Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Ronda Rousey keeping it real despite growing fame
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira also wants to coach "TUF: Brazil 2" with Shogun Rua
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One of the things that has been discussed in recent months is the possibility of Shogun coaching on The Ultimate Fighter. Machida has also campaigned for that spot opposite Shogun, and would love to take that opportunity if they're approached with it.
However, he's not the only fighter who would jump at that chance, as well as a rematch with Shogun. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who lost to Shogun by decision in the 2005 Pride Middleweight (light heavyweight) Grand Prix, said in an interview with Tatame.com this week that he, too, would like to coach against Shogun on The Ultimate Fighter's second season in Brazil.
"I would love to, it?d be awesome... a dream," Nogueira commented. "It would be very good to me and it would be a rematch of 2005's fight, which is something people wanna see. If I have a chance to coach the guys at TUF and also fight him, it would be amazing."
Nogueira pointed to the experience and added fame gained by his twin brother, UFC heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, when he coached the U.S. version of The Ultimate Fighter in it's eighth season as contributing factors in wanting to do the show himself.
"Rodrigo learned a lot from TUF," Rogerio said. "He learned more about being a coach and how to make the team united and gathered. In the United States he's seen by many as the best coach the show ever had and he got even more famous after the show."
Penick's Analysis: If the UFC doesn't want to go with Machida and Shogun on the next season of TUF in Brazil, Shogun-Nogueira would be a fantastic second option. Nogueira's got the skills and coaching staff to be a beneficial addition to the show for its competitors, and a rematch with Shogun could be a really good fight. Still, the timing works out for the UFC to book both Machida and Shogun in December, have them start filming TUF: Brazil in January, and fight for a third time next June. If they don't go that route, Shogun-Nogueira definitely works.
Ian Freeman Don Frye Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita Masakatsu Funaki
Josh Koscheck Out of UFC 151 Fight Against Jake Ellenberger
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira also wants to coach "TUF: Brazil 2" with Shogun Rua
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One of the things that has been discussed in recent months is the possibility of Shogun coaching on The Ultimate Fighter. Machida has also campaigned for that spot opposite Shogun, and would love to take that opportunity if they're approached with it.
However, he's not the only fighter who would jump at that chance, as well as a rematch with Shogun. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who lost to Shogun by decision in the 2005 Pride Middleweight (light heavyweight) Grand Prix, said in an interview with Tatame.com this week that he, too, would like to coach against Shogun on The Ultimate Fighter's second season in Brazil.
"I would love to, it?d be awesome... a dream," Nogueira commented. "It would be very good to me and it would be a rematch of 2005's fight, which is something people wanna see. If I have a chance to coach the guys at TUF and also fight him, it would be amazing."
Nogueira pointed to the experience and added fame gained by his twin brother, UFC heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, when he coached the U.S. version of The Ultimate Fighter in it's eighth season as contributing factors in wanting to do the show himself.
"Rodrigo learned a lot from TUF," Rogerio said. "He learned more about being a coach and how to make the team united and gathered. In the United States he's seen by many as the best coach the show ever had and he got even more famous after the show."
Penick's Analysis: If the UFC doesn't want to go with Machida and Shogun on the next season of TUF in Brazil, Shogun-Nogueira would be a fantastic second option. Nogueira's got the skills and coaching staff to be a beneficial addition to the show for its competitors, and a rematch with Shogun could be a really good fight. Still, the timing works out for the UFC to book both Machida and Shogun in December, have them start filming TUF: Brazil in January, and fight for a third time next June. If they don't go that route, Shogun-Nogueira definitely works.
Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn
Dana White, Matt Hughes, Lorenzo Fertitta: The Morning News Roundup -8.3.12
The days leading up to a UFC event are always chock full of tidbits that are the result of virtually unfettered media access and every Tom, Dick and Harry asking everything imaginable.� What are UFC president Dana White's thoughts on peace in the Middle East?� Where does UFC light-heavyweight contender Mauricio "Shogun" Rua stand on the Miller Lite debate (i.e., does it taste great or is it less filling?)?� If Lyoto Machida could choose to be any kind of tree, what would it be?� All these questions (not really) and more are covered in today's mixed bag of Morning News Roundup!
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- Here's Dana White at the UFC on FOX 4 press conference yesterday, bombarded with questions and firing back answers like a championship-level dodgeball star ducking and flinging dodgeballs.� Man, what a stud.
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- Dana White thinks it's getting about that time that former UFC welterweight champ Matt Hughes and former UFC light-heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin retire.� Can't say I disagree.
"I absolutely, positively want Matt Hughes to retire," said White.� "What else is there to accomplish?� The guy has done everything, he's been a staple in this organization for a long time, he's been [expletive] awesome, there's nothing left to prove."
You know, they say getting old stinks, but what's worse is seeing your heroes get old and become shadows of their former selves.�
- Dana White also thinks that BJ Penn will be a UFC Hall of Famer.� Well, duh.� Just about every fighter on Earth would kill to have a career as amazing as Penn's has been.
- Lyoto Machida would be cool with coaching a season of TUF Brazil opposite Shogun.� Ha.� Yeah.� Just about anyone would be cool with that totally sweet gig.
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- Former UFC light-heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz thinks he could've beaten Jon Jones if he were healthy.� Unless in this instance the word "healthy" includes such things as cybernetic enhancements, mutant powers and psychic abilities, I'm going to have to disagree.
- The magazine Bloomberg Markets will run a piece on the Fertitta brothers (the owners of the UFC) in their September issue.� Often, when mainstream media tackles something MMA-related, it's a puff-piece with very little meat, but a financial publication like Bloomberg Markets should have some worthwhile insight.� Vid here, article here.
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- Here are a couple video clips from Tuesday's episode of "The Ultimate Insider".� One is titled "Training Day: Ryan Bader and Lyoto Machida", the other is "Allied Assault: Inside Brandon Vera's MMA Palace."
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That's all for now.
Kendall Grove Clay Guida Jason Guida Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn
Ronda Rousey keeping it real despite growing fame
David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson Josh Hendricks Ed Herman
Dana White breaks down decision to hand Lyoto Machida a title-shot
Tiki Ghosn Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi
Wagner Prado and Brandon Vera and more pictures from UFC on Fox 4
Check out Tracy Lee's photos from Saturday night's fights in Anaheim. See Wagner Prado's busted eye, Brandon Vera after his loss and more.
Luciano Azevedo Ba Te er Ryan Bader Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao
UFC on FOX 4, Roy Nelson, Chris Weidman: The Morning News Roundup ? 7.30.12
It's fight week, that precious time in the news cycle�when the public relations drones at the UFC and FOX do their best to spawn storylines that will rope in viewers while media members of various degrees of accumen regurgitate or attempt spins�on what they perceive the real stories to be.� Yes, it's a kind of dance, but the music is lovely, and at the end of�it everyone gets to keep a goody bag of memories, plus whatever silverware they can steal.��With UFC on FOX 4 slated for Saturday, the�week will be spent dwelling on all things related to said show, and is that such a bad thing?� We're going to get to see�some perennial favorites in action,�so I'd say no, it's not bad at all.� Just be prepared to see at least one item about UFC on FOX 4 every day.� I'm certainly prepared.
- A one-hour special called "UFC's Road to the Octagon", which hypes the UFC on FOX 4 main card,�began airing yesterday on FOX.� It will be shown again (and again, and again) on�the different FOX-owned networks between now and Saturday night, but since such factors as where you live and whether you have cable, satellite dish or a coat hanger antenna on your TV make it impossible for me to tell you specifically when you can watch it, I'll just say check your local listings.� �
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- Roy Nelson, who won "The Ultimate Fighter - Season 10" (the season with Kimbo Slice) and has been struggling to find a place in the UFC's heavyweight division ever since, has been tapped to coach the upcoming sixteenth season of the beloved (heh-heh) reality TV show opposite Shane Carwin.� Nelson's also begun his campaign of irreverent hype by releasing�the names of people the UFC has forbidden him from using as coaches on the show.� As usual, MMAFighting ace reporter Ariel Helwani has the sweetness: ��
Former Strikeforce fighter turned Bellator and TNA Wrestling star Muhammed Lawal, pro wrestling legend Kurt Angle and Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO Laboratories, are "non-UFC allowed," according to Nelson.� Nelson's manager Mike Kogan confirmed to MMAFighting.com that the UFC will not allow the trio to appear on the show.
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- Chris Weidman is riding high off his dominant destruction of the usually deadly Mark Munoz, so why not capitalize on that momentum by hounding UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva for a shot at the belt?� Actually, when Silva's manager Jorge Guimaraes calls you an "amateur", I guess you're not really hounding, you're just defending yourself.� Am I right?� Anyway, here's Weidman defending himself, courtesy of MMAWeekly:
"I read them and it's kind of crazy.� The managers they have no right to start putting down professional athletes.� He put me, and (Alan) Belcher, and (Tim) Boetsch down and he's trying to draw attention away from the fact that I'm the No. 1 contender, and then called us amateurs, and we're all top ten fighters," Weidman told MMAWeekly.com when reached for comment.
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Yeah, tell 'em, Chris.
That's all for now.
Rebellion MMA Radio: Julie Kedzie, Joseph Henle, Mukai Maromo
Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace
UFC ON FOX 4 PREVIEW: Penick's breakdown and fight predictions for network TV event
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Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Brandon Vera (Light Heavyweight):
Brandon Vera is extremely fortunate to be in this spot. His sole win since 2009 came in his last bout against Eliot Marshall last October, and he nearly gave that fight away late. At one time he was a fast rising talent, threatening to compete at the top end of the sport for some time. However, that fast rise brought about a quick fall, and his inability to live up to those early expectations have haunted him mentally inside the cage.
That's not to say he has no chance against the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Shogun's been plagued by knee issues over the course of his career, and it's visibly affected his game very recently. He looked sluggish against Jon Jones - though part of that performance was brought about by a flying knee in the opening seconds - he was flat footed and fairly slow against Forrest Griffin before power took over, and it took a dramatic turnaround against a tired Dan Henderson in November to have any hope of a come back, as he started off slow again.
Vera's got to use his Muay Thai game to attack Rua's legs, to take that base out from him and not allow him to get going on offense himself. That's his key to success, because he can score points and have an advantage down the stretch if he can wear Rua out early.
It's not an easy task, and Rua will be out to attack him in a similar fashion. Shogun's got the superior power, but neither fighter has been particularly impressive or effective as of late. It's not a foregone conclusion that Rua runs away with this one, but if he's healthy and prepared, he's the better fighter.
PREDICTION: Rua via TKO in the second round
Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader (Light Heavyweight):
Machida's two decisive career losses came against "Shogun," who knocked him out with a blitzing attack, and Jon Jones, who blasted him with a big combination before locking on a vicious choke only a fighter like Jones seems to pull off. A split decision loss to "Rampage" Jackson was a result of Machida failing to attack in the first two rounds, allowing Jackson to score with little action.
Bader's not necessarily the type of fighter who can repeat these performances. He's got heavy hands, sure, and if he connects he could end Machida's night early. But he's not on the same level as the other three names when it comes to the striking game.
He's arguably one of the best wrestlers Machida has faced, but the wrestling game hasn't really been a major issue for Machida throughout his career. Indeed, he's had some very good performances against wrestlers in the past. The key to this fight is Machida's counter-striking. Bader's going to look for the power punch, a style which Machida is typically able to avoid.
Bader may try to close the distance, take Machida down, and work his top game; however, getting Machida down and keeping him there are two different things entirely. This fight comes down to Machida being the superior striker, and having a better chance at keeping the fight where he's most comfortable. I'd expect that leads to a big finish and Machida making his case for a quick return to a title fight.
PREDICTION: Machida via TKO in the second round
Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner (Lightweight):
This is an interesting lightweight matchup. As Champion in the WEC, Varner showcased a fairly well-rounded skillset, with solid wrestling and decent striking putting him on par with most in the division. He went through a rough stretch to end his run in that organization, but in his UFC return earlier this year he showed just why he's still a dangerous fighter.
Lauzon knows what it feels like to be on the wrong end of a hard-hitting opponent, as well. The submission specialist has had an issue with his performances against higher-end competition, but he's been great at defeating fighters he should be beating.
What makes this fight so intriguing is we'll find out just where both fighters stand in the division. After his knockout loss to Anthony Pettis, Lauzon needs a big turnaround. If Varner isn't ready to make a top end return, he'll get submitted with quickness in this fight. If he's the Varner that showed up against Edson Barboza, this could be his fight to lose.
If this fight leaves the first round, Varner should become a prohibitive favorite. Lauzon's simply never shown an ability to keep pace out of the first round. That will become a problem for him as the fight wears on. I'll bank on Varner surviving Lauzon's attempts in the opening frame, then turning things around before taking over completely late in the fight.
PREDICTION: Varner via TKO in the third round
Mike Swick vs. DaMarques Johnson (Welterweight):
Swick hasn't fought since February of 2010. That's a severe layoff, and one that's been plagued by illness and injury. The sheer reality of this fight is that he's going to be facing significant ring rust, and no matter how well he's trained in the last several months, that's going to be a very real factor in the fight.
Johnson has been a very erratic performer in the UFC since making his debut through the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter. He's got a lot of skill both on the ground and in his striking game, but seemingly not enough to pull it all together from fight to fight. Because of that, we're just as likely to see the Johnson who stopped Edgar Garcia, Brad Blackburn, Mike Guymon, and Clay Harvison in impressive fashion as we are to see the Johnson who got stopped by Matt Riddle, submitted to strikes against Amir Sadollah, and fell victim to an armbar against John Maguire.
There's not really a lot of rhyme or reason to what we've seen from him. We know he can knock opponents out with his striking game, we know his ground game is solid, it just hasn't all come together.
Swick's keys are to blitz his opponents with striking combinations. Before the two fight losing skid that came about during his battles with illness, he was looking good at 170 lbs., and his power is a very real threat. It just depends on who can implement their game in this fight.
If Johnson can avoid the initial flurries from Swick, keep his cool, and attack on his own, he may wind up with the advantage. It's a tough fight to call, with a lot of hard to know variables coming into play. Ultimately, the ring rust issue is very significant, and if Johnson shows up, he just may catch Swick off guard.
PREDICTION: Johnson via submission in the third round
Dai Shuanghai Mac Danzig Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis
Eddie Alvarez, Shogun/Vera, UFC Light-Heavyweight Title Shot: Morning News Roundup ? 7.31.12
The Rexplex Sports Complex in Elizabeth, N.J., in December of 2003.� Ah yes, I remember it well.� The ring was set up next to a skate ramp, with a big curtain seperating us MMA folks from the kids doing tricks�on their skateboards.� As for the fights, some lanky dude named Luke Cummo put his�jiu-jitsu skills to good use and won his bout via submission, while another up-and-comer named Jay Hieron completely steamrolled over his foe.� We paid attention to those bouts a bit more because Cummo and Hieron were somewhat established in the area, and though people cheered when�Eddie Alvarez scored a dominant KO in his MMA debut, no one knew who Alvarez was�or what he'd eventually accomplish in the sport.� Why did I take this stroll down memory lane?� Because Alvarez is leading off your morning news roundup.
- Former Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez has one fight left on his contract, and it looks like it's going to be used for a match-up against fearsome Brazilian�monster Patricky "Pitbull" Freire.� When it comes to fighter contracts and the willingness of promotions to re-sign their stars, there are a lot of moving parts that must taken into consideration - things like actual cost, anticipated revenue and just what the parties can do to further each other's interests.� As one of Bellator's first "big" signings, Alvarez brought a ton of credibility to the organization, and Bjorn Rebney definitely made it worthwhile for the Philadelphia native in terms of cheddar.� But nothing lasts forever, so here we are with a high-ranking lightweight very likely about to enter free agency.� What do you do with him if you're Bellator?� Give him a tough, sure-fire exciting match-up that will make your October 12 show a memorable one of course.� And if you're Alvarez, you're going to want to win in the most impressive way possible to make sure your value when you enter free agency is at its highest.� Well, you know who wins in all this?� Us fans, because, Alvarez vs. Freire... yikes!� That's all kinds of "wow"!
�
- Yesterday UFC president Dana White said Saturday's UFC on FOX 4 main event between Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Brandon Vera would determine the number one contender for UFC light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones' belt.� Reactions were mixed (to put it lightly).� Now White is backtracking a little bit and saying that if either of the occupants of Saturday's co-main event - a tilt between Lyoto Machida and Ryan Bader - look impressive enough in victory, they could get the title shot instead.� This certainly makes more sense.� At least, only insomuch as Jones has pretty much slaughtered everyone that he's faced (including Shogun, Vera, Machida and Bader in prior match-ups), and why not offer up the title shot to whoever looks good?� At this rate, Jones is going to be the first UFC champ to get to fight two challengers in the cage at once.� (He'd probably win that fight, too.)
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- Former UFC welterweight contender Jon Fitch will be facing rising star Erick Silva at UFC 153 in Brazil.� You have to imagine that at this point, after having had a run at the title but failing to move the needle in terms of exciting the fans, Fitch is on that spreadsheet that the UFC keeps that's titled "Fighters To Get Rid Of".� Dude has to do something to get off that list...
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That's all for now.
Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner
Luke Rockhold to Throw Out First Pitch at Oakland A?s Game
You know you've made it as an athlete when a Major League Baseball team asks you to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at one of their games.� Such is the case with Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold.� Two weeks ago, Rockhold was handling challenger Tim Kennedy in the cage; on Monday, he gets to drop by the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and put one across home plate (the A's are playing the Tampa Bay Rays, if that means anything to you).� Of course, this isn't the first time that an MMA fighter has been granted this honor.� Other examples include:
- UFC light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones, who threw out the first pitch for a San Diego Padres game back in July, 2010.
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- Former UFC light-heavyweight champ Rashad Evans, who tossed one out for a Miami Marlins game in June of this year.
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- Former UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin, who did the honors for a Cincinnati Reds game.
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- Former UFC welterweight star Chris Lytle, who threw one home for a Los Angeles Dodgers game.
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- Former WEC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres, who did one up for the Chicago White Sox.
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- Strikeforce fighter K.J. Noons, who rocketed one home for a Houston Astros game.
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- UFC light-heavyweight fighter Brandon Vera, who did the same for a Padres game earlier this month.
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You know what.� Now that I think about it, this whole throwing-out-the-ceremonial-first-pitch thing isn't that special after all.� As you were.
Jim Genia tweets here and wrote this book.� Believe that!
Kit Cope Wesley Cabbage Correira Patrick The Predator Côté Randy The Natural Couture Dan Cramer
Should Hector Lombard drop to welterweight after debut loss at UFC 149?
"It wasn't the fight I was expecting," UFC president Dana White admitted. "It just wasn't what I thought it was going to be. Whether it was Boetsch or Lombard winning, I was expecting a real war. I thought this thing was going to be a war."
It was far from an exciting bout, as Lombard, known for his aggression and knockouts, showed little aggressiveness in the bout. White wondered if Octagon jitters got the best of Lombard, and also threw out the idea that middleweight is too big of a weight class.
"Lombard maybe should fight at 170," White said. "He made 185 easily. He's short and wide, but I think he could make 170."
In a Q and A before the UFC 149 weigh-ins, middleweight Michael Bisping made jokes about Lombard's height.
"I bumped into Hector Lombard in the elevator, and I thought someone was playing a practical joke. I was like, 'Who is this dwarf?' I think he's in the wrong weight class. I think he's in the 125 weight class."
At 5-foot-9, Lombard is one of the shortest middleweights in the division. Most 185ers in the UFC are at least six-foot. Champion Anderson Silva is 6-foot-2. Though fighters have overcome height and reach differences in bouts -- think Travis Browne knocking out Stefan Struve -- there is no reason for Lombard to come into the fight at a disadvantage if he is comfortable dropping down.
Should he drop down? Tell us your thoughts in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.
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Rory MacDonald suffers cut, out of UFC 152 bout with B.J. Penn
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Per White, via several reporters on Twitter, revealed that MacDonald suffered a gash to his forehead while training, and he won't be healed in time to take the bout on Sept. 22.
That leaves Penn without an opponent at the moment, and there's no word on a replacement. The bout was to have been his first since losing to Nick Diaz last October, and now his return is in doubt. He had retired after the loss to Diaz, but the bout with MacDonald was one that intrigued him and got him to return to action.
Penick's Analysis: I honestly don't know where they go from here with Penn. He could delay his return to action and wait for MacDonald to heal up if that's the fight that he wants to take. Or, he could take a different opponent on the card, but who that would be at this point is hard to say. Would he take a fight with Siyar Bahadurzada? Doubtful. Would a rematch with Diego Sanchez interest him? Perhaps. Will the UFC break up a different bout to put a more interesting fight together? Maybe. It's hard to say what's going to happen next, and this is just really unfortunate news tonight.
Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan Dan The Sandman Christison
Frankie Edgar, Rich Franklin, UFC on FOX 4: The Morning News Roundup ? 8.6.12
And just as one fight week ends, another begins.� Last week, we had the buildup to UFC on FOX 4, which on Saturday night gave us the next light-heavyweight challenger to the belt.� This week we have UFC 150 on tap, which will see the rematch between UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson and former champ Frankie Edgar.� So, you ready for another round of UFC-flavored news tidbits leading up to a night of action?� I know I am.
- The first shot across the bow in terms of UFC 150 interviews is one with Frankie Edgar, fired by the cannon manned by MMAWeekly.�
"It definitely doesn't feel right," Edgar said about not being champion when speaking to MMAWeekly Radio.� "Especially when people say 'former UFC world champion'.� You try not to put everything on world titles and whatnot, but being champ is nice."
Edgar gets to rectify the situation on Saturday.� Think he can do it?
- Former UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin is fighting former Strikeforce star Cung Le at UFC on Fuel TV 6, which will take place on November 10 in Macau (which is a Las Vegas-type island right outside of China).� Having Le on the card seemed like a no-brainer, but it appeared as if he'd broken his foot defeating Patrick Cote at UFC 148; I guess his foot will be okay in time for Franklin.
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- The ratings are in for UFC on FOX 4, and though the show ended up being a stellar example of how exciting a UFC event can be, the event did go up against the Olympics and the numbers reflect that.� MMAPayout is reporting an average of 2.14 viewers, which makes the event the lowest-rated of the four UFCs that have aired on FOX.
�
That's it for now.� Follow me on Twitter here.
Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai
UFC Fighter Ivan Menjivar to Run for Public Office in Quebec
UFC bantamweight and longtime MMA veteran Ivan Menjivar announced today that he intends to run for public office in Quebec.� The 30-year-old Menjivar, who was born in El Salvador but has resided in Canada for most of his life, will be seeking a legislative position with the National Assembly of Quebec, under the "Parti de la Classe Moyenne du Quebec" (translation: Party of the Middle Class of Quebec, or PCMQ) in the Anjou-Louis-Riel district.
Said Menjivar via Twitter:
Je suis fier de porte ma candidature pour la circonscription Anjou-Louis-Riel.� Comme member du Parti de la Classe Moyenne du Quebec! �(Loose translation: "I am proud to carry the nomination for the Anjou-Louis-Riel district as a member of the Party of the Middle Class of Quebec!")
� touts mes amis facebookys s.v.p passe le mots: je suis candidat pour le PCMQ pour Anjou-Louis-Riel merci.� (Loose translation: "To all my Facebookys please pass the word: I am a candidate for the PCMQ for Anjou-Louis-Riel.� Thanks.")
Menjivar further stated that his platform includes addressing the war on corruption and the ethics of political parties, as well as the improvement of the health care system and access to a family doctor.
A brown belt in jiu-jitsu and member of the famed Tristar Gym in Montreal, Menjivar has long been known as a competitor who is unafraid of facing tough challenges, and can count among his past opponents such MMA stars as UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre, former UFC featherweight champ Urijah Faber, and former UFC welterweight champ Matt Serra.� Menjivar made his UFC debut at UFC 48, which took place on June 19, 2004.� Since returning to the Octagon after a nearly seven-year hiatus, Menjivar has won four out of five fights.�
Menjivar is not the first accomplished mixed martial artist to run for office.� Other notable pugilistic politicians include: top middleweight contender Chael Sonnen, who ran for a position in the Oregon State Legislature; former top middleweight contender Matt Lindland, who also sought a position in the Oregon State Legislature; and retired UFC welterweight Chris Lytle, who ran in the Indiana State Senate race.� None were successful.
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UFC on Fox 4 Results: Lyoto Machida lays claim to title shot by knocking out Ryan Bader
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The outcome was never really in doubt for Machida, as he had Bader flustered and out-classed in the striking game from the outset. Bader wanted to attack with his power strikes, and looked to rush in multiple times with short punches, but he found himself getting tagged by counter strikes left and right from Machida.
The former Light Heavyweight Champion also added in several quick body strikes, and as he got more and more comfortable throughout the fight, he was adding in some taunting hand movement and keeping Bader uncomfortable.
Finally, as had been happening all fight, Bader rushed in again a minute into the second round. This time, he ran full force into a counter right that cracked him in the jaw and knocked him out cold. One more strike on the ground officially brought and end to the proceedings, and Bader's hopes of moving into the elite of the division.
Though he's just 3-3 in his last six fights, Machida may yet be getting a shot at the winner of the Jon Jones-Dan Henderson title bout at UFC 151 next month.
[Lyoto Machida art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Mitch Gagnon vs. Walel Watson booked for UFC 152
Mitch Gagnon will bounce right back into action after a loss to Bryan Caraway in his UFC debut last month, as he'll take on Walel Watson at UFC 152 this September.
The UFC added the bout to the card on Friday.
Watson's in desperate need of a win after consecutive losses to Yves Jabouin and T.J. Dillashaw, while Gagnon's loss to Caraway was his first since 2009.
Lorenzo Borgomeo Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan
Ryan Bader doesn?t remember much from loss to Lyoto Machida
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The Wrestling Post: WWE Earnings for 2nd Quarter
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Dana White changes his tune, now thinks TRT is "great" and "absolutely fair"
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-One month after calling testosterone replacement therapy "junk" in an interview with ESPN, UFC President Dana White changed his tune once again in an interview with Fox Sports' "MMA Intensity" (transcribed by BloodyElbow.com).
Penick's Analysis: You know what else is "sports science"? Human growth hormone; new, undetectable drugs developed for athletes for performance enhancement. Science is a big part of the PED movement, and opponents of TRT see it as yet another one being used as a loophole by fighters to enhance their recovery and training energy. The issue with TRT isn't that a fighter's going to be jacked up on fight night. It's not going to lead to overly muscled steroid-freak rage attacks come fight night. What it does do is allow a fighter to recover at a faster pace than their body would allow otherwise, and to gain other benefits from the use of testosterone. That's why there's an issue to discuss here. And when White talks about policing it, they're not doing anything on that front, either. The commission's aren't doing overly extensive testing for fighters who are requesting exemptions for these treatments, and the UFC washes their hands on the drug testing issue and leaves it up to the commissions. Because of all that the use of this particular substance is very shady, and until there's a uniform shift in the mindset of fans, athletes, and critics, TRT and other scientific advancements for these issues will be heavily scrutinized.
Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie Peter Graham
Monday, August 6, 2012
Junior dos Santos aiming to face Alistair Overeem in the Octagon, not Cain Velasquez
Yoshihiro Akiyama Gilbert Aldana José Aldo John Alessio Houston Alexander
Ryan Bader prefers second meeting with Jon Jones over Dan Henderson fight
Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie Ralek Gracie Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie
Weigh-in results for UFC on Fox 4
Weigh-ins took place this afternoon for tomorrow night's UFC on Fox 4 event from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. All fighters made weight for the event, including all four light heavyweight competitors, who will fight for a shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Full weigh-in results are below:
Main Fox Card
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (205) vs. Brandon Vera (203.8)
Lyoto Machida (201) vs. Ryan Bader (205)
Joe Lauzon (155.8) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
Mike Swick (170) vs. DaMarques Johnson (171)
Fuel TV Prelims
Cole Miller (145) vs. Nam Phan (145)
Phil Davis (205.5) vs. Wagner Prado (205)
Josh Grispi (146) vs. Rani Yahya (145.5)
Phil De Fries (235) vs. Oli Thompson (232)
Manny Gamburyan (145.5) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (145.5)
Ulysses Gomez (125.5) vs. John Moraga (125.5)
Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez
UFC on Fox 4 Results: Lyoto Machida lays claim to title shot by knocking out Ryan Bader
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The outcome was never really in doubt for Machida, as he had Bader flustered and out-classed in the striking game from the outset. Bader wanted to attack with his power strikes, and looked to rush in multiple times with short punches, but he found himself getting tagged by counter strikes left and right from Machida.
The former Light Heavyweight Champion also added in several quick body strikes, and as he got more and more comfortable throughout the fight, he was adding in some taunting hand movement and keeping Bader uncomfortable.
Finally, as had been happening all fight, Bader rushed in again a minute into the second round. This time, he ran full force into a counter right that cracked him in the jaw and knocked him out cold. One more strike on the ground officially brought and end to the proceedings, and Bader's hopes of moving into the elite of the division.
Though he's just 3-3 in his last six fights, Machida may yet be getting a shot at the winner of the Jon Jones-Dan Henderson title bout at UFC 151 next month.
[Lyoto Machida art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge
Lyoto Machida believes Jon Jones has weaknesses to exploit in potential UFC Title rematch
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If it's Jones for a second time, Machida will have his work cut out for him. Though he had some success in their first bout last December, he was ultimately hit by a couple of big strikes, then driven back to the cage and choked out by a standing guillotine.
It was a vicious and decisive finish, and he needs to find a better way to combat Jones in their rematch. He believes the young Champ has weaknesses to exploit, he's just got pinpoint them and then execute come fight night.
"It's very, very hard to say [what I'd do differently] because Jon is a very elusive fighter, very unpredictable fighter; you can't predict where he's going," Machida commented when speaking to Fuel TV on the after-show for Saturday's event (transcribed by MMAWeekly.com). "I think I'd keep the same training, try to keep my distance and my timing, maybe have to train a little more wrestling to avoid his techniques from wrestling.
"Of course he has a weak point, but because Jon is a very elusive fighter, all the time he changes his style; sometimes he kicks, sometimes he punches, he's very good with wrestling, but maybe I have to train more wrestling to avoid his takedown."
Whatever he needs to figure out, he'll have a few months to do so, and on Sept. 1 he'll find out for sure whether or not he's meeting Jones once more.
Penick's Analysis: Machida's a very intelligent fighter, and he's not easy to defeat. Mauricio "Shogun" was able to have success against him because he offset Machida's counter-striking style with an effective rush, allowing him to land his knockout blow. However, were the two to rematch today, I'd pick Machida to have made the adjustments necessary to defeat Rua. When it comes to Jones, Machida simply went up against the best light heavyweight fighter in the world. He landed some strikes early, kept Jones a little off his game, but all in all the fight went as most of Jones' fights have gone. Machida can improve upon that; he can. But it's not going to be an easy task.
[Lyoto Machida art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Dave Gomez Keith Hackney Matt Hamill Volk Han Joachim Hansen
UFC on Fox 4 Video - Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader highlights
Lyoto Machida punched his ticket to another title fight on Saturday night, knocking out Ryan Bader in the second round of their bout at UFC on Fox 4. If you missed the event live, you can check out highlights of the fight below (via FoxSports.com):
Video URL: http://mmajunkie.com/news/30046/ufc-on-fox-4-lyoto-machida-vs-ryan-bader-full-fight-video-highlights.mma
Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic
Scenes from an Underground Fight Show in New York City
Earlier today there was an edition of the Underground Combat League (UCL), New York City's long-running, unsanctioned MMA promotion.� Unlike most of the other states in the country, New York has deemed professional MMA to be illegal.� But a loophole in the law has allowed amateur events to flourish ? albeit in a quasi-hush-hush world where fighters sometimes use aliases and the locations of shows are kept secret from the athletic commission.�
Please, don't judge them too harshly.� The UCL, for instance, has churned out over forty events since its debut in 2003, and can count among its alumni such fighters as former UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar and International Fight League heavyweight Bryan Vetell (as well as a slew of dudes who went on to fight in Strikeforce, the WEC, Bellator and top regional promotions).� And before you accuse anyone of exploitation, remember this: everyone from promoter Peter Storm to the fighters to the fans wants to see New York State sanction the sport; it's only because New York won't that events like this exist.
You're probably about to ask something along the lines of "Well, don't you think underground shows like this one are setting the sport back and keeping it from being sanctioned?"� That's a clown-question, bro.� The politicians who favor MMA in New York have cited the state's thriving underground fight scene as a reason why the sport must be sanctioned.
Jim Genia always posts live results from these dastardly events here.
Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace
Shogun Rua says Lyoto Machida getting next title shot is fair after UFC on Fox 4
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Machida's performance over Ryan Bader was much more dominant than Rua, and he stopped the fight much sooner, and because of those factors, Rua wasn't upset at the UFC's decision. Considering all four men were told ahead of time they had an opportunity to earn that shot, Shogun said he felt it was a fair situation.
"I guess Lyoto is a top five guy and Ryan Bader a top ten," Shogun said at the post-fight press conference (via Tatame.com). "I think it was fair the four of us fought for a chance at the belt. I guess it was fair."
"I'm cool. My obligation is to do my best and fight. Lyoto got his shot. I'll keep training hard. That's my job."
Penick's Analysis: Shogun's in a tough spot right now at light heavyweight. He had an epic fight with Dan Henderson last November, but he didn't look good in the early portions of the fight. He was flat footed and seemed off against Forrest Griffin last summer, but was lucky to find that Griffin was in even worse shape for the fight and he picked up a stoppage win there. Then on Saturday he looked sluggish and plodding at times against Vera. Whether he can continue to defeat elite competition in the division is very much in question, and so he may have a rough run trying to work back to a title fight after failing to earn the shortcut from the UFC.
[Mauricio "Shogun" Rua art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis Tony DeSouza Edwin Dewees Nick Diaz
ENNIS: The BS Meter - Dana White Edition
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First statement: The strategy for the FOX shows has not changed. People don't understand that the first show was a kickoff.
This one is a mixed bag. People understand just fine that the first show was a kickoff. That's what you said before the show happened. What we don't understand is how you go from a heavyweight title fight to Evans vs. Davis, to Diaz vs. Miller, to Shogun vs. Vera. I'm not putting down any of those fights, mind you. Evans vs. Davis wasn't great, but had name value and got a little bit of promotion, though not as much as the first event. Diaz vs. Miller was very good but had no name value and got very little promotion. Shogun vs. Vera has the makings of a quick beatdown with whatever name value Shogun provides (marginal) and it feels like a bigger event than the last one. So saying that people don't understand that the first show was a kickoff is a copout, basically saying that everything is going according to plan. But really the plan was to have big fights. Shogun-Vera and Miller-Diaz are not big fights if you define that term by how attractive it is to potential casual fans. They're title eliminators, but in the case of Shogun-Vera, it's a title eliminator because it's on FOX. Not the other way around. Sure, the goals are the same, but the events aren't reflecting the same strategy.
BS Meter Reading: Truthy-BS
Second statement: Tim Sylvia wasn't brought in to fight Daniel Cormier because he hasn't beaten anyone.
Tim Sylvia wasn't brought in because Ray Mercer knocked him out three years ago, and that's the enduring image in Dana White's mind. That's it. Whom exactly is there for Tim Sylvia to beat outside of the UFC that would convince Dana White to bring him in? By that logic, no heavyweight outside the UFC belongs in the UFC, because there's no one out there who's any good. Sylvia is 7-1 since the Mercer fight. His wins have come over opponents with a combined 91-52 record (.636 win percentage.) World beaters? No. But what else are you going to find on the regional circuit?
BS Meter Reading: Total BS
Third statement: This is a sport where you'd better be cocky. (Regarding a question about Brandon Vera's cockiness.)
Sometimes I feel like the only one with this opinion. People love to hate Jon Jones because he's cocky. What kind of person do you think it takes to get into a cage and try to beat someone up? A guy who thinks he's alright? A guy who's not sure how it's gonna go, but he may end up on the right side of things? No. It takes someone who knows he can beat anyone.
BS Meter Reading: No BS
Fourth statement (Caesar Gracie Interlude): Nick Diaz should fight Anderson Silva, and he should have a fight overseas while his suspension is still active in Nevada.
In case you didn't get it from the parenthetical insertion, this one comes from Caesar Gracie. He made the claim about Silva in Diaz's "unretirement" announcement, and apparently he's scheduled to meet with White next week to talk about Nate Diaz, at which point he hopes to ask Dana to set up an overseas fight for Nick. The Silva fight, while it would be awesome, makes no sense for a guy who just came off a title loss of his own, and a fight overseas with an active NSAC suspension is just dumb. And for the record, White shot down both of these notions already.
BS Meter Reading: Total BS
Fifth Statement: The athletic commission does the drug testing. These guys who want to go through VADA or whatever can do what they want, but it's up to the athletic commissions to get the testing done.
We've been down this road before. Throwing your hands up at the problem and saying it's up to the commissions is a total copout that no one believes.
BS Meter Reading: Total BS
Sixth Statement: The Mir-Cormier fight should be for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Title, and if it's not, that's ridiculous.
What would be ridiculous is if the Strikeforce Heavyweight Title still existed. The champion defected to the UFC without losing the title, and it was announced during the heavyweight tournament (in which the heavyweight champion was participating but not defending his title) that the division would be dissolved shortly after the tournament's conclusion. So the heavyweight tournament ends, with no title on the line and no heavyweight champion, and this fight should be for the vacant Strikeforce Heavyweight Title?
BS Meter Reading: Total BS (and you can apply this to any statement White ever makes to having any involvement with Strikeforce. Though he probably won't make any claims like that since he admitted when he said this that he didn't know what was going on over there)
Seventh Statement: Matt Hughes and Forrest Griffin should both retire. Neither of them has anything left to prove, and if you're not shooting for a title or getting "in the mix," why keep going?
Actually yeah, this one makes a lot of sense. Griffin hasn't shown any kind of enthusiasm towards fighting for a while now, and Hughes is a shell of a shell of his former self. So why keep taking the risk? Both guys are well enough off financially, or at least it's reasonable to assume so, and you know the UFC is going to take care of them with gigs of some sort if they need it.
BS Meter Reading: No BS
That's about it for this edition of the BS Meter. If you want to see the meter brought out of the case again, let me know via email (ennistorch(at)gmail(dot)com) or twitter (@shawnennis,) or just leave a note in the comments.
Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko
Dana White ?UFC on FOX 4? Post-Fight Media Scrum (Complete Video)
Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar
Watch Jason High?s 26-second Strikeforce win (VIDEO)
Jason High's 26-second win over Nate Moore from Saturday night's Strikeforce card wasn't aired, but Showtime released the fight video. Spend 26 seconds watching the fight, or a bit longer if you want to see it from more than one angle.
With such little time in the cage, High wants to return to fighting as soon as possible. Strikeforce has a card Sept. 29, and he wants to be on it.
"I'm hoping to fight again on the September card, that would be perfect for me," he said. "Hopefully I can be on that main card, because I definitely feel I deserve to be.
High is on a seven-fight win streak. Any recommendations for a September opponent? Tell them in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.
Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez
Brandon Vera Victorious in TKO Defeat
Dos Caras Jr Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin Jason Hollywood Chambers
Anthony Pettis? camp responds to Donald Cerrone talking smack
Stav Crazy Bear Economou Yves Edwards Justin Eilers Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund
UFC on Fox 4 comes in a distant second in ratings to the Olympics on NBC
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That's down from the 2.25 million on average at this stage for UFC on Fox 3 in May, which featured Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller in the main event. That number eventually adjusted to 2.4 million viewers on average, a significant drop from the first two UFC on Fox events.
Saturday's card, topped by a light heavyweight double feature with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Brandon Vera and Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader, was still the second-most watched program in the UFC's key demographics, drawing a 1.1 and 4 share in adults 18-49.
Unfortunately for the UFC, Saturday's card was also head-to-head with the Olympics on NBC, which smashed every network by a wide margin, drawing an average of 26 million viewers, as well as a 7.8 rating in the adults 18-49 demo and 27 share.
Penick's Analysis: The Olympics were always going to crush this card, and it certainly didn't help things that Saturday wound up being the final day of swimming, including the final Olympic swim for the most decorated Olympian in history, Michael Phelps. Saturday's card was a fantastically entertaining event, and did feature two former champions in the top two bouts, but they also put Brandon Vera in a main event. In 2012. These types of fights are not going to draw the massive numbers the UFC had expected, and they need to look at the dates they're running as well. They ran up against Cinco de Mayo and one the biggest movie opening weekend ever from The Avengers with UFC on Fox 3, and up against the Olympics here. Some of that is hard or near impossible to anticipate, but there has to be a better job done on the planning side of things to make these Fox cards more of an "event" event for fans.
Jermaine Andrè Yoji Anjo Ao Hailin Shinya Aoki Andrei Arlovski
Urijah Faber?s rib was broken early in loss to Renan Barao (PHOTO)
Urijah Faber lost in his second shot at a UFC title at UFC 149 in Calgary on Saturday night, and walked away with the extra bonus of a broken rib. He said a knee from Renan Barao broke it in the first round, and tweeted his X-ray.
Faber has experience with gutting his way through a fight with an injury. He injured both his hands early in a loss to Mike Brown in 2009, and finished the five-round fight.
Though the bout wasn't a thriller, it was hardly worth the boos the crowd sent Faber and Barao's way. After the not great bout between James Head and Brian Ebersole, the boring bout between Cheick Kongo and Shawn Jordan, and the bizarre snooze fest between Tim Boetsch and Hector Lombard, only a fight stoppage would do.
They must have forgotten Faber is hard to finish. He can ignore injuries, and hasn't lost by a stoppage since he was TKOed by Brown in November of 2008.
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Mike Swick Doesn?t Know the Meaning of ?Ring Rust?
Two and a half years ago, Mike Swick left the Octagon plagued by medical issues and a shadow of his former self.� But the TUF 1 veteran that entered the cage tonight at UFC on FOX 4 seemed to be every bit the exciting fighter he once was ? and he was more than capable when it came to sealing the deal for the win.
From the outset, the bout between Swick and DaMarques Johnson was a showcase of explosive brutality, with "Quick" cracking Johnson with a right hand that forced the TUF 9 runner-up to consider the wisdom of engaging in any slugfests.� Again and again that right hand landed, but Johnson mixed things up by taking the fight to the ground.� There, he was on top, raining down punishment and attempting submissions while Swick struggled to survive.
Swick, however, was a man determined, and when Round Two began, he caught one of Johnson's kicks, threw him down, and dropped a bomb ? another right hand ? square on Johnson's jaw.� The TUF 9er was out cold at the 1:20 mark of the second round.
With the win, Swick answered a ton of questions in terms of whether or not he could return to form.� He also proved one very important thing: Despite a two-and-a-half year layoff, Mike Swick doesn't know the meaning of the phrase "ring rust".
Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves Andre Amade