1. Does Urijah Faber have another title win in him? Perhaps b...
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-149-answer-four-questions-213911833--mma.html
Saturday
UFC 149 will answer these four questions
UFC 149 in Calgary has made more headlines for injuries than it did for high expectations. However, there are still important fights on Saturday in Calgary. They will answer these questions:
1. Does Urijah Faber have another title win in him? Perhaps b...
1. Does Urijah Faber have another title win in him? Perhaps b...
All fighters make weight and Octagon Girls Logan Stanton and Rachelle Leah return at UFC 149 weigh-ins
All of the fighters from UFC 149 made weight for Saturday night's card in Calgary. It was a low-key weigh-in. The biggest news of the day was that two Octagon Girls who haven't worn the UFC bikini in years were on-duty. Rachelle Leah, who moved onto to other UFC hosting duties, and Logan Stanton, who hasn't worked for the UFC since December of 2009, were both onstage for the weigh-ins.
Complete weights for the event, courtesy of MMA Fighting, are below:
Main Card
Urijah Faber (135) vs. Renan Barao (135)
Hector Lombard (185.5) vs. Tim Boetsch (186)
Cheick Kongo (231) vs. Shawn Jordan (250)
Brian Ebersole (171) vs. James Head (170)
Chris Clements (170) vs. Matt Riddle (170.8)
Preliminary Card
Court McGee (185.5) vs. Nick Ring (185)
Roland Delorme (135) vs. Francisco Rivera (136)
Ryan Jimmo (205) vs. Anthony Perosh (205.5)
Bryan Caraway (135.5) vs. Mitch Gagnon (135)
Antonio Carvalho (145) vs. Daniel Pineda (145)
Mitch Clarke (155) vs. Anton Kuivanen (156)
Friday
UFC 149 will answer these four questions
UFC 149 in Calgary has made more headlines for injuries than it did for high expectations. However, there are still important fights on Saturday in Calgary. They will answer these questions:
1. Does Urijah Faber have another title win in him? Perhaps because of his nickname "The California Kid," or perhaps because he looks so young, it's easy to forget Urijah Faber is 33 years old and has been fighting since 2003. With a shot at the bantamweight interim title on Saturday, Faber has a shot at what might be his last title run. Can he earn the belt, and with it, another shot at champion Dominick Cruz?
2. Is Hector Lombard the real deal? He has a record of 31-2-1, and hasn't lost since 2006. He blew through Bellator to get the middleweight title. Now, he's getting a shot at the UFC and its top-flight talent. Before he can be taken seriously as a contender for Anderson Silva's throne, he needs to get through Tim Boetsch.
3. Is Brian Ebersole ready for a jump in competition? If you were to make a list of UFC fighters with 50 or more UFC wins, would Ebersole be the first name to jump in your head? Because it should. He's 50-14-1, and hasn't lost since dropping a 2008 bout to the larger Lombard. With a win over James Head, Ebersole can leap into the proverbial title mix for a welterweight title.
4. Will fans still care about an injury-ravaged card? Remember when Jose Aldo and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua were on UFC 149? And Thiago Silva? And Michael Bisping and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira? The card presented on Saturday will look very different than the one fans expected.� Canadian fans are known to be very loyal to MMA, but will they still turn out for Faber vs. Barao? And will fans buy the pay-per-view just a few weeks after shelling out cash for UFC 148 and Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva?
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-149-answer-four-questions-213911833--mma.html
John Alessio Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez
UFC 149 Faber vs. Barao: Pre-fight Press Conference Video
Watch live as UFC officials and competing fighters address the media in advance of Saturday’s UFC 149 “Faber vs. Barao”. The press conference takes place from the Flames Centrail in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on Thursday July 19th at 2:00pm ET. Urijah Faber will battle Renan Barao for the interim bantamweight championship in the main event [...]
UFC 149 Faber vs. Barao: Pre-fight Press Conference Video is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/ufc-news/ufc-149-faber-vs-barao-pre-fight-press-conference-video-58898/
Wes Soldier Combs Ray Cooper Kit Cope Wesley Cabbage Correira
Dana White Denies Meltzer?s Report of Showtime/Zuffa Contract Exclusivity
UFC president Dana White has gone on record denying earlier reports detailing Showtime's fighter exclusivity contracts. As Dave Meltzer reported on on his podcast, several Strikeforce fighters (most notably Gilbert Melendez, Luke Rockhold, and Ronda Rousey) are currently held down to Showtime exclusive contracts, which would not allow to fight for any promotion off the subscription based channel, even if Strikeforce were to fold into the UFC.
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/29447/dana-white-denies-meltzers-report-of-showtimezuffa-contract/
Thursday
UFC 148 gallery with Anderson Silva?s win and Tito Ortiz?s last fight
Check out pictures from UFC 148 by Tracy Lee. See Anderson Silva celebrating with family, Tito Ortiz's final fight and more.
Ronda Rousey unapologetic for decision to blend sex appeal and skill
Few female fighters have been as successful as Strikeforce bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey when it comes to drawing the interest of fans based both on athletic talent and physical beauty. The unbeaten Olympic judoka has gone 5-0 since turning pro in 2011, submitting all of her opponents in the opening round by way of Armbar, [...]
Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan
Wednesday
RYU opens training facility, Flagship store in Vegas
UFC official clothing sponsor RYU announced that it has opened an athletic training facility, the House of RYU, in Las Vegas, Nevada. �It will offer fitness and training programs for athletes and MMA practitioners of all levels. Via RYU press release: The House of RYU will offer fitness and training programs for athletes and MMA [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Payout/~3/MDjQon2_Sas/
Before he defends his belt, some Luke Rockhold highlights to start your day
Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold will get a second chance to defend his belt in Portland on Saturday night. Before you tune into the fights on Showtime, here's a handy dandy reminder of Rockhold's capabilities.
He's undefeated in Strikeforce and 9-1 overall. Only one of Rockhold's fights have gone to the judges; the rest were first-round stoppages. Will Rockhold keep a hold of his belt on Saturday night, or will Tim Kennedy walk away the champion? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.
California State Athletic Commission facing major financial difficulties
Things are not going well for the California State Athletic Commission. It is having severe financial troubles, and recently censured George Dodd, its executive director, for not telling the board just how bad the money situation is.
MMA Fighting is reporting the group that oversees MMA events is already under water, and could run a deficit of $700,000 by the time the year is over.
"Without the ability to pay for even basic services, the Commission will have no choice but to cease operation immediately and cancel or postpone indefinitely all Commission regulated events," Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) director Denise Brown wrote in a recent letter to CSAC's executive director George Dodd.
Zuffa has three events scheduled for California in the next two months. UFC on Fuel 4 will be in San Jose, UFC on Fox 4 will take place in Los Angeles, and Strikeforce's championship bout between Ronda Rousey and Sarah Kaufman is set for San Diego. None of these events are expected to be affected, but California is a go-to state for Zuffa. California hosted four UFC and Strikeforce events in 2011.
Considering the state's financial problems, it's not a surprise to see the CSAC stumble. California is projecting a deficit of $4 billion and has been running in the red for four years. Its financial problems are so well-known there is a Wikipedia entry devoted to California's budget crisis.
But where the true problem lies for the CSAC is how to dig out of its hole. Without money, it can't run high-grossing events, but without high-grossing events, it can't earn money.
Shane Carwin lays it all on the line in regards to coaching TUF vs. Roy Nelson
Shane Carwin isn’t the kind of man who likes to enjoy a good laugh or two while working. Carwin, who has recently been cleared to return to action following back surgery, will compete head-to-head with Roy Nelson on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. The two heavyweights, who will eventually collide after the show [...]
Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesic
Tuesday
UFC 151 Gets John Lineker vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani
The UFC's flourishing flyweight division has been in the news a lot recently with Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson's title bout officially set for UFC 152, Ian McCall angling for a fight with Louis Gaudinot, and most notably, Jussier "Formiga" signing with the promotion. The dynamic division once again makes headlines today with the announcement of a UFC 151 between highly touted prospect John Lineker and former Shooto Champion Yasuhiro Urushitani.
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/29458/ufc-151-gets-john-lineker-vs-yasuhiro-urushitani/
Highlights Video of Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold
Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is set to put his title on the line against number one contender Tim Kennedy on Saturday, June 14th. Rockhold is currently riding an eight fight winning streak. He captured the middleweight title with a unanimous decision win over Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in Septemer 2011. Rockhold would then successfully defend [...]
Highlights Video of Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
UFC 148: Which preliminary fights stand out?
With a title fight, and the retirement of an MMA legend, most of the focus for UFC 148 has (understandably) been focused on the top of the card. But let's take a look down the card a bit at the best of the preliminary fights, and see if its worth coming in early from a BBQ to see the bout, or if you can catch it later on your DVR.
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Gleison Tibau (pictured): You're going to want to tune in just to see cage announcer Bruce Buffer get through the name Khabib Nurmagomedov. Beyond that, Nurmy (as he heretofore will be called) is 17-0 with just four decisions to his name. Verdict: Watch the fight live.
Fabricio Camoes vs. Melvin Guillard: Is there ever a time you've regretted watching a Melvin Guillard fight? Even when he loses, he does it spectacularly. His last four fights have been two first-round losses, preceded by two first-round wins. Leave the BBQ.
Riki Fukuda vs. Constantinos Philippou: Though Phillippou's beating heart tattoo is a good reason to tune in, the not-so-thrilling decisions from both fighters' pasts is a reason to stay outside. Verdict: DVR it.
[Related: Watch UFC 148 live on Yahoo! Sports]
John Alessio vs. Shane Roller: There is huge motivation for Roller to win, as he has lost his past three fights. Alessio is coming in off a loss, too. However, Roller is known to use his wrestling to control bouts, something some MMA fans find boring. Verdict: If you're a wrestling geek like me, watch it live. If not, DVR it.
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
Yoislandy Izquierdo vs. Rafaello Oliveira: Oliveira has two losses in a row, and lost his last bout. Both men need a win to stay off the UFC's cut list, and Izquiredo is capable of some serious TKOs. Verdict: Bring your laptop to the BBQ and gather around it to watch the fights while enjoying some ribs.
Which of these fights are you most looking forward to? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-148-preliminary-fights-stand-174752235--mma.html
Bellator 74 kicks off Season 7 welterweight tourney on Sept. 28
The Bellator Fighting Champions returns to Caesars in Atlantic City on September 28th for Bellator 74 and the beginning of their season 7 tournaments. Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney stated, ?Atlantic City is a classic fight town and New Jersey is a hotbed for mixed martial arts, so our fans should expect another great [...]
Bellator 74 kicks off Season 7 welterweight tourney on Sept. 28 is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
Monday
Hatsu Hioki watches title hopes disappear as he drops fight to Ricardo Lamas
When asked by the UFC to fight Jose Aldo for the title, featherweight Hatsu Hioki said he wasn't quite ready for it yet. Now, a chance at the belt is much further away after he dropped a decision to Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX 4.
Hioki started strong, twisting Lamas into an omoplata in the first round. But Lamas survived to get the best of Hioki on the ground and in stand-up. Every judge in Atlantic City saw it 29-28 for Lamas.
With this loss, Hioki showed the danger of passing on title shots. If he took a fight with Aldo before he was ready, he wouldn't have been confident in the cage. However, in taking a tune-up fight, he showed he wasn't ready for Aldo in the first place. Now, he'll have to work his way back to the top levels of the UFC's featherweight division to even get a whiff of the championship.
Michael Bisping, Brian Stann and Alan Belcher angle for next fights
As many dreamed of an Anderson Silva/Jon Jones superfight, middleweights asked for fights that would get them a step closer to challenging Silva for his belt.
Michael Bisping started the ball rolling by calling out Alan Belcher on "UFC Tonight." After Bisping's asked for the fight, Belcher responded.
"When someone says, 'Let's do this if you've got the balls to fight me,' and I say, 'OK,' and call (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva right away, let's make the fight happen," Belcher today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I don't see why it's already been two days and there's no date."
Then Brian Stann got in on the fun by saying he wanted to fight Bisping. Stann was supposed to fight Hector Lombard in August, but had to pull out because of a shoulder injury. As his shoulder heals, Stann is looking forward to his next fight. He wants Bisping.
"I just think that the storyline would garner more attention between me and Bisping. I always want to fight guys that are ranked ahead of me, and right now, that's where Bisping is. He's very close to a title shot. I've done all the things necessary to improve my overall game," Stann said. "Now's my time. I'm not getting any younger. I want to fight for the title, and right now, to get to that title, Bisping is one of the guys you have to get through."
With Stann and Bisping now looking to fight, Belcher aimed higher. His sights are set on UFC gold. He used his Twitter account to encourage followers to tweet UFC president Dana White about a title shot. Using the hashtag #Belcher4champ, fans filled White's Twitter mentions with pleas on Belcher's behalf.
Now it's your turn to play matchmaker. Do you want to see Bisping, Belcher or Stann fight Silva? Or should two of them face off for the right to fight Silva? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.
Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian Karen Grigoryan
Chris Cariaso serves up punch face at UFC on Fuel 4
Chris Cariaso offered a great punchface to Josh Ferguson on the way to a win at UFC on Fuel 4 on Wednesday night. Read on for more results from the early fights.
Alex Caceres def. Damacio Page via submission (triangle choke) - Round 2, 1:27
Chris Cariaso def. Josh Ferguson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Andrew Craig def. Rafael Natal via KO (head kick and punch) - Round 2, 4:52
Marcelo Guimaraes def. Dan Stittgen via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Raphael Assuncao def. Issei Tamura via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 0:25.
Strikeforce?s Jordan Mein hits head on camera during fight
Jordan Mein got up close and personal with one of Showtime's cameras during Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy. Watch what happens when he returns to his feet.
Camera operators at fights often lean into the cage when covering fights, but they are usually quick enough to get out of the way. This could have been disastrous for Mein if he had already absorbed many head shots. However, he was winning handily at this point in the fight and went on to take the decision, 30-27 on all three judges' cards.
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Nate Marquardt KOs Tyron Woodley for Strikeforce welterweight title
? Long-time California coach Jeff Tedford faces crucial year in 2012
? Report: Browns' supplemental pick failed three drug tests in college
Chris Weidman earns Knockout of the Night for finish of Mark Munoz
Entering last night?s main event match-up at UFC on Fuel 4 against Mark Munoz, middleweight Chris Weidman was seen as little more than a polished grappler with a lot of potential. Exiting the bout, the 28-year old made it clear his skills extend well beyond those on the mat, knocking Munoz out a little more [...]
Source: http://www.fighters.com/07/12/chris-weidman-earns-knockout-of-the-night-for-finish-of-mark-munoz
Sunday
Bellator 72 Pick 'em
Image: http://www.tapology.com/system/poster_images/14196/profile/Bellator%2072%20Poster.jpeg?1341426621
Sign up here if you would like to pick MMA...
Sign up here if you would like to pick MMA...
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/bellator-pick-em/103516-bellator-72-pick-em.html
Luke Rockhold Edges Tim Kennedy to Retain Strikeforce Belt
Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold made his second consecutive successful title defense Saturday night by posting a unanimous decision win over Tim Kennedy.� Although Rockhold was a significant odds-on favorite to retain his crown, he simply couldn’t put away the military man. “I could’ve let a couple combinations go,” Rockhold stated. “He does some funky [...]
Source: http://www.5thRound.com/122714/luke-rockhold-edges-tim-kennedy-to-retain-strikeforce-belt/
Weigh-in Video for UFC on FUEL TV 4 Munoz vs. Weidman
Weigh-in Video for UFC on FUEL TV 4 Munoz vs. Weidman is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
Weigh-in Video for UFC on FUEL TV 4 Munoz vs. Weidman is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/ufc-news/weigh-in-video-for-ufc-on-fuel-tv-4-munoz-vs-weidman-58811/
Lyle Beerbohm: "I?ll give Benson Henderson a five-round war, I truly believe that."
Six months ago, Lyle Beerbohm was admittedly chopping firewood to make ends meet; the winter chill of his hometown Spokane, Washington seemingly as cold as the receiving end of his phone line awaiting his next fight opportunity.� Despite a 16-2 professional record and openly looking for a fight, Beerbohm wasn’t gathering much traction toward a [...]
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