A Disgruntled Rashad Evans Lashes Out at the UFC

Rashad Evans is no stranger to controversy. In fact, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion was recently involved in a prolonged rivalry, one of the bitterest rivalries in UFC history, with fellow former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson. Rashad?s victory over ?Rampage? at UFC 114 in May solidified him as the #1 contender to [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/11/07/a-disgruntled-rashad-evans-lashes-out-at-the-ufc

Stevie Lynch Adam Lynn Chris Lytle Lyoto Machida

The Elite Eight is set for TUF 12: Time for predictions

"The Ultimate Fighter" has rebounded nicely with Season 12. The ratings are holding steady. It’s probably based on the fact that the field looks deep with strong contenders, and much of the audience hates Josh Koscheck. TUF 12 is now down to the final eight contenders. The competition looks wide open. Or is it?

Here’s the picks for the Elite Eight matchups. Keep in mind, we’re all basing our selections on limited fight and training footage. That said, we can still have fun with it.

Jonathan Brookins v. Sako Chivitchian
This one looks like the most one-sided fight in TUF 12‘s round of 8. Chivitchian looked awkward on the feet in his victory over Dane Sayers. I still don’t believe Sayers is any good and the fact that Sako narrowly defeated him says a lot. Brookins destroyed Sevak Magakian. He appears to have a complete game. If Sako continues to throw wild haymakers that leave him off balance, Brookins is going to take him out easily.
PICK: BROOKINS

Nam Phan v. Cody McKenzie
Are you buying McKenzie? He’s slightly built and his standup game is shoddy, but he does have one elite weapon - the guillotine choke. Phan has 23 professional fights. He may be a lousy cornerman, as Dana White joked during the last episode, but he appears to be a pretty savvy technician in the Octagon. McKenzie is weak in so many areas; there’s no way Phan falls to a guy with only one path to victory.
PICK: PHAN

Michael Johnson v. Alex “Bruce Leroy” Cacares
This is the toughest fight to pick. In the last episode, Koscheck repeatedly said that Bruce Leroy (pictured) was the worst of the remaining fighters. Georges St. Pierre said Leroy’s game wasn’t weak. Plus he refused to talk up his former No. 1 pick, Johnson. Was the footage included as a bit of foreshadowing? I agree with GSP. Johnson’s game showed a lot of holes in the round of 16. His gas tank was lousy, he looked off-balance on the feet and wasn’t active when he had top control. I’m calling for a Leroy upset.
PICK: CACARES

Aaron Wilkinson v. Kyle Watson
The wild-card winner Wilkinson is a nice story, but he is going to meet his demise against Watson. Watson, 31, is too experienced and his strength, the submission game, plays perfectly to Wilkinson’s biggest weakness. Wilkinson’s takedown defense was dreadful against Marc Stevens, and his ability to get off his back was equally suspect. Watson should be able to get the fight to the ground and quickly transition to a finish.
PICK: WATSON

Because this isn’t a bracketed tournament with specified matchups, we will not predict what happens in the semifinals and beyond. What do you think of the TUF 12 Elite Eight?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/The-Elite-Eight-is-set-for-TUF-12-Time-for-pred?urn=mma-282732

Rumina Sato Kerry Schall Nino Schembri Fabiano Scherner

Herschel Walker?s opponent named for December 4th Strikeforce card

Former NFL running back Herschel Walker will return to the Strikeforce cage as advertised on December 4th in hopes of improving on his in-ring debut last January and notching the second win of his MMA career. Word has now broken that his adversary at the event will be 4-1 Scott Carson. Carson?s only loss came [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2010/11/06/herschel-walker%e2%80%99s-opponent-named-for-december-4th-strikeforce-card/

Patrick Speight Mario Sperry Pete Spratt Brian Stann

Ellenberger uses the power of Twitter to call out 'hated' Shields

UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger wants a piece of Jake Shields, and he's using his mouth to try to make it happen. Never mind that Shields has already cemented his title shot with a win over Martin Kampmann, and that Ellenberger is in line behind Jon Fitch and Carlos Condit, a fighter who has beaten Ellenberger. He wants Shields, and he is using the power of Twitter to try to sway the powers-that-be in the UFC.

Ellenberger -- who has recent TKO wins over John Howard and Mike Pyle -- has called out Shields several times on Twitter in the last few days, questioning Shields' title shot immediately after the fight, then going on to say:

Ellenberger isn't the first fighter to use a strategy of asking for fights to move up for a bout. Dan Hardy, "King Mo" Lawal and Ben Saunders have all gotten a shot at top fights by simply asking for them. Ellenberger would have to clear a lot of hurdles to get a shot at Shields before Shields fights either Georges St. Pierre or Josh Koscheck for the UFC welterweight title, but stranger things have happened in MMA.

UPDATE: Cagewriter spoke with Ellenberger via text, and he said that both Jake Shields and the UFC have not responded to his tweets. "But it's only a matter of time. Fake Shields is a fraud. Excuse me, Miss Piggy is a fraud," Ellenberger said. Why Miss Piggy?

"When he fights, he reminds me of Miss Piggy, with hs softness and feminine charm."

Ellenberger's beef with Shields comes from before both fighters were with the UFC. He says that he had a signed contract to fight Shields, but Shields' father (and manager) pulled him out of the bout because it was a bad match-up. Ellenberger admits that Condit and Fitch also have a claim on a bout with Shields, but, "I hate him more."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Ellenberger-uses-the-power-of-Twitter-to-call-ou?urn=mma-280071

Roberto Traven Frank Trigg Mostapha Al Turk Ryuki Ueyama

Lyle Beerbohm Has No Beef With Strikeforce

Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm and Strikeforce don’t have any issues, as the rising lightweight admits his public criticism towards his boss. Frustrated with a bad contract he signed with EliteXC, Beerbohm publicly criticized Strikeforce — and has only fought Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro in May — as he sits on the shelf. Beerbohm believes his criticism [...]


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmahq/main/~3/d_4rg_CQKA8/

Dan Henderson Josh Hendricks Ed Herman Heath Herring

UFC 121 Post-Fight Press Conference Video

by Michael David SmithCain Velasquez may appear at the UFC 121 post-fight press conference.When the action in the Octagon at UFC 121 has ended, the action will move to the press room for the UFC 121 post-fight press conference, and we'll have the live video right here at MMAFighting.com.

Among those who will address the press are UFC President Dana White, main event fighters Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez, and select fighters from the undercard, likely including Jake Shields, Martin Kampmann and Tito Ortiz.

The press conference will start about 20 minutes after the main event ends, likely around 1:15 AM ET, and the video is below.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/10/24/ufc-121-post-fight-press-conference-video/

Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell

Sengoku 15: Hiroshi Izumi Wins a Robbery; Cobb and Blanco Victorious

by Michael David SmithA Sengoku 15 fight card that was short on big names and short on fireworks and probably would have been quickly forgotten will instead be remembered for the Japanese judges giving an absolutely ridiculous decision to a Japanese fighter in the main event.

That main event featured Englishman James Zikic opening a cut over Hiroshi Izumi's right eye early in the fight and controlling the bout standing up most of the rest of the way, and it appeared that Zikic would win an easy unanimous decision. Instead, when the judges' scorecards were announced, Izumi had won a split decision.

Sengoku has tried hard to push Izumi, who has a great background, but the truth is he's just not that good. Zikic beat him handily, and it's absurd that the judges handed Izumi the victory.



 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/10/30/sengoku-15-hiroshi-izumi-wins-a-robbery-cobb-and-blanco-victor/

Jérôme Le Banner Jess Liaudin Chuck The Iceman Liddell Shad Lierley