Politics are no fleeting fancy for UFC on Versus 5's Chris Lytle

The year 2012 could be an important one for Chris Lytle whether he wins or loses his next fight.

The Indianapolis-area native has been training and fighting for 12 years in addition to holding down a full-time job as a firefighter.

But he's recently seized upon an another passion, that of politics, and he's serious about the idea of becoming a state legislator.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/3eTLXs0DPbM/politics-are-no-fleeting-fancy-for-ufc-on-versus-5s-chris-lytle.mma

Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez

Bellator officially signs Brazilian lightweight prospect Ricardo Tirloni

Ricardo Tirloni is officially a member of Bellator Fighting Championships' lightweight division.

Bellator officials today announced the signing, which was first reported by MMAjunkie.com.

"Our objective is to sign the most talented fighters possible from every corner of the globe, and Ricardo Tirloni certainly fits that bill," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. "Our lightweight division is turning into one of our deepest weightclasses, and Ricardo should have great impact on that already stacked division."


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/4Ez3syzLxuQ/bellator-officially-signs-brazilian-lightweight-prospect-ricardo-tirloni.mma

Fabio Leopoldo Kimo Leopoldo Brock Lesnar John Lewis

5 Reasons Tito Ortiz Will Likely Defeat Rashad Evans

<B>By MATT MOLGAARD<BR> MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer</B><BR><BR> Tito Ortiz?s career hasn?t appeared this promising in well over half a decade. The ?Huntington Beach Bad Boy? broke a five year skid when he submitted highly praised prospect, Ryan Bader at UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2, and the unlikely win has reignited interest in the once dismissed former champion.<BR><BR> Prior to the bout a few interesting factors loomed; the most pronounced was the clear indication that a loss to Bader would signal (what many considered) a long overdue release of Ortiz, who hadn?t posted a victory for the promotion since October of 2006. With a contract that guarantees a sizeable reward regardless of outcome, Ortiz had become a costly investment that, quite frankly wasn?t paying off.<BR><BR> The victory over Bader, as unlikely as it seemed at the time, shocked audiences everywhere, and showcased two attributes we rarely see from Ortiz: quality submission skills and dangerous punching power. In short, Ortiz looked better than he?s looked since holding the belt circa 2000.<BR><BR> Now, Ortiz has a prime opportunity to put himself right back into the mix of upper echelon light heavyweights. Though only weeks distanced from his last outing, Ortiz agreed to meet the fellow former champion at UFC 133 after Evans? previous opponent, Phil Davis withdrew due to injury. The bout will hand Ortiz a chance at redemption, as a point deduction prevented him from earning a decision nod over Evans when the two first collided at UFC 73 in 2007.<BR><BR> While there?s certainly no guarantee as to the outcome of a fight, Tito Ortiz enters this specific bout with some considerable advantages over Evans; let?s break this one down!<BR><BR><!--more-break--> <B>5. Hunger, Literally:</B> Ortiz may have shocked Ryan Bader, but make no mistake, his career is still in jeopardy. A loss here puts him right back on the cusp of release, and that?s something Ortiz can ill afford. Expect Tito to come out hungry and determined, for this is one gentleman who certainly doesn?t want to lose his job; the man?s got kids to feed.<BR><BR> <B>4. Mouthwash, Use It:</B> There?s no doubt that Tito mentally kicks himself repeatedly for clinging to the octagon?s fencing at UFC 73. The foolish foul not only earned Tito an unwanted point deduction, which resulted in a draw, it ensured he continue in his winless ways, and acted as a springboard for Rashad, who?s not only faced nothing but elite competition since, winning the divisional title in the process.<BR><BR> Ortiz knows that one mistake cost him the fight, and he?ll be ready to rinse the nasty taste that?s lingered since that dreadful evening. Don?t expect too many erroneous maneuvers from Tito this time around.<BR><BR> <B>3. Rust, It?s Tough To Shake:</B> By the time these two climb back into the cage to settle their score, Rashad will have been inactive for roughly fifteen months. That type of layoff can be good in some cases, and horrible in others: Considering the fact that Evans has only competed three times in the last two years, I don?t consider the hiatus beneficial.<BR><BR> Expect Rashad to require at least a single round to shake the rust and find his rhythm and timing. That?s ample opportunity for Ortiz to pick up big points and distance himself on the judges? score cards early. Hell, Tito may even seize the chance to land a fight changing strike.<BR><BR> <B>2. You Know I Already Won, Bro:</B> Ortiz should have a solid mental edge, finally (how often can you say that about Tito?). Not only is he returning after the (arguably) most impressive fight of his career, but mentally he?s got to believe he won the first fight.<BR><BR> Confidence (as can a lack of, for that matter) can sometimes predetermine the outcome of a fight, and this is a good example of a likely candidate for that setup. Expect Ortiz to take the greater risks in this rematch.<BR><BR><!--more-break--> <B>1. Momentum Baby:</B> This selection fits hand in hand with number three, for opposing reasons, obviously. Tito?s returning after just a month away from action, he just defeated an opponent with a similar skillset to Rashad?s, and he?s got the memory of their initial meeting boiling in his brain. These factors should only bolster Tito?s belief in himself, and have likely cast a shadow of doubt in the mind of Rashad Evans. Anything can happen in MMA, but I favor momentum nine of ten times.<BR><BR> Leave your feedback on this article by posting a comment directly below! You can also chat about the card in the MMANEWS.COM Forums and/or the MMANEWS.COM Facebook. If that wasn't enough, MMANEWS.COM is now on Twitter as well @mmanewsdotcom.<BR><BR>

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

Cheick Kongo Josh Koscheck Pascal Krauss Keigo Kunihara

5 Reasons Why Fedor Emelianenko Could Beat Dan Henderson

The emotions run the gamut: love, hate, anger, joy, and everything in-between. No matter who you are, you?ve probably got an opinion on Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson. That fight and an entire Strikeforce event booked around it is only a few days away, and as we get closer and closer, more and more people [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/07/28/5-reasons-why-fedor-emelianenko-could-beat-dan-henderson

Aaron Simpson Wes Sims Rob Sinclair Rory Singer

Junior Dos Santos Interview - UFC

Heavy-handed Junior Dos Santos steps back into the Octagon? against a man considered to be an equally dangerous striker, Shane Carwin. Will Junior's speed advantage be enough to hand Carwin his first KO loss? Watch UFC 131 Live on Pay-Per-View and www.UFC.tv on Saturday, Jun 11th at 6/9PM PT/ET.

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc/junior-dos-santos-interview-video_8d42cdb57.html

David The Crow Loiseau Hector Lombard Alexandru Lungu Travis Lutter

Fedor?s brother lashes out at coaches

Fedor?s brother lashes out at coachesFedor Emelianenko's skills may be eroding, but it's not helping that he seems to enter the cage without any sort of gameplan. It's not just fans and media noticing that Fedor simply employs a "go for broke" strategy, his brother Aleks (on the right) is fed up with some of the folks around the former heavyweight king.

"They sat like two amoebas, and did not know what to say. They were asked direct questions and would say, 'It is difficult to say? we will see in the fight,' - what kind of a coach says that? Only one who doesn't understand the sport," Aleksander Emelianeko told FightersOnly Magazine. "I just call them 'Stopwatch' and  'Towel'. That's as much use as they are, that's it."

Aleks thinks that Fedor has been in a stale training camp for years.

"[MMA] is constantly improving, but 'Stopwatch' and 'Towel' have not changed anything in the program - just frozen in time and not been able to develop the base that Fedor already has," Aleks said. " Fedor could train himself, he must take on it personally, to rethink many of the training points to learn and develop. Suffer and work! We'll talk with Fedor - whether he wants to change something in his preparation. If he wants to, I will make the effort."

Fedor lost his third straight fight on Saturday night against Dan Henderson. He lost to Fabricio Werdum by making an amateurish mistake and getting caught in a triangle choke. Against 6-foot-4, 285 pound Antonio Silva, Fedor failed stay at a distance and use his athletic advantage. He was taken down and couldn't get back to his feet. Henderson has freakish punching power and Fedor decided to stand and trade with him.

If Fedor is to return to the cage, his support staff has to get two things done. First, he needs to get down to the light heavyweight division and secondly, it's time to employ a game plan against all future opponents.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Fedor-s-brother-lashes-out-at-coaches?urn=mma-wp5268

Rashad Evans Lyoto Machida Mauricio Rua Dave Menne

"Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson" results: Henderson stops Fedor in stunning rally

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - The reign of "The Last Emperor" may finally be over.

With a stunning, come-from-behind victory, Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson earned a first-round TKO over Fedor Emelianenko, handing the once-unbeatable Russian his third-straight defeat.

The heavyweight bout served as the featured contest of Saturday night's "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Henderson" event, which took place at place at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill., near Chicago. The evening's main card aired on Showtime.


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Luiz Azeredo  Luciano Azevedo  Ba Te er  Ryan Bader 

"Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson" preview: Fantasy matchmaking, guilty pleasure

Not all fights need to have title implications, and not all headliners need to intersect at points high in a division.

There are fights in which legacies clash, one star goes up against another, and the lingering what-ifs of fantasy matchmaking get their day in court. There are guilty pleasures.

Fedor Emelianenko is a heavyweight and a legend of PRIDE's heyday. Dan Henderson is a middleweight who, late in his career, has insisted on fighting at light heavyweight and become the big fish of the smaller Strikeforce pond in that division.


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Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez