An injury to Dan Hardy has forced a change to UFC on Fox 7. Canadian fighter Jordan Mein will step up on short notice against the always tough Matt Brown. UFC officials announced the change earlier this morning. Mein is fresh off an impressive UFC debut against Dan Miller. The Strikeforce import survived an early [...]
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/33424/ufc-on-fox-7-jordan-mein-replaces-dan-hardy-against-matt-brown/
The UFC career of Lavar Johnson has apparently come to an end after splitting a quartet of clashes inside the Octagon. Though Johnson is currently on a two-fight slide, the 35-year old was cut by the organization following a positive hit for PED use rather than for reasons based purely on performance. MMAJunkie was first [...]
The post Lavar Johnson released in response to results from recent drug test appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.
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Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic Luiz Buscape Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch
Nick Diaz is not known for holding his tongue. Just days before he gets a shot at the UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, Diaz let his true feelings on GSP be known. While on a Toronto radio show, Diaz said he thinks St-Pierre uses steroids.
"I believe that he's on plenty of steroids and I don't believe they've tested him as well," Diaz said. "I don't care what they're saying or marketing to the media. I don't think either of us are going to be tested. ... I doubt they're standing over him, making sure he's not on steroids."
Diaz has tested positive twice for marijuana, which is a banned substance. He is coming off of a suspension for testing positive, and has been warned that he may be released by the UFC if he tests positive again. St-Pierre hasn't tested positive in his career of more than 10 years.
But Diaz is far from the only person who has criticized the UFC's handling of drug tests. Victor Conte, the head of BALCO, has said the UFC doesn't do enough to keep performance-enhancing drugs out of the sport. The head of the United States Anti-Doping Association has also questioned the UFC's drug testing.
Though drug testing and regulation is often handled by the UFC for international fights, this weekend's bouts in Montreal will be regulated by the commission in Quebec.
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Season Eight of Bellator MMA is just about over with only three weekly episodes left before the close of the season. It was their first season on their new home SpikeTV, and simply by taking a look at their ratings, this season cannot be considered anything less than a success. Their highest rated episode was…
The post Bellator MMA Season 8 Review appeared first on Fighters.com.
Source: http://www.5thRound.com/142307/ufc-159-jones-vs-sonnen-main-card-set/
With the legal woes of Paul Daley continuing to keep him out of North America, the dynamite-fisted Brit continues his MMA career outside of Bellator as he heads to Dubai’s�Madinat Arena on May 10 to face�Rodrigo Ribeiro. “Semtex” has already been cleared to compete by the American promotion and is expected to return later this [...]
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/33396/paul-daley-vs-rodrigo-ribeiro-at-dubai-fighting-championship-4/
Don't be scared to make picks, homie. UFC 158 is this weekend, and we would love to hear who you think will win. Here's how it works. Pick a fight from the main card, head to Cagewriter's Facebook page, and tell us who you think will win and why. Here are the fights:
Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz - for welterweight title
Carlos Condit vs. Johny Hendricks
Jake Ellenberger vs. Nate Marquardt
Chris Camozzi vs. Nick Ring
Colin Fletcher vs. Mike Ricci
Pick one, and write your pick and reasoning on Cagewriter's Facebook page. Your pick could appear on Cagewriter.
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- UFC 157's preliminary card started with a bang and ended with a snoozer on Saturday.
Dennis Bermudez took a tight split decision in a fight that will go down as a fight of the year candidate. He won it 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 over Matt Grice.
Bermudez fell into full mount early in the round and rained punches down on Grice's head, but Grice got out and came back late in the round by leveling Bermudez with a left hook.
But it's the third round of the fight that the MMA world will remember. Bermudez threw everything but the kitchen sink at Grice, but Grice hung in. He continued to throw kicks and punches at Bermudez right up until the horn sounded and a grateful crowd in Anaheim came to its feet.
?That was insane. Somewhere around the second round I woke up and thought 'Oh, I?m in a fight, I think I am in California somewhere'," Bermudez said. "If he?d given me a reason, maybe I would have quit. I had that battle inside me where I maybe could have [quit] but I won that battle and from there got back into the fight."
Brendan Schaub used takedowns, and little else, to beat Lavar Johnson 30-27 on all the judges cards in the final fight of the prelims. With the crowd booing, Schaub repeatedly took down Johnson, who had little takedown defense.
Michael Chiesa continued his unbeaten streak with a rear naked choked of Anton Kuivanen. Chiesa rolled through to get into perfect position. He sunk in a rear naked choke that turned Kuivanen's face red. Kuivanen tapped at 2:29 in the second round.
Sam Stout managed another decision win, taking the split 29-28, 28-29 over Caros Fodor. 14 of his fights have ended with judges cards being read, and this decision put his record to 19-8.
Kenny Robertson made quick work of Brock Jardine. He stopped him with a knee bar at 2:57 in the first round.
"Sometime you gotta go with what you are handed. He was on top of me but didn?t have a great posture," Robertson said after the fight. "I saw the opening, so I grabbed his leg and hyper-extended it and he verbally submitted. I?ll take it. It is a first round win in the UFC."
For the card's opener, Nah-Shon Burrell and Yuri Villefort put on a thrilling bout that ended with Burrell taking the decision 30-27, 29-28, 29-28. Villefort had a strong first round, grabbing Burrell for two different submission attempts. But Burrell fought back in the second round, busting up Villefort's face with smart boxing. In the final round, Villefort grabbed a heel hook, but left his face open. Burrell used the opportunity to punch Villefort several time.
After the thriller by Burrell and Villefort, Neil Magny and Jon Manley's bout was a let down for the crowd in Anaheim. They spent much of the bout in a clinch, with Manley trying for a takedown that never came. Magny took the bout with better striking as the bout wore on.
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ANAHEIM, Calif. ? When she steps into the cage at UFC 157 this weekend, Liz Carmouche will be the first openly gay fighter in the UFC.
To date, no male UFC fighter has come out of the closet. UFC president Dana White, however, said he knows how he will react ?not only if a male fighter comes out, but also if his opponent would threaten to refuse a fight against a gay athlete.
"Most of the guys that are in this sport are really good people," White said during Friday's question and answer session. "I honestly don't see a situation where that would happen, but if it did, I'd fix it."
White has been criticized by gay groups in the past for using homophobic language, which he discussed.
"Some of our guys, and I have said some things that make it look like we're homophobes," White said. "But we're not, and we've apologized."
No active athletes in in the four major sports have come out of the closet. Some athletes, like the NBA's John Amaechi, came out after retirement.
It appears, however, that attitudes are changing in the athletic world. Just this week, NFL quarterback Tim Tebow pulled out of a speaking engagement at a church led by an anti-gay pastor.
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Weigh-ins take place this afternoon for tomorrow night?s Bellator 93: Held Vs Jansen. The main event will feature the lightweight tournament final between Dave Jansen and Marcin Held. The fight ended up being postponed a few weeks, but its going to happen at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. The winner will win the final installment of�…
The post Bellator 93: Held Vs Jansen Weigh In Results(VIDEO) appeared first on Fighters.com.
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Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono
The UFC officially opened its cage door to women on Saturday night, when bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey defended her belt with an armbar win over Liz Carmouche. Several more women have been added to the women's bantamweight division. The list includes Cat Zingano and Sara McMann, who are the first mothers to join the UFC.
For Zingano, her six-year-old son Braden is the main reason she stopped into Zingano BJJ, the gym run by her now-husband. While trying to get back into shape after her son's birth, she stopped in to see a friend who was training at Zingano BJJ. She tried jiu-jitsu and lost the baby weight in three weeks.
With a background in wrestling and new BJJ training, she wanted to try a fight, just once. Since then, she has gone 7-0 with just one win coming by decision. Zingano will fight former Strikeforce bantamweight champion Miesha Tate on April 13 in a title eliminator.
Zingano knows that her journey is not just about her. She has to take her son into consideration with every fight.
"I have to consider what this looks like to my child. Every fight I go into, hands up. I don't want to explain to my child why I have stitches across my face," Zingano said. "I really want him to see my job as positive. Yes, injuries happen, and things can go wrong in a cage. Being so young, I want him to know that this is about passion, it's about an outlet for me that I love."
McMann won a silver in wrestling at the 2004 Olympics, becoming one of the first women to earn a medal in the sport. She finished second at the Olympic Trials in 2008, and decided to retire from wrestling. That's when she had her daughter, Bella.
But McMann is driven by competition, and before long, MMA drew her in. She won her first amateur bout in 2010, and went pro with a first-round submission in May of 2011. McMann's pro record is 6-0, and she is waiting for her first UFC bout.
McMann's reasons for fighting are not about getting money or fame. She is drawn in by the competition, and wants to be the fighter her daughter is proud of.
"I won't ever do things that are outside my character to gain followers. I won't fight in a way that people want to see. I'm going to fight in a way I think is great and true to me, which happens to be entertaining also. Competition is an extremely personal thing for me. I put my life into it. I won't be swayed at every turn by what fans and media want. I'm going to be me."
Bella is now four, and McMann said that becoming a mother has actually made her more competitive.
"I've actually become more aggressive since I've had my daughter. Before I had her, you couldn't really get me angry enough to be violent [outside of fights]. Now, if someone messes with her? I will hurt them."
Zingano echoes McMann on protectiveness of her son.
"There definitely is a maternal instinct to go into it. When I'm training and I really need to dip into something, and I think if me and my child are in the woods and something or someone is attacking us, I'm going to defend his life with everything I have. It's easy to relate. When someone has their arms around my neck, I think I have to be here for my child. Nothing's going to stop me."
But with jobs very different than most mothers, Zingano joked that she does sometimes stick out when she picks up her son at daycare. It can make it difficult to get playdates.
"I'll go to my son's daycare, and I have my hot pink streaks in my hair, and my buff arms, I dress casually and everybody knows because Braden will tell them, 'My mom's a fighter and I'm going to be a fighter when I grow up!' I'll try to set up a playdate and they'll say, 'Um, I'll call you."
Do you think you know what will happen at UFC 157? Have a pretty good handle on Ronda Rousey's championship defense against Liz Carmouche? Think you know exactly how Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida will go? Here's your chance to put your thoughts in writing. Give us your picks, and they may be featured on Cagewriter.
Here's the deal. Pick one fight from the main card of UFC 157.
Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche
Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida
Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar
Court McGee vs. Josh Neer
Josh Koscheck vs. Robbie Lawler
Now, go to Cagewriter's Facebook page and then tell us who you think will win and why. We'll include Cagereader picks with picks from Kevin Iole and Maggie Hendricks. They'll run here on Friday morning.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/want-ufc-157-picks-232524291--mma.html
Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan Dan The Sandman Christison Logan The Pink Pounder Clark
After UFC 158, UFC President Dana White sat down with members of various media outlets in Montreal’s Bell Centre to discuss various topics. This time around, the UFC president broached what’s next for GSP, his interesting talks with Vince McMahon, and some of the promotion’s future plans.� On Nick Diaz not paying taxes: “Someone needs [...]
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/33352/ufc-158-in-the-scrum/
Murilo Bustamante Grant Campbell Gesias JZ Calvancante Luiz Cane
Matt Riddle scored a decision win over Che Mills at UFC on Fuel 7 this past weekend. It's his second straight win after a win over Chris Clements at UFC 149 was overturned because Riddle tested positive for marijuana metabolites. He was angry after the positive test because Riddle has a medical marijuana card from Nevada, where he lives.
Riddle mended fences with the UFC brass while in England for his fight, as well.
"I actually talked to [UFC VP of regulatory affairs] Marc Ratner this past weekend in London," Riddle said to MMA Junkie Radio. "I kind of apologized because you know, I can't use medical marijuana. They can use TRT, and I've kind of been like ? I've been on the phone with Marc, and he's been like, 'There's nothing we can really do about it. You can't do it. The commissions don't respect your license.' I was kind of like, 'That sucks, bro,' and I was kind of mad at him, but it's not up to him. It's up to the other athletic commissions, and the UFC is doing the best they can to make them happy and to abide by their rules when they go over to Brazil and Europe when those places don't have athletic commissions."
I don't have much sympathy for fighters testing positive for a substance they know is banned, no matter what it is. Though Riddle's medical marijuana card allowed him to use it in Nevada, he should have asked well in advance what it meant for his fight in Canada. Marijuana shouldn't be banned, but it is. Fighters don't have to like the rules, but they do have to follow them.
But this is an issue the state commissions will need to address soon. Marijuana was recently legalized for recreational use in Washington and Colorado. 18 other states, including California and Nevada, allow medical marijuana or have decriminalized the drug. Cities are moving towards changing laws, as well. Chicago now gives tickets for pot possession instead of arrests.
Riddle says he will continue to push for changes in the rules. With marijuana becoming increasingly legal, and little proof that marijuana is a performance enhancer, there's no good reason for commissions to test for it.
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UFC featherweight Clay Guida has been injured, and is off �of �the UFC On FOX 7 card scheduled for April 20. Guida was a replacement opponent for Manny Gamburyan who was originally scheduled to fight Chad Mendes, and according to multiple reports the �UFC is searching for a new opponent but the search�isn’t�going well. Sherdog…
The post Clay Guida Injured, Search For An Opponent For Chad Mendes Begins appeared first on Fighters.com.
Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama
UFC middleweight Tim Boetsch was unbeaten at 185 pounds going into a December duel with Costa Philippou and could have put himself in perfect position for a title-shot had he escaped the effort with a victory in tow. However, Philippou?s stand-up along with a few accidental fouls left Boestch in dire straights and he was [...]
The post Tim Boetsch: ?Sometimes you learn a lot more from a loss than you do from a win…? appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.
UFC 158: St-Pierre Vs Diaz takes place this weekend, and for John Makdessi the training is all in his mind. The long hours at TriStar, the miles of road work, and the grueling strength and conditioning sessions are over; the last thing for Makdessi to do is focus on having his mind right when he…
The post John Makdessi: “To make it my fight, I need to just flow.” (EXCLUSIVE) appeared first on Fighters.com.
UFC certainly delivered last night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, with a card that had fans on the edge of their seats. Jake Ellenberger earned knockout of the night over Nate Marquardt, Carlos Condit and Johny Hendricks clashed in a war that earned ?fight of the night?, and Georges St. Pierre retained his welterweight…
The post Johny Hendricks Definitely Beat Carlos Condit appeared first on Fighters.com.
Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono
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