UFC 123 Shirts for Rampage, Machida, Penn, Hughes, and More
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/16638/ufc-123-shirts-for-rampage-machida-penn-hughes-and-more/
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/16638/ufc-123-shirts-for-rampage-machida-penn-hughes-and-more/
DETROIT -- Joe Lauzon lucked out. The release of "Call of Duty: Black Ops" came just a week before his UFC 123 bout with George Sotiropoulos, so the noted gamer could spend time on the latest video game as he tapered down workouts.
"It came last week, which was my taper week, so it didn't interfere, but I was a little worried. If it would have been one or two weeks earlier, it would have been bad," Lauzon said.
He is ready to make the jump to the top of the UFC's lightweight division, and Lauzon plans to use George Sotiropoulos as a springboard.
"I'm excited for it, because it means I don't have to beat that lower level guy. I can just jump right up," Lauzon said. "Beating a guy whose 6-0, 7-0 in the UFC and close to a title shot definitely puts me close to the top."
To get that win, Lauzon is going to do what he can to make sure that Sotiropoulos has no extra advantages, including his controversial practice of wearing knee and ankle braces that cover most of his leg.
"I've asked the commission what my choices are. In the past, all the commissions that I've dealt with have said he can wear something soft as long as the opponent agreed. People are saying I'm calling him a cheater. I'm not."
Lauzon doesn't want to allow Sotiriopoulos even the slightest advantage, because if he loses a close decision, he doesn't want to look back and wonder, "What if?"
"I'm leaning towards telling him no knee pad, no ankle brace. I don't think he's wearing him because he has bad knees and bad ankles. I think he wears them because he does a lot of high rubber guard, and it helps with the slipping. If I could take away that advantage, I will."
He was pleasantly surprised when he was offered a fight with Sotiropoulos, a fighter who is on a six-fight winning streak in the UFC.
"It's a huge jump. I think I was building pretty good momentum, and then I lost to Sam Stout. Sam beat me fair and square. He was the better guy that night, but I think if I wouldn't have rushed coming back from knee surgery so much, it would have been a different fight. I think to the UFC, that fight never happened, so that's why I'm getting such a big fight now."
As he's done in previous fights, Lauzon designed a special shirt for his cornermen, friends and family. It takes a swipe at the Australian-born Sotiropoulos, reading, "According to Australian Game and Wildlife, 100 people are killed every year by adult Joeys. You've been warned."
Yoshihiro Akiyama Gilbert Aldana José Aldo John AlessioÂ
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/roundtables/article_7515.shtml
Ronaldo de Souza Ron The Monster Sparks Patrick Speight Mario Sperry
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DETROIT -- MMA Fighting spoke to middleweight Mark Munoz about his UFC 123 against Aaron Simpson, what he learned about himself after losing to Yushin Okami, his doubters and the impact Manny Pacquiao, a fellow fighting Filipino, has had on his career.Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/11/18/mark-munoz-looking-to-channel-inner-manny-pacquaio-at-ufc-123/
The spoofs on LeBron James' "What should I do?" commercial are plentiful. Now you can add the UFC to the list. Well, sort of. Someone made this quickie LeBron commercial with UFC characters chiming in on King James' dilemma.
Tip via MMAMania
(If you can't laugh at Jorge's smiley-face-tie-tuxedo underwear, something's definitely wrong with you. Photo courtesy of MMA Junkie.)
Alessio Sakara has been conspicuously silent about his health since dropping out of UFC 122's co-main event. The American Top Team fighter was slated to take on Jorge Rivera, but instead pulled out just hours before the match due to "flu-like symptoms." So what was really going on with him? British MMA journalist Gareth Davies has a theory, which he shared on MMA Live:
"I have it on good authority that 8 or 9 days before bout was due to take place; Alessio Sakara was walking around at 220 pounds. He failed to show for the fighter workouts on the Thursday in Italy. He was walking around the fight hotel looking very gaunt and ghostlike. When you take that much weigh off, that quickly, it does bring on illness sometimes and I do fear this may have happened here with Alessio Sakara. And it doesn't do him any favors with the UFC, I can guarantee you that."
Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/alessio-sakaras-flu-symptoms-could-have-been-weight-cut-related
Tim Sylvia Randy Couture Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Brock Lesnar
With the UFC and WEC merging, Versus, the television home for the WEC, seemed to be the odd man out. However, it's stepped up its commitment to MMA, and on Thursday, will try out a pre-show and post-show hosted by MMA reporter Ariel Helwani and Molly Qerim, who was formerly on ESPN's "MMA Live."
Marc Fein, the executive vice president of programming, production and business operations for Versus, told Cagewriter that Versus is just as committed to MMA as ever.
"With our relationship with the UFC and WEC, we already started with integration on 'The Daily Line.' With this show, we stepped up with the opportunity on doing a pre-show and a post-show, just like all other major sporting events do, and do a full-on 30-minute show."
"The Daily Line," a nightly show covering all sports, was canceled because the show never really gained traction with viewers. The hope is that the pre- and post-show will entice MMA viewers with a mix of interviews, highlights and fight discussions. UFC president Dana White and heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez are scheduled to appear on Thursday's pre-show. The success of Thursday's show will determine the future of the show.
"We want to get this one under our belt, see what the ratings are, see what the fan and viewer reactions are. Obviously, we need to see when the shows are scheduled to see what we can accommodate, but we're going to step back, evaluate it, and see where," Fein said. "We want to give the UFC/WEC fans a place to come where they come in and get a great, 30-minute show, then after the fight, take a look back and break down the fights."
The network will continue its relationship with Zuffa, the company which owns both the UFC and WEC, despite the merger of the two promotions. Earlier this year, it aired two different UFC events, and next year will expand to four cards.
"Having four UFC fights is absolutely a great thing. We still have rights to run our WEC library going back to 2007 of all the great WEC fights and 'WrekCages,' and things we're doing now like a pre-show and post-show. For us, we think it's great for the brand. It's a natural evolution of expanding our relationship with them."
It always wants to keep the conversation growing, but it is focused on its last two WEC events.
"We love the sport. We love the UFC. We love the WEC and we're always looking to expand. When the time comes, we'll cross that bridge. Right now, our focus is the two fights the rest of this year which is going to have major implications for these fighters going into the UFC, and also the four UFC fights next year, and I'm sure we'll have more conversations."