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Sunday, October 31, 2010
UFC Halloween Costume Ideas
Rampage Jackson
Roy Nelson
Herb Dean
Nate Diaz
Octagon Girl
Bruce Buffer
Alex Caceres aka Bruce Leeroy
Brown Pride Poncho Dude
Joe Rogan & Mike Goldberg (team costume)Benefits of Mixed Martial Arts
It's hard to disagree with the fact that mixed martial arts is a good sport to train for. MMA training provides excellent physical training and many competitors are in top shape. MMA training affords the student the ability to develop concentration skills, focus, perseverance, and dedication. Mixed martial arts enables people of Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland and other states, to train together and collaborate to enhance their skills. Many people find MMA an intriguing sport to participate in and to watch. But MMA remains a controversial sport, even today. Its origins in the "no holds barred" matches have created a dangerous image for the sport. Many people consider MMA to be a dangerous sport. So why do people participate in it?
Mixed martial arts, is an excellent workout. Many people in states such as Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland, find a MMA workout an exciting change from the standard gym workouts. When you're training for MMA, you need an enormous amount of variety in your workout. You'll need speed training, agility training, and stamina. You'll need to work on your core abdominal muscle strength. You'll need to combine conditioning with workouts with the bags, with sparring partners, and learning new moves. MMA training can be exhausting, but it can truly make an enormous difference in how you look and feel. Once you commit to the training, you will see a difference in your body in just a few short weeks. You'll find that you'll be calmer, more relaxed and less anxious. You'll be more focused. You'll discover mental and physical benefits you never imagined.
Mixed martial arts training teaches you to defend yourself. Once you learn the basics of self-defense, your whole perspective will change. You'll be more confident and more free. You'll be capable of defending yourself if you find yourself in a situation where that it needed.
Enrolling in a mixed martial arts class in Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland and other places, can bring enormous benefits to your health and well being. Deciding to participate in MMA classes does not mean that you necessarily have to go the distance and become a fighter. Many people enjoy the health benefits of MMA without making the commitment to become a competitor.
You'll find the mixed martial arts community to be a strong one. You'll find acceptance there, as well as respect. People studying martial arts begin at all levels and at all ages. It's important to be comfortable with where you are in the process, and you need to trust that others will be comfortable with that as well.
The mixed martial arts community is not populated with people who are only out to participate in or witness bloody, "no holds barred" brawls. Most of the participants have decided to take on the challenge of MMA training in order to develop themselves spiritually and physically.
When you think about the benefits of participating in MMA, you'll find yourself curious to find out what's available in your area. Check out the local MMA scene. You'll be glad you did.
If you live in the Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC area, you can check out Lloyd Irvin's, Mixed Martial Arts Academies. They offer a 30 day free trial program on any of the MMA programs.
To register for the 30 day free program and to know more about the benefits of Mixed Martial Arts Classes, visit: http://www.lloydirvinlive.com to learn Mixed Martial Arts from the best of the best in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Tweets of the Week - 10/29
Attention: Merge Ahead
BREAKING NEWS: @ufc and WEC are coming together this UNION is great for fighters, and everyone else. Love the @ufc and the fighters. -Roy Nelson
My opinion on the UFC/WEC merger? @danawhite & ZUFFA just took the sport to a whole new level. Huge benefit for all! -Kenny Florian
Super excited for the merger! It’s like if you took peanut butter an chocolate and merged EM!!! HOW AWESOME WOULD THAT BE!!! -Scott jorgensen
Great to hear that the UFC and WEC merger, the only problem is I put WEC monograms on all my stuff. That makes them cool and retro right? -Daniel Downes
Thanks for all of the great tweets. You guys are awesome. Look forward to closing out 2010 with a BANG! -WEC
WEC is merging into the UFC... no longer am I in the lightest weight class. YES! -Joe Lauzon
Everyone wants to know my reaction to the UFC/WEC merger. Ill show you my reaction my next fight. -Miguel Angel Torres
CAINgratulations!
@cainmma congrats champion -Cole Miller
Congrats @cainmma @Dethrone. -Shane Carwin
Ooooh yyyeah Cains the champ! -Anthony Njokuani
Wow Cain is the man, I was so amped watching that fight -Rory MacDonald
Ohhhh sh*t! Cain couldn't do what? Heavyweight champion of the world -Ryan Bader
Thank you to all my fans that were behind me! We did it!!! This belt is for all of us!! -Cain Velasquez
Let me say it again CAINdaMoNiUm in this bitch!!! -Phil Baroni
AKA PRIDE
On my way back home and back to the grind tomorrow. At least I will be grinding at AKA, home of UFC heavyweight crown! ;) -Mike Quick Swick
One belt won, back to the gym today to help get the other. -Jon Fitch
With the new aka champ. Team zinkin!!! 1 down 1 to go dec 11th http://yfrog.com/jn87442073j -Josh Koscheck
Caintober? -Urijah Faber
Jake vs. Jake
Jake Shields' cardio won't be a factor if he fights me next. I won't keep him around long enough to get tired--- -Jake Ellenberger
No One Can Say Gabe’s Not Tough
http://twitpic.com/30cmod sorry guys -Gabriel Gonzaga
Disappointed Cote
My heart is broken but I have a good people around me !! Thanks for the support !! -Patrick Cote
Is Diego Back? YES!!!
Love diegos heart and intensity! He looked better then ever. Nice win brotha! 505 -Joseph Benavidez
A Great Night for TUF Guys
Thank you everyone for all the support. Dongi yang was very tough and I'm glad I got to fight him. -Chris Camozzi
Thata boy matt hamil! -Jon Bones Jones
Wrestlemania baby! Thanks to the @ufc and everyone who has supported me thus far, continued big things in store for my future! Yyaaayayaya)! -Tom Lawlor
Dedication, determination and perseverance -Court McGee
Yushin Okami - The Thunder Seven
On November 13 in Oberhausen, Germany, Yushin Okami returns to the main event slot for the first time in three years when he takes on Nate Marquardt at UFC 122. For the man dubbed "Thunder", it's an opportunity to earn a long-awaited middleweight title shot and add to his list of defining moments. Anderson Silva WDQ1 – Rumble on The Rock 8 – 1/20/06
13-2 as a pro, with his only losses coming against respected vets Amar Suloev and Falaniko Vitale, Okami made his second US appearance against a pre-prime Anderson Silva in Hawaii. Silva had made some noise on the international scene with five PRIDE appearances, but his 3-2 record in the organization didn’t exactly show off ‘The Spider’ who has been dominating the UFC since June of ’06. On this night in Honolulu, the Brazilian did look to be on top of his game, as he dominated the standup and tossed aside any Okami takedown attempts. Eventually, Okami got Silva to the mat, but just when it looked like the bout was going to get interesting in terms of ‘Thunder’ getting back in the fight, Silva finished the bout with an up kick. Unfortunately for him, it was an illegal move, and he was disqualified by referee (and future UFC fighter) Troy Mandaloniz. On paper, it’s Silva’s last loss, but Okami doesn’t see it as such. “The records say I won but I really lost the match,” he said. “But I believe because of this fight I've grown stronger. The next time I fight him things will be different. I am confident of that.”
13-2 as a pro, with his only losses coming against respected vets Amar Suloev and Falaniko Vitale, Okami made his second US appearance against a pre-prime Anderson Silva in Hawaii. Silva had made some noise on the international scene with five PRIDE appearances, but his 3-2 record in the organization didn’t exactly show off ‘The Spider’ who has been dominating the UFC since June of ’06. On this night in Honolulu, the Brazilian did look to be on top of his game, as he dominated the standup and tossed aside any Okami takedown attempts. Eventually, Okami got Silva to the mat, but just when it looked like the bout was going to get interesting in terms of ‘Thunder’ getting back in the fight, Silva finished the bout with an up kick. Unfortunately for him, it was an illegal move, and he was disqualified by referee (and future UFC fighter) Troy Mandaloniz. On paper, it’s Silva’s last loss, but Okami doesn’t see it as such. “The records say I won but I really lost the match,” he said. “But I believe because of this fight I've grown stronger. The next time I fight him things will be different. I am confident of that.”
Alan Belcher W3 – UFC 62 – 8/26/06
Three months after the win over Silva, Okami returned to Hawaii and lost a majority decision to Jake Shields. It would be his last defeat for over a year, and after two TKO wins in Japan, he made his low-key UFC debut against fellow debutant Alan Belcher, a late replacement for former middleweight title challenger David Terrell. The bout was punctuated by what can be best described as a bizarre front flip by Belcher while Okami rode his back in the third round, but other than that bright moment, it was all Okami, who pounded out a workmanlike three round unanimous decision and announced his arrival to the UFC.
Mike Swick W3 – UFC 69 – 4/7/07
With a 5-0 UFC record, The Ultimate Fighter’s Mike Swick was rapidly closing in on a middleweight title shot, and in front of his Texas fans at UFC 69, most expected him to move to 6-0. But Okami was poised and ready to perform, and he did just that, as he dominated Swick on the mat and grounded and pounded his way to a clear cut three round decision win. It was the fourth consecutive time (following Belcher, Kalib Starnes, and Rory Singer) that the Kanagawa native issued an opponent his first Octagon defeat.
Rich Franklin L3 – UFC 72 – 6/16/07
After Martin Kampmann was forced out of his UFC 72 main event against Rich Franklin, the next logical choice to face the former 185-pound champ for a shot at Anderson Silva’s crown was Okami, who brought a four fight UFC winning streak into the bout. Unfortunately for Okami, his patient style cost him, as Franklin shot out to a 2-0 lead on the judges’ cards. In the third though, Okami showed that he was ready for the best in the weight class, as he closed strong behind a ground attack that included a kimura that almost ended the bout. “It was pretty close; he had me a little nervous but I was able to pull out of it,” said Franklin, who earned the three round unanimous decision win and sent Okami back to the drawing board.
Evan Tanner KO2 – UFC 82 – 3/1/08
Four months after the loss to Franklin, Okami returned with a three round win over Jason MacDonald, yet despite a stellar 5-1 record in the Octagon, fight fans were looking for more thunder from “Thunder”, whose only UFC stoppage came against Starnes at UFC 64. Okami’s response? An emphatic second round knockout of comebacking former 185-pound champion Evan Tanner at UFC 82. It was Okami’s most impressive UFC performance to date, as he dropped and bloodied Tanner in the first round and then finished him with a knee to the head in the second frame. After the fight, the soft-spoken Okami was classy as usual when asked about a rematch with Silva. "It’s up to the UFC," he said. "If they feel I am ready for a title shot, I’d be honored. If they want me to take on another tough opponent before getting a shot at the belt, then that’s what I’ll do."
Lucio Linhares TKO2 – UFC Fight Night – 3/31/10
Following the Tanner fight, Okami split his next two, beating Dean Lister and losing to Chael Sonnen. After the Sonnen fight, Okami knew that to break into title contention, he not only had to put together a win streak, but he had to do so in impressive style. In March of 2010, he got his first opportunity and he made an example of Brazil’s Lucio Linhares, punishing him with some of his best standup work to date en route to a second round stoppage. The victory sent a statement to the rest of the division that just when you thought all you had to worry about was Okami’s ground game, now he could knock you out standing too.
Mark Munoz W3 – UFC on Versus – 8/1/10
Elevated to the position of Japan’s Great UFC Hope, Okami could have been overwhelmed by such pressure, but on a night when countryman Takanori Gomi resurrected his career with a first round knockout of Tyson Griffin, the 29-year old continued his slow and steady rise to the top of the division with a three round split decision win over Mark Munoz. And while the win itself was important, also key was the fact that Okami showed the ability to handle a world-class wrestler in a way he didn’t in his loss to Sonnen nearly a year earlier. So with all his ducks in a row, Okami is back in a title elimination bout against Marquardt, and this time, he expects to get the job done and become only the fifth Japanese fighter (after Yuki Kondo, Caol Uno, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, and Kenichi Yamamoto) to challenge for a UFC crown.
Is Mixed Martial Arts Effective For the Streets Or is it Purely a Combat Sport?
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past few years or so, you would have noticed that thanks to competitions such as UFC the steady emergence of Mixed Martial Arts.
Now before you go on and rave about how amazing and fantastic this idea actually is, the truth is that hybrid martial arts have been around for centuries already!
In early civilizations, the Greeks had pankration as part of the Olympic games. These were hard, rough and brutal no holds barred contests which involved elements or striking, grappling and takedowns. Over time, this brutal sport disappeared, however, elements of it can be seen in modern day mixed martial arts.
In the past 100 years or so, mixed martial arts underwent a revival of sorts. Boxers would compete with wrestlers and vice versa in fairs and special events. Sometimes, western wrestlers were pitted against Japanese judoka.
One Englishman named Edward William Barton-Wright even went so far as to invent a hybrid mixed martial art system called Bartitsu which encompassed Boxing, Jujitsu, judo and french cane techniques. During the 1960s and 1970s, a young Chinese man by the name of Bruce lee created his own form of martial art by blending various eastern and western arts to form what we know today as Jeet Kune Do.
Many people still wondered what it would be like if a boxer faced off against a wrestler, a karate man took on a judoka, a muay thai fighter battled with a Brazilian jujitsu practitioner. It was this idea that gave birth to major mixed martial arts competition such as The Ulitmate Fighting Championship (UFC).
But despite organized modern day gladiator-style competitions such as the UFC, not everyone is convinced that mixed martial arts is useful in the street because of the rules that mixed martial arts organizations have to prevent fatal or serious injuries happening to their fighters.
Can Mixed Martial Arts work in the streets?
There's two ways you can look at it:
No - Some argue that MMA competitions are mainly sporting events and there are loads of rules that limit a fighter's true potential; for example, no strikes to the back of the head, no eye gouging, no biting, no groin strikes, no throat strikes. So fighters used to such rules might not resort to dangerous but effective self defence techniques such as the above on the street in a flash. But in a life and death situation on the streets, all these moves could come in handy for you to escape your attacker. After all, he isn't interested in submitting you, but injuring, raping or causing grevious bodily harm.
Yes - Mixed Martial Artists supposedly (or rather, they need to) have heaps of stamina and thanks to training in different disciplines such as Muay Thai, Brazilian jujitsu, boxing and wrestling can subdue would be attackers in certain situations.
If possible, to avoid being outnumbered by a group of aggressive individuals a fit individual could also flee on foot. It may not sound like the most heroic option but would you rather be alive or left bleeding on the streets from a mortal knife wound? Ultimately, whether or not mixed martial arts manifests itself as a combat sport or an effective self defense system depends on the person utilizing his skills.
Gabriel Huang is an amateur Mixed Martial Arts practitioner who has years of training in Brazilian jujitsu, boxing and Jeet Kune Do. He co-owns an online shop with a fellow martial artist producing a wide range of martial arts gear and apparel at http://www.zealfightgear.com/
UFC Adds New Weight Divisions
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – In a media conference call today, Ultimate Fighting Championship® President Dana White announced the UFC is adding two new championship divisions at bantamweight (135lbs.) and featherweight (145lbs.), while also announcing a new television deal with the VERSUS Network to air four UFC fights in 2011.
“As the UFC continues to evolve and grow globally, we want to be able to give fans title fights in every weight division,” said White. “This is a big day for the sport and the athletes who will have the opportunity to fight on the biggest stage in the world.”
The two new divisions feature WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo who will now be recognized as the reigning UFC featherweight champion, and WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. White confirmed that the winner of the Dec. 16 lightweight title fight between WEC champion Ben Henderson and top contender Anthony Pettis live on VERSUS will take on the winner of the UFC 125 main event title bout between champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. This upcoming fight will serve as a UFC lightweight title unification bout to be held next year.
White also stated the UFC is expanding its presence on the VERSUS Network in 2011, and will increase its number of UFC events from two to four per year. Versus is scheduled to air the two remaining live WEC events in 2010 on Nov. 11 and Dec. 16. The Nov. 11 event in Las Vegas will feature “The California Kid” Urijah Faber’s debut at bantamweight as he takes on Takeya Mizugaki, while the Dec. 16 event in Glendale, Ariz. will feature Henderson-Pettis and a bantamweight title clash between Dominick Cruz and challenger Scott Jorgensen with the winner becoming the new UFC bantamweight champion.
“We have a great relationship with the VERSUS network, and we look forward to working with them to give UFC fans even more free fights in 2011,” said White.
TUF 12 Episode Seven Recap
It’s time for the final preliminary match on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck, but when Dane Sayers and Sako Chivitchian finish taking care of their business, two fighters will be chosen for the Wild Card bout and a second chance at glory. After the official announcement of the Dane Sayers-Sako Chivitchian bout, it is revealed that Team GSP’s Spencer Paige is out of the running for the Wild Card bout after breaking his right hand in his loss to Nam Phan. The injury and his subsequent surgery will keep him in a cast for three months.
“It sucks that I’m out,” said Paige, “but everything happens for a reason.”
That leaves Team Koscheck’s Jeff Lentz, Marc Stevens, Sevak Magakian, Andy Main, and Aaron Wilkinson as the current candidates for the Wild Card bout.
Meanwhile, back in the gym, Koscheck continues his poking and prodding of Team GSP, now turning his attention to team medic Brad Tate, but then it’s off to the baseball diamond at Las Vegas’ Cashman Field for the traditional Coaches’ Challenge. This time, it’s a batting contest between Koscheck and St-Pierre for $10,000, with each member of the winning team earning $1,500.
Koscheck blasts out of the gate fast, with seven runs in the first inning to GSP’s three. Kos is even more impressive in inning number two with nine runs, but GSP, who had never swung a bat before this competition, puts seven runs on the board, closing the gap to 16-10 with one inning remaining. Koscheck closes the show in style though, with 18 runs to St-Pierre’s 0, and he emerges victorious 34-10.
“Georges, what happened today on this baseball field, get used to it,” said Koscheck. “Because come December, you’re gonna have the same feeling. Swing and a miss, swing and a miss again, BAP, I crack a home run. Lights out.”
Now it’s time for Koscheck’s win to translate to his team, and Chivitchian is motivated to do the job. It’s Sayers who draws first blood though as he sinks in a guillotine choke after a Chivitchian takedown attempt. After a few moments, Chivitchian escapes and starts firing ground strikes at his foe. Sayers fights his way back to his feet, but he remains pinned to the fence. With 3:25 left, Sayers breaks loose, but Chivitchian remains the aggressor with the exception of a late takedown attempt from the Team GSP member.
Chivitchian opens the second with a throw to the mat, some striking when Sayers gets up, and another takedown followed by ground strikes, making it clear that he wants to finish the fight strong. With three minutes left, Sayers is able to scramble to his feet, but Chivitchian continues to pressure him and keep him locked up against the fence. Eventually, Sayers reverses position and almost gets a takedown, but Chivitchian grabs the fence, drawing a warning from referee Josh Rosenthal. From there, Chivitchian simply keeps Sayers pinned, securing the unanimous decision win for the Armenian battler.
Sayers is still alive in consideration for the Wild Card bout, and now it’s time for GSP, Koscheck and UFC President Dana White to decide who will get a second shot at staying in the competition. And the winners are…Aaron Wilkinson and Marc Stevens.
With Chivitchian’s win, Team GSP finishes up the prelims at 6-1. Here’s how the teams look:
Team GSP
Michael Johnson 1-0
Jonathan Brookins 1-0
Spencer Paige – Eliminated on episode five by Nam Phan
Alex Caceres 1-0
Kyle Watson 1-0
Cody McKenzie 1-0
Dane Sayers – Eliminated on episode seven by Sako Chivitchian
Team Koscheck
Marc Stevens – Eliminated on episode six by Cody McKenzie
Sevak Magakian – Eliminated on episode six by Jonathan Brookins
Sako Chivitchian 1-0
Andrew Main – Eliminated on episode four by Kyle Watson
Nam Phan 1-0
Aaron Wilkinson – Eliminated on episode three by Michael Johnson
Jeffrey Lentz – Eliminated on episode two by Alex Caceres
For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.
Answers to Criticisms of Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts, has enjoyed a lot of popularity, especially in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC areas. However, it has seen quite a good deal of criticism as well. Here are some answers to criticisms of MMA.
Criticism 1: Mixed martial arts, is not a sport. It's just glorified brawling.
Answer: Mixed martial arts has developed at a fast pace. When the sport began to be popularized, the emphasis was on "no holds barred" competition. This sort of competition drew criticism from many areas and the UFC (United Fight Championship) created a tighter fight format with the institution of many important rules. The Unified Rules of MMA now exist and have been adopted by many state athletic commissions in the United States.
Criticism 2: Since the sport is such a hybrid, it takes less talent to be a mixed martial arts fighter than it does to be a boxer or a wrestler.
Answer: Mixed martial arts, is a hybrid sport that demands more of its athletes than any other sport. Athletes must train in many different disciplines, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, as well as boxing and wrestling, in order to be successful MMA fighters. These athletes need to be in the same sort of superior athletic shape as boxers, wrestlers and martial arts competitors. And they need to have a command of many disciplines at the ready in order to be successful fighters.
Criticism 3: Mixed martial arts is really just street fighting and it encourages violence.
Answer: The MMA culture is truly anti-violent. The participants are encouraging, respectful and collaborative. The MMA community in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC and other states, embrace and welcome everyone who is interested in the sport and who is willing to work hard and show dedication. MMA, develops focus and concentration through training. Competition is just one aspect of MMA. Most participants focus on the training and learning, not the competition. Most MMA schools provide an encouraging, safe atmosphere where individuals are respected. Individual growth is emphasized and cultivated in learning this sport. Fighters may popularize the sport, but most participants don't compete at a high level.
Criticism 4: Because the competitors use thin gloves and no headgear, MMA is more dangerous than boxing or wrestling.
Answer: The padding on boxing gloves can actually cause more damage than the thin gloves used in MMA. The padding is designed to protect a boxer's hands, not the opponent's head. While headgear can help protect from external injuries, it does not provide significant increased protection from serious head injuries.
Criticism 5: In mixed martial arts fights, the competitors are locked in a cage.
Answer: MMA fighters compete in a ring encompassed by a cage that is locked during the competition from the outside. This is to provide for the safety of the competitors. The competitors can "tap out" at any time during the match and the door will be opened. The cage provides protection for the competitors because in this sport, it's much more likely that an MMA fighter will fall out of the competition area than in boxing or wrestling. The traditional "ring" of boxing would not provide the proper amount of protection necessary for the fighters to be safe.
If you've put the so called, criticisms aside and are interested in learning mixed martial arts, you can check out Lloyd Irvin's, Mixed Martial Arts Academies. This is in the Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC area. You can take advantage of the 30 day free trial program that they have.
To learn more about MMA and to join Master Lloyd Irvin's state of art academy in Maryland, Virginia and DC visit: http://www.lloydirvinlive.com. You can also enroll for a 30 day free Mixed Martial Arts Training program that will teach you what mixed martial arts are all about.
Win a Limited-Edition UFC 122 Zombie Poster
Are you in the Halloween spirit yet? Send us shots of your UFC-themed Halloween costume by November 1, 2010 -- the best 100 (as determined by UFC judges) will win a limited-edition UFC 122 poster featuring a Zombiefied Marquardt and Okami. Email pics to fanpic@ufc.com -- all submissions will be added to our Facebook album and eligible to win. Costumes must be UFC/WEC-themed to be added to the album.
Guymon's Journey Brings Him to Anaheim
“I’ll fight whoever (matchmaker) Joe (Silva) matches me up with. I’m not asking for anything, and I know I need to go out there and work for anything that comes between me and that W." Mike Guymon clutched his green beads tight. There weren’t many people wearing them on October 9th. Most participants in the Out of The Darkness Suicide Walk fundraising event in Irvine wore white beads because they lost a child, blue for supporting the cause, orange for losing a brother or sister, or purple if they lost a relative or friend to suicide. Guymon’s green beads represented a different struggle.
“It’s for people who are having a hard time or who had tried committing suicide,” he said. It was the first time I was really involved with something with what I tried to do, and it was hard, but it’s sort of a healing process in a way.”
In August of 2009, Guymon hit bottom. And in a story well-documented throughout the mixed martial arts world, his suicide attempt was prevented by quick action from his wife Nichole and good friend Jim Amormino, a member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Two months later, he was back to his day job as a professional fighter, stopping Quinn Mulhern in four rounds. By January, he was in the UFC and pursuing his dream to fight in the Octagon. His recovery has been a ‘feel good’ story for all who have heard it, but he still remains a man taking things a day at a time. And the first part of Saturday, October 9th was a rough one, especially since he went from the suicide walk event to an appearance where he met fans who wanted to spend some time with a UFC fighter.
“I started crying that day, early in the morning, and right after that, I had to do an appearance and I had to smile, greet people, take pictures, sign autographs, and it’s kinda like how my life has always been,” he said. “I had that dark side and that happy side, and I had to display both that day.”
But he made it, just like he has every day since his darkest hour over a year ago.
“Now with the help and friends and support I have, I’m able to do that much more effectively and deal with those inside demons I have,” he said. And one of the key parts of his daily life has become communicating with those who have walked the same path he has.
“At least once a week I have an email from somebody that is having a hard time or has tried doing it (attempting suicide), or how my story has helped them cope with it and understand how to deal with depression in life,” he said. “They thought, man, even people that are successful are in the same place that I am. I can offer them advice, and it’s all confidential. I handle it through emails or even on Facebook people private message me, and that’s why I am open about it. I want to help someone. I know what it feels like to be in that situation and have that dark cloud over your head and I always tell people that I feel like a dark spot on the sun. My depression’s always there, it will never go away, I just know how to deal with it better.”
As evidence of this, you need look no further than the aftermath of his UFC debut against Rory MacDonald in January. Submitted via armbar in the first round, Guymon’s first Octagon loss was followed by the news that his dog Bishop had died. Yet he soldiered through, hoping that the phone was going to ring for another UFC bout. It did, and he was going to Montreal in May to take on Japan’s Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Now the pressure was really on.
“I knew I was in that position – it’s two and done in the UFC now and I understood that,” he said. “My first UFC fight, it was a dream making it there, but it was also a dream of mine to win in the UFC (Laughs), and I didn’t have my head screwed on straight because of some business and all this stuff was going on. The Yoshida fight, everything was in the right place.”
Well, it was at least until two days before the fight, when Guymon fractured his knee and tore his meniscus.
“It was locking up and painful, but it was one of those mind over matter things – I’m gonna go in there, accomplish this and wherever the fight goes, I want to be on top,” said Guymon, who went on with the fight and pounded out an impressive three round unanimous decision victory. “I stuck to my gameplan and I’m very proud of that fight.”
And rightfully so, as it closed the first chapter of an 11 year tale that saw him make his pro MMA debut in 1999, fight his way up the ranks, and finally get his shot in the big show. The win was the icing on the cake, icing Guymon (13-3-1) wondered if he’d ever get a taste of.
“That happened a lot actually,” he said. “I’ve been fighting a long time and I fought guys that were undefeated and had the notoriety and stuff like that, and I went through ‘em and beat ‘em in good fashion with nice technical fights. I was like ‘man, what’s the deal? When’s it gonna be my shot?’ I never thought it was gonna happen.”
It did though, and now the plan isn’t just to say ‘okay, I made it and I got my UFC win;’ for the 36-year old, it’s about building off the momentum from the Yoshida fight and keep piling on the victories. His first shot at that end of the deal comes this Saturday night in his backyard of Anaheim, as he takes on welterweight prospect Daniel ‘Ninja’ Roberts.
“He’s a great wrestler, a NAIA All-American, his submission game is great, but there are a lot of holes in his striking game and obviously I want to fight him at his weakness,” said Guymon. “I want to test his chin, I don’t think he’s really been tested up there and hopefully my wrestling is enough to keep him on his feet and let him stand with me and see how he can handle that pressure.”
That’s not to say there isn’t pressure on Guymon as well, considering he’s fighting in front of family, friends, and fans who have followed him his entire career. And a loss is never good for your UFC longevity, but Guymon appears to have come to a peaceful point in his life where he will control what he can, and let go what he can’t. And whatever happens after that will happen, in and out of the Octagon.
“I could care less about winning the title in the UFC; I just want to be there, be successful, and keep winning,” he said. “I’ll fight whoever (matchmaker) Joe (Silva) matches me up with. I’m not asking for anything, and I know I need to go out there and work for anything that comes between me and that W. Daniel, I have nothing personal against him and I know he’s a good fighter and he’s in the UFC for a reason; he’s a challenge and I want to beat him. My skills are always getting better and I want to put that on display and I want to do that against Daniel. Hopefully, God willing, everything works out, I get that hand raised at the end of the night, and I go from there. Then it starts the whole process over again, and I just keep trying to better myself mentally, physically, and on all ends of the spectrum.”
And if it sounds like a Hollywood ending is in the making, with the local kid coming home to fight after surviving some harrowing ordeals over the years, that’s about right. But we’ll let the man known as “The Joker” finish writing the ending.
“It ends with a win, my hand raised, and I’ll be smiling,” he said. “I will not be crying. (Laughs) I’ll have the biggest grin on my face, and I’ll tackle Joe Rogan when he comes in the Octagon.”
Raising Cain
“I started this to be the UFC heavyweight champion. That's the only reason I got into this sport was to be the best." Number one Heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez says he’s goofy when it comes to love.
When he proposed to his fiancé after knocking out Minotauro Nogeuira in Sydney, Australia earlier this year, he faked stubbing his toe while strolling on the beach so that he could fall to one knee to ask the mother of his infant daughter to spend the rest of her life with him.
She said yes.
However, if the fight had gone the other way, Velasquez may very well not be engaged today.
“I think if I had lost, I wouldn't have been in that kind of celebrating mood to do that kind of stuff,” said Velasquez, who will take on Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight belt at UFC 121 in Anaheim’s Honda Center this Saturday night.
It’s that goofy side of the undefeated fighter (8-0) that his opponents don’t usually get to see.
Against Cheick Kongo, he proved that he has a good chin, recovering quickly after being rocked in round one by the Frenchman and eventually taking a unanimous decision.
Against Ben Rothwell, Velasquez showcased superior wrestling by dumping the former IFL champ at will on his way to a TKO victory in round two. And at UFC 110, he proved he has devastating hand speed and power, becoming only the second fighter to ever finish Nogeuira. He did so in just 2:20 of the first round.
It’s hot and muggy at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, where Velasquez trains under the watchful eye of Javier Mendez and alongside fellow UFC fighters like Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick and Jon Fitch.
Velasquez is boxing with a local heavyweight boxer whom he’s never sparred with before.
“I told him to take it easy on him, just shadow a bit,” says Mendez. “I told him no head contact.”
The boxer, however, didn’t get the memo, and as his own trainer is ringside, yelling instructions at his charge, the kid lands a left hook to the side of Cain’s head. Cain shoots a look to his corner, and Javier nods, giving Cain the green light to go a little harder.
The next time the boxer throws a combo, Velasquez sidesteps and lands a left hook to the body, dropping the kid. It would be about a minute and a half before he recovers.
That’s the type of fighter Velasquez is. He can turn it on or off with a nod or a shake of a head.
“Cain trains like a lightweight,” says Mendez. “He’s fast and he’s relentless.” Velasquez attributes his work ethic to his parents; migrant farm workers who travel from California to Yuma year-round, picking crops like cotton and watermelon and loading them into trucks.
“He was always working the fields,” said Velasquez of his father. “Picking lettuce, boxing lettuce, throwing the lettuce up in the trucks. That's what they did all day. And my mom did the same thing with him,” said the Mexican-American, who is on a mission to give fellow Latinos a positive role model to look up to, hence the “Brown Pride” tattooed across his chest.
“I got the tattoo for all the hard work they did to come over here to this country,” he said. “They wanted to raise their family here, for a better life for us. Another reason, growing up, I didn't really have anybody that I could look up to in the media. I never thought that I could be in the limelight or play professional sports. So the reason I got the “Brown Pride” was to, you know, show people like me that hey, ‘I’m Mexican too. It can be done.”
Velasquez now faces the biggest fight of his life against someone he says has proved he has the heart of a champion.
“I don’t think a lot of guys could have survived that first round with the kind of ground and pound that Shane (Carwin) was putting on him,” he says. “He (Lesnar) did, he survived the first round, came back in the second round and got the submission,” said Velasquez, who conceded he’s having a hard time finding training partners who could emulate the champion.
“For his size, he's really explosive,” Cain said. “He has really good power. And he moves really well. So to find somebody who has all his attributes, it definitely is tough. We're looking out and we're finding guys his size with really high credentials in wrestling and bringing those guys in,” he said.
While Velasquez is a solid 240 pounds, Lesnar has to cut to make the 265 pound limit, but that kind of size is nothing he hasn’t already seen during his collegiate wrestling days, where he was a two time All-American at Arizona State.
“I had to wrestle guys who had to cut to make 285,” he said. “I chose to fight in this division. This is as big as I’m going to get. I tried getting bigger and it doesn’t work for me.”
Velasquez said he matches up well with Lesnar despite the size difference.
“I think I’m more comfortable with the standup,” he says. “I know he's got a long reach and he's powerful, but I’m going to work on movement and be unpredictable,” he says.
Lesnar shocked the MMA world when he submitted Carwin with an arm triangle, showing off a much improved ground game than he had in any of his previous fights. While impressed with his heart, however, Velasquez wasn’t so impressed with the submission – understandable considering his last fight against Nogueira exposed him to some of the most rigorous submission defense in his training to date.
“Doesn't worry me,” says Velasquez. “I think I'm comfortable and confident, and I'm pretty well aware of what's going to happen if he gets me in that position. I know what to do to get out and stuff like that,” he said.
While enjoying himself as an undefeated fighter in the world’s toughest fight club, Velasquez says he won’t be satisfied until that belt is around his waist.
“I started this to be the UFC heavyweight champion,” said Velasquez. “That's the only reason I got into this sport was to be the best. And I feel if I don't get that belt in my road, in my whole lifetime, I think my career would just be mediocre.”
The Facts About Mixed Martial Arts
Have you seen the Ultimate Fighting Championship? If you have, then you already know why this sport uses mixed martial arts. For those who have no idea, here are some facts you should know about.
Mixed martial arts made its introduction in early 1990's. Its growth was very slow at first and it was always both brutal and violent. In the years that followed, rules were set up which helped gain its popularity among the audience which enabled television channels to broadcast it in the airwaves.
Despite the rules, matches between two fighters are still violent. Some leave the ring with a broken arm or leg while others have cuts or bruises. The only good news is that no one has died yet in the ring unlike boxing. Just to give you an idea, there are at least 11 boxers who die every year.
The reason why you call it mixed martial arts is because a fighter for instance in judo challenges another fighter in another martial art discipline. The key to winning depends on your technique and your conditioning.
Mixed martial arts are now more popular than boxing or wrestling. In one show, it made $30 million and the company owned by the Fertita brothers is now worth $700 million.
The athletes who also participate in these matches get paid very well. One example is Diego Sanchez who was given $7,000 for a fight. If he won the match, he gets an additional $7,000. You could earn more depending on your skill. Top rated fighters can get $200,000 or even more for just one fight.
If you saw the Contender which featured Sylvester Stallone, Sugar Ray Leonard and a few up and coming boxers, a mixed martial arts version came out soon after. Here, amateur fighters are trained by professionals and compete in elimination matches until the last two standing fight for the title of the Ultimate Fighter.
Mixed martial arts has spread throughout the globe. They are called by different names as well. In Japan, it is called PRIDE. The ring and the rules may be different but its essence remains the same.
What you see is what you get when two fighters enter the ring. This means there is no script and everything you see is real. If a fighter goes down, it is because one fighter was better skilled then than the other.
Mixed martial arts is growing despite the fact that it was once banned in television by Senator McCain. Experts believe that it will peak in the next 15 to 20 years and who knows; this sport may one day be part of the Olympics.
But despite what you see on television, mixed martial arts is a great form of exercise and it also teaches you about self defense. This is very useful regardless of your age or gender because criminals attack when they think you are vulnerable.
As a result, a lot of gyms offer classes to their members. Other benefits of learning mixed martial arts include building your self confidence and making you strong both mentally and physically. Children can also learn it so they can defend themselves if ever someone at school decides to pick on them which is something that no parent wants their child to experience.
Ryan Jensen's Veteran Confidence
“I think it’s a great matchup. He’s coming in with a lot of hype behind him, which is great for me. I just think I’m technically more sound than him, I think that I’m a more seasoned veteran than he is and I’m really excited for this fight." A veteran of over 13 years in the fight game, Ryan Jensen’s last fight at UFC 114 in May saw him matched against a younger, faster, maybe even stronger opponent in Jesse Forbes. Yet it was during the first round of the bout in Las Vegas that he was able to turn a dicey situation into his favor thanks to a handy little weapon called experience.
“I didn’t really have a game plan (with Forbes); he was a lefty so we were just trying to make sure that I stayed on the outside of his foot, and shoot left,” said Jensen. “I hit him pretty easy in the beginning, caught him a little bit, and then I kind of pulled a rookie mistake and went straight in on him and he ended up catching me. When you get popped like that you’re just kind of fighting off of instinct and all your training comes into place. With all the hard training we did at Jackson’s and all the hard training I did back home at that camp, instinct took over and I wound up getting on top and catching him.”
Instinct is a trait inherent to fighters with Jensen’s level of experience and one that made way for a first round submission over Forbes at UFC 114. It is also this experience that he believes will take him over the top against his next opponent, TUF 11 winner Court McGee. This fight will be McGee’s first since winning the Spike TV reality show, and Jensen is primed for the next challenge.
“I think it’s a great matchup. He’s coming in with a lot of hype behind him, which is great for me,” said Jensen. “I just think I’m technically more sound than him, I think that I’m a more seasoned veteran than he is and I’m really excited for this fight. I trained really hard - we had a great training camp down at Jackson’s and then out at Premier Combat Center in Omaha and I’m just ready to get in there and fight. I don’t think he has anything that I should be worried about that I haven’t seen anyway.”
Having started his career in 1997, Jensen has run the gamut of all types of opponents throughout his career. His professional beginning in the game was favorable with a four-fight win streak consisting mostly of submissions with a little striking thrown in.
“In the beginning it was just kind of a hobby, as there wasn’t really a lot of money to be made,” Jensen remembers. “Back in the day in my area we didn’t even have amateur fights; they just kind of threw you in there and said, ‘hey, time to go fight and you’re going to get paid pennies. Now let’s go fight.’ It was a cool experience and it’s been neat to watch the evolution of the martial arts go from certain styles fighting certain styles all the way to some of the top guys that we have out there now.”
Jensen’s first loss was to UFC veteran Brock Larson in 2005 before going on a six-fight win streak over competitors like UFC veteran Rob Kimmons. Jensen rode this hot spell straight into the UFC, where he faced two Brazilian jiu-jitsu aces, Thales Leites and Demian Maia. What resulted were two first round submission losses and a temporary exit from the organization. After two consecutive wins, Jensen returned, continuing a pattern of tumultuous Octagon performances with a loss to Wilson Gouveia, a win against Steve Steinbeiss, a loss to Mark Munoz and his last fight, a win over Forbes. Still, the veteran is uber confident in his ability to take out the latest TUF winner, and although McGee is 2-0 as a professional boxer, Jensen sees his standup as his gaping hole.
“I just don’t (see any strengths); he has a lot of hype and he won The Ultimate Fighter and stuff but he’s pretty decent at everything but he’s not outstanding at anything,” said Jensen. “I don’t think his standup’s that good, and he doesn’t use a lot of movement; he’s a big strong dude, he’s a rock, he’s a grinder and that’s his benefit, but I’ve been in this game a lot longer than most of the guys around and I’ve trained with some of the best guys in the world, so nothing really surprises me about him at all.”
Training for Jensen has been with the same usual suspects as his last couple of fights. His home base is still his childhood home of Omaha, Nebraska and home gym at Premier Combat Center, in addition to his adoption of Jackson’s gym down in New Mexico.
“Keith Jardine, Joey Villasenor, Rich Chavez helped me and Diego (Sanchez) was getting ready for his fight on the same card so we just had a great camp back at Jackson’s,” said Jensen. “A lot of good dudes out there and guys coming in and out all the time. Carlos Condit was a great one too; me and Carlos had a lot of fun training for this fight and I helped him train for Dan Hardy earlier. I was supposed to fight Steve Steinbeiss way before and that fight ended up getting cancelled but it was during that fight that I started with Jackson’s. I went out there for about a month and now I’ve been training there for most of my fights.”
As the veteran gets ready to take on his next challenge, his thoughts stay on the fans who he fights for every time.
“I’m just out to push the pace, to be exciting and I’m not just going to sit there and lay and pray; I’m looking for the win every time and hopefully it’s exciting for everybody,” said Jensen. “I lay it all out on the line so in my heart I know I did the best. I’ll show up to fight anytime, anywhere. I’m a fighter and I hope they like me for it. I’m a good dude, a hard worker and I’m out there to just keep getting better and better.”
Friday, October 29, 2010
TUF 12 Episode Six Recap
CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – On last week’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck, Josh Koscheck’s squad finally got on the board thanks to Nam Phan’s win over Spencer Paige. Now the task is to see if they can grab two victories in a row. Still basking in the glow of victory, Josh Koscheck has control of the next fight pick and he and his team are pondering which matchup to make. Meanwhile, the members of Team GSP aren’t too happy about Team Koscheck’s post-fight celebration after the Phan-Paige fight, and they’re vowing to get even.
“I think the yellow team completely forgot that we already won three fights and we didn’t rub it in at all, and it shows their true side – they’re just not good sports.”
Koscheck didn’t make matters any better when he came to the house and started getting into some trash talk with Team GSP’s Michael Johnson. But what really matters is what happens in the Octagon, and for this week’s first fight, Team Koscheck’s Marc Stevens is pitted against Cody McKenzie, who gives Koscheck a little poke in the face at the square off with his opponent.
And when the bell rings, McKenzie lives up to his confident words, taking Stevens out within seconds with his signature move – the guillotine choke.
“Man…oof,” is all Koscheck can say. “Did that just happen?”
With the win, Team GSP moves to 4-1 and regains control of the fight picks. And in the next fight, St-Pierre picks Jonathan Brookins to face Sevak Magakian.
First, there’s a little bad news for St-Pierre, who gets cut on the eyebrow while training with his team, but he insists to his future opponent, Koscheck, that he’ll be ready for their December bout in Montreal.
In this week’s second bout, Brookins takes control early with a nice takedown, and when Magakian tries to scramble up, Brookins takes his back. Magakian makes it to his feet, but eventually he succumbs to a rear naked choke and, like Stevens, gets put to sleep.
With this second win of the week, Team GSP improves to 5-1 and retains control. Here’s how the teams look:
Team GSP
Michael Johnson 1-0
Jonathan Brookins 1-0
Spencer Paige – Eliminated on episode five by Nam Phan
Alex Caceres 1-0
Kyle Watson 1-0
Cody McKenzie 1-0
Dane Sayers
Team Koscheck
Marc Stevens – Eliminated on episode six by Cody McKenzie
Sevak Magakian – Eliminated on episode sic by Jonathan Brookins
Sako Chivitchian
Andrew Main – Eliminated on episode four by Kyle Watson
Nam Phan 1-0
Aaron Wilkinson – Eliminated on episode three by Michael Johnson
Jeffrey Lentz – Eliminated on episode two by Alex Caceres
For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.
UFC 121 - Main Card Fantasy Preview
In what many consider to be the biggest and most anticipated fight of 2010, Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar meet in the main event of UFC 121 Saturday night. And while much of the focus on this clash of titans, there are four other outstanding fights lined up on the main card. So before you enter your own picks read on for this event’s fantasy preview Brendan Schaub vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
A veteran of season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter, Brendan Schaub is looking to move his winning streak to three on Saturday. After getting knocked out by Roy Nelson at the TUF10 finale, Schaub won his next two fights against Chase Gormley and Chris Tuchscherer. He knows that by beating a “name” opponent on Saturday night, it will help him get into the heavyweight division mix.
Relatively unknown back in April of 2007, it didn’t take long for people to notice him. Although Gonzaga is known for his ground game, UFC 70 changed all that. Back at that bout in 2007, most people expected Mirko Cro Cop to do what he always does – use vicious kicks to end the fight. Using the blueprint on how Cro Cop beats his opponents, Gonzaga finished the fight by a kick to the head that people argue may be one of the greatest ever seen in the Octagon. But since defeating Cro Cop, Gonzaga has only gone 3-4 and is searching for the type of performance he had back in April of 2007.
When the Octagon gate closes on Saturday night, regardless of what Gonzaga did to Cro Cop, look for Schaub to try and keep the fight standing while he looks for his opportunity to capitalize on a mistake made by Gonzaga – a mistake that he hopes will send him folding to the canvas. For Gonzaga, look for him to try and bring the action to the mat where he feels most comfortable and has the ability to finish the fight.
A veteran of season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter, Brendan Schaub is looking to move his winning streak to three on Saturday. After getting knocked out by Roy Nelson at the TUF10 finale, Schaub won his next two fights against Chase Gormley and Chris Tuchscherer. He knows that by beating a “name” opponent on Saturday night, it will help him get into the heavyweight division mix.
Relatively unknown back in April of 2007, it didn’t take long for people to notice him. Although Gonzaga is known for his ground game, UFC 70 changed all that. Back at that bout in 2007, most people expected Mirko Cro Cop to do what he always does – use vicious kicks to end the fight. Using the blueprint on how Cro Cop beats his opponents, Gonzaga finished the fight by a kick to the head that people argue may be one of the greatest ever seen in the Octagon. But since defeating Cro Cop, Gonzaga has only gone 3-4 and is searching for the type of performance he had back in April of 2007.
When the Octagon gate closes on Saturday night, regardless of what Gonzaga did to Cro Cop, look for Schaub to try and keep the fight standing while he looks for his opportunity to capitalize on a mistake made by Gonzaga – a mistake that he hopes will send him folding to the canvas. For Gonzaga, look for him to try and bring the action to the mat where he feels most comfortable and has the ability to finish the fight.
Paulo Thiago vs. Diego Sanchez
With a professional record of 13-2, Paulo Thiago is entering this fight with a must-win mindset. Wanting to work his way to the top of the welterweight division, Thiago knows losing two fights in a row could severely hamper his prospects. The last time the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt entered the Octagon was back at UFC 115, where he lost a unanimous decision to Martin Kampmann. Prior to his fight with Kampmann, Thiago was riding a two-fight winning streak and was starting to move his way up the welterweight ladder. Now the thunder-fisted native of Brasilia, Brazil is looking to start a new hot streak and get back into the thick of the division.
Diego Sanchez is hoping to avoid losing three straight fights for the first time in his career, after dropping consecutive fights to BJ Penn and John Hathaway. Sanchez, like his opponent, knows that a long losing streak in the UFC could be detrimental to his career. Sanchez has been in this place before – losing two straight fights to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch. After losing to Koscheck and Fitch, Sanchez went on a tear – winning his next four fights and eventually earning a crack at the UFC lightweight title. This is Sanchez's first fight in the Octagon since reuniting with trainer Greg Jackson.
With both fighters having similar fighting styles, it’ll be interesting to see how the fight goes. My hunch is that this will play out as an action-packed war on their feet. Sanchez likes a fast and furious pace, is known for great cardio, and will try to use that to his advantage.
Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill
I remember being on the set of season three of The Ultimate Fighter when the coaches were about to pick their teams. At the time, I didn’t know anything about the fighters who were trying to win the coveted six-figure contract in the UFC. Prior to the coin flip, I asked Tito what he thought of that season's cast. He immediately raved about Matt Hamill and heaped high praise upon the gifted stranger. Sure enough, Ortiz picked Hamill to be on his team. Saturday night will be the first time that a coach on The Ultimate Fighter will fight someone whom he picked to be on his team.
The longest reigning light heavyweight champion in the history of the UFC, Ortiz is fighting in quite possibly the biggest fight of his career, even though this fight isn’t for the title or even the evening's main event – scenarios that Ortiz has become accustomed to throughout his career. Having battled through neck and back pain for nearly seven years, Ortiz hasn’t won inside of the Octagon since he beat Ken Shamrock back in October of 2006. Although he hasn’t won since then Ortiz has only fought four times thanks to two surgeries. The last time we saw Ortiz in the Octagon was back at UFC 106 where he ended up on the short end of a split decision to Forrest Griffin. In his fight with Griffin, Ortiz showed the ring rust that would be expected from a fighter who hadn’t fought in 18 months. Saying that he is perfectly healthy going into Saturday’s fight after his neck surgery, we will see the rare occasion of a teacher fighting his former student.
Having only started training in MMA six months prior to appearing on The Ultimate Fighter, Hamill was still seen as an early favorite to win the UFC contract, but an injury forced his early exit. Although his injury forced him off the show, Hamill showed that he had the ability to fight in the UFC when he made quick work of Jesse Forbes by defeating him in the first round on the TUF finale. Since beating Forbes, Hamill has gone 7-2. Currently riding a four fight-winning streak (one of them a disqualification victory over Jon Jones), Hamill knows that a victory over Ortiz will silence some of the naysayers that are out there.
Both Ortiz and Hamill rely on their wrestling and are very familiar with each other's games, so it will be interesting to see the game plan each fighter tries to impose on Saturday night. Ortiz, often known for his superior cardio, will look to push the pace from the opening bell. By pushing the pace, Ortiz knows that as the fight progresses, he’ll have a better chance of bringing Hamill to the canvas to work his patented ground and pound. Hamill, a three-time NCAA national wrestling champion, may look to keep the fight standing given his heavy hands and sturdy chin because each time Hamill enters the Octagon, he seemingly looks better and better on his feet.
Martin Kampmann vs. Jake Shields
Fighting out of Las Vegas, NV, Martin Kampmann holds a professional record of 17-3, with notable victories over Thales Leites, Jorge Rivera, Paulo Thiago, and Carlos Condit. A former Danish Thai boxing champion, Kampmann is particularly well respected on his feet. Although his main strength lies in the standup realm, his opponents often seem to sleep on his ground game. Kampmann, who is currently riding a two-fight winning-streak, knows that a victory on Saturday night will put him near the top of the welterweight division.
It was never a matter of if Jake Shields would ever fight in the UFC, but when. Prior to making his debut on Saturday night, Shields steamrolled through opponents around the world has won 14 straight. Wanting to fight the best of the best, Shields believes that he has what it takes to become a champion in the UFC. And following a win at 185 pounds over Dan Henderson earlier this year, it will be interesting to see how Shields re-adjusts to life at 170.
Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez
The hulking frame, the outlandish and unpredictable personality. That is part of Brock Lesnar's appeal. He is arguably the most popular fighter to join the UFC thanks to a WWE career and a brief stint in the NFL. It’s rare that you see a world champion with a record of 5-1, but when you look at the results of his fights, it’s quite evident why Lesnar was given a title shot so early in his career. With notable victories over Randy Couture, Frank Mir, and Shane Carwin, Lesnar's only setback inside the Octagon was to Mir (a loss later avenged). Though Lesnar truly looks unstoppable at times, and the hype that surrounds his fast-evolving game is immense, it is important to remember that he is still human. After avenging his earlier loss to Mir at UFC 100, Lesnar went to do what he always does after a fight – hibernating with his family and hunting with buddies. In fact, it was a hunting trip to Canada that changed Lesnar's life and threatened his fight career. During the outing, Lesnar just didn’t feel right and he was eventually diagnosed with diverticulitis. At the time of his diagnosis, it seemed unlikely that the incredibly shrinking heavyweight would ever fight again. It was during that time Lesnar put things into perspective and realized what’s really important in life. After trying everything the doctors suggested, Lesnar tried holistic medicine and to his doctors’ surprise, he was cured. Although he was no longer sick, Lesnar had to build back the muscles and cardio he had lost before he got back into the Octagon. Although Lesnar didn’t look his best when beating Carwin -- taking a beating during round one under a hail of Carwin punches -- there’s something to be said for coming from behind against an opponent like Carwin during your first fight back after a career-threatening ailment.
Now back to full strength, and pronouncing himself more confident than ever, Lesnar faces off against a ferocious foe who some believe is the future of the heavyweight division. Looking to become the first fighter of Mexican descent to become a heavyweight champion in the UFC, Cain Velasquez is probably the most complete fighter Lesnar has ever battled. Fighting out of San Jose, CA, Velasquez was a two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State University. After winning his first two professional fights, Velasquez was signed to a UFC contract – racking up six straight wins to run his pro record to a perfect 8-0. Velasquez earned his title shot after knocking out “Minotauro” Nogueira in the first round of their fight at UFC 110. Other than going the distance with Cheick Kongo in a one-sided affair, Velasquez has ended five fights via strikes in the first round and two contests in the second round. He has never lost a round in his career.
Brock Lesnar is known for tipping the scales right at the 265-pound heavyweight limit, where Velasquez on the other hand, will come in about 25-pounds lighter than his opponent. Look for Velasquez to try and use that speed to his advantage. Don’t expect him to stay in one place for too long – he will look to be continually moving around while throwing punches and kicks (and perhaps firing off knees when Lesnar shoots). Look for Lesnar to keep the same game plan as usual: Trying to connect with powerful right hands on his feet and putting Velasquez on his back with those bull-rushing double-leg takedowns. Ground and pound will likely be Lesnar's preferred blueprint. He knows that with his power and size advantages, it will be very difficult for Velasquez to get back to his feet.
Mixed Martial Arts For the Entire Family
Do you live in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. area? Does your family do everything together? Are you considering learning mixed martial arts? If your answer to these questions is yes, then you have come to the right place. This article will give you answers to questions you may have about mixed martial arts for the entire family.
Many people worry that mixed martial arts is not right for the whole family. They couldn't be more wrong. From young of age to young at heart, age has no bearing on learning MMA. It can be a family affair if you choose to make it such. Families who learn MMA together find they can help each other with problem areas while training, increasing the bond among them.
There are many benefits to learning mixed martial arts as a family as well:
? Less conflict within the family because each member of the family is taught to deal with conflict in a positive way.
? Better health among family members who may suffer from being over weight or other health problems.
? It helps build respect for all and through respect it builds a closer bond between family members.
? Builds self confidence not only among the children but also adults that may lack the self confidence to reach their goals.
? Teaches self defense which is helpful in different situations.
? Children have fewer problems in school because they learn to stay focused on one task at a time.
Families who learn mixed martial arts together find that they enjoy the time spent together much more when everyone is doing the same thing together. Even families with autistic children find that their children benefit much more when the whole family participates. Plus autistic children usually excel at MMA quicker than other children.
The lessons that are taught through mixed martial arts can be carried through life and used on a daily basis. This enables children as well as adults to better deal with problematic situations that may arise from day to day such as, bullying, work related problems and even family problems. The structured environment gives everyone a secure feeling within the classroom and that structure and security follows them to the home environment as well.
Talk to other families who have joined a mixed martial arts class together. You will find that their family has grown closer and is much more structured than it was before joining. Visit a family MMA school in your area and watch some of the exercises that are performed. If you still have not made up your mind, ask if they have a free class that you can participate in to see if this is what your family would enjoy. Many schools have free classes which allow you to participate to see if this is the right style of martial arts for you and your family. You can try out Lloyd Irvin's, MMA Academies. They offer a 30 day free trial program on any of the MMA programs, and have locations in the Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC area.
Getting your family involved in something as special as mixed martial arts can only improve the unity your family enjoys now.
To register for the 30 day free program and to know more about the benefits of Mixed Martial Arts Classes, visit: http://www.lloydirvinlive.com to learn Mixed Martial Arts from the best of the best in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC.
Gilbert Yvel - The Ivory Anniversary
"I’m really eager to go in and destroy my opponent, and it’s not the smartest move, but it’s in my genes and it’s what I learned when I was young. You go in there and try to knock the person out." A fighting landmark is fast approaching for Gilbert Yvel. It is a blessing and also a curse to be a fighter, as the constant menagerie of ups, downs and in-betweens can haunt you, and to have milestones come across your lap in this game is rare indeed.
This Saturday, October 23, 2010, will mark the Yvel’s 14 year anniversary as a fighter, an accomplishment not many can claim. In those 14 years Yvel has seen his share of glory, both achieved and stolen, and throughout the whole time he has only sought to stay relevant amid the positive bustling times that MMA has now undergone worldwide. To his delight and chagrin, the game and its players have evolved and he has been studiously observing the whole journey.
“Back in the day, it was just get in the ring and fight, but now there’s a whole game plan like an American football game,” says the veteran Yvel. “It doesn’t matter how strong you are or how fast you are or how good you’ve got it, if you don’t have a good game plan they’ll just take everything away from you. Nobody wants to stand with me; they’ll just take me to the ground because that’s my weak point. They are so smart and now I have to learn an all-new game. I’m really eager to go in and destroy my opponent, and it’s not the smartest move, but it’s in my genes and it’s what I learned when I was young. You go in there and try to knock the person out. You don’t run or try to take somebody down or hide or whatever; you fight and it’s a little bit different now.”
In American marital folklore, a 14-year anniversary is classified as the ivory anniversary and since in this case MMA is the loving spouse of Yvel, ivory, with its hard, yet regal, veneer, is the perfect accompaniment to Yvel’s milestone. Like Yvel it is rare and considered old school luxury, fitting since this PRIDE vet has survived wars inside rings and cages across this planet that most fighters can only wish to enter into. His list of competitors reads like a who’s who of MMA dossier. With wins over Pedro Rizzo, Gary Goodridge, Fabiano Scherner and Cheick Kongo, Yvel has seen the best of the big men during their prime. Now planted in the UFC heavyweight division, Yvel hopes to further propel his name and career amid the new giants of the game.
“The whole game is so different after the 14 years since I started, and everyone is so smart and using tactics. They’re not going toe-to-toe anymore, everybody’s moving, everybody’s getting better stand-up, everybody’s getting better on the ground,” says an excited Yvel. “Only a game plan can make the difference for a fighter. I think if half of the fighters fought without a game plan and without all the tactics like back in the day, nobody would’ve made it. But everybody’s so smart right now. Every single heavyweight with a smart game plan and a strategy can be champion, that’s how I see it.”
After two showings in the UFC, Yvel has yet to live up to his former glory within the Octagon’s hallowed walls. Falling first to Junior Dos Santos via first round TKO at UFC 108 and then via unanimous decision to Ben Rothwell at UFC 115, Yvel is in need of some resuscitation, but to him, it is simple preparedness and conforming to the new school ways of tactics and strategy that will move him past these losses.
“My first Junior Do Santos fight I took it on really short notice and I wasn’t really prepared and I lost, but it happens,” said Yvel. “My second fight was really tough against Ben Rothwell. We were so focused on the stand up fighting and our game plan wasn’t perfect for that fight, but he just took me down the whole time and I just didn’t train my wrestling. I’m learning a lot of stuff right now.”
On the day of his anniversary, Yvel faces a new challenger in undefeated Jon Madsen. This being Madsen’s fourth UFC visit, with all the others going his way, Yvel definitely will find a perfect storm of new meets experienced on this special day. Yet to Yvel, Madsen is just another guy who probably won’t want to trade blows with the always-dangerous veteran.
“Madsen’s a good wrestler and I don’t really like wrestlers because all they want to do is take it to the ground, but I’m really prepared,” said Yvel. “This is a good fight for me maybe because I have more experience than him and the only thing he knows is wrestling. Stand up is his weakness and he also doesn’t have that really good jiu jitsu. I have good jiu jitsu but it doesn’t come out all the time because my wrestling sucks. Let’s just say his only strong point is wrestling. Give me until after the fight, let me first knock him out and then I can tell you all about why that was a good fight for me.”
Having incorporated new staples into his training regimen like morning running, which Yvel hates, sprints in the evening, which Yvel never did until this camp, and training with Muay Thai trainer, Shawn Yarborough, MMA training with John Lewis and the addition of a former Boise State wrestling coach, Yvel is ready to change his UFC course. Now if only someone will stand with him.
“What I like to give people is action. I like to fight with no emotions, I just go in the cage and try to knock my opponent out I think it’s why most of the people love me because that’s what I always like to do. Of course, there are some awesome ground fighters, but I think people like the action. I step in the ring and I show people I just want to fight, I want to destroy my opponent, and I want to knock him out. There’s no other way for me.”
UFC Stars to Host UFC 121 Viewings
California - Sacramento
Joseph Benavidez and Chad Mendes, Cinemark Roseville 14
Joseph Benavidez and Chad Mendes, Cinemark Roseville 14
California - San Diego
Dominick Cruz, Regal Horton Plaza
California - San Diego
Joey Beltran, Regal Mira Mesa 18 with IMAX
Colorado - Lakewood
Shane Carwin, Regal Colorado Mills Stadium
Georgia - Alpharetta
Brian Stann, Regal North Point 8
Nebraska - Omaha
Jason Brilz, Marcus Village Point Cinemas
Nevada - Las Vegas
Stephan Bonnar, Century 16 Southpoint
New Jersey - Asbury Park
Kurt Pellegrino and Greg Soto, CLV Middlebrook Galleria Cinema 10
New Jersey - Parsippany
Ricardo Romero, Parsippany Cinema 12
Oklahoma - Oklahoma City
Melvin Guillard and Joe Stevenson, Cinemark Tinseltown USA
Oklahoma - Tulsa
Gerald Harris, Cinemark Tulsa 17 with IMAX
Texas - Dallas
Johny Hendricks, Cinemark 17 with IMAX
Utah - Salt Lake City
DaMarques Johnson, Cinemark 24 West Jordan
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Madness
While browsing ESPN, you spot what seems like a boxing match, until suddenly opponents start to kick one another. The next thing you know, the two fighters are on the ground, striking one another. Welcome to the exciting and increasingly popular arena of mixed martial arts (also known as MMA). You may think this is the next wave in martial arts entertainment, but this combat sport has actually been around since the Olympic games in 648 BC.
What to Expect During a Match
Mixed martial arts uses three different phases of fighting - stand-up, clinch and ground. Stand-up fighting incorporates boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai. Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, Sambo (from Russia), as well as Judo are used in the clinch phase of fighting. The ground phase of fighting is characterized by Brazilian Jui-Jitsu (focuses on positioning), shoot wrestling, catch wrestling, Judo, as well as Sambo.
Fighting techniques that you may encounter during a MMA competition includes kicks, punches, knees, pinning holds, sweeps, takedowns, throws, some elbowing, as well as hand-to-hand combat. A win is typically awarded through the decision of a judge. Matches are timed, therefore, the decision comes after the allotted time has passed. Other circumstances that end a fight include referee stoppage, fight doctor decision, submission, cornerman throwing in the towel and of course, a knockout.
The Mixed Martial Arts of Today
The kind of fighting techniques associated with the mixed martial arts of today deals with a combination of different professional fighting styles. Most commonly, a fighter started training in one specific arena of fighting and later decided to branch off into other styles of combat. The main styles of fighting include sprawl-and-brawl, clinch-and-pound and ground-and-pound.
Sprawl-and-brawl is a stand-up fighting approach that utilizes striking and purposefully avoids fighting on the ground. This type of fighter usually has a strong background in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai or karate. To fight in this style, MMA fighters have undergone training in wrestling. Well-known mixed martial artists connected to this approach include Chuck Liddell, Maurice Smith and Phil Barconi.
Clinch-and pound uses clinch fighting tactics characterized by a clinch hold. While a fighter holds an opponent so that they cannot move, they will often strike the body using their knees, or other dirty boxing moves. Most of these fighters started wrestling before incorporating boxing techniques. Don Frye, Dan Henderson and Randy Couture are familiar with this style of fighting.
Ground-and-pound involves the taking down or throwing of an opponent. The next step is to get into the dominant position, attacking with strikes. Wrestlers usually turn to this type of fighting, which has been used by the likes of Mark Coleman, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz.
Since there are so many different styles of MMA combat associated with mixed martial art, you may think that there is nothing a fighter can do to their opponent. In actuality, there are several fouls connected to this sport. A fighter are not allowed to head-butt, eye gouge, pull the hair, bite, attack the groin or strike the back of the head or kidneys of an opponent.
MMA Organizations
Bringing the exciting world of mixed martial arts fighting to the public are several different organizations that all have their own specific rules and regulations. One of the most well known, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) tests their fighters for steroids and other illegal substances before allowing entrance to one of their championship bouts. In this organization, elbow strikes are allowed with the exception of ones that come from the north-south direction. PRIDE Fighting Championships mainly offer two different MMA weight classes (heavyweight and middleweight) and forbids fighters from intentionally hanging an arm or leg on the ropes.
With the ZST, which is an organization based in Japan, there are two five-minute rounds. At the end of a match, a fight is deemed a draw if there was no knockout (KO), technical knockout (TKO) or Submission. MMA judges are not used in this form of fighting. Shooto is another form of combat fighting that presents separate rules and regulations for three different class levels (A, B, and C). Level C is set aside for the amateurs. Three 4-minute rounds are attached to the International Fight League, which uses a different pair of gloves, offering less padding.
Regardless of where or within which mma organization, mixed martial arts madness is sweeping the globe and is coming to a "cage" near you!
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Tito Ortiz - Strictly Business
"I just think I have so much more fight in my heart, being 35 years old, and I think I have a lot more competition left in me. Being at a hundred percent and able to compete at this level is something that I know I can do.” Tito Ortiz assumed that the worst part was over. Following spinal fusion surgery in October of 2008, the longest reigning light heavyweight champion in UFC history was finally given a clean bill of health and cleared to make another run at the title he so coveted.
And while he would lose his first fight back in the Octagon to Forrest Griffin in November of 2009, the razor-thin split decision defeat did show glimpses of a rejuvenated fighter who could make some noise at 205 pounds again should he keep an active schedule. And he agreed.
“I had a lot of points where I thought I had it all back,” said Ortiz of the Griffin fight, which evened the score between the two at 1-1. “I remember thinking in the third round that I had the first two rounds won and thinking ‘don’t get knocked down, don’t get taken down, and you’ve got the fight won.’ I watched the fight around 15 times, and I don’t know what the judges were thinking. I thought I won, I thought it was a great comeback, and I showed a lot of heart and determination. I had a fractured orbital bone and a ruptured disc in my neck, and I was still able to compete and show what type of heart I have.”
The next step for Ortiz was a big one, a return stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. This time, we would be pitted against former friend and longtime rival Chuck Liddell, with the two UFC superstars meeting in a third bout in Vancouver at UFC 115 in June. But it was not meant to be, as everything Ortiz thought was over reared its ugly head again.
“I thought I was done (with the injuries), but when you wake up and have numb arms, numb legs, and you have headaches every single day, you know something’s wrong,” he said. “The doctor did an MRI and he said that I had a ruptured disc that was pressing on my spinal cord and that’s why I was having the problems that I had.”
Ortiz was pulled from TUF11, pulled from the Liddell fight and sent back under the surgeon’s knife. The C6 and C7 vertebrae were fused, and not surprisingly, when the surgery was done, his first question was whether he could fight again.
Affirmative. But now the hard work was beginning again, even though the second surgery was described to him as 50-60% easier than the one performed on his back. Still, it’s been a long couple of years for “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” but ones that he’s put in the back of his mind as he moves forward.
“It’s been a rebuilding process for me the last two years,” he said. “Coming off two major surgeries, it was a very scary point in my life and my career, and now that I’m healed, the sky’s the limit now. I’m able to train and wrestle and do all the things that I couldn’t do before. When you’re only putting in three days a week due to injuries, it’s hard to do. But now I’m able to put in five, six days a week of training. I still have a lot of work to do rebuilding, but I’ve still got five fights left on my contract and in each one I’ll get better and better. After the surgeries I’ve gotten done, some athletes never compete after that; and I’m here to prove a lot of people wrong and prove that you’re able to do things like this after surgery as long as you keep your nose to the grindstone and that’s what I’ve been doing.”
That’s the physical part. As for the mental part of it, what could possibly encourage a man to sacrifice so much for the sake of sport. Sure, the money’s nice and so is the fame, but Ortiz has both, and his legacy as one of the game’s great light heavyweights is secure. So what’s the hook?
“I love the sport,” he answers without hesitation. “And I love everything I’ve been given to this point from my fans, from Lorenzo Fertitta, Frank Fertitta, and Dana White. Over the last five years we’ve had our battles back and forth, but in the long run, I was here at the very beginning, I was here when there was nobody else. They put everything on my shoulders to help carry this company, and I did my part. And I see now that we’re mainstream; we’re what I’ve always dreamed this sport to be. But I just think I have so much more fight in my heart, being 35 years old, and I think I have a lot more competition left in me. Being at a hundred percent and able to compete at this level is something that I know I can do.”
It’s an uphill climb, and he knows it, but that’s true of anything worth having, and this Saturday night in Anaheim, we’ll see just what Ortiz has left in the tank when he takes on his former student from the third season of The Ultimate Fighter, Matt Hamill. And while the fight is obviously important, facing off against someone who he mentored is a challenge in and of itself.
“Business is business,” said Ortiz. “Matt Hamill took the fight and I said ‘cool, game on.’ But it’s strictly business. My main goal is to get my world title back. If I’ve got to fight someone who’s 4-0, let it be. It don’t matter to me. I just want to compete and I want to give the fans the best fights I possibly can do.”
The bout against Hamill brings to mind the last time Ortiz was in this situation, when he faced Liddell for the first time in 2004. While the acrimony between the two is evident now, back then, Ortiz was reluctant to face his buddy in the Octagon.
“Chuck was the only situation like that, and I learned from their mistakes,” he said. “I saw what people’s true colors are, and at the end of the day, all fighters want to get paid, all fighters want to excel and be the best, and at any cost they’re willing to do it. I guess I’ve got to think the same way. I’m a very emotional guy, very friendship based, but business is business, and I’m willing to take it to that.”
Ortiz knows that Hamill will be a formidable challenge, as he noticed his raw talent more than four years ago, when he made “The Hammer” his first pick on TUF3. Yet despite Hamill’s continued development as a fighter in the years since 2006, Ortiz still sees some flaws in his game.
“Matt’s a quick learner, he’s a great wrestler, and all UFC fighters that have a great wrestling base do very, very well,” said Ortiz. “And I think that the more he learns and the better guys he trains with, the better he’ll get, and he’s proved that time and time again. But he still makes the same mistakes, and I don’t think a lot of guys have capitalized on that yet, and I’ll be that first guy.”
If Ortiz seems to be a little more subdued in fight promotion mode this time around, it may be because he’s fighting Hamill, because it’s his first fight back after surgery, or because a loss will put him at 0-4-1 since his last win over Ken Shamrock in 2006. Maybe it’s all three, but whatever it is, Ortiz has survived the “emotional rollercoaster” of the last few years, has made it through relatively unscathed, and come fight night, he will be ready to perform when the bell rings.
“I think there’s going to be energy like there’s never been before,” said Ortiz when asked about Saturday night at the Honda Center. “From when I walk out to when I leave, I’m gonna be back. I’ve really worked hard, I’ve put my time in, I put my three solid months in, and I’m excited. It’s gonna be a very, very tough fight, and I’m gonna give it my all, no matter what.”
UFC 121 Prelims: McGee, Roberts, Madsen Finish Foes
It didn’t look good early on for The Ultimate Fighter season 11 winner Court McGee Saturday night at Honda Center, but “The Crusher” roared back from a slow start to impressively finish off veteran middleweight Ryan Jensen in UFC 121 prelim action. ANAHEIM, October 23 – It didn’t look good early on for The Ultimate Fighter season 11 winner Court McGee Saturday night at Honda Center, but “The Crusher” roared back from a slow start to impressively finish off veteran middleweight Ryan Jensen in UFC 121 prelim action.
McGee vs. Jensen
Jensen’s standup was sharp as the fight commenced, as he raised a mouse under McGee’s left eye and dropped him for a flash knockdown seconds later. After that, it was Jensen scoring the first takedown of the fight, but after eating some strikes, McGee got back to his feet. Jensen continued to control the action with his standup though, capping off an impressive first round showing.
McGee got closer to his foe a little more than a minute into the second round as he tagged Jensen with a left hook, but the Nebraska native recovered quickly. McGee was encouraged by his success though, and his hard shots were starting to pay dividends, as they opened the door for a late takedown.
In the third, McGee kept coming, rocking Jensen with his strikes before practically bouncing him off the canvas with a takedown. From there, “The Crusher” lived up to his nickname with punishing strikes followed up by an arm triangle choke that forced the tap out at 1:21 of the final round.
With the win, McGee improves to 12-1; Jensen falls to 16-6. At the time of the stoppage, the bout was even at 19-19 on all three judges’ scorecards.
Cote vs. Lawlor
Middleweight prospect Tom Lawlor put in a workmanlike effort over his three rounder with Patrick Cote, winning a shutout unanimous decision over the former middleweight title challenger.
Scores were 30-27 across the board.
Lawlor and Cote engaged immediately, with Lawlor bulling his foe into the fence in search of a takedown, which he got a minute in. Cote tried his best to force a re-start, but Lawlor was effective with his smothering ground and pound attack, which eventually landed the two against the Octagon fence. While there, Lawlor continued to pound away, even scoring points with an arm triangle attempt.
Continuing to press the action, Lawlor got Cote back to the mat early in the second round and kept him there with strikes until referee John McCarthy re-started them in the final minute. That wasn’t a problem for Lawlor, who tagged Cote just before the bell.
After a quick exchange to start the third, Lawlor got the takedown and sunk in another arm triangle. This time it looked like he was close to getting the tap out, but Cote was able to find an escape. Lawlor didn’t ease up though, as he drilled Cote with punches while keeping him pinned to the mat. And even though Lawlor remained busy, McCarthy restarted the action with a little over two minutes left. Again, Lawlor wasn’t bothered by the change of venue, and he got Cote right back where he wanted him moments later, and he finished up the rout with another series of ground strikes that sealed his victory.
With the win, Lawlor improves to 7-3 with 1 NC; Cote falls to 14-7.
Guymon vs. Roberts
Daniel Roberts’ Octagon evolution continued in welterweight action, as he submitted veteran Mike Guymon just 73 seconds into the first round for his second straight UFC win.
The pace was fast from the start, but after Guymon slipped to the canvas early on, Roberts chased his foe across the Octagon and didn’t let up, eventually catching “The Joker” with a guillotine choke that he transitioned into an anaconda choke that forced Guymon to tap out at the 1:13 mark.
With the win, Roberts improves to 11-1; Guymon falls to 15-4-1.
Stout vs. Taylor
There were no surprises in the battle between Sam Stout and Paul Taylor, as both lightweights delivered plenty of bad intentioned punches and kicks over the course of an exciting three rounder won by Canada’s Stout via split decision.
Scores for Stout, now 17-6-1 were 30-27, 29-28, and 28-29. Taylor, who was making his debut at 155 pounds, falls to 10-6-1 with 1 NC.
As expected, Taylor and Stout wasted no time getting acquainted, with each scoring effectively with kicks to the body and legs. It was when Stout moved his attack upstairs with his punches that he took the edge, as he bloodied the England native’s nose and jarred him on a couple occasions. Taylor, as is his custom, kept firing back, and by the end of the round he was tagging Stout regularly.
Round two was more of the same, with the exchanges now swinging in Taylor’s direction, though the pace and activity level of both fighters remained high. In the third, both fighters let it all hang out once again, with the toe-to-toe action almost too close to call.
“I knew he wanted a war and that’s not what the game plan called for,” said Stout. “I’m not one to shy away from a war but I knew he was going to come straight at me and I didn’t want to get caught in those exchanges. In fact, the only time he caught me was when he sucked me into an exchange.”
Camozzi vs. Yang
The Ultimate Fighter season 11 alum Chris Camozzi spoiled the UFC debut and perfect record of South Korea’s Dongi Yang, pounding out a three round split decision win in an entertaining middleweight bout.
Scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 for Camozzi, who improves to 14-3; Yang falls to 9-1.
Both fighters had their moments in a competitive first round, with Yang’s heavy hands and an early round takedown paving the way while Camozzi got in more than his share of punches and close range knees.
Yang kicked off the second round with a takedown, but Camozzi scrambled quickly to his feet and got back to business. At this point, Yang was visibly winded, allowing his opponent to take control of the pace of the fight, even though the Seoul native was still working and getting in enough shots to send Camozzi back to his corner with cuts over both his eyes.
A minute into round three, a straight left from Camozzi almost put Yang down, and Camozzi moved in for the finish against his bloodied foe. Yang shook off the immediate effects of the blow, but was never able to get back on track, allowing Camozzi to finish strong and take the razor-thin win.
Madsen vs. Yvel
Heavyweight prospect Jon Madsen delivered the most impressive performance of his UFC career thus far, moving to 4-0 in the Octagon with a first round TKO of veteran Gilbert Yvel.
“This win was huge,” said Madsen. “I needed to make a statement to Joe Silva and the UFC that I can finish fights.”
After a minute of inactivity that brought the boo birds out, Madsen took Yvel to the canvas with ease and began delivering a barrage of ground strikes that guaranteed that “The Hurricane” wouldn’t be getting back up, and at the 1:48 mark, referee “Big” John McCarthy halted the bout.
With the win, Madsen improves to 7-0; Yvel, now 0-3 in the UFC, falls to 36-16-1 with 1 NC.
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