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Former Olympian Daniel Cormier made a successful UFC debut today defeating former heavyweight champion and submission specialist Frank Mir by way of decision.
Cormier, now 12-0 is a training partner of reigning UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at San Jose's AKA gym and today proved that he is among the elite mixed martial artists in the 265 pound (120 kg) division.
Mir is no pushover, a two time UFC champion himself with some of the slickest submission skills in all of MMA. Before stepping in to meet Cormier in today’s UFC on Fox co-main event, the submission wizard Mir had defeated former UFC champions Brock lesnar (2008) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2011).
Despite his experience (22 pro fights) Mir was unable to stop the freight train that is Cormier, a man who is yet to taste defeat and is now on a rocket up the divisional rankings.
"DC" secured victory over the talented Mir in a three round affair and with talk of a drop to light heavyweight (93kg) a potential fight with reigning divisional champion Jon Jones is a real possibility.
Here's a snapshot of our blow-by-bow coverage of the fight, from our live UFC on Fox blog.
Round one:
Herb Dean is your referee, - Cormier closes the distance, hits Mir and pushes him against the cage, beautiful uppercuts from the clinch. The Olympian hits with a knee followed by a trio of hard shots. Cormier is backing up the former UFC champ, hitting him with some nice shots and keeping him backed against the fence. Cormier hitting to the head and body, a full body beatdown. Knees to the body from Cormier, back to the body shots, that's going to slow down Mir. They separate but the damage is done, Cormier again backs him against the fence and goes to work with his full-body assault. Mir hits with a head kick, Cormier slips and almost falls into a guillotine-choke but no luck. Mir charges, throws a spinning kick to no avail, really mixing things up to get back in this fight, 10-9 Cormier.
Round two:
Mir hits with a kick, Cormier tries a jumping enzeguri kick, Cormier has him back peddling already, not a good sign for Mir. Cormier again has him pushed against the fence, nasty knees from the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix champ. Cormier hits to the knee as he breaks, calls Mir back to the center. Cormier hits with a shot, pushed him against the cage again. Mir looks at the clock, Cormier moves in close and tags the former champ. Mir answers with a knee this time, Cormier has full control, hitting with knees and when the door opens he hits upstairs. Mir charges with a right-hand, gets tied up and pushed against the cage. Cormier moves forward with a body punch, again against the fence. Herb Dean separates them with seconds on the clock but nothing happens before the buzzer, 10-9 Cormier.
Round three:
We continue, Mir hits with a high kick this time, catches a kick but this time pushes Cormier against the fence. The tables get turned on Mir with ease, Cormier hitting with knees to the leg. They break and Mir is hitting with high kicks but again gets tied up against the cage, right in his wheelhouse. Cormier catches a kick, unloads punches. Herb Dean tells them to work, forces them to return to the center of the cage. The crown chants "DC" in support of the Strikeforce fighter, Cormier gets backed up against the fence, tables are turned on him immediately again. Corimer hits with a nice ovehand right, backs him against the fence. Mir hits with knees but the superior wrestler is overwhelming Cormier. Dean again says to work, Cormier hitting with a nice shot with seconds on the clock it's reset. Mir bobs and weaves forward, takes a body kick, pushes Cormier against the fence as the fight expires. 10-9 Cormier (30-27 Cormier)
Rating: 2 star
Summary
This wasn't the most exciting fight to watch but there was a lot of interest in seeing a high-level athlete shut down another. Not only did he shut down a great fighter in Mir but a former champion and top-level heavyweight for the past decade, Cormier just had too much for him.
We'll have more on his story soon.
Daniel Cormier remains undefeated with UFC win over Frank Mir | MMA Kanvas
Cormier, now 12-0 is a training partner of reigning UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at San Jose's AKA gym and today proved that he is among the elite mixed martial artists in the 265 pound (120 kg) division.
Mir is no pushover, a two time UFC champion himself with some of the slickest submission skills in all of MMA. Before stepping in to meet Cormier in today’s UFC on Fox co-main event, the submission wizard Mir had defeated former UFC champions Brock lesnar (2008) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2011).
Despite his experience (22 pro fights) Mir was unable to stop the freight train that is Cormier, a man who is yet to taste defeat and is now on a rocket up the divisional rankings.
"DC" secured victory over the talented Mir in a three round affair and with talk of a drop to light heavyweight (93kg) a potential fight with reigning divisional champion Jon Jones is a real possibility.
Here's a snapshot of our blow-by-bow coverage of the fight, from our live UFC on Fox blog.
Round one:
Herb Dean is your referee, - Cormier closes the distance, hits Mir and pushes him against the cage, beautiful uppercuts from the clinch. The Olympian hits with a knee followed by a trio of hard shots. Cormier is backing up the former UFC champ, hitting him with some nice shots and keeping him backed against the fence. Cormier hitting to the head and body, a full body beatdown. Knees to the body from Cormier, back to the body shots, that's going to slow down Mir. They separate but the damage is done, Cormier again backs him against the fence and goes to work with his full-body assault. Mir hits with a head kick, Cormier slips and almost falls into a guillotine-choke but no luck. Mir charges, throws a spinning kick to no avail, really mixing things up to get back in this fight, 10-9 Cormier.
Round two:
Mir hits with a kick, Cormier tries a jumping enzeguri kick, Cormier has him back peddling already, not a good sign for Mir. Cormier again has him pushed against the fence, nasty knees from the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix champ. Cormier hits to the knee as he breaks, calls Mir back to the center. Cormier hits with a shot, pushed him against the cage again. Mir looks at the clock, Cormier moves in close and tags the former champ. Mir answers with a knee this time, Cormier has full control, hitting with knees and when the door opens he hits upstairs. Mir charges with a right-hand, gets tied up and pushed against the cage. Cormier moves forward with a body punch, again against the fence. Herb Dean separates them with seconds on the clock but nothing happens before the buzzer, 10-9 Cormier.
Round three:
We continue, Mir hits with a high kick this time, catches a kick but this time pushes Cormier against the fence. The tables get turned on Mir with ease, Cormier hitting with knees to the leg. They break and Mir is hitting with high kicks but again gets tied up against the cage, right in his wheelhouse. Cormier catches a kick, unloads punches. Herb Dean tells them to work, forces them to return to the center of the cage. The crown chants "DC" in support of the Strikeforce fighter, Cormier gets backed up against the fence, tables are turned on him immediately again. Corimer hits with a nice ovehand right, backs him against the fence. Mir hits with knees but the superior wrestler is overwhelming Cormier. Dean again says to work, Cormier hitting with a nice shot with seconds on the clock it's reset. Mir bobs and weaves forward, takes a body kick, pushes Cormier against the fence as the fight expires. 10-9 Cormier (30-27 Cormier)
Rating: 2 star
Summary
This wasn't the most exciting fight to watch but there was a lot of interest in seeing a high-level athlete shut down another. Not only did he shut down a great fighter in Mir but a former champion and top-level heavyweight for the past decade, Cormier just had too much for him.
We'll have more on his story soon.
Daniel Cormier remains undefeated with UFC win over Frank Mir | MMA Kanvas
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If you take a quick glance at Jordan Mein's career stats, you might be forgiven for assuming there must be some mistake.
The kid from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, is only 23 years old, so how can he already have 35 professional fights? The math doesn't work out, at least not according to any of the conventional wisdom that tells us how MMA careers typically go.
Maybe that's because most fighters don't spend their childhoods in a fight gym, as Mein did. And most don't have fathers who are not only fighters themselves, but also local MMA promoters.
Thanks to Lee Mein, Jordan had both. He also had an amateur MMA career that began when he was 14 years old, and a pro career that kicked off with a loss to current UFC welterweight Rory MacDonald when Mein was only 16.
That was in June of 2006. By the time the year was out, Mein had fought six times as a professional, even if he still wasn't old enough to fight in some Canadian provinces.
"For the most part, it was pretty normal to us," Mein's father, Lee, 45, told MMAjunkie-com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps – MMAjunkie-com). "He grew up in the gym, competing and doing it. It didn't raise too many eyebrows."
The way Jordan remembers it, those early years were all about seizing every opportunity. That's how he ended up fighting 20 more times in the next four years, while most other boys his age were still trying to settle on a major or a girlfriend.
"We just wanted the experience of getting in there, traveling all over to fight, getting that experience," Mein said. " ... That's been kind of the motto of our team: If you're healthy, get in there."
That helps to explain how he ended up here, on the UFC on FOX 7 card, just a little over a month after his victorious UFC debut against Dan Miller at UFC 158. When welterweight Dan Hardy was pulled from the lineup due to a heart condition, the UFC called Mein's father, who serves as trainer, manager, mentor – "all of the above," according to Jordan.
They didn't need to discuss it all that much, he said. A chance to step in against an opponent like Matt Brown (16-11 MMA, 6-5 UFC), and on the main card of a network TV event? Mein (27-8 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had taken short-notice fights before, and with less to gain. So had his father, whose record includes bouts against the likes of Jeff Monson, Dan Severn and Rolles Gracie. They didn't take those fights just for fun, either.
"It was for experience," Lee said. "Total mat time for anything, repetition, that's key. There are so many elements to the fight game it would take you a lifetime to get good at all of them, so why not get started? The best way to find out if it's working or not is in a fight."
This is the attitude that the elder Mein passed on to his son from an early age. Lee began training in MMA back when people still weren't entirely sure if that was the name of the sport. He'd always been interested in the martial arts, he said. He worked security, and "always wanted to find out what would work best if my life was on the line." MMA covered a lot of bases.
It only made sense to bring his son along to the gym, where he picked up some kickboxing here, a little jiu-jitsu there, all while his dad was testing his skills in the cage and bringing his sometimes painful lessons back for the benefit of his students.
"Most of the opportunities came up to fight top guys, and it was just to see where you're at and what you've been working on and if it's working or not," Lee said. "That was the challenge for me. Then I'd go back to teaching and could say, this worked and this didn't."
He never forced his son to fight or even to train, he said. And when Jordan chose to train, Lee did his best to treat him like any other student, to the point where he still can't quite get himself to admit that being in his son's corner for his UFC debut was any more of a thrill than getting other fighters from his academy into the same spot. When Jordan was a kid, he got the same blanket invitation to the next tournament as all the others. It was always, here's the date and location. If you want to come along, put your name in. And more often than not, Jordan did.
"He's never pressured me into anything, or been any harder on me than he is on any other teammate of mine," Mein said of his father. "I think that's why I've stuck with it for so long. I've never had to do any of the training or anything. It's always been my choice."
Even if, style-wise, the welterweight son has little in common with his heavyweight father ("He goes all out in the first round," Jordan said of his dad. "He just blitzes hard. I can be a little more conservative and have longer fights."), they share the same mentality in just about every other aspect of the fight game.
Healthy? Then you might as well go fight. Think it'll be a tough one? Good, it'll only make you better.
It's worked out well so far for Jordan, who made a name for himself in the waning days of Strikeforce before making the move to the UFC with an impressive first-round TKO win in his debut. Now that he's stepping in to fight a hard-nosed brawler like Brown on short-notice, it's as if he finally knows what his father was preparing him for all those years. The experience they were chasing back when he was a teenager has to help now, Mein said, "because I'm in that situation again and I've done it before."
As always, his dad will be right there in his corner when he does it again on Saturday night. Win or lose, there's something in this for Lee, too.
"I get to spend time with my son every day," he said. "We might not be watching movies or golfing together or something casual. We're working hard, but it's what we want to be doing. I love my job, and he loves his."
It might not be most people's idea of a family business, but then most families aren't like the Meins.
For more on UFC on FOX 7, st
The kid from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, is only 23 years old, so how can he already have 35 professional fights? The math doesn't work out, at least not according to any of the conventional wisdom that tells us how MMA careers typically go.
Maybe that's because most fighters don't spend their childhoods in a fight gym, as Mein did. And most don't have fathers who are not only fighters themselves, but also local MMA promoters.
Thanks to Lee Mein, Jordan had both. He also had an amateur MMA career that began when he was 14 years old, and a pro career that kicked off with a loss to current UFC welterweight Rory MacDonald when Mein was only 16.
That was in June of 2006. By the time the year was out, Mein had fought six times as a professional, even if he still wasn't old enough to fight in some Canadian provinces.
"For the most part, it was pretty normal to us," Mein's father, Lee, 45, told MMAjunkie-com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps – MMAjunkie-com). "He grew up in the gym, competing and doing it. It didn't raise too many eyebrows."
The way Jordan remembers it, those early years were all about seizing every opportunity. That's how he ended up fighting 20 more times in the next four years, while most other boys his age were still trying to settle on a major or a girlfriend.
"We just wanted the experience of getting in there, traveling all over to fight, getting that experience," Mein said. " ... That's been kind of the motto of our team: If you're healthy, get in there."
That helps to explain how he ended up here, on the UFC on FOX 7 card, just a little over a month after his victorious UFC debut against Dan Miller at UFC 158. When welterweight Dan Hardy was pulled from the lineup due to a heart condition, the UFC called Mein's father, who serves as trainer, manager, mentor – "all of the above," according to Jordan.
They didn't need to discuss it all that much, he said. A chance to step in against an opponent like Matt Brown (16-11 MMA, 6-5 UFC), and on the main card of a network TV event? Mein (27-8 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had taken short-notice fights before, and with less to gain. So had his father, whose record includes bouts against the likes of Jeff Monson, Dan Severn and Rolles Gracie. They didn't take those fights just for fun, either.
"It was for experience," Lee said. "Total mat time for anything, repetition, that's key. There are so many elements to the fight game it would take you a lifetime to get good at all of them, so why not get started? The best way to find out if it's working or not is in a fight."
This is the attitude that the elder Mein passed on to his son from an early age. Lee began training in MMA back when people still weren't entirely sure if that was the name of the sport. He'd always been interested in the martial arts, he said. He worked security, and "always wanted to find out what would work best if my life was on the line." MMA covered a lot of bases.
It only made sense to bring his son along to the gym, where he picked up some kickboxing here, a little jiu-jitsu there, all while his dad was testing his skills in the cage and bringing his sometimes painful lessons back for the benefit of his students.
"Most of the opportunities came up to fight top guys, and it was just to see where you're at and what you've been working on and if it's working or not," Lee said. "That was the challenge for me. Then I'd go back to teaching and could say, this worked and this didn't."
He never forced his son to fight or even to train, he said. And when Jordan chose to train, Lee did his best to treat him like any other student, to the point where he still can't quite get himself to admit that being in his son's corner for his UFC debut was any more of a thrill than getting other fighters from his academy into the same spot. When Jordan was a kid, he got the same blanket invitation to the next tournament as all the others. It was always, here's the date and location. If you want to come along, put your name in. And more often than not, Jordan did.
"He's never pressured me into anything, or been any harder on me than he is on any other teammate of mine," Mein said of his father. "I think that's why I've stuck with it for so long. I've never had to do any of the training or anything. It's always been my choice."
Even if, style-wise, the welterweight son has little in common with his heavyweight father ("He goes all out in the first round," Jordan said of his dad. "He just blitzes hard. I can be a little more conservative and have longer fights."), they share the same mentality in just about every other aspect of the fight game.
Healthy? Then you might as well go fight. Think it'll be a tough one? Good, it'll only make you better.
It's worked out well so far for Jordan, who made a name for himself in the waning days of Strikeforce before making the move to the UFC with an impressive first-round TKO win in his debut. Now that he's stepping in to fight a hard-nosed brawler like Brown on short-notice, it's as if he finally knows what his father was preparing him for all those years. The experience they were chasing back when he was a teenager has to help now, Mein said, "because I'm in that situation again and I've done it before."
As always, his dad will be right there in his corner when he does it again on Saturday night. Win or lose, there's something in this for Lee, too.
"I get to spend time with my son every day," he said. "We might not be watching movies or golfing together or something casual. We're working hard, but it's what we want to be doing. I love my job, and he loves his."
It might not be most people's idea of a family business, but then most families aren't like the Meins.
For more on UFC on FOX 7, st
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2006/12/07
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For the better part of two years, Chael Sonnen went out of his way to denigrate Anderson Silva. In the process of twice challenging the UFC middleweight champion and twice coming up short, Sonnen taunted Silva, his homeland of Brazil, made a fake middleweight title belt he carried around, and so on.
Heading into his UFC 159 main event on Saturday night in which he faces Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title, Sonnen is still taking shots at his conqueror.
On Monday's media teleconference promoting the event, Sonnen went out of his way to say he considered Jones a better fighter than Silva, the man most consider the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.
"I don't think they're close," Sonnen said. "I think Jon is considerably better than Anderson."
Sonnen, of course, pushed Silva like he's rarely been pushed in his record-setting, six-and-a-half-year title reign. Sonnen won the first four rounds of his UFC 117 title challenge against Silva before Silva won via submission in the fifth round. Then, in their UFC 148 rematch, Sonnen won the first round handily before making a fatal mistake in the second by missing on a wild spinning backfist, which led to a Silva TKO win.
But Sonnen seems to have a memory lapse on how the fights finished, opting instead to focus on what occurred during the bulk of the fights instead of the endings.
"Look, here's the reality with Anderson," Sonnen said. "I stomped that guy, and you can pick up his little arm as many times as you want and call him the winner, but the fact is I whipped his ass for 30 minutes. He got to jump on me for less than 30 seconds. He never knocked me down. I fell down. They say Anderson's the best pound-for-pound. He's not the best round-for-round."
"I doubt anyone on this call even has a 10-8 round," Sonnen continued. "I have three of them. They're all against Anderson Silva. So, if you think Jon and Anderson are even close, I will run through Jon because I ran through Anderson," said Sonnen.
Sonnen remains defensive over being granted a title shot against Jones, despite the fact he's coming off the loss to Silva and has not competed at 205 pounds in several years.
"Sometimes I hear that I don't deserve this fight, or that I'm not the right guy," Sonnen said. "But then I hear that Anderson can beat [Jones]. You've got to be kidding me. I stomped Anderson Silva, twice."
Chael Sonnen says Jon Jones is 'considerably better' than Anderson Silva - MMA Fighting
Heading into his UFC 159 main event on Saturday night in which he faces Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title, Sonnen is still taking shots at his conqueror.
On Monday's media teleconference promoting the event, Sonnen went out of his way to say he considered Jones a better fighter than Silva, the man most consider the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.
"I don't think they're close," Sonnen said. "I think Jon is considerably better than Anderson."
Sonnen, of course, pushed Silva like he's rarely been pushed in his record-setting, six-and-a-half-year title reign. Sonnen won the first four rounds of his UFC 117 title challenge against Silva before Silva won via submission in the fifth round. Then, in their UFC 148 rematch, Sonnen won the first round handily before making a fatal mistake in the second by missing on a wild spinning backfist, which led to a Silva TKO win.
But Sonnen seems to have a memory lapse on how the fights finished, opting instead to focus on what occurred during the bulk of the fights instead of the endings.
"Look, here's the reality with Anderson," Sonnen said. "I stomped that guy, and you can pick up his little arm as many times as you want and call him the winner, but the fact is I whipped his ass for 30 minutes. He got to jump on me for less than 30 seconds. He never knocked me down. I fell down. They say Anderson's the best pound-for-pound. He's not the best round-for-round."
"I doubt anyone on this call even has a 10-8 round," Sonnen continued. "I have three of them. They're all against Anderson Silva. So, if you think Jon and Anderson are even close, I will run through Jon because I ran through Anderson," said Sonnen.
Sonnen remains defensive over being granted a title shot against Jones, despite the fact he's coming off the loss to Silva and has not competed at 205 pounds in several years.
"Sometimes I hear that I don't deserve this fight, or that I'm not the right guy," Sonnen said. "But then I hear that Anderson can beat [Jones]. You've got to be kidding me. I stomped Anderson Silva, twice."
Chael Sonnen says Jon Jones is 'considerably better' than Anderson Silva - MMA Fighting
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Today features dueling events about the legalization of mixed martial arts, with Sen. Liz Krueger and women’s groups saying MMA should remain illegal because “cage fighting” sends the wrong message to young people.
Lorenzo Fertitta, who leads the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship league, dismissed a press conference set up by the National Organization for Women was actually organized by a Las Vegas union that is trying to unionize casinos he and his brothers own. He provided a flyer by UNITE HERE, the international that includes the Las Vegas local, which organized a bus for interested members to lobby at the Capitol.
“It’s actually kind of sad,” Fertitta sid. “These women’s organizations and women’s groups stand for great things … yet they are being used as a pawn by the Culinary Union.”
Legislators during the press conference suggested MMA fighters send misogynist signals that lead to abuse of women. They handed out a clip packet including stories about some MMA fighters who have ties to neo-Nazi groups.
“Cage fighting has no place in a civilized society,” said Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Nyack. “It hurts young people who are brought to believe that human brutality is a spectator sport.”
Jaffee said she had not had contact with the Culinary Union. Krueger, D-Manhattan, acknowledged that someone on her staff was in touch as the press conference was planned.
Capitol Confidential » UFC says anti-MMA press conference was staged
Lorenzo Fertitta, who leads the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship league, dismissed a press conference set up by the National Organization for Women was actually organized by a Las Vegas union that is trying to unionize casinos he and his brothers own. He provided a flyer by UNITE HERE, the international that includes the Las Vegas local, which organized a bus for interested members to lobby at the Capitol.
“It’s actually kind of sad,” Fertitta sid. “These women’s organizations and women’s groups stand for great things … yet they are being used as a pawn by the Culinary Union.”
Legislators during the press conference suggested MMA fighters send misogynist signals that lead to abuse of women. They handed out a clip packet including stories about some MMA fighters who have ties to neo-Nazi groups.
“Cage fighting has no place in a civilized society,” said Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Nyack. “It hurts young people who are brought to believe that human brutality is a spectator sport.”
Jaffee said she had not had contact with the Culinary Union. Krueger, D-Manhattan, acknowledged that someone on her staff was in touch as the press conference was planned.
Capitol Confidential » UFC says anti-MMA press conference was staged
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The updated MMAWeekly-com World MMA Rankings were released on Wednesday, April 24. This system ranks the Top 10 MMA fighters from across the world in each of the seven most widely accepted men’s weight classes and the Top 10 pound-for-pound women fighters.
Taken into consideration are a fighter's performance in addition to win-loss record, head-to-head and common opponents, difficulty of opponents, and numerous other factors in what is the most comprehensive rankings system in the sport.
Fighters who are currently serving drug-related suspensions are not eligible for Top 10 consideration until they have fought one time after the completion of their suspension.
Fighters must also have competed within the past 12 months in order to be eligible for Top 10 consideration unless they have a bout scheduled within a reasonable time frame.
Notes: Brian Bowles, Dominick Cruz, and Shane Carwin are ineligible for consideration because they haven’t fought in more than a year.
(Fighter’s previous ranking is in parenthesis.)
Below are the current MMAWeekly-com World MMA Rankings:
WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND (all weight classes)
1. Ronda Rousey (1)
2. Cris Cyborg Santos (2)
3. Cat Zingano (3)
4. Sarah Kaufman (4)
5. Miesha Tate (5)
6. Jessica Aguilar (6)
7. Megumi Fujii (7)
8. Marloes Coenen (8)
9. Alexis Davis (9)
10. Liz Carmouche (10)
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)
1. Cain Velasquez (1)
2. Junior dos Santos (2)
3. Daniel Cormier (3)
4. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (4)
5. Alistair Overeem (5)
6. Fabricio Werdum (6)
7. Frank Mir (7)
8. Josh Barnett (8)
9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (9)
10. Mark Hunt (10)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)
1. Jon Jones (1)
2. Lyoto Machida (2)
3. Alexander Gustafsson (3)
4. Dan Henderson (4)
5. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (5)
6. Rashad Evans (6)
7. Phil Davis (7)
8. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (8)
9. Glover Teixeira (9)
10. Ryan Bader (10)
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185-pound limit)
1. Anderson Silva (1)
2. Vitor Belfort (2)
3. Chris Weidman (3)
4. Michael Bisping (4)
5. Mark Munoz (5)
6. Costa Philippou (6)
7. Tim Boetsch (7)
8. Yushin Okami (8)
9. Brian Stann (9)
10. Hector Lombard (10)
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170-pound limit)
1. Georges St-Pierre (1)
2. Johny Hendricks (2)
3. Carlos Condit (3)
4. Martin Kampmann (4)
5. Jake Ellenberger (5)
6. Rory MacDonald (6)
7. Demian Maia (7)
8. Robbie Lawler (8)
9. Nick Diaz (9)
10. Josh Koscheck (10)
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155-pound limit)
1. Benson Henderson (1)
2. Gilbert Melendez (2)
3. Anthony Pettis (3)
4. Gray Maynard (4)
5. Michael Chandler (6)
6. Eddie Alvarez (7)
7. Josh Thomson (n/a)
8. Nate Diaz (5)
9. Jim Miller (8)
10. Khabib Nurmagomedov (9)
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION (145 pound-limit)
1. Jose Aldo (1)
2. Chad Mendes (3)
3. Ricardo Lamas (2)
4. Pat Curran (4)
5. Frankie Edgar (5)
6. Chan Sung Jung (6)
7. Cub Swanson (7)
8. Dustin Poirier (8)
9. Erik Koch (9)
10. Dennis Siver (n/a)
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION (135 pounds or less)
1. Renan Barão (1)
2. Urijah Faber (2)
3. Michael McDonald (3)
4. Eddie Wineland (4)
5. Brad Pickett (5)
6. Bibiano Fernandes (6)
7. Raphael Assuncao (7)
8. Erik Perez (8)
9. TJ Dillashaw (n/a)
10. Mike Easton (9)
FLYWEIGHT DIVISION (125 pounds or less)
1. Demetrious Johnson (1)
2. Joseph Benavidez (2)
3. John Dodson (3)
4. John Moraga (4)
5. Ian McCall (5)
6. Jussier da Silva (6)
7. Darrell Montague (7)
8. Louis Gaudinot (8)
9. John Lineker (9)
10. Tim Elliot (10)
Y! SPORTS
Taken into consideration are a fighter's performance in addition to win-loss record, head-to-head and common opponents, difficulty of opponents, and numerous other factors in what is the most comprehensive rankings system in the sport.
Fighters who are currently serving drug-related suspensions are not eligible for Top 10 consideration until they have fought one time after the completion of their suspension.
Fighters must also have competed within the past 12 months in order to be eligible for Top 10 consideration unless they have a bout scheduled within a reasonable time frame.
Notes: Brian Bowles, Dominick Cruz, and Shane Carwin are ineligible for consideration because they haven’t fought in more than a year.
(Fighter’s previous ranking is in parenthesis.)
Below are the current MMAWeekly-com World MMA Rankings:
WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND (all weight classes)
1. Ronda Rousey (1)
2. Cris Cyborg Santos (2)
3. Cat Zingano (3)
4. Sarah Kaufman (4)
5. Miesha Tate (5)
6. Jessica Aguilar (6)
7. Megumi Fujii (7)
8. Marloes Coenen (8)
9. Alexis Davis (9)
10. Liz Carmouche (10)
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)
1. Cain Velasquez (1)
2. Junior dos Santos (2)
3. Daniel Cormier (3)
4. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (4)
5. Alistair Overeem (5)
6. Fabricio Werdum (6)
7. Frank Mir (7)
8. Josh Barnett (8)
9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (9)
10. Mark Hunt (10)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)
1. Jon Jones (1)
2. Lyoto Machida (2)
3. Alexander Gustafsson (3)
4. Dan Henderson (4)
5. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (5)
6. Rashad Evans (6)
7. Phil Davis (7)
8. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (8)
9. Glover Teixeira (9)
10. Ryan Bader (10)
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185-pound limit)
1. Anderson Silva (1)
2. Vitor Belfort (2)
3. Chris Weidman (3)
4. Michael Bisping (4)
5. Mark Munoz (5)
6. Costa Philippou (6)
7. Tim Boetsch (7)
8. Yushin Okami (8)
9. Brian Stann (9)
10. Hector Lombard (10)
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170-pound limit)
1. Georges St-Pierre (1)
2. Johny Hendricks (2)
3. Carlos Condit (3)
4. Martin Kampmann (4)
5. Jake Ellenberger (5)
6. Rory MacDonald (6)
7. Demian Maia (7)
8. Robbie Lawler (8)
9. Nick Diaz (9)
10. Josh Koscheck (10)
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155-pound limit)
1. Benson Henderson (1)
2. Gilbert Melendez (2)
3. Anthony Pettis (3)
4. Gray Maynard (4)
5. Michael Chandler (6)
6. Eddie Alvarez (7)
7. Josh Thomson (n/a)
8. Nate Diaz (5)
9. Jim Miller (8)
10. Khabib Nurmagomedov (9)
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION (145 pound-limit)
1. Jose Aldo (1)
2. Chad Mendes (3)
3. Ricardo Lamas (2)
4. Pat Curran (4)
5. Frankie Edgar (5)
6. Chan Sung Jung (6)
7. Cub Swanson (7)
8. Dustin Poirier (8)
9. Erik Koch (9)
10. Dennis Siver (n/a)
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION (135 pounds or less)
1. Renan Barão (1)
2. Urijah Faber (2)
3. Michael McDonald (3)
4. Eddie Wineland (4)
5. Brad Pickett (5)
6. Bibiano Fernandes (6)
7. Raphael Assuncao (7)
8. Erik Perez (8)
9. TJ Dillashaw (n/a)
10. Mike Easton (9)
FLYWEIGHT DIVISION (125 pounds or less)
1. Demetrious Johnson (1)
2. Joseph Benavidez (2)
3. John Dodson (3)
4. John Moraga (4)
5. Ian McCall (5)
6. Jussier da Silva (6)
7. Darrell Montague (7)
8. Louis Gaudinot (8)
9. John Lineker (9)
10. Tim Elliot (10)
Y! SPORTS
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The UFC returns to New Jersey with a main event where the stakes for both champion and challenger are almost comical in how rare and utterly outlandish they are, a consequence of a bout booked on grounds entirely unrelated to sporting achievement. Still, the contest is real and the challenger not entirely outmatched. In fact, he tests to a fuller degree one of the most important aspects of any fighter's repertoire, takedown defense. The champion has so far performed superbly. Can he continue to do so?
Can Jon Jones retain his title and tie Tito Ortiz's light heavyweight record of consecutive title defenses? Will Chael Sonnen shock the world and win a title in a division he hasn't competed in in years? I answer these questions and more with my predictions for UFC 159.
What: UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen
Where: The Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
When: Saturday, the three-fight Facebook card starts at 6:30 p.m. ET, the four-fight FX card starts at 8 p.m. and the five-fight main card starts on pay-per-view at 10 p.m.
Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen
The truth of this bout is that it shouldn't be happening. It's literally a last-minute, utterly desperate replacement fight that's crystallized into a heavily promoted, planned main event. Except it doesn't feel like a main event save for the celebrity of the champ and to a lesser extent the challenger. There's absolutely zero justification for this bout on sporting grounds. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either disingenuous or of poor intellect or both.
As for the fight itself, however, that doesn't necessarily mean this is a blowout. It well could be, but we should also prepare ourselves for the possibility that Sonnen's relentless takedown attempts could delay a swift ending (it will also be one of the more serious tests of Jones' skills here, too). I'd also contend Jones' more measured approach in recent bouts gives space for his contenders to breath a little bit longer than they ordinarily would.
But there's no denying the inevitability of the outcome. This fight is arguably a waste of Jones' time and while I extended my support to this bout initially, to say I've had second thoughts since then would be an understatement.
Pick: Jones
Michael Bisping vs. Alan Belcher
I'm going with the favorite here, but I recognize this bout is probably going to be a closely-contested affair. The problem, ultimately, is going to be Bisping's calculated, consistent pressure. Belcher might have success early, but he is not particularly adept at applying it across three hard-fought rounds. Bisping, for all of his shortcomings, is excellent in the sense of knowing when and how to apply pressure to fading opposition. It's actually something he doesn't get nearly enough credit for. Add in his offensive and defensive wrestling ability and it's hard to see a way Belcher wins if this goes past the first.
Pick: Bisping
Roy Nelson vs. Cheick Kongo
Nelson has his issues, but I see this very much as his fight to lose. He'll have to stay off the fence particularly and at range generally, but I really have a hard time seeing how Kongo avoids getting cracked. And if he does, that's probably going to be enough. There's probably a case to be made I'm deeply underrating Kongo and ignoring Nelson's foibles, but I see this bout's outcome as ultimately a function of chins. On those grounds, Nelson can't lose.
Pick: Nelson
Phil Davis vs. Vinny Magalhaes
I tip my hat to both Davis and Magalhaes for either selling this fight or letting whatever portion of their mutual animosity bubble to the surface. It's raised the stakes and profile of a bout that began as something of a sleeper contest. Here's the problem: I'm not sure where there's evidence that Magalhaes has truly undergone enough skill development to truly make this competitive. He can't take Davis down and while he could pull guard or dive for a submission Masakazu Imanari-style, that's extremely low percentage stuff. Davis isn't exactly a sensational striker, but he doesn't have to be to win on Saturday night.
Pick: Davis
Jim Miller vs. Pat Healy
Some have suggested there's real upset potential in this fight. Maybe. I'm not convinced, however. Miller's only losses are to Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz. Is Pat Healy in the sort of rarefied air of those aforementioned fighters? Not really. And in terms of style vs. style, I'm guessing Miller's scrambling will undo any or most of Healy's takedown attempts. It should be noted Miller's a 'faster' grappler whose game emphasizes speed where Healy is much more about timing and positional control. Lastly, Miller's striking is leagues above Healy's even on the most basic measurements. Healy is tough, experienced and talented, but I'm not sure I understand why he's viewed as the upset pick of the night by some.
UFC 159 predictions - MMA Fighting
Can Jon Jones retain his title and tie Tito Ortiz's light heavyweight record of consecutive title defenses? Will Chael Sonnen shock the world and win a title in a division he hasn't competed in in years? I answer these questions and more with my predictions for UFC 159.
What: UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen
Where: The Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
When: Saturday, the three-fight Facebook card starts at 6:30 p.m. ET, the four-fight FX card starts at 8 p.m. and the five-fight main card starts on pay-per-view at 10 p.m.
Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen
The truth of this bout is that it shouldn't be happening. It's literally a last-minute, utterly desperate replacement fight that's crystallized into a heavily promoted, planned main event. Except it doesn't feel like a main event save for the celebrity of the champ and to a lesser extent the challenger. There's absolutely zero justification for this bout on sporting grounds. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either disingenuous or of poor intellect or both.
As for the fight itself, however, that doesn't necessarily mean this is a blowout. It well could be, but we should also prepare ourselves for the possibility that Sonnen's relentless takedown attempts could delay a swift ending (it will also be one of the more serious tests of Jones' skills here, too). I'd also contend Jones' more measured approach in recent bouts gives space for his contenders to breath a little bit longer than they ordinarily would.
But there's no denying the inevitability of the outcome. This fight is arguably a waste of Jones' time and while I extended my support to this bout initially, to say I've had second thoughts since then would be an understatement.
Pick: Jones
Michael Bisping vs. Alan Belcher
I'm going with the favorite here, but I recognize this bout is probably going to be a closely-contested affair. The problem, ultimately, is going to be Bisping's calculated, consistent pressure. Belcher might have success early, but he is not particularly adept at applying it across three hard-fought rounds. Bisping, for all of his shortcomings, is excellent in the sense of knowing when and how to apply pressure to fading opposition. It's actually something he doesn't get nearly enough credit for. Add in his offensive and defensive wrestling ability and it's hard to see a way Belcher wins if this goes past the first.
Pick: Bisping
Roy Nelson vs. Cheick Kongo
Nelson has his issues, but I see this very much as his fight to lose. He'll have to stay off the fence particularly and at range generally, but I really have a hard time seeing how Kongo avoids getting cracked. And if he does, that's probably going to be enough. There's probably a case to be made I'm deeply underrating Kongo and ignoring Nelson's foibles, but I see this bout's outcome as ultimately a function of chins. On those grounds, Nelson can't lose.
Pick: Nelson
Phil Davis vs. Vinny Magalhaes
I tip my hat to both Davis and Magalhaes for either selling this fight or letting whatever portion of their mutual animosity bubble to the surface. It's raised the stakes and profile of a bout that began as something of a sleeper contest. Here's the problem: I'm not sure where there's evidence that Magalhaes has truly undergone enough skill development to truly make this competitive. He can't take Davis down and while he could pull guard or dive for a submission Masakazu Imanari-style, that's extremely low percentage stuff. Davis isn't exactly a sensational striker, but he doesn't have to be to win on Saturday night.
Pick: Davis
Jim Miller vs. Pat Healy
Some have suggested there's real upset potential in this fight. Maybe. I'm not convinced, however. Miller's only losses are to Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz. Is Pat Healy in the sort of rarefied air of those aforementioned fighters? Not really. And in terms of style vs. style, I'm guessing Miller's scrambling will undo any or most of Healy's takedown attempts. It should be noted Miller's a 'faster' grappler whose game emphasizes speed where Healy is much more about timing and positional control. Lastly, Miller's striking is leagues above Healy's even on the most basic measurements. Healy is tough, experienced and talented, but I'm not sure I understand why he's viewed as the upset pick of the night by some.
UFC 159 predictions - MMA Fighting
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Roman Feraldo walked into the black, chain-link cage at The Moon in a state of disbelief about what he was about to embark upon – his first bout as a MMA fighter.
But Feraldo, a freshman at Tallahassee Community College, never doubted that he was better than his opponent, Colby Booth. Not for a minute.
“I woke up, ate some food, and I put in my head that this guy didn’t deserve it more than me,” Feraldo said.
After nine minutes of kicking, punching and grappling, it turned out that the 19-year-old from Key West was right. He scored a spit-decision victory over his opponent from Valdosta, Ga., in front of a raucous Combat Night XIII crowd that clearly was on his side.
Even with the crowd cheering him on, Feraldo said it took him well into the second round before it sunk in that he was in a real fight. The first round was a surreal experience, he said.
“When I was in the ring and up against the cage, it clicked that I was in a fight,” he said.
The fans rooted for him and gave him plenty of advice when it seems he was fading after the first round.
But the opening round actually was the most decisive for Feraldo, who knocked down Booth with a powerful right hand to the chest 20 seconds into the scheduled three-round bout.
“It was probably the cleanest punch I hit him with,” Feraldo said. “He was real strong. He was wearing me out.”
Feraldo seemed winded with 10 seconds left in the opening round, but he relied on his strength to start the second round. He spent the first few seconds of the round on his back, but Booth didn’t do any damage.
At the sound of the horn to end the round, the 6-foot-1 welterweight (170 pounds) was pounding Booth with left hands to the body.
Feraldo’s victory was the first of two scored by Tallahassee fighters on the card. Waylon Wilder, who attended Godby High School, defeated Tryrone Logan.
It was Wilder’s first victory in two bouts in as many months. He credits the crowd for being able to pull out a close victory in a grueling bout.
“It definitely played a large part,” Wilder said. “It made me want to fight harder.”
Promoters of the show used it as a benefit for Second Harvest of the Big Bend, asking fans to bring canned goods to support the organization’s fight against hunger. Co-promoter Mitchell Chamalie estimated that they received about 200 cans of food.
“We had a lot of support,” he said. “The fighters and their trainers brought cans. We were expecting that — even when they were getting ready to fright, they were still willing to help the needy.”
www-tallahassee-com/article/20130426/SPORTS/304260039/Feraldo-earns-1st-MMA-win?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports
But Feraldo, a freshman at Tallahassee Community College, never doubted that he was better than his opponent, Colby Booth. Not for a minute.
“I woke up, ate some food, and I put in my head that this guy didn’t deserve it more than me,” Feraldo said.
After nine minutes of kicking, punching and grappling, it turned out that the 19-year-old from Key West was right. He scored a spit-decision victory over his opponent from Valdosta, Ga., in front of a raucous Combat Night XIII crowd that clearly was on his side.
Even with the crowd cheering him on, Feraldo said it took him well into the second round before it sunk in that he was in a real fight. The first round was a surreal experience, he said.
“When I was in the ring and up against the cage, it clicked that I was in a fight,” he said.
The fans rooted for him and gave him plenty of advice when it seems he was fading after the first round.
But the opening round actually was the most decisive for Feraldo, who knocked down Booth with a powerful right hand to the chest 20 seconds into the scheduled three-round bout.
“It was probably the cleanest punch I hit him with,” Feraldo said. “He was real strong. He was wearing me out.”
Feraldo seemed winded with 10 seconds left in the opening round, but he relied on his strength to start the second round. He spent the first few seconds of the round on his back, but Booth didn’t do any damage.
At the sound of the horn to end the round, the 6-foot-1 welterweight (170 pounds) was pounding Booth with left hands to the body.
Feraldo’s victory was the first of two scored by Tallahassee fighters on the card. Waylon Wilder, who attended Godby High School, defeated Tryrone Logan.
It was Wilder’s first victory in two bouts in as many months. He credits the crowd for being able to pull out a close victory in a grueling bout.
“It definitely played a large part,” Wilder said. “It made me want to fight harder.”
Promoters of the show used it as a benefit for Second Harvest of the Big Bend, asking fans to bring canned goods to support the organization’s fight against hunger. Co-promoter Mitchell Chamalie estimated that they received about 200 cans of food.
“We had a lot of support,” he said. “The fighters and their trainers brought cans. We were expecting that — even when they were getting ready to fright, they were still willing to help the needy.”
www-tallahassee-com/article/20130426/SPORTS/304260039/Feraldo-earns-1st-MMA-win?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports
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For Roy Nelson, it's feast or famine. He either scores the knockout shot or loses a decision, as evidenced by his recent record.
His last nine wins are by knockout. His last five losses have all gone to a decision.
Cheick Kongo is unlucky No. 10. Nelson caught the French fighter with a crushing overhand right, and finished him off with a single ground strike to win a UFC 159 main card bout.
The stoppage came at 2:03 of the first round.
"All I do is set them up and knock them down," he said. "I want that gold."
Nelson (19-7) won his third straight, following wins over Matt Mitrione and Dave Herman.
Kongo never got his offense going. Earlier in the round, Nelson backed him against the cage where they clinched until being broken apart by the ref. It was only a few seconds later when Nelson dropped the hammer.
Kongo lost for the second time in three fights. He's now 18-8-2.
UFC 159 results: Roy Nelson knocks out Cheick Kongo - MMA Fighting
His last nine wins are by knockout. His last five losses have all gone to a decision.
Cheick Kongo is unlucky No. 10. Nelson caught the French fighter with a crushing overhand right, and finished him off with a single ground strike to win a UFC 159 main card bout.
The stoppage came at 2:03 of the first round.
"All I do is set them up and knock them down," he said. "I want that gold."
Nelson (19-7) won his third straight, following wins over Matt Mitrione and Dave Herman.
Kongo never got his offense going. Earlier in the round, Nelson backed him against the cage where they clinched until being broken apart by the ref. It was only a few seconds later when Nelson dropped the hammer.
Kongo lost for the second time in three fights. He's now 18-8-2.
UFC 159 results: Roy Nelson knocks out Cheick Kongo - MMA Fighting
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Watch Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen fight video highlights from UFC 159's main event above, courtesy of FOX Sports.
UFC 159 took place April 27, 2013 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones (18-1) looked to defend his title a record-tying five straight times against fellow TUF 17 coach Chael Sonnen (27-13-1) in the night's main event. Catch the video highlights above.
For more on Jones' destructive victory, check out the play-by-play from Dave Doyle.
Round 1: Keith Peterson is the referee for this one. Sonnen comes out swinging, but Jones scores an easy takedown. They're back to their feet. They clinch and Sonnen connects with his dirty boxing. Jones clinches Sonnen against the fence. Sonnen throws knees. Sonnen again landing in close, but Jones again scores an easy takedown and follows with a big elbow. Sonnen back to his feet, but Jones stays on his back. He transitions to a bodylock. Sonnen grabs a guillotine, but Jones pops right out. Jones lands a big uppercut and an elbow then just misses with a spinning back elbow. Sonnen has a Muay Thai clinch and lands a knee or two, but Jones once again scores a ridiculously easy takedown. Sonnen does a reasonable job covering up. Jones looks determined to defeat Sonnen at his own game to prove a point. Sonnen covering up as Jones swarms. Peterson calls the fight. Sonnen is protesting, but his face is all messed up and it wasn't going to get any better.
UFC 159 results: Jon Jones def. Chael Sonnen via TKO at 4:33 of round one.
Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen fight video highlights - MMA Fighting
UFC 159 took place April 27, 2013 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones (18-1) looked to defend his title a record-tying five straight times against fellow TUF 17 coach Chael Sonnen (27-13-1) in the night's main event. Catch the video highlights above.
For more on Jones' destructive victory, check out the play-by-play from Dave Doyle.
Round 1: Keith Peterson is the referee for this one. Sonnen comes out swinging, but Jones scores an easy takedown. They're back to their feet. They clinch and Sonnen connects with his dirty boxing. Jones clinches Sonnen against the fence. Sonnen throws knees. Sonnen again landing in close, but Jones again scores an easy takedown and follows with a big elbow. Sonnen back to his feet, but Jones stays on his back. He transitions to a bodylock. Sonnen grabs a guillotine, but Jones pops right out. Jones lands a big uppercut and an elbow then just misses with a spinning back elbow. Sonnen has a Muay Thai clinch and lands a knee or two, but Jones once again scores a ridiculously easy takedown. Sonnen does a reasonable job covering up. Jones looks determined to defeat Sonnen at his own game to prove a point. Sonnen covering up as Jones swarms. Peterson calls the fight. Sonnen is protesting, but his face is all messed up and it wasn't going to get any better.
UFC 159 results: Jon Jones def. Chael Sonnen via TKO at 4:33 of round one.
Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen fight video highlights - MMA Fighting
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On first appearance, Iraqi native Nadia Nixon doesn’t appear to be your typical fierce mixed martial arts fighter.
Some descriptions from those that know the 5-foot-7, 115-pound Topekan well include beautiful, humble, respectful and shy.
But like all good athletes, Nixon, 32, has a switch that she can turn on and off when necessary.
The other side of her, which includes “intense, technical and having an incredibly high pain tolerance,” is what makes her one of the best amateur women MMA fighters in the country, according to her coach and trainer Steve Twemlow.
“When you see Nadia get into the ring, that cage door closes, it’s bizarre,” Twemlow said. “It’s a transformation. When she gets out of there, she’d rather be at home with her cat. Very not wanting the spotlight-type thing. But in the ring, my God. Whole different ballgame. Looks like a whole different person.”
Nixon won her highest profile fight to date on April 20 in Kansas City, Mo., beating Molly Welsh in 37 seconds in the main event to win TITAN’s ISCF Battle for the Belts. Nixon took zero punishment to capture her fourth title and second in the past two months.
Nixon’s story goes back to Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, where she was born and lived until 2007. She knows three languages and got her bachelor’s degree from the University of Baghdad. Nixon said while she didn’t deal with war too much, there were still times where she was scared.
But at the same time, Nixon said she was in with American and western culture. She met her American husband in Baghdad, and that’s what brought her to Topeka six years ago.
Growing up in Iraq, she wasn’t allowed to do sports. But having three brothers and seven male cousins, she experienced the play-wrestling that families often take part in.
“They liked to play rough,” she said. “I couldn’t take them at the time because I was the smallest. But now, maybe it’s different.”
In Topeka, she had no martial arts experience but came to Twemlow at the School of Martial and Meditative Arts with the hope of learning a little self defense.
“After I started coming here to this school, everything changed,” Nixon said of the place where she has made a lot of friends and connections. “I love it now. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
Twemlow recounted how she did the karate for a while, “and then one day, she just looked at me and said, ‘I want to fight.’ I just kind of looked at her like, ‘You gotta be crazy.’ ”
Nixon has been practicing martial arts for three years in Topeka, and it has become her life, as she trains five to six hours a day for six days a week.
“The minute I started it, I just fell in love with it,” she said of MMA. “I knew I that it could be something I could be something at.”
At a record of 7-5-1, Nixon has lost some close decisions against some of the top competition in the nation and is considering going pro soon, as she has had several offers.
Twemlow said there are more opportunities for women MMA fighters now, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship — the stuff seen on TV — has added a women’s division, and the Invicta Fighting Championships, strictly for women, are based out of the Kansas City area.
“Before there wasn’t a viable option for a lot of women, and they didn’t really get into it,” Twemlow said. “Now that there’s a viable option, I think you’re going to see an explosion of women talent.”
When one thinks MMA, images of strong, physical people bruising, bloodying and brawling with each other often comes to mind.
For Nixon, she’s found success not relying so much on the physical but more the mental, focusing on relaxation, meditation and visualization. She’s avoided the big injuries, doesn’t talk trash and still has found a way to dominate her opponents by taking the least resistant path to victory.
“She’s beautiful and she’s smart and she can beat you up,” said Eric Willis, a local who is involved with MMA. “When you got all that going for you what else do you need?”
VIDEO: Topekan from Iraq wins fourth amateur MMA title | CJOnline-com
Some descriptions from those that know the 5-foot-7, 115-pound Topekan well include beautiful, humble, respectful and shy.
But like all good athletes, Nixon, 32, has a switch that she can turn on and off when necessary.
The other side of her, which includes “intense, technical and having an incredibly high pain tolerance,” is what makes her one of the best amateur women MMA fighters in the country, according to her coach and trainer Steve Twemlow.
“When you see Nadia get into the ring, that cage door closes, it’s bizarre,” Twemlow said. “It’s a transformation. When she gets out of there, she’d rather be at home with her cat. Very not wanting the spotlight-type thing. But in the ring, my God. Whole different ballgame. Looks like a whole different person.”
Nixon won her highest profile fight to date on April 20 in Kansas City, Mo., beating Molly Welsh in 37 seconds in the main event to win TITAN’s ISCF Battle for the Belts. Nixon took zero punishment to capture her fourth title and second in the past two months.
Nixon’s story goes back to Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, where she was born and lived until 2007. She knows three languages and got her bachelor’s degree from the University of Baghdad. Nixon said while she didn’t deal with war too much, there were still times where she was scared.
But at the same time, Nixon said she was in with American and western culture. She met her American husband in Baghdad, and that’s what brought her to Topeka six years ago.
Growing up in Iraq, she wasn’t allowed to do sports. But having three brothers and seven male cousins, she experienced the play-wrestling that families often take part in.
“They liked to play rough,” she said. “I couldn’t take them at the time because I was the smallest. But now, maybe it’s different.”
In Topeka, she had no martial arts experience but came to Twemlow at the School of Martial and Meditative Arts with the hope of learning a little self defense.
“After I started coming here to this school, everything changed,” Nixon said of the place where she has made a lot of friends and connections. “I love it now. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
Twemlow recounted how she did the karate for a while, “and then one day, she just looked at me and said, ‘I want to fight.’ I just kind of looked at her like, ‘You gotta be crazy.’ ”
Nixon has been practicing martial arts for three years in Topeka, and it has become her life, as she trains five to six hours a day for six days a week.
“The minute I started it, I just fell in love with it,” she said of MMA. “I knew I that it could be something I could be something at.”
At a record of 7-5-1, Nixon has lost some close decisions against some of the top competition in the nation and is considering going pro soon, as she has had several offers.
Twemlow said there are more opportunities for women MMA fighters now, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship — the stuff seen on TV — has added a women’s division, and the Invicta Fighting Championships, strictly for women, are based out of the Kansas City area.
“Before there wasn’t a viable option for a lot of women, and they didn’t really get into it,” Twemlow said. “Now that there’s a viable option, I think you’re going to see an explosion of women talent.”
When one thinks MMA, images of strong, physical people bruising, bloodying and brawling with each other often comes to mind.
For Nixon, she’s found success not relying so much on the physical but more the mental, focusing on relaxation, meditation and visualization. She’s avoided the big injuries, doesn’t talk trash and still has found a way to dominate her opponents by taking the least resistant path to victory.
“She’s beautiful and she’s smart and she can beat you up,” said Eric Willis, a local who is involved with MMA. “When you got all that going for you what else do you need?”
VIDEO: Topekan from Iraq wins fourth amateur MMA title | CJOnline-com
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2006/12/07
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In MMA's fleeting history, plenty of fighters have flourished from formulating and executing offensive-minded game plans.
Fighters with offense on their brains rarely need a round or two to warm up and they never need to be reminded by a referee to step up the action.
From the instant the bell sounds, these shark-like figures emerge from their corners with intentions of quickly getting a taste for blood, a pursuit they almost always accomplish.
Here are the 10 greatest offensive minds in MMA history. The 10 Greatest Offensive Minds in MMA History | Bleacher Report
Fighters with offense on their brains rarely need a round or two to warm up and they never need to be reminded by a referee to step up the action.
From the instant the bell sounds, these shark-like figures emerge from their corners with intentions of quickly getting a taste for blood, a pursuit they almost always accomplish.
Here are the 10 greatest offensive minds in MMA history. The 10 Greatest Offensive Minds in MMA History | Bleacher Report
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With 385 fighters in the UFC alone, it's an awfully difficult task to try to name the premier practitioners in each specific component of MMA.
Former Olympians in the fields of wrestling (Greco-Roman and freestyle), judo, karate, Taekwondo and boxing have used their skill sets as bases to launch their careers in MMA.
While heaps of gifted athletes have undoubtedly flooded the sport, who stands at the top of the proverbial mountain in each discipline in MMA?
Here are the best fighters of every primary component of MMA.
Pictures: The Best Fighters at Each Major Component of MMA | Bleacher Report
Former Olympians in the fields of wrestling (Greco-Roman and freestyle), judo, karate, Taekwondo and boxing have used their skill sets as bases to launch their careers in MMA.
While heaps of gifted athletes have undoubtedly flooded the sport, who stands at the top of the proverbial mountain in each discipline in MMA?
Here are the best fighters of every primary component of MMA.
Pictures: The Best Fighters at Each Major Component of MMA | Bleacher Report
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Cheick Kongo's UFC career, at least for now, has come to an end.
The promotion has decided against re-signing the French veteran after his first-round knockout loss to Roy Nelson last Saturday night at UFC 159, a UFC official confirmed with MMAFighting-com on Wednesday. The official stated that that fight was the last on Kongo's current contract.
According to Kongo's long-time manager Anthony McGann, Kongo was offered a four-fight deal before the Nelson fight, but he turned it down after they couldn't agree on terms. He was not offered a different deal after the fight.
The 37-year-old Kongo (18-8-2) went 3-2 in his last five fights. A former kickboxer, he made his Octagon debut at UFC 61 in 2006 against Gilbert Aldana. He won that fight and would go on to win four of his first five UFC bouts.
Kongo leaves the organization with an 11-6-1 record inside the Octagon. His most memorable UFC win has to be his comeback first-round knockout of Pat Barry at UFC Live on Versus 4 in June 2011.
Last week, prior to the Nelson fight, he told MMAFighting-com that he was hoping to fight another two or three years but is content with what he has accomplished throughout his 12-year MMA career.
"I got to give myself, probably, two, three more years to reach [a title shot]," he said. "If not, whatever, I have enough memories to retire and go on my way and do something else."
McGann said Kongo will definitely continue fighting outside the UFC.
UFC parts ways with Cheick Kongo - MMA Fighting
The promotion has decided against re-signing the French veteran after his first-round knockout loss to Roy Nelson last Saturday night at UFC 159, a UFC official confirmed with MMAFighting-com on Wednesday. The official stated that that fight was the last on Kongo's current contract.
According to Kongo's long-time manager Anthony McGann, Kongo was offered a four-fight deal before the Nelson fight, but he turned it down after they couldn't agree on terms. He was not offered a different deal after the fight.
The 37-year-old Kongo (18-8-2) went 3-2 in his last five fights. A former kickboxer, he made his Octagon debut at UFC 61 in 2006 against Gilbert Aldana. He won that fight and would go on to win four of his first five UFC bouts.
Kongo leaves the organization with an 11-6-1 record inside the Octagon. His most memorable UFC win has to be his comeback first-round knockout of Pat Barry at UFC Live on Versus 4 in June 2011.
Last week, prior to the Nelson fight, he told MMAFighting-com that he was hoping to fight another two or three years but is content with what he has accomplished throughout his 12-year MMA career.
"I got to give myself, probably, two, three more years to reach [a title shot]," he said. "If not, whatever, I have enough memories to retire and go on my way and do something else."
McGann said Kongo will definitely continue fighting outside the UFC.
UFC parts ways with Cheick Kongo - MMA Fighting
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Bob Belber sees a lot of money to be made off hammer fists and guillotine chokes.
Those are some of the signature "submission" moves used in the growing sport of mixed martial arts. That growth is happening everywhere but New York and Connecticut, the two states still banning it.
I wrote yesterday that MMA proponents have their best shot yet to have their sport legalized in New York. Belber runs the Times Union Center in downtown Albany, the largest indoor venue in the Capital Region—which stands to enjoy some new business if legislators agree to allow the sport.
How much? Belber says he's confident he could sell out two or three MMA fight cards every year.
He figures each MMA event would generate almost $1 million in ticket sales and another $3 million in spending at downtown restaurants, hotels and retailers.
"It would be a tremendous economic impact," Belber said. "That's roughly 16,000 tickets per event—a pretty serious number of people who will come and travel from all over the Northeast to get to the event. Obviously, they're staying in hotels and eating at restaurants."
MMA would boost the Times Union Center, already home to 38 games for the minor-league Albany Devils hockey team and home games for Siena College's men's basketball team.
The venue does not disclose revenue, but has said it's generating a net operating profit. It's owned by the county and managed by SMG, which is based in Philadelphia.
Selling out for NY to drop ban on MMA - The Business Review
Those are some of the signature "submission" moves used in the growing sport of mixed martial arts. That growth is happening everywhere but New York and Connecticut, the two states still banning it.
I wrote yesterday that MMA proponents have their best shot yet to have their sport legalized in New York. Belber runs the Times Union Center in downtown Albany, the largest indoor venue in the Capital Region—which stands to enjoy some new business if legislators agree to allow the sport.
How much? Belber says he's confident he could sell out two or three MMA fight cards every year.
He figures each MMA event would generate almost $1 million in ticket sales and another $3 million in spending at downtown restaurants, hotels and retailers.
"It would be a tremendous economic impact," Belber said. "That's roughly 16,000 tickets per event—a pretty serious number of people who will come and travel from all over the Northeast to get to the event. Obviously, they're staying in hotels and eating at restaurants."
MMA would boost the Times Union Center, already home to 38 games for the minor-league Albany Devils hockey team and home games for Siena College's men's basketball team.
The venue does not disclose revenue, but has said it's generating a net operating profit. It's owned by the county and managed by SMG, which is based in Philadelphia.
Selling out for NY to drop ban on MMA - The Business Review
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Former boxing world champion Ricardo Mayorga's strangely-long-awaited MMA debut could hardly be described as “fireworks,” which is ironic given that notorious pugilist's bizarre victory in the main event of Omega MMA's “Battle of the Americas” was met with a literal (and elaborate) fireworks display.
Friday night at the Pharaoh's Casino in his hometown of Managua, Nicaragua, Mayorga managed to overcome his complete lack of grappling ability against unheralded opponent Wesley Tiffer, ultimately stopping the Canadian transplant with what appeared to be an illegal knee to the spine at the end of the second round.
The fight was originally conceived as a lightweight contest, then a 160-pound catch-weight before Thursday's weigh-in, at which Mayorga clocked in at 175.9 pounds. Tiffer, who claimed a 5-1 record entering the bout and hadn't competed since 2009, tipped the beam at 153 pounds. The 39-year-old Mayorga, who held world titles at 147 and 154 in the squared circle, looked every bit as physically terrible as the number on the scale suggested.
Mayorga was originally expected to debut inside the cage back in May 2010 in the headliner of the ill-fated Shine Fights “World Collide” against UFC veteran Din Thomas. “El Matador's” MMA debut never materialized as the North Carolina Boxing Authority canceled the show amidst shambolic circumstances, effectively killing Shine Fights as a promotion.
Mayorga was taken down by Tiffer after his opening salvo of punches and spent the vast majority of the bout's 10 minutes clinging to Tiffer, who held full mount and did little with it. On the sporadic occasions of Mayorga's escape, he was taken back down immediately after attempting to punch, right back into full mount.
The awkward-yet-tepid bout finally saw drama in the late second round when Mayorga bucked to escape from mount and rolled into a triangle armbar from Tiffer. Mayorga toughed his way through the hold and freed himself from Tiffer's subsequent armbar attempt with what appeared to be an illegal knee to the spine just before the round ended. Referee Milton Rosales Toshi did not call a foul, but after consulting with the cageside physician, Tiffer was deemed unfit to continue, giving Mayorga his first MMA win by stoppage at the end of the second round.
Post-fight, Mayorga jumped on the cage, played to the crowd and fist-bumped his robust posse as a full-blown fireworks display burst into the Nicaraguan night sky.
Elswewhere, unbeaten Bulgarian Krasimir Mladenov stayed perfect with a quick win in the evening’s middleweight co-main event. The 27-year-old wrestler needed just 2:06 to finish Guatemala’s O.J. Aguilar after hitting a double-leg against the fence and applying a keylock.
In a lightweight contest, American Jonathan Nunez battered Guatemala Joel Lam en route to a unanimous decision over 15-minute lopsided minutes.
Wesley Tiffer student Erick Soza took out his Nicaraguan countryman German Rodriguez via rear-naked choke 4:15 into their bantamweight bout. At welterweight, Guatemala's Alejandro Rodriguez punched out Managua's Jurgen Gonzalez at 4:39 of the first round, while local Leonardo Morales restored Managuan pride by defeating Guatemalan featherweight Esdo Moises de Paz, stopping him on the ringside doctor's advice at 4:47 of the third round.
In the evening's 175-pound opener, Jose Castro flattened Pablo Acuna with a left hook 77 seconds into round three.
Former Boxing World Champion Ricardo Mayorga Wins MMA Debut in Bizarre Spectacle
Friday night at the Pharaoh's Casino in his hometown of Managua, Nicaragua, Mayorga managed to overcome his complete lack of grappling ability against unheralded opponent Wesley Tiffer, ultimately stopping the Canadian transplant with what appeared to be an illegal knee to the spine at the end of the second round.
The fight was originally conceived as a lightweight contest, then a 160-pound catch-weight before Thursday's weigh-in, at which Mayorga clocked in at 175.9 pounds. Tiffer, who claimed a 5-1 record entering the bout and hadn't competed since 2009, tipped the beam at 153 pounds. The 39-year-old Mayorga, who held world titles at 147 and 154 in the squared circle, looked every bit as physically terrible as the number on the scale suggested.
Mayorga was originally expected to debut inside the cage back in May 2010 in the headliner of the ill-fated Shine Fights “World Collide” against UFC veteran Din Thomas. “El Matador's” MMA debut never materialized as the North Carolina Boxing Authority canceled the show amidst shambolic circumstances, effectively killing Shine Fights as a promotion.
Mayorga was taken down by Tiffer after his opening salvo of punches and spent the vast majority of the bout's 10 minutes clinging to Tiffer, who held full mount and did little with it. On the sporadic occasions of Mayorga's escape, he was taken back down immediately after attempting to punch, right back into full mount.
The awkward-yet-tepid bout finally saw drama in the late second round when Mayorga bucked to escape from mount and rolled into a triangle armbar from Tiffer. Mayorga toughed his way through the hold and freed himself from Tiffer's subsequent armbar attempt with what appeared to be an illegal knee to the spine just before the round ended. Referee Milton Rosales Toshi did not call a foul, but after consulting with the cageside physician, Tiffer was deemed unfit to continue, giving Mayorga his first MMA win by stoppage at the end of the second round.
Post-fight, Mayorga jumped on the cage, played to the crowd and fist-bumped his robust posse as a full-blown fireworks display burst into the Nicaraguan night sky.
Elswewhere, unbeaten Bulgarian Krasimir Mladenov stayed perfect with a quick win in the evening’s middleweight co-main event. The 27-year-old wrestler needed just 2:06 to finish Guatemala’s O.J. Aguilar after hitting a double-leg against the fence and applying a keylock.
In a lightweight contest, American Jonathan Nunez battered Guatemala Joel Lam en route to a unanimous decision over 15-minute lopsided minutes.
Wesley Tiffer student Erick Soza took out his Nicaraguan countryman German Rodriguez via rear-naked choke 4:15 into their bantamweight bout. At welterweight, Guatemala's Alejandro Rodriguez punched out Managua's Jurgen Gonzalez at 4:39 of the first round, while local Leonardo Morales restored Managuan pride by defeating Guatemalan featherweight Esdo Moises de Paz, stopping him on the ringside doctor's advice at 4:47 of the third round.
In the evening's 175-pound opener, Jose Castro flattened Pablo Acuna with a left hook 77 seconds into round three.
Former Boxing World Champion Ricardo Mayorga Wins MMA Debut in Bizarre Spectacle
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A downtown Hamilton parish got together on Sunday to celebrate the life of a gentle giant named Felix Elochukwu Nchikwo.
Nchikwo, 35, died in hospital last month after participating in an Amateur Fighting Club (AFC) bout in Port Huron, Mich. The Nigerian-born fighter had spent years in Hamilton training to pursue a career as an MMA fighter. But at St. Patrick's church on King Street East, they don't remember him as a brawler. They remember him as a kind soul with a warm smile, says Reverend Tony O'Dell.
Last fall, the church put out a desperate call for ushers to help with services. “And along comes Felix, standing six-foot-five or taller, built like a tank and armed with a smile that would melt the hearts of children and elderly alike,” O'Dell said during his Sunday-morning service.
“No one would ever think to mess with this friendly giant.”
He was a man who constantly wanted to share his gifts with the community around him, O'Dell says. In fact, he was so concerned about the disadvantaged in the community around St. Patrick's that he had planned to create a sports team this summer for children in need at St. Patrick's school.
“He wanted to give our children who can't afford luxuries the opportunities to play sports in this community,” O'Dell said.
Losing a member of the family
Nchikwo died during an amateur MMA bout in Michigan on April 6, just across the St. Clair River from Sarnia, Ont.
The native of Anambra State, Nigeria lasted three rounds in the ring. Officials stopped the fight when Nchikwo showed signs he was having difficulty defending himself.
The AFC confirmed Nchikwo's death on its Facebook page. "We lost a member of our MMA family and we would like to take this time to honour him," the posting read.
The St. Clair County medical examiner has conducted an autopsy on Nchikwo's body. A full report is expected in the coming weeks. The coroner's office has said there is no evidence Nchikwo died of traumatic injuries.
A representative from the St. Clair County medical examiner's office could not be reached on Sunday.
Studied in Newfoundland
Nchikwo was living in Canada on a student visa. He had been studying at Memorial University in Newfoundland before moving to Ontario about two years ago to pursue a career in MMA. He was employed as a private security guard for a DJ who worked in several clubs on George Street, a St. John's entertainment district.
“He came into our lives out of the blue, then he became a friend very quickly and he was well respected,” said Seamus Dooley, 26, who runs Flo Lounge, a bar where Nchikwo became a familiar face. "I would describe him as a gentle giant, no doubt."
Nchikwo got interested in MMA after a friend told him he'd be good at the sport, Dooley said.
“The more he looked into it, the more excited he got about it.”
Making friends quickly was something Nchikwo excelled at, O'Dell said. Even in the short year or so that he spent at St. Patrick's Parish, the big guy made a lasting impression.
“Felix showed me and those who knew him what the actions of the spirit looked like.”
Hamilton remembers MMA hopeful who died after fight - Hamilton
Nchikwo, 35, died in hospital last month after participating in an Amateur Fighting Club (AFC) bout in Port Huron, Mich. The Nigerian-born fighter had spent years in Hamilton training to pursue a career as an MMA fighter. But at St. Patrick's church on King Street East, they don't remember him as a brawler. They remember him as a kind soul with a warm smile, says Reverend Tony O'Dell.
Last fall, the church put out a desperate call for ushers to help with services. “And along comes Felix, standing six-foot-five or taller, built like a tank and armed with a smile that would melt the hearts of children and elderly alike,” O'Dell said during his Sunday-morning service.
“No one would ever think to mess with this friendly giant.”
He was a man who constantly wanted to share his gifts with the community around him, O'Dell says. In fact, he was so concerned about the disadvantaged in the community around St. Patrick's that he had planned to create a sports team this summer for children in need at St. Patrick's school.
“He wanted to give our children who can't afford luxuries the opportunities to play sports in this community,” O'Dell said.
Losing a member of the family
Nchikwo died during an amateur MMA bout in Michigan on April 6, just across the St. Clair River from Sarnia, Ont.
The native of Anambra State, Nigeria lasted three rounds in the ring. Officials stopped the fight when Nchikwo showed signs he was having difficulty defending himself.
The AFC confirmed Nchikwo's death on its Facebook page. "We lost a member of our MMA family and we would like to take this time to honour him," the posting read.
The St. Clair County medical examiner has conducted an autopsy on Nchikwo's body. A full report is expected in the coming weeks. The coroner's office has said there is no evidence Nchikwo died of traumatic injuries.
A representative from the St. Clair County medical examiner's office could not be reached on Sunday.
Studied in Newfoundland
Nchikwo was living in Canada on a student visa. He had been studying at Memorial University in Newfoundland before moving to Ontario about two years ago to pursue a career in MMA. He was employed as a private security guard for a DJ who worked in several clubs on George Street, a St. John's entertainment district.
“He came into our lives out of the blue, then he became a friend very quickly and he was well respected,” said Seamus Dooley, 26, who runs Flo Lounge, a bar where Nchikwo became a familiar face. "I would describe him as a gentle giant, no doubt."
Nchikwo got interested in MMA after a friend told him he'd be good at the sport, Dooley said.
“The more he looked into it, the more excited he got about it.”
Making friends quickly was something Nchikwo excelled at, O'Dell said. Even in the short year or so that he spent at St. Patrick's Parish, the big guy made a lasting impression.
“Felix showed me and those who knew him what the actions of the spirit looked like.”
Hamilton remembers MMA hopeful who died after fight - Hamilton
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- Squirming in her seat, Brenda Ford can’t watch.
The air thick with lusty shouts, it is another Mixed Martial Arts fight night at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre.
“Use your elbow; hit him with your elbow,” one fan, a blond-haired young woman in a black evening dress repeatedly shouts, while someone else loudly suggests a knee would work better.
A legal assistant, Brenda turns her head, averting her eyes from what is taking place inside the octagonal, steel cage.
In the match, one of the MMA fighters appears relatively fresh. The same cannot be said of his opponent, whose face is leaking blood from a nasty slice above one eye, and what appears to be a broken nose and a mouth that has been repeatedly pummeled.
The referee makes no move to end matters, so the fight continues until the man who most certainly has no chance of winning staggers over to a corner. There he is met by another flurry of punches, which sprays bright, crimson blood everywhere, including all over the ring announcer’s shirt, sports coat and notes.
Brenda’s hands are now over her eyes. In a few minutes, her stepson, Ryan Ford, will step into the ring.
“I find it very hard to watch. I was fine when Ryan was boxing but I find MMA brutal,” says Brenda, who has been married to Ryan’s father, Al, for 21 years. A former Canadian lightweight champion boxer, Al was once ranked third in the world.
“It’s not just Ryan that I fear for. I feel for his opponents, too,” says Brenda. “When the fight is over and both fighters are standing, I breathe a sigh of relief.
“It’s brutal,” she says. “But it’s very popular.”
That is pretty much the bottom line.
MMA fights are wildly popular in Edmonton and most of the rest of the world. There are two main locally based groups that put on MMA fights in Edmonton: the Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) and Aggression Fighting Championship (AFC). Each puts on an average of four shows a year.
The MFC has a card coming up on May 10; the AFC’s next event is July 5. Both will be at the Shaw Conference Centre.
“People are eating it up,” says Warren Tasker, who writes the ‘Fight Game’ boxing blog for the Edmonton Journal.
“Compared to boxing, UFC is bigger, stronger, faster. And, more barbaric. It’s pro wrestling but it’s for real.”
MMA, where fighters have nicknames like The Hammer, The Mauler and Meathead, is also directed at a much younger audience than boxing.
“MMA’s demographic is in the 18-35 year-age range. Boxing is more like 35 and up,” says Melanie Lubovac, promoter for KO Boxing Productions which is owned by her father, Milan.
Women, who compete in MMA just as they do in boxing, make up about 30 per cent of MMA’s audience – again a much higher percentage than in boxing.
“It’s the coolness factor,” says Scott Zerr, director of media and fighter relations for the MFC. “It’s the sport right now.”
Almost anything goes in the MMA. In addition to boxing and wrestling it also combines disciplines such as jiu-jitsu, judo, muay Thai and taekwondo. That means kicks to the body – including the head – elbows, punches, knees, choke holds, arm bars and throws.
That means pain. And blood.
All of which may seem mild compared to when MMA first debuted in 1993, and kicks or strikes to the groin, head butting and hair pulling were — for almost a decade — legal.
Yet MMA, a sport that has been likened to human cockfighting, appears to be less dangerous than boxing, according to a study done by Edmonton physician Dr. Shelby Karpman, who along with other Edmonton doctors checks out MMA fighters before and after every fight.
“Per thousand fights, the rate of injury is higher in boxing than in the MMA,” says Karpman, who is also the chief medical supervisor for Edmonton’s Combative Sports Commission.
A big reason for Karpman’s findings is that in MMA the main objective is to have the opponent give up by tapping a hand on the canvas. Yet it is extremely rare in boxing, where the objective is a knockout, to see a fighter give up.
As for serious injuries, Karpman says: “In my fight lifetime — which is some 20 years – I’ve only had one person leave the ring on a stretcher. And that was a boxer. And the last three times that we’ve had to send someone to the hospital in an ambulance have all been boxers.”
“In boxing, you get punched and punched and punched,” says Ryan Ford. “If you get dropped you have eight seconds to recover. You can’t tell me that the brain has recovered in that short a span of time. Your brain hasn’t even stopped moving in eight seconds.”
MMA has no standing eight count. When a fighter is knocked out, the fight is finished.
Ford, 31, calls MMA “sanctioned violence.
“MMA and boxing are two different sports. It’s like the NFL and the NHL.
“We know what we are getting into. We know what is coming. We beat up guys to win a fight. If you don’t like it, get some knee pads and play volleyball.”
The fans know what is coming, too, and most make no apologies for what they want to see.
“It’s similar to NASCAR; people want to see the crashes and the blood,” Hazel Phillips says. “It gets everybody’s adrenalin going.
“I like the atmosphere. It’s upbeat. Everybody is there to see some blood and party.”
“People are attracted to violence,” says another fan, Dave Callahan. “It’s why a lot of people go to hockey games — to see the fights.”
On this particular night, Ford ends the fight by diving on his prone opponent, Brendan Tierney, while throwing a devastating left hand. Tierney was knocked out cold; Ford improved to 20-4.
“It’s hard, it hurts and it puts people to sleep,” Ford says his left hand, which due to that KO punch now includes a broken thumb.
While Ford grew up around boxing, he says it wasn’t long before he found MMA more appealing.
“You have to have an overall game,” says Ford, a three-time Edmonton wrestling champion. “You have to have everything. You can’t just have a good right or left hand
The air thick with lusty shouts, it is another Mixed Martial Arts fight night at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre.
“Use your elbow; hit him with your elbow,” one fan, a blond-haired young woman in a black evening dress repeatedly shouts, while someone else loudly suggests a knee would work better.
A legal assistant, Brenda turns her head, averting her eyes from what is taking place inside the octagonal, steel cage.
In the match, one of the MMA fighters appears relatively fresh. The same cannot be said of his opponent, whose face is leaking blood from a nasty slice above one eye, and what appears to be a broken nose and a mouth that has been repeatedly pummeled.
The referee makes no move to end matters, so the fight continues until the man who most certainly has no chance of winning staggers over to a corner. There he is met by another flurry of punches, which sprays bright, crimson blood everywhere, including all over the ring announcer’s shirt, sports coat and notes.
Brenda’s hands are now over her eyes. In a few minutes, her stepson, Ryan Ford, will step into the ring.
“I find it very hard to watch. I was fine when Ryan was boxing but I find MMA brutal,” says Brenda, who has been married to Ryan’s father, Al, for 21 years. A former Canadian lightweight champion boxer, Al was once ranked third in the world.
“It’s not just Ryan that I fear for. I feel for his opponents, too,” says Brenda. “When the fight is over and both fighters are standing, I breathe a sigh of relief.
“It’s brutal,” she says. “But it’s very popular.”
That is pretty much the bottom line.
MMA fights are wildly popular in Edmonton and most of the rest of the world. There are two main locally based groups that put on MMA fights in Edmonton: the Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) and Aggression Fighting Championship (AFC). Each puts on an average of four shows a year.
The MFC has a card coming up on May 10; the AFC’s next event is July 5. Both will be at the Shaw Conference Centre.
“People are eating it up,” says Warren Tasker, who writes the ‘Fight Game’ boxing blog for the Edmonton Journal.
“Compared to boxing, UFC is bigger, stronger, faster. And, more barbaric. It’s pro wrestling but it’s for real.”
MMA, where fighters have nicknames like The Hammer, The Mauler and Meathead, is also directed at a much younger audience than boxing.
“MMA’s demographic is in the 18-35 year-age range. Boxing is more like 35 and up,” says Melanie Lubovac, promoter for KO Boxing Productions which is owned by her father, Milan.
Women, who compete in MMA just as they do in boxing, make up about 30 per cent of MMA’s audience – again a much higher percentage than in boxing.
“It’s the coolness factor,” says Scott Zerr, director of media and fighter relations for the MFC. “It’s the sport right now.”
Almost anything goes in the MMA. In addition to boxing and wrestling it also combines disciplines such as jiu-jitsu, judo, muay Thai and taekwondo. That means kicks to the body – including the head – elbows, punches, knees, choke holds, arm bars and throws.
That means pain. And blood.
All of which may seem mild compared to when MMA first debuted in 1993, and kicks or strikes to the groin, head butting and hair pulling were — for almost a decade — legal.
Yet MMA, a sport that has been likened to human cockfighting, appears to be less dangerous than boxing, according to a study done by Edmonton physician Dr. Shelby Karpman, who along with other Edmonton doctors checks out MMA fighters before and after every fight.
“Per thousand fights, the rate of injury is higher in boxing than in the MMA,” says Karpman, who is also the chief medical supervisor for Edmonton’s Combative Sports Commission.
A big reason for Karpman’s findings is that in MMA the main objective is to have the opponent give up by tapping a hand on the canvas. Yet it is extremely rare in boxing, where the objective is a knockout, to see a fighter give up.
As for serious injuries, Karpman says: “In my fight lifetime — which is some 20 years – I’ve only had one person leave the ring on a stretcher. And that was a boxer. And the last three times that we’ve had to send someone to the hospital in an ambulance have all been boxers.”
“In boxing, you get punched and punched and punched,” says Ryan Ford. “If you get dropped you have eight seconds to recover. You can’t tell me that the brain has recovered in that short a span of time. Your brain hasn’t even stopped moving in eight seconds.”
MMA has no standing eight count. When a fighter is knocked out, the fight is finished.
Ford, 31, calls MMA “sanctioned violence.
“MMA and boxing are two different sports. It’s like the NFL and the NHL.
“We know what we are getting into. We know what is coming. We beat up guys to win a fight. If you don’t like it, get some knee pads and play volleyball.”
The fans know what is coming, too, and most make no apologies for what they want to see.
“It’s similar to NASCAR; people want to see the crashes and the blood,” Hazel Phillips says. “It gets everybody’s adrenalin going.
“I like the atmosphere. It’s upbeat. Everybody is there to see some blood and party.”
“People are attracted to violence,” says another fan, Dave Callahan. “It’s why a lot of people go to hockey games — to see the fights.”
On this particular night, Ford ends the fight by diving on his prone opponent, Brendan Tierney, while throwing a devastating left hand. Tierney was knocked out cold; Ford improved to 20-4.
“It’s hard, it hurts and it puts people to sleep,” Ford says his left hand, which due to that KO punch now includes a broken thumb.
While Ford grew up around boxing, he says it wasn’t long before he found MMA more appealing.
“You have to have an overall game,” says Ford, a three-time Edmonton wrestling champion. “You have to have everything. You can’t just have a good right or left hand
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Approaching two years since his last fight, former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin on Tuesday announced his retirement from MMA.
Carwin (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) leaves the sport on a two-fight skid, but more importantly after fighting through injuries and surgeries.
Carwin posted on his Twitter account late Tuesday: "Officially retired 2day:-) thank you to my family, friends and fans! #dreambig GOD BLESS😡"
Carwin last fought at UFC 131 in June 2011 against Junior dos Santos in a heavyweight title eliminator. He took Dos Santos the distance, but dropped a unanimous decision.
Several months later, he said he expected to be back by the start of 2012. But not long after that, he revealed back surgery would sideline him until the middle of 2012.
That recovery took longer than planned, but Carwin hoped to return in the fall. While recovering, he was tapped to coach Season 16 of "The Ultimate Fighter" opposite Roy Nelson, with a fight planned for December.
But a month before the fight, a knee injury knocked Carwin out of that bout.
And after a neck surgery in 2011, the back surgery and the knee injury, the 38-year-old Carwin elected to hang up the gloves.
Carwin signed with the UFC in 2008 after starting his pro career 8-0 with eight first-round stoppages, including Ring of Fire's heavyweight title.
His run of first-round finishes continued in the UFC with knockout wins over Christian Wellisch, Neil Wain and Gabriel Gonzaga.
In March 2010, with champion Brock Lesnar sidelined, Carwin fought Frank Mir for the interim heavyweight title and finished Mir with a "Knockout of the Night" performance – also in the first round.
That win set up a title unification fight against Lesnar, and through five minutes, Carwin appeared on the way to the belt. After taking a beating from Carwin, Lesnar survived the round – and Carwin had nothing left in the tank in the second, eventually tapping to an arm-triangle choke.
Carwin underwent his neck surgery later that year, then returned for the fight with Dos Santos – which would be his last.
Amazingly, in Carwin's 12-0 start to his career, his fights averaged just 81 seconds.
Former UFC champion Shane Carwin retires from MMA
Carwin (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) leaves the sport on a two-fight skid, but more importantly after fighting through injuries and surgeries.
Carwin posted on his Twitter account late Tuesday: "Officially retired 2day:-) thank you to my family, friends and fans! #dreambig GOD BLESS😡"
Carwin last fought at UFC 131 in June 2011 against Junior dos Santos in a heavyweight title eliminator. He took Dos Santos the distance, but dropped a unanimous decision.
Several months later, he said he expected to be back by the start of 2012. But not long after that, he revealed back surgery would sideline him until the middle of 2012.
That recovery took longer than planned, but Carwin hoped to return in the fall. While recovering, he was tapped to coach Season 16 of "The Ultimate Fighter" opposite Roy Nelson, with a fight planned for December.
But a month before the fight, a knee injury knocked Carwin out of that bout.
And after a neck surgery in 2011, the back surgery and the knee injury, the 38-year-old Carwin elected to hang up the gloves.
Carwin signed with the UFC in 2008 after starting his pro career 8-0 with eight first-round stoppages, including Ring of Fire's heavyweight title.
His run of first-round finishes continued in the UFC with knockout wins over Christian Wellisch, Neil Wain and Gabriel Gonzaga.
In March 2010, with champion Brock Lesnar sidelined, Carwin fought Frank Mir for the interim heavyweight title and finished Mir with a "Knockout of the Night" performance – also in the first round.
That win set up a title unification fight against Lesnar, and through five minutes, Carwin appeared on the way to the belt. After taking a beating from Carwin, Lesnar survived the round – and Carwin had nothing left in the tank in the second, eventually tapping to an arm-triangle choke.
Carwin underwent his neck surgery later that year, then returned for the fight with Dos Santos – which would be his last.
Amazingly, in Carwin's 12-0 start to his career, his fights averaged just 81 seconds.
Former UFC champion Shane Carwin retires from MMA
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After a six-year Zuffa tenure that saw him compete 17 times in both the UFC and WEC, Leonard Garcia has been released from his UFC contract.
MMA Fighting confirmed the cut with Garcia's management team on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old spent much of his last few years fighting to hold on to his job, but managed to secure numerous chances due to a crowd-pleasing style that was heavy on action, though short on defense. The UFC finally pulled the cord after Garcia struggled badly against Cody McKenzie, getting overwhelmed on the ground en route to a unanimous decision defeat at UFC 159. His final record in the octagon was 2-7. He found more success in the WEC, where he was 4-3-1.
Dating back to the start of 2009, Garcia (15-11-1) won just three times in 12 fights, and in a curious coincidence, all three of those victories came in disputed split-decisions, including a 2010 win over Chan Sung Jung which garnered consideration as Fight of the Year.
In a rematch one year later, Jung submitted Garcia in the second round, becoming the first man ever to successfully finish a UFC fight with a Twister.
That setback was the beginning of the five-fight losing streak that ushered Garcia out of the UFC. That stretch is tied for the second-longest skid in promotional history, tying him with Steve Cantwell. Both Phil Baroni and Elvis Sinosic lost six straight octagon encounters, although those streaks were tallied over two separate tenures in the promotion.
A look at the numbers show Garcia's major issues in crafting a winning effort. According to FightMetric, while he landed 2.77 strikes per minute, his opponents were much more successful against him, landing 4.79 times per minute. Eventually, the numbers caught up to him.
He does leave with some good memories, including a TKO win over Jens Pulver in 2008 that propelled him to a featherweight title shot. Two years earlier, in 2007, Garcia took part in a memorable slugfest with Roger Huerta that landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated, though he was mostly obscured by the magazine's title.
Garcia said he hopes to make it back to the octagon in the future, tweeting, "Got let go by UFC, thanks for everything! Ill (sic) be back better then ever!"
Leonard Garcia released from UFC - MMA Fighting
MMA Fighting confirmed the cut with Garcia's management team on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old spent much of his last few years fighting to hold on to his job, but managed to secure numerous chances due to a crowd-pleasing style that was heavy on action, though short on defense. The UFC finally pulled the cord after Garcia struggled badly against Cody McKenzie, getting overwhelmed on the ground en route to a unanimous decision defeat at UFC 159. His final record in the octagon was 2-7. He found more success in the WEC, where he was 4-3-1.
Dating back to the start of 2009, Garcia (15-11-1) won just three times in 12 fights, and in a curious coincidence, all three of those victories came in disputed split-decisions, including a 2010 win over Chan Sung Jung which garnered consideration as Fight of the Year.
In a rematch one year later, Jung submitted Garcia in the second round, becoming the first man ever to successfully finish a UFC fight with a Twister.
That setback was the beginning of the five-fight losing streak that ushered Garcia out of the UFC. That stretch is tied for the second-longest skid in promotional history, tying him with Steve Cantwell. Both Phil Baroni and Elvis Sinosic lost six straight octagon encounters, although those streaks were tallied over two separate tenures in the promotion.
A look at the numbers show Garcia's major issues in crafting a winning effort. According to FightMetric, while he landed 2.77 strikes per minute, his opponents were much more successful against him, landing 4.79 times per minute. Eventually, the numbers caught up to him.
He does leave with some good memories, including a TKO win over Jens Pulver in 2008 that propelled him to a featherweight title shot. Two years earlier, in 2007, Garcia took part in a memorable slugfest with Roger Huerta that landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated, though he was mostly obscured by the magazine's title.
Garcia said he hopes to make it back to the octagon in the future, tweeting, "Got let go by UFC, thanks for everything! Ill (sic) be back better then ever!"
Leonard Garcia released from UFC - MMA Fighting
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In the main event, Gilbert Melendez (21-2) , arguably the best fighter over the seven-year history of the Strikeforce promotion, challenges UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson (18-2) in a five-round title fight.
Melendez held either the interim version or regular version of the lightweight title for all but 378 days during the promotion's history. During most of that time, he constantly talked about wanting to be ranked No. 1 in the world.
After Saturday, there will be no more debating the issue, as the long asked question will have an answer.
Henderson, 29, weighed in at 155 pounds, having to strip to make it Melendez, one of the top fighters in his weight class from the age of 22, is now an experienced fighter who turned 31 last week. Weighing 154 pounds, he looked physically in the best condition of his career, and was remarkably calm leading into the fight.
But that's one of nine fights featuring alums of the promotion that was formally put to rest, some would say put out of its misery, in January. Strikeforce alums vs. UFC stars is also the theme of all four fights on the main FOX card.
Besides Melendez, the alums include Daniel Cormier, who won the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix making him the group's unofficial champion; Josh Thomson, the promotion's perennial No. 2 lightweight; Jordan Mein, a rising welterweight star; Lorenz Larkin, who was about to get a middleweight title shot when the promotion folded; Darren Uyenoyama; Jorge Masvidal, a onetime lightweight title challenger; Roger Bowling and 2000 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Yoel Romero. Technically, you could add Nate Diaz to that list, as he had his third career fight on the night Strikeforce debuted, on March 10, 2006, in the same arena, but only fought for them once and has been a UFC regular since 2007.
In the eyes of UFC, everyone is now a UFC fighter, and former affiliations don't matter and aren't being promoted heavily. Instead, the focus has been on the action-packed nature of the main fights.
It's such a deep card that the No. 1 ranked contender in both the featherweight and flyweight divisions, Chad Mendes and Joseph Benavidez, both based in nearby Sacramento, are relegated to the FX fights.
There were no major incidents at the weigh-ins, held at the California Theater in downtown San Jose, with the most tense coming when heavyweights Frank Mir and Daniel Cormier whispered what appeared to be threats to each other from close range for the second straight day.
UFC on FOX 7 weigh-in results - MMA Fighting