Is Carlos Condit the Real Deal? Ask Dan Hardy
Carlos Condit is nearly all the way home after a magnificent performance in the co-main event of UFC 120. Condit delivered a severe examination of Dan Hardy’s chin – in the first round no less – of their welterweight tilt at the O2 Arena in London, and in the bargain, pushed his stock to a higher level. “It was awesome to fight for fans here, even though they’re booing... [Read More...]
Welcome Home Champ – The Boys and the Band Turn Out for Marloes Coenen
Three G’s doesn’t sound like a load of cash for taking the Strikeforce women’s welterweight championship belt from Sarah Kaufman, but certain other laurels came with the Dutch fighter Marloes Coenen’s win. On her return to Amsterdam, Coenen disembarked at Schipol Airport to the adulation of her friends, family and some Golden Glory teammates – a cast which included Alistair... [Read More...]
Jake Shields and Dana White Are Pissing Jon Fitch Off
After the Josh Koscheck vs. Georges St-Pierre matchup for the UFC welterweight title in December at UFC 124, Jake Shields looks like the next likely candidate for a title shot – if he can get past Martin Kampmann when he makes his debut in the Octagon next Saturday at UFC 121. “If Jake Shields should win against Martin Kampmann, it will probably be him next,” UFC President Dana White said... [Read More...]
What Will It Take to Make UFC 120: Bisping vs Akiyama Interesting?
Having a hard time getting your mojo on over “UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama?” Aired on Spike TV free via same-day tape-delay, the fight features British mainstays Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy taking on (respectively) Yoshihiro Akiyama and Carlos Condit. If the pure spectacle of the fights from O2 Arena in London won’t do it for you, then maybe a gaming interest will generate some... [Read More...]
Why Dan Hardy vs Carlos Condit Should Be the Headline Fight at UFC 120
Marshall Zelaznik, UFC UK President, says UFC 120 is expected to break the European attendance and gate receipts records set at UFC 105 with 16,693 paying customers. The previous high for a live gate in Europe was the $2.7 million taken in at UFC 75. Numbers are nice, but this card is hardly the stuff to make a fight fan stay home on Saturday night. Placing two high-profile British fighters on top... [Read More...]
Marloes Coenen Apologetic After Win Over Sarah Kaufman
At the post-fight press conference following her title win over Sarah Kaufman last night, Marloes Coenen did her best to explain what happened in the last few seconds of the fight. Kaufman was less than pleased when Coenen held on to the armbar that cost her the title after Kaufman said she tapped. The weight cut to 135? It did make Coenen look less powerful and she was on the ragged edge of losing... [Read More...]
Strikeforce Diaz vs Noons Quick Results
Nick Diaz Wins Hard Fought Decision The official scorecards read 48-47, 49-47, 49-46 all for Nick Diaz who retained his Strikeforce welterweight championship. Josh Thomson Takes Decision Over Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante The judges scorecards read 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 all for Thomson. Marloes Coenen Upsets Women’s Welterweight Champ Sarah Kaufman For Title With Armbar For two rounds... [Read More...]
A Cut Too Far – Marloes Coenen at 135 Against Sarah Kaufman Tonight
Sarah Kaufman never, ever, pulls a punch. She’s not afraid to tell the boss what’s wrong with his line of reasoning, and so far, she’s been straight on the money. She got herself on a money, fight in front of the television audience fight by talking straight, and she damn well deserves some love for that: “I do see where people are saying she’s never fought at 135, which... [Read More...]
It’s A Grudge Match – Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons 2
“I was real upset that it ended the way it did because it wasn’t like I was hurt,” said Diaz. “Then I kind of dropped the idea of ever fighting a rematch because he got out of MMA. I never considered the first fight as a loss.” Tonight, when Nick Diaz and K.J. Noons square off for the Strikeforce welterweight title, it’s a classic grudge match. In the first fight between the pair... [Read More...]
Upcoming UFC Cards and Their Box Office Potential
UFC 120: This one will be free, and it’s pretty likely to draw somewhere between 2.5 and 3 million viewers on Spike. I’m a Dan Hardy fan, so I’ll like this, but the rest of the card is missing big time star power. UFC 121: It’s Broctober, that means the pent-up demand for big stars will find an expression among fans here. It’s time to “release the hounds,”... [Read More...]
UFC Super Bowl Weekend Card Packed With Star Power
Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin are set to square off at light-heavyweight on the UFC Super Bowl weekend card in Las Vegas at UFC 127 on Feb. 5. The main card will air on pay-per-view with a title fight between middleweight champ Anderson Silva against Vitor Belfort. If that’s not enough to whet your appetite for star power, Ryan Bader and Jon Jones are penciled in for the event as well. Franklin... [Read More...]
The Best Years of Our Lives – Travis Fulton Set to Face Jeff Monson in Florida Event
What do you do when you’re a fighter running out the string? You’re off the rosters of the big promotions – and likely for good – but you know how to do one thing, and working as a greeter at Walmart holds no serious commercial appeal. If you’re Jeff Monson or Travis Fulton, you sign on with Fight Time Promotions and fight in a beer-and-a-movie-theater bout in Pompano... [Read More...]
Nick Diaz vs KJ Noons – Head to Head Comparison
Strikeforce CEO Coker has a feeling there might be a little bad blood between Nick Diaz and KJ Noons, and to that end, Coker told Ariel Helwani during The MMA Hour that he’ll have lots of beefy security on hand to make sure things stay in bounds. Diaz recently wrote a check after Strikeforce: Nashville for his part in the televised brouhaha that took place between Gilbert Melendez, Jake Shields... [Read More...]
Great Ideas in MMA History – A Bellator vs Strikeforce Card on New Year’s Day
Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney is a guy who’s not afraid to think outside the box, and one of the ideas he’s on board with has the ring of genius about it. A Bellator vs. Strikeforce New Year’s Eve event. I like it. Scratch that, I love it. The Bellator honcho, known for his fast-and-loose conception of what MMA should be, has been pushing the idea for months but he’s... [Read More...]
Shane Carwin, Roy Nelson May Settle Their Special Vitamins Debate at UFC 125
It looks like Shane Carwin will get a chance to redress his grievances against Roy Nelson at UFC 125 on the traditional January 1 card in Las Vegas. “I do not care who the opponent is,” Carwin wrote. “I have been in the gym working hard. It is time to see where I belong in the mix.” Carwin and Nelson got into an interweb fracas over Carwin’s role in a steroid scandal earlier this... [Read More...]
It May Not Be Legal, But New Yorkers Find A Way to Dig MMA
Imagine the Empire State excluded from combat sports… The greatest fight fans in these USA deprived of the opportunity to watch the most skilled and entertaining martial artists in the world compete in approved, supervised and medically-monitored contests. It ain’t in your imagination, Jack, it’s the current reality imposed by John Law and his bureaucratic minions. Promoters with... [Read More...]
What Will It Take To Legalize MMA in New York State? A Little Old-Fashioned Grease
The NY Post is reporting that Zuffa Entertainment, owners of the UFC, have come across with some serious money to aid Democratic Candidate for Governor in NY State Andrew Cuomo’s election campaign. According to the Post, Zuffa has delivered nearly $75,000 dollars to the coffers of the Cuomo campaign to move legislation along that would essentially legalize MMA in the state. Zuffa has been grinding... [Read More...]
Don’t Interrupt Dana White While He’s Eating
UFC President Dana White has some, um, opinions when it comes to who’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA. After spending a few moments slamming the media for anointing Jose Aldo as the best in the game, White went on to support his argument with what can only be called a Box Office Defense. White, who’s spent the last few months dogging Anderson Silva for failing to deliver exciting... [Read More...]
Miguel Torres – Reloaded
“An old broom knows the dirty corners best.” - Irish Proverb Miguel Torres put together an uncharacteristically patient fight against Charlie Valencia at WEC 51 on Thursday, and the New Torres was most evident in what appeared to be a complete stylistic revamp of The Torres Way. Torres came out early with his left fully extended, right hand glued to his ear. Not the same old thing, and... [Read More...]
Megumi Fujii Cements Her 115-pound Dominance With Win Over Lisa Ward at Bellator 31
Megumi Fujii made it clear why she’s thought by the cognoscenti to be the best women’s fighter in the world – and that world includes Strikeforce Women’s 145-pound champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos. Fujii delivered a series of pinpoint combinations in the first minute of her fight against Lisa Ward which allowed her to take top position on the stunned Ward after they... [Read More...]
