BAMMA 13 Highlighted By Title Fight

BAMMA Badbeat 13 will take place October 10 from the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California and feature a bantamweight title fight between Terrion Ware and Jeff Martin. Ware (11-3) is making his first title defense after winning the belt over Eric Money in March via decision. ?The saying you?re never really the champ until you […]

The post BAMMA 13 Highlighted By Title Fight appeared first on MMA Convert.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/4BUdWAdVdNg/

Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin  Jason Hollywood Chambers

On Behalf Of Ronda Rousey, Manny Gamburyan Issues Challenge

Manny Gamburyan had a special guest Octagon-side with him Saturday night at UFC 178 in Ronda Rousey. The two are teammates, and after Gamburyan earned a second round submission victory over Cody Gibson, he issued a challenge based partly on Rousey. “Bryan Caraway, where you at?” Gamburyan asked. “Take the challenge. Win or lose your […]

The post On Behalf Of Ronda Rousey, Manny Gamburyan Issues Challenge appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2014/09/28/on-behalf-of-ronda-rousey-manny-gamburyan-issues-challenge/

Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George Kultar Gill

UFC looking for a replacement on days? notice as Louis Gaudinot withdraws from UFC Fight Night 54

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2014/9/29/6864031/ufc-looking-for-replacement-for-louis-gaudinot-mma-news

Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau 

Alexander Shlemenko: 'Losing to Tito Ortiz shook me'

Dealing with adversity, with loss, is often what defines a champion. Long streaks of dominance are fine and preferable, but they don't tell someone what kind of fighter they are.

Heading into his light heavyweight fight against UFC hall of famer Tito Ortiz, Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko had won thirteen straight fights. So, it is little wonder that he felt so confident heading into the fight.�

After being dispatched via choke by Ortiz in under three minutes, however, the Russian admits to being "shaken up." Shlemenko's dominant streak of wins had just come crashing down, but he responded to the fall like a true champion - by getting back in the gym immediately.�

"I started training again the next day, after the fight [with Ortiz]," he tells Cagewriter through a translator, two days before returning to the cage in Phoenix against Brandon Halsey.

"I was so upset and not just because I lost, but because of the way I lost. I didn?t even get punched once. I didn?t get scratched in the fight...the loss really shook me up. It shook me to the point where, after the fight, I feel like a new fighter. So, that and because I had to help a student of mine get ready to fight, it was easy psychologically and physically for me to get back into training hard."

Shlemenko also says he made a great deal of changes in his training, from stand up striking to wrestling and submission work. However, the biggest change in his training was his attitude towards it.

"Yes, I made some significant changes," he reveals.

"First and foremost, however, I changed my attitude towards training. During my preparation for Tito, I felt way too relaxed. I have changed my mental approach to training, in addition to learning a lot of new techniques."

Shlemenko may need all that in order to win his next bout on Friday. According to the champion, his opponent Halsey brings a strong grappling game and a sharp mind into the fight.

"He's a strong, big guy with a lot of weight. Obvisouly he's a great wrestler and against Brett Cooper he showed that he's also a thinking fighter," he says.

"He thinks about strategy before his fights and he utilizes that strategy well in the fight."

In Halsey, Shlemenko will fight an undefeated contender who doubtless has the confidence of a professional who has never tasted defeat. "Storm" has the confidence of a champion recently wounded, however, and the lessons learned from recent defeat may make him all the more dangerous.

He doesn't know what will happen on fight night, but he has visualized one thing over and over, in the weeks leading up to Friday - Winning. "It is difficult to visualize what may happen in a fight," he admits.

"But the one thing I can visualize is that, at the end of the day, my hand will be raised again and I will keep my belt."

Follow Elias on Twitter�@EliasCepeda�&�@YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/alexander-shlemenko---losing-to-tito-ortiz-shook-me-200045236.html

Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi

Brandon Halsey: 'I'm expecting the best Alexander Shlemenko'

Brandon Halsey (7-0) gets a shot at the Bellator middleweight title Friday in Phoenix, when he challenges champion Alexander Shlemenko (50-8). The undefeated American wrestler has motivation beyond the gold belt, however - he wants to keep the "0" on his record.

"Yeah it feels good to keep the momentum going and stay undefeated. I want to keep that going," he tells Cagewriter.

Up until he lost a non-title, light heavyweight fight with Tito Ortiz last May, Shlemenko had a great deal of momentum going himself. It had been years, and thirteen fights since the Russian had dropped a fight before getting submitted in the first round of his fight with the former UFC champ. �

Shlemenko recently told us that he's a new and more dangerous fighter since that loss. Halsey doesn't doubt it, and expects the champion to have all his confidence back come fight night.�

"I have no idea what his mindset is but I know he is capable of overcoming adversity," the challenger says.

"I?m expecting him to bring his best. I?m prepared for the best Alexander Shlemenko." �

One of the champion's main strengths is his almost ridiculous amount of fight experience. He estimates that he's competed in fight sports over a thousand times, and his professional MMA record lists nearly sixty fights.

With just seven pro fights in total, Halsey would seem to be at serious disadvantage when it comes to experience and the savvy that comes with it. The Californian says he's more than an MMA newcomer, however - he's a life long combat sports competitor.

"I've been wrestling a long time," he explains.

"I've been on this type of big stage before. Having seventy fights doesn?t mean that you have the experience advantage. I'm looking forward to the spotlight. I'm ready to go."

Halsey's goals don't just include staying undefeated and winning the Bellator title, either. The 28 year-old wants to become the best fighter in the world, pound for pound, by the time he's done.

"[Winning] is going to be a good feeling," he says.

"Everyone looks forward to holding a title. But I'll still have to move forward. I want to be the best fighter in the world, pound for pound, one day." ��

Follow Elias on Twitter�@EliasCepeda�&�@YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/brandon-halsey---i-m-expecting-the-best-alexander-shlemenko-205436540.html

Zelg Benkei Galesic Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan

The Downes Side: UFC 178 Predictions

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/The-Downes-Side-UFC-178-Predictions

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic Luiz Buscape Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch

Cheick Kongo says his engine is just getting warmed up

After a long tenure with the world's top MMA promotion, Cheick Kongo left the UFC on his own accord. However, he did so while nearing 40 and having lost two out of his last three bouts.

Though it wasn't long ago, it would appear to be a long time ago compared to where the Frenchman is now. The heavyweight striker has won three out of his last four fights in the Bellator promotion and has another big fight, against Lavar Johnson, this Friday in Conn.

Despite the apparent turn-around, Kongo says it's the same him and that he's taking everything in stride. "No, this is not a new moment [for me]," he says.

"I always enjoy life like it is. But when the engine gets warmed up� and has the right gasoline in it, things go well."

Kongo may feel like he's just warming up in his career, but he also admits to taking things one fight at a time. The fighter has long had business investments and interests outside of the cage and continues to do so, in hopes of securing income in his future without prize fighting.

Kongo has also changed up some coaches and training partners, he says, in order to "get some fresh blood" in his camp.

Among the places he gets work in are friend Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's gym and Antonio McKee's "Body Shop." Kongo says he's training smarter these days, not just grinding himself down.

And, despite being 39 years old and in the 14th year of his pro MMA career, the Parisian says he's in no rush. "It's not a rush, it's not a race," he says.

"If you want to perform in the right way, and stay on track, you have to be smart. You have to be clever. I made some mistakes in the past."

Kongo is also unconcerned with how much his stock rises or falls based on popularity. The man is about his business, and his business is fighting.

"I'm a calm and quiet person," he says.

"I don't need to get a lot of attention on me. Do your job and leave everything out there until you have to do something else. After MMA, after sport, I will have another life. So, I like to keep myself very calm, busy and active. I still have the passion to progress, though."

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/cheick-kongo-says-his-engine-is-just-getting-warmed-up-163038485.html

Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell  Gesias JZ Calvancante  Luiz Cane 

Cody Gibson: No Room for More Regrets

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Cody-Gibson-No-Room-for-More-Regrets

Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez Keith Hackney Matt Hamill

How to Choose Proper Gear in MMA

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Source: http://www.ufcrundown.com/blog/how-to-choose-proper-gear-in-mma/

Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade 

UFC Statement on Thiago Silva

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-statement-thiago-silva

Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello

UFC 178: Tim Kennedy vs Yoel Romero

Image: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OKxnjie_VTI/hqdefault.jpg

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc-vbookie-betting/184081-ufc-178-tim-kennedy-vs-yoel-romero.html

Stav Crazy Bear Economou  Yves Edwards  Justin Eilers  Jon Olav Einemo

UFC: Step Into Our World (Video)

The UFC released a video promoting their upcoming event in Stockholm, and its highlight heavy and �worth a minute of your time. UFC: Stockholm will feature welterweights Gunnar Nelson and Rick Story as both continue their rise up the ladder. As always, Fighters.com will be bringing you complete coverage of the event. Check out �the […]

The post UFC: Step Into Our World (Video) appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/09/21/ufc-step-world-video/

Rashad Evans Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson

New video of Thiago Silva surfaces, shows him in agitated state and cocking his gun

Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2014/9/20/6664537/ufc-new-video-of-thiago-silva-surfaces-shows-him-in-agitated-state-cocking-gun-mma-news

Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson

Wanderlei Silva Rips UFC in Retirement Announcement (Video)

On Friday, MMA icon Wanderlei Silva (pictured) unceremoniously announced his retirement from fighting via a YouTube video. The slugger didn’t pull any punches on his way out, blasting the UFC for not showing him the proper respect and turning his legion of fans against him. “I am stepping down from the ring. After today, Wanderlei [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/174889/wanderlei-silva-rips-ufc-in-retirement-announcement-video/

Tiki Ghosn Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes

Bellator 125: Marshall vs. Manhoef live results, streaming video, play by play

Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2014/9/19/6541345/bellator-125-marshall-vs-manhoef-live-results-streaming-video-play-by-play

Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen  Chris Dolman

UFC champ Anthony Pettis to get Wheaties box cover

For the first time in Wheaties' 91-year history, the General Mills cereal asked fans to decide a box cover athlete, and they chose UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. The Wheaties NEXT Challenge asked fans to vote for their favorite athlete by logging workouts through the MapMyFitness platform or by connecting compatible devices.

Over 71,000 people, in all, participated in the Wheaties NEXT Challenge and "Showtime" fans logged a total of 324,025 workouts, giving the fighter the win. Pettis' Wheaties box will be on grocery store shelves in early 2015, and will be the first version of the iconic cereal boxes to feature an MMA fighter.

?We are thrilled to welcome Anthony Pettis to the Wheaties family and congratulate him and his fans on their remarkable effort and accomplishment,? David Oehler, marketing manager for Wheaties said in a statement.

Pettis competed not just for himself, but also on behalf of two charities, the Gadzuric Foundation and Exploit No More. General Mills will donate an unspecified amount to both charities, based on the amount of workouts logged by Pettis fans.

Pettis will likely next be on your TV screens as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, season 20, which begins airing Sep. 10 on Fox Sports 1. Pettis will coach opposite Gilbert Melendez and then the two will face-off Dec. 6 for Pettis' lightweight world championship.

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-champ-anthony-pettis-to-get-wheaties-cover-box-191022518.html

Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga

Anthony Johnson wants catchweight fight with Alistair Overeem

Anthony Johnson is one of the hottest light heavyweights in the UFC, but he still wouldn't mind locking up with down-and-out heavyweight Alistair Overeem. The two former teammates have exchanged insults and allegations in recent weeks, with Johnson saying that Overeem was a selfish and dangerous training partner back when he did work with the Blackzilians team in Florida.

"I'll fight him, I don't care. I've already trained with him before. Why not? To me it's just a fight. If the fans want to see it, I'm down to do it. I ain't said 'no' to any fight ever," Johnson claimed in a recent interview.

"I'd meet him at a catchweight. If he wanted to meet me at 225, let's do it. Or whatever, 220, I'd do that. Or I'd meet at 230 at the dot, if he was down to go that far. Let's do it. Even if I fought him, it's a dangerous fight. He's still got weapons that are crazy. He was hitting Ben with some crazy knees. He's a dangerous fighter still, but I'd definitely test him."

The heavyweight class weight limit is 265 pounds and Overeem has often been close to that mark. Johnson used to compete in the UFC's welterweight division.

Johnson has also won his last eight fights and Overeem has lost three out of his last four. As such, each man is on a quite different path in their respective division.

Clearly, AJ is confident in his skills after sparring with Overeem in the gym. The smaller man insists that he would take the fight, simply because of personal animosity and acknowledges that Overeem would be a dangerous fight for him.

"I don't have anything against him as a fighter," he said.

"I think he's a beast when it comes to fighting. My things were other personal stuff."

Would you watch Johnson vs. Overeem? Let us know in the comments section!

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Related Video:

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/anthony-johnson-wants-catchweight-fight-with-alistair-overeem-140003397.html

Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

Joe Lauzon: 'I didn't know if I would ever fight again'

UFC lightweight star Joe Lauzon always planned to take a lot of time off from competition to make way for the birth of he and his wife's son. Lauzon got back in the win column with an exciting decision over Mac Danzig last December and carved out time to help get his soon-coming son Joey on his feet before taking another fight.

Joe and his wife had no idea how involved and scary things would get, however. In the first week of January, 2014, Joey Lauzon was born - bright, beautiful but already struggling more than any baby deserves to.

Joey was born with a cancer called Neuroblastoma. He couldn't leave the hospital for a long time and had to begin chemo-therapy at just days old.

Doctors were worried that the large tumor in his back might even sever his spinal cord. The stress and danger to their newborn son was seemingly all-encompassing for months.

Lauzon says it was the most trying time of his life. "Definitely," he tells Cagewriter about a week before he is set to make his Octagon return Sep. 5 on the UFC Fight Night main card against Michael Chiesa.

"At least, early on. Things have been really good since March. Since march sit and wait kind of deal. We?ve been really lucky� The first two months we were completely helpless. We couldn?t do anything.

"It is really weird being so helpless because I'm used to taking an active role and getting things done, dealing with things head-on. All we could do was go to the hospital every day, do what the doctors said.

"There?s really no great way to cope on it. You just try to stay positive and informed every single day. There were a lot of things I couldn?t change. I can't take cancer away. So, I just tried to be there for Katie - who was there all day, every day. We had tons of help from friends and family as well."

Needless to say, during this time MMA was not the most important thing on Lauzon's mind. In fact, at one point he wasn't sure if he would ever make a return to MMA competition.

"For a little bit I really didn?t know if I'd fight again. We had to think, 'what's going to be the deal with Joey?' If it continued to be a 24/7 job dealing with him we started thinking about what we were going to do next. Would we focus on the gym more or whatever. Joey had hospital shots every day, his immune system was compromised from the chemo therapy, he had doctor's appointments just about every day," he explains.

"Luckily, he's done great. They were straight up with us and said, 'he's got cancer but if you're going to have to get cancer, this is the type of cancer to have.' If they catch it before eighteen months, there's a really good prognosis. Something like 85%-90% survival rate. If they discover it past eighteen months, then that drops down to 30%. Neuroblastoma has been studied a lot so they know a ton about it. Sometimes they don't treat it at all. They just keep an eye on it."

Little Joey went through three rounds of chemo-therapy and was eventually was allowed to go home with his parents, but with constant visits from nurses. As he got stronger, however, the nurse vists were no longer necessary.

That's when Joe Sr. says he was finally able to start relaxing a little bit. "That's when things started to feel a little bit normal again," he says.

In July, a scan showed no evidence of the cancer left in Joey's body. "July 3 is his unofficial birthday," Joe says with a smile.

"That's the day the oncologist told us that there was no sign of cancer left. Now he has monthly MRI scans. Later, it will be every two months, eventually it will be just once a year, for the rest of his life."

Joe says that, though he didn't know if he'd be able to fight again, his wife Katie made him get back into training a couple weeks after their son's birth. "After two weeks in the hospital for 11-12 hours a day, I started stretching, bouncing and shadow boxing in the hospital," he remembers.

"People were looking at me weird. Katie told me, 'you have to train again.' She was there every day and she was amazing. So, I was able to start training a bit, again. If I trained in the morning, I would go to the hospital at night. If I trained at night, I would go to the hospital in the morning."

Once Lauzon felt comfortable committing to fight again, and signed to take on Chiesa, he said his training kicked into high and effective gear. "Camp has gone really well," he says.

"The first couple weeks of camp would deviate a little bit from the normal routine but eventually I decided that I needed to focus on the fight."

Lauzon insists that the results have been good. The red-hot Chiesa represents a big challenge to Lauzon (check back with us Wed. for more from Joe on how he matches up against The Ultimate Fighter winner), he knows, and "J-Lau" is confident that he'll be better than ever come Sep. 5

"I feel better for this one than for any other fights," he says.

"I'm really sharp and things have come together at the perfect time. In some other camps I thought I peaked a couple weeks early. I'm really dialed in, now. I'm good, strong, and fast."

To donate to the Lauzon Family's Jimmy Fund Walk to help fight cancer, visit Donate.JoeLauzon.com

Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/joe-lauzon---i-didn-t-know-if-i-would-ever-fight-again-162006674.html

Luiz Buscape Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian

Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind

The Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind, is one of those series that leaves you always wanting more. You become immersed in the world that Terry Goodkind creates instantly in the first book. The characters seem real, and you immediately become invested in them. The theme behind all of the books is the age …

Source: https://www.warehouse46.net/sword-of-truth-series-by-terry-goodkind/

Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace

Eddie Alvarez agrees to new deal, to meet Donald Cerrone at UFC 178

Eddie Alvarez has long�believed he's the best fighter in the world. Now, the former Bellator lightweight�champion is going to get the opportunity to prove it.

A whirlwind day ended for Alvarez Tuesday with a series of interviews, after he agreed to a new UFC contract and will face Donald Cerrone in the first bout of his new deal at UFC 178 at the MGM Grand Garden on Sept. 27.

Alvarez had been in a protracted legal dispute with Bellator and had sued to get out of his deal. But Alvarez settled and came back to fight one fight final, a rematch for the lightweight title against Michael Chandler last year. Alvarez won that bout to win the title�in a sensational battle after he'd lost to Chandler in an epic match in 2011.

He was at odds with Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, but when Rebney was let go in June and replaced by Scott Coker, things kicked into motion. Coker on Tuesday morning announced Bellator had released Alvarez from his deal, making him a free agent.

A few hours later, he'd agreed to a new deal with the UFC and what should be the hotly anticipated fight with Cerrone.

"This is going to be an extremely fan friendly fight," he said of his bout with Cerrone. "How can it not be? You have two guys with the some of the highest finish ratios in all of the sport. You know people are going to love this fight. How can they not? These kinds of fights, these big fights that get everyone talking and interested, these are the fights I want. I want to fight only dangerous guys. Whenever I've done that in my career, I've�stepped up and risen to the challenge."

Alvarez, 30, is 25-3. He's long sought the kind of stage the UFC will provide.�

Alvarez is rated fourth at lightweight by Sherdog and fifth by MMA Junkie. He wasn't eligible for the UFC rankings because the UFC's rankings, voted on by media members, are only open to UFC contracted fighters.�

The fight with Cerrone will give him the opportunity to prove his contention that he's the best in the world.

"I want to prove the naysayers wrong," Alvarez said. "They're everywhere. And to be honest with you, they're all I see and they're what motivates me. I have a tremendous support from a lot of the Underground fans. They believe in me, they want to see me do well and they're behind me. But there are a lot of people out there who don't believe it, and so I want to separate perception and reality. I want to be able to do that.

"What they perceive is not real. I'm the No. 1 fighter in the world and they're going to see that very soon."

Below is the full first fight between Alvarez and Chandler from 2011 that many thought was that year's Fight of the Year.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/eddie-alvarez-agrees-to-new-deal--to-meet-donald-cerrone-at-ufc-178-014614167.html

Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett  Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell