UFC on FOX 6 Recap
UFC on FOX 6 Recap:
By Dustin Perie.
Odd start to the show, first with the panel not realizing the camera was on, then slight audio issues, commentary was in and out, and when it did come back it was Goldberg speaking to presumably his producers, asking if he needs to apologize for the audio issues, great stuff that boarder lined awkward. But enough about technical issues, let’s get to the violence.
Featherweight Division:
Ricardo Lamas 12-2 (+160) vs. Erik Koch 13-1 (-175)
Hats off to Koch for the bad ass entrance music: Scooter – Fire, it’s very dated, but if you are interested in a trip back to the mid 90s, it’s a funky way to do it.
Round 1:
First round started off slow, both men showing off their great head kicks with not much being landed clean. Lamas went for a single leg mid-way through the round, but somehow Koch found a way to stay vertical. Lamas received a warning from John McCarthy about open hand strikes to the face. Right near the end of the round Lamas scored a sloppy takedown which will likely score him the round.
According to me: 10-9 Lamas.
Royler Gracie
We recently had the opportunity to interview Royler Gracie while he was in Ontario teaching seminars. We caught up with Royler at Robinson’s Karate School located in Bolton, Ontario Canada. Royler reflects on his thoughts about whether his father should be in the UFC Hall Of Fame for his contributions to the sport, the importance of being skilled in more then one of the martial arts and why he chose to make the move to America from Brazil.
UFC 153 Predictions
Predictions by MMAxposed’s Farrell Tremblay
After losing UFC 151 and Strikeforce: Melendez vs Healy, we almost lost UFC 153 as well. Although the card doesn’t have the same relevant fights as it did a month ago, we now have some very exciting matchups that can really be best described as “fun”, even if they have no impact on any division. Let’s break down the insanity of an already broken down card.
Anderson Silva vs Stephan Bonnar
This fight has a lot of people really excited. Rightfully so, these two fighters have a history of exciting fights with spectacular outcomes, but before I cloud the matter with such misleading facts, let’s be clear about something: People aren’t excited about this fight in the same way they were excited for GSP vs Nick Diaz. The excitement people feel for this fight is really more akin to giddy sadism or the strange fascination we have watching wildebeest cross crocodile infested rivers on the Discovery Channel. Stephan Bonnar is one tough S.O.B. but is he ever out of his league. I believe his ability to absorb unnatural amounts of punishment will take this fight into later rounds but I will be shocked if Anderson Silva finds himself in any sort of danger at any point in this fight. Yes, this is MMA and anything can happen (just ask Matt Serra) but this is also the greatest man to ever fight in the sport and he will deliver that greatness by the fistful
Prediction: Silva by TKO
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Dave Herman
You have to respect a guy like Nogueira. He is a legend of the sport, and if he retired tomorrow would have nothing but fond farewells from the MMA community. He’s a former champion in the two most prestigious promotions this sport has produced. Coming off a devastating loss to Frank Mir and nearly a year of inactivity, the last thing Big Nog needed to do was take a fight on short notice against a lower tier heavyweight on a two-fight losing streak but he stepped up when the UFC needed him the most. Dave Herman probably isn’t the caliber of fighter we would have seen Nogueira fight had he been matched up on more organic terms, but he is still a tough, durable fighter with heavy hands who may have the spryness of a young fighter to put them on the aging Brazilian. The more likely scenario is that Nogueira boxes his way inside Herman’s sloppy standup, takes him down and takes home a limb.
Prediction: Nogueira by submission
UFC 152 Post-Fight Matchmaking
Written By Farrell Tremblay
UFC 152 was an ever-pleasing mix of favorites and underdogs claiming victories in their respective bouts and even those who were supposed to run through their opponents had to work hard for their victory, dig deep and really find what it was meant for them to be a fighter. With the dust from the weekend starting to settle, let’s see where our victors and more notable losers will wind up in the coming months.
Jon Jones:
Jon Bones showed us again why he is the man with the belt as he persevered through a dangerous armbar early in the fight to find his rhythm and put Vitor through the works. With Dan Henderson tentatively slated to fight Lyoto Machida later this year and a potential injury to Jones’s arm that could leave him out of action for a few weeks or months (yet to be determined), it is most likely that we will see the winner of this bout take on the champion at a mid-2013 event.
Jones will fight the winner of Dan Henderson vs Lyoto Machida
Vitor Belfort:
Jones’ brilliance and unpredictability as allowed him, similarly to Anderson Silva, create such doubt in the mind of his opponent that in some ways, he’s already won before he even walks out to the cage. Despite looking largely outmatched on Saturday, Vitor also offered moments of aggressiveness that made Jones look almost human. Many of his contemporaries are finding themselves at the end of their careers and moving on to different chapters in their lives. Vitor has proven over the last couple years that he is still very capable of pulling the trigger and inflicting massive damage. On top of the fact that his foray into the light heavyweight division was solely for a title shot and came about as a courtesy to the UFC, I don’t think he will lose much ground in the middleweight division.
Belfort will fight Brian Stann
UFC 152 Predictions
UFC 152 is soon upon us and I can’t help but feel a wealth of emotions in my attempt to predict the action. The reason I say this is because it seems that predicting MMA fights are no longer as simple as “fighter A over fighter B” but instead a much more complex and anxious process that could be better described as “provided the physical well-being of fighters A and B is at acceptable competition level, it is likely X will be the outcome.” However if one or more parties are unable to participate and the suitable replacement(s) is/are willing and able to perform on Saturday, I predict Jon Jones won’t walk away from two cards in two weeks if he knows what’s good for him”. The caveat “Both Must Fight For Action” has taken on a whole new meaning, as the possibility that there may be no action has become as real as any other. With Saturday’s outcome hinging on all of these conditions I’ll do my best to predict the winners of UFC 152’s currently billed card.
Jon Jones vs Vitor Belfort
Jon Jones is a very clear favorite to win this fight, and rightfully so. Given his accomplishments over the last year and a half against strikers, wrestlers and muggers, it’s hard to imagine there are any stylistic matchups left to threaten the champ. This is doubly so when considering his opponent is 10 years his senior. However, when you consider Jones’s toughest test to date has come at the lightning quick hands of Lyoto Machida, it is reasonable to think that Vitor, a boxer with a conceivably greater speed advantage, may have more of a chance than odds-makers are letting on. In addition to a certain striking advantage, Vitor Belfort probably has the best jiu-jitsu of any fighter Jones has faced since entering the UFC. That being said, I don’t think Belfort has the advantage in the grappling department and despite still being a very dangerous fighter, his chin isn’t what it used to be and he will be giving up a foot of reach and considerable mass on fight night. Despite having made a case for Vitor’s chances of success, I simply can’t envision him taking control of the fight before Jones takes his confidence away.
Prediction: Jon Jones by TKO in round 3
Joseph Benavidez vs Demetrious Johnson
Joseph Benavidez has long been touted as the uncrowned flyweight kingpin and on Saturday he’ll finally get his opportunity to live up to such accolades. This won’t be easy though and “Mighty Mouse” is no walk in the park for anyone and his ability to outwork opponents often leaves him with his hand raised, despite his original underdog status. Benavidez comes into this fight with real stopping power for flyweight, as demonstrated in his fight with Yasuhiro Urushitani and Johnson may find his chin tested in the early rounds of this fight. Ultimately, I think Johnson’s speed will keep him out of harm’s way for the first couple rounds and as the fight wears on, he will begin to pull away as he continues an unrivaled work rate.
Prediction: Demetrious Johnson by unanimous decision
Michael Bisping vs Brian Stann
Michael Bisping may very well be at the end of his rope with this fight, should he lose. He has a great record against a number of very tough opponents regardless of the outcome, he will undoubtedly fight on for years to come… but should he lose, at what cost? Bisping may find himself at the bottom of the pile if he loses to Brian Stann on Saturday and what makes this so interesting is the outcome really depends on which game plan he chooses to employ. Bisping actually has very underrated grappling skills, despite hailing from a nation that has, traditionally, poor grappling skills. Given that Brian Stann is certainly no pushover on the ground (unless your name is Chael Sonnen), it is far and away, the weakest aspect of his game. If Bisping employs the same technical boxing game plan he has used against most of his recent opponents, I feel that he is gambling with his future. Brian Stann has proven an ability to put away both brawlers and technicians in absolutely brutal fashion. Stann will fearlessly go toe-to-toe with “The Count” and employ the counter punching that has made him so successful since coming down to middleweight.
Prediction: Brian Stann by TKO in round 2
Matt Hamill vs Roger Hollett
Matt “The Hammer” Hamill makes his return after a brief 17-month retirement and it will be interesting to see what shape he returns in to the octagon. If Matt aims to head-hunt as he has done in the past he may find himself getting beaten to the punch (no pun intended). Hamill, after re-evaluating his career will likely come back using the game plan that brought him success in his early days, take them down and pound them out.
Prediction: Matt Hamill by TKO in round 3
Cub Swanson vs Charles Oliveira
Cub Swanson has been a modest tear, cutting down George Roop and bringing the fight to a much larger Ross Pearson. Swanson may be small but he is scrappy and when he hits his stride he packs a hell of a wallop. I feel though he may find it harder to impose his game on Oliveira as Do Bronx has a rangy style that can be just as sporadic and unpredictable as Swanson’s. Furthermore, Cub’s commendable bottom game that served him so well against Pearson will likely count for nothing if he finds himself under Oliveira. With that in mind, I don’t foresee many areas that Oliveira will not be comfortable taking the fight.
Prediction: Oliveira by submission in round 2
Predictions by Farrell Tremblay
Live Play by Play for the Score Fighting Series 5 in Hamilton, Ontario
By: Matt Marcone
Published via MMAxposed and mm-eh.ca
Robert Thomas (168.8) vs Jeff Sharkey (170)
R1 – Sharkey lands a right hand and presses him against the cage. Thomas reverses and has Sharkey on the wall. They trade position a few times clinching against the cage. Thomas throws a string of high kicks and a couple get through. Sharkey lands a hard body kick of his own and follows with a take down. Sharkey has him in trouble after a flurry on the feet. Thomas finds his way back up and both guys continue to swing for the fences. Sharkey lands a huge right hand and drops him in the exchange. Very exciting round to kick off the card. 10-9 Sharkey
R2 – Both guys come out tentative. They trade strikes on the feet for the first half of the round with nothing too significant landing. Thomas connects with a right high kick, Sharkey counters with a left hand. Thomas seems to be landing the crisper strikes and is doing a good job utilizing his reach advantage. Sharkey lands a huge counter right hand, drops him and gains the mount! That last strike steals the round. 10-9 Sharkey
R3 – Chants of “Sharkey” fill the stadium before the round starts. He lands a few hard shots in the clinch, Thomas counters with a solid body kick. Thomas lands a high right kick and Sharkey counters with a taunt. Sharky then lands a solid take down nearly carrying him on his shoulders! Thomas gets back to his feet and lands an excellent body shot and then a flying knee. The round ends with Sharkey in trouble against the cage. 10-9 Thomas
Matt Marcone scores it 29-28 for Jeff Sharkey, judges call it 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28 for Jeff Sharkey by split decision.
Elias Theodorou “The Spartan”
This Saturday August 25th Elias Theodorou will face Simon Marini at The Score Fighting Series at Hamilton Place Theatre in Hamilton, Ontario. MMAxposed gives you a peek into Elias’s day getting ready for his fight. This fight will be broadcasted on TheScore.com and televised LIVE on The Score at 9pm!
MMAxposed Podcast Episode 7 with Hector Lombard, Jesse Ronson and Alex Ricci
Written by: Matt Marcone
With just two days to go before the Score Fighting Series’ fifth event in Ontario, we present episode seven of the MMAxposed podcast. We get a real heart to heart interview with Hector Lombard, who dropped a split decision to Tim Boetch in his UFC debut.
It was Lombard’s first loss in 25 fights and he opens up about the haters, his injury during training camp, and Dana White’s post-fight comments saying he should fight at welterweight. He also gives his thoughts on a new possible training destination, making it to the big show, and who he wants to fight next.
In what many are predicting could be fight of the night, Canadian striking sensations Jesse Ronson and Alex Ricci also join the podcast. They will be fighting each other at SFS5 in Hamilton on Saturday, August 25th and both sound desperate to get inside the octagon.
Ronson talks about his mentality going into his fight on July 28 knowing he couldn’t afford to get hurt, the intensity of his sparring sessions and the origins of his nickname. He also thinks a victory could possibly send him to the UFC’s stacked lightweight division.
Ricci talks about the fight with Ronson, competing on four of the five Score Fighting Series cards, and a UFC dream of his own.
Let us know what you think!
http://www.mediafire.com/?7vvyv79675cl7eq
(8:00) Jesse Ronson
(18:45) Alex Ricci
(27:30) Hector Lombard
SFS: Jason Saggo Vs Eric Attard READY FOR WAR!!
Written by Randi Lotsberg
Ontario pro fighters Jason Saggo and Eric Attard will be stepping into the cage this Saturday, August 25th at the Score Fighting Series to test their minds, strength and skills. MMAxposed could see this bout being the fight of the night between these two skilled lightweights. Saggo is a brown belt training under Paul Abel out of P.E.I. and Attard trains out of Modern Vision MMA in Welland, Ontario under coach Chris Bonfoco. Both of these guys bring a different element into the cage; Saggo being known for his strong ground game and Attard for his Muay Thai background and powerful leg kicks. They are both at a comparable level when it comes to fitness and strength. This fight could go either way but it is bound to be the epitome of what a MMA fight should be!
Have a look behind the scenes in their training leading up to this event. Hear what they have to say about each other and how they think this fight will end.
Get your tickets at www.ticketmaster.ca for this event The Score Fighting Series: Hill Vs. Fraser Saturday August 25 2012
READY FOR WAR!!
Rousey Retains, Submits Kaufman in 54 Seconds
Written by Jordan Maskell
It didn’t take long for Ronda Rousey to retain her bantamweight title in one of the most highly anticipated women’s bout in MMA history. Last night’s Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman saw the champion dispose of her opponent Sarah Kaufman in a familiar style via armbar submission at 0:54 of the first round. Kaufman (15-2), a former champion, came into the event on a three-fight winning streak but stood little chance against the Olympic bronze medalist. Rousey (6-0-0) has now won all of her six professional fights with a first round armbar. After the fight she called out former featherweight champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, who is currently on a one-year suspension after testing positive for an anabolic steroid earlier this year, suggesting Cyborg “come down to 135 and let’s settle this.”
The co-main event featured Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza making quick work of Derek Brunson, knocking out the middleweight at 0:41 of the first round. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker had indicated the winner of the Souza-Brunson bout may very well be next in line to face middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, and it seems likely Souza will get his rematch. The former champ lost the belt to Rockhold in a five round unanimous decision last fall.
Chris Clements: Cloud Nine
Chris Clements has had a dream since he was in high school to get into the UFC. This past year after beating UFC veteran Rich Clementi at The Score Fighting Series, his dream finally came true. At the age of 34 he made his UFC debut and faced Keith Wisniewski, taking home yet another win. It has been a great year for Chris; he got married to the love of his life, they had their first child, and his UFC debut was just five weeks later. This is Chris’ story about his dream, his family, and his life.
UFC 150: Henderson Vs Edgar
Written By Jordan Maskell
The UFC lightweight title saga continues this weekend with the second fight between Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson. Henderson (15-2-0) defeated Edgar (14-2-1) for the title at UFC 144 in Japan by unanimous decision. After much debate about who would face Henderson in his first title defense, Edgar was granted the opportunity. This is after Edgar had a series of rematches with both B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard. However, UFC President Dana White has made it clear the loser of this title fight will not be granted a rematch. He confirmed that Nate Diaz would be next in line to face the winner of Saturday’s bout. Diaz (16-7-0) earned the number one contender spot after submitting Jim Miller at a UFC on Fox event in May.
Another lightweight bout will see Donald Cerrone (18-4-0, 1NC) take on Melvin Guillard (47-11-3, 1NC). Cerrone recently earned a unanimous decision victory over Jeremy Stephens at a UFC on FUEL TV event earlier this year. He has only lost once in his six UFC fights since joining the promotion from the WEC. Guillard won a unanimous decision over Fabricio Camoes at UFC 148, after having back-to-back submission losses.
MMAxposed PODCAST with Phil Baroni, Eric Attard and Jason Saggo
This week’s podcast with Matt Marcone and Randi Lotsberg featuring:
Phil Baroni is getting ready for his fight against Rodrigo Ribeiro at ONE FC in the Philippines on August 31th, 2012. He tells us about a new reality series called Fight Factory TV, which is set to premier August 15, 2012 on Nuvo TV.
Also on the show are lightweights Eric Attard and Jason Saggo, who will be squaring off August 25th in Hamilton, Ontario at the Score Fighting Series 4.
Attard talks about the step up in competition, the “sketchy” Discipline MMA show in Belleville and his preparation for Saggo. Saggo talks about training with legends all over the world, his passions, and fight mentality.
Download MMAxposed podcast Episode 6 HERE
UFC on Fox 4 Recap: Shogun wins but Machida impresses
By: Matt Marcone
The UFC finally delivered to the network audience by putting on four excellent fights and an all around great show. The judges were not needed on the main card and a future light heavyweight title shot was awarded.
UFC President Dana White said that whoever put on the most impressive performance in the two main event fights would earn a shot at the light heavyweight championship.
Both Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Lyoto Machida were victorious, earning fourth and second round finishes respectively.
“The answer is I think Lyoto Machida was the most impressive tonight,” says White. The boss has spoken, enough said.
Machida proved once again that he only needs his opponent to make one mistake to finish a fight. After frustrating Ryan Bader on the feet in the first round, he waited for him to charge in and landed a straight right hand. That was all it took at 1:32 of round two.
The main event saw Brandon Vera nearly pull off a huge upset with a tight guillotine in the opening round, but Shogun defended it perfectly.
UFC on Fox 4: Shogun Vs Vera
Written by Jordan Maskell
This Saturday nights UFC on FOX 4 may very well determine the next challenger for the UFC Light Heavyweight championship according to Dana White. The UFC President had originally indicated the winner of the main event between Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon Vera would decide who would get the shot. However, after a large opposition by fans it was announced the co-main event between Lyoto Machida and Ryan Bader would also be taken into consideration.
White stated the fighter who wins in the most impressive fashion and makes the biggest impact would be granted the title shot. Current champion Jon “Bones” Jones has finished all four men in previous bouts. The champ will face Dan Henderson at UFC 151 on September 1st in Las Vegas.
Shogun (20-6-0) has not fought since losing a five round war to Henderson at UFC 139, which many named 2011 Fight of the Year. Vera (12-5-0, 1NC) has one win, two losses and one no contest in the last three years in the UFC. Meanwhile, Machida (17-3-0) will be competing in his first fight since losing to Jones at UFC 140 in Toronto, Ontario. Bader (15-2-0) on the other hand recently defeated Quinton “Rampage” Jackson by unanimous decision, and Jason Brilz by a first round knockout.
Lightweights Joe Lauzon (20-7-0) and Jamie Varner (20-6-1, 2NC) will also compete on the main card. Lauzon is coming off a KO loss to Anthony Pettis at UFC 144, while having two consecutive Submission of the Night wins before that. Varner is currently riding a three-fight win streak. He has two knockouts and one submission victory in his last three fights.
A bout between Heavyweights Ben Rothwell and Travis Browne was scheduled for this card, although Rothwell was forced to withdraw due to injury. Browne was later pulled from the event all together, while the Welterweight matchup between Mike Swick and DaMarques Johnson was promoted to the main card. This has set up a Heavyweight fight between Browne and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva for a UFC on FX event later this year.
How many more UFC-Strikeforce bouts will we see in the future?
Written By Jordan Maskell
Frank Mir photo from UFC.com
With the news that Frank Mir will enter the Strikeforce cage to face David Cormier, the question is how many more UFC-Strikeforce bouts will we see in the future? The most recent cross promotion bout announced looks to be the first within Strikeforce. However, this is following a string of Strikeforce crossovers with former champions including Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, Dan Henderson, and Allistar Overeem making the transition to the Octagon.
It has been revealed that the Strikeforce Heavyweight division will eventually be dissolved, as after this fight both Mir and Cormier will compete solely in the UFC. This will be done to focus on developing the depth of other weight classes, including a women’s division within the company. Many former Strikeforce Heavyweights have already entered the UFC including Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Shane del Rosario, Shawn Jordan, and of course Overeem.
Until now, both rosters have been considered exclusive to its respected promotion, although there have been exceptions to this rule. UFC President Dana White has said in the past that fighters from Strikeforce will not crossover to the UFC while there is a deal between Showtime and Strikeforce. The company was bought by the UFC’s parent company Zuffa in March 2011. He has said before he would not sign Strikeforce fighters while they were contracted with Strikeforce due to the deal with Showtime.
Dan Hardy talks comics and his career
MMAxposed reporter Matt Marcone caught up with Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy at the “Heroes” comic book store in Woodbridge, Ontario. It was an awesome event that had everything from real transformers cars to memorabilia to exotic animals in the petting zoo. Not too often do an MMA fighter, batman, iron man, bumblebee, two camels and a lemur all get to hang out in one place!
He was one of the nicest guys we’ve had the pleasure of interviewing and bluntly spoke about having to rediscover his passion for mixed martial arts.
Hardy stormed onto the UFC welterweight scene in 2008, winning four in a row and earning a title shot against Georges St. Pierre. After losing a decision to the reigning champ, Hardy consecutively dropped three more fights to Carlos Condit, Anthony Johnson and Chris Lytle.
Due to his fast paced style and willingness to push the action, the UFC opted not to cut him and gave him another fight against Duane Ludwig. Their decision proved to be justified as he knocked him out with a devastating hook in the first round.
In the interview, Hardy opens up about star wars, his upcoming fight with TUF 7 winner Amir Sadollah, and finding his spirituality. He also gives his prediction for the upcoming title fight between St. Pierre and Condit, two guys he’s very familiar with.
Hardy’s bout with Sadollah is scheduled for September 29, 2012 in his hometown of Nottingham, England at the UFC on FUEL TV 5.
Bellator 2012 Summer Series Returns for 2nd time tonight
Written By Jordan Maskell
Bryan Baker and Ben Saunders at Bellator 67
Photo by Randi Lotsberg
Bellator returns tonight with the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships: 2012 Summer Series. The event is at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida and will be headlined by the Bellator season six welterweight tournament final between Bryan “The Beast” Baker (18-3-0) and “Psycho” Karl Amoussou (15-4-2). The winner of the tournament will get a shot at the welterweight title.
Bellator 72 will feature the debut of former UFC and Strikeforce welterweight Paul Daley. Daley (29-12-2), will take on Rudy Bears (14-10-0) in his first fight since being released by Strikeforce. Daley has had problems making weight in the past, but had no issue this time weighing in at 170.25 pounds.
The Bellator summer series light heavyweight tournament continues with the semifinals as Tim Carpenter meets Travis Wiuff and Emanuel Newton takes on Attila Vegh. All the quarterfinal matchups at Bellator 71 ended either with a submission or TKO win, which builds the hype for the semifinals that much more. (more…)
UFC 149: Takes over Calgary with a stacked Canadian card
Written By Jordan Maskell
UFC 149: Faber Vs Barao
The first UFC event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada will happen this Saturday night. The event, scheduled to take place at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, will be headlined by an Interim Bantamweight title bout between Urijah Faber and Renan Barao. A slew of injuries has plagued the July 21st event, with names including Michael Bisping, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria, and Thiago Alves having to be pulled, and the card being rescheduled multiple times.
The third fight between Faber and current Bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, originally set for UFC 148, was moved to the card until Cruz had to withdraw as well due to a knee injury. Therefore an interim belt was created. Faber is coming off a “submission of the night” win over Brian Bowles at UFC 139, while Barao has had 29 fights without a loss.
UFC 149 will also feature the promotional debut of Middleweight Hector Lombard. Lombard is currently on a 20-fight win streak since drawing with Kyle Noke in 2007. The former Bellator, CFC, and AFC Middleweight champion will face Tim Boetsch, who’s original opponent Bisping, had to withdraw due to injury. Many consider Lombard to be a legitimate contender for Anderson Silva’s Middleweight title and see this bout as a title eliminator. Boetsch is on a three-fight win streak himself, getting a come-from-behind third round TKO victory over Yushin Okami at UFC 144.
Gagnon Hoping to Debut Big At UFC 149 in Calgary
Written By Dwight Wakabayashi
Mitch Gagnon at TAPOUT Training Centre Burlington, Ontario
Following a false start in January, Sudbury native Mitch “The Machine” Gagnon is set to make his UFC debut this Saturday night on the undercard of UFC 149 from Calgary. It is really a night of Canadian debuts as, Gagnon and fellow Canadian fighter Ryan Jimmo are both getting their first crack at the big time.
Gagnon stated on Twitter earlier this week that he is currently reading UFC 149 headliner Urijah Faber’s book, and he better hope to learn something from it. The Team Shredder product out of northern Ontario will be in tough competition against Team Alpha Male fighter Bryan Caraway. Caraway brings some good experience to the cage, coming off a win against Dustin Neace in his own UFC debut last December. Caraway has fought some very tough opponents in his career, with notable losses to Mark Hominick and Fredson Paxaio. His twenty-one fights to Gagnon’s nine give a clear edge in experience to the American.
Gagnon is a very strong, compact fighter and his ground game is tremendous. He holds a Canadian regional title and has fought and beaten some tough local talent. This is a nice match up for him to get his feet wet in the UFC with his strength being his key to victory. Caraway is also a submission wizard with 14 of his 16 professional wins coming via tap. He poses a formidable challenge for Gagnon and will definitely surprise and make some noise if he wins on Saturday night.
Gagnon has not fought since he defeated David Harris at Ringside MMA 12 in October of last year and cage rust could be a factor going in to this fight. A saving grace may be the fact that Caraway hasn’t fought this year either so they will both be willing and eager combatants.
Gagnon is one of six Canadian fighters on the preliminary card with a seventh, Adrenaline welterweight Chris Clements the only Canadian on the main card. Clements stepped in for an injured Thiago Alves against opponent Siyar Bahadurzada, but will now face another replacement in the always game Matt Riddle. The Calgary card has been plagued by injuries and is virtually unrecognizable to the original card that was announced months ago.
The seemingly cursed card has lost the likes of Yoshihiro Akiyama, Thiago Alves, Thiago Silva, Mauricio Rua, Michael Bisping and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to injury or pull out. Yet in a true show of the depth of the UFC roster they have been replaced by such stars and notables as Urijah Faber, Renan Barao, Hector Lombard, Tim Boetsch, Bryan Ebersole and Chris Clements. The card remains full of world class fighters who should not be overlooked. Due to the revolving door of fighters on and off the card, this event is under-hyped and could over perform among the many over-hyped and anticlimactic cards we have experienced in the past. Don’t sleep on it.
The Score Fighting Series is back!!!
Written By Randi Lotsberg
HILL Vs FRASER
Ontario MMA fans and fighters got some great news today! The Score Fighting Series is back at the Hamilton Place Theatre on Saturday, August 25th for its fifth event since the province legalized the sport. Action has been lacking on the local MMA scene in 2012, but every show the Score Fighting Series puts on just keeps getting better. They are doing an excellent job giving fans of the sport an opportunity to be able to watch great up and coming fighters in an intimate environment.
I have had the chance to speak with many fighters over the past few months and these guys are hungry, eager and ready to get into the cage. With such a long wait between fights for some of these guys, I am certain it’s going to make for an extra burst of highly intensified action. These men are ready for battle!!
The main event on the card will be a bantamweight showdown between John “Haggis Basher” Fraser and Josh “Gentlemen” Hill. This bout has been highly anticipated for some time now. Fraser, 34, is a Sarnia, Ontario native with a record of 10-3 and is riding a seven fight win streak. The 25-year-old Hill resides in Binbrook, Ontario and is currently 8-0. Both of these skilled athletes have a lot on the line in this one, with a win likely propelling either of these men to the next level in their professional MMA careers. With that being said it is a great opportunity to be able to see them live in action before they make it to the UFC.
Other amazing Canadian talent on the card includes: Tristan Johnson (7-2), Will Romero (9-3), Lyndon Whitlock (7-2), Alex Ricci (5-0), Ryan Dickson (2-0), Jason Meisel (3-0), Jason Saggo (6-1), Elias Theodorou (4-0), Adam Assenza (1-1), Rory Mcdonell (5-6) and Robert Thomas (0-0). Their opponents are still to be decided.
Tickets start at $30 and go on sale on Monday, July 23 at ticketmaster.ca, Copps Coliseum box office and from local fighters on the card. The entire show will be streamed live on thescore.com and for the first time ever, the main card fights will be carried live on The Score television network starting at 9 p.m. EST.
UFC’s Chris Clements welcomes you to his home
Pro Fighter Chris Clements gives us a behind the scenes look into his home. Stay tuned for our upcoming video “Chris Clements on Cloud 9″ which will take you further in depth into his life getting married, becoming a dad and making his UFC debut.
Chris Clements will be fighting Matt Riddle at UFC 149 on Saturday July 21, 2012 in Calgary, Alberta.
Follow Chris on Twitter @menaceclements
UFC 148 Recap: Silva Retains, Tito Retires
By: Matt Marcone
The greatest MMA fighter of all time has done it again.
After getting controlled by Chael Sonnen in the first round, Anderson Silva came back with a flurry in the second to earn knockout of the night. Sonnen missed a spinning back fist and ended up losing his balance, allowing the champion to take advantage.
The two rivals embraced each other during the post fight interviews, with Silva even offering to cook him some Brazilian barbeque.
“You always shake hands and you always leave it in the octagon,” says Sonnen, who relentlessly attacked Silva in the months leading up to the fight. “Those are the rules and I stick to them.”
Silva extends his UFC record to an unprecedented 15-0, while Sonnen says he does not take comfort knowing he almost beat the champ… twice.
“It’s pass or fail, that’s it,” says Sonnen. “He’s just a regular guy, we weigh the same thing and he finds a way to win. I admire it.”
