UFC breaks out technology for UFC 129 ticket sale

UFC 129 will give the promotion its best chance at setting attendance records, so the UFC is not squandering it. With the first event in Toronto taking place at the enormous Rogers Centre, more fans than ever can go to the fights. Not only can they go, they can take a look at their seat's view before buying the ticket.

Using Virtual Venue, a ticket buyer can pick a ticket option, and see exactly what their view of the Octagon will be. Click here to try it yourself.

No matter where you're sitting, you'll end up watching some of the action on the video screens. Due to the size of the venue, the UFC also plans on putting up eight big screens to show the action, double the usual number.

As has happened for previous big events, the UFC will also hold a fan expo in conjunction with the event. Ticket sales for UFC 129 start Friday for UFC Fight Club members, with the rest of the tickets going on sale over the course of this week. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-breaks-out-technology-for-UFC-129-ticket-sal?urn=mma-319459

Sean Salmon Diego Sanchez Jorge Santiago Evangelista Santos

Liz Carmouche to Challenge Marloes Coenen; Miesha Tate Injured

by Michael David SmithJust 10 days before she's set to defend her Strikeforce title belt for the first time, Marloes Coenen has been given a new opponent.

Liz Carmouche will fight Coenen for the Strikeforce women's 135-pound title, replacing Miesha Tate, who suffered a knee injury in training.

Carmouche is 5-0 and is coming off an impressive third-round TKO win over Jan Finney on a November Strikeforce Challengers card. She's also got a good personal story that Strikeforce can sell, as a former Marine and Iraq War veteran. But Carmouche isn't quite on Tate's level, and she'll have to be considered a major underdog against Coenen.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/02/23/liz-carmouche-to-challenge-marloes-coenen-miesha-tate-injured/

Ron Waterman Roman Webber Mark Weir Fabricio Werdum

Fitch no longer focused on title shot, just task in front of him

Jon Fitch took a beating and finished the fight against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 87, but ever since, he's yearned for a second chance. The rematch against GSP hasn't come to fruition, so Fitch (on the right) has come to grips with the fact that he can't control what happens with the UFC welterweight picture. He needs to focus simply on winning and doing so in impressive fashion.

B.J. Penn is up next for Fitch, who says he's blocked everything out of his life.

"Even thinking that I'm entitled for some reason to be fighting bigger fights or that I should be getting more respect or hell just thinking about someone taking my parking spot," Fitch told Neil Davidson from the Canadian Press. "Any little distraction, any little thought that's not focused on where it needs to be I think is just a deadweight."

Fitch is 13-1 in the UFC, has won five straight and is ranked No. 2 in the world at 170 by the USA Today/Bloody Elbow top 25 welterweight rankings, but the former Purdue wrestler knows he's got no shot of getting GSP if he can't take out Penn at UFC 127.

"I think in the past maybe I've thought about too many things other than just the fight right in front of me. And maybe that's part of the reason why I haven't finished the last few fights, so that's another reason why I haven't really thought of anything other than just fighting B.J."

Fitch said he's trimmed down a bit to battle the smaller Penn. Penn was the UFC's lightweight champ until two straight losses against the current belt holder Frank Edgar. The American Kickboxing Academy fighter has also put in extra work to defend against Penn's jiu-jitsu game.

"I brought in one of (coach) Dave Camarillo's black belts from Modesto to help with some of the jiu-jitsu and I've put out some bounties for, submissions, too. The last couple of weeks, I've been offering guys $20, $25 a submission, if they're able to submit me. I've been able to avoid any payments thus far," Fitch said dryly.

The welterweight title picture gets very interesting if St. Pierre beats Jake Shields at UFC 129 in April. The plan is for GSP to move to middleweight, vacate his 170-pound title and challenge Anderson Silva. That means Fitch would have to be choice No. 1 to battle another contender for the vacant belt. Who that'll be, is anyone's guess. Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez fight next week at UFC on Versus 3. Carlos Condit has been on a hot streak, plus Koscheck and Shields are right there as well.

Fitch may not get GSP again, but the belt could be there for the taking before the end of 2011.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Fitch-no-longer-focused-on-title-shot-just-task?urn=mma-324411

Chris Dolman Edson Drago  Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte

Abe Wagner draws Aaron Rosa at TFC 17 after January TKO of Tim Sylvia

PRESS RELEASE / Kansas City, KS — A heavyweight tilt between Abe Wagner and Aaron Rosa is the latest matchup to be confirmed for Titan Fighting Championship 17 , scheduled to take place on Friday, March 25 and to be televised live on HDNet. “Both Abe and Aaron like to stand in the pocket and [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2011/02/22/abe-wagner-draws-aaron-rosa-at-tfc-17-after-january-tko-of-tim-sylvia/

Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo 

UFC NEWS: Brandon Vera not cut from UFC afterall, UFC 125 loss to Thiago Silva may be changed to "No Contest"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

VeraBrandon_CG150_14.jpg

Brandon Vera will see the inside of the Octagon again after all.

Vera was released from the organization in January following his third consecutive loss, that coming to Thiago Silva at UFC 125 on New Year's Day; now, however, MMAJunkie.com reports that the decision loss is expected to be overturned to a "no contest" following additional scrutiny of Silva's post-fight drug screening, and thus Vera will be kept on the roster.

Silva's second sample is being tested at the moment, and should it come back as a failed test, as his "A" sample was, he'll be subject to a suspension and fine, and the fight would be called a "no contest."

The issue has already cost Silva one fight, as he was pulled from a UFC 130 meeting with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson this May. Depending on what he tested positive for, he'll be facing a suspension of at least six months to a year.

Vera will get an opportunity to turn his career around now, though he will be on a short leash with the organization going forward. Due to a medical suspension stemming from a broken nose in the Silva fight, there's no timetable yet for Vera's return to action.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: This is completely speculation, but I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Silva's failed test is due to painkillers. He's had a lengthy issue with his back, and has had some other injuries as well, and it could be a very similar situation to what happened with Karo Parisyan in his fight with Dong Hyun Kim in 2009. It's highly unfortunate regardless, but for Vera it gives him another opportunity in the UFC. He's never really lived up to the early expectations of his career, and he'll need to find out some way to get back on track or it won't be long before he is once again sent on his way.

[Brandon Vera art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_8555.shtml

Mike Swick Takashi Sugiura Jung Chan Sung Minoru Suzuki

Fedor vs. Silva weigh-in: Biggest head size discrepancy in the history of MMA?

This truly is a new era in mixed martial arts. Fedor Emelianenko dominated the heavyweight class for the better part of 10 years during an unbeaten run that started back in 2001. At 230 pounds, the Russian isn't massive, but his skill set and mental game is off the charts. With so many MMA heavyweights cutting weight to 265 pounds, is that enough anymore

Antonio Silva (below right) is one of those guys. The 6-foot-4 Brazilian giant weighed in today at 264. His features are freakish. Check out the size of his dome as compared to the smaller Fedor.

Update: We forgot about Hong Man Choi (pictured on right)! That's a huge head too! 

This is a big man's card. The other Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal features Andrei Arlovski against Sergei Kharitonov. They looked fit at a combined 492 pounds. Shane del Rosario and Lavar Johnson were imposing figures as well. The main card on Showtime features five heavyweight bouts. 

SHOWTIME card weights (Courtesy MMAjunkie):

Fedor Emelianenko (230) vs. Antonio Silva (264) - heavyweight-tournament quarterfinals
Andrei Arlovski (242) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (250) - heavyweight-tournament quarterfinals
Shane Del Rosario (248) vs. Lavar Johnson (243) - heavyweight-tournament reserve fight
Chad Griggs (229) vs. Gian Villante (227) - heavyweight-tournament reserve fight
Valentijn Overeem (239) vs. Ray Sefo (249) - heavyweight-tournament reserve fight.

HDNet PRELIMINARY CARD

John Cholish (155.75) vs. Marc Stevens (156.5)^
Igor Gracie (170.75) vs. John Salgado (170)
Don Carlo-Clauss (170.4) vs. Sam Oropeza (169.75)
Josh LaBerge (145.75) vs. Anthony Leone (146.2)*
Jason McLean (145.5) vs. Kevin Roddy (145.75)

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Fedor-vs-Silva-weigh-in-Biggest-head-size-disc?urn=mma-320375

Daniel Lima Matt Lindland Liu Jinwen David The Crow Loiseau

Bobby Lashley Staying In MMA, Fights March 25th

Former Strikeforce fighter Bobby Lashley will look to get back in the win column after having his unbeaten streak snapped at five in his last Strikeforce fight by Chad Griggs, on March 25th for Titan FC.<Br><br> Lashley takes on James Jack and talked about his return to MMA after a pro-wrestling stint and his desire to keep fighting MMA full time:<br><Br> "You know I think that there are a lot of haters out there and they just want to hate for whatever reason they want to. After [the Chad Griggs] fight [in Houston] I knew the problems. I think I lost the match. I didn?t get beat. If you watch the match I mean I completely controlled and had completely taken care of this guy and he runs around like he just won the world title, throwing his hands up and how he?s the greatest thing since sliced bread. B.S. I think he?s garbage. I take that back. I?m a little upset about that but I think it was just garbage, the whole situation was garbage. Since then I mean I?ve been going through a lot of stuff because I had a bit of mono so I was having to get that out of my system and rehab my body so that I feel a lot better. I think a lot of people just thought that I was going to be kind of like those one hit wonders, fight until you lose and then quit. That?s not me man. If I?m a part of the organization, winning and losing is part of fighting, so I?m here to stay. I?m going to be fighting for a while now."<br><br> Props: Pro MMA Now

Source: http://www.mmanews.com/home.php

Chad Akebono Rowan Mauricio Shogun Rua Murilo Ninja Rua Marco Ruas

Re-writing history: The ridiculous bashing of Fedor

All fighters get old. The game catches up with them and moves along. Combine those absolutes with the fact that we live in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately era and you get what Fedor Emelianenko has had to hear the last few days after his loss to Antonio Silva.

A guy goes without a loss for 10 years and now he was never really that good? Essentially a fraud?

We addressed the topic on ESPN1100 in Las Vegas, discussing the premise that most athletes from previous eras were never really that good because they wouldn't be able to compete with the modern-day athlete. Should they all be disrespected?

If that's the case, let's eliminate all pre-1980 NFL offensive linemen from the NFL Hall of Fame. After all, those 250 pounders would get destroyed today in an era of 300-pound behemoths. Frankly, 6-foot-6 power NBA Hall of Fame power forward Dave DeBusschere sucked and Joe Louis wasn't really a great heavyweight boxer. The guy fought most of his career between 195-205 pounds.

Ridiculous, right?

Not according to guys like Jim Rome, who teed up Fedor and smashed him out the park on Rome is Burning:

"Now it’s pretty obvious why he didn’t want to sign with the UFC. While Strikeforce does have competitive heavyweights, he didn’t want to fight the best of the best on the biggest stage, he knew better. He refused to take any chances; he milked it for all its worth and he got paid and then exposed and now it’s over."

Which company has a better heavyweight division is certainly up for debate. As far as "not taking chances and milking it," Rome is off base. Fedor wasn't afraid to face the UFC heavyweights and anyone who follows the story knows it's never been the fighter who's making the decision. If critics want to kill M-1, that's fine. But the fighter himself faced all comers and was a dominant forced from 2001-2006. Just like Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva and Matt Hughes, the other dominant fighters of the time deserve respect, so does Fedor.  

Tip via MMAConvert

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Re-writing-history-The-ridiculous-bashing-of-Fe?urn=mma-321672

Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia

Little person Freeland leads a troupe of little guys at California fight card tonight

With the merger of the WEC into the UFC, Zuffa just pushed the 135 and 145-lb weight classes to the forefront. Is it too soon to start talking about the 125ers?

There are several prominent flyweights featured on a Tachi Palace card in Lemoore, California, who'd like to be the next small fighters to step into the spotlight.

The Visalia Times Delta says Tachi Palace Fights 8 (free stream on MMAjunkie.com - 8:30 p.m. ET) is essentially holding its own 125-tournament tonight:

TPF 125-pound champion Ulysses Gomez (7-1) will defend his title in a 5-round bout against Darrell Montague (8-1), and Jussier da Silva (9-0), who is regarded as the world's top 125-pound fighter, will put his undefeated record on the line against World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Ian McCall (8-2).

Tachi Palace Fighting knows it has something specials with the flyweights. 

"It is the most important weight class we have," said Tachi Palace entertainment coordinator Jeremy Luchau. "Some people do see it as a tournament because we have some of the best guys in the world. It is an opportunity for guys who have been in our promotion to showcase their skills against some of the top fighters from around the world."

There's also a ton of intrigue around the debut of another small fighter, but this guy is a little thicker. Tyler Freeland, a little person at just 4-foot-11, is making his pro debut.

Freeland, nicknamed "Hulk Hands," put together an impressive 16-4 mark in the amateur ranks. 

"It’s dwarfism, a bone disorder where my bones stopped growing," Freeland told Sherdog.com in describing his hypochondroplasia. "I’m about four eleven, but I tell everyone I’m five feet. I need that extra inch."

Walking around 160 pounds, Freeland is no tiny guy. But he realizes, he'd have a tough time at 155 pounds, where many of the fighters are in the 5-9 to 5-11 range. He'll make his debut at 145 and hopes to eventually get down to 135. Freeland, 26, recently began training at Las Vegas' TapouT Training Center with Shawn Tompkins.

Tompkins said just like any fighter, Freeland, 26, has to work around certain limitations.

"With his height, it’s always harder to strike with someone taller than you," Tompkins says, "but it’s harder to wrestle with someone shorter. Their level-change is so much faster than yours."

He said Freeland has something you can't necessarily teach.

"What most impressed me is that he has a lot of power in his hands," he adds. "He’s got KO power and very big hands. He hits hard and is very precise. He has a really good wrestling pedigree. I’ve just been banking on rounding his game out, keeping him safe from submissions and working on his standup. We’ve been having fun and building from there."

Freeland faces Diego Melendez. They met in the amateur ranks and Melendez won via triangle. Freeland says he took that fight on short notice and things will be different this time.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Little-person-Freeland-leads-a-troupe-of-little-?urn=mma-323409

Leonardo Lucio Nascimento Paweł Nastula Kazuhiro Nakamura Yoshihiro Nakao