Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/The-Vitor-Belfort-Diet
Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian Karen Grigoryan
UFC 150 co-main event matches Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic Luiz Buscape Firmino
The hype for UFC 148 has been going on for years, and judging by the amount of picks that were made on Cagewriter's Facebook page, you have strong opinions on this card. I've included extra picks of the Silva/Sonnen bout from Cagereaders because you all have plenty to say about the main event.
Kevin Iole -- Silva TKO2 Sonnen: If Silva has a weakness, it's his takedown defense. And clearly, Sonnen has tremendous wrestling ability. That combination is going to cause Anderson some anxious moments. That said, Anderson was clearly intent on walking Chael down in their first fight and he was surprised by Sonnen's striking. This time, there will be no surprises. I think Anderson will utilize his movement and angles and ultimately land something that will decide the fight.
Maggie Hendricks -- Silva SUB2 Sonnen: Silva has had time to learn from his mistakes in the last bout, and he is too good of a fighter not to learn from. Sonnen was unimpressive in his win over Michael Bisping, and despite the trash talk, will not have an answer for Silva.
[Kevin Iole: Chael Sonnen has Anderson Silva's attention this time]
Cagereader -- Chael Sonnen will win. The thing that separates Chael from Silva's other opponents is that he fully believes he can win. No one else that has stepped in the octogon with Silva didn't believe they were going to win. Believing in yourself and having heart is a huge deal in the fight game. Something has to get you through the tough times and since no one else really expected to win, they accepted their fate. Not Chael Sonnen. -- Katie Simmons
Cagereader -- The Spider will win. In the last fight Silva was injured and still beat Sonnen with a triangle choke. On top of that at the end of the fight Sonnen looked way worse for wear than Silva even though Chael got the best of him for most of the fight. I also think Silva is pissed off because of Chael's trash talk and we will see a Silva that we have never seen before.
Cagereader -- If you remember very well dear MMA EXPERTS, Sonnen had Silva on his back for five rounds, yet he hasn't been able to win, maybe he was able to take down Silva, but what from there? YEAH NOTHING... he did exactly nothing, Silva did not struggle to strike back even if he was pinned down, then after all that work Sonnen did for 5 rounds, he was submitted like a little girl... what does this tell you? This time Silva, will not play around like that, and even if it ends on the ground, Sonnen will get submitted again... end of the story! -- Wahb Mabkhout
[Video: Anderson Silva gives Chael Sonnen a cheapshot at weigh-in]
And now, for the rest of the UFC 148 bouts.
Kevin Iole -- Tito Ortiz W3 Forrest Griffin: If history has taught us anything, it's that this fight should be close and that the decision will probably be disputed. They're as even as even can be, so I'll go with a sentimental reason: Ortiz will win it given that he wants to go out in style. I'm not going to be surprised one bit if Griffin wins, but I have a hunch Tito will summon one last great effort.
Maggie Hendricks -- Tito Ortiz W3 Forrest Griffin: I have to agree with Kevin. This bout will be close and probably won't be all that exciting, and someone will get angry with the judges. Afterwards, Ortiz will waffle on retirement.
Cagereader -- Forrest Griffin Over Tito Ortiz by decision. I think Tito has been over the hill for many years now. When fighters talents evolved Tito didn't and has had a hard time with most fighters except for Ken Shamrock. Not saying Forrest is that the much better but I believe he will pull out the decision. -- Tim Hunter
--
Kevin Iole -- Patrick Cote TKO3 Cung Le: Cote has a lot of ability, but he has to believe in himself. His confidence should be back up after winning four consecutive bouts. He'll take some damage from Le's kicks, but I expect a big right hand from Cote to be the defining strike of the fight.
Maggie Hendricks -- Cung Le KO1 Patrick Cote: Though Cote won his last four fights, his opponents weren't at the same caliber as Le. He also doesn't have the same chin as Wanderlei Silva, who survived several tough shots from Le. If Le can bring those same shots, he'll win easily.
Cagereader -- Cung Le OVER Patrick Cote by TKO. Cung Le has much better stand up. Yeah Cung did lose to Wanderlei but I still feel Wanderlei is no joke. -- Tim Hunter
--
Kevin Iole -- Demian Maia SUB2 Dong Hyun Kim: Maia is moving down and that's always a concern, especially against a powerful man such as Kim. Maia's toughness is unquestioned, as he proved in taking a pounding from Anderson Silva for five rounds, and he may indeed take a pounding from Kim for a while. But Maia will use Kim's aggressiveness against him and pull off one of his patented submissions.
[Related: Watch UFC 148 live on Yahoo! Sports]
Maggie Hendricks -- Demian Maia SUB1 Dong Hyun Kim: The new weight class should agree with Maia and return him to his submitting ways.
Cagereader -- D. Maia should hand DYK a loss if he sticks to his plan. Pressure and take it to the ground. If it goes the distance, DYK might pull the upset. -- Santiago Alvarez
--
Kevin Iole -- Chad Mendes TKO1 Cody McKenzie: I could be proven completely wrong here, but I think these are two different calibers of fighters. I'm expecting Mendes' wrestling and sheer brute force to rule the day and I expect him to stop McKenzie early.
Maggie Hendricks -- Chad Mendes W3 Cody McKenzie: Mendes' wrestling is on a different level, and he'll know how to avoid McKenzie's guillotine. He'll grind out the win.
Cagereader -- Mendes by unanimous decision. As long as Mendes avoids McKenzie's guillotine when he shoots in for the takedown, I see Mendes grinding out a victory. -- Joe Sullivan
--
Kevin Iole -- Mike Easton W3 Ivan Menjivar: Easton has a better multi-dimensional game highlighted by tremendous takedown defense and striking defense. He'll control where the fight is contested and earn a decision over Menjivar.
Maggie Hendricks -- Mike Easton TKO2 Ivan Menjivar: Easton's power will be too much for Menjivar.
Cagereader -- Mike Easton- His nickname is The Hulk. (Ed. note -- Good reason) -- Austin Kessler
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With UFC's return to the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California for the promotion's fourth Fuel TV offering behind us, some questions have been answered, specifically in relation to Chris Weidman. It's time to take a look at what logically comes next.
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/29396/29396/
Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan
Source: http://www.5thRound.com/122443/ufc-on-fuel-tv-munoz-vs-weidman-salaries-released/
Because there hasn't been enough written about Chael Sonnen and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva this week, here they are in comic book form.
The UFC is producing a comic book about the two leading up to their fight.Silva, unsurprisingly, resembles Spiderman while Sonnen has elements of Captain America and Wonder Woman. (Before any of you think this is a slam, Wonder Woman is the coolest. If anyone besides Diana of the Themyscira could handle the Lasso of Truth, it's Sonnen.) Check out their Facebook page every day before UFC 148 to read a new panel of the comic.
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/103446-interview-vitor-belfort.html
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/9mCiKQmLcFo/
During Friday's weigh-ins for UFC 148, middleweight champion Anderson Silva threw a shoulder at longtime rival Chael Sonnen, his opponent for Saturday. The move, which connected with Sonnen's face, led to a tense moment where the two had to be separated by UFC president Dana White. Check out what happened here:
The animosity between the two fighters has been building for two years. They fought at UFC 117, and Silva won with a late submission after being dominated for most of the bout. Since then, Sonnen has called himself the true champion, and said he didn't really lose the fight. He was also quite creative in his insults of Silva's home country of Brazil.
[Related: Will Silva and Sonnen turn in another thriller at UFC 148?]
During Thursday's press conference, they also had to be separated, as Silva leaned in and whispered something unknown to Sonnen. But was his shoulder check on Friday over the line?
Scuffling at weigh-ins is not an every day occasion in the UFC, but it's not unheard of. Most recently, BJ Penn and Nick Diaz pushed and shoved before their UFC 137 bout. It's part of the gamesmanship that happens before some fights.
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Cagewriter is taking the day off to celebrate some people in Philadelphia telling King George to take a flying leap. If you think Chael Sonnen is a master of trash talk, take a look at what the authors of the Declaration of Independence said to start this country. Enjoy Independence Day, stay safe and hydrated, and I'll be back tomorrow for plenty of UFC 148 discussion.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/happy-fourth-july-cagewriter-122553900--mma.html
It's going to be an eventful summer for Tito Ortiz, a man who was recognized as one of the most important fighters in the growth of the UFC when the promotion decided to induct him into their Hall of Fame. He will fight Forrest Griffin on July 7 at UFC 148, making it the third time the pair will meet. After that bout, Ortiz plans to retire.
"I've done everything," Ortiz told Cagewriter. "My body has taken the toll. (back injury, acl replacement) My body just can't train, and training is hard on your body, so I wanted to go out on my own terms."
But before retirement, he will fight Griffin. The pair first faced off at UFC 59. It was a close fight won by Ortiz and was considered one of the best fights of 2006. Griffin took the rematch by split decision at UFC 106. Though they've fought each other for six rounds, Ortiz said he still is studying Griffin because it's part of the job.
"Gotta do your homework. I've got to do as much homework as I possibly can. I see mistakes that he does," Ortiz said. "It doesn't matter that it's my last fight. I'm still pushing my hardest."
He was touched by the UFC deciding to make him a Hall-of-Famer.
"It means all the hard work that I did means something. I've worked really hard in this business for 15 years. I've gotten to succeed, to be very successful, at mixed martial arts in the UFC."
Because he has been in the fight game for so long, he has not had as much time to spend with his family as he would like. He has three sons, and is happy the next stage in his life will involve plenty of time with them.
"First thing is being a full-time father. Being with my kids every single day. I'm starting the second chapter of my life, and it's truly about family."
Follow Tito Ortiz on Twitter for more as he prepares for UFC 148.
Randy The Natural Couture Dan Cramer Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz
It's not often athletes know the exact time and hour of their retirement. Instead, many walk away after injuries or a depreciation of skills keeps them from the game. Those reasons play into Tito Ortiz's retirement. Back injuries and three losses in his last three fights pushed him towards retirement, but Ortiz was lucky enough to know when his time was up.
He walked in with a pointy gladiator helmet, paying homage to the UFC's early days. He walked out with a shirt reading, "I helped build the sport that build me." In and out of the cage, he understood his role as the bridge between the UFC's early, banned-from-TV-days to the celebrity-filled, money-making corporation it is today.
In between, Ortiz and Forrest Griffin fought to a decision again. Griffin won, again. The fight showed why Ortiz is on his way out. Though he clipped Griffin at one point, Ortiz couldn't pull out the win.
Perhaps because there weren't many other options, or perhaps because the UFC brass was truly moved by their performance, Ortiz and Griffin won $75,000 Fight of the Night bonuses. As Ortiz starts retirement, the money is much nicer than any gold watch.
With the youth of the UFC, it's hard to know what Ortiz's legacy will be. It's not like comparing the effect Michael Jordan had on the NBA to what Bill Russell did for the league. MMA fans will have plenty of time to debate what Ortiz will mean to the sport in the long term.
For now, just enjoy a man walking out from the cage when he knew the time was right. Thanks for the memories, Tito.
Be sure to join MMAFrenzy for the UFC 148 weigh-ins beginning at 7PM ET. MMAFrenzy will kick off it’s coverage of tomorrow’s card with our coverage of the weigh-ins later today. UFC 148 is headlined by the much anticipated middleweight title rematch between the champion Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. The card will take place [...]
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/29321/ufc-148-weigh-ins-stream/
Source: http://www.fighters.com/07/05/hockey-fight-of-the-day-dave-brown-vs-bob-probert
Source: http://www.fighters.com/07/05/the-hot-seat-ufc-148
Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto
UFC 148 Post-Fight Press Conference Video is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/ufc-news/ufc-148-post-fight-press-conference-video-58787/
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/XX575Ekcalw/
Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez Keith Hackney
Source: http://www.fighters.com/07/09/cung-le-suffers-foot-injury-in-win-over-patrick-cote-but-still-smiling
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/TMfWq8E1XLk/
Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia
Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/07/08/rampage-jackson-offers-up-his-take-on-ortiz-griffin-iii/
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
Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga
Hill vs. South – Top 2 welterweight prospects face off at XFC 19 is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News
British promotion BAMMA has agreed to release middleweight champion Tom Watson. The Team Jackson-Winkeljohn and Tristar product will make his promotional debut against Brad Tavares at "UFC on Fuel TV 5." The UFC also announced a fight between British welterweight standouts John Maguire and John Hathaway for the Nottingham card.