Saturday

Pair of Ultimate Fighter 14 alumni added to UFC on FOX 3 lineup

The card for the third UFC on FOX event is beginning to fill up, as UFC officials recently announced match-ups featuring Johnny Bedford-Nick Denis and Dennis Bermudez-Pablo Garza had been added to the card. Bedford (18-9-1) and Bermudez (7-3) will join fellow TUF 14 contestants John Dodson and Louis Guadinot on the show’s lineup. Denis [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/02/17/ultimate-fighter-14-alumni-added-to-ufc-on-fox-3-lineup/

Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George

Quinton Jackson: ?I plan on knocking his ass out in front of my Japanese fans.?

When Quinton Jackson steps into the Octagon at UFC 144 he?ll do so in front of a Japanese audience almost six years to the day since he last entertained a crowd in the fight-friendly nation. While that bout may have involved a forgettable outpointing of Dong Sik Yoon, this time around ?Rampage? has designs on [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/02/18/quinton-jackson-%e2%80%9ci-plan-on-knocking-his-ass-out-in-front-of-my-japanese-fans-%e2%80%9d

Mac Danzig  Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik Marcus Davis 

Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva trade advice

With Chael Sonnen expected to take on Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight belt in June, you would think they wouldn't want to help each other out. Even the fighters who are friends before their bout usually cut off communication in the months leading up to their fight. But Silva and Sonnen are so kind that they actually are trading advice.

In an interview with Fuel TV, Silva gave Sonnen training tips.

"Chael talks too much," Silva said. "Chael needs to train. No more talk, train. Going to Brazil? Big problem."

See? So helpful of Silva to not only help Sonnen with his training, but to do it in Sonnen's native language even though Silva usually only speaks Portuguese.

Sonnen, wanting to return the favor, offered Silva some advice on how to relax and who to hang out with.

How sweet! Perhaps Sonnen is forgetting how he lost to Silva in the final round of their bout. With this sort of collegiality, they may want to just have a chess match instead of a cage fight come June.

More sports news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/chael-sonnen-anderson-silva-trade-advice-155846735.html

Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian Karen Grigoryan

Anderson Silva goes 1-2 with Amazonian tribesman

Above, you can see longtime UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in a clinch with the member of an indigenous tribe in Brazil. According to the good people at Sherdog, he was taping a television show while visiting the Kamayura people in an inland state of Brazil.

While there, he worked out with a tribe member in their traditional combat sport of the huka-huka. He was beat twice under their rules, but then won when allowed to use jiu-jitsu.

Silva used the filming as a learning experience.

"It's different, the way they fight, the kind of technique they use," enthused Silva. "They are very strong, and I really enjoyed the experience. Really cool."

At 36 years old, Silva is still going out and learning new techniques and ways to dominate at MMA. He does not stop getting better as a fighter, even when he's at the top of his game. Hopefully, he'll continue to travel the world to learn every martial art and we'll see him try Senegalese grappling, Turkish oil wrestling, and Black Friday shopping in any mall in suburban America.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/anderson-silva-goes-2-1-amazonian-tribesman-192613113.html

Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto

UFC on FUEL TV 1 ratings garner 217,000 viewers for 'Sanchez vs Ellenberger' event on Feb. 15

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2012/2/17/2805196/ufc-on-fuel-tv-1-ratings-garner-217000-viewers-for-sanchez-vs

Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga

Friday

Jake Ellenberger - The Contender Comes Home

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Jake-Ellenberger-The-Contender-Comes-Home

Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner

Renan Barao proves he?s for real with easy win over Scott Jorgensen at UFC 143

LAS VEGAS -- Still doubting Renan Barao? No need to anymore.

The young Brazilian cruised by a pretty game fighter in Scott Jorgensen taking a unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three cards, on the pay-per-view portion of UFC 143 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Barao entered the fight with a brilliant 27-1 record. That includes winning the last 27 straight. The 25-year-old is now a perfect 3-0 in the UFC with wins over Brad Pickett and now Jorgensen. He was a minus-250 favorite and brought home the victory with ease.

Jorgensen (13-5, 2-1 UFC) is generally regarded as a top seven fighter at 135 pounds. He went the distance in a five-round loss against UFC champion Dominick Cruz. Barao picked him apart on the feet the entire fight. Even more impressive was his takedown defense. In a division, with plenty of former college wrestlers, Barao showed he's not going to have an issue of defending from his back.

Jorgensen, a three-time Pac-10 wrestling champion at Boise State, never came close to threatening Barao for a takedown. He tried three times in the opening round and Barao powered out of the attempt in each case. Twice, he controlled Jorgensen and turned the clinch to his advantage along the cage. For the fight, Jorgensen was 0-for-7 on takedown attempts.

That left Jorgensen with almost no path to a victory. The shorter fighter, with a less developed striking game, Jorgensen couldn't reach Barao with most of his shots. When he did, the power just wasn't there. Barao outlanded Jorgensen 118-58. Barao's jab landed just about every time he threw it over the first two rounds. He pieced together some beautiful three-punch combos.

"Barao's a tough guy, he's a very well-rounded fighter. I had no sense of urgency and I felt too comfortable in there.� It's a tough loss," said Jorgensen.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/barao-striking-just-too-smooth-jorgensen-ufc-143-040344922.html

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger 

Dana White: Tim Sylvia Not Coming Back to UFC

Well, it didn’t take long for UFC president Dana White to crush Tim Sylvia’s (Pictured) hopes of getting back inside the Octagon. Two days after Sylvia pleaded with fans to bombard White’s Twitter to grant him another shot in the big leagues, White professed he has no interest in re-signing his former heavyweight champion. “No,” [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/106586/dana-white-tim-sylvia-not-coming-back-to-ufc/

Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono

Stefan Struve: "I have had a lot of great moments and I plan on making many more."

With less than a week left until his 24th birthday, UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve has seen more and accomplished more than most fighters do by the time they retire. Struve began his career at the age of 17 in Holland and since then has fought a total of 27 times with the last nine of [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/02/13/stefan-struve-is-looking-for-an-early-present-against-dave-herman

Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan

UFC 144 fight card and rumors for 'Edgar vs Henderson' on Feb. 26 in Japan

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2011/11/16/2566877/ufc-144-fight-card-and-rumors-for-edgar-vs-henderson-on-feb-26-in

Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero

Thursday

Dana White: ?We blew it. It should?ve been a five-round fight.?

If you were among the countless fans frothing at the bit for another round in last night?s exciting UFC on Fuel headliner between Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger you might have more in common with a certain UFC executive than you think. According to Dana White, he too was let down by the bout?s premature [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/02/16/dana-white-%e2%80%9cwe-blew-it-it-should%e2%80%99ve-been-a-five-round-fight-%e2%80%9d

Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno

?UFC on FUEL TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger? Post-Fight Press Conference Video

For fight fans that scoured the Internet for a live feed of the “UFC on FUEL TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger” post-fight press conference, there wasn’t one. While the footage we located wasn’t the entire Q&A session, the UFC did release highlights of the comments made by the show’s two featured fighters. Jake Ellenberger (Pictured) discusses [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/106562/ufc-on-fuel-tv-sanchez-vs-ellenberger-post-fight-press-conference-video/

Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace

Plenty of outrage over Diaz-Condit decision, winner defends his approach

Defense is an underrated aspect of mixed martial arts. That's unless you're a judge.

Carlos Condit picked his spots and had Nick Diaz whiffing with his punches for much of the night at UFC 143. His strategy and executed resonated with the judges, who scored it 4-1, 4-1 and 3-2 in favor of the new UFC interim welterweight champ. But Condit's ring generalship didn't go over well with many fans.

Here's sampling of tweets from fights fans who thought Condit simply ran the entire night.

Condit didn't see it that way.

"I was pretty confident that I had won the fight. I landed a lot of effective strikes. I stuck to my gameplan. I did what I went in there to do. I punched him in the face. Kicked him in the face. You know, landed more effective strikes than he did in the fight," Condit said. "That's what it boiled down to. If I sat there and fought Nick Diaz's fight, it'd probably be him sitting here with this belt instead of me."

UFC president Dana White agreed.

"The fans are mad about the way Carlos Condit fought ... too [expletive bad]. You're mad at the way he fought? He went in there and he fought a great fight," White said. "He stuck to his gameplan. Nick Diaz is the master of getting you to fight his fight. [...] Carlos Condit kept his cool tonight. He fought a perfect fight."

Condit said when did Diaz did catch him, the shots were weak.

"They weren't all that effective. For the most part, if he did hit me with anything, it was kind of past the power zone. They didn't have a lot on them," said Condit.

Condit thought his kicks paid dividends later in the fight.

"Chopping his legs and affecting his mobility from the very start was working," Condit said. "You don't see the effects of that until later on in the fight. But he stopped coming forward on me."

As Diaz began to talk trash, Condit also stayed under control. He recalled one funny line when Diaz responded to one of the 10-plus spinning backfists and elbows that Condit threw his way.

"We're throwing spinning [expletive] now?," Condit said repeating what Diaz said in the cage. Condit wasn't about to play Diaz's mind games.

"I planned for that. I knew that I to be mentally prepared as well as physically prepared to face Nick Diaz," Condit said. "That's something I had in my mindset as well as the talking and the taunts and stuff. I just needed to stay focused and execute my gameplan. No matter what he said or no matter how many punches he took from me, I couldn't let my focus stray."

What's next for Condit is anyone's guess. The fighter and promotion were non-committal on when he gets back in the Octagon. The champ Georges St-Pierre is hoping for a November return from ACL surgery. Nine months is a long time for the top of the 170-pound division to stay dormant.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/plenty-outrage-over-diaz-condit-decision-winner-defends-105756633.html

Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett  David Baron  Phil Baroni

UFC on FUEL TV 1 results: Jake Ellenberger wins decision over Diego Sanchez in war

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2012/2/15/2801527/ufc-on-fuel-tv-1-results-jake-ellenberger-wins-decision-over-diego

Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono

Wednesday

Anderson Silva talks to Cagewriter about UFC Undisputed 3 and the trouble brewing for Chael Sonnen

Anderson Silva is back in real life and in video game form. The UFC's middleweight champ is heavily featured in the ad campaign for UFC Undisputed 3. The THQ game just hit the shelves across the United States yesterday. It coincides with Silva's retur...

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/anderson-silva-talks-cagewriter-ufc-undisputed-3-trouble-204102827.html

Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko

Hockey Fight of the Day: Tom Sestito vs. Brandon Prust

If you’re a fan of hockey fights you no doubt know Tom Sestito, the Philadelphia Flyers’ enforcer who seems to spend nearly as much time in the penalty box as he does on the ice. If you needed any evidence of this, just look at the game on Sunday between the Flyers and the New [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/02/07/hockey-fight-of-the-day-tom-sestito-vs-brandon-prust

Vitor Belfort  Robert Berry David Bielkheden Michael Bisping 

What to look for: UFC on Fuel TV 1

The UFC rolls out its first major card debut tonight on Fuel TV in Omaha, Ne. Jake Ellenberger has a chance to work his way into the welterweight title mix with a big win over Diego Sanchez, but the card features much more beyond the main event (Fuel ...

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/look-ufc-fuel-tv-1-155155936.html

Michael Bisping  Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku 

Quick strikes: Why Condit-Diaz 2 makes sense, Barao?s rankings, and Alvarez?s smart choice

*Dana White tweeted on Tuesday night that a Carlos Condit-Nick Diaz rematch will in fact take place. Wednesday, rumors abounded that the fight won't happen after all; as of the time of this posting, things remain murky.

But the bout makes sense on several levels. For one, the most optimistic scenario for Georges St-Pierre's return to the cage is November. In addition to GSP, Condit and Diaz, the welterweight division has vets like Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch hanging around and up-and-comers like Jake Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks knocking on the door. A nine-month gap between Condit winning the interim title and challenging St-Pierre, which, again, is a best-case scenario, is a long time to have both guys with title belts on the sidelines when so many solid fighters are looking for their opportunity.

For another, as much as both Condit and Diaz's fans want to claim their guy won in a convincing manner, the margin of victory in their UFC 143 bout was razor-thin. The fact the decision is still the lead topic of conversation in MMA days later shows there's plenty of interest. Which leads to our final reason to make the match: Business. Condit-Diaz 2 is a surefire hit in a year in which the UFC has already had to scrap a planned Montreal date because of a lack of viable headlining bouts. Whether the rematch is a pay-per-view or UFC on Fox headliner, the match will attract attention along the lines of the biggest bouts of the year.

*Renan Barao moved up to No. 4 in MMAWeekly's bantamweight rankings after his UFC 143 win over Scott Jorgensen. Gaudy 28-fight win streak notwithstanding, I'm not convinced Barao is the next big thing at bantamweight. An inability to finish Jorgensen, in and of itself, is nothing to be ashamed of, as Jorgensen has only been stopped once in his career.

But Barao's pace slowed considerably starting around the midpoint of the fight, and that's not going to cut it if he's in the cage with Dominick Cruz for five rounds, or with Urijah Faber, for that matter. A matchup with Joe Benavidez, assuming Benavidez gets the win over Yasuhiro Urushitani on March 3, would be an interesting gauge of where Barao reallly stands among the bantamweight elite. (Update: I straight-up forgot Benavidez is going into the flyweight tourney. I still think he'd be a good match for Barao, though).

*Kudos to Eddie Alvarez for turning down entry into Bellator's next lightweight tournament and taking a date with Shinya Aoki instead. The bout takes place April 20 at a location yet to be announced. Alvarez's decision puts the spotlight on what's going to be a kink in Bellator's tourney system going forward: Why should Alvarez have to fight his way through three opponents just to get another crack at the championship?

Tourneys are a great way for an up-and-coming fighter to gain exposure, but when you've already made a name for yourself, as Alvarez has, there's little to gain and tons to lose. Alvarez needs to stay sharp in the wake of his title loss. He'll have a far bigger test of his skills fighting someone the caliber of Aoki, and will have more motivation in attempting to avenge his 2008 submission loss, than he would in slogging his way through another tournament.

Follow Dave Doyle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/davedoylemma

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/quick-strikes-why-condit-diaz-2-makes-sense-203254468.html

Ryan Gracie Peter Graham Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin

Mike Easton-Yves Jabouin added to UFC on FUEL TV 3

A key bantamweight bout between Mike Easton and Yves Jabouin has been signed to take place at UFC on Fuel 3. The UFC’s Canadian branch has confirmed the match-up as well as date/location. Easton (12-1) enters fresh off a decision victory over Jared Papazian that improved his UFC mark to 2-0. Easton?s high energy and [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/02/14/mike-easton-yves-jabouin-added-to-ufc-on-fuel-tv-3/

Clay Guida Jason Guida Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn

Tuesday

UFC on Fuel TV?s Stefan Struve Just Looking to Continue Growing

Forgive Stefan Struve, but all he wants to do is continue growing. While that seems strange for a man that stands 6?11 tall, Struve knows he is still developing every time he steps inside the Octagon.
Read all about how Struve feels he has done so far during his UFC career, and how he matches up with Dave Herman on Wednesday at UFC on Fuel TV 1.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27592/ufc-on-fuel-tvs-stefan-struve-just-looking-to-continue-growing/

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger 

Gina Carano Returns to Big Screen Before Cage

For those of you hoping Gina Carano (Pictured) would resume her mixed martial arts career now that her big screen debut, “Heywire,” bombed at the box office – this according to the film’s director, Steven Soderbergh – don’t hold your breath. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Conviction” will seek redemption by starring in the action-thriller [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/106297/gina-carano-returns-to-big-screen-before-cage/

Luiz Buscape Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian

Kendall Grove is ready to smash Jay Silva at Superior Cage Combat 4

Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove discusses his upcoming fight against Jay Silva in the main event of Superior Cage Combat 4 on February 16th. Grove (14-9), a veteran of the UFC and ProElite, will be making his debut under the SCC banner. He is excited about the match-up with Silva and believes that he will be [...]

Kendall Grove is ready to smash Jay Silva at Superior Cage Combat 4 is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/mma/kendall-grove-is-ready-to-smash-jay-silva-at-superior-cage-combat-4-56961/

David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson Josh Hendricks

Rolles Gracie finishes Bob Sapp in opening round at ONE FC 2

When the last name ?Gracie? is mentioned in conjunction with a win it?s expected to have involved some form of submission given the clan?s storied history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. However, at ONE FC 2: Battle of Heroes, Rolles Gracie tapped out Bob Sapp less than 90 seconds into their fight without the aid of his [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/02/12/rolles-gracie-finishes-bob-sapp-in-opening-round-at-one-fc-2/

Luiz Azeredo  Luciano Azevedo  Ba Te er  Ryan Bader 

Monday

Question for uk fans

Does anyone know if UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger is being shown on uk tv?

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/99831-question-uk-fans.html

Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley 

UFC fighters make their Super Bowl 46 picks

LAS VEGAS -- Athletes are athletes. Every sport has its stars, grunts and primadonnas.

Super Bowl 46 and the NFL have too many to count and so does the UFC.

Scott Bemis from the local CBS television affiliate in Las Vegas decided to mix the two worlds. Check out Roy Nelson and myself on KLAS trying to come up with our star QB, diva receiver, kicker, coach and the intimidating hitter from the UFC.

Everyone loves the NFL. The audience in the U.S. is expected to top 150 million. Plenty of fighters will be glued to a TV set or partying around Super Bowl 46. The promotion asked a bunch of the fighters at UFC 143 for their plays on the game.

Georges St-Pierre, UFC welterweight champion
"I've not a clue about the rules of football but I will be screaming for New York because it's the closest city to Montreal."

Carlos Condit, UFC interim welterweight title challenger
"I'm going to take the New York Giants. Sometimes being an underdog is the greatest motivation. I'm an underdog against Diaz this Saturday and it's going to be the weekend of the dog."

Roy Nelson, UFC heavyweight
"My picks for game day are Bud Light for the bud bowl. As for the other entertainment on that day, I have not picked my favorite commercial yet but it is usually the one with bigger budget, but the Cinderella story can always happen and that's why I love the tournament format. As for the filler, I don't have a pick but it definitely will be a showdownwith the New York Giants and New England, but my bet is on the one with "New" in their name."

Josh Koscheck, UFC welterweight
"I am mad because those are not my two favorite teams. That said, I think it should be a good, hard fought game. I'm not sure who will come out on top."

Brendan Schaub, UFC heavyweight
"My prediction for the game is it's going to be a good game--high scoring from both teams. In order for the Giants to win, they have to get pressure on Tom Brady from the D-line so he can't sit in the pocket and drop bombs to his monster tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, however even with that being said I think New England will be just too much for the Giants and pull off a late 4th quarter game-winning drive adding to the Brady legacy."

Clifford Starks, UFC middleweight
"I have to go with the Patriots, I know that they remember the last time they lost to the Giants and they are looking to take that bitter taste out of their mouth."

Max Holloway, UFC featherweight
"I'm going to have to take the Giants. I think they've got the defense to hold Brady and his offense down. Also because Eli is one lucky dude I swear. I think he could close his eyes and throw the ball and it would land into one of his receivers' hands. The Giants are just something else when they play in the post-season. Their wide receivers have just been on these last couple of games."

Matt Brown, UFC welterweight
"I predict the Patriots will win simply because New England is title town. My fianc� is from Massachusetts, home of the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox, and Bruins. All the winning teams are from MA so there is no way the Pats will walk away defeated. It also helps that Patriots QB Tom Brady has the best record of any NFL quarterback in the modern era with at least 100 starts."

Chris Cope, UFC welterweight
"I'm picking the Patriots because their offensive line is stacked and Brady is always clutch during the playoffs! Woooooooooooo!!!!!!!! Patriots!"

Stephen Thompson, UFC welterweight
"Eli Manning's offense is very strong which will allow him to move the ball well especially in the air. Their D line is strong which will allow their D-Backs to do their jobs."

Edwin Figueroa, UFC bantamweight
"Personally, I'm from Texas and when it comes to football I bleed silver and blue - Cowboys all the way win or lose! Onlytrue fans can say that! On that note though, I'm rooting for the Patriots to avenge their 2008 final loss to the Giants. Go Pats!"

Ed Herman, UFC middleweight
"I'm going to have to go with the underdog Giants. I enjoy rooting for the underdog plus their defense has been stellar. Go Giants!"

Scott Jorgensen, UFC bantamweight
"Patriots over the Giants! AFC east all the way! If it ain't the Bills in the bowl, I want to see the division do well to justify the Bills performance."

Super Bowl weekend is huge in Sin City. The UFC's decision to hold a Super Saturday card each year in Vegas is brilliant. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is estimating an additional 286,000 people will come to town. Hotels are at near 90-percent occupancy and the non-gaming revenue generated this weekend is $98 million.

You can watch UFC 143 right here on Yahoo! Sports

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/fighters-super-bowl-xli-picks-215808439.html

Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans

From Nightmare to Dream - The Quotable Diego Sanchez

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/From-Nightmare-to-Dream-The-Quotable-Diego-Sanchez

Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau  Rich No Love Clementi 

Sunday

Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish Added to UFC on Fox 3

A lightweight matchup between Danny Castillo and New Jersey native John Cholish has been added to UFC on Fox 3 on May 5 in East Rutherford, NJ.

UFC on Fox 3 is headlined by lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller and also features heavyweights Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27528/danny-castillo-vs-john-cholish-added-to-ufc-on-fox-3/

Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney 

Tabbed No. 1 welterweight prospect, Jake Ellenberger sounds pretty confident about upcoming fight

If Jake Ellenberger isn't fighting for some sort of UFC welterweight title by the end of 2012 he can only blame himself.
The 26-year-old has put himself in prime position and can lock up a title fight if he posts something impressive next week against...

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/tabbed-no-1-welterweight-prospect-jake-ellenberger-sounds-162454867.html

Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie

Cholish, Castillo to Clash in May

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-on-fox-3-fight-card-updates

Dai Shuanghai  Mac Danzig  Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik

UFC 143 openers: ?Wonderboy? Thompson posts the KO of the Night

LAS VEGAS -- There aren't too many karate practitioners succeeding at the highest level of mixed martial arts. Meet Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson. He might change that.

A kickboxer with over 50 fights, Thompson made his UFC debut a spectacular one at UFC 143. Thompson sized up Dan Stittgen for a few minutes and when his opponent relaxed a bit, Wonderboy landed a nasty roundhouse kick on Stittgen's chin. He was out cold in a split second at the 4:13 mark of the first round.

That's a helluva bar Thompson just set for Knockout of the Night. The UFC awards KO of the Night, Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses usually good for $65,000. Thompson looks like a shoo-in right now.

UPDATE: Thomson got the award and the $65,000.

It certainly wasn't the fight of the night. Stittgen, also making his promotional debut, never looked comfortable in the Octagon. His strength is supposedly jiu-jitsu, but he never got close enough to Thompson to even attempt a takedown.

"No words can describe how I feel right now. I'm beyond happy to have this win.� It's my first win in the UFC and I can't wait to get back out there and do it again.� I took my time and felt him out," said Thompson.

Thompson's kickboxing pedigree is impressive. He reeled off 57 straight victories before moving over to MMA in 2009, where he's now 6-0.

Natal's takedowns too much for striker Kuiper

Rafael Natal isn't pretty, but his grinding style was effective tonight against young Michael Kuiper.

Natal scored multiple takedowns in each of the first two rounds and worked top control. That was enough to get a unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, in fight No. 2 of the night.

It wasn't easy for Natal, who got blasted and rocked by a Kuiper uppercut just a few seconds into the third round. Kuiper, 22, jumped on top, but Natal (14-3-1, 3-1-1 UFC) used his grappling skills to minimize damage. Kuiper got off some effective body shots, but nothing huge to Natal's head.

Natal admitted to UFC analyst Joe Rogan that "everything went black" for a second after Kuiper landed the big right.

With 2:40 left in the fight, Natal got to his feet. Seconds later, he scored a big slam takedown of Kuiper. Down big in the round, Natal grabbed back control by working side control to a mount where he eventually slapped on a head and arm choke. Kuiper was caught in the submission hold for 40 seconds, but never tapped.

This was the first loss for the 22-year-old Dutchman. Kuiper (11-1, 0-1 UFC) did get the nod in the final round from Patricia Morse-Jarman.

Riddle notches win over gritty Martinez

Henry Martinez has some stones, but it just wasn't enough to get him the win tonight on short notice. Matt Riddle eked out a split decision over the Jackson's MMA fighter, 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28.

"This fight was a war, but it's nice to be back on the winning end again. Henry hit hard and his hands were quick. I was impressed by him and that's why I picked it up in the second and third rounds," said Riddle.

The 5-foot-6 Martinez, who's really a lightweight, put the pressure on for the first few minutes. His big hooks threw Riddle off his game.� The second round was dead even with Martinez landing early in the round. The end of the round had the crowd roaring as the fighters teed off on each other.

Riddle finally got the fight where he wanted when he landed a third-round takedown. That's his comfort zone. Riddle briefly threatened by taking Martinez's back. Martinez avoided any serious trouble and got back to his feet before Riddle landed another takedown. This was Riddle's best moment of the fight. Trapped along the cage, Martinez ate some big shots.

"I had fun out there.�It was a great fight and Matt is a tough guy.�Even if you go in with the best plan in the world and study your opponent, they can change it up on you.�We pushed each other hard but had a great time," said Martinez

You can watch UFC 143 right here on Yahoo! Sports


Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-143-openers-thompson-posts-could-ko-night-002012350.html

Marcus Davis  Tony DeSouza  Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz 

UFC 143 video: Under the gun, Chris Cope is still smiling and pumping out the woos!

You can watch UFC 143 right here on Yahoo! Sports

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/under-gun-chris-cope-smiling-whoos-065623128.html

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