has drawn Rockhold (10-1, 0-0 UFC), who's ranked No. 5 in the UFC's middleweight division, closer to that title shot with Silva. He's won nine straight bouts, six by submission and two by TKO.

While his detractors stand firm -- believing that he's outspoken, unproven and was competing in the "lower-tier" promotion for a reason -- another win Saturday would also go a long way toward earning their respect.

Or at least shutting them up.

"We've proven that, all the guys that have come over (from Strikeforce) have kicked ass and taken names. So I don't see their angle anymore," Rockhold said. "And I'd like to add to that as well." The No. 2-ranked Belfort (22-10, 10-6 UFC) isn't without critics, either. Many are against his use of testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, a controversial-yet-legal treatment for UFC fighters who qualify. Although other fighters have undergone TRT, Belfort's usage raises red flags because he tested positive for a banned substance, 4-Hydroxytestosterone, in 2006.

That side story has led to a war of words between the two fighters in the weeks leading up to their bout. Belfort has called Rockhold "disrespectful" and "arrogant" and Rockhold has made it a point to routinely question Belfort's TRT exemption, calling it "crap."

On Friday at the Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil, the two contenders had to be separated during their staredown following weigh-ins. Both fighters made weight, tipping the scales at 186 pounds apiece.

Still, Rockhold hasn't lost respect for Belfort -- at least not as a fighter. He recently referred to Belfort as "a legend" in the sport, and knows he remains dangerous even at his advanced age. Belfort's surprising TKO of Michael Bisping in January was enough evidence to show "The Phenom" can still pack a punch.

And it showed Belfort still has aspirations of another title fight. Although he's lost twice in his last five bouts, Belfort's recent setbacks came in title fights against Silva and in a light heavyweight matchup with Jon Jones.

Rockhold could put a serious dent in Belfort's championship hopes, though. He feels he's better in wrestling and kickboxing, and he has the height and reach advantage. With his youth and cardio, though, Rockhold's best weapon may be time. The longer the fight goes, the better he'll be against the explosive Belfort, who is expected to look for an opening early and try to end the fight with a quick strike.

"His left hand, you have to watch out for that," Rockhold said. "But I can take him early, I can take him late, and I can submit him."

If he can do that, he'll leave Brazil a much happier man than he did in 2006, with a career path continuing on the upswing.

And certainly not on a downhill roll.

"It's his home turf, but I'm looking forward to it," Rockhold said. "It's like a paid vacation. I get to go to Brazil, I get to kick someone's ass, and I get paid.

"It's a win-win-win situation for me."



[url=www-santacruzsentinel

Andrei Arlovski, Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem have held the UFC, PRIDE FC and Strikeforce Heavyweight Championships, respectively. Brazilian "Bigfoot" Antonio Silva, who made his unheralded debut in a small ring in England back in 2005, has defeated them all. In March of 2005, the mixed martial arts (MMA) world was a very different place.

Andrei Arlovski was the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion, while half a world away, famed Russian "Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko was ruling the roost in PRIDE Fighting Championship.

Meanwhile, the man who would eventually defeat them both, Antonio Silva, was making his combat sports debut in a small auditorium in Essex, England, taking on the well-traveled Tengiz Tedoradze in the co main event of UKMMAC 10: "Slugfest."

It was a dream come true for the 25 year-old former car salesman.

"Bigfoot" was recruited by fellow countryman Mario Sucata, who brought the hulking Brazilian across the pond on the expectation of a five-fight deal, the first of which was a fairly tall order. Tedoradze was more experienced at 13-3 (one no contest) and a staple on the British fight circuit.

Not that you would have known, based on how things turned out on fight night.

Silva climbed through the ropes (sorry, no cage) and upon his introduction, actually hit Spanky's Little Rascals victory pose (shaking clasped hands with fingers interlocked). The crowd was not impressed, and muffled boos were topped off with nearby giggling directed toward the eager young buck.

No one was laughing at the 74-second mark of the opening frame.

That's when "Pezao" had to be peeled off an unresponsive Tedoradze, who was the victim of a Brazilian bumrush. In fact, Silva passed his guard so effortlessly prior to slamming his mitts into the fallen fighter, it was almost as if it was the Georgian's debut, instead.

Following the first-round massacre, Silva continued to bounce around the ring and at one point made a break for the fallen fighter's corner. Under the influence of adrenaline, clearly, the referee had to convince him the fight was indeed over.

Welcome to MMA, Mr. Bigfoot.

Silva would compete four more times in England, as promised, but when he graduated to K-1 the following year, a dispute with his old manager left him, by his account, without a paycheck. In addition, he was stranded overseas with his wife and baby with no money or means to return to Brazil.

That is, until the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -- the same man who kept Anderson Silva from retiring before he signed with UFC -- gave Silva shelter and the means to return home.

In the eight years since, the former EliteXC heavyweight champion has pretty much seen and done it all, making some noise is Strikeforce before finally making it to UFC, the grandest stage in all of MMA. That's where "Bigfoot," 2-1 following his Octagon debut with knockout wins over Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem, will vie for the division title.

Standing in his way is Cain Velasquez.

The promotion's 265-pound kingpin already holds one win over the Brazilian by doing exactly what Silva does best: Taking his foe to the ground and busting him up. We'll find out if history repeats itself at UFC 160 this Saturday night (May 25, 2013) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.


History in the making: Bigfoot Silva makes his MMA debut by demolishing Tengiz Tedoradze in England - MMAmania-com

We've all seen that one person at every MMA event randomly booing, yelling out profanities and fist-pumping in a tight, armpit-soiled flaming skull and cross T-shirt.

In America, this type of individual is typically referred to as a bro or "that guy."

Unfortunately, the movement is spreading in the world of MMA. There is no longer that one guy boozing it up while feigning to be the toughest man on the planet. "That guy" has quickly become "that girl," which has recently spread to "that group" and "that city." There is just one lingering question.

Are there any educated and respectable American MMA fans left in this world?

The posed question is admittedly a bit overdramatic. Educated and respectable American MMA fans do exist, and some are reading this article right now. Unfortunately, their representation is only a minority in comparison to the countless casual fans.

A lack of understanding and a refusal to become enlightened is one of the primary roadblocks hindering the progress of American fans. MMA mirrors real life so much that even the most uneducated fans feel like they understand fighting. No one put it better than UFC President Dana White during his interview with Forbes:

"At the end of the day, we're all human beings, and fighting is in our DNA, man. We get it, and we like it."

The average person couldn't fathom dunking a basketball like Michael Jordan or making a spectacular one-handed catch like NFL receiver Randy Moss. Most human beings can easily relate to the concept of punching another person in the face. In MMA, everyone feels like an expert.

For those in doubt, go to your local pub and listen to the "experts" break down and compare themselves to top UFC fighters. Yours truly has even had the pleasure of watching an inebriated individual stand up and shadow box in front of an entire restaurant in an attempt to showcase his "world class" skills.

It doesn't take much these days to convince a man that is 20-0 behind a local fast-food establishment that he's ready for the big leagues.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has already gone on record to express his resentment towards American fans. During an interview with ESPN UK, he called American fans "the most negative MMA crowd ever."

"I would honestly say the American crowd is the most negative MMA crowd ever," said Rampage.

"Look at Junior Dos Santos, he put on a great fight [against Cain Velasquez] and he got booed. They cheered him when he walked in there and then booed him after a great fight. I don't understand that."

The UFC 155 championship rematch between Dos Santos and Velasquez represented American fandom at its worst.

Dos Santos, who was completely dominated by Velasquez, never wavered in the face of adversity. Despite taking a severe beating early in the fight, he stood his ground and put on a heartfelt and gutsy performance that should have been celebrated by the masses.

Instead, Dos Santos was booed out of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., after laying everything on the line and losing the UFC title.

"Why are you guys doing that? Why," Dos Santos asked in his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

There isn't a complex answer to Dos Santos' question. Fans were booing simply because they could.

American fans buy into the UFC product and forget that there are actual human beings competing in a dangerous sport. There is no gratitude or understanding. It all comes back to the hard-earned American dollar. After spending money, people believe they have a right to do whatever they want.

Sadly, these individuals aren't wrong. Tickets and pay-per-view prices for UFC events aren't exactly on the cheap side. When they buy into the product, fans have a right to cheer or boo whenever they want, but is it always right?

It wasn't right in Dos Santos' case, and it certainly wasn't right in Benson Henderson's case, either.

At UFC on FOX 7, fans were infuriated by Henderson's decision victory over Gilbert Melendez. After the fight, an act non-related to MMA took place that usually brings about joy and excitement.

Henderson got down on one knee and proposed to longtime girlfriend Maria Magana. Unfortunately, the champ's life-altering moment didn't quell the boo birds, as a chorus of boos showered both him and his soon-to-be fiancée during the proposal. Respect is the only thing separating American fans from the rest of the world. In the States, fighters are booed for taking the fight to the ground and needing breaks for accidental eye pokes or shots below the belt. Foreign fighters are sometimes booed for the inability to speak English.

Perhaps boos are better than the random, Hacksaw Jim Duggan-like "USA" chants that tend to break out from time to time. There is nothing wrong with being patriotic, but it is a bit disconcerting when nationalities are confused and chants occur in bouts between two Americans or a pair of non-American fighters.

In countries like Japan, a pen dropping can be heard in an arena during a fight. They have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the sport. It boils down to culture as well. American sport fans are typically loud and amped up for events, which isn't always a bad thing.

This kind of fandom makes events seem larger than life by breathing excitement and emotion into the atmosphere. People can literally see the excitement jumping out at them from a TV screen within the comfort of their living rooms.

Like every other country, American fans have their issues, but it wouldn't be fair to call them the "worst MMA fans in the world." Most UFC events take place in the States, which tends to distort the negative impressions.

There have been plenty of quality American crowds during live UFC events, and other countries have had their share of blunders. In the end, it all comes down to the individual, and certain people are going to act out regardless of w

Friday night’s mixed-martial arts event at BankUnited Center on the University of Miami campus will be the first Championship Fighting Alliance card to be televised nationally (on AXS TV).

But it will be historic for another reason.

The co-main event will feature a female bout in the featherweight division between unbeaten Fallon Fox and Allana Jones. Fox, who is 2-0 as a professional, was born a man – and Friday’s bout will be her first since the disclosure that she’s a transgender fighter.

Though Fox has gained supporters since her revelation, she has also drawn detractors – many of whom believe she has a competitive advantage. The critics include UFC women’s champion Ronda Rousey, who quipped: “She can chop her [expletive] off, she’s still a man.”

“I find them completely ignorant and bigoted,” said Fox, formerly Boyd Burton. “People fear things they don’t understand. They aren’t on the up-and-up on the issue. When they meet me it’s the first time they’ve been introduced to someone like me. It’s completely bigoted, and hateful some of the things they’re saying.”

Before undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2006, Fox also went through hormone replacement therapy. Her testosterone levels are lower than other female fighters in the sport, but the fact she was once a male has raised concerns among some.

CFA president Jorge de la Noval featured Fox, 37, on a card in March before finding out she’s transgender when he got a call from the commission. But he stands by his decision to feature her on Friday night’s card and supports her 100 percent.

“I’ve been discriminated many times because I’m Hispanic,” de la Noval said. “People have been discriminated through the years because of color, sexual preference, and that’s something I’m completely against. As long as she’s got her license, and doctors approved her to fight as a female, I was fine with it. I’ve gotten a lot of calls, mostly negative, but I stick with my decision no matter what the outcome is. I’m just glad she’s fighting for the CFA this Friday.”

Added De la Noval:

“The fact that she’s dominated everybody isn’t because she was born a male. She’s a really good female fighter.”

Fox knew her decision to come out would be controversial, but there has been an upside. She speaks to various LGBT organizations and other transgender individuals who understand the struggles she faced growing up.

“A lot of people in the community have reached out to me to tell me how inspiring I’ve been to them,” Fox said. “They’ve been supportive towards me, and I’m supportive towards them. It’s time people understand that I’m a woman, but with a different past.”

Now that she’s approved to fight as a female, Fox says she’s excited about the strides women have made in the sport.

“There are women fighting in the sport that are strong, powerful and at the same time beautiful,” Fox said. “It’s a great time to be a woman in MMA. Women have been fighting for a while, but are now getting the attention they have rightfully deserved.

“There will always be a segment of the population that won’t understand me. I’m always going to have a fan base, and the fan base will grow over time. If I do well in this sport, then great, but if not at least I know I’m doing my thing and that’s fighting. We can’t worry about people think all the time. We just have to go out and do what we do.”

Read more here: Transgender MMA fighter Fallon Fox set for historic bout at BankUnited Center - Mixed Martial Arts - MiamiHerald-com

Early Wednesday morning, an FBI agent shot and killed someone they were questioning for his connections with the Boston Marathon bombers. Ibragim Todashev, the suspect, was an MMA fighter with a 1-0 professional record.

Todashev, who was reportedly a friend of deceased bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, fought in July of 2012. He submitted Bradford May with a guillotine in the first round of their bout at Real Fighting Championships in Florida.

Khusen Taramov, a friend of Todashev's, said that Tsarnaev and Todashev trained together in Boston. Tsarnaev trained and competed as a boxer.

"He used to talk on the phone with him (Tsarnaev)," said Taramov. "They talked last time a month ago. After the bombing, I couldn't believe it."

Todashev was reportedly being questioned about a triple-murder in Massachusetts in September of 2011. The FBI said in a statement Todashev posed an imminent threat to the agent.



Y! SPORTS

Tuesday night, it was announced that Roy Nelson would be fighting Stipe Miocic on the UFC 161 card. Fans of Big Country were first treated to the news via Ariel Helwani's Twitter, which didn't mention an opponent. I had spoken to Roy about an hour earlier, and specifically asked if the organization was setting up a fight for him, but he wasn't aware of any match making plans at the time. He did, however, mention that his manager, Mike Kogan, might have something in the works. The news would come an hour later, that named Miocic as the opponent.

If any other heavyweight were on a 3 fight hot streak with all the wins coming by way of ferocious knockout, we'd probably be seeing their name thrown around with the words title, number 1 contender and championship belt attached to it, but not Roy Nelson. Instead, they offer up the tough, hard hitting Miocic, who unfortunately, isn't a step in the right direction for the title. As a matter of fact, according to the UFC's official rankings, he's not listed in the Top 10. That doesn't mean it won't be a fun fight, it just saddens the Big Country fan in me to not see him get closer to that number 1 spot.

As mentioned earlier, I did speak with Roy Tuesday night, and got his thoughts on the snail's pace with which the UFC is moving him along and how he would feel about a fight with Josh Barnett. He also gave his opinion on Vitor Belfort's odd situation with not being able to fight in Las Vegas. Here's what he had to say:

Anybody, Anytime

I'm always down to give the fans what they want. The thing is, you want to be 100%, but if you're down with the organization, then you're going to do what they want. If they say, 'Hey, you want to fight next week?' Then yeah, you do it. As far as the best performance fight that you can hype up, well, a lot of people want to see Nelson / dos Santos II, Nelson / Velasquez I - there's a lot of fights to make. We'll just have to see.

It all depends on how it's orchestrated. I'm sure you would fight Ronda Rousey tomorrow if they offered you 30 million dollars (for the record, I like my arms where they're at, so I'd have to decline that offer). It all comes down to money. If the money is right, I'll fight anybody. Any time. I'll hit my grandma in the face if the price is right [laughs].

The Politics of Title Shots

I think they're business people. That's why Chael fought last month. They don't want Mark Hunt to win. They want Junior dos Santos to fight Cain Velasquez again. It just makes sense on paper. That fight can make a lot of money. When Overeem got beat by Bigfoot, that kind of messed some things up.

I make money no matter who I fight. Do I want a shot at the belt? Yes, of course I do. Put it this way, I am Barry Sanders on the Detroit Lions. You love to watch me, but you'll never see me play in the Super Bowl. It's just one of those things. It's about politics. It's not about fighting.

Shane Carwin

I always wanted to fight him. He pulled out the first time, right after I had knee surgery. That probably would have been the best time for him to fight me. I thought maybe the third time would have been the charm. It's good that he's moved on. I think he did alright in the UFC. The last time I talked to him, he had full retirement, so he's doing okay. I'm happy that he's happy.

Josh Barnett *It should be noted the interview took place before Barnett's UFC signing*

Well, first thing, is we do VADA. I know he's been popped a couple times, so we definitely want to have an even playing field. It's one of those things where I think it would be a fun fight, though. Josh always brings it. He's an entertaining guy and a great fighter. When he goes out there, he leaves it all in the cage, which is what the fans want. That's why he's so loved in Japan and around the world. He was just hard for the UFC to deal with because he knows what he's worth. I think that's what the UFC didn't like.

Vitor Belfort

He should never get a license in Las Vegas. The only way he can is if there's somebody getting paid off, or whatever. The rules are the rules. If you kill somebody in Texas, you're probably going to get the death penalty. It's just the rules. He's got to live with that.

Appreciation for Short Notice Fights & Being on Standby

Me personally, I've never gotten a phone call saying, 'Hey, we appreciate you.' I stopped trying to think about how the UFC operates. It's like trying to understand a woman. I don't know if my management has gotten any phone calls, if they're working on a fight, or anything like that. I'm always down to fight, but I have management in place to handle those things. My manager makes those decisions so it can be the best for me from a business standpoint, too. If it were up to me, I'd be fighting everybody every week.




UFC: Roy Nelson says he's the Barry Sanders of MMA - Bloody Elbow

Following his recent “retirement,” Nick Diaz, the Stockton-born bad boy, is looking to fill his newfound free time with another attention-grabbing stunt.

Diaz announced that he is putting together his own mixed martial arts promotion, aptly named War MMA.

While an intriguing proposition, Diaz lacks the follow-through to bring such a large venture to fruition. Over the last few years, he has proven himself more blow than go. It is likely that War MMA will be about as prosperous as his failed foray into professional boxing.

Many factors must be taken into account when entering into the complicated business of competitive fight promoting.

And to think that Diaz is going to get all of these factors to fall into place prior to the proposed promotional debut on June 22 is downright laughable.


Reasons Nick Diaz's War MMA Is Destined to Fail | Bleacher Report

Kiwi Mark Hunt has missed out on a chance for a shot at the Ultimate Fighting Championships heavyweight belt.

Needing a win to put him next in line to challenge for the title, the veteran was convincingly beaten by Brazilian Junior Dos Santos in Las Vegas.

The Sydney-based Samoan suffered his first loss by knockdown, stunned by a spinning reverse kick and then finished off within the final minute of the third round. The big-hitting Hunt was well and truly planted, while all accolades went to Dos Santos.


Hunt counted out of MMA contention - Other Sports News | TVNZ

And in some more unfortunate sports news local MMA fighter Josh Usera was arrested Saturday night and charged with Driving Under the Influence.

It was the third time Usera had been arrested for a DUI charge. Usera is listed Sunday night on the Pennington County jail's roster and is being held on a one-thousand-two-hundred-and-fifty dollar bond. Usera owns Dynamic Martial Arts Studio where he is the chief instructor. A third DUI conviction in South Dakota is considered a class six felony.We will continue to follow this story as it develops.

There was much to love about Saturday night's UFC 160. From T.J. Grant's spectacular upset to the spinning wheel kick by Junior dos Santos, fans had a lot to cheer about.

There was also, regrettably, much to be upset about. From questionable judging decisions to a terrible blowout of a main event, not all was fun and games at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday evening.

It's time to separate the winners from the losers, the best from the worst and the signal from the noise.

Star-divide

Best Top-to-Bottom UFC Pay-Per-View of the Year: UFC 160

I don't think this is the best UFC card of the year, but it might be the best UFC pay-per-view. Top to bottom, this card was bloody, violent, technical, exciting, offered high stakes and resulted in outcomes that favor future UFC matchmaking needs (not in total, but the Velasquez-dos Santos trilogy is the big win). The main event was not great and the expected blowout everyone anticipated. There were also a couple of questionable decisions and referee calls (which event doesn't have this problem?). I'm not suggesting the card was perfect. But in totality, no UFC pay-per-view had the consistent level of quality or favorable outcomes, fight-over-fight.

This was a well-produced card. All the UFC needed was a little bit of luck for the entire operation to truly shine. They don't always get it, but on Saturday night they did. What resulted was ultimately an excellent event. There were a lot of standout performances on Saturday. Cain Velasquez could get the nod as the best given how easily he dispatched Bigfoot. I suppose T.J. Grant's dispatching of Gray Maynard was nothing short of remarkable. But in terms of demonstrating a mastery of a particular kind of craft, no one tops Khabib Nurmagomedov's thrashing of Abel Trujillo.

What we saw from Nurmagomedov wasn't just a 'superior' skill set, although we did see that, too. The key insight here is that Nurmagomedov was vastly more technical in every phase of every grappling exchange. From guard, he could capture an elbow for a submission, sweep or back take within seconds. From the tight waist behind Trujillo, he could maintain control for takedowns and mat returns whenever he wanted. If Nurmagomedov wanted to shoot from the outside of take Trujillo down from the clinch or along the fence, he could. He could do almost whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

It was a master class in grappling. Rarely do we get to see a grappler put through so many positions, transitions and phases in a single bout. Even rarer still is the ability of a grappler to demonstrate high-level fluency with every iteration or change. I don't know how far Nurmagomedov can go in the UFC's lightweight division, but in terms of mat work, there may be no one better in the entire weight class than the combat sambo champion from Daegestan. Rick Story is a UFC welterweight with wins over Thiago Alves, Johny Hendricks and (from several years ago) Jake Ellenberger. Today he's 2-4 in his last 6 fights. His only recent wins have come over Quinn Mulhern and Brock Jardine.

At his best, Story is a fearless pocket puncher and strong offensive wrestler who competes with an indefatigable will. At his worst, he is reckless with position, over extends himself and lets his desire to press the action turn his bouts into bullfights where his opposition are the matadors.

On Saturday, we saw each Rick Story. The problem is the latter one was the Story more on display. It's also the one who has more recently dominated his career. If he is to be more than he has been or even hang onto his UFC career, that dynamic needs to shift. Quickly.

Least Successfully Predicted : MMA fans and pundits on T.J. Grant

I don't know how else to say it: the weight cut from welterweight to lightweight seems to have brought Grant's entire offense to life. Maybe it's not just the cut. Maybe Grant's cut is working in tandem with his skill-building efforts. I don't know what it is specifically (it's not simply that he's 'bigger'), but it's working. Frankly, it's hard to think of a fighter who has benefited more from weight cut in MMA than Grant. Everything seems to be working for him, although historically his takedown defense has been an issue.

Can he defeat Ben Henderson to take the lightweight title? I don't know. I don't feel like he could. Then again, I've been wrong about Grant over and over again. So have the majority of my MMA media brethren. So have most fans. Grant is doing the impossible and making it look easy. Almost no one saw any of this coming, but we're all pretty glad we got to see it happen.

Closet Commission Call of the Night: Max Holloway over Dennis Bermudez

It's not a good call under any measurement, but the second round of their bout - the one in question - was a close affair. Look at the stats to see what I'm talking about. The issue here is one, however, the stats don't do a particularly good job of telling. That is, once on the ground, what did Bermudez do with his time? Did he hold Holloway there long enough? Did he land the majority of his strikes there? It's a dominant position with the pass: was he able to operate as such? Is what he did on the ground and with the takedown itself more offensively significant than the striking disparity Holloway enjoyed? I believed that it was, yes, but because there's no clear guideline for settling these questions, we are left with calls that arguably wrong but ultimately 'defensible'.

Coolest Guest of Honor: Mike Tyson

Is there a retired yet relatively public combat athlete more beloved by other combat athletes than Mike Tyson? Muhammad Ali receives more praise from a wider swathe of society, but his physical condition makes glad-handing with fans a challenge. And besides, we're talking about fighters and their favorite fighter. Their calculus of what's great or inspiring, I suspect, is slightly different and probably darker than the typical citizen's.

Tyso

UFC lightweight Reza Madadi was arrested Friday in his adopted country of Sweden after a high-speed car chase that followed an alleged burglary.

Swedish tabloid Ekspressen reported Sunday that the fighter and an associate allegedly broke into a designer handbag store before making off with $150,000 (U.S.) worth of stolen goods.

Madadi and the associate face charges of aggravated theft and abetting larceny, according to Swedish authorities. If convicted, they face up to six years in jail. Prosecutors will decide today whether to detain or release them.

Madadi lawyer Ivan Fialdini denied his client's involvement in the crimes.

"I cannot say much more until we see how this evolves," Fialdini told Ekspressen.

A UFC official told MMAjunkie-com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps – MMAjunkie-com) the promotion is aware of the situation but is awaiting further information before commenting. Madadi's manager could not be reached for comment.

During the alleged burglary, which took place at a Bottega Veneta store, surveillance cameras captured three people coming into the store after breaking a window with a metal object. It reportedly took them several minutes to gain access, after which they took the most expensive items and got in a getaway car. Police gave chase and then apprehended the suspects.

The news comes one month after Madadi (13-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) earned a triumphant win over Michael Johnson at UFC on FUEL TV 9 in Stockholm. After nearly being knocked out in the fight's first round, he staged a late-fight comeback and in the third round secured a D'Arce choke that won him a $60,000 "Submission of the Night" bonus.

At the fight's weigh-ins, Madadi instigated a shoving match with Johnson but said he was just getting hyped up for the competition.

In contrast to his intense staredowns, Madadi often is elated during his interviews. He stands at 2-1 inside the octagon and has been a crowd favorite in two appearances on his native soil.



UFC fighter Reza Madadi arrested on suspicion of burglary in Sweden | News – MMAjunkie-com