Keith Jardine vs. Gegard Mousasi Set for Strikeforce April 9

by Michael David SmithKeith JardineKeith Jardine is returning to the big leagues of mixed martial arts, taking a tough fight on short notice against Gegard Mousasi on the April 9 Strikeforce event.

Jardine, who was once among the UFC's light heavyweight rising stars, was cut by that promotion last year when he lost his fourth straight fight. He then signed with Shark Fights and lost a fifth consecutive fight, and it appeared that his career had been derailed.

But Jardine stayed active and has won two straight fights on small-time MMA shows, and now he's jumping at a major opportunity to fight Mousasi.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/04/01/keith-jardine-vs-gegard-mousasi-set-for-strikeforce-april-9/

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VIDEO: Richard Hale submits Nik Fakete by inverted triangle choke at Bellator 38

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At Bellator 38 on Saturday night, Rich Hale became the second fight in the Bellator cage to submit someone with an inverted triangle choke when he utilized the hold against Nik Fakete in the opening round of Bellator's light heavyweight tournament. Toby Imada famously pulled it off in Bellator's first season, and you can add Hale's name to the list of those pulling off that unique submission. Check it out below:

App Users Click Here For Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPQF0mP5tOs

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Bellator/article_8886.shtml

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VIDEO: Promo spot for "Georges St. Pierre: Rush to the Top" pay-per-view

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"Georges St. Pierre: Rush to the Top" airs on pay-per-view throughout April, featuring the early pre-UFC fights of St. Pierre's career, including his rarely seen professional debut from 2002. Check out a quick promo spot for the pay-per-view offering from Integrated Sports Media below:

App Users Click Here For Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jhLi-SUtZs

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8898.shtml

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Dave "PeeWee" Herman now to meet Joey Beltran in UFC debut in Vancouver this June

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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Dave "PeeWee" Herman has a new opponent for his UFC debut this June.

Originally reported to be fighting British heavyweight Rob Broughton at the UFC 131 event in Vancouver, the UFC has now announced that he'll instead meet "The Mexicutioner" Joey Beltran on the card.

Herman brings a 20-2 record into his UFC debut, and is 5-1 over his last six fights with the loss coming by disqualification due to illegal knees against former UFC fighter Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. Of his 20 wins, Herman has earned stoppage victories in 19 of those fights.

Beltran will likely be fighting for his roster spot in the UFC after consecutive losses in the Octagon. After back to back wins upon entering the UFC last year, Beltran has dropped decisions to Matt Mitrione and Pat Barry in his last two fights, and a third straight loss would likely lead to him being cut by the organization.

UFC 131 comes live on pay-per-view from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 11, headlined by the heavyweight bout between Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos.

Penick's Analysis: Beltran is more known than Broughton to UFC fans due to his main card placement in his last couple of fights. This will be a good opponent for Herman to step up against to see just what he can do in the UFC. He's a fun fighter to watch and a good addition to the UFC's heavyweight roster, and I'm looking forward to see his debut in June.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8934.shtml

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Tatami Vector Fightwear MMA Shorts for $10

Tatami Vector Fightwear MMA Shorts for $10 ? 100% High Quality Microfiber (polyester) ? Triple stitched across all stress points ? Lycra flex system for a better mobility ? High quality embroidery ? Split outer leg seams for unrestricted movement ? Velcro waist closure with drawstring for a comfortable fit ? Ultra lightweight Get it [...]


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Rich Franklin looking to return this summer, open to potential move back to middleweight

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

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Rich Franklin has been alternating wins and losses over the last couple of years, bouncing between the light heavyweight division and fights at a 195 lb. catchweight. After a loss to Forrest Griffin in February, Franklin is now looking to get back into action sometime this summer.

"[I'm looking to return in] Maybe June or July, something like that," Franklin said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com. "I like fighting in the summer time because I like being able to train in the summertime. Being here in Cincinnati, I hate having to get ready in the winter. Going out and doing road work at 8 in the morning when it's negative degrees outside can be no fun."

Franklin has no desire to call anyone out for his next fight, and says he's more than willing to take a fight with whoever the UFC puts in front of him. And though his last six fights have come at a higher weight than the division in which he won a title in the UFC, Franklin says under the right circumstances he'd be willing to head back down to middleweight.

"Here's the thing with the 185- and 205-pound divisions," Franklin said. "I realize that I'm a small fighter at 205. Yeah, I could feel the size difference in the [Griffin] fight. Forrest didn't feel significantly stronger than me because there were times where I was pushing him against the cage and all that kind of stuff. So, I wasn't getting muscled around.

"Until I get in the ring and out of the ring and say, 'Holy crap, that guy was way stronger than me; I should not be at 205 because I'm not strong enough,' then I'll deal with that when I get there. If the UFC came back to me and said, 'Move back to 185, and let's see what a title pursuit is going to look like for you,' and they threw some names at me to put me in contention, then perhaps I'd be tickled."

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Penick's Analysis: Franklin's been in a tough spot for the last few years. He's one of the smaller fighters at 205 lbs., and the cut to 185 lbs. isn't always the best for him. He looked good at 195 lbs. against Wanderlei Silva, but then also got knocked out by Vitor Belfort. With how the Griffin fight went down, a move back to middleweight wouldn't be a terrible idea, but he won't be likely to make a title run there so long as Anderson Silva is on top when he's been defeated by him twice already. For now, there are plenty of interesting potential fights for Franklin, so hopefully whenever he returns the UFC puts him in an entertaining fight.

[Rich Franklin art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8947.shtml

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Injury forces Jon Fitch out of UFC 132 rematch with B.J. Penn

It has only been a few short weeks since the official announcement of the rematch between Jon Fitch and B.J. Penn at UFC 132. Unfortunately Jon Fitch has had to withdraw from the bout after suffering an undisclosed injury during training. The news was first reported by MMAWeekly.com. The rematch between Fitch and Penn at [...]

Injury forces Jon Fitch out of UFC 132 rematch with B.J. Penn is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/ufc-news/injury-forces-jon-fitch-out-of-ufc-132-rematch-with-b-j-penn-54034/

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