A vicious head kick does the job as Curran takes featherweight tourney at Bellator 48

Pat Curran stood with one of the most feared knockout artists in the world at 145 pounds and beat Marlon Sandro in the race to land the first fight changing shot. Once he did, Sandro couldn't recover, and Curran took home another $100,000 check and another Bellator tournament title. Curran stopped Sandro with a brilliantly timed head kick to post the victory at the 4:00 mark of the second round at Bellator 48 in Uncasville, Ct.

The 23-year-old Curran has won 7-of-8. His resume of includes wins over Ronnie Mann, Roger Huerta, Toby Imada and Sandro. His only recent loss came via decision at lightweight against Eddie Alvarez, the No. 5 ranked 155-pounder in the world. Along with the big payday, Curran earns himself a future shot at the Bellator featherweight champ Joe Warren.

When it started back in June, Sandro (19-3) was a sizable favorite to win the tournament. The Brazilian entered last night's fight ranked No. 5 at featherweight while Curran (16-4) was way down at No. 19.

It was far from an easy night for Curran. Sandro, 34, was outpacing him and landing the more effective shots on the feet. The first round was close, but Cagewriter gave a slight edge to Sandro. In the second, Curran's output dipped and a Sandro overhand right with 3;30 left ripped open a nasty gash over the American's eye. Curran simply wasn't throwing enough shots to score. When he got a little more active, it quickly changed the direction of the fight.

Curran flicked out a double jab, Sandro ducked to his left to avoid the punches and that's when the American unleashed the head kick. It was perfect. Sandro's momentum took him right into Curran's right shin. Sandro went down in a heap and his arms fell to the side. Curran jumped on top and unloaded three more punches on the defenseless Brazilian. Referee Keith Peterson launched himself through the air to push Curran away and save Sandro.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/A-vicious-head-kick-does-the-job-as-Curran-takes?urn=mma-wp6106

Chris Horodecki Harold Howard Tom Howard Roger Huerta

UFC 134 a huge hit: Beach workouts, huge crowds, radio and Times Square viewing

The UFC made it a priority to return to Brazil. Well, the time is here and it looks like the first event since 1998 is paying off in big ways.

Yesterday's workout on Copacabana beach was insane. Anderson Silva got a rock star's greeting. By the looks of these photos from MMAjunkie, the crowd stuck around for most of the fighters who were working out.

There's also now talk of an August return in 2012 where an event may be held outside at a stadium. Initial reports place the mega-card in Manaus where the city's "sambodrome" at the Convention Center can hold upwards of 100,000.

Meanwhile, back here in the U.S. The UFC continues to take steps to creep into the mainstream. The promotion is going to show the preliminary fights on big screens in midtown Manhattan:

UFC 134's bouts will be screened for thousands in Times Square's Little Brazil ? reflective of the fight's base in Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian birthplace of mixed martial arts. Spike TV's preliminary fights will broadcast on the digital sign above The Doubletree Hotel on the East side of Duffy Square's red steps, 47th Street & 7th Ave Saturday, August 27 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m EST. Never before has UFC offered a viewing of this magnitude.

After celebrating in the streets of Times Square, fans and interested viewers are encouraged to finish watching the fight at neighboring bars in Little Brazil such as Bowlmor Times Square (W 44th between 7th and 8th Aves.).

Dana White also broke the news that UFC fights will be debuting on radio as well. In a conversation with the "Petros and Money Show" on FoxSportsRadio, it was confirmed the fight's broadcast will be simulcast in some form on the network (1:40 mark).

"We're going to put these fights live on the radio, which really hasn't been done since the old days before television when everyone would sit around and listen to the big fights from MSG. We're going to bring that back," said White.

White also spoke at length about the FOX deal and ruffling feathers a bit at ESPN.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-134-a-huge-hit-Beach-workouts-huge-crowds-?urn=mma-wp6186

Brock Lesnar John Lewis Jérôme Le Banner Jess Liaudin

UFC 134 a huge hit: Beach workouts, huge crowds, radio and Times Square viewing

The UFC made it a priority to return to Brazil. Well, the time is here and it looks like the first event since 1998 is paying off in big ways.

Yesterday's workout on Copacabana beach was insane. Anderson Silva got a rock star's greeting. By the looks of these photos from MMAjunkie, the crowd stuck around for most of the fighters who were working out.

There's also now talk of an August return in 2012 where an event may be held outside at a stadium. Initial reports place the mega-card in Manaus where the city's "sambodrome" at the Convention Center can hold upwards of 100,000.

Meanwhile, back here in the U.S. The UFC continues to take steps to creep into the mainstream. The promotion is going to show the preliminary fights on big screens in midtown Manhattan:

UFC 134's bouts will be screened for thousands in Times Square's Little Brazil ? reflective of the fight's base in Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian birthplace of mixed martial arts. Spike TV's preliminary fights will broadcast on the digital sign above The Doubletree Hotel on the East side of Duffy Square's red steps, 47th Street & 7th Ave Saturday, August 27 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m EST. Never before has UFC offered a viewing of this magnitude.

After celebrating in the streets of Times Square, fans and interested viewers are encouraged to finish watching the fight at neighboring bars in Little Brazil such as Bowlmor Times Square (W 44th between 7th and 8th Aves.).

Dana White also broke the news that UFC fights will be debuting on radio as well. In a conversation with the "Petros and Money Show" on FoxSportsRadio, it was confirmed the fight's broadcast will be simulcast in some form on the network (1:40 mark).

"We're going to put these fights live on the radio, which really hasn't been done since the old days before television when everyone would sit around and listen to the big fights from MSG. We're going to bring that back," said White.

White also spoke at length about the FOX deal and ruffling feathers a bit at ESPN.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-134-a-huge-hit-Beach-workouts-huge-crowds-?urn=mma-wp6186

Brock Lesnar John Lewis Jérôme Le Banner Jess Liaudin

UFC 134?s Three Stars: Silva, Nogueira and Silva

With a crowd that was loud and chanting from the very first fight to an exciting slate of fights, the UFC's trip to Rio delivered. But which stars loomed as large as the Christ the Redeemer statue?

No. 1 star -- Anderson Silva: My brother sent me a text message after the Silva KO that said, "Silva is Jordan/Gretzky-esque." As much as it pains me to agree with him, my brother is completely correct. Both Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky were constantly taking your breath away, as they completed feats that seemed superhuman while making it look easy. Those head feints that come from the core? The effortless striking that still busted up Yushin Okami's face? Rank those with Jordan's fadeaway jumper or Gretzky's slapshot, and appreciate that we get to witness greatness every time Silva steps into the Octagon.

[Video: See Anderson Silva dominate Yushin Okami]

No. 2 star -- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: The 35-year-old with 40 fights under his belt showed that he still has plenty left in the tank. He started by using a strong chin and good defense as he avoided Brendan Schaub's power shots. Then, he landed a few power shots of his own, knocking out a younger, faster Schaub, causing the fans in Rio to go absolutely insane. I doubt the celebration has yet ceased.

No. 3 star -- Erick Silva: Lost among the hubbub of the main card was a beautiful KO by Silva, an up-and-coming star from Nogueira's gym in Rio. He started his UFC career with a 0:40 knockout, and then celebrated with a Matrix-esque backflip off the cage. That kind of striking will make fight fans clamor for what's next.

Who were your Three Stars? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Why college coaches should ban players from using Twitter in season
? Rafael Nadal keeping quiet on tell-all book
? Video: Teammate pranks Mark Sanchez during interview

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-134-s-Three-Stars-Silva-Nogueira-and-Silva?urn=mma-wp6372

Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan

UFC 134?s Three Stars: Silva, Nogueira and Silva

With a crowd that was loud and chanting from the very first fight to an exciting slate of fights, the UFC's trip to Rio delivered. But which stars loomed as large as the Christ the Redeemer statue?

No. 1 star -- Anderson Silva: My brother sent me a text message after the Silva KO that said, "Silva is Jordan/Gretzky-esque." As much as it pains me to agree with him, my brother is completely correct. Both Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky were constantly taking your breath away, as they completed feats that seemed superhuman while making it look easy. Those head feints that come from the core? The effortless striking that still busted up Yushin Okami's face? Rank those with Jordan's fadeaway jumper or Gretzky's slapshot, and appreciate that we get to witness greatness every time Silva steps into the Octagon.

[Video: See Anderson Silva dominate Yushin Okami]

No. 2 star -- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: The 35-year-old with 40 fights under his belt showed that he still has plenty left in the tank. He started by using a strong chin and good defense as he avoided Brendan Schaub's power shots. Then, he landed a few power shots of his own, knocking out a younger, faster Schaub, causing the fans in Rio to go absolutely insane. I doubt the celebration has yet ceased.

No. 3 star -- Erick Silva: Lost among the hubbub of the main card was a beautiful KO by Silva, an up-and-coming star from Nogueira's gym in Rio. He started his UFC career with a 0:40 knockout, and then celebrated with a Matrix-esque backflip off the cage. That kind of striking will make fight fans clamor for what's next.

Who were your Three Stars? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Why college coaches should ban players from using Twitter in season
? Rafael Nadal keeping quiet on tell-all book
? Video: Teammate pranks Mark Sanchez during interview

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-134-s-Three-Stars-Silva-Nogueira-and-Silva?urn=mma-wp6372

Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio  Mikhail Avetisyan

Dana White Is Right: If You Don't Like It, Change The Channel

Ask most people to name the number-one most polarizing figure in the sport of MMA, and I?m confident in saying that most people won?t name a fighter. While controversial fighters come and go, one man has stood at the forefront of so many controversies and scandals and sagas that it?s become expected of him. I [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/08/31/dana-white-is-right-if-you-dont-like-it-change-the-channel

Murilo Ninja Rua Marco Ruas Rodrigo Ruas Gabe Ruediger

Junior Assuncao returns to UFC in featherweight bout with Eddie Yagin at UFC 135

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC_135_poster_1.jpeg

There are still one or two spots for the UFC to fill on next month's UFC 135 event with only ten fights currently scheduled, and they've reportedly got one of them covered, as MMAWeekly.com reports that Junior Assuncao will take on Eddie Yagin in a featherweight bout.

Assuncao, the older brother of UFC bantamweight Raphael Assuncao and fellow fighter Freddy Assuncao, returns to the UFC for the first time in four years. Assuncao went 1-2 in a three fight stint in 2006 and 2007, with a win over David Lee sandwiched by submission losses to Kurt Pellegrino and Nate Diaz.

Since then, Assuncao has posted a 7-1 record, including a current six fight winning streak. He's also posted first round stoppage victories in each of his last three fights.

Yagin enters the UFC off of a big win of his own, a first round submission over former Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto to capture the Tachi Palace Fights Featherweight Title earlier this month. The win was his seventh in eight fights, and brought his career record to 15-4-1.

UFC 135 takes place on Sept. 24 from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo., headlined by a Light Heavyweight Championship bout between Jon Jones and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: This is a good featherweight fight, and considering they're getting less than a month's notice this is actually a really good fight for the preliminary card. Both fighters get a chance to make a statement and bring themselves into the ever-developing UFC featherweight division. Assuncao has been on a tear recently, and Yagin just picked up perhaps his biggest win as well, so this should be a really good matchup for the fans in Denver.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_10293.shtml

Yoshiyuki Yoshida Yoon Dong Sik Gilbert Yvel Ishkhan Zakharian

Dana White expecting Velasquez-Dos Santos title fight to be a Griffin-Bonnar moment in UFC on Fox debut

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC_on_Fox_logo_7.jpg

UFC President Dana White was extremely excited to announce Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos headlining the UFC on Fox during a conference call on Friday, and for good reason. The Heavyweight Championship fight was already a massive fight, but despite the hardcore appeal, it's not necessarily a fight that would have sold extremely well on pay-per-view.

By moving it from the rumored spot it would have had on UFC 139 the week after on pay-per-view to the Fox event, the UFC will provide their new television partner with an immensely anticipated Title fight, and will put these two potential stars in front of the biggest audience possible.

"If you're going to go out on your first fight on the biggest network in the country, you go with your best foot forward," White said today (quotes transcribed by MMAJunkie.com). "We're going with a heavyweight fight that's going to be a barnburner. These guys are going to go at it and be exciting. It's more than just a heavyweight title. It's two heavyweights that I know are going to perform and put on a great fight."

That's the gamble White is willing to make with such a big fight. As the only fight airing live on this historic event, the UFC is hoping this huge title fight can provide an action-packed experience for the likely millions that may be tuning in for the first time. But while the UFC is putting as much as they can into setting up the best experience, White understands that it will ultimately be up to Velasquez and dos Santos to deliver.

"The way that I look at this fight, this is our Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar, now on a huge, massive platform, and we need to deliver," White said. "There's no doubt in my mind, and I will bet anything and everything ? and am betting that ? that these guys are going to deliver.

"I put on all the bells and whistles and do all the good stuff, and then those guys have to go in there and do their job when it's time. If you'll look over the past 10 years, I can count on one hand how many fights have sucked. You tell me the last time you saw Junior dos Santos or Cain Velasquez in a boring fight. I'm literally betting everything that it's not going to happen."

Fox Sports President Eric Shanks said during the call that Fox will be making this a massive event from their end as well. With a plan to bring a "Super Bowl" level pre-game "tailgate party"-like show, complete with celebrities and a red-carpet and a huge outdoor party before the event, this is going to be a special card.

While the original plan was to air two fights during the broadcast, having the Title fight be the sole live bout will allow the UFC to introduce the spot to new viewers, and if the fight ends early, more fights from the night's preliminary card could still air during the hour-long broadcast.

"The way we're looking at this thing, there are going to be millions of people tuning into the UFC that have never seen it before," White said. "Some people are going to need to be educated on what the sport is, where it comes from. So we're going to need some time to kind of set up the whole, 'The UFC is on FOX' and what's going on. That's basically why it was done that way."

Ultimately, this is going to be a huge event for the UFC, and massive exposure for Velasquez and dos Santos as well.

Penick's Analysis: This is really the perfect fight for the UFC to bring to this Fox debut. They promised a major fight, and this absolutely fits the bill. They won't lose out on a ton of pay-per-view buys for 139, because they'll likely find a suitable replacement for that card - a replacement fight that could feature Anderson Silva - and because this fight may not have sold all that well as it is on its own. This is going to be a major event, and ads for the fight will begin airing during Fox Sports programming as early as tomorrow. Velasquez and dos Santos could become major household names after this event, and it's a great move on the UFC's part to put them in that position.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_10331.shtml

Enson Inoue Takeshi Inoue Tokimitsu Ishizawa Wallid Ismail

Cain vs. JDS headlines UFC on Fox Nov. 12th

Dana White made the announcement today that Cain Velasquez will make his first title defense against Junior dos Santos on UFC on Fox on November 12th. Originally, it was rumored that Velasquez was to defend the belt a week later in San Jose on November 19th. White stated that there will be no other fights [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Payout/~3/4devu5hE1vI/

Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo BorgomeoÂ