The Walk Out – “UFC Live 5″ Undercard
The opening bouts of UFC Live 5 might not be filled with huge names, but this is one of the most exciting undercards in the company’s history on free TV. Two technical strikers will kick each other until one man can’t walk, two of the most exciting lightweights in the sport will be more pack thirty minutes of action into fifteen, and two more lightweights will battle for a potential title shot.... [Read More...]
5 Oz. MMA Link Club
Welcome back to another ediition of “MMA Link Club”, Five Ounces of Pain‘s weekly smorgasbord of offerings from our brothers and sisters in the MMA community. Enjoy… Eddie Alvarez Not as Interested in the Octagon as Fans May Think (5thRound.com) Joseph “Insert Nickname Here” Benavidez Talks Fan-Friendly Contest (MMAMania.com) Pat Barry Demonstrates New Technique for Fight Against... [Read More...]
“Judo” Jim Wallhead in for injured Tom Watson against Frank Trigg at BAMMA 7
After news recently surfaced relating to popular Brit Tom Watson’s withdrawal from a bout on next month’s BAMMA 7 lineup against Frank Trigg it’s likely more than a few fans in the U.K. hung their heads after hopes of seeing an area-fighter take on the UFC/PRIDE veteran. However, the dark cloud surrounding the cancelled clash got a silver lining earlier today when promotional officials announced... [Read More...]
Xtreme Couture coach Gil Martinez comments on the highs and lows of UFC 133
Gil Martinez is the striking coach at one of the most respected gyms in MMA, Xtreme Couture. This past Saturday night at UFC 133, Gil cornered Mike Pyle and Vitor Belfort in their respective fights. Pyle was defeated in the first round by Rory MacDonald, and Gil had nothing by compliments for the young Canadian. “For Mike to lose to Rory, there is no shame whatsoever,” said Martinez. “Rory... [Read More...]
(EXCLUSIVE) Pat Healy: “He hasn’t been finished in twenty two fights and I definitely want to be the first guy to do that.”
Few fighters in MMA exemplify the timeless saying in relation to judging a book by its cover more than Strikeforce lightweight Pat Healy. Though the Team Quest grappler only boasts an overall record of 24-16, further examination shows success against a number of well-known, larger opponents including stoppages against Dan Hardy, Paul Daley, and Carlos Condit. Digging even deeper also reveals a man... [Read More...]
Grappling with Issues – 8/10/11
Would you rather see Rashad Evans fight Quinton Jackson or Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title? Will Rory MacDonald fight for the title before 2013? Are Yoshihiro Akiyama‘s days as a UFC middleweight over? How would you sum up Dennis Hallman‘s decision to wear a Speedo last weekend? Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay! Welcome to Grappling with Issues, our site’s regular... [Read More...]
The Walk Out – “UFC Live 5″ Prelims
The UFC Live 5 preliminary card might not interest many of you but if you take a closer look, there are some interesting match ups to view on Facebook. A former bantamweight champion takes on the only man to win a scorecard from the current 135 champ, two middleweights try to fight their way back on the main card, a couple of lightweights try make someone’s radar, and there’s also a couple of fighters... [Read More...]
Ryan Couture set for action on September Challengers card
It appears Strikeforce lightweight Ryan Couture will look to bounce back from his first taste of defeat next month as part of the lineup for Strikeforce Challengers 19. “Natural Light,” a play on dad Randy Couture’s nickname, was outpointed in June by undefeated prospect Matt Ricehouse after winning his first two fights as a professional. Though no opponent has been lined up yet for the 155er,... [Read More...]
Thiago Alves: “I’ll try to knock him out or submit all opponents from now on.”
Though far from the only “Pitbull” in MMA, a few years ago Thiago Alves embodied the ferocious canine’s personality perhaps more than any other fighter he shared the nickname with. Now, with decision losses in his three of his last four fights and zero finishes since mid-2008, fans feeling as though the 27-year old has traded in his froth and fangs for a less-aggressive approach to competition... [Read More...]
The Chael Sonnen Show rolls into Philly over UFC 133 weekend
When Chael Sonnen took to the stage last Friday in Philadelphia as part of a Q&A session with fans there was little doubt the middleweight would deliver a slew of memorable soundbytes as he has so many times in the past. With Mike Goldberg playing the role of sidekick, the 34-year old grappler was two guests and a musical act away from turning the festivities into a full blown late night talk-show... [Read More...]
Chad Mendes cleared for return to the ring later this year
Fans of UFC featherweight Chad Mendes can breathe a collective sigh of relief, as it appears the Team Alpha Male athlete’s health is in fact much better than was originally suspected after the conclusion of UFC 133 this past weekend. Mendes injured his hand early in the second stanza of his bout with Rani Yahya, commenting that he heard it “pop” after the fight and even prompting UFC President... [Read More...]
Matt Hamill calls it a career after consecutive losses in the cage
The uplifting story of Matt Hamill’s rise to become the first deaf athlete to grace the Octagon appears to be ending on a sad note. After dropping back-to-back fights including a second round beatdown to Alexander Gustafsson last weekend at UFC 133, the 34-year old Ohio native has announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts while admitting he no longer has the necessary fire in his gut to keep... [Read More...]
Former WEC champ Steve Cantwell drops to middleweight for Mike Massenzio at UFC 136
Following the lead of a number of his peers, Steve Cantwell will attempt to steer his career back on course by dropping down divisions. The final WEC light heavyweight title-holder’s 185-pound debut will take place on October 8 at UFC 136 where he will face 12-5 Mike Massenzio, a middleweight most of the time who got a taste of Cantwell’s old stomping grounds in June as a late replacement against... [Read More...]
Fedor Emelianenko not retiring, will fight again in 2011
Fedor Emelianenko has no plans to hang up his gloves just yet. Released by Strikeforce last week following a first round TKO loss to Dan Henderson, many speculated on the future of “The Last Russian Emperor.” After not losing in almost 10 years, the loss to Henderson marked Fedor’s third straight loss. M-1 Global President and Fedor’s manager, Vadim Finkelstein ended all speculation... [Read More...]
The After Party – “UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz”
Philadelphia is supposed to be the City of Brotherly Love. This past Saturday night, it was more Broad Street Bullying than Brotherly Love going on at the Wells Fargo Center. Four of the five main card fights ended by (T)KO within the first ten minutes. And while there was no Brittney Palmer, her one-time replacement Chrissy Hubbard did an exceptional job filling in. The only thing more exciting than... [Read More...]
Tito Ortiz content with decision to take fight on short notice, gives full respect to Rashad
It wasn’t long ago “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was seen by many as a “bad sport” when it came to his handling of defeat. Known for occasionally bringing up mysterious injuries in the past, such as his infamous “cracked skull” excuse after facing Forrest Griffin at UFC 106, it appears Tito Ortiz has truly turned a corner in his life beyond simply his new attitude towards UFC President... [Read More...]
MMA on TV
Welcome to “MMA on TV”, Five Ounces of Pain’s weekly update on the upcoming MMA-broadcast schedule. Miss the latest episode of “MMA Live” or “UFC Unleashed”? Wondering when Showtime, Spike TV, or HDNet are airing a replay of their latest offering or interested in finding out where to tune into live shows occurring over the next seven days? August 8 – August 14 All Times Eastern Monday... [Read More...]
Chad Mendes injures hand in victory, title-shot could be delayed
Chad Mendes risked his featherweight title shot at UFC 133 by choosing to fight Rani Yahya instead of sitting on the sidelines and waiting for the winner of Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian. Mendes defeated Yahya, but it looks like his title shot may unfortunately be delayed once again. Mendes injured his right hand at the beginning of the second round. Then, after the bout, Mendes commented that he heard... [Read More...]
UFC 133 draws more than 11,000 fans to Wells Fargo Center
While a slew of injuries caused the UFC 133 card to change more times than the color of Katy Perry’s hair, in the end the rotating roster of fighters didn’t keep fans away with the event’s attendance ultimately only being slightly less than average and actually exceeded the number attached to UFC 126. According to UFC President Dana White, Saturday night’s stop in Philadelphia brought in... [Read More...]
Trio of bonuses still awarded at UFC 133 event minus a submission stoppage
Though lacking a “Submission of the Night” due to the absence of a tap-out on the card, UFC 133 still awarded three bonuses including a brand new award related to Dennis Hallman’s choice of ring attire – seriously. “Knockout of the Night” and a $70,000 bonus went to Vitor Belfort after leaving Yoshihiro Akiyama face down and motionless with strikes a little less than two minutes into the... [Read More...]
