MMA not legal there, but USA wrestlers take on Russians in NYC

MMA may not be legal in New York, but that doesn't mean you can't see some of its future stars in the Big Apple. Beat the Streets, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing wrestling opportunities for youths, is hosting a one-of-a-kind dual meet in Times Square today.

America's best wrestlers will take on Russia's best in the middle of one of the world's busiest areas at 6 p.m. ET today. Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo will return to the mat for the first time since winning the gold medal. Recent NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner Jordan Burroughs, world team member and future fighter Shawn Bunch, world silver medalist Jake Herbert (pictured), world bronze medalist and world team members and NCAA champions Brent Metcalf and Jake Varner will also take the mat.

The whole thing will be broadcast on the largest LED screen in Times Square. Rashad Evans, football players Justin Tuck, Antonio Garay, Marcus Colston and Willie Colon and actors Matthew Modine -- yes, the star of "Vision Quest" -- and Billy Baldwin are all expected to attend.

It's a great event for the wrestling community, undoubtedly giving the growing sport more exposure. But MMA proponents can't help but note the irony that wrestling is a sport that is the launching pad for MMA stars and a key component of the sport. It's taking center stage in the biggest city in the country, and the biggest city in the U.S. not to have hosted an MMA event.

So if you're in Manhattan, head to Times Square to catch elite wrestling for free. If politicians continue to squabble over the sport, it will be the closest thing you'll get to MMA anytime soon.

Not in New York City? You can still watch the dual meet through online streaming here, and follow me on Twitter for updates throughout the meet.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/MMA-not-legal-there-but-USA-wrestlers-take-on-R?urn=mma-wp2011

Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie

UFC 129 Predictions

by Michael David SmithGeorges St-Pierre will defend his UFC welterweight title against Jake Shields at UFC 129.One of the biggest mixed martial arts cards in history takes place on Saturday night, with the UFC smashing its attendance record by selling 55,000 tickets to fans who will get to see the UFC's most popular fighter, Georges St-Pierre, defend his welterweight belt against challenger Jake Shields.

What: UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields

When: Saturday, the Facebook stream starts at 6PM ET, the Spike TV fights start at 8 and the pay-per-view fights start at 9.

Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto

Predictions on the five pay-per-view fights below.



 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/04/27/ufc-129-predictions/

Glover Teixeira Tra Telligman Ivan Titenkov Sylvester Terkay

Bellator 42 Predictions

by Michael David SmithFor the second consecutive Saturday night, Bellator has the mixed martial arts spotlight to itself, as Bellator 42 is the weekend's only major MMA card. The big question facing Bellator is whether the match-ups they've put together will result in the kind of exciting card that will get fans buzzing, and create a little momentum for the promotion heading into the home stretch of its fourth season.

Bellator 42 took a hit when Paul Buentello suffered an injury and had to pull out of his fight with Bellator heavyweight champion Cole Konrad, so whatever attention this card can garner will come from the semifinals of the light heavyweight tournament, and the promotional debut of Ronnie Mann.

Here are the basics on Saturday night's card:

What: Bellator 42

Where: Lucky Star Casino, Concho, Oklahoma

When: Saturday, the MTV2 broadcast starts at 9 PM ET.

Predictions on the three main card fights below.

 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/04/23/bellator-42-predictions/

Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell

Aldo defends belt in UFC 129 five-round war

Jose Aldo and Mark Hominick had a lot to live up to after the excellent fights that made up UFC 129. They delivered in a five-round decision that ended with Aldo keeping the UFC featherweight belt, with him winning 48-45, 48-46 and 49-46. (The score read after the fight of 50-43, 48-46, 49-46 was a miscalculation.)

Aldo started with his trademark leg kicks early, landing several before the first minute of the fight was up. Hominick returned a few strikes, but had a hard time getting close enough to land anything of consequence. Aldo then used a takedown that Hominick tried to turn into an armbar. Aldo got out of it easily and then used the close proximity to land short strikes. The repeated elbows opened a cut under Hominick's eye. They were stood up by referee John McCarthy with 30 seconds left in the round, only for Aldo to get another takedown.

By the second round, Hominick had a lump on his forehead and a cut under his eye, but still came out with several body shots. Hominick had an easier time landing strikes and avoiding Aldo's. He tagged Aldo with several jabs before Aldo got a takedown. Hominick grabbed onto Aldo's arms to try to force a stand-up, and it worked. Back on their feet, Hominick landed a leg kick but again, Aldo got the takedown.

Between rounds, Hominick's corner told him that Aldo was fading. As the two came out in the third, Aldo was able to land leg kicks, but Hominick was getting the better of striking. He stopped Aldo's takedown attempt and was able to land jabs. A cut underneath Aldo's eye opened as Hominick found his rhythm on his feet.

But that's when Aldo took back the momentum. He tagged Hominick, knocking him to the ground with a right hook followed by a left hook, then followed up with several punches on the ground. Aldo was unable to finish Hominick off, but the damage for the round was done.

Heading into the championship rounds, Hominick's left eye was swollen, and he had a cut under his right. Aldo returned to the leg kick and used it to set up knees and and punches to begin the fourth round. Finally, the leg kicks started to add up, as Hominick began to limp. Though Aldo's foot movement wasn't impressive, his head movement was.  Because of that, he was able to avoid Hominick's strikes.

He knocked Hominick down again, then followed up with another series of ground strikes. Hominick sustained a baseball-sized bump on his head. He struggled underneath Aldo, and was so beat up. Referee John McCarthy stopped the bout to call in a doctor to look at it, but the doctor let the fight continue.

With the short time left in the round, Aldo finished with another takedown. The doctor again checked Hominick between rounds, who gave him a more extensive exam. Again, the fight was allowed to continue.

In the fifth round, Aldo landed another leg strike before Hominick and his head hematoma got a takedown. As a cut on his cheek leaked onto Aldo's face, Hominick was able to land several short punches and elbows. Aldo looked exhausted, but held on until the bell rang.

When the bell rang, Hominick did his trademark push-ups. Aldo looked over and did the same. The two laughed and congratulated each other on the fight. Aldo was impressed by his opponent, calling him a tough fighter.

And that's exactly what Hominick proved himself to be. He didn't come away with the win, but he did earn the respect of every person who watched the bout.

UPDATE: This bout was awarded the Fight of the Night bonus, giving both Aldo and Hominick an extra $129,000.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Aldo-defends-belt-in-UFC-129-five-round-war?urn=mma-wp1851

Jess Liaudin Chuck The Iceman Liddell Shad Lierley  Jushin Thunder Liger

Jones vs. Evans: Xtreme Couture coach Melanson would love to work with Rashad

The opinions are swirling on who comes out on top when Rashad Evans and Jon Jones step into the Octagon. The former teammates are on a collision course after Evans decided to leave, the only team he's known, Jackson's Submission Fighting in Albuquerque. Evans, who will challenge Jones for his UFC light heavyweight title, is training with camps in both Denver and Florida.

When we stopped by Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas to talk about this teammate versus teammate thing, the grappling coach Neil Melanson surprised us by saying he'd like to get Evans to Vegas.

"I feel my style of coaching is perfect for him," Melanson said (3:15 mark). "He's a wrestler and I've got a lot of experience with the wrestlers here. I think I can help him. He's really good already, but I would like to see him finish and I know he can finish on the ground."

From talking to some folks around Xtreme Couture it sounds like Jones' favorite status at minus-500 is a bit out of whack. Plenty of folks think he's got a good shot at taking the strap from the phenom.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Jones-vs-Evans-Xtreme-Couture-coach-Melanson-w?urn=mma-wp1446

Eric Lawson Cung Le Chris Leben Thales Leites

Former NHL Enforcer Donald Brashear to Fight at Ringside MMA 11

Filed under: ,

Donald Brashear will make his MMA debut on June 4 against a relatively unknown heavyweight.

According to Nic Landry of RDS, the former NHL enforcer has agreed to face Martin Trempe (0-2) in a heavyweight bout at Ringside MMA 11 in Quebec City. The fight, which will be officially announced at a press conference in Quebec City on Thursday, will mark Brashear's first pro MMA bout.

Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/05/04/former-nhl-enforcer-donald-brashear-to-fight-at-ringside-mma-11/

Renato Babalu Sobral Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Joe Son Chael Sonnen

Anthony Pettis still next in line for UFC Lightweight Title shot with win over Guida at TUF 13 Finale

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Anthony_Pettis_19.jpeg

When Zuffa purchased Strikeforce in March, it opened up the possibility of Strikeforce's current champions making their way into the Octagon for fights against top UFC stars in each respective division.

At the top of that list is Lightweight Champ Gilbert Melendez, who blasted through Tatsuya Kawajiri last month and immediately called out the top guys in the UFC's lightweight division. But he's not going to be the next in line for a shot at the UFC Lightweight Champion.

That shot remains Anthony Pettis', provided he can get past Clay Guida at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale this June.

UFC President Dana White on Saturday night confirmed that Pettis is still getting the shot with a win over Guida, despite the efforts of Jim Miller and Melendez in their recent fights. Pettis was targeted for a title shot upon entering the UFC after capturing the WEC Lightweight Championship in December, but when Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar fought to a draw at UFC 125 Pettis was left on the outside.

With Edgar and Maynard facing each other once again later this month at UFC 130, Pettis will take on the winner later in the year should he defeat Guida in Las Vegas on June 4.

Penick's Analysis: The lightweight division remains a crowded landscape, with a lot of fighters wanting to stake their claims at the top. Pettis makes for a worthy contender simply off the name value he's bringing with the highlight reel kick in the Henderson fight in December, and while he doesn't have the best resume of any top contender, the UFC will still be going with that kick and a win over Guida to set him up for the shot. Melendez and Miller will both likely be in line in short order, though that depends on how the UFC handles bringing guys in from Strikeforce. Still, Pettis will make for an exciting challenger if he gets past Guida, and that title fight later in the year will be an excellent win regardless of who wins at UFC 130.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_9220.shtml

Marcus Vinicios Falaniko Vitale Igor Vovchanchyn Anthony Walsh