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Monday, April 30, 2012
Video: Huge headkick finishes bout at Pinnacle Combat 10
This weekend saw many spectactular finishes but Lonnie Scriven’s huge headkick over Aron Hingtgen at�Pinnacle Combat 10 was one of the biggest. Look low, kick high. Oldest trick in the book. – Nick Osipczak
Stav Crazy Bear Economou Yves Edwards Justin Eilers Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund
Mauricio ?Shogun? Rua Faces Thiago Silva, Likely at UFC 149
There will apparently be some Brazilian-on-Brazilian crime going down in Canada. On Sunday afternoon, UFC president Dana White announced Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (Pictured) will return to action against Thiago Silva. White didn?t confirm when the light heavyweight shootout would take place, but MMAJunkie reports UFC 149 inside Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary could host the scrap. [...]
Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie Ralek Gracie
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE REPORT 4/27: Penick's random thoughts on eighth episode on FX
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: LIVE
APRIL 27, 2012
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
-Jon Anik opens the show as the fighters are shown entering the arena for tonight. Tonight's live fight sees Dominick Cruz's second pick in Sam Sicilia taking on the final pick of the season for Team Faber in Chris Saunders.
-In the open we get a little info on both Sicilia and Saunders, who have been performing in training unexpectedly compared to where they were picked.
-Next is a recap of last week's fight, where Team Cruz's Vinc Pichel scored a third round over Team Faber's Chris Cofer.
-After the opening credits, it's a flash to backstage after last week's live bout. Cruz was ecstatic with the win, while Cofer was crushed with the third round loss, saying the last minute cost him everything. He almost couldn't get through his post-fight comments to the TUF crew. He put forth a solid effort prior to that final round, though.
-Cruz brought in Ronda Rousey to work with his team. Rousey was thankful for the opportunity to be the first female guest coach on TUF, and then we got a montage of her beating the hell out of everyone with throws as she showed them technique. I'll never not enjoy watching Ronda Rousey work in this sport.
-As Cruz and Rousey were leaving the gym, Urijah Faber was getting to the training center. An attempt to have a quick comment with Rousey led to yet another back and forth exchange between he and Cruz. The dislike is strong in those two, and being around each other week in and week out on this show certainly isn't improving things between them.
[Commercial Break]
-Ronda Rousey joins the guys in the TUF house for a UFC 145 viewing party. Things immediately got awkward. They played up the awkwardness of the whole segment until she ducked out. While that was slightly entertaining, would have liked to see some of the reaction to the event they were watching.
-Saunders goes by "The SoCal Kid" as he has idolized Faber, who happens to now be coaching him. He went into fanboy mode while sparring with Faber, but Faber doesn't think he's on a pedestal, and wants to see Saunders believe in himself. Faber's very complimentary of Saunders' skills, but said he needs more confidence.
[Commercial Break]
-Into the house, the pranks are beginning to pick up, though they're rather tame so far.
-Saunders gives some background on himself, and he's had a rough time in life prior to this show.
-Sicilia said he turned pro a year ago after a sporadic schedule as an amateur. Cruz praised Sicilia's game overall before we got more training footage.
[Commercial Break]
-Nine minutes to fight time, and it's time for Faber and his team to turn Cruz's locker room into an equipment room. They wore as little as possible to get as sweaty as possible inside of Cruz's locker room. Cruz called it a cry for attention. It was all pretty amusing, actually, as Cruz then feigned indignation and shook his head.
-Weigh-in time. Sicilia in at 155, Saunders at 155.
-Michael Chiesa, Sicilia's real-life teammate, talked about how hard it will be for him watching the bout as part of Team Faber.
-Backstage for the final word from the coaches. This is by far my least favorite part of this season; these segments come off completely staged and awkward, and it's not adding anything.
[Commercial Break]
FIGHT: SAM SICILIA VS. CHRIS SAUNDERS (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Sicilia rushed in and backed Saunders up to the cage. He landed an early overhand right, a knee, and another strike before clinching up. Saunders landed a nice knee to the body, then turned Sicilia around. They jockeyed for position and Saunders landed another knee. Sicilia broke off and missed a punch. He landed hard right. He tripped up as Saunders as avoiding him, but Saunders couldn't capitalize as it got back to a clinch on the cage. Sicilia tripped him up but then he popped back to his feet. Saunders turned him around and landed a few knees to the body and legs. Saunders continued with the knees and Sicilia backed off. Saunders went for a superman punch. He then landed a nice leg kick. He knocked Sicilia down with a head kick! Sicilia face planted, but then recovered to his feet. Saunders got him backed up and started landing strikes. Sicilia got his wits back, though, and fought back at him. They got back to the clinch with a minute and a half left, with Sicilia looking to rest. Saunders continued landing knee strikes to the legs and body. Sicilia tried for a takedown, but Saunders kept up. He landed a nice elbow in the clinch. He went for the head kick again but missed. Sicilia caught a kick and tripped Saunders up. Saunders worked back to his feet, though. Sicilia walked him down. Saunders jumped in awkwardly and nearly got dropped at the end, but he took the punch as the horn sounded.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Saunders. Sicilia was having some success, but Saunders stayed quite active throughout and the knock down swung the round in his favor.
[Commercial Break]
ROUND TWO: Sicilia tried to come out quick again, but Saunders landed the first punch. He got in a short combo, then landed a nice short uppercut. Sicilia pressed him back with a kick, but Saunders blocked well. Saunders landed a left, but got cracked by a counter punch. Sicilia connected on a few strikes before grabbing another clinch. Again, Saunders stayed active with knees to the body. He covered up well as Sicilia separated with a strike. Sicilia landed hard uppercut. They traded strikes. Sicilia was simply throwing wild haymakers. Saunders landed a knee in the clinch, then got Sicilia's back standing. He got a takedown, but then Sicilia reversed, and landed a series of knees as Saunders worked to his feet. Back in the clinch. Sicilia went for a single leg, but Saunders pulled off a switch and got on top. He took Sicilia's back as he turned, but then wound up in guard as Sicilia shook him off. He got to his feet and they separated again. Sicilia landed a left. Saunders landed a nice two-punch combo. Sicilia then dropped him with a big punch. He grabbed for a choke, but then Saunders wound up on top. Saunders moved to half guard. Sicilia again gave up his back, but Saunders again couldn't hold the position. They got back up into the clinch on their feet. After separating, Sicila continued throwing bombs. Saunders landed a few nice knees and ended the round with a two-punch combo.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sicilia. That round really could go either way, and I wouldn't argue against either of them getting it. That was incredibly hard to score, with an immense amount of action between both fighters. Thus far easily the best fight of this season, and we might get a third round.
[Commercial Break]
WINNER: Saunders via split decision
-Wouldn't have argued with a third round, but I can see Saunders getting that second frame as well. Really fun, albeit immensely sloppy, fight.
-Saunders said after the fight went as he expected it to go, and he gave Sicilia credit for a tough fight. Sicilia was clearly dejected. Saunders walked up and gave him a kiss on the head. Fight pick for next week after the break.
[Commercial Break]
-Dana White said it was a great fight, but thought it should have gone to a third round. He scored it as I had it, with Saunders in the first and Sicilia in the second. Faber jokingly said he wanted to give Cruz the fight pick (as it's the last fight of this round). It'll be Andy Ogle (who came out in a singlet) against Mike Rio next week. Quarterfinals the week after. Thanks for joining us tonight, join us next week for another Ultimate Fighter blog!
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APRIL 27, 2012
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
-Jon Anik opens the show as the fighters are shown entering the arena for tonight. Tonight's live fight sees Dominick Cruz's second pick in Sam Sicilia taking on the final pick of the season for Team Faber in Chris Saunders.
-In the open we get a little info on both Sicilia and Saunders, who have been performing in training unexpectedly compared to where they were picked.
-Next is a recap of last week's fight, where Team Cruz's Vinc Pichel scored a third round over Team Faber's Chris Cofer.
-After the opening credits, it's a flash to backstage after last week's live bout. Cruz was ecstatic with the win, while Cofer was crushed with the third round loss, saying the last minute cost him everything. He almost couldn't get through his post-fight comments to the TUF crew. He put forth a solid effort prior to that final round, though.
-Cruz brought in Ronda Rousey to work with his team. Rousey was thankful for the opportunity to be the first female guest coach on TUF, and then we got a montage of her beating the hell out of everyone with throws as she showed them technique. I'll never not enjoy watching Ronda Rousey work in this sport.
-As Cruz and Rousey were leaving the gym, Urijah Faber was getting to the training center. An attempt to have a quick comment with Rousey led to yet another back and forth exchange between he and Cruz. The dislike is strong in those two, and being around each other week in and week out on this show certainly isn't improving things between them.
[Commercial Break]
-Ronda Rousey joins the guys in the TUF house for a UFC 145 viewing party. Things immediately got awkward. They played up the awkwardness of the whole segment until she ducked out. While that was slightly entertaining, would have liked to see some of the reaction to the event they were watching.
-Saunders goes by "The SoCal Kid" as he has idolized Faber, who happens to now be coaching him. He went into fanboy mode while sparring with Faber, but Faber doesn't think he's on a pedestal, and wants to see Saunders believe in himself. Faber's very complimentary of Saunders' skills, but said he needs more confidence.
[Commercial Break]
-Into the house, the pranks are beginning to pick up, though they're rather tame so far.
-Saunders gives some background on himself, and he's had a rough time in life prior to this show.
-Sicilia said he turned pro a year ago after a sporadic schedule as an amateur. Cruz praised Sicilia's game overall before we got more training footage.
[Commercial Break]
-Nine minutes to fight time, and it's time for Faber and his team to turn Cruz's locker room into an equipment room. They wore as little as possible to get as sweaty as possible inside of Cruz's locker room. Cruz called it a cry for attention. It was all pretty amusing, actually, as Cruz then feigned indignation and shook his head.
-Weigh-in time. Sicilia in at 155, Saunders at 155.
-Michael Chiesa, Sicilia's real-life teammate, talked about how hard it will be for him watching the bout as part of Team Faber.
-Backstage for the final word from the coaches. This is by far my least favorite part of this season; these segments come off completely staged and awkward, and it's not adding anything.
[Commercial Break]
FIGHT: SAM SICILIA VS. CHRIS SAUNDERS (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Sicilia rushed in and backed Saunders up to the cage. He landed an early overhand right, a knee, and another strike before clinching up. Saunders landed a nice knee to the body, then turned Sicilia around. They jockeyed for position and Saunders landed another knee. Sicilia broke off and missed a punch. He landed hard right. He tripped up as Saunders as avoiding him, but Saunders couldn't capitalize as it got back to a clinch on the cage. Sicilia tripped him up but then he popped back to his feet. Saunders turned him around and landed a few knees to the body and legs. Saunders continued with the knees and Sicilia backed off. Saunders went for a superman punch. He then landed a nice leg kick. He knocked Sicilia down with a head kick! Sicilia face planted, but then recovered to his feet. Saunders got him backed up and started landing strikes. Sicilia got his wits back, though, and fought back at him. They got back to the clinch with a minute and a half left, with Sicilia looking to rest. Saunders continued landing knee strikes to the legs and body. Sicilia tried for a takedown, but Saunders kept up. He landed a nice elbow in the clinch. He went for the head kick again but missed. Sicilia caught a kick and tripped Saunders up. Saunders worked back to his feet, though. Sicilia walked him down. Saunders jumped in awkwardly and nearly got dropped at the end, but he took the punch as the horn sounded.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Saunders. Sicilia was having some success, but Saunders stayed quite active throughout and the knock down swung the round in his favor.
[Commercial Break]
ROUND TWO: Sicilia tried to come out quick again, but Saunders landed the first punch. He got in a short combo, then landed a nice short uppercut. Sicilia pressed him back with a kick, but Saunders blocked well. Saunders landed a left, but got cracked by a counter punch. Sicilia connected on a few strikes before grabbing another clinch. Again, Saunders stayed active with knees to the body. He covered up well as Sicilia separated with a strike. Sicilia landed hard uppercut. They traded strikes. Sicilia was simply throwing wild haymakers. Saunders landed a knee in the clinch, then got Sicilia's back standing. He got a takedown, but then Sicilia reversed, and landed a series of knees as Saunders worked to his feet. Back in the clinch. Sicilia went for a single leg, but Saunders pulled off a switch and got on top. He took Sicilia's back as he turned, but then wound up in guard as Sicilia shook him off. He got to his feet and they separated again. Sicilia landed a left. Saunders landed a nice two-punch combo. Sicilia then dropped him with a big punch. He grabbed for a choke, but then Saunders wound up on top. Saunders moved to half guard. Sicilia again gave up his back, but Saunders again couldn't hold the position. They got back up into the clinch on their feet. After separating, Sicila continued throwing bombs. Saunders landed a few nice knees and ended the round with a two-punch combo.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sicilia. That round really could go either way, and I wouldn't argue against either of them getting it. That was incredibly hard to score, with an immense amount of action between both fighters. Thus far easily the best fight of this season, and we might get a third round.
[Commercial Break]
WINNER: Saunders via split decision
-Wouldn't have argued with a third round, but I can see Saunders getting that second frame as well. Really fun, albeit immensely sloppy, fight.
-Saunders said after the fight went as he expected it to go, and he gave Sicilia credit for a tough fight. Sicilia was clearly dejected. Saunders walked up and gave him a kiss on the head. Fight pick for next week after the break.
[Commercial Break]
-Dana White said it was a great fight, but thought it should have gone to a third round. He scored it as I had it, with Saunders in the first and Sicilia in the second. Faber jokingly said he wanted to give Cruz the fight pick (as it's the last fight of this round). It'll be Andy Ogle (who came out in a singlet) against Mike Rio next week. Quarterfinals the week after. Thanks for joining us tonight, join us next week for another Ultimate Fighter blog!
Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo Luciano Azevedo
Hector Lombard: ?I want to be the UFC middleweight champion?
Hector Lombard didn’t give up his Bellator FC middleweight title to be just another member of the UFC‘s roster. No, Lombard has his sights set on facing Anderson Silva, securing the belt, and going down in history as one of the best 185ers of all time. Recently, the Cuban Olympian signed a contract with the [...]
Branden Lee Hinkle Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi Daniel Acacio
Hector Lombard: ?I want to be the UFC middleweight champion?
Hector Lombard didn’t give up his Bellator FC middleweight title to be just another member of the UFC‘s roster. No, Lombard has his sights set on facing Anderson Silva, securing the belt, and going down in history as one of the best 185ers of all time. Recently, the Cuban Olympian signed a contract with the [...]
Josh Burkman Mikey Burnett Murilo Bustamante Grant Campbell Gesias JZ Calvancante
?The Ultimate Fighter: Live? Episode 8 Recap and Quotes
The eighth episode of ?The Ultimate Fighter: Live,? entitled ?The Lion’s Den,? aired Friday evening on FX. Team Faber took the lead once again, as Chris Saunders nabbed a split decision victory over Sam Sicilia. The blue squad now leads the series 4-3. With the win, Team Faber selected the next matchup and went with [...]
Chris Dolman Edson Drago Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus
HYDEN BLOG: Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson; Jones' Eventual Move to the Heavyweight Division
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Jon Jones dominated Rashad Evans in their fight at UFC 145 Saturday night, but had to settle for a five round decision victory. I give Rashad credit for going the distance with Jones, as I thought Jones would get the finish. Now Dan Henderson steps in as the next challenger for Jones and the UFC Light Heavyweight Title. In a way I would give Henderson a better chance at stopping Jones, as Henderson has unbelievable power and could knock Jones out with one shot. However, at the same time I think Henderson has a much lower chance than Rashad did to beat Jones. The disadvantages start with the reach. We all know about Jon Jones and his 84 inch reach, but that's only the beginning. Jones also has better wrestling, better submissions, and better cardio.
This is the cliche "puncher's chance" strategy come to life. All Henderson has to do is get one clean shot on Jones and the fight's over. However, getting that shot is going to be extremely difficult. Henderson has the experience to pull it off, but I can't see it happening. Jones knows what to expect, and he'd be a major league idiot to put himself into a spot to get caught with one of those bombs from Henderson.
The possibility of Jones moving up to the heavyweight division has now come up, and will continue to come up as long as Jones dominates in his current division. Dana White recently weighed in and said that Jones should be careful because heavyweight is a whole new world, the implication being that the heavyweight division is better than light heavyweight.
The old adage is that, "A good big man will always beat a good little man." That's not even remotely true because of all the variables that go into a fight. It brings to mind the saying, "That's why they play the game." Underdogs win all the time. On any given night, anyone can win. The other problem with just assuming that the heavier fighter will win is the size adage quoted above only applies to athletes of equal ability and skill.
It's true that being larger is an advantage, but it's only one of many advantages that can be gained. Generally larger fighters are stronger, but they are also slower. They also don't usually have good cardio. Size alone isn't an advantage if you don't know how to utilize it. Being strong also doesn't automatically grant you the ability to throw hard punches. If you know how to throw a punch you can knock anyone out. At the same time, if you don't know proper punching technique it doesn't matter how strong you are, you're not knocking people out.
The point I'm making is that Jon Jones could move to heavyweight if he wanted, and he'd grind up most of the guys in that division. Jon Jones would beat the piss out of almost all the UFC heavyweights. How many people out there think that Frank Mir would beat Jon Jones? Probably not that many if they've been paying attention, yet Mir is slated to fight for the UFC Heavyweight title next month. That tells you how weak the heavyweight division is compared to the light heavyweight division. Yes, Mir is a good fighter, but Jones is a great fighter. Mir is really good on the ground, but he'd have a hard time even getting the fight to the ground. Rashad Evans tried to take Jones down four times, and was unsuccessful every time. Rashad is a really good wrestler, when he fought at heavyweight he was able to take guys whenever he wanted. If he couldn't take Jones down, Mir would have a hard time as well.
I'm not suggesting every lighter fighter can beat a heavier fighter. However, there are certain fighters who transcend typical limitations. Jon Jones is one of those fighters. Guys like Jon Jones are able to do things that others can't. I've said for years that Anderson Silva could beat heavyweights, and I still believe that. Anderson Silva has superior technique. Physically, he's very good, but there's nothing there that jumps out and makes you step back. There's no area where he's head and shoulders above everyone else. The UFC is full of great athletes. Jon Jones has his incredible reach, that's huge; that's something that puts him above other fighters. However, he doesn't have the incredible technique that Silva has.
Indications are that Jones is advancing towards reaching that level, though. A lot of times, transcendent athletes struggle to achieve greatness without their natural ability. When the time comes that their natural ability isn't enough, because it's diminished with age or injury, they can't rely on technique and they fail. Mike Tyson is one of the most famous cases of this. Tyson was an average to below-average boxer, but he had amazing power and that aura of invincibility. It seems like Jones won't fail prey to this, though. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are examples of guys who had great natural ability, but worked on their technique so that when age or injury caught up with them, they were still able to perform at a high level.
I think Jon Jones will work on his technique and not just rely on natural ability. That's why I think that Jones will end up being as great as Anderson Silva, and probably even better. That's a long way off, though. I think that if Silva and Jones fought right now that Silva would win. That's not entirely fair, though, as Silva is a finished product. Silva has plateaued, while Jones is still on an upward curve.
Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com
José Aldo John Alessio Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez
Dana White surprised NSAC gave Alistair Overeem only nine month denial, says "I know he lied to me"
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Alistair Overeem's license denial on Tuesday means he's unable to apply for a license in Nevada for the next nine months. Though he could technically apply elsewhere, the denial would likely be honored everywhere else, and the UFC isn't going to attempt to book him anywhere else in that time frame.
He may not even be in the UFC long enough for an attempt to come together anyway. UFC President Dana White remains unsure about Overeem's future with the organization, and in an interview with Jim Rome on Wednesday, he was surprised Overeem only has to wait nine months before he can reapply.
"I wasn't very optimistic about his chances," he said (transcribed by BloodyElbow.com). "I didn't think things were going to turn out very well for him. So as expected. Nine months? Nine months isn't as bad as I thought it would be... I thought he'd get a year, easily a year."
"If he was on anti-inflammatory meds, whatever the deal was, you're supposed to disclose that to the commission before the test whatever you're taking. You're supposed to disclose that to the commission before the test not after the test."
Regardless of Overeem's excuse, White still contends that the heavyweight contender lied to him and UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta before they signed him. He remains heated over that situation, and because of that he's not sure whether the organization will hold onto him.
"I don't know. We'll see. We'll see what happens man," he said in regards to Overeem's UFC future. "You know he went before the commission and the commission gave him 9 months. I'm sure he's going to have to go in and get tested again. Before he went in there he sat down to lunch with me and my partner looked us in the face and said 'I'm the most tested athlete in all of sports they can test me whenever they want to.' Well he flew in for the press conference, they tested him and now he's on a nine month suspension."
"I know he lied to me.... I don't like it. You know you sit down and you have these guys that you do business with and you say let's sit down, be honest with me and let's figure out how we can work together. And then they sit there and lie to your face. I don't know. Not the kind of guys I want to do business with."
Penick's Analysis: It's clear White doesn't buy the story Overeem was selling to the commission on Tuesday, and that's why the UFC pulled him last week from UFC 146. It's important to distinguish that Overeem isn't technically suspended, he's just not able to apply in Nevada until the end of December. Still, because of the way the scenario played out, White may decide to release him anyway. We'll know more once White gets a little more information on the scenario, and we'll see how he decides to play it from there. But he doesn't believe Overeem right now, and that certainly doesn't bode well for Overeem's UFC future.
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He may not even be in the UFC long enough for an attempt to come together anyway. UFC President Dana White remains unsure about Overeem's future with the organization, and in an interview with Jim Rome on Wednesday, he was surprised Overeem only has to wait nine months before he can reapply.
"I wasn't very optimistic about his chances," he said (transcribed by BloodyElbow.com). "I didn't think things were going to turn out very well for him. So as expected. Nine months? Nine months isn't as bad as I thought it would be... I thought he'd get a year, easily a year."
"If he was on anti-inflammatory meds, whatever the deal was, you're supposed to disclose that to the commission before the test whatever you're taking. You're supposed to disclose that to the commission before the test not after the test."
Regardless of Overeem's excuse, White still contends that the heavyweight contender lied to him and UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta before they signed him. He remains heated over that situation, and because of that he's not sure whether the organization will hold onto him.
"I don't know. We'll see. We'll see what happens man," he said in regards to Overeem's UFC future. "You know he went before the commission and the commission gave him 9 months. I'm sure he's going to have to go in and get tested again. Before he went in there he sat down to lunch with me and my partner looked us in the face and said 'I'm the most tested athlete in all of sports they can test me whenever they want to.' Well he flew in for the press conference, they tested him and now he's on a nine month suspension."
"I know he lied to me.... I don't like it. You know you sit down and you have these guys that you do business with and you say let's sit down, be honest with me and let's figure out how we can work together. And then they sit there and lie to your face. I don't know. Not the kind of guys I want to do business with."
Penick's Analysis: It's clear White doesn't buy the story Overeem was selling to the commission on Tuesday, and that's why the UFC pulled him last week from UFC 146. It's important to distinguish that Overeem isn't technically suspended, he's just not able to apply in Nevada until the end of December. Still, because of the way the scenario played out, White may decide to release him anyway. We'll know more once White gets a little more information on the scenario, and we'll see how he decides to play it from there. But he doesn't believe Overeem right now, and that certainly doesn't bode well for Overeem's UFC future.
Dos Caras Jr Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin Jason Hollywood Chambers
PELKEY: Despite long shadow cast by Jon Jones, two of MMA's other "phenoms" on display at UFC 145
By Matt Pelkey, MMATorch Columnist
Jon Jones defended his title for the third time Saturday night, besting Rashad Evans in all five rounds (I don't know what two of those judges saw, that was a clean sweep) to win a unanimous decision. Ho-hum. Jones was a huge favorite going in and the only real surprise about the fight was that he couldn't finish "Sugar" Rashad. Spectacular as it is to so summarily beat down your closest rival, it was a virtual workmanlike performance for Jonny "Bones."
This was a one fight card going in. All the hype (and rightfully so) was placed on the main event. It was Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans and... eleven other fights. That's not to say there weren't quality match-ups up and down the card (hell, Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson would've been the co-main event of most Fight Night Live events on Spike. Here it wasn't even the main event of the prelims), but about the top eight fights below the main event felt basically interchangeable. Well, except for two. Two fights on the UFC 145 undercard felt a little different. Not because they were exciting stylistic match-ups (they were), but because they featured two of the "next wave" of MMA fighters. The leaders of the new generation, if you will.
While Jon Jones was creating all they hype and soaking up all the attention at UFC 145, two guys were the lucky beneficiaries of all the added eyes on the event. First up was Michael "Mayday" McDonald. Mayday was already 3-0 in his young UFC career, but it wasn't until his last fight, a first round TKO victory over Alex Soto at UFC 139, that fans finally got a glimpse of the talent possessed by McDonald. His reward for that performance? A slot on the main card of UFC 145 opposite former WEC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres. And man did McDonald make the most of the opportunity.
At only 21, this was easily the biggest fight of his career. Hell, it was his first time on the main card in the UFC. He stayed patient against the former champ, darting in and out with successful combination, and then used two perfectly place right uppercuts to put Torres to sleep. It was surely an eye-opening performance for those seeing him fight for the first time, but it only reaffirmed what the rest of us already knew: this guy is a stud. And its not just his KO power. He's good on the ground too, and he's big enough and strong enough, and his wrestling is good enough, to keep the fight upright if he so chooses. I'm not saying he's ready for a title shot, that's a lot to ask of a fighter so young, but with such a dynamic set of skills, such and exciting style, and in a division so starved for contenders, he can't be far off. Renan Barao is in need of a dance partner while Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz settle their score. Beat him half as impressively as he just took out Miguel Torres, and the Cruz-Faber winner will be looking at their next challenger.
In the co-main event was the other young phenom on the card. Rory MacDonald (hmmm... must be something in the name) hadn't fought since last August, injury layoffs being a recurring theme in his early career, but he clearly was spending that time working on his game. Against Che Mills on Saturday, MacDonald was at his best to date. After absorbing a couple of good punches from Mills, MacDonald calmly took him down and out of his element. He passed guard easily, he controlled position completely, and he rained down some of the most accurate and brutal ground-and-pound in the sport. And he did it for two rounds. Mercifully, Mario Yamasaki called and end to the carnage midway through the second round.
Now, look, I realize I have to temper my excitement and expectations over someone dominating Che Mills on the mat, but we've seen MacDonald absolutely demolish his opposition thus far, and yes, that includes interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit. MacDonald gassed completely in the third, but he was still just seven seconds away from taking home that victory. Since then he tossed around current lightweight contender Nick Diaz like a ragdoll, and gave longtime vet Mike Pyle the, well... let's just call it the "Che Mills treatment" from now on.
Rory MacDonald, despite being a year and a half older than Michael McDonald, finds himself in a more beneficial position within his division. While, skill-wise, he might actually be ready for the very top of the welterweight heap, there's no need to rush him to the title picture right now. Welterweight, as always, is stacked and teeming with guys looking for their "shot." MacDonald is, however, ready for a severe step up in competition. One win over a top-ten opponent would bring the memories of his first two rounds against Condit flooding back quickly. Like Mayday, Rory is only one big win away shoving his foot in the door of the title picture.
On another card, these fights might've stood out more, out from the shadow of the Jon Jones-Rashad Evans spectacle, but it's unlikely they would've been seen by more eyes. Jon Jones may be one of a kind, but he's the torch-bearer for the young, uber-talented fighters coming into the sport right now. It was a nice synergy having the M(a)cDonalds have their breakout performances on a card he headlined.
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This was a one fight card going in. All the hype (and rightfully so) was placed on the main event. It was Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans and... eleven other fights. That's not to say there weren't quality match-ups up and down the card (hell, Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson would've been the co-main event of most Fight Night Live events on Spike. Here it wasn't even the main event of the prelims), but about the top eight fights below the main event felt basically interchangeable. Well, except for two. Two fights on the UFC 145 undercard felt a little different. Not because they were exciting stylistic match-ups (they were), but because they featured two of the "next wave" of MMA fighters. The leaders of the new generation, if you will.
While Jon Jones was creating all they hype and soaking up all the attention at UFC 145, two guys were the lucky beneficiaries of all the added eyes on the event. First up was Michael "Mayday" McDonald. Mayday was already 3-0 in his young UFC career, but it wasn't until his last fight, a first round TKO victory over Alex Soto at UFC 139, that fans finally got a glimpse of the talent possessed by McDonald. His reward for that performance? A slot on the main card of UFC 145 opposite former WEC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres. And man did McDonald make the most of the opportunity.
At only 21, this was easily the biggest fight of his career. Hell, it was his first time on the main card in the UFC. He stayed patient against the former champ, darting in and out with successful combination, and then used two perfectly place right uppercuts to put Torres to sleep. It was surely an eye-opening performance for those seeing him fight for the first time, but it only reaffirmed what the rest of us already knew: this guy is a stud. And its not just his KO power. He's good on the ground too, and he's big enough and strong enough, and his wrestling is good enough, to keep the fight upright if he so chooses. I'm not saying he's ready for a title shot, that's a lot to ask of a fighter so young, but with such a dynamic set of skills, such and exciting style, and in a division so starved for contenders, he can't be far off. Renan Barao is in need of a dance partner while Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz settle their score. Beat him half as impressively as he just took out Miguel Torres, and the Cruz-Faber winner will be looking at their next challenger.
In the co-main event was the other young phenom on the card. Rory MacDonald (hmmm... must be something in the name) hadn't fought since last August, injury layoffs being a recurring theme in his early career, but he clearly was spending that time working on his game. Against Che Mills on Saturday, MacDonald was at his best to date. After absorbing a couple of good punches from Mills, MacDonald calmly took him down and out of his element. He passed guard easily, he controlled position completely, and he rained down some of the most accurate and brutal ground-and-pound in the sport. And he did it for two rounds. Mercifully, Mario Yamasaki called and end to the carnage midway through the second round.
Now, look, I realize I have to temper my excitement and expectations over someone dominating Che Mills on the mat, but we've seen MacDonald absolutely demolish his opposition thus far, and yes, that includes interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit. MacDonald gassed completely in the third, but he was still just seven seconds away from taking home that victory. Since then he tossed around current lightweight contender Nick Diaz like a ragdoll, and gave longtime vet Mike Pyle the, well... let's just call it the "Che Mills treatment" from now on.
Rory MacDonald, despite being a year and a half older than Michael McDonald, finds himself in a more beneficial position within his division. While, skill-wise, he might actually be ready for the very top of the welterweight heap, there's no need to rush him to the title picture right now. Welterweight, as always, is stacked and teeming with guys looking for their "shot." MacDonald is, however, ready for a severe step up in competition. One win over a top-ten opponent would bring the memories of his first two rounds against Condit flooding back quickly. Like Mayday, Rory is only one big win away shoving his foot in the door of the title picture.
On another card, these fights might've stood out more, out from the shadow of the Jon Jones-Rashad Evans spectacle, but it's unlikely they would've been seen by more eyes. Jon Jones may be one of a kind, but he's the torch-bearer for the young, uber-talented fighters coming into the sport right now. It was a nice synergy having the M(a)cDonalds have their breakout performances on a card he headlined.
Karen Grigoryan Kendall Grove Clay Guida Jason Guida Melvin Guillard
Hatsu Hioki vs. Ricardo Lamas added to UFC on FX 4 in Atlantic City
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Hatsu Hioki has been considered one of the top featherweight fighters in the world over the last several years, but after two wins in the UFC he's not yet looking to fight for the UFC Featherweight Championship. Instead, FoxSports.com reports that he'll take on Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX 4 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
"Many pegged Hioki as the next possible challenger for Jose Aldo's title, but he wants one more test before going for the belt," UFC President Dana White said. "In his way is Lamas, who has proven to be a tough competitor for anyone to deal with, especially since moving down to featherweight and finishing both opponents at 145 pounds. Both guys have verbally agreed to the match."
After a 4-2 run in the WEC, Lamas has won his first two fights in the Octagon. After a head-kick led to a TKO finish over Matt Grice last June, he followed it up with a submission win over Cub Swanson in June.
Penick's Analysis: Hioki might garner criticism from some for not going after a title shot considering the standing he's held in the division outside of the UFC, but I don't begrudge any fighter wanting to feel they're ready for a fight of that magnitude before taking it. Jose Aldo is such a force at featherweight that being less than 100% confident in yourself heading into that challenge would spell absolute failure before you step into the cage. This will give him another fight to establish himself, and if he can take out a tough opponent in Lamas it will be another statement win.
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"Many pegged Hioki as the next possible challenger for Jose Aldo's title, but he wants one more test before going for the belt," UFC President Dana White said. "In his way is Lamas, who has proven to be a tough competitor for anyone to deal with, especially since moving down to featherweight and finishing both opponents at 145 pounds. Both guys have verbally agreed to the match."
After a 4-2 run in the WEC, Lamas has won his first two fights in the Octagon. After a head-kick led to a TKO finish over Matt Grice last June, he followed it up with a submission win over Cub Swanson in June.
Penick's Analysis: Hioki might garner criticism from some for not going after a title shot considering the standing he's held in the division outside of the UFC, but I don't begrudge any fighter wanting to feel they're ready for a fight of that magnitude before taking it. Jose Aldo is such a force at featherweight that being less than 100% confident in yourself heading into that challenge would spell absolute failure before you step into the cage. This will give him another fight to establish himself, and if he can take out a tough opponent in Lamas it will be another statement win.
Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga
Fuel TV asks for fans patience as they work for wider availability
During last week's UFC on Fuel event, Cagereaders vented their frustration about the lack of availability of Fuel across the country and how they are missing out on fights, pre and post-fight shows and news magazine shows. One reader said he hasn't mis...
Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch
Mauricio Rua targeted for tilt with Thiago Silva
It appears former light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua?s next bout will involve a fellow Brazilian, as UFC President Dana White went on Twitter today to start the rumor mill by saying Thiago Silva would serve as Rua?s opponent though stopped short of confirming the event. Both seasoned scrappers are coming off hard-fought decision defeats and [...]
Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai
Jon Jones finds the one thing he?s not good at (VIDEO)
The people at the Major League Baseball invited UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones to the MLB Fan Cave to give him a chance to chill out and watch some baseball. It turns out that though he's good at most things that he tries, Jones is not good at just sitting on a couch and taking in some sports.
Perhaps that inability to sit still is what helped him rise to the top of his weight class so quickly. Will he continue his reign atop the division, or will he lose his belt to Rashad Evans at UFC 145? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.
Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie
Fuel TV asks for fans patience as they work for wider availability
Readers also said that they have, on several occasions, called their cable provider to ask for Fuel. However, they have no idea if it's doing any good. Since the UFC started working with Fuel TV in January, there has been little word on if Fuel will be carried more widely any time soon.
Though Fuel won't say when, they did respond to Cagewriter's questions with this statement:
Everyone at FUEL TV wants exactly what UFC fans want ? to make our network available to every UFC fan possible. We appreciate their patience and have a team working diligently with distributors to make the network more widely available as quickly as possible.� In the meantime, we encourage UFC fans to call their TV provider and request that FUEL TV be added to their network lineup. �Because, let's face it, watching UFC on FUEL TV is clearly a much better viewing experience than having to stream the fights online. To get FUEL TV, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.
The problem with patience is that it's rarely infinite in its supply. UFC fans who don't have Fuel missed out on Alexander Gustafsson, an exciting light heavyweight prospect. They may have patiently missed out on seeing his big win over Thiago Silva. How will fans react to missing the next breakout performance? Will they patiently wait until Fuel becomes widely available, or will they fail to care when it does?
Gesias JZ Calvancante Luiz Cane Dos Caras Jr Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro
UFC 147 date in question because of United Nations convention
UFC president Dana White talked about it after UFC on Fuel 2 on Saturday.
"The problem is, they don't like the idea of us coming the same time this United Nations convention is going on," he said. "The other problem is hotel rooms. Most of the hotel rooms are being taken up. And we don't think, we know that the Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen fight is one of the biggest sporting events this year, in the world."
A lack of hotel rooms in a city the size of Rio is an ongoing problem. They are building hotels to deal with the upcoming Olympics in 2016 and the World Cup in 2014, but that won't help the UFC this June.
Since the UFC generally plans their events well after conventions of all stripes are set, it's surprising that this snafu would just come up now. Rio+20 has been planned since January 2011. Checking what's going on in a town before booking an event is event-planning 101. That doesn't matter if you're planning a birthday party or a major sporting event.
This isn't the first scheduling problem the UFC has faced this year. In January, they were forced to postpone a planned March event in Montreal because they didn't feel the bouts were good enough for an event of that size. The postponement was the reason for the recently-ended six-week Zuffa drought.
Dos Caras Jr Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin Jason Hollywood Chambers
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE REPORT 4/27: Penick's random thoughts on eighth episode on FX
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: LIVE
APRIL 27, 2012
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
-Jon Anik opens the show as the fighters are shown entering the arena for tonight. Tonight's live fight sees Dominick Cruz's second pick in Sam Sicilia taking on the final pick of the season for Team Faber in Chris Saunders.
-In the open we get a little info on both Sicilia and Saunders, who have been performing in training unexpectedly compared to where they were picked.
-Next is a recap of last week's fight, where Team Cruz's Vinc Pichel scored a third round over Team Faber's Chris Cofer.
-After the opening credits, it's a flash to backstage after last week's live bout. Cruz was ecstatic with the win, while Cofer was crushed with the third round loss, saying the last minute cost him everything. He almost couldn't get through his post-fight comments to the TUF crew. He put forth a solid effort prior to that final round, though.
-Cruz brought in Ronda Rousey to work with his team. Rousey was thankful for the opportunity to be the first female guest coach on TUF, and then we got a montage of her beating the hell out of everyone with throws as she showed them technique. I'll never not enjoy watching Ronda Rousey work in this sport.
-As Cruz and Rousey were leaving the gym, Urijah Faber was getting to the training center. An attempt to have a quick comment with Rousey led to yet another back and forth exchange between he and Cruz. The dislike is strong in those two, and being around each other week in and week out on this show certainly isn't improving things between them.
[Commercial Break]
-Ronda Rousey joins the guys in the TUF house for a UFC 145 viewing party. Things immediately got awkward. They played up the awkwardness of the whole segment until she ducked out. While that was slightly entertaining, would have liked to see some of the reaction to the event they were watching.
-Saunders goes by "The SoCal Kid" as he has idolized Faber, who happens to now be coaching him. He went into fanboy mode while sparring with Faber, but Faber doesn't think he's on a pedestal, and wants to see Saunders believe in himself. Faber's very complimentary of Saunders' skills, but said he needs more confidence.
[Commercial Break]
-Into the house, the pranks are beginning to pick up, though they're rather tame so far.
-Saunders gives some background on himself, and he's had a rough time in life prior to this show.
-Sicilia said he turned pro a year ago after a sporadic schedule as an amateur. Cruz praised Sicilia's game overall before we got more training footage.
[Commercial Break]
-Nine minutes to fight time, and it's time for Faber and his team to turn Cruz's locker room into an equipment room. They wore as little as possible to get as sweaty as possible inside of Cruz's locker room. Cruz called it a cry for attention. It was all pretty amusing, actually, as Cruz then feigned indignation and shook his head.
-Weigh-in time. Sicilia in at 155, Saunders at 155.
-Michael Chiesa, Sicilia's real-life teammate, talked about how hard it will be for him watching the bout as part of Team Faber.
-Backstage for the final word from the coaches. This is by far my least favorite part of this season; these segments come off completely staged and awkward, and it's not adding anything.
[Commercial Break]
FIGHT: SAM SICILIA VS. CHRIS SAUNDERS (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Sicilia rushed in and backed Saunders up to the cage. He landed an early overhand right, a knee, and another strike before clinching up. Saunders landed a nice knee to the body, then turned Sicilia around. They jockeyed for position and Saunders landed another knee. Sicilia broke off and missed a punch. He landed hard right. He tripped up as Saunders as avoiding him, but Saunders couldn't capitalize as it got back to a clinch on the cage. Sicilia tripped him up but then he popped back to his feet. Saunders turned him around and landed a few knees to the body and legs. Saunders continued with the knees and Sicilia backed off. Saunders went for a superman punch. He then landed a nice leg kick. He knocked Sicilia down with a head kick! Sicilia face planted, but then recovered to his feet. Saunders got him backed up and started landing strikes. Sicilia got his wits back, though, and fought back at him. They got back to the clinch with a minute and a half left, with Sicilia looking to rest. Saunders continued landing knee strikes to the legs and body. Sicilia tried for a takedown, but Saunders kept up. He landed a nice elbow in the clinch. He went for the head kick again but missed. Sicilia caught a kick and tripped Saunders up. Saunders worked back to his feet, though. Sicilia walked him down. Saunders jumped in awkwardly and nearly got dropped at the end, but he took the punch as the horn sounded.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Saunders. Sicilia was having some success, but Saunders stayed quite active throughout and the knock down swung the round in his favor.
[Commercial Break]
ROUND TWO: Sicilia tried to come out quick again, but Saunders landed the first punch. He got in a short combo, then landed a nice short uppercut. Sicilia pressed him back with a kick, but Saunders blocked well. Saunders landed a left, but got cracked by a counter punch. Sicilia connected on a few strikes before grabbing another clinch. Again, Saunders stayed active with knees to the body. He covered up well as Sicilia separated with a strike. Sicilia landed hard uppercut. They traded strikes. Sicilia was simply throwing wild haymakers. Saunders landed a knee in the clinch, then got Sicilia's back standing. He got a takedown, but then Sicilia reversed, and landed a series of knees as Saunders worked to his feet. Back in the clinch. Sicilia went for a single leg, but Saunders pulled off a switch and got on top. He took Sicilia's back as he turned, but then wound up in guard as Sicilia shook him off. He got to his feet and they separated again. Sicilia landed a left. Saunders landed a nice two-punch combo. Sicilia then dropped him with a big punch. He grabbed for a choke, but then Saunders wound up on top. Saunders moved to half guard. Sicilia again gave up his back, but Saunders again couldn't hold the position. They got back up into the clinch on their feet. After separating, Sicila continued throwing bombs. Saunders landed a few nice knees and ended the round with a two-punch combo.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sicilia. That round really could go either way, and I wouldn't argue against either of them getting it. That was incredibly hard to score, with an immense amount of action between both fighters. Thus far easily the best fight of this season, and we might get a third round.
[Commercial Break]
WINNER: Saunders via split decision
-Wouldn't have argued with a third round, but I can see Saunders getting that second frame as well. Really fun, albeit immensely sloppy, fight.
-Saunders said after the fight went as he expected it to go, and he gave Sicilia credit for a tough fight. Sicilia was clearly dejected. Saunders walked up and gave him a kiss on the head. Fight pick for next week after the break.
[Commercial Break]
-Dana White said it was a great fight, but thought it should have gone to a third round. He scored it as I had it, with Saunders in the first and Sicilia in the second. Faber jokingly said he wanted to give Cruz the fight pick (as it's the last fight of this round). It'll be Andy Ogle (who came out in a singlet) against Mike Rio next week. Quarterfinals the week after. Thanks for joining us tonight, join us next week for another Ultimate Fighter blog!
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APRIL 27, 2012
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
-Jon Anik opens the show as the fighters are shown entering the arena for tonight. Tonight's live fight sees Dominick Cruz's second pick in Sam Sicilia taking on the final pick of the season for Team Faber in Chris Saunders.
-In the open we get a little info on both Sicilia and Saunders, who have been performing in training unexpectedly compared to where they were picked.
-Next is a recap of last week's fight, where Team Cruz's Vinc Pichel scored a third round over Team Faber's Chris Cofer.
-After the opening credits, it's a flash to backstage after last week's live bout. Cruz was ecstatic with the win, while Cofer was crushed with the third round loss, saying the last minute cost him everything. He almost couldn't get through his post-fight comments to the TUF crew. He put forth a solid effort prior to that final round, though.
-Cruz brought in Ronda Rousey to work with his team. Rousey was thankful for the opportunity to be the first female guest coach on TUF, and then we got a montage of her beating the hell out of everyone with throws as she showed them technique. I'll never not enjoy watching Ronda Rousey work in this sport.
-As Cruz and Rousey were leaving the gym, Urijah Faber was getting to the training center. An attempt to have a quick comment with Rousey led to yet another back and forth exchange between he and Cruz. The dislike is strong in those two, and being around each other week in and week out on this show certainly isn't improving things between them.
[Commercial Break]
-Ronda Rousey joins the guys in the TUF house for a UFC 145 viewing party. Things immediately got awkward. They played up the awkwardness of the whole segment until she ducked out. While that was slightly entertaining, would have liked to see some of the reaction to the event they were watching.
-Saunders goes by "The SoCal Kid" as he has idolized Faber, who happens to now be coaching him. He went into fanboy mode while sparring with Faber, but Faber doesn't think he's on a pedestal, and wants to see Saunders believe in himself. Faber's very complimentary of Saunders' skills, but said he needs more confidence.
[Commercial Break]
-Into the house, the pranks are beginning to pick up, though they're rather tame so far.
-Saunders gives some background on himself, and he's had a rough time in life prior to this show.
-Sicilia said he turned pro a year ago after a sporadic schedule as an amateur. Cruz praised Sicilia's game overall before we got more training footage.
[Commercial Break]
-Nine minutes to fight time, and it's time for Faber and his team to turn Cruz's locker room into an equipment room. They wore as little as possible to get as sweaty as possible inside of Cruz's locker room. Cruz called it a cry for attention. It was all pretty amusing, actually, as Cruz then feigned indignation and shook his head.
-Weigh-in time. Sicilia in at 155, Saunders at 155.
-Michael Chiesa, Sicilia's real-life teammate, talked about how hard it will be for him watching the bout as part of Team Faber.
-Backstage for the final word from the coaches. This is by far my least favorite part of this season; these segments come off completely staged and awkward, and it's not adding anything.
[Commercial Break]
FIGHT: SAM SICILIA VS. CHRIS SAUNDERS (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Sicilia rushed in and backed Saunders up to the cage. He landed an early overhand right, a knee, and another strike before clinching up. Saunders landed a nice knee to the body, then turned Sicilia around. They jockeyed for position and Saunders landed another knee. Sicilia broke off and missed a punch. He landed hard right. He tripped up as Saunders as avoiding him, but Saunders couldn't capitalize as it got back to a clinch on the cage. Sicilia tripped him up but then he popped back to his feet. Saunders turned him around and landed a few knees to the body and legs. Saunders continued with the knees and Sicilia backed off. Saunders went for a superman punch. He then landed a nice leg kick. He knocked Sicilia down with a head kick! Sicilia face planted, but then recovered to his feet. Saunders got him backed up and started landing strikes. Sicilia got his wits back, though, and fought back at him. They got back to the clinch with a minute and a half left, with Sicilia looking to rest. Saunders continued landing knee strikes to the legs and body. Sicilia tried for a takedown, but Saunders kept up. He landed a nice elbow in the clinch. He went for the head kick again but missed. Sicilia caught a kick and tripped Saunders up. Saunders worked back to his feet, though. Sicilia walked him down. Saunders jumped in awkwardly and nearly got dropped at the end, but he took the punch as the horn sounded.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Saunders. Sicilia was having some success, but Saunders stayed quite active throughout and the knock down swung the round in his favor.
[Commercial Break]
ROUND TWO: Sicilia tried to come out quick again, but Saunders landed the first punch. He got in a short combo, then landed a nice short uppercut. Sicilia pressed him back with a kick, but Saunders blocked well. Saunders landed a left, but got cracked by a counter punch. Sicilia connected on a few strikes before grabbing another clinch. Again, Saunders stayed active with knees to the body. He covered up well as Sicilia separated with a strike. Sicilia landed hard uppercut. They traded strikes. Sicilia was simply throwing wild haymakers. Saunders landed a knee in the clinch, then got Sicilia's back standing. He got a takedown, but then Sicilia reversed, and landed a series of knees as Saunders worked to his feet. Back in the clinch. Sicilia went for a single leg, but Saunders pulled off a switch and got on top. He took Sicilia's back as he turned, but then wound up in guard as Sicilia shook him off. He got to his feet and they separated again. Sicilia landed a left. Saunders landed a nice two-punch combo. Sicilia then dropped him with a big punch. He grabbed for a choke, but then Saunders wound up on top. Saunders moved to half guard. Sicilia again gave up his back, but Saunders again couldn't hold the position. They got back up into the clinch on their feet. After separating, Sicila continued throwing bombs. Saunders landed a few nice knees and ended the round with a two-punch combo.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sicilia. That round really could go either way, and I wouldn't argue against either of them getting it. That was incredibly hard to score, with an immense amount of action between both fighters. Thus far easily the best fight of this season, and we might get a third round.
[Commercial Break]
WINNER: Saunders via split decision
-Wouldn't have argued with a third round, but I can see Saunders getting that second frame as well. Really fun, albeit immensely sloppy, fight.
-Saunders said after the fight went as he expected it to go, and he gave Sicilia credit for a tough fight. Sicilia was clearly dejected. Saunders walked up and gave him a kiss on the head. Fight pick for next week after the break.
[Commercial Break]
-Dana White said it was a great fight, but thought it should have gone to a third round. He scored it as I had it, with Saunders in the first and Sicilia in the second. Faber jokingly said he wanted to give Cruz the fight pick (as it's the last fight of this round). It'll be Andy Ogle (who came out in a singlet) against Mike Rio next week. Quarterfinals the week after. Thanks for joining us tonight, join us next week for another Ultimate Fighter blog!
Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis Tony DeSouza Edwin Dewees Nick Diaz
Mauricio ?Shogun? Rua Faces Thiago Silva, Likely at UFC 149
There will apparently be some Brazilian-on-Brazilian crime going down in Canada. On Sunday afternoon, UFC president Dana White announced Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (Pictured) will return to action against Thiago Silva. White didn?t confirm when the light heavyweight shootout would take place, but MMAJunkie reports UFC 149 inside Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary could host the scrap. [...]
Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata
Wanderlei Silva has choice words for Chael Sonnen
Wanderlei Silva would like nothing more than to face Chael Sonnen inside the Octagon. However, Sonnen is currently the middleweight division’s #1 contender and is set to face Anderson Silva for the title meaning Silva-Sonnen aren’t likely to mix it up anytime soon. Though there’s no doubt of Sonnen’s skill, much of his ability to [...]
Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez Keith Hackney Matt Hamill Volk Han
?The Ultimate Fighter: Live? Episode 8 Recap and Quotes
The eighth episode of ?The Ultimate Fighter: Live,? entitled ?The Lion’s Den,? aired Friday evening on FX. Team Faber took the lead once again, as Chris Saunders nabbed a split decision victory over Sam Sicilia. The blue squad now leads the series 4-3. With the win, Team Faber selected the next matchup and went with [...]
Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca Rich Franklin Ian Freeman Don Frye
Sunday, April 29, 2012
You tell us your picks for UFC 145
So many times, you lovely Cagereaders have told us why we were wrong, wrong, wrong about our fight picks. Here's your chance to be wrong, wrong, wrong with us.
For UFC 145, we want to know who you are picking in the main card and why. We will publish a few Cagereaders' picks here on Monday alongside the picks from Kevin Iole and me. If you want to join in, go to Cagewriter's Facebook page and tell us who is going to win each fight and why. Here are the fights on the main card at UFC 145:
Champion Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans (for light-heavyweight title)
Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills
Ben Rothwell vs. Brendan Schaub
Michael McDonald vs. Miguel Torres
Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin
John Alessio vs. Mark Bocek
Give us your pick on one or every fight on the main card. It's up to you. Have fun with it, and don't forget to drop by for our UFC on Fuel chat Saturday afternoon.
Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga
Jon Jones finds the one thing he?s not good at (VIDEO)
The people at the Major League Baseball invited UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones to the MLB Fan Cave to give him a chance to chill out and watch some baseball. It turns out that though he's good at most things that he tries, Jones is not good at just sitting on a couch and taking in some sports.
Perhaps that inability to sit still is what helped him rise to the top of his weight class so quickly. Will he continue his reign atop the division, or will he lose his belt to Rashad Evans at UFC 145? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.
Kotetsu Boku Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo Kyle Bradley
Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar II destined for Denver in August
The rematch between UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson and former title-holder Frankie Edgar appears to finally have a date and location in mind with the host-city having an altitude worthy of the bout?s lofty expectations. According to multiple reports, Henderson will defend his belt against Edgar at UFC 150 in Denver, Colorado. The fight marks [...]
Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez
"Cage Fighting Extreme: Minnesota vs. Japan" Live Results: Penick's in-person report on internet pay-per-view from Minneapolis
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
CFX 33: MINNESOTA VS. JAPAN
APRIL 28, 2012
LIVE FROM MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
Tonight's live card, from Minnesota promoters Cage Fighting Extreme, Brutaal, and Sterling Entertainment Group, is available as a live internet pay-per-view for only $9.95 at GoFightLive.TV tonight.
AMATEUR FIGHT ONE: MITCH FIELD VS. NATE TOGBAH (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Field attempted an early takedown, and after some work got him down. He took Togbah's back and immediately worked for the choke. Field continued working for the choke throughout the round. He couldn't complete it, but held position through the three minute frame.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Field. Round was pretty much held in one position throughout.
ROUND TWO: Field's early takedown attempt was stuffed, but he stayed on Togbah and drove him to the cage. Togbah continued to hold off the takedown attempt and finally completed the takedown. Togbah then exploded to his feet, though Field continued pressing the takedown. He finally scored another hard takedown into guard with a minute left. He passed to half guard, and rode out the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Field. Not much happening again in that round. Dull start to the night.
ROUND THREE: Togbah opened up with a few nice strikes before Field grabbed the clinch. They battled for position until Togbah scored a nice trip takedown. Field went for an armbar, but Togbah passed to side control. Togbah stood and dropped a couple punches, then let Field up. He landed a strike and it was back to the clinch. Togbah threw Field down, but Field popped back up. He grabbed for a takedown against the cage, but Togbah held him off with punches and elbows. Field finally scored the takedown right before the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Togbah. Again, not much happened, but he scored the takedown this round and had more control of the rondo.
WINNER: Field via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
AMATEUR FIGHT TWO: RYAN SWEEZER VS. AARON COURTRIGHT (BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Courtright landed a hard leg kick early. Sweezer got in with a clinch, then scored a takedown. Courtright countered, but Sweezer went for an armbar. Courtright picked him up and then took him down. Sweezer went for a leg lock but lost it. He wound up in Courtright's guard. Courtright controlled his posture for a time. Sweezer finally opened up with a few big strikes and popped up. Courtright missed a big punch and Sweezer took him down into mount. He ended the round with strikes on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sweezer. Good top control, though not much else happened. Such is life in amateur MMA.
ROUND TWO: Sweezer landed a hard body kick early. Courtright grabbed a clinch, but then got flung to the ground. Sweezer then exploded to take his back, but Courtright worked out and got to his feet. Sweezer landed a body kick, but it was caught and he was taken down. Courtright landed a few strikes from the top. Courtright rode out the round on top, landing a couple of strikes along the way.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-10. Sweezer controlled the first half, Courtright the second; neither clearly won the round.
ROUND THREE: Courtright missed a punch and Sweezer tried to take his back. Courtright turned around, however, and pressed him to the cage. Sweezer then landed a nice throw that put him on top in half guard. Courtright tried to roll him over, but Sweezer rolled through and moved to full mount. He postured up with a few big strikes, then set up the choke. Courtright was then forced to tap with little time left in the round.
WINNER: Sweezer via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:51 of the third round
AMATEUR FIGHT THREE: JOE SULLIVAN VS. THOMAS HERRERA (CATCHWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Sullivan pressed in with a few strikes. Herrera pressed in with a takedown and got into guard. Sullivan tried to set up for an omoplata but Herrera got loose. Herrera broke free and landed a punch. Sullivan grabbed for a kimura and used it to briefly get to his feet. He continued wrenching the hold as they got to the ground, and he used it to transition to mount. He took Herrera's back, but Herrera turned back into him in the guard. Sullivan landed an upkick, then went for a triangle, but Herrera popped through. Herrera ended the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sullivan. Herrera had the position, but it was Sullivan working with it as he nearly scored a submission win.
ROUND TWO: Sullivan landed a good body kick early. He landed another and Herrera drove in with a takedown attempt. Sullivan stayed on his feet while threatening for a choke. Herrera finally completed the takedown. Sullivan went for a gogoplata, but Herrera got out of it. Herrera landed a few strikes and kept top position. He rode out the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Herrera. Not much to the round, but Herrera spent 80% of it on top.
ROUND THREE: Sullivan landed an early kick. He got in a straight kick to the face but Herrera drove in for the takedown. He held it off initially, but then Herrera completed it into guard. Sullivan tried to work from his back, but Herrera worked to full mount. Sullivan regained guard, but Herrera kept top position. Sullivan then exploded with an attempt for a triangle choke, but Herrera broke free. Sullivan then worked to his feet, but Herrera stayed on him with the takedown attempt. He completed a takedown, but Sullivan rolled through and got on top, delivering a series of blows to the bell.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sullivan. He was working more from his back and had a strong finish. Herrera may very well take the round, though.
WINNER: Herrera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
-The decision was heavily booed by the crowd.
AMATEUR FIGHT FOUR: KYLE TODD VS. NICK PORRAS (165 CATCHWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Porras pressed early and landed a couple of strikes, but Todd drove in and completed a takedown against the cage. Todd dragged him down further and got into half guard. Porras tried to throw his legs up, but Todd held position. Todd passed to side control. He ended the round on top.
Penick's Scorecared: 10-9 Todd. Held position throughout, not much else to the round.
ROUND TWO: Todd landed an early right and then scored an immediate takedown. Porras tried to get his back to the cage to stand up and finally got to his feet. It was brief, however, as Todd scored another takedown. Back to his feet quickly, he was then taken down once more into guard. Todd continued to hold position on top, and landed a few good strikes for good measure. Porras tried to buck him off to no avail, and the round ended with Todd on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Todd. Another clear round for Todd on top. Porras needs a finish here.
ROUND THREE: Todd shot in early but Porras stuffed it. He finally shuffled back to his feet after the nice sprawl. Todd shot again and again got held up. Porras stayed on him and landed a nice left. Todd again shot in, this time completing the takedown on the wall. Porras worked to his feet and Todd dropped down to get him back to the ground. Porras landed some big strikes to the side of the head as Todd continued trying to take him down. He popped to his feet again and landed an uppercut, but then got taken down once more. He landed strikes as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Porras. He got taken down a few times, and may have lost the round on the judge's scorecards, but he did enough to earn the round.
WINNER: Todd via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
AMATEUR FIGHT FIVE: VYRON PHILLIPS VS. JUSTIN RHEAUME (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Rheaume moved forward early, but Phillips then came in. That was a mistake, however, as Rheaume immediately took him down. He passed nicely to side control and got mount. He got Phillips' back and tried to set up the choke. Phillips held wrist control, though, and wouldn't let him break free. Phillips finally spun out into Rheaume's guard. He picked him up and slammed him down, but Rheaume kept a closed guard. Rheaume grabbed for an armbar but couldn't quite get into position to finish it at the end of the round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rheaume. Decent ground work, nice finish gave him the round.
ROUND TWO: Rheaume went for the takedown early, but Phillips held it off this time. He stayed with it, though, and finally completed it into hag guard. He passed to full mount. Phillips tried to explode out, but Rheaume took his back again. Phillips again held wrist control, and wouldn't let him get a better hold. Rheaume went for the armbar again to finish the round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rheaume. Another clear round for him in what has been a positional battle.
ROUND THREE: Rheaume landed a couple of early leg kicks. He grabbed a clinch, but then got dropped by Phillips. Phillips started trying to finish with strikes wildly from the top, but Rheaume kept him at bay. Rheaume landed an upkick and rolled quick for a leg. Phillips sprawled. Rheaume finally got back to his feet and grabbed a clinch. Phillips stuffed a takedown attempt and wound up on top as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Phillips. Too little too late for him, unfortunately, but he had control of the position in that round. Should be an easy 29-28 for Rheaume, though.
WINNER: Rheaume via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
AMATEUR FIGHT SIX: JAKE ERICSON VS. BRANDON NOETZEL (200 LB. CATCHWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Ericson immediately went for a single leg and scored the takedown. Noetzel tried to get his legs up high as he closed his guard. Noetzel continued trying to get his legs up high as Ericson connected on a number of strikes against the cage. Noetzel tried to lock up a triangle choke as Ericson continued trying to land strikes. He got it locked on and forced the tap. Nice finish.
WINNER: Noetzel via submission (triangle choke) at 2:10 of the first round
AMATEUR FIGHT SEVEN: DIEGO GARCIA VS. RON WINSLOW (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Winslow dropped Garcia early with a big strike and jumped into his half guard. He landed a few big punches to the body and head as Garcia tried to scramble. Garcia got to his feet and Winslow went after him, exchanging a few big punches. Winslow landed a left. He landed a hard kick to the gut. Garcia ducked away nicely and landed a right. Winslow landed a good body kick again. He landed a straight kick and stayed on Garcia. He clinched and pressed Garcia to the cage. He went for a standing guillotine and dragged Garcia to the ground before taking his back. Garcia got to his feet and then Winslow slammed him at the bell.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Winslow. Pretty solid action there for a big-man amateur bout.
ROUND TWO: Garcia landed a nice right early, but Winslow walked through it. He backed him up and landed a nice jab. He landed a few more jabs. He got in a hard leg kick. Action stalled for a minute for an illegal blow, but no point was taken. As they restarted, Winslo landed a hard body kick. He hurt Garcia with a big right. He followed up with some more punches. Garcia went to the ground and Winslow took his back. He wrenched a choke and forced the tap as he had Garcia flattened out.
WINNER: Winslow via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:09 of the second round.
=====INTERMISSION=====
PRO FIGHT ONE: JORDAN LARSON VS. CAREY VANIER (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: They tested each other out early. Vanier landed a leg kick. The action slowed a bit. Vanier got in a body kick after Larson missed a punch. Larson caught a kick and scored a brief takedown, but Vanier worked back to his feet. Vanier separated with a nice punch and clinched. He scored his own takedown and landed a knee before moving to side control. He postured up and landed a few strikes. Larson got to his feet and Vanier shot back in. He scored another takedown into Larson's guard. Larson tried to explode out and Vanier tried to reverse. Larson got to his feet, however, and drove Vanier back to the cage. Vanier got separation late as the round came to an end.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Vanier. The takedowns and top work took it for him, but there wasn't much to the frame.
ROUND TWO: Larson rushed in with a punch but got taken down. He scrambled, but Vanier blasted him with a flurry of big strikes. He recovered and got to his feet, though. Vanier stayed on him and grabbed a choke before hopping into guard. Larson tried to stay patient, and Vanier lost the hold. Larson got on top, then took Vanier's back. He got up high and locked in a triangle in a scramble. Vanier escaped, but Larson grabbed for an armbar. Vanier got back on top in another scramble. Vanier got his back and landed a few strikes. He tried to work in more strikes as Larson turtled up. He flattened him out and continued landing strikes. Larson just covered up as he continued getting hit. Vanier ended the round delivering strikes.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Vanier. Larson started strong, but Vanier battled back to steal it in the final half of the round.
ROUND THREE: Larson held off an early takedown attempt, but Vanier had control from his back standing. He stayed on him to the cage, landed a knee to the thigh, and scored a takedown. Vanier landed a hard strike as Larson tried to work to his feet. Larson got back up, but Vanier took him down again. Larson attempted to grab an arm but Vanier defended well. Vanier snatched a nice guillotine choke quickly as Larson left it open and forced the tap against the cage.
WINNER: Vanier via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:14 of the third round
PRO FIGHT TWO: ZACH KELSO VS. ANDRE TIEVA (BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Tieva went for an early high kick that missed. Kelso popped in with a right after a few moments of inaction. Very tentative start to the bout. The tentative pace continued, leading to boos from the crowd. Kelso then shot in, but he got stuffed against the cage. Tieva then countered it and wound up on top in half guard. Tieva went for an armbar, then a triangle choke, but Kelso got out and stood up. Tieva threw a straight kick, then countered a shot and got on Kelso's back on the ground. Tieva flattened him out and landed a few strikes on the ground. Tieva tried to set up for a choke, then got it locked in. Kelso got free, though , and continued defending. Tieva went for an armbar but nearly got slammed. Kelso then got out and landed a few strikes. Tieva popped to his feet and Kelso scored a takedown as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Tieva. Really slow start, but things picked up quickly once it hit the ground. Tieva came near finishing, but Kelso ended the round really well.
ROUND TWO: Tieva injured Kelso's leg with a bad leg kick early. He landed another one and Kelso tried to fight back on it. Tieva landed another leg kick and slipped, but as Kelso tried to go after him Tieva countered and took him down. Tieva moved to full mount. Kelso gave up his back and Tieva landed a number of big strikes. He looked for openings as Kelso tried to turtle up. Tieva rained down a few more strikes and flattened Kelso out. Tieva continued landing strikes and Kelso couldn't do much back. Tieva flattened him out again and threw punches without much behind them. Tieva moved it to the center. Kelso got free but Tieva immediately put him on his back again. Tieva locked up an arm and started throwing punches. Tieva took his back again as he turtled up. Tieva finished the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-8 Tieva. He injured Kelso's leg early, and dominated on the ground, but Tieva may have tired himself out there.
-The fight was halted by the doctor after the second round due to the knee injury.
WINNER: Tieva via TKO (doctor's stoppage) at 5:00 of the second round
PRO FIGHT THREE: BRETT MURPHY VS. ZAK JENSEN (HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Jensen tried to stalk early. Murphy landed a good jab. Jensen missed a couple of kicks. Jensen landed an overhand right. He hurt Murphy with a high kick and Murphy tried to shoot in. Jensen sprawled and landed a good knee to the body. He landed a few body punches and let Murphy up. Jensen landed a hard leg kick. He went high with the kick again and Murphy ate it. He landed a couple more leg kicks. Murphy got in a good right. Jensen went for a spinning back kick high but it didn't hit the mark. That's a big man throwing some nice kicks tonight. Murphy landed a left. He popped in again and Jensen dropped his arms, taunting him to come forward. Jensen went for the spinning kick again and rushed in, getting another sprawl as Murphy shot in. Jensen landed a few elbows and punches and finally got free. He landed a high kick as Murphy stood again. They traded strikes a couple more times as the round came to an end.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Jensen. He pressed the pace, landed more strikes, and kept Murphy backing up throughout.
ROUND TWO: They traded low kicks early. Murphy landed a left and Jensen responded with a leg kick. Murphy connected on a hard right. Murphy landed a good combo. Jensen slowed majorly from the first. Murphy connected again. The action took on a decidedly slower pace from the first. Murphy landed a nice two punch combo. Jensen landed a leg kick. Murphy landed a few more punches. He continued popping in with a couple before Jensen could respond. Jensen landed a body kick. Murphy connected on a few big strikes. Murphy landed a couple more. Jensen landed a spinning kick to the body. Murphy ended the round with another nice combination.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Murphy. Jensen was much slower in that frame and Murphy landed a bunch more in the round.
ROUND THREE: Jensen moved forward quick, but Murphy hit him with a big combo. Jensen rushed him and got into a sprawl. Jensen landed a knee to the shoulder. Nothing much happened for the next 45 seconds, but the ref did't stand them up. Finally he did. Murphy landed two hard punches. He connected on a few more. Jensen threw a high kick that was blocked. Murphy landed another big flurry. Jensen backed him off with a punch. Jensen tried to walk him down. Murphy connected on another punch. Murphy landed a punch and Jensen landed a body kick. Murphy shot and Jensen sprawled. Jensen landed a couple of strikes. Murphy drove up and scored a takedown with a minute left. Murphy didn't do much, but held top control for the final minute.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Murphy. He had the much higher output and held position for the final minute.
WINNER: Murphy via decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
***AMATEUR FIGHT***: JAKE IMMEL VS. BRAD PADGET (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Immel landed a hard right early, but Padget shot in and scored an early takedown. Padget started unleashing some heavy ground strikes. He locked on an arm triangle choke but Immel defended well. Padget postured up with more ground strikes and the ref finally stepped in to stop it.
WINNER: Padget via TKO at 1:04 of the first round
PRO FIGHT FOUR: AARON MULDINADO VS. RANDY KITTELSON (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Kittelson tried to jump in with a strike early. He pressed Muldinado back. He landed a hard jumping knee and unleashed a flurry on the cage. Muldinado tried to hold him off but he started unleashing a torrent of strikes. He got in some knees to the body and was relentless with the assault for the quick stoppage.
WINNER: Kittelson via TKO at :49 of the first round
PRO FIGHT FIVE: DR WILLIAMS VS. B.J. LACY (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Lacy came out to the center. He landed a good leg kick early. Williams landed one to the body. Lacy landed a push kick. Lacy got in a nice combo. Williams hurt him with a good shot. Lacy recovered, picked him up, walked him across the cage and slammed him hard. Williams tried to scramble but Lacy stayed on top of him. Lacy landed hard knees to the body from hag guard. He passed to mount and landed a few strikes. Williams tried to grab hold of him but Lacy kept position in the mount. He moved it to the center and landed a couple of punches. WIlliams tried to buck him off. He gave up an arm and Lacy maneuvered it to force the tap. Really nice finish. Fun fight.
WINNER: Lacy via submission (armbar) at 2:43 of the first round
PRO FIGHT SIX: KUCHLONG KUCHLONG VS. ANTHONY MARTIN (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Martin took the center early, but didn't waste much time looking for a shot. Kuchlong held it off. Martin landed a hard strike that hurt Kuchlong. He got in with a short combo, grabbed a body lock, and scored a nice slam into half guard. Martin patiently attempted to pass, but Kuchlong kept him in half guard for a bit. Finally he passed to side control. Kuchlong scrambled and got to his feet, but Martin had a hold of his head. He drove Martin to the cage, but Martin tried to trip him up. He pulled off another huge almost suplex slam into side control. He almost passed to mount but Kuchlong caught him in half guard. Martin grabbed for a kimura on Kuchlong's left arm. Kuchlong fought it off. He tried to switch to an armbar, and had a modified triangle on as well. Finally, Kuchlong was forced to tap to the triangle choke.
WINNER: Martin via submission (triangle) at 4:19 of the first round
-Martin brought his girlfriend into the cage and proposed to her after his win to a nice reaction from the crowd.
PRO FIGHT SEVEN: MIKE ZIMMER VS. YUKI YAMAMOTO (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Very tentative start with both testing the reach. Zimmer finally landed a significant strike two minutes in with a hard body kick. Yamamoto got in close and initiated a clinch. Yamamoto sent Zimmer down with a big shot. He tried to jump on an arm butZimmer escaped and got to his feet. Zimmer landed a body kick. Yamamoto connected with a leg kick. Zimmer tried to press in with a combo but couldn't connect. Yamamoto landed a hard punch. They traded kicks. The round ended with another body kick from Zimmer.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-10. Not much at all to the round. Neither wanted to engage early, and they each got a similar, yet small, amount of offense in.
ROUND TWO: They exchanged strikes early in a much quicker start. Yamamoto landed a hard kick to the body. Zimmer landed a jab. He landed a kick that went a bit low. He got in a nice leg kick. Zimmer caught a kick and scored a takedown, but Yamamoto exploded up and clinched him at that cage. Zimmer tried to set up a guillotine. He used it to separate and pressed in with a good body kick. He landed a few strikes against the cage. He connected again as Yamamoto tried to fire back. He landed a hard right and dropped Yamamoto. They were in an exchange and Yamamoto went down, may have been a knee to the groin. That's how he was reaching. He was given time to recover. After they finally restarted Zimmer landed a punch. Yamamoto got in a nice counter left. Zimmer barely missed a big right. Zimmer went high with a kick but it was blocked. Zimmer threw a straight kick. He got in a really hard kick to the body. He landed a right. The round ended in a square off.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Zimmer. Much better round. Zimmer was the aggressor for much of it and landed some nice strikes to go along with a good trip takedown.
ROUND THREE: Zimmer landed a hard leg kick and avoided a big counter punch. Zimmer got in with a kick to the body. Zimmer landed a short knee and a right behind it. He got in a kick to the body. Zimmer landed a right. Zimmer landed a good body kick after a minute of tentative action. The crowd was restless with the inaction after a long night. Yamamoto started taunting Zimmer. He caught a kick from Zimmer, but Zimmer pushed him down. They got some crowd reaction with the back and forth but it was all a smokescreen as they went back to doing nothing. They continued standing across from each other without doing much. Yamamoto landed a body kick. Zimmer landed a right. Yamamoto tried to walk him down. The crowd booed as time ran out on the fight.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Zimmer. I guess. A little more action from him than the first round, but that was a really, really dull round overall.
WINNER: Zimmer via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
PRO FIGHT EIGHT: CODY PASQUALE VS. BEN NEAUMANN (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Neumann went for a shot early but got stuffed. Pasquale nearly took him down, but Neumann stayed standing. Pasquale keeps on the clinch against the cage. He landed a nice knee to the body. Neumann turned it around and shot in. Pasquale grabbed a guillotine choke and pulled guard. Neumann tried to hold it off, but Pasquale forced the tap. He then gave a shooting gesture, taunting Neumann after the win, and the crowd booed him.
WINNER: Pasquale via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:12 of the first round
-Pasquale took the mic and continued taunting Neumann, saying if he went to the right gym he'd learn something. He continued riling up the crowd.
PRO FIGHT NINE: FLOYD HODGES VS. TRAVIS REDDINGER (BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Reddinger landed a hard body kick early and tripped. He got right back up. He landed an inside leg kick. He went high but missed. Hodges stayed on the outside. Reddinger landed another leg kick. He got in a body kick. Reddinger landed a hard leg kick. Hodges caught a leg and took Reddinger down. Reddinger closed his guard with a body triangle. He landed some heel strikes. He got in some elbows from his back. He attacked hodges' left arm briefly. He continued landing elbows to Hodges' shoulders. He continued landing strikes from his back. Reddinger went for an arm but Hodges popped out. Reddinger kicked him off and stood up. Reddinger landed a leg kick. Reddinger pressed in and grabbed the clinch. He landed a knee to the body and went for a throw. He got stuffed but landed a knee to end the round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Reddinger. Hodges did nothing on the ground, and Reddinger landed a ton of strikes from his back and attacked with the sub attempt.
ROUND TWO: Reddinger landed an early leg kick. He landed a hard one and landed a nice right afterward. He threw a straight kick to the body. Hodges started swinging wildly. Reddinger landed another hard leg kick and grabbed a clinch. He got in a hard knee. Hodges got him off briefly, but Reddinger grabbed a body lock against the cage. He landed a few knees to the body and legs. He tried to take Hodges' back standing, but landed knees and foot stomp instead. He continued landing knees on the cage. He continued to land knees to the body in the clinch for the next minute. He tried to score a takedown but Hodges stayed up. He kept on him with knees and punches. Finally he scored a trip and put Hodges on his back. He postured up with a few nice punches. Hodges kicked him off and popped to his feet. Reddinger took him right back down. He landed some nasty elbows after trapping Hodges' arm. He postured up with some big strikes against the cage and continued blasting him. Hodges tried to kick him off but Reddinger dropped back into his guard. He finished the round with a few more strikes.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Reddinger. Very good round for "The Hurricane." Very good clinch work and he did a lot of damage on the ground.
ROUND THREE: Reddinger landed a hard leg kick early. He landed it again right away. Hodges tried to rush in but Reddinger covered up well. Reddinger landed the body kick. He hurt Hodges with a body kick and started unleashing a flurry on the cage. Hodges was hurt and the ref stopped it with Hodges standing. Hodges didn't protest the stoppage. That body kick hurt him.
WINNER: Reddinger via TKO at 1:01 of the third round
PRO FIGHT TEN: COURTNEY BUCK VS. GABE GREENBERG (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Buck landed a push kick early. He landed a couple more leg kicks, then went back to the push kick to the body. Greenberg threw a hard combo but it was blocked. Buck landed a hard leg kick. Greenberg landed a big strike that hurt Buck. He rushed him to the cage and scored a takedown into half guard. Greenberg got a choke locked in pretty quickly, but Buck tried to hold it off. Greenberg stuck with it and finally forced the tap.
WINNER: Greenberg via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:24 of the first round.
PRO FIGHT ELEVEN: TRAVIS PERZYNSKI VS. YOSHIHIRO KOYAMA (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Perzynski pressed in early. Koyama nearly grabbed a leg but Perzysnki popped up. They clinched and Perzynski dropped Koyama with a few short uppercuts. Koyama recovered and quickly got to his feet. Perzynski landed another short combo. Perzynski connected on a hard uppercut but Koyama continued on. Perzynski landed another good short combo. Perzynski landed a vicious series of punches and knees. He rushed in and dropped Koyama with a jumping knee. Koyama somehow worked to his feet and got dropped with another knee. He again got up and Perzynski flung him down. He landed some more strikes on the ground but Koyama again got up. Perzynski knocked him down again and started landing a bunch more strikes. Koyama continued to take it as Perzynski continued dishing it out. Perzysnki then took his back and set up for a choke as he continued landing strikes. Koyama fought it off. Perzynski pulled for the choke but Koyama escaped and ended the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-8. That was close to a 10-7. Perzynski just brutalized him through all five minutes of that round. How Koyama is still standing is beyond me.
ROUND TWO: Koyama came out and scored an early takedown. He landed a few strikes in half guard. Koyama landed some good short forearm strikes as Perzynski regained guard. Perzynski landed some elbows from his back as he tried to kick Koyama off of him. Koyama stayed firm in the guard. Perzynski landed a vicious elbow and used it to reverse position, but Koyama turned it back and dragged him back down. Koyama tried to pass, but Perzynski stuffed him and held him in guard. Koyama passed briefly and dropped down with some big strikes. Perzynski regained half guard. They battled with a few strikes to the bell.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Koyama. He needed to avoid the striking that time around, and he did. Will be an interesting third.
ROUND THREE: Perzynski landed a jab early. He landed a hard right. Koyama backed him up to the cage and went for the takedown. Perzynski tried to fight it off but was eventually dragged down. He grabbed for a guillotine choke but Koyama got loose. He stayed on top. Perzynski finally worked to his feet but got taken down again. He popped back up with separation, though. He landed a hard leg kick. He threw the flying knee. Koyama backed him up again and grabbed a single leg. Perzynski landed a couple of hard elbows to the body, but got taken down again. Koyama passed to half guard and landed a few punches to the body. Koyama continued working from top position, but they were stood up with 30 seconds left. Perzynski tried to walk him down. Koyama avoided much of the offense. Perzynski landed a vicious series of uppercuts as the fight ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Koyama. Perzynski couldn't stop the takedowns. I've got this one as a draw.
WINNER: Koyama via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
-Of course only one judge gave that first round a 10-8. The fight arguably should have been stopped in the first, and Perzynski got hosed by getting the "L" on his record instead of a draw tonight.
MAIN EVENT/PRO FIGHT TWELVE: JEREMY HAMILTON VS. YOSHIYUKI YOSHIDA (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Hamilton circled on the outside early. He rocked Yoshida with a nice right but Yoshida recovered quick. They traded kicks to the body. Hamilton landed a quick uppercut as Yoshida shot in. Yoshida stayed on the attempt and scored a takedown. Hamilton landed a hard elbow. Hamilton tried to get his legs high for a sub attempt but Yoshida broke through and landed some big strikes on the ground. Yoshida started throwing wild hammerfists but Hamilton avoided most of them. Hamilton caught an arm and attempted an armbar, but Yoshida got out. Yoshida stood and almost ate an upkick. Yoshida then passed to mount. He postured up and landed a short flurry. Hamilton tried to buck him off, exploded, and got to his feet. Yoshida stayed on him and grabbed a clinch on the cage with a minute left. Hamilton landed a hard knee to the body. Yoshida then pulled off a nice throw into side control. He passed to mount, but got reversed. Hamilton got to his feet and started unloading with strikes against the cage. Yoshida finally dropped back down for a double leg, and ate a few elbows as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Yoshida. Hamilton started and ended well, but it was all Yoshida in the middle four minutes.
ROUND TWO: Hamilton overshot on a punch and Yoshida read it perfectly, ducking under and scoring a quick takedown. Hamilton quickly set up a triangle, and landed several elbows, but Yoshida popped out into side control. He passed back to mount. He postured up and landed some good punches, but Hamilton was still defending. Yoshida continued landing as Hamilton tried to survive the assault. Yoshida continued landing strikes in the mount and the ref let it continue. Hamilton wasn't offering up much but throwing his hands up and trying to stop the strikes. He gave up his back, Yoshida flattened him out, locked on the rear naked choke, and forced a tap.
WINNER: Yoshida via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:30 of the second round.
-Thanks for sticking with us through a loooooong night of fights.
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APRIL 28, 2012
LIVE FROM MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
Tonight's live card, from Minnesota promoters Cage Fighting Extreme, Brutaal, and Sterling Entertainment Group, is available as a live internet pay-per-view for only $9.95 at GoFightLive.TV tonight.
AMATEUR FIGHT ONE: MITCH FIELD VS. NATE TOGBAH (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Field attempted an early takedown, and after some work got him down. He took Togbah's back and immediately worked for the choke. Field continued working for the choke throughout the round. He couldn't complete it, but held position through the three minute frame.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Field. Round was pretty much held in one position throughout.
ROUND TWO: Field's early takedown attempt was stuffed, but he stayed on Togbah and drove him to the cage. Togbah continued to hold off the takedown attempt and finally completed the takedown. Togbah then exploded to his feet, though Field continued pressing the takedown. He finally scored another hard takedown into guard with a minute left. He passed to half guard, and rode out the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Field. Not much happening again in that round. Dull start to the night.
ROUND THREE: Togbah opened up with a few nice strikes before Field grabbed the clinch. They battled for position until Togbah scored a nice trip takedown. Field went for an armbar, but Togbah passed to side control. Togbah stood and dropped a couple punches, then let Field up. He landed a strike and it was back to the clinch. Togbah threw Field down, but Field popped back up. He grabbed for a takedown against the cage, but Togbah held him off with punches and elbows. Field finally scored the takedown right before the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Togbah. Again, not much happened, but he scored the takedown this round and had more control of the rondo.
WINNER: Field via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
AMATEUR FIGHT TWO: RYAN SWEEZER VS. AARON COURTRIGHT (BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Courtright landed a hard leg kick early. Sweezer got in with a clinch, then scored a takedown. Courtright countered, but Sweezer went for an armbar. Courtright picked him up and then took him down. Sweezer went for a leg lock but lost it. He wound up in Courtright's guard. Courtright controlled his posture for a time. Sweezer finally opened up with a few big strikes and popped up. Courtright missed a big punch and Sweezer took him down into mount. He ended the round with strikes on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sweezer. Good top control, though not much else happened. Such is life in amateur MMA.
ROUND TWO: Sweezer landed a hard body kick early. Courtright grabbed a clinch, but then got flung to the ground. Sweezer then exploded to take his back, but Courtright worked out and got to his feet. Sweezer landed a body kick, but it was caught and he was taken down. Courtright landed a few strikes from the top. Courtright rode out the round on top, landing a couple of strikes along the way.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-10. Sweezer controlled the first half, Courtright the second; neither clearly won the round.
ROUND THREE: Courtright missed a punch and Sweezer tried to take his back. Courtright turned around, however, and pressed him to the cage. Sweezer then landed a nice throw that put him on top in half guard. Courtright tried to roll him over, but Sweezer rolled through and moved to full mount. He postured up with a few big strikes, then set up the choke. Courtright was then forced to tap with little time left in the round.
WINNER: Sweezer via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:51 of the third round
AMATEUR FIGHT THREE: JOE SULLIVAN VS. THOMAS HERRERA (CATCHWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Sullivan pressed in with a few strikes. Herrera pressed in with a takedown and got into guard. Sullivan tried to set up for an omoplata but Herrera got loose. Herrera broke free and landed a punch. Sullivan grabbed for a kimura and used it to briefly get to his feet. He continued wrenching the hold as they got to the ground, and he used it to transition to mount. He took Herrera's back, but Herrera turned back into him in the guard. Sullivan landed an upkick, then went for a triangle, but Herrera popped through. Herrera ended the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sullivan. Herrera had the position, but it was Sullivan working with it as he nearly scored a submission win.
ROUND TWO: Sullivan landed a good body kick early. He landed another and Herrera drove in with a takedown attempt. Sullivan stayed on his feet while threatening for a choke. Herrera finally completed the takedown. Sullivan went for a gogoplata, but Herrera got out of it. Herrera landed a few strikes and kept top position. He rode out the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Herrera. Not much to the round, but Herrera spent 80% of it on top.
ROUND THREE: Sullivan landed an early kick. He got in a straight kick to the face but Herrera drove in for the takedown. He held it off initially, but then Herrera completed it into guard. Sullivan tried to work from his back, but Herrera worked to full mount. Sullivan regained guard, but Herrera kept top position. Sullivan then exploded with an attempt for a triangle choke, but Herrera broke free. Sullivan then worked to his feet, but Herrera stayed on him with the takedown attempt. He completed a takedown, but Sullivan rolled through and got on top, delivering a series of blows to the bell.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sullivan. He was working more from his back and had a strong finish. Herrera may very well take the round, though.
WINNER: Herrera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
-The decision was heavily booed by the crowd.
AMATEUR FIGHT FOUR: KYLE TODD VS. NICK PORRAS (165 CATCHWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Porras pressed early and landed a couple of strikes, but Todd drove in and completed a takedown against the cage. Todd dragged him down further and got into half guard. Porras tried to throw his legs up, but Todd held position. Todd passed to side control. He ended the round on top.
Penick's Scorecared: 10-9 Todd. Held position throughout, not much else to the round.
ROUND TWO: Todd landed an early right and then scored an immediate takedown. Porras tried to get his back to the cage to stand up and finally got to his feet. It was brief, however, as Todd scored another takedown. Back to his feet quickly, he was then taken down once more into guard. Todd continued to hold position on top, and landed a few good strikes for good measure. Porras tried to buck him off to no avail, and the round ended with Todd on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Todd. Another clear round for Todd on top. Porras needs a finish here.
ROUND THREE: Todd shot in early but Porras stuffed it. He finally shuffled back to his feet after the nice sprawl. Todd shot again and again got held up. Porras stayed on him and landed a nice left. Todd again shot in, this time completing the takedown on the wall. Porras worked to his feet and Todd dropped down to get him back to the ground. Porras landed some big strikes to the side of the head as Todd continued trying to take him down. He popped to his feet again and landed an uppercut, but then got taken down once more. He landed strikes as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Porras. He got taken down a few times, and may have lost the round on the judge's scorecards, but he did enough to earn the round.
WINNER: Todd via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
AMATEUR FIGHT FIVE: VYRON PHILLIPS VS. JUSTIN RHEAUME (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Rheaume moved forward early, but Phillips then came in. That was a mistake, however, as Rheaume immediately took him down. He passed nicely to side control and got mount. He got Phillips' back and tried to set up the choke. Phillips held wrist control, though, and wouldn't let him break free. Phillips finally spun out into Rheaume's guard. He picked him up and slammed him down, but Rheaume kept a closed guard. Rheaume grabbed for an armbar but couldn't quite get into position to finish it at the end of the round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rheaume. Decent ground work, nice finish gave him the round.
ROUND TWO: Rheaume went for the takedown early, but Phillips held it off this time. He stayed with it, though, and finally completed it into hag guard. He passed to full mount. Phillips tried to explode out, but Rheaume took his back again. Phillips again held wrist control, and wouldn't let him get a better hold. Rheaume went for the armbar again to finish the round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rheaume. Another clear round for him in what has been a positional battle.
ROUND THREE: Rheaume landed a couple of early leg kicks. He grabbed a clinch, but then got dropped by Phillips. Phillips started trying to finish with strikes wildly from the top, but Rheaume kept him at bay. Rheaume landed an upkick and rolled quick for a leg. Phillips sprawled. Rheaume finally got back to his feet and grabbed a clinch. Phillips stuffed a takedown attempt and wound up on top as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Phillips. Too little too late for him, unfortunately, but he had control of the position in that round. Should be an easy 29-28 for Rheaume, though.
WINNER: Rheaume via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
AMATEUR FIGHT SIX: JAKE ERICSON VS. BRANDON NOETZEL (200 LB. CATCHWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Ericson immediately went for a single leg and scored the takedown. Noetzel tried to get his legs up high as he closed his guard. Noetzel continued trying to get his legs up high as Ericson connected on a number of strikes against the cage. Noetzel tried to lock up a triangle choke as Ericson continued trying to land strikes. He got it locked on and forced the tap. Nice finish.
WINNER: Noetzel via submission (triangle choke) at 2:10 of the first round
AMATEUR FIGHT SEVEN: DIEGO GARCIA VS. RON WINSLOW (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Winslow dropped Garcia early with a big strike and jumped into his half guard. He landed a few big punches to the body and head as Garcia tried to scramble. Garcia got to his feet and Winslow went after him, exchanging a few big punches. Winslow landed a left. He landed a hard kick to the gut. Garcia ducked away nicely and landed a right. Winslow landed a good body kick again. He landed a straight kick and stayed on Garcia. He clinched and pressed Garcia to the cage. He went for a standing guillotine and dragged Garcia to the ground before taking his back. Garcia got to his feet and then Winslow slammed him at the bell.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Winslow. Pretty solid action there for a big-man amateur bout.
ROUND TWO: Garcia landed a nice right early, but Winslow walked through it. He backed him up and landed a nice jab. He landed a few more jabs. He got in a hard leg kick. Action stalled for a minute for an illegal blow, but no point was taken. As they restarted, Winslo landed a hard body kick. He hurt Garcia with a big right. He followed up with some more punches. Garcia went to the ground and Winslow took his back. He wrenched a choke and forced the tap as he had Garcia flattened out.
WINNER: Winslow via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:09 of the second round.
=====INTERMISSION=====
PRO FIGHT ONE: JORDAN LARSON VS. CAREY VANIER (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: They tested each other out early. Vanier landed a leg kick. The action slowed a bit. Vanier got in a body kick after Larson missed a punch. Larson caught a kick and scored a brief takedown, but Vanier worked back to his feet. Vanier separated with a nice punch and clinched. He scored his own takedown and landed a knee before moving to side control. He postured up and landed a few strikes. Larson got to his feet and Vanier shot back in. He scored another takedown into Larson's guard. Larson tried to explode out and Vanier tried to reverse. Larson got to his feet, however, and drove Vanier back to the cage. Vanier got separation late as the round came to an end.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Vanier. The takedowns and top work took it for him, but there wasn't much to the frame.
ROUND TWO: Larson rushed in with a punch but got taken down. He scrambled, but Vanier blasted him with a flurry of big strikes. He recovered and got to his feet, though. Vanier stayed on him and grabbed a choke before hopping into guard. Larson tried to stay patient, and Vanier lost the hold. Larson got on top, then took Vanier's back. He got up high and locked in a triangle in a scramble. Vanier escaped, but Larson grabbed for an armbar. Vanier got back on top in another scramble. Vanier got his back and landed a few strikes. He tried to work in more strikes as Larson turtled up. He flattened him out and continued landing strikes. Larson just covered up as he continued getting hit. Vanier ended the round delivering strikes.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Vanier. Larson started strong, but Vanier battled back to steal it in the final half of the round.
ROUND THREE: Larson held off an early takedown attempt, but Vanier had control from his back standing. He stayed on him to the cage, landed a knee to the thigh, and scored a takedown. Vanier landed a hard strike as Larson tried to work to his feet. Larson got back up, but Vanier took him down again. Larson attempted to grab an arm but Vanier defended well. Vanier snatched a nice guillotine choke quickly as Larson left it open and forced the tap against the cage.
WINNER: Vanier via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:14 of the third round
PRO FIGHT TWO: ZACH KELSO VS. ANDRE TIEVA (BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Tieva went for an early high kick that missed. Kelso popped in with a right after a few moments of inaction. Very tentative start to the bout. The tentative pace continued, leading to boos from the crowd. Kelso then shot in, but he got stuffed against the cage. Tieva then countered it and wound up on top in half guard. Tieva went for an armbar, then a triangle choke, but Kelso got out and stood up. Tieva threw a straight kick, then countered a shot and got on Kelso's back on the ground. Tieva flattened him out and landed a few strikes on the ground. Tieva tried to set up for a choke, then got it locked in. Kelso got free, though , and continued defending. Tieva went for an armbar but nearly got slammed. Kelso then got out and landed a few strikes. Tieva popped to his feet and Kelso scored a takedown as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Tieva. Really slow start, but things picked up quickly once it hit the ground. Tieva came near finishing, but Kelso ended the round really well.
ROUND TWO: Tieva injured Kelso's leg with a bad leg kick early. He landed another one and Kelso tried to fight back on it. Tieva landed another leg kick and slipped, but as Kelso tried to go after him Tieva countered and took him down. Tieva moved to full mount. Kelso gave up his back and Tieva landed a number of big strikes. He looked for openings as Kelso tried to turtle up. Tieva rained down a few more strikes and flattened Kelso out. Tieva continued landing strikes and Kelso couldn't do much back. Tieva flattened him out again and threw punches without much behind them. Tieva moved it to the center. Kelso got free but Tieva immediately put him on his back again. Tieva locked up an arm and started throwing punches. Tieva took his back again as he turtled up. Tieva finished the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-8 Tieva. He injured Kelso's leg early, and dominated on the ground, but Tieva may have tired himself out there.
-The fight was halted by the doctor after the second round due to the knee injury.
WINNER: Tieva via TKO (doctor's stoppage) at 5:00 of the second round
PRO FIGHT THREE: BRETT MURPHY VS. ZAK JENSEN (HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Jensen tried to stalk early. Murphy landed a good jab. Jensen missed a couple of kicks. Jensen landed an overhand right. He hurt Murphy with a high kick and Murphy tried to shoot in. Jensen sprawled and landed a good knee to the body. He landed a few body punches and let Murphy up. Jensen landed a hard leg kick. He went high with the kick again and Murphy ate it. He landed a couple more leg kicks. Murphy got in a good right. Jensen went for a spinning back kick high but it didn't hit the mark. That's a big man throwing some nice kicks tonight. Murphy landed a left. He popped in again and Jensen dropped his arms, taunting him to come forward. Jensen went for the spinning kick again and rushed in, getting another sprawl as Murphy shot in. Jensen landed a few elbows and punches and finally got free. He landed a high kick as Murphy stood again. They traded strikes a couple more times as the round came to an end.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Jensen. He pressed the pace, landed more strikes, and kept Murphy backing up throughout.
ROUND TWO: They traded low kicks early. Murphy landed a left and Jensen responded with a leg kick. Murphy connected on a hard right. Murphy landed a good combo. Jensen slowed majorly from the first. Murphy connected again. The action took on a decidedly slower pace from the first. Murphy landed a nice two punch combo. Jensen landed a leg kick. Murphy landed a few more punches. He continued popping in with a couple before Jensen could respond. Jensen landed a body kick. Murphy connected on a few big strikes. Murphy landed a couple more. Jensen landed a spinning kick to the body. Murphy ended the round with another nice combination.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Murphy. Jensen was much slower in that frame and Murphy landed a bunch more in the round.
ROUND THREE: Jensen moved forward quick, but Murphy hit him with a big combo. Jensen rushed him and got into a sprawl. Jensen landed a knee to the shoulder. Nothing much happened for the next 45 seconds, but the ref did't stand them up. Finally he did. Murphy landed two hard punches. He connected on a few more. Jensen threw a high kick that was blocked. Murphy landed another big flurry. Jensen backed him off with a punch. Jensen tried to walk him down. Murphy connected on another punch. Murphy landed a punch and Jensen landed a body kick. Murphy shot and Jensen sprawled. Jensen landed a couple of strikes. Murphy drove up and scored a takedown with a minute left. Murphy didn't do much, but held top control for the final minute.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Murphy. He had the much higher output and held position for the final minute.
WINNER: Murphy via decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
***AMATEUR FIGHT***: JAKE IMMEL VS. BRAD PADGET (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Immel landed a hard right early, but Padget shot in and scored an early takedown. Padget started unleashing some heavy ground strikes. He locked on an arm triangle choke but Immel defended well. Padget postured up with more ground strikes and the ref finally stepped in to stop it.
WINNER: Padget via TKO at 1:04 of the first round
PRO FIGHT FOUR: AARON MULDINADO VS. RANDY KITTELSON (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Kittelson tried to jump in with a strike early. He pressed Muldinado back. He landed a hard jumping knee and unleashed a flurry on the cage. Muldinado tried to hold him off but he started unleashing a torrent of strikes. He got in some knees to the body and was relentless with the assault for the quick stoppage.
WINNER: Kittelson via TKO at :49 of the first round
PRO FIGHT FIVE: DR WILLIAMS VS. B.J. LACY (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Lacy came out to the center. He landed a good leg kick early. Williams landed one to the body. Lacy landed a push kick. Lacy got in a nice combo. Williams hurt him with a good shot. Lacy recovered, picked him up, walked him across the cage and slammed him hard. Williams tried to scramble but Lacy stayed on top of him. Lacy landed hard knees to the body from hag guard. He passed to mount and landed a few strikes. Williams tried to grab hold of him but Lacy kept position in the mount. He moved it to the center and landed a couple of punches. WIlliams tried to buck him off. He gave up an arm and Lacy maneuvered it to force the tap. Really nice finish. Fun fight.
WINNER: Lacy via submission (armbar) at 2:43 of the first round
PRO FIGHT SIX: KUCHLONG KUCHLONG VS. ANTHONY MARTIN (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Martin took the center early, but didn't waste much time looking for a shot. Kuchlong held it off. Martin landed a hard strike that hurt Kuchlong. He got in with a short combo, grabbed a body lock, and scored a nice slam into half guard. Martin patiently attempted to pass, but Kuchlong kept him in half guard for a bit. Finally he passed to side control. Kuchlong scrambled and got to his feet, but Martin had a hold of his head. He drove Martin to the cage, but Martin tried to trip him up. He pulled off another huge almost suplex slam into side control. He almost passed to mount but Kuchlong caught him in half guard. Martin grabbed for a kimura on Kuchlong's left arm. Kuchlong fought it off. He tried to switch to an armbar, and had a modified triangle on as well. Finally, Kuchlong was forced to tap to the triangle choke.
WINNER: Martin via submission (triangle) at 4:19 of the first round
-Martin brought his girlfriend into the cage and proposed to her after his win to a nice reaction from the crowd.
PRO FIGHT SEVEN: MIKE ZIMMER VS. YUKI YAMAMOTO (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Very tentative start with both testing the reach. Zimmer finally landed a significant strike two minutes in with a hard body kick. Yamamoto got in close and initiated a clinch. Yamamoto sent Zimmer down with a big shot. He tried to jump on an arm butZimmer escaped and got to his feet. Zimmer landed a body kick. Yamamoto connected with a leg kick. Zimmer tried to press in with a combo but couldn't connect. Yamamoto landed a hard punch. They traded kicks. The round ended with another body kick from Zimmer.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-10. Not much at all to the round. Neither wanted to engage early, and they each got a similar, yet small, amount of offense in.
ROUND TWO: They exchanged strikes early in a much quicker start. Yamamoto landed a hard kick to the body. Zimmer landed a jab. He landed a kick that went a bit low. He got in a nice leg kick. Zimmer caught a kick and scored a takedown, but Yamamoto exploded up and clinched him at that cage. Zimmer tried to set up a guillotine. He used it to separate and pressed in with a good body kick. He landed a few strikes against the cage. He connected again as Yamamoto tried to fire back. He landed a hard right and dropped Yamamoto. They were in an exchange and Yamamoto went down, may have been a knee to the groin. That's how he was reaching. He was given time to recover. After they finally restarted Zimmer landed a punch. Yamamoto got in a nice counter left. Zimmer barely missed a big right. Zimmer went high with a kick but it was blocked. Zimmer threw a straight kick. He got in a really hard kick to the body. He landed a right. The round ended in a square off.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Zimmer. Much better round. Zimmer was the aggressor for much of it and landed some nice strikes to go along with a good trip takedown.
ROUND THREE: Zimmer landed a hard leg kick and avoided a big counter punch. Zimmer got in with a kick to the body. Zimmer landed a short knee and a right behind it. He got in a kick to the body. Zimmer landed a right. Zimmer landed a good body kick after a minute of tentative action. The crowd was restless with the inaction after a long night. Yamamoto started taunting Zimmer. He caught a kick from Zimmer, but Zimmer pushed him down. They got some crowd reaction with the back and forth but it was all a smokescreen as they went back to doing nothing. They continued standing across from each other without doing much. Yamamoto landed a body kick. Zimmer landed a right. Yamamoto tried to walk him down. The crowd booed as time ran out on the fight.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Zimmer. I guess. A little more action from him than the first round, but that was a really, really dull round overall.
WINNER: Zimmer via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
PRO FIGHT EIGHT: CODY PASQUALE VS. BEN NEAUMANN (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Neumann went for a shot early but got stuffed. Pasquale nearly took him down, but Neumann stayed standing. Pasquale keeps on the clinch against the cage. He landed a nice knee to the body. Neumann turned it around and shot in. Pasquale grabbed a guillotine choke and pulled guard. Neumann tried to hold it off, but Pasquale forced the tap. He then gave a shooting gesture, taunting Neumann after the win, and the crowd booed him.
WINNER: Pasquale via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:12 of the first round
-Pasquale took the mic and continued taunting Neumann, saying if he went to the right gym he'd learn something. He continued riling up the crowd.
PRO FIGHT NINE: FLOYD HODGES VS. TRAVIS REDDINGER (BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Reddinger landed a hard body kick early and tripped. He got right back up. He landed an inside leg kick. He went high but missed. Hodges stayed on the outside. Reddinger landed another leg kick. He got in a body kick. Reddinger landed a hard leg kick. Hodges caught a leg and took Reddinger down. Reddinger closed his guard with a body triangle. He landed some heel strikes. He got in some elbows from his back. He attacked hodges' left arm briefly. He continued landing elbows to Hodges' shoulders. He continued landing strikes from his back. Reddinger went for an arm but Hodges popped out. Reddinger kicked him off and stood up. Reddinger landed a leg kick. Reddinger pressed in and grabbed the clinch. He landed a knee to the body and went for a throw. He got stuffed but landed a knee to end the round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Reddinger. Hodges did nothing on the ground, and Reddinger landed a ton of strikes from his back and attacked with the sub attempt.
ROUND TWO: Reddinger landed an early leg kick. He landed a hard one and landed a nice right afterward. He threw a straight kick to the body. Hodges started swinging wildly. Reddinger landed another hard leg kick and grabbed a clinch. He got in a hard knee. Hodges got him off briefly, but Reddinger grabbed a body lock against the cage. He landed a few knees to the body and legs. He tried to take Hodges' back standing, but landed knees and foot stomp instead. He continued landing knees on the cage. He continued to land knees to the body in the clinch for the next minute. He tried to score a takedown but Hodges stayed up. He kept on him with knees and punches. Finally he scored a trip and put Hodges on his back. He postured up with a few nice punches. Hodges kicked him off and popped to his feet. Reddinger took him right back down. He landed some nasty elbows after trapping Hodges' arm. He postured up with some big strikes against the cage and continued blasting him. Hodges tried to kick him off but Reddinger dropped back into his guard. He finished the round with a few more strikes.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Reddinger. Very good round for "The Hurricane." Very good clinch work and he did a lot of damage on the ground.
ROUND THREE: Reddinger landed a hard leg kick early. He landed it again right away. Hodges tried to rush in but Reddinger covered up well. Reddinger landed the body kick. He hurt Hodges with a body kick and started unleashing a flurry on the cage. Hodges was hurt and the ref stopped it with Hodges standing. Hodges didn't protest the stoppage. That body kick hurt him.
WINNER: Reddinger via TKO at 1:01 of the third round
PRO FIGHT TEN: COURTNEY BUCK VS. GABE GREENBERG (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Buck landed a push kick early. He landed a couple more leg kicks, then went back to the push kick to the body. Greenberg threw a hard combo but it was blocked. Buck landed a hard leg kick. Greenberg landed a big strike that hurt Buck. He rushed him to the cage and scored a takedown into half guard. Greenberg got a choke locked in pretty quickly, but Buck tried to hold it off. Greenberg stuck with it and finally forced the tap.
WINNER: Greenberg via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:24 of the first round.
PRO FIGHT ELEVEN: TRAVIS PERZYNSKI VS. YOSHIHIRO KOYAMA (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Perzynski pressed in early. Koyama nearly grabbed a leg but Perzysnki popped up. They clinched and Perzynski dropped Koyama with a few short uppercuts. Koyama recovered and quickly got to his feet. Perzynski landed another short combo. Perzynski connected on a hard uppercut but Koyama continued on. Perzynski landed another good short combo. Perzynski landed a vicious series of punches and knees. He rushed in and dropped Koyama with a jumping knee. Koyama somehow worked to his feet and got dropped with another knee. He again got up and Perzynski flung him down. He landed some more strikes on the ground but Koyama again got up. Perzynski knocked him down again and started landing a bunch more strikes. Koyama continued to take it as Perzynski continued dishing it out. Perzysnki then took his back and set up for a choke as he continued landing strikes. Koyama fought it off. Perzynski pulled for the choke but Koyama escaped and ended the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-8. That was close to a 10-7. Perzynski just brutalized him through all five minutes of that round. How Koyama is still standing is beyond me.
ROUND TWO: Koyama came out and scored an early takedown. He landed a few strikes in half guard. Koyama landed some good short forearm strikes as Perzynski regained guard. Perzynski landed some elbows from his back as he tried to kick Koyama off of him. Koyama stayed firm in the guard. Perzynski landed a vicious elbow and used it to reverse position, but Koyama turned it back and dragged him back down. Koyama tried to pass, but Perzynski stuffed him and held him in guard. Koyama passed briefly and dropped down with some big strikes. Perzynski regained half guard. They battled with a few strikes to the bell.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Koyama. He needed to avoid the striking that time around, and he did. Will be an interesting third.
ROUND THREE: Perzynski landed a jab early. He landed a hard right. Koyama backed him up to the cage and went for the takedown. Perzynski tried to fight it off but was eventually dragged down. He grabbed for a guillotine choke but Koyama got loose. He stayed on top. Perzynski finally worked to his feet but got taken down again. He popped back up with separation, though. He landed a hard leg kick. He threw the flying knee. Koyama backed him up again and grabbed a single leg. Perzynski landed a couple of hard elbows to the body, but got taken down again. Koyama passed to half guard and landed a few punches to the body. Koyama continued working from top position, but they were stood up with 30 seconds left. Perzynski tried to walk him down. Koyama avoided much of the offense. Perzynski landed a vicious series of uppercuts as the fight ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Koyama. Perzynski couldn't stop the takedowns. I've got this one as a draw.
WINNER: Koyama via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
-Of course only one judge gave that first round a 10-8. The fight arguably should have been stopped in the first, and Perzynski got hosed by getting the "L" on his record instead of a draw tonight.
MAIN EVENT/PRO FIGHT TWELVE: JEREMY HAMILTON VS. YOSHIYUKI YOSHIDA (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Hamilton circled on the outside early. He rocked Yoshida with a nice right but Yoshida recovered quick. They traded kicks to the body. Hamilton landed a quick uppercut as Yoshida shot in. Yoshida stayed on the attempt and scored a takedown. Hamilton landed a hard elbow. Hamilton tried to get his legs high for a sub attempt but Yoshida broke through and landed some big strikes on the ground. Yoshida started throwing wild hammerfists but Hamilton avoided most of them. Hamilton caught an arm and attempted an armbar, but Yoshida got out. Yoshida stood and almost ate an upkick. Yoshida then passed to mount. He postured up and landed a short flurry. Hamilton tried to buck him off, exploded, and got to his feet. Yoshida stayed on him and grabbed a clinch on the cage with a minute left. Hamilton landed a hard knee to the body. Yoshida then pulled off a nice throw into side control. He passed to mount, but got reversed. Hamilton got to his feet and started unloading with strikes against the cage. Yoshida finally dropped back down for a double leg, and ate a few elbows as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Yoshida. Hamilton started and ended well, but it was all Yoshida in the middle four minutes.
ROUND TWO: Hamilton overshot on a punch and Yoshida read it perfectly, ducking under and scoring a quick takedown. Hamilton quickly set up a triangle, and landed several elbows, but Yoshida popped out into side control. He passed back to mount. He postured up and landed some good punches, but Hamilton was still defending. Yoshida continued landing as Hamilton tried to survive the assault. Yoshida continued landing strikes in the mount and the ref let it continue. Hamilton wasn't offering up much but throwing his hands up and trying to stop the strikes. He gave up his back, Yoshida flattened him out, locked on the rear naked choke, and forced a tap.
WINNER: Yoshida via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:30 of the second round.
-Thanks for sticking with us through a loooooong night of fights.
Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher
UFC on Fox 3's Nate Diaz believes bout with Jim Miller to determine No. 1 contender at lightweight
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC heads to network television for a third time next weekend when UFC on Fox 3 comes live from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. Capping off the four-fight main card is the lightweight bout between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz, and it may just provide the UFC with their next UFC Lightweight Title challenger.
At least, that's how Nate Diaz sees things.
"That's what I was told was happening," Diaz said ahead of next week's event (via MMAJunkie.com). "I don't see who else would get a title shot."
There are certainly others in the 155 lb. division who would contest that notion, notably Anthony Pettis, who is the only fighter on the UFC's roster who holds a victory over current Champion Ben Henderson. With Henderson's rematch against Frankie Edgar still not on the docket, there would seem to be more time for that challenger to be determined, but Diaz still feels either he or Miller will be in line after next weekend.
For Diaz, his case would be bolstered by consecutive wins over top names in Donald Cerrone and now Miller should he pick up the win. For Miller, after a submission win over Melvin Guillard in January, a win over Diaz would add another name to his list, and his only career losses remain to top competitors in Henderson, Edgar, and Gray Maynard.
Penick's Analysis: Diaz can believe that all he wants, but I don't think the winner of this fight will be sitting around waiting for a title shot. Henderson and Edgar aren't likely to have their rematch until August, giving plenty of time for the winner of this fight to take one more fight before getting a shot. What would make a ton of sense is to book the winner of this fight against Anthony Pettis when Pettis returns from shoulder surgery this summer. If that fight were to take place close to when the Lightweight Title bout takes place, it will provide a clear number one contender instead of having several fighters with a claim.
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At least, that's how Nate Diaz sees things.
"That's what I was told was happening," Diaz said ahead of next week's event (via MMAJunkie.com). "I don't see who else would get a title shot."
There are certainly others in the 155 lb. division who would contest that notion, notably Anthony Pettis, who is the only fighter on the UFC's roster who holds a victory over current Champion Ben Henderson. With Henderson's rematch against Frankie Edgar still not on the docket, there would seem to be more time for that challenger to be determined, but Diaz still feels either he or Miller will be in line after next weekend.
For Diaz, his case would be bolstered by consecutive wins over top names in Donald Cerrone and now Miller should he pick up the win. For Miller, after a submission win over Melvin Guillard in January, a win over Diaz would add another name to his list, and his only career losses remain to top competitors in Henderson, Edgar, and Gray Maynard.
Penick's Analysis: Diaz can believe that all he wants, but I don't think the winner of this fight will be sitting around waiting for a title shot. Henderson and Edgar aren't likely to have their rematch until August, giving plenty of time for the winner of this fight to take one more fight before getting a shot. What would make a ton of sense is to book the winner of this fight against Anthony Pettis when Pettis returns from shoulder surgery this summer. If that fight were to take place close to when the Lightweight Title bout takes place, it will provide a clear number one contender instead of having several fighters with a claim.
ASK THE TORCH: Amadi Answers reader questions on Condit-GSP entertainment level, Interim Titles, Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones
By: Jason Amadi, MMATorch Columnist
Dionicio writes: I have a question regarding the future match between George St-Pierre and Carlos Condit. These two were exciting fighters making their way to the belt. However when they got a taste of that gold they became technical bores. I am a big fan of ground work and technique but these guys, with the help of Greg Jackson, have me thinking that Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit vs. George "No-rush" (I should petition this) St-Pierre should be labeled "the most technically boring fight to come." I know there may be disagreements but tell me it's not true?
A: It's not true. As a matter of fact, not only is it not true, but it saddens me that people even take this stance against athletes fighting to win.
First of all, Carlos Condit is one of, if not the most consistently entertaining fighters in mixed martial arts. It blows my mind that a fighter like him can spend ten years of his life finishing fighters left and right, go the distance just twice and still be written off as a "technical bore."
Heading into the Nick Diaz fight, most people figured Condit would lose because on paper his usual unbelievably aggressive style would play right into Diaz's hands. Condit and his team put together a style to counter Diaz's pressure fighting tactics and they got vilified for it; I think that's ridiculous.
The fact is there are some fighters that you just can't beat in an entertaining fashion and Nick Diaz is one of them. Knocking Nick Diaz out is more or less off the table, so aggressively pursuing that type of finish is mostly a fruitless endeavor. The Diaz brothers routinely set records with the amount of punches they land in fights so standing in the pocket and trying to outland them there is obviously a mistake too. Nick Diaz is probably a better grappler than Carlos Condit, so he probably wasn't going to win there either.
Really, if Condit were to fight Diaz the way he usually fights, he would have lost. And the thing about it is, fans wouldn't respect him for that. We saw Donald Cerrone try to push the pace against Nick Diaz last December, and he got hacked apart for his troubles.
Did anyone praise Cerrone for being exciting? No. People ridiculed him for playing right into Diaz's hands and threw the whole Jackson's MMA team under the bus for coming in with such a piss poor gameplan.
As far as Georges St-Pierre goes, people need to let go of the idea that GSP was ever some sort balls to the wall striker who aggressively pursued knockouts; the guy won his UFC debut by wrestling Karo Parisyan to the ground and grappling him en route to a three round decision.
I'm not going to lie and say that St-Pierre hasn't become a bit risk averse over the years, but he's also not the absolute worst fighter in the word to watch either.
Whenever Condit and St-Pierre meet, I expect GSP to look to get the fight to the floor as often as he can and I expect Condit to try to look to fly through the air and knock St-Pierre unconscious whenever he can. If Carlos Condit comes out looking to point fight with St-Pierre, he'd be playing into his GSP's strengths and he'd probably lose.
Elvin writes: Why was Dana White so quick to create an interim belt for the welterweight division but balked at the idea for an interim Light Heavyweight belt when Shogun was out for a year plus?
A: First of all, Shogun wasn't out for a year plus; he wasn't even out for a year. Rua won the UFC Light Heavyweight Title on May 8, 2010 and then next fought on March 19, 2011.
Georges St-Pierre suffered a knee injury that stopped him from defending his title last October and then another injury that prevented him from fighting last February. For a while it was doubtful GSP would even be able to compete in 2012. It's already been over a year since GSP's last title defense and if he has any sort of setback in his recovery, it could be even longer before we see him in the Octagon.
GSP was out for so long and there were so many contenders that it actually made sense for the UFC to create an interim championship. Well at least it did before Condit decided not fight again until St-Pierre returned.
Back in 2010, Rashad Evans was the clear number one contender and there weren't even any other obvious contenders to fight him for an interim championship.
Yanni writes: I'd love your opinion on Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones at 205lbs (assuming the fight to take place tomorrow, with both fighters uninjured).
A: Anderson Silva is probably the best MMA fighter we've seen to this point, but Jon Jones would be a horrible style match up for him; he just has too many physical advantages, including being 13 years Silva's junior.
As great as Anderson Silva is, if Jones is overwhelming and physically dominating light heavyweights, why do people think bringing in middleweights is the answer? At the end of the day, even the greatest middleweight of all time is still just a middleweight.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter @JasonAmadi and direct your "Ask the Torch" questions to mmatorch@gmail.com
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A: It's not true. As a matter of fact, not only is it not true, but it saddens me that people even take this stance against athletes fighting to win.
First of all, Carlos Condit is one of, if not the most consistently entertaining fighters in mixed martial arts. It blows my mind that a fighter like him can spend ten years of his life finishing fighters left and right, go the distance just twice and still be written off as a "technical bore."
Heading into the Nick Diaz fight, most people figured Condit would lose because on paper his usual unbelievably aggressive style would play right into Diaz's hands. Condit and his team put together a style to counter Diaz's pressure fighting tactics and they got vilified for it; I think that's ridiculous.
The fact is there are some fighters that you just can't beat in an entertaining fashion and Nick Diaz is one of them. Knocking Nick Diaz out is more or less off the table, so aggressively pursuing that type of finish is mostly a fruitless endeavor. The Diaz brothers routinely set records with the amount of punches they land in fights so standing in the pocket and trying to outland them there is obviously a mistake too. Nick Diaz is probably a better grappler than Carlos Condit, so he probably wasn't going to win there either.
Really, if Condit were to fight Diaz the way he usually fights, he would have lost. And the thing about it is, fans wouldn't respect him for that. We saw Donald Cerrone try to push the pace against Nick Diaz last December, and he got hacked apart for his troubles.
Did anyone praise Cerrone for being exciting? No. People ridiculed him for playing right into Diaz's hands and threw the whole Jackson's MMA team under the bus for coming in with such a piss poor gameplan.
As far as Georges St-Pierre goes, people need to let go of the idea that GSP was ever some sort balls to the wall striker who aggressively pursued knockouts; the guy won his UFC debut by wrestling Karo Parisyan to the ground and grappling him en route to a three round decision.
I'm not going to lie and say that St-Pierre hasn't become a bit risk averse over the years, but he's also not the absolute worst fighter in the word to watch either.
Whenever Condit and St-Pierre meet, I expect GSP to look to get the fight to the floor as often as he can and I expect Condit to try to look to fly through the air and knock St-Pierre unconscious whenever he can. If Carlos Condit comes out looking to point fight with St-Pierre, he'd be playing into his GSP's strengths and he'd probably lose.
Elvin writes: Why was Dana White so quick to create an interim belt for the welterweight division but balked at the idea for an interim Light Heavyweight belt when Shogun was out for a year plus?
A: First of all, Shogun wasn't out for a year plus; he wasn't even out for a year. Rua won the UFC Light Heavyweight Title on May 8, 2010 and then next fought on March 19, 2011.
Georges St-Pierre suffered a knee injury that stopped him from defending his title last October and then another injury that prevented him from fighting last February. For a while it was doubtful GSP would even be able to compete in 2012. It's already been over a year since GSP's last title defense and if he has any sort of setback in his recovery, it could be even longer before we see him in the Octagon.
GSP was out for so long and there were so many contenders that it actually made sense for the UFC to create an interim championship. Well at least it did before Condit decided not fight again until St-Pierre returned.
Back in 2010, Rashad Evans was the clear number one contender and there weren't even any other obvious contenders to fight him for an interim championship.
Yanni writes: I'd love your opinion on Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones at 205lbs (assuming the fight to take place tomorrow, with both fighters uninjured).
A: Anderson Silva is probably the best MMA fighter we've seen to this point, but Jon Jones would be a horrible style match up for him; he just has too many physical advantages, including being 13 years Silva's junior.
As great as Anderson Silva is, if Jones is overwhelming and physically dominating light heavyweights, why do people think bringing in middleweights is the answer? At the end of the day, even the greatest middleweight of all time is still just a middleweight.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter @JasonAmadi and direct your "Ask the Torch" questions to mmatorch@gmail.com
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