Tuesday

UFC 156 picks from Kevin Iole, Maggie Hendricks and Cagereaders like you

With UFC 156's picks, we didn't receive nearly as many reader entries as we did for UFC 155 and previous cards. Perhaps that's because it's a really tough card to pick. A fighter who has been on the shelf for a year vs. one who is fighting at a whole new weight? A jiu-jitsu whiz against a skilled wrestler? Two heavyweights with heavy, heavy hands? See how we think it will shake out, and a huge thank you to those who did pick.

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Kevin Iole - Frankie Edgar TKO5 Jose Aldo: If Edgar gets it into the second half of the fight, his odds of winning increase dramatically. He won't be fazed by the moment and while Aldo is extraordinarily good, so, too, is Edgar. I think he uses his movement and wrestling to control the style and pace of the bout and will then finish a tiring Aldo late.

Maggie Hendricks - Frankie Edgar W5 Jose Aldo: It's been more than a year since we watched Aldo knock out Chad Mendes then celebrate in the arms of Brazilian fans. In that time, Edgar has fought 10 rounds and lost two close decisions to Benson Henderson. At this weight, Edgar should show how strong his cardio is and outlast Aldo.

[Related: UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo is perfectly suited for superstar status]

Cagereader - Aldo hasn't lost in 7 years which says a lot right there. He is nearly invincible at Featherweight. Frankie is coming off of two very close fights with Ben Henderson. Many thought that he could have won the second fight. Moving down is a great choice though. This fight will be a back and forth war on the feet and the ground. Edgar will be able to get Aldo down but not for very long. This will stay mostly standing. I see Edgar's cardio being the main factor in this fight in the later rounds and he will take a Decision to become the new Featherweight Champion. -- Jackson Torres

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Kevin Iole ? Rashad Evans TKO2 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: Evans is by far the better fighter and he has a lot at stake. I think you'll see him put on a show so that UFC executives have to give him serious consideration for a match later this year with Anderson Silva for the middleweight title.

Maggie Hendricks ? Rashad Evans W3 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: In his last three fights, Little Nog has a win over Tito Ortiz and losses to Ryan Bader and Phil Davis. Wrestlers give him trouble, and Evans knows how to use his wrestling to win fights.

Cagereader - I think Little Nog vs Rashad Evans will be a great fight. Evans has good power in his hands and great wrestling. Little Nog has top notch boxing and (obviously) great jiu jitsu. I like Little Nog to win because he is a bit more patient than Rashad. I think Little Nog will be able to set up better punches instead of going for the KO in one shot and if/when they go to the ground I don't think Little Nog will be too flustered by Rashad's top game. -- Garrett Griffin

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Kevin Iole ? Alistair Overeem TKO1 Antonio Silva: Overeem's striking is on another level and whether it is with the fists, elbows, knees or kicks, Silva is going to be taking a lot of abuse.

Maggie Hendricks ?Alistair Overeem TKO 1 Antonio Silva: Silva couldn't handle Cain Velasquez's fists. Overeem shouldn't have a problem winning this fight and getting the next heavyweight title shot.

Cagereader ? The Reem is a monster (naturally or not) but not just in the "muscles upon muscles" sense of the word. He moves forward with good defense and absolutely devastating offense. I can't remember the last time I've seen this current iteration of Overeem in trouble. Bigfoot's only hope is a takedown and submission or ground-and-pound, but does anyone see that realistically happening? It's a fight and anything can happen, and by anything I mean Overeem walking through Silva on his way to a title shot. - John Wilcox

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[Related: Rashad Evans' best path to title shot could be cutting weight, facing Anderson Silva]

Kevin Iole ? Jon Fitch W3 Demian Maia: I know Fitch is going to want to end this fight early, but I don't think he'll able to able to. I think he'll abuse Maia and use his wrestling to grind it out, but I doubt he'll be able to submit Maia and Maia is durable enough to withstand his striking.

Maggie Hendricks ? Jon Fitch W3 Demian Maia: Maia has struggled against wrestlers like Fitch, with his last two losses going to Chris Weidman and Mark Munoz. Even at this lighter weight, it's unlikely he can neutralize Fitch's brand of grinding wrestling.

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Kevin Iole ? Joseph Benavidez W3 Ian McCall: Uncle Creepy may look a little creepy after Joe B gets through belting him in the face. This is a very good fight, but I think Benavidez has more weapons and wins a solid decision.

Maggie Hendricks ? Joseph Benavidez TKO2 Ian McCa;;: Both fighters are looking to rebound from losses to Demetrious Johnson, the flyweight champ. Benavidez's striking should stop McCall.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-156-picks-kevin-iole-maggie-hendricks-cagereaders-153948869--mma.html

Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira  Patrick The Predator Cote  Randy The Natural Couture 

UFC on FUEL TV 8 Play-By-Play

Our coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 8 rolls along with our play-by-play of the main four fights of the evening. Be sure to stay tuned and refresh often for live updates and scoring of tonight's main bouts of the evening.

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/33073/ufc-on-fuel-tv-8-play-by-play/

Gilbert Aldana  Jose Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander

Monday

We want your UFC 156 picks

This Saturday, Frankie Edgar, the one-time UFC lightweight champion, will try to win the belt at featherweight from champion Jose Aldo at UFC 156. We want to know who you think will win this and the other main card bouts.

Here's the drill: Pick a fight from the main card.

Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar - for featherweight title
Rashad Evans vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva
Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia
Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall

Then go to Cagewriter's Facebook page, like it and tell who you think will win and why. Selected picks will run here on Friday morning. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/want-ufc-156-picks-233140742--mma.html

Clay Guida Jason Guida Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn

UFC on Fuel 8 Bonuses: Wanderlei Silva wins two bonuses for fantastic finish of Brian Stann

MMA legend Wanderlei Silva returned to Japan tonight after a lengthy period away from the nation he made a name for himself in and delivered in fine fashion with a knockout in the second round of action. While opponent Brian Stann definitely showed up to fight, hurting Silva in the first five minutes, he ultimately [...]

The post UFC on Fuel 8 Bonuses: Wanderlei Silva wins two bonuses for fantastic finish of Brian Stann appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2013/03/03/ufc-on-fuel-8-bonuses-wanderlei-silva-wins-two-bonuses-for-fantastic-finish-of-brian-stann/

Grant Campbell  Gesias JZ Calvancante  Luiz Cane  Dos Caras Jr  

Leonard Garcia vs. Cody McKenzie in a Must-Win Bout at UFC 159

http://www.mmaweekly.com/leonard-garcia-vs-cody-mckenzie-in-a-must-win-bout-at-ufc-159


BACK ON!!!!! Fight of the Year rescheduled!!!

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/120442-leonard-garcia-vs-cody-mckenzie-must-win-bout-ufc-159-a.html

Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes

Sunday

UFC 157?s Dan Henderson says Olympic wrestling won?t go out without a big fight

TORRANCE, Calif. -- Before becoming an MMA fighter, Dan Henderson had a successful career as an amateur wrestler. He represented the U.S. in the 1992 and the 1996 Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling. If the International Olympic Committee gets their way, no more wrestlers will get the chance to experience the Olympics from 2020 on. Last week, the IOC decided to drop wrestling from its core sports.

Henderson was surprised when he heard the news.

"It was pretty sad news. I was shocked, a little bit. At the same time, I knew they had been talking about it for a number of years, that they were going to take some of the wrestling out. I think nobody thought they would actually go ahead and do it because the sport's been around forever in the Olympics."

But he doesn't think the fight is over.

"I think the wrestling community in itself is much bigger and stronger than people give it credit for, and I'm talking worldwide. A lot of countries are banding together and really getting behind it to put a lot of pressure on the IOC."

Protests have already begun. Bulgarian wrestling federation president Valentin Yordanov sent back his gold medal, won at the 1996 Olympics, in protest of the decision. During a major tournament in Iran this weekend, wrestlers will lie down on the mats in a sign of unity.

"I don't think it's a done deal yet," Henderson said. "Wrestling's not going to go out without a big fight."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-157-dan-henderson-says-olympic-wrestling-won-174722166--mma.html

Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen  Chris Dolman

TUF 17 Weekly Recap - Episode 6

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/tuf-17-recap-episode-1706

Rob Broughton  Mike Brown  Junie Browning Paul Buentello 

Saturday

Sara McMann and Sheila Gaff Fighting at UFC 159

mcmann-sara

A new fight has been added to UFC 159: Jones Vs Sonnen. Olympic Silver Medalist Sara McMann will make her UFC debut against Sheila Gaff, who will also be making her UFC debut at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. McMann(6-0) last fought in Invicta and defeated Shayna Baszler by unanimous decision in a…

The post Sara McMann and Sheila Gaff Fighting at UFC 159 appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/01/sara-mcmann-and-sheila-gaff-to-fight-at-ufc-159?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sara-mcmann-and-sheila-gaff-to-fight-at-ufc-159

Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves 

UFC On Fuel TV 8: Silva Vs Stann Pre-Fight Press Conference (9:00 PM EST)

UFC Japan John Petit/PS

UFC On Fuel TV 8: Silva Vs Stann takes place this weekend just outside of Tokyo, Japan at the Saitama Sports Arena, and the wheels are already in motion for another historic Japan card. The UFC will hold its usual pre fight press conference, and fans around the globe can stream it. You can watch…

The post UFC On Fuel TV 8: Silva Vs Stann Pre-Fight Press Conference (9:00 PM EST) appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/02/27/ufc-on-fuel-tv-8-silva-vs-stann-pre-fight-press-conference-tonight-900-pm-est?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ufc-on-fuel-tv-8-silva-vs-stann-pre-fight-press-conference-tonight-900-pm-est

Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan Luiz Azeredo 

UFC 158 shuffled after Rory MacDonald injury

When the UFC announced the mostly welterweight line-up for UFC 158, it was near the end of injury-2012. After so many big fights were affected by injury, the UFC wisely prepared in case one of their fighters had to pull out of his bout. It turned out to be a smart move, as Rory MacDonald had to pull out of his bout with Carlos Condit.

Now, Johny Hendricks, who was supposed to fight Jake Ellenberger at UFC 158, is stepping in to face Condit. Ellenberger also has his opponent set. Nate Marquardt saw an opportunity and tweeted:

He later corrected the date of the fight to March 16, but didn't change his sentiment. He still wanted the Ellenberger bout, and got his wish. Marquardt will face Ellenberger at UFC 158. The updated main card now includes the UFC welterweight champ, the former UFC interim champ, and the former Strikeforce champion.

Champion Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz
Carlos Condit vs. Johny Hendricks
Jake Ellenberger vs. Nate Marquardt
Chris Camozzi vs. Nick Ring
Colin Fletcher vs. Mike Ricci

Marquardt lost the Strikeforce welterweight belt in the promotion's final card. He dropped a decision to Tarec Saffiedine. This will be Marquardt's first fight with the UFC since he was cut from the promotion the day before a fight. Marquardt couldn't get clearance from the state commission to fight because of his high testosterone levels.

Want to make early picks on the new fights? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-158-shuffled-rory-macdonald-injury-153900266--mma.html

Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson

UFC Comments on Riddle?s Release

The UFC has released an official statement regarding Matt Riddle. The Ultimate Fighter 7 alum was released following his second positive test for marijuana in his last three fights following his split decision victory over Che Mills at UFC on FUEL TV 7. Matthew Riddle tested positive for marijuana metabolites following his bout at UFC [...]

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/33013/ufc-comments-on-riddles-release/

Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano

UFC 160: Gunnar Nelson vs. Mike Pyle Set For May

UFC 160 continues to get a bit more crowded each day it seems. A welterweight scrap between Mike Pyle and Gunnar Nelson has been added to the annual Memorial Day Weekend fight card. MMAJunkie first reported the pairing. Mike Pyle has won three-straight fights since losing to Rory MacDonald at UFC 133. The 37-year-old will [...]

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/33041/ufc-160-gunnar-nelson-vs-mike-pyle-set-for-may/

Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans Urijah Faber

Friday

XFC 22: An inside look at Roger ?The Leperchaun? Carroll

One of the most anticipated fights of the night is a welterweight matchup between local favorite Roger Carroll and regional challenger Josh Eagans as Xtreme Fighting Championships returns to Charlotte for XFC 22: Crossing the Line on February 22. The fight will be Carroll?s second with the XFC and Eagans XFC debut. The two will [...]

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/xfc-news/xfc-22-an-inside-look-at-roger-the-leperchaun-carroll-67669/

Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen  Chris Dolman Edson Drago 

Three questions that will be answered by UFC on Fuel 7

The UFC brings a title fight -- kinda -- to Fuel TV on Saturday night. Though Comcast and Fox's networks did reach a deal to bring Fuel to its subscribers, the channel won't yet be available for this weekend's bouts and the interesting card in England. No matter who tunes in, here are the intriguing questions around this weekend's bouts.

Is welterweight a better UFC fit for Jorge Santiago? Despite a long and successful career in Sengoku and Strikeforce, his last stint with the UFC didn't go so well. Santiago lost to Demian Maia and Brian Stann. After a first-round knockout in the Titan Fighting Championships, Santiago is back as a welterweight. He'll take on undefeated phenom Gunnar Nelson.

Are Cub Swanson or Dustin Poirier ready for the title shot? Though the UFC's featherweight division is top-heavy and a fight is set between champion Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis, Swanson and Poirier's bout will show if there is another worthy contender. Swanson, who lost to Aldo in the WEC, wants to be part of the conversation:

?I just want people to mention me up there. I don?t care if I get in next. I?m just concentrating on this fight. But just mention my damn name when you mention the people who deserve it. That?s all I want.?

Poirier lost to Chan Sung Jung in May, then beat Jonathan Brookins in December. He took the fight with Swanson as a late replacement for Dennis Siver, and is hoping a win puts him closer to a title fight.

"The truth is, if I go out there and beat Cub Swanson, I'll be right there at the title if not maybe one more fight away," Poirier said.

Saturday's fight will show if one of these men belong in the discussion.

What is the value of an interim belt? Perhaps this question is a bit too philosophical for a fight preview, but it's worth asking as Renan Barao attempts to defend his interim bantamweight belt against Michael McDonald. Barao won the belt last summer because champion Dominick Cruz has been out for an extended time as his knee heals. But with Cruz waiting in the wings, does this belt have the same oomph as the one Cruz is holding? It feels like whoever wins this fight won't so much be the champion as the no. 1 contender for Cruz's return. Regardless of the accessory handed out at the end of the fight, the two should put on a fight worth watching.

Will you be tuning in? Don't forget these are daytime fights. The Facebook preliminaries are at 12:15 ET, and the main card on Fuel is at 3 p.m. ET.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/three-questions-answered-ufc-fuel-7-164302355--mma.html

Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca

?King Mo? Breaks Silence After Upset Loss To Emanuel Newton

kingmo

Mo Lawal was hands down the favorite to win the Bellator Season 8 Light Heavyweight Tournament. Many even said he was given the easier side of the bracket because of the deal he signed with Viacom that included a wrestling gig on TNA Wrestling. After fighting the whole round with his hands down down around…

The post “King Mo” Breaks Silence After Upset Loss To Emanuel Newton appeared first on Fighters.com.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/02/25/king-mo-breaks-silence-after-upset-loss-to-emanuel-newton?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=king-mo-breaks-silence-after-upset-loss-to-emanuel-newton

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger 

Rousey and Carmouche: Breaking Boundaries

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Rousey-and-Carmouche-Breaking-Boundaries

Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie

Thursday

The Fighter?s Diet ? A Piller Of Successful Training

The Fighter’s Diet Diet is one of the pillars of a successful training regime, but with so many tips, tricks and techniques out on the market, it can be difficult to know what really works. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the cold hard facts surrounding nutrition and give you the low-down on [...]

Source: http://www.themmanews.com/the-fighters-diet-a-piller-of-successful-training/

Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper  Kit Cope 

Jose Aldo moving up to lightweight for title-shot if he beats Anthony Pettis

UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo was vocal in his opposition of Anthony Pettis receiving a title-shot, going so far as to say at one point he wouldn?t square off with ?Showtime? based on Pettis? past success coming in the lightweight division. While Aldo has since accepted the bout, it appears he did so with a [...]

The post Jose Aldo moving up to lightweight for title-shot if he beats Anthony Pettis appeared first on Five Ounces of Pain.

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2013/02/26/jose-aldo-lightweight-title-shot/

Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  Jose Aldo  John Alessio 

How to Choose Proper Gear in MMA

ShareThis

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

Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko

?King Mo? Lawal On His Loss To Emanuel Newton: ?I Will Be Back?

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal was dealt a stunning knockout loss recently in the Bellator MMA season eight tournament. Lawal, making his second appearance inside the Bellator cage since returning from a suspension and an injury, was defeated by Emanuel Newton when Newton caught him with a shot in the first [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/b-rSKoLhA2Y/

Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian Karen Grigoryan Kendall Grove