Watch Russian MMA show that features two-on-two teams, multilevel playing surface

Have you ever watched an MMA fight in a cage or a ring and thought, "This needs a multilevel playing surface without adequate padding?" Or have you watched a fight and said to your buddy, "One fighter facing another? YAWN." If so, the Hip Show in Russia has you covered.

According to the website, the show features two-on-two battles in a three-level arena. The video shows people yelling, fighters falling off of platforms, and a huge potential for injury. I would think this is a fake video produced by a late night talk show, but no actor can fake knocked-out-face that well. Here are the rules:

-- If during a round one of the team members is eliminated (knockout, knockdown, submission hold, disqualification) - the fight continues 1 vs 2 for 1 minute.

-- Once a fighter has been knocked down, the opponent stands by the referee during the 10 count.

So, it's MMA meets "American Gladiator" with a touch of dodgeball thrown in.

Thanks, With Leather.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/watch-russian-mma-show-features-two-two-teams-164621055--mma.html

Jose Aldo  John Alessio 

Roy Nelson: ?With me, you know it?s gonna be a fun fight.?

UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson started his career out as a grappler, competing in a number of tournaments where his combination of size and technique produced a good deal of success on the mat. However, Nelson has become known for his ability to knock opponents out since turning his attention to Mixed Martial Arts. Though Nelson…

The post Roy Nelson: ?With me, you know it?s gonna be a fun fight.? appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/04/22/roy-nelson-with-me-you-know-its-gonna-be-a-fun-fight?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=roy-nelson-with-me-you-know-its-gonna-be-a-fun-fight

Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie

Alan Belcher: ?I am going to drop my hands and let Bisping hit me with his best shot.?

UFC Middleweights Alan Belcher and Michael Bisping haven?t been mincing words coming into their UFC 159: Jones Vs Sonnen bout. The two have hurled insults, made crazy bets, and mocked each other constantly in the media, and they are only a few short weeks away from fight night. Belcher has a little more fuel to…

The post Alan Belcher: “I am going to drop my hands and let Bisping hit me with his best shot.” appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/04/20/alan-belcher-i-am-going-to-drop-my-hands-and-let-bisping-hit-me-with-his-best-shot?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alan-belcher-i-am-going-to-drop-my-hands-and-let-bisping-hit-me-with-his-best-shot

Dai Shuanghai  Mac Danzig  Karen Darabedyan Viacheslav Datsik

Tweets of the Week - 4/19

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/tweets-of-the-week-041913

Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi

UFC 159 preview: Four burning questions going into ?Jones vs. Sonnen' in Newark

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2013/4/24/4257630/ufc-159-preview-four-burning-questions-going-into-jones-vs-sonnen-in

Junie Browning Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett 

KO Wins Turn Money Mendes into Bad Chad

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Chad-Mendes-KO-Wins-Turn-Money-into-Bad-Chad

Mikey Burnett  Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell  Gesias JZ Calvancante 

Chael Sonnen Currently Competing Without a Contract in Place

UFC light heavyweight Chael Sonnen is about a week away from a crack at dethroning champion Jon Jones. However, when he locks horns with Jones at UFC 159 he?ll do so without a guarantee of payment. Though Sonnen certainly expects his employers to live up to their word, he recently revealed he isn?t officially inked…

The post Chael Sonnen Currently Competing Without a Contract in Place appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/04/19/chael-sonnen-currently-competing-without-a-contract-in-place?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chael-sonnen-currently-competing-without-a-contract-in-place

Michael Bisping  Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku 

ONE FC: Rise To Power Adds Three New Fights

ONE FC has announced three additional fights for ONE FC: Rise To Power. According to ONE FC Officials, Kevin Belingon and Masakatsu Ueda will scrap for all the marbles in the finals of the Bantamweight Grand Prix. The winner will get a crack at the bantamweight title. Also, Eduard Folayang will meet Kamal Shalorus, and…

The post ONE FC: Rise To Power Adds Three New Fights appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/04/18/one-fc-rise-to-power-adds-three-new-fights?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=one-fc-rise-to-power-adds-three-new-fights

Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett  David Baron 

UFC on FOX 7 Prelims: San Jose is KO City

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-on-fox-7-fight-night-results-prelims

Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell  Gesias JZ Calvancante  Luiz Cane 

***OFFICIAL*** UFC 159 Prelims Thread

Image: http://media.ufc.tv/157/159-bannery-pic.jpg

*Preliminary card - FX (Facebook for international viewers)*
Johnny Bedford vs. Bryan...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/127818-official-ufc-159-prelims-thread.html

Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe

Benson Henderson: ?I?m not the best but guess what, I?ve got the UFC lightweight belt and I?m just getting started.?

UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson has stepped into the Octagon seven times and exited with his hand raised in each effort. However, ?Bendo? has yet to finish an opponent inside the infamous eight-sided cage and a handful of his decisions have been controversial in the sense some fans felt his foe deserved the nod. Henderson…

The post Benson Henderson: “I’m not the best but guess what, I’ve got the UFC lightweight belt and I’m just getting started.” appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/04/23/benson-henderson-im-not-the-best-but-guess-what-ive-got-the-ufc-lightweight-belt-and-im-just-getting-started?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=benson-henderson-im-not-the-best-but-guess-what-ive-got-the-ufc-lightweight-belt-and-im-just-getting-started

David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson Josh Hendricks

REVIEW: Belly Pad Protectors

I was able to try out 4 brands of Belly Pads. The Kimurawear Belly Pad (http://www.kimurawear.com/MMA-Gear-Belly-Pad-p/0502.htm), Windy Belly Pad...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/gear-equipment/127842-review-belly-pad-protectors.html

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger 

Coach Mike Constantino breaks down UFC 159

Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/4/23/4255368/ufc-159-mike-constantino-breaks-down-mma-news

Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes

?The Korean Zombie,? Boston and Tito Ortiz: Where did they fall on the Cagewriter Hot or Not list?

It's been a slow week for MMA, but it's likely to pick up as we start an eventful April. In this last week of March, who was hot or who was not?

Hot ? Boston: According to a tweet from UFC president Dana White, the promotion is headed back to Boston, his hometown. Fox's new channel, Fox Sports 1, will get its first UFC event with this card, scheduled for Aug. 17.

Not ? Commissions: First, Nick Diaz's camp said his weigh-in at UFC 158 was mishandled by the commission in Quebec. Then, Andrei Arlovski's camp said there was a timing error at the World Series of Fighting 2 card that caused Arlovski to take extra damage. Commissions' doing things right is necessary for the sport to grow, so mistakes like these are worrisome.

Hot ? Chan Sung Jung, aka "The Korean Zombie:" He stood up to the UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre with a respectful dignity. Jung informed GSP, and much of the MMA world, about the symbolism behind the Rising Sun that the welterweight champion wore on his gi for UFC 158. GSP and Hayabusa, the company behind the gi quickly apologized. Jung handled the situation with quiet courage, and used it as a teachable moment. It was an impressive moment for both TKZ and GSP.

Not ? Tito Ortiz: The retired UFC legend is now working as the manager for Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, and he has a plan. Santos is fighting on next weekend's Invicta card, and he wants her to fight her next few fights in Invicta. Then on New Year's Eve, Ortiz wants Santos, who won't move down to bantamweight, to fight UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in the UFC.

"Cris has shown in Strikeforce, why she's so dominant, why women are afraid of her. She has three fights with Invicta, she will be the world champion and she will walk away a world champion. Like I said, New Year's Eve, let's make a super fight. Forget the title. Champion vs. champion, who cares about the title?"

That's a nice plan if you forget that Rousey has said she doesn't want to move up in weight, or that most of her 2013 is set. She will coach against the winner of Cat Zingano and Miesha Tate in the next edition of "The Ultimate Fighter."

Hot ? Fans: You're getting another Fan Expo. The UFC will host a Fan Expo in conjunction with UFC 162 in Las Vegas. Get your tickets here.

Memorable Moments from Yahoo! Sports:

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/korean-zombie-boston-tito-ortiz-where-did-fall-183338427--mma.html

Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesic

Josh Thomson considers himself to be top contender after knockout of Nate Diaz

UFC lightweight Josh Thomson may not own the division?s longest winning streak or most impressive resume, but he does have a ton of talent, loads of heart, and an impressive finish of Nate Diaz to his credit. As such, ?The Punk? feels he?s done enough in his career to merit a match-up with champion Benson [...]

The post Josh Thomson considers himself to be top contender after knockout of Nate Diaz appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2013/04/21/josh-thomson-considers-himself-to-be-top-contender-after-knockout-of-nate-diaz/

Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

UFC on FOX 7: Matt Brown, Josh Thomson, Daniel Cormier Post-Fight Interviews

See post-fight highlights from UFC on FOX 7 main card fighters Matt Brown, Josh Thomson, and Daniel Cormier.

Source: http://www.themmanews.com/ufc-on-fox-7-matt-brown-josh-thomson-daniel-cormier-post-fight-interviews/

Yoji Anjo  Ao Hailin  Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski 

Pat Curran, Uriah Hall, and fight-ruining cuts: Where do they fall on Cagewriter?s Hot or Not list?

Leading into UFC on Fuel and Invicta, it's been a drama-filled week of MMA. What was hot and what wasn't?

Hot ? Pat Curran: Bellator's featherweight champion held onto his belt on Thursday night with a first-round submission of Shabhulat Shamhalaev. It's been two years since his last loss. Since then, he has six wins, including two title defenses.

Not ? Practical jokes: When Alexander Gustafsson's status for Saturday's fight was still uncertain, Wanderlei Silva tweeted that he was in for Gustafsson against Gegard Mousasi. He even told media members privately that he was fighting. But the next day he revealed it was an "April Fool's Day" joke. A joke, or a lie?

Hot ? Uriah Hall: When he knocked out Adam Cella in the first round of "The Ultimate Fighter," it was hailed as the nastiest knockout ever on TUF. Then Hall went and topped it. He knocked out Bubba McDaniel in a vicious, nine-second bout that ended with McDaniel asking what happened, and UFC president Dana White wondering if it was right to applaud Hall's performance.

Not ? Fight-ruining cuts: What was worse ? Gustafsson getting cut a week before his fight with Mousasi, or the will-he-or-won't-he drama leading up the the Swedish MMA Federation's medical committee deciding that he couldn't fight? Or was the worst part that they made that decision days before the weigh-in when they could have given the cut more time to heal? It's a bad deal all around.

Still taking temperature ? Ilir Latifi: Gustafsson's training partner has the opportunity of his life as he steps in on Saturday to fight Mousasi in the main event of UFC on Fuel 9. He can make his UFC debut very memorable, but will it be good or bad for him.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/pat-curran-uriah-hall-fight-ruining-cuts-where-182918892--mma.html

Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper  Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira 

Jon Jones says opponent Chael Sonnen has taken steroids his whole career, then apologizes

Chael Sonnen is the best in the fight game when it comes to promoting fights. People who know nothing about MMA know about Chael P. Sonnen and how he can use his mouth to make you tune into a fight.

Sometimes, his opponent will try to match Sonnen's promotional antics. Anderson Silva did it in a conference call where he promised to rearrange Sonnen's teeth. Jon Jones, who is fighting Sonnen in a light heavyweight title bout next weekend, is leaving most of the promoting to his opponent. This led to the bizarre interview during last weekend's "The Ultimate Fighter" finale, where Jones basically ignored Sonnen's existence.

Or perhaps Jones was just waiting until his appearance on Fuel's "UFC Tonight" to start talking trash. During his interview, Jones said Sonnen has been on steroids his whole career.

"Chael Sonnen is a guy who people know he's done steroids throughout his career," he said. "It's probably the reason why his testosterone is low now. I don't think that's the heart or an attitude of a champion. That's what I meant when I said he lacks a championship soul."

Sonnen tested positive for illegal substances after UFC 117, a fight he lost in the final minutes to Silva. However, he said in testimony in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission that he has never taken steroids. Before his July rematch with Silva, another loss, Sonnen was granted a therapeutic exemption for testosterone use.

UPDATE: Jones posted an apology to Sonnen on his Twitter account.

I had no right to accuse chael of being a career long steroid user I apologize. See what had happened was....

? Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 17, 2013

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/jon-jones-says-opponent-chael-sonnen-taken-steroids-191549251--mma.html

Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley 

Lorenz Larkin says there is substance to his stylish striking

Tomorrow night will mark a momentous evening for a handful of fighters who formerly called Strikeforce home and are finally getting a shot at success in the Octagon. Though the three competitors getting the most attention are set for action on the main card at UFC on FOX 7, middleweight Lorenz Larkin will also make [...]

The post Lorenz Larkin says there is substance to his stylish striking appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2013/04/19/lorenz-larkin-says-there-is-substance-to-his-stylish-striking/

Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen 

Kedzie, de Randamie Set to Make Debuts in Seattle

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/fox8-fight-card-update

Marcus Davis  Tony DeSouza  Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz 

Promo Poster for XFC 22: Crossing the Line ? Hicks vs. Holtzman

A battle of undefeated lightweights Jason ?The Ronin? Hicks and Scott ?Hot Sauce? Holtzman will serve as the main event of XFC 22: Crossing The Line on February 22nd. The stakes are high in this lightweight clash as the winner is expected to get a title shot against newly crowned champion “Notorious” Nick Newell. Hicks [...]

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/xfc-news/promo-poster-for-xfc-22-crossing-the-line-hicks-vs-holtzman-60683/

Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George

Benson Henderson Retains UFC Gold, Gives Up Diamond

Most fighters don’t have their post-fight celebratory speeches pre-planned, but Benson Henderson (pictured) wanted to take advantage of his access to a live primetime television audience. After squeaking out a highly controversial split decision victory over Gilbert Melendez Saturday to retain his UFC lightweight title, Henderson got on one knee and proposed to girlfriend�Maria Magana. [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/144608/benson-henderson-retains-ufc-gold-gives-up-diamond/

Patrick The Predator Cote  Randy The Natural Couture  Dan Cramer Alberto Crane

A Professional Look at Amateur MMA

I was recently asked by a colleague what was the worst thing I ever saw at an amateur MMA event. We were discussing the ills of amateur MMA, and how its clearly a necessary evil to the sport. You can spar in the gym with complete strangers, and physically feel what its like to be…

The post A Professional Look at Amateur MMA appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/04/17/a-professional-look-at-amateur-mma?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-professional-look-at-amateur-mma

Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi

Francis Carmont: The Middleweights' Truest Road Warrior

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Francis-Carmont-The-Middleweights-Truest-Road-Warrior

Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo