Eddie Ng talks ONE FC fight on eve of bout against Jian Kai Chee
With less than 24 hours remaining before his featured fight at ONE FC: War of the Lions, rising lightweight star Eddie Ng (4-1) is pumped to once again be competing under the Asian promotion’s banner. On top of getting to fight in an ascending organization with the added buzz of PRIDE-like rules, Ng has a chance to fight an opponent he w thought to have a personal problem with – Jian Kai... [Read More...]
Rolles Gracie talks this weekend’s fight with Bob Sapp, living up to family’s reputation
Rolles Gracie is preparing to take on Bob “The Beast” Sapp in a Super Heavyweight clash at ONE FC: Battle of Heroes in Jakarta on Saturday despite giving away around 100 pounds in weight. However, the member of MMA’s first family is determined to put on a the sort of performance which could establish him as a serious contender for the ONE FC heavyweight title as well as belts outside... [Read More...]
Jessie Rafols talks upcoming bout at February ONE FC event
Bantamweight Jessie Rafols holds a 6-2 professional record and is popular in the Philippines for his non-stop, fan-friendly style of fighting. He is one of the most aggressive fighters in the history of the URCC and will be getting his chance to shine on the international stage for the first time at ONE FC 2 in Jakarta next month. Up until now he has done all of his fighting for the URCC, the most... [Read More...]
Will The Real Anderson Silva Please Stand Up?
The biggest question of UFC 117 this weekend is, ‘which Anderson Silva will turn up?’ Will we see the version which wrecked its way through the middleweight division? Or will we see the version which looked lethargic, disinterested and downright disrespectful in a recent five round title fight against Demian Maia? For everyone’s sake, including Silva’s, I hope it is the former. Another lackluster... [Read More...]
Size Isn’t Everything
If only big fighters came complete with big gas tanks. Big fighters bring something to the table which the smaller guys simply do not and it is not just about marketability, it is about raw power. Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar both hit very hard. The type of blows which would be no more than an irritation if thrown in the lighter divisions suddenly become the stuff of which knockouts are made of when... [Read More...]
When Worlds Collide: Lesnar vs. Carwin
Shane Carwin vs. Brock Lesnar is the sort of heavyweight title fight that the UFC has always dreamed of. Lesnar is well on his way towards establishing himself as the most dominant heavyweight in the sport and Carwin is an up and coming fighter with an immaculate record. Carwin has faced twelve opponents in his career to date and all twelve have been finished via stoppage in the very first round.... [Read More...]
Strikeforce: Fedor vs Werdum – The good, the bad and the ugly
“Strikeforce: Fedor vs Werdum” did not just surpass expectations, it absolutely smashed them. Such was the aura of invincibility surrounding Fedor Emelianenko that many are calling Fabricio Werdum’s submission victory the greatest mixed martial arts upset of all time. It is difficult to disagree with this description. Other results, such as Georges St Pierre’s loss to Matt Serra, might... [Read More...]
Are You Ready: “Strikeforce: Fedor vs Werdum”
Strikeforce: Fedor vs Werdum has few of the makings of a classic. From top to bottom there is very little to capture the imagination in this card. Fedor Emelianenko is obviously the main attraction but it takes two to make a fight interesting and there is little in the record of FabricioWerdum, who has lost four out of his last 11 fights, to suggest he is going to unduly trouble ‘The Last Emperor’. Fedor... [Read More...]
UFC 115: You can criticize the card but you have to admire the action
Fights, not fighters, are what make MMA events entertaining. You can stack a card with high quality fighters but there is no guarantee that this will make for enjoyable fights. UFC 115 came in for heavy criticism from people who were unhappy at the lack of top class talent on display. What the main card of UFC 115 might have lacked in top ranked fighters though it more than made up for with a series... [Read More...]
Are You Ready: UFC 115
Fight fans are up in arms about the lack of quality on the card at UFC 115, and to a certain extent, they are right. Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell is a great fight and if this is to be Liddell’s final Octagon appearance, and he is unlikely to get another chance if he loses, it is fitting that he should get to sign off in style as the main event. It is not by UFC standards a particularly impressive... [Read More...]
It’s Time: “UFC 114: Evans vs Rampage” – A grudge match to savour
UFC 114 is packed full of interesting fights with the pick of the action being a genuine grudge match between Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Evans and Jackson were coaches on the least season of the Ultimate Fighter and the escalating animosity between them was there for all to see. The idea was that the two coaches should meet in a light heavyweight showdown once the series... [Read More...]
Collision Course: Alistair Overeem vs. Fedor Emelianenko
Strikeforce must have breathed a collective sigh of relief when Alistair Overeem comfortably dispensed of the challenge of Brett Rogers in St Louis. Fedor Emelianenko is by far their most marketable asset but they are desperately short of decent opponents for the highly regarded Russian. When you have been at the top for as long as Emelianenko has there is a very elite pool of fighters from whom you... [Read More...]
Heavyweight title confusion is undermining the credibility of Strikeforce
After the disappointing debacle at the conclusion of “Strikeforce: Nashville” involving Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Jake Shields, The Diaz Bros and others, there should be enough firepower on display during “Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery” to ensure that the show makes the headlines for all the right reasons. However, there is one issue which the organization needs to... [Read More...]
It’s Time: “UFC 113: Machida vs. Rua II”
“UFC 113: Machida vs Rua II” may not have been given a catchy nickname but it might as well be entitled ‘back on track’. After a couple of unimpressive cards which have resulted in lackluster fights the upcoming UFC has all the ingredients of a classic. The main event is a relative rarity in recent UFC title fights in that there is little to choose between the two fighters. The first... [Read More...]
WEC 48 – A Fantastic Advert For MMA
There were a few things noticeable by their absence at last weekend’s WEC. One was the booing which has punctuated UFC events in recent weeks. The other was any mention of the term WEC by any member of the commentary team. There are two obvious conclusion to be drawn from this. First off: Fights involving smaller guys are quite simply a lot more fun; and secondly: Zuffa is well aware of this fact... [Read More...]
Jake Shields defection leaves Strikeforce reeling
Jake Shields‘ recent dominating victory over Dan Henderson has left the Strikeforce middleweight division in disarray and handed even more momentum to the rapidly expanding UFC. It appears that the UFC will be the major beneficiary of Shields’ imminent defection from Strikeforce with Dana White all but confirming his arrival. Had Henderson defeated Shields in their recent title fight... [Read More...]
WEC 48: Are you ready?
This weekend WEC is finally stepping out of the shadow of the UFC and putting on a pay per view card of its own. Since Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, purchased WEC in 2006 it has used it primarily to showcase the fighters in the lower weight classes. This has allowed Zuffa to maintain its MMA monopoly by tying up the best talent in the weight classes not currently covered by the UFC. However... [Read More...]
