PODCAST: UFC Fight Night 24 review, Randy Couture interview and more on new ESPN UK UFC podcast

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Check out another edition of the ESPN UK UFC Podcast featuring MMATorch UK Specialist Chris Park, along with the UK Telegraph's Gareth Davies and ESPN UK's Ben Blackmore. This week they discuss last Saturday's UFC Fight Night 24 event and the fate of Dan Hardy following his third consecutive loss and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture joins the show. Check out the links below for the show:

ESPN UK Links:

http://www.espn.co.uk/ufc/sport/video_audio/82449.html

http://www.espn.co.uk/UFC/sport/story/77209.html

iTunes Link:

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/espn-ufc-podcast/id422840754

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/MMATorch_Podcast_45/article_8915.shtml

Colin Robinson Ricco Rodriguez Jason Reinhardt Eddy Rolon

HYDEN BLOG: Early Thoughts On The Ultimate Fighter "Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos"

By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor

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The newest season of the The Ultimate Fighter begins tonight. The show's selling point is one of this year's coaches, Brock Lesnar, and we're all waiting to see if Brock is going to do anything controversial and how he's going to respond to his team. If past seasons are any indication, there's sure to be at least one or two jackasses who are only there to be on television. I doubt they'll reach the levels that Gabe Ruediger or Junie Browning reached, but there's sure to be some shenanigans going on. Anytime you get that many people all cooped up together a few of them are going to be singled out for picking on. It'll be interesting to see how coach Brock handles that.

Of course, the other coach is Junior Dos Santos. Not much is known about Dos Santos outside of his fighting style and who he trains with. This is an excellent opportunity for us to get to know Dos Santos better. The TUF coaching gig seems to always alter people's perceptions of some of the coaches, and with others it reinforces the perception. Brock Lesnar has a reputation for being surly. Will we see that side of him, or will he be surprisingly kind to his team? Junior Dos Santos comes from the Black House team and lists Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira as a hero. Will he follow Nogueira's lead as a head coach and try to sell his team on the family aspect of training?

It's ironic that Dos Santos is coaching against Lesnar when Nogueira coached against Frank Mir in Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter, given the history between Lesnar and Mir. I have to wonder if this season will have the same trajectory as Season 8, with Mir making himself out to be more of a conceited jerk as the season went on. I also wonder if Brock will react the same as Mir did during the Coaches Challenge, when he and Nogueira had a goaltending battle. Mir really went off the deep end when he failed at the challenge.

That's the biggest reason why I love the Coaches Challenge so much. It takes these great fighters and puts them into unfamiliar territory. It makes them uncomfortable and shows what they're made of. Some people say losing builds character, but that's not true. Losing doesn't build character, it reveals it. Your true self shows when you're out of your element. It's easy to be the guy who's great at something, though some really need to learn how to win gracefully. It's a lot harder to lose or not be good at something. How will Brock respond if he sucks at the Coaches Challenge? Also, how will Brock respond if his team is on a losing streak? What happens if his team loses three or four fights in a row? These questions might get answered this season.

This season features welterweights, and means that we should be seeing some good fights. These guys should be in shape, but usually there's a guy or two who always struggles to make weight. All the guys should have good cardio so maybe we can see some good battles. I do miss the format of fighting your way onto the show, as it made for an exciting first few episodes and weeded out some of the guys who didn't want it as much. The UFC dictated that, in order to be on the show, you must have had at least three professional fights and be at least 21 years old. I hope that's enough to ensure a good season. Some seasons have been fairly bad, but I have hope that this one will be among the better ones.


Comments and e-mails can be sent to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/hydenstake/article_8919.shtml

Krzysztof Soszynski George Sotiropoulos Haik Soukiasian Ronaldo de Souza

You tell us: Should the UFC keep Dan Hardy?

Despite sustaining his third loss at Ultimate Fight Night 24 -- often the death knell for a career in the UFC -- Dan Hardy still has the confidence of UFC boss Dana White. After Saturday's fights, White had this to say about Hardy's future employment:

"Not necessarily," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "We'll have to wait and see. I [expletive] love that kid."

Apparently, love will keep them together. But considering the competitive nature of the UFC, and the fact that some fighters get cut after just one loss, White's stance is surprising. After looking at both sides, you tell us: Would you cut Dan Hardy?

Yes: Three losses is unacceptable at this elite level of MMA. Sure, one was in a title shot against Georges St. Pierre, but since then he's been taken out by Carlos Condit and Anthony Johnson. He also has not improved in wrestling since coming to the UFC, and lost to both GSP and Johnson because of it. In fact, his last big, convincing win was a KO of Rory Markham more than two years ago.

No: Hardy makes fights fun. From the pre-fight trash talk right down to his mohawk and interplay with Bruce Buffer during introductions, you look forward to watching Hardy fight. He also brings in a fanbase from the UK. The man can sell a fight, and let's face it, the UFC is in the business to make money. Why would they cut such a valuable commodity?

Thanks to Combat Lifestyle for the picture.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/You-tell-us-Should-the-UFC-keep-Dan-Hardy-?urn=mma-wp715

Hayato Sakurai Ivan Salaverry Sean Salmon Diego Sanchez

Dan Hardy will not be cut from UFC following third consecutive loss

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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Dan Hardy's roster spot in the UFC is safe for now.

After losing his third straight fight inside the Octagon to Anthony Johnson at last weekend's UFC Fight Night 24, there was the potential for Hardy to find himself without a job in the UFC. However, Fighter's Only reports that sources in the UFC have said that Hardy will not be cut.

Hardy didn't take much, if any, damage in his loss to Johnson, and is likely able to return soon, though nothing has been determined yet. He's angling to fight Chris Lytle, a fight that Lytle has expressed interest in as well.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: That's not surprising. Hardy is well liked by the UFC, and he's only a year removed from a title shot in the welterweight division. He'll be in a "win-or-go-home" fight his next time out, though, and a fourth straight loss will absolutely send him out. He's safe for now, though.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8946.shtml

João Roque Kristian Rothaermel Ben Rothwell Chad Akebono Rowan

Bellator 39 Results: One Of The Best Shows Yet Of "The MTV2 Era"

Another day, another good MMA event. Another week, another live Bellator. Today marked the thirty-ninth Bellator event, featuring several amazing finishes and several fantastic performances. From Ben Saunders dominating Matt Lee to Patricky Freire knocking out Toby Imada, from Lyman Good and Rick Hawn battling to a close three-round decision, Bellator 39 had a little [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/04/02/bellator-39-results-one-of-the-best-shows-yet-of-the-mtv2-era

Akitoshi Tamura Kiyoshi Tamura Evan Tanner Peni Taufa ao

UFC and Spike TV reportedly targeting Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping as Ultimate Fighter 14 coaches

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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The UFC and Spike TV are planning on pitting Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping against one another as coaches on the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter, according to Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The season, which would film in June and air from September to the beginning of December, would result in a bout between the two in December setting the winner up for a likely title shot in early 2012.

However, it's not set as of yet and will be dependent on Sonnen getting himself licensed in Nevada. His suspension with the California State Athletic Commission has been completed, but he made things sketchy for himself in Nevada with comments at his CSAC hearing saying he had gotten verbal approval for testosterone replacement therapy from NSAC executive director Keith Kizer.

Kizer vehemently denied that any such conversations or approval ever took place, and it put Sonnen in some hot water with the commission in the UFC's home state.

Meltzer also reported that the UFC President Dana White, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and other UFC officials, along with Sonnen, met with Kizer last month in an attempt to smooth the situation over. Sonnen reportedly admitted that he had not had a personal conversation with Kizer, but claimed that instead Kizer spoke with his manager, Matt Lindland, in February 2008. Supposedly that conversation did take place, but Sonnen's name was not mentioned, and no other steps were taken on Sonnen's part to get TRT exemption approved in the state of Nevada, despite his contentions to the contrary in his December hearing.

The fact that Sonnen flat out lied on multiple occasions regarding approval of his TRT use from Kizer, and about the conversations he claimed he had with Kizer, makes it no guarantee that he'll be immediately approved for a license by the commission. Because the show films in Nevada, Sonnen cannot take part as a coach without being licensed by the commission.

But Sonnen's not the only one facing a possible issue with the NSAC in this situation, as Michael Bisping isn't out of the woods himself yet. The spitting incident at UFC 127 in Australia could potentially give him difficulties in getting his license in Nevada, though it could simply be a case of needing to explain his side of the incident before his license would be approved.

The UFC and Spike would be hoping to bring ratings up with these two volatile and polarizing fighters featured through 12 weeks of the show, despite the backlash it will most assuredly bring.

Link to Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Subscription required

Penick's Analysis: I know the two of them would bring in ratings and interest, and the trash talk between the two would help the fight do good business for the UFC, but I don't like this move at all. I don't have a problem with Sonnen continuing to fight in the UFC despite his failed steroid test and his money laundering felony and the crap that he pulled at his CSAC hearing to skirt past his entire suspension, as he's not the first and won't be the last fighter to have cheated or to have had run-ins with the law. That said, giving him a spot on the Ultimate Fighter and a high profile fight with Bisping off of 12 weeks of promotion is a wholly unjustified reward to Sonnen that sets a precedent for fighters in the future. If the UFC likes you, it doesn't matter what you do, short of murder or a prison-worthy offense outside of the sport, if you make yourself into a volatile, controversial figure that can move the needle, they're going to give you chance after chance after chance. Bisping's spot on TUF is more forgivable, but he doesn't need to be rewarded with this exposure either. Putting the fight together is one thing, giving them the promotional push of The Ultimate Fighter is something different entirely, and it's a bad move. It might draw ratings, it might make them money, but it's a bad move and a coaching slot neither fighter deserves at this point.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8955.shtml

Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes