UFC MMA archive

When MMAFighting-com reached out to Ortiz on Wednesday to ask if he was considering a comeback, he wrote back via text message, "everyone has a comeback."

When asked if he was healthy enough to fight again, Ortiz wrote, "we will see in five months."

The 38-year-old former UFC light heavyweight champion did not explain what was happening in five months, nor did he respond to subsequent text messages.

Ortiz has undergone numerous surgeries over the course of his career, most notably on his neck and back, which seemed to have cut his career short.

After starting his career with a 15-4 record, Ortiz retired last year with a record of 16-11-1.


Tito Ortiz: 'Everyone has a comeback' - MMA Fighting

Former WEC light heavyweight champion and UFC middleweight contender Brian Stann officially announced his retirement from mixed martial arts on Thursday.

Stann made the announcement during an interview with MMAFighting-com. He first discussed ending his professional MMA career several months ago with members of his inner fighting circle.

"Yesterday, news broke that I'm going to be branching out and doing some college football," Stann said. "But a couple of months ago, I made the decision and just wasn't sure when I would announce it -- that I was no longer going to continue fighting.

"So I wanted to use this opportunity to say thank you. The relationships and experiences I've gotten from fans and fellow fighters have honestly made me a much better person. I leave fighting having taken much more from fighting than I ever gave."

A former captain in the United States Marine Corps, the 32-year-old Stann exits mixed martial arts with a career record of 12-6. In his most recent outing, on March 3, he was knocked out in the second round by Wanderlei Silva in an action-packed fight.

Stann will now turn his attention full-time to broadcasting. He currently offers mixed martial arts and boxing commentary on Fox. He is expected to add college football to his list of responsibilities in the fall.

Stann is married and the father of two daughters.



Brian Stann officially announces retirement from MMA - ESPN

We’re passed the halfway point of 2013, and the year has thrown up some memorable moments in the world of mixed martial arts.

Inside and outside of the cage we’ve seen plenty of drama and intrigue to fuel the pages of a fan-driven sports site for another six months. Before we project on the months to come, let’s take stock of what has already happened.

Here are the most memorable MMA moments from the first half of 2013.


Pictures: Most Memorable MMA Moments from the 1st Half of 2013 | Bleacher Report

Frontier Field hosted its first ever outdoor Mixed Martial Arts event Saturday called the "Battle of the Titans."

Now while the state does not allow professional Mixed Martial Arts, amateur MMA events can still be held.

Fighters from New York, New Jersey and Illinois came for the event. Rochester's Magdiel Matias and Michael Bennett of Ithaca were the main event.

"It's very frustrating. Economically, we're starving ourselves. Our fighters and our money are following them to a different state. I'm hoping the pressure is on. We're the only state that hasn't legalized it. Hopefully it starts picking up that the Assembly will look at it," said Mercedes Vazquez-Simmons, CEO, Pretty Girl Productions.

Saturday's event was the first fully sanctioned and regulated amateur MMA production in Western New York.


forum-ixgames-com/newthread-php?do=newthread&f=36

The updated MMAWeekly-com World MMA Rankings were released on Monday, July 15. 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: Dominick Cruz is ineligible for consideration because he hasn’t fought in more than a year. Pat Healy is ineligible for consideration because he is currently serving a drug-related suspension.

(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. Cris Cyborg Justino (2)
2. Ronda Rousey (1)
3. Cat Zingano (3)
4. Sarah Kaufman (4)
5. Miesha Tate (5)
6. Jessica Aguilar (6)
7. Megumi Fujii (7)
8. Sara McMann (9)
9. Alexis Davis (10)
10. Carla Esparza (n/a)

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)
1. Cain Velasquez (1)
2. Junior dos Santos (2)
3. Daniel Cormier (3)
4. Fabricio Werdum (4)
5. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (5)
6. Alistair Overeem (6)
7. Frank Mir (7)
8. Josh Barnett (8)
9. Mark Hunt (9)
10. Stipe Miocic (10)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)
1. Jon Jones (1)
2. Lyoto Machida (2)
3. Alexander Gustafsson (3)
4. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (4)
5. Glover Teixeira (5)
6. Rashad Evans (6)
7. Dan Henderson (7)
8. Phil Davis (8)
9. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (9)
10. Ryan Bader (10)

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185-pound limit)
1. Chris Weidman (1)
2. Anderson Silva (2)
3. Vitor Belfort (3)
4. Michael Bisping (4)
5. Mark Munoz (5)
6. Costa Philippou (6)
7. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (7)
8. Yushin Okami (8)
9. Luke Rockhold (9)
10. Tim Kennedy (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. Erick Silva (10)

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155-pound limit)
1. Benson Henderson (1)
2. Gilbert Melendez (2)
3. Anthony Pettis (3)
4. TJ Grant (4)
5. Gray Maynard (5)
6. Michael Chandler (6)
7. Eddie Alvarez (7)
8. Josh Thomson (8)
9. Nate Diaz (9)
10. Khabib Nurmagomedov (10)

FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION (145 pound-limit)
1. Jose Aldo (1)
2. Chad Mendes (2)
3. Ricardo Lamas (3)
4. Cub Swanson (4)
5. Pat Curran (5)
6. Frankie Edgar (6)
7. Chan Sung Jung (7)
8. Dustin Poirier (8)
9. Erik Koch (9)
10. Nik Lentz (10)

BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION (135 pounds or less)
1. Renan Barão (1)
2. Urijah Faber (2)
3. Michael McDonald (3)
4. Eddie Wineland (4)
5. Bibiano Fernandes (5)
6. Raphael Assuncao (6)
7. Brad Pickett (7)
8. Erik Perez (8)
9. TJ Dillashaw (9)
10. Mike Easton (10)

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 Elliott (10)





MMA Top 10 Rankings: Cris Cyborg Reclaims Top Spot From Ronda Rousey | MMAWeekly-com

Rob Kimmons loves to fight, which is also the main reason he competes in Mixed Martial Arts.

Two weeks ago, Kimmons was set for the fight of his life — one that could have relaunched his career. But a minute into the fight, his leg snapped.

“I went out there and I was gonna throw a couple punches and then shoot on him.”

Seconds later, just as he was setting up his opponent, it happened.

“The last thing I remember is I threw a hook and I dropped him and at the same time he hit me,” said Kimmons.

He blacked out and went into shock.

“I came to and I’m in an ambulance and I don’t know what happened.”

At first, he thought he got knocked out. “But then I looked at my leg and I was like, ‘Ohhh, my leg is like busted.’”

Kimmons went to the hospital and x-rays confirmed not one, but three breaks. His reaction — priceless.

“I was actually relieved because I was like, ‘man, if they stopped the fight and all I did was twist my ankle, I’m gonna feel like soft.’”

He’s not soft, and mentally, ready to fight.

“Normally you do all that training. Fight is your release and then you get it all out and feel better. Well, I got all this energy pent-up and now I can’t event walk.”

Physically, he’s nowhere close, so he did the next best thing.

“I’m already back in the gym trying to teach classes and stuff because I was going crazy.”

it was a freak injury, but one he learned a lot from.

“I have the best friends, the best family, the best core support group I could ever have and I know that now for sure.”

He finally watched the video and quickly learned how his opponent reacted.

“That dude jumped on the cage when the fight was over and had arms up in the air, and I was thinking, ‘Really?’”

You guessed it — rematch.

Kimmons has 4 to 6 months of rehab before he’s cleared to fight. He will get back on the mat with an even stronger desire to fulfill his dream.



MMA fighter down, but not ‘broken’ | fox4kc-com

When Garrett Holeve and David Steffan step into the mixed martial arts cage on Aug. 3 in Florida, what follows will be a first for the combatants, and very likely for the sport itself.

Holeve, who has Down syndrome, and Steffan, who has mild cerebral palsy, will meet in an amateur full-speed MMA fight at the Seminole Immokalee Casino in Immokalee, Fla.

Steffan, a former Special Olympian and current Paralympic Games competitor, is aware some will question whether their respective disabilities should rule out a fight, and he's ready to prove doubters wrong.

"I think it's a great opportunity for both of us to show the world that we belong in there just like everyone else," he told USA TODAY Sports.

Special Olympics Vice President Kirsten Seckler expressed support for the pair and wasn't entirely surprised they pursued the bout, given that the sports organization doesn't hold competitions in MMA. Even after she was reminded of the sometimes-violent nature of MMA, Seckler said they deserve to compete as much as any other person.

"If they choose to participate in an activity that's outside of the Special Olympics, then that's their choice," Seckler said. "People with intellectual disabilities might read slower or learn slower than others, but they can run marathons, hold jobs, go to school, get married and have babies. One of the things we like to show is that there are no limits."

In March, Holeve, 23, who lives with his family in Cooper City, Fla., was documented in a touching ESPN Sports Center feature about his efforts to become a fighter with the famed American Top Team, which is home to UFC fighters such as Antonio Silva, Glover Teixeira and Dustin Poirier. The piece inspired Steffen to contact Holeve's father, Mitch, and volunteer himself as a potential opponent.

"Watching Garrett's special, I believe that everybody deserves a shot," said the 28-year-old Steffan, who earlier this year fought in his first muay Thai bout and trains MMA in his native Nebraska. "Garrett's trained as hard as I have, and he's had a couple of exhibition fights. A disability, in my mind, is only one if you let it be."

Yet Mitch Holeve admitted it's been a struggle to get promoters and commissions to give his son a chance. He said he tried to set up a fight for Garrett against another opponent this month in Oklahoma, only to have the promoter's financier threaten to cancel the event if the bout took place.

He said the Florida State Boxing Commission also discouraged him from booking the fight with Steffan, so he approached King of the Casino promoter Mark Shopp, who employs an independent sanctioning body not affiliated with the Association of Boxing Commissions.

"There's no outlet for these guys to do it," Mitch Holeve said. "They're entitled to fulfill their dreams, too. If they were practicing judo, they could go to the Special Olympics to compete, but there's no place for people with special needs to compete (in MMA), and they wanted to compete. So we're trying to make it happen."

In an email, Director of Communications Tajiana Ancora-Brown from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which oversees the Florida State Boxing Commission, said the regulatory body licenses independent sanctioning bodies such as the one employed by Shopp, but "is not involved in their sanctioning decisions."

It's actually the third time Holeve has put his MMA skills to the test since his father dared him to start training in 2010. But it's also the most serious, as his previous bouts were considered exhibitions. Mitch Holeve said his son has put on 10 pounds of muscle after fighting an exhibition fight at 130 pounds and has a body fat percentage around six or seven percent.

Garrett Holeve put on the bulk to accommodate Steffan, who competed at 155 pounds in kickboxing. They'll compete over three, three-minute rounds at a catchweight of 140 pounds under modified rules that mirror amateur bouts, which require shin protectors and forbid striking to the head of a grounded opponent, according to promoter Shopp, who said the event will be staffed by medical professionals.

"If it makes them happy, why take it away from a person?" Shopp said. "It's not like they're doing it on the street; they're doing it on a professional level."

Mitch Holeve stressed that his son's bout is not a precursor to a professional career in MMA, nor do they mean to bring negative attention to the sport.

"I have the conversation with my son every day about whether or not he wants to do this, and this is something he direly wants to do," he said. "It's another test for (Garrett) to see where he's at. Garrett understands and I understand that he's never going to become a professional fighter, so he's an amateur, and he's followed the progression.

"I can't change being supportive of my son just because he's going into a contest where he's not being protected by the referee or his opponent."

And while the father said he couldn't bring himself to curtail his son's pursuit of MMA, he acknowledged a recent attempt to talk him out of fighting after he suffered a cut during a training session.

"It has not been an easy training camp for Dad," Mitch Holeve said. "For me personally, it's a tough spot because it's my kid. If I remove myself, which I try to sometimes, these are two guys that are chasing their dreams.

"I don't know if there's going to be another opportunity for these guys to fight someone else again. The message that we try to send is that Garrett has taken this to the extreme, but martial arts has given him a lot."


Support shown for MMA bout between disabled fighters

Singers aim for American Idol; chefs strive towards Hell’s Kitchen and Mixed Martial Artists (MMA) dream of being The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).

The longest-running sports reality TV show ever offers contestants the chance of a contract with the world’s premier MMA organisation, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

And Singaporeans now have a crack at this Holy Grail of budding octagon fighters – via a Chinese-language version of TUF, set to hit small screens in November this year.

Tryouts for the 12-part series take place on 25 July at Marina Bay Sands.

The finalised cast of fighters commence filming in September for the first TUF to be held outside America. They will live and train together in China while tussling for the prize of a six-figure deal with the UFC.

Calling TUF China “an incredible opportunity for the aspiring MMA fighter who is Chinese”, Mark Fischer, the managing director of UFC Asia, pointed out that the show has never been a case of winner takes all.

“The runner-ups, if they are good enough… will be offered contracts,” said Fischer. “Even the guys who don’t get a contract… will become stars because they are going to be on a show that’s going to be broadcast to millions all over China… and Southeast Asia.”

‘A good chance’

Over phone from China, Fischer briefly revealed further criteria for wannabe competitors: “Personality helps. We’re looking for interesting characters.”

While he confirmed TUF China was tailored to “discover and develop the next Chinese UFC fighter”, Fischer acknowledged the large pool of non-Chinese fighters in Asia.

“This is the first of several TUF shows,” he promised. “One of these, in future, should be focused more on the Southeast Asian market.” The UFC exec waved away suggestions that Asian MMA company ONE Fighting Championship had already snapped up the cream of the local and regional crop.

Six Singaporean fighters have featured for the Republic-based outfit since its debut event here in 2011.

“Eventually, there’s plenty to go around,” insisted Fischer. He could not name any local fighters, but spoke of UFC officials being “close to contacts and the scene”.

He added: “We keep global tabs… I do think there are a couple of Singaporeans who stand a good chance of getting onto the show.”

Whatever it takes

Gunning to be among these “couple of Singaporeans” are Royston Wee and Andy Neo, who both hail from local gym Impact MMA.

“There are a lot of talented individuals (in Singapore),” said Wee, who believes the tryouts will also attract fighters from neighbouring countries. ”I expect tough competition.” The 26-year-old and Neo, 19, agreed that TUF China would be centred on giving audiences something to watch.

“I want to be on TV doing the things I like and entertaining people,” said 1.8m-tall Neo. He has never been in a professional MMA bout before.

On the other hand, having fought and won twice – each time in less than two minutes – Wee, who also coaches at Impact, is bullish about his chances.

“It's always been my dream to get into TUF and eventually UFC,” shared the 1.7m striking specialist. “This hunger will help me get on the show.”

Regardless of how it shapes up for him, Wee is already excited for local MMA, what with TUF China and the slew of UFC fights to be held Singapore next year.

“With such events over the next few years… the scene will grow tremendously,” he said. “People will be more educated on MMA – definitely looking forward to it!”

The registration process for The Ultimate Fighter China is available here. Eligible candidates must be male and aged 18 to 34 with professional MMA experience. They are also required to speak Mandarin and be of Chinese descent. More details at ufc.cn.


Singapore MMA fighters shoot for global stardom

Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Ltd. is evaluating whether the company remains viable after the July 6 crash in Lac-Mégantic, Que., that killed 47 people, Chairman Ed Burkhardt said.

“Whether we can survive is a complex question,” he said Friday in a telephone interview from the Rosemont, Ill., offices of Rail World Inc., the closely held company’s parent. “We’re trying to analyze that right now.”

Burkhardt, who also is chief executive officer of the parent, had said in a July 11 interview that he thought the railway would survive and that it was “pressing up against the limits of our insurance but not exceeding it.”

“Judging from similar accidents and the number of people killed, the number of businesses annihilated and those that are losing business, as well as the environmental factors, it will probably cost upwards of $100 million,” Chris Damas, an analyst at BCMI Research in Barrie, Ont., said in a telephone interview.

“This kind of small railway likely doesn’t have $100 million in its safe.”

Damas said he asked for Montreal, Maine & Atlantic’s financial information, and hasn’t been granted access. Losses for insurers could include death benefits, business-interruption costs and expenses tied to replacing damaged property, as well as environmental cleanup, he said.




MMA’s survival uncertain, says chairman Ed Burkhardt | Toronto Star

Audiences were captivated by the release of Enter the Dragon in the summer of 1973 and mesmerized by the performance of Bruce Lee.

Unfortunately, the star of the movie—who became the first leading actor of Chinese descent in a major studio Hollywood production—would not live to see its impact on the world.

Exactly four decades ago on Saturday, Lee’s life came to a tragic end by a cerebral edema due to an allergic reaction to pain medication. He left behind an everlasting legacy through all he had accomplished in his 32 years.

Lee showed he was a gifted martial artist and actor as well as a deep-thinking philosopher. His quotes still resonate with many people, from all different walks of life, to this day.

He was a trendsetter, a strong personality and a man who challenged conventional and traditional ways in both Hollywood and martial arts.

Before Enter the Dragon, there were no lead roles for Chinese actors. Lee set out to change that and did so. He was discovered by a Hollywood agent while performing an exhibition at Ed Parker’s Long Beach Karate Championship in 1964.

That would lead to a successful stint as the character Kato on the TV series, The Green Hornet.

After that, and without a leading role, Lee returned to Hong Kong to make Big Boss, Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon before Hollywood and Warner Bros. called him back to star in Enter the Dragon.

The legendary film was made on a budget of under $1 million. It grossed over $25 million in its first year alone. In 2004, the movie was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry and is still widely considered a landmark in martial arts movie history.

Just as he chose to forge his own path to reach the top and break through in Hollywood, Lee did the same in martial arts.

The former Wing Chun student did not believe in having one set style in martial arts; he believed in incorporating techniques from multiple styles. He said, "Use only that which works and take it from any place you can find it." His goal was not to have a style and to dispose of any wasted movement.

He formed his own martial art entitled Jeet-Kune-Do in 1967 and displayed it brilliantly in the opening fight sequence of Enter the Dragon.

In that fight scene, Lee attacked his adversary with punches and kicks, took his opponent down to the floor by using several different types of throws and won the match by forcing his opponent to tap from a straight arm lock.

Eerily similar to modern-day MMA, especially with him wearing fingerless gloves. And this was 20 years before the first UFC.

Lee is an icon in every sense of the word. He won a posthumous award in 1999, becoming one of Time magazine's most influential people of the 20th century. He was a trailblazer, a pioneer and way ahead of his time.

Perhaps his most famous quote is the one that truly defines him:

"Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless—like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

Bleacher Report spoke to several fighters and other notable MMA personalities to get their take on how Bruce Lee is such a huge influence on their sport even 40 years after his death, and to pay tribute to his legacy.




The MMA World Pays Tribute to Bruce Lee 40 Years After His Death | Bleacher Report

Mixed Martial Arts is to my mind the most beautiful sport in the world because it is one of constant creation, innovation and borrowing from outside sources. The difference between winning and losing is not in simply the athletic or genetic when an opponent is finding every way he can to hit you in the head and lie to you about his intentions.

There isn't even a set path to winning consistently in mixed martial arts—for all that fans complain about lay-and-prayers (wrestlers who simply hold their opponent down) ruining the sport, almost none of these fighters make it to a title shot and all of them pick up losses eventually whether it be by submission or knockout.

The ideas and indeed the methodology of mixed martial arts are constantly changing. The example I always refer to is the shift between the ring in PRIDE and the octagon in the UFC.

The former, with its corners, favors the grappler enormously as he is only ever a short walk from cornering his man. The cage, however, allows strikers to move freely and has changed the emphasis from sprawling and fighting against takedowns to movement and evasion.

Even the WEC's cage and UFC's octagon make changes to the fight. The WEC's cage is much smaller and forced action, whereas the octagon often dwarfs many of the featherweight fighters who came over from the WEC.

Front snap klcks were thought to be worthless until Anderson Silva's famous knockout of Vitor Belfort ushered in attempts from everyone in the game. Elbows were accused of only being used to cause cuts and not damage, and grounding and pounding from guard was written off after Fedor Emelianenko, but Jon Jones has combined the two to earn a streak of devastating victories.

And who thought running up the cage would be practical at any point, as well as something which Anthony Pettis can routinely manufacture situations to attempt it in?

What I am saying is that the playbook in mixed martial arts is being constantly revised and exceptions to rules are being scribbled in margins with biro every month.

Over the course of the next few months I shall examine some of the strikers who may not be world beaters in MMA or even in kickboxing or boxing but whose ideas and methods could be applied by a better-rounded fighter to great success.

Today we look at The King of the Ring, Tyrone Spong.



As Glory's number 2 poster boy behind Gokhan Saki, Tyrone is experiencing a great push at the moment but it is far from undeserved. Spong has been a big deal in the kickboxing and muay thai world for many years.

Spong was something of an undersized fighter in K-1, fighting in the Open Weight Grand Prix and against heavyweights despite that weightclass containing man-mountains like Jerome Le Banner and Alistair Overeem.

Aside from a loss to Le Banner and a loss to Overeem in the grand prix, Spong has never had undue trouble with bigger men. He lacks punch against big men but his technical game always keeps him competitive.

Most recently he won the Glory 9 light heavyweight grand prix just a few months after knocking out Remy Bonjansky at heavyweight.

Spong has been making a slow move to MMA, being fed easy competition in his first and only bout at WSOF 1 but he still turned heads in crushing his overmatched opponent.

Tyrone Spong's great unique skill lies in his ability to transfer from a kick straight back into good boxing form and counter punch immediately as he retracts his leg. Spong's game owes an enormous deal to the great Lucien Carbin. Carbin's fighters are recognizable by their short roundhouse kicks—rather than turning the hip all the way in for power, they will kick almost forward and upwards, keeping the hips facing the front so that they may withdraw the leg quicker.

This means that where many kickboxers end their combinations with a hard roundhouse kick, Carbin's fighters will often use a kick, knowing that most fighters attempt to come back with punches after blocking a kick, to draw the opponent in.

Fedor Emelianenko, who trained extensively with Tyrone Spong in preparation to take on Mirko Cro Cop, has adopted this kicking method and had decent success when he used it.

I was blown away watching this methodology in action, as I had a ringside seat to Andy Ristie's knockout of Albert Krauss at Glory 8 in Tokyo.

Where against most fighters it can be assumed that a combination will end with a hard roundhouse kick, Carbin's fighters especially seem to use alternate kicking techniques and boxing techniques in a whirling dervish.

Following Spong's victory in the Glory 9 grand prix, I am convinced that it is something which MMA fighters can benefit from studying.

Here is a typical example as Spong uses a jab and inside low kick to instigate an exchange. As soon as his opponent begins to move out of his guard, Spong throws a right hook combined with an inside slip to take his head off line of the expected counter and catches his man clean. Spong has also performed the same technique in the past by retracting his kicking leg behind him to change into a squared up southpaw stance, combining the retreat with a hard right hook. This beautiful little shift could well be named the Carbin Shift as so many of his fighters have used it. Recovering from kicks with a punch as the opponent inevitably follows is an invaluable tool for scoring big counter strikes, but also for assuring that the opponent stays on the defensive and that points may be piled up against him.

Seeing Jose Aldo use his kicks to set up big punches in addition to working the other way around would be a delight for fight fans, and seeing Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua use his bone-crunching kicks as anything but a break between wheezing swings would be a great leap forward.



Tyrone Spong and the Future of Striking in MMA | Bleacher Report

Matt Breiner used to work middle shift and, when presented with a rare Friday night off about four years ago, the idea of kickin' back and enjoying some chicken wings and a few brews appealed to him.

Instead, a buddy talked him into going to a gym affiliated with mixed martial arts.

Breiner's life changed with that decision.

The former Lehighton High School and Kutztown University football player gradually went from being an MMA fan to an MMA participant and on Saturday night at the Rodeway Inn at Routes 22 and 309 in South Whitehall Township, he will make his professional debut.

Breiner is one of the headliners on the World Cagefighting Championships VII card. He will take on William "Mack Truck" Baptiste of North Carolina in a heavyweight bout.

Since that first visit to the gym, the 27-year-old Breiner got into grappling, then kickboxing and had success every step of the way.

He made his amateur MMA debut in November 2009, winning in Greensburg, Westmoreland County.

"When I first starting training, I had no thought of fighting," Breiner said. "I just wanted to try the sport out and see what it was like. But then I finished second in a grappling tournament and won a kickboxing match and decided to keep going and try a cage fight. I won by TKO in the first round and that gave me more and more confidence."

As an amateur, Breiner posted a 6-1 record. Now it's time to take the next step, although he has no idea where his professional career will lead him.

"I am only going to participate in this sport for a very short time," Breiner said. "It's a very dangerous sport with a lot of risk, but high reward. I had a really good amateur record and won the WCC heavyweight amateur title and figured now was time to go for broke and see what I can do. Hopefully, one day I can get into a big show with one of the upper organizations of this sport.

"Even if I just get one shot at it, it would be a feather in my cap. I'd just like for people to say this guy worked really hard, good things happened to him, and he got to the big show."

Breiner considers Saturday's fight, a card billed "The Future Is Now," as something of a backyard brawl.

He expects many family members and friends to be in attendance.

"It's awesome the support I've been getting, even from some complete strangers who just saw me on a poster and have wished me luck," Breiner said.

Maybe even a few of his former Lehighton and Kutztown football teammates will be on hand.

Breiner was a tight end and linebacker playing for Bill Brong at Lehighton and then played on the defensive line for Dave Keeny and Ray Monica with the Golden Bears.

He said the discipline instilled in him as a football player has paid dividends for him in MMA training.

"A lot of it is mental toughness," he said. "That's what you learn, especially at the collegiate level, watching game film, doing sprints, doing the lifting, getting up early for workouts. That stuff definitely carries over to this sport.

"One of the biggest things Coach Monica preached to us at Kutztown was that once you're tired, that's when you get going. That's what I keep in the back of my mind when I'm doing my training. I put the work in every day and sacrifice things in my personal life. I can't go out with my friends, but they understand and tell me that I have to do my own thing."

Dan Yashinsky, a Tamaqua native who is the chief executive officer of the WCC, has high hopes for Breiner.

Read more: Former Lehighton and Kutztown University football player Breiner ready for his MMA pro debut - mcall-com
Follow us: @mcall on Twitter | mcall.lv on Facebook

MMA is a sport where anything can happen, in or out of the cage. As such, we've seen plenty of wackiness over the years, and the first half of 2013 was no exception.

From silly matchmaking turns to crazy call-outs, there were plenty of oddities from January through June. What strange stories top this list, though? What are the absolutely, positively, most ridiculous things to pass so far this year?

Find out right here! Strangest MMA Stories from 1st Half of 2013 | Bleacher Report

On Aug. 17, the UFC will debut on Fox Sports 1, a new 24-hour sports channel starting that day. Named UFC Fight Night 26 -- taking off from the old fight nights that would run on Spike -- the card will be in Boston and headlined by Chael Sonnen and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. But the bigger question for MMA fans is not who will win, but will they be able to watch this new channel?

Maybe. FS 1 will take the space of the Speed Channel on your cable package. But as of July 15, DirecTV, Dish Network and Time Warner didn't have a deal in place to carry FS 1. According to a Q & A about FS1, people who don't get the channel and want it should call their cable provider. Here are the other notes pertinent to MMA fans:

-- You can watch it on your smartphone or tablet, but only if you get it on cable.

When FOX Sports 1 launches in August, we’ll also be releasing FOX Sports GO, a groundbreaking mobile sports experience for iPhone, iPad, Android devices and web. The app will offer more than 1,100 live games and events from across FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports’ 22 regional sports networks. It will also have scores, highlights, news, stats and analysis.

-- The Ultimate Fighter will air on Fox Sports 1.

The Ultimate Fighter, UFC’s signature reality series, moves to FOX Sports 1 when it returns in September. The series, featuring Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate as coaches, will run on Wednesday evenings at 10:00 PM ET where it anchors FOX Sports 1’s prime time UFC programming block. Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter premieres Wednesday, Sept. 4 (10:00 PM ET).

The Wednesday night UFC block will also include live fights. Two events are already scheduled: Aug. 28 in Indianapolis, with Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann headlining, and Sept. 4 in Brazil, with Ryan Bader vs. Glover Teixeira in the main event.


Y! SPORTS

The Biogenesis scandal that rocked baseball, with several players named as clients of the high-end performance enhancing drug outfit, may now reach mixed martial arts as well.

According to a new report from ESPN, former Biogenesis employee Porter Fischer now says that the athletes involved with the company included MMA fighters as well as professional boxers.

Fischer was the whistleblower that originally provided documents to a Miami newspaper naming several high profile players, including former MLB MVPs Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez, as clients.

Fischer has yet to name names and in the same report was quoted as turning down a sum of $125,000 to cooperate with Major League Baseball, would only speak in broad terms as far as the sports involved with the company.

Fischer worked directly with Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch, who has been working in coordination with Major League Baseball on the investigation. Fischer says that Biogenesis worked with athletes in numerous sports beyond just baseball, with some relationships going back as far as 2009. (via ESPN)

Fischer said he and associates have identified athletes from the NBA, NCAA, professional boxing, tennis and MMA, in addition to other professional baseball players who have not yet been identified. As far as he knows, he said, Bosch had no clients from the NFL or NHL.

The investigation into Biogenesis by Major League Baseball has already resulted in a few suspensions—most notably Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, who was suspended for the remainder of this season after he was named as a client.

According to additional reports from the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, Braun and other players received synthetic testosterone from Biogenesis in several possible different forms.

Braun actually tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone in a test done in 2011, but ended up without a suspension after he argued that the sample taken was mishandled in delivery to the testing lab.

Now two years later, Braun has been suspended for his involvement with a company supplying synthetic testosterone to players.

As of yet, no names have been given in the Biogenesis investigation in regards to which MMA fighters were potentially involved with the company.

In Braun's case, he was on the books owing in the neighborhood of $20,000 to $30,000 for his treatments, so the cost of the drugs wasn't cheap by any means.

While Major League Baseball continues to deal with the fallout from the Biogenesis scandal, it's unclear if the UFC or other major MMA promotions will do the same kind of digging, or hand down suspensions if fighters are named in the documents.

Biogenesis was a Miami based company, but many of their high profile clients named in the documents handed out by Fischer were not from the Florida area.

Florida does house some of the top MMA camps in the sport, but it's unknown if they had any involvement with the company or how high up in the scope of the sport any potentially-involved fighters are.

Fischer, along with Bosch, could reveal those names at any time, but as of now none have been revealed.




Report: MMA Fighters Allegedly Involved in Biogenesis PED Scandal | Bleacher Report

Boring. That's what John Moraga had been saying about Demetrious Johnson in the lead-up to their UFC flyweight championship bout.

Boring is not the word that comes to mind, though, after watching the 125-pound champion Johnson's performance against his brash challenger Saturday night in Seattle.

Boring does not accurately describe a fighter who, after winning the first four rounds on all of the judges' scorecards and then being safely on top with less than a minute and a half to go in what appears destined to be a runaway decision victory, risks a reversal of position -- the only turn of events that can rescue his desperate opponent -- in order to go for a submission.

Boring is not a champ who, upon securing an armbar to elicit the tapout with just 1:17 remaining, describes said finish by saying, "I'm an artist and the octagon is my canvas. I just start to paint."

Yes, artist. There's a word worthy of describing Demetrious Johnson.

Want more?

Dominant. As in 12-for-12 in takedowns against a two-time collegiate All-American wrestler, who managed to put Johnson on his back just once, briefly.

Aggressive. As in 13 guard passes and three submission tries.

Tireless. As in a significant striking differential in the championship rounds to the tune of 19-3 in the fourth and 14-1 in the fifth.

Need I go on? Get me my thesaurus so I can look up every last synonym for "champion."

Johnson, who came in unbeaten in his last four fights but had been taken the distance each time, thoroughly schooled the man who had questioned his ability to entertain fans with a finish. After getting a hometown greeting from the 7,816 at KeyArena -- he grew up in nearby Parkland, Wash., and now fights out of Kirkland -- the man known as "Mighty Mouse" must have found extra satisfaction in shutting up Moraga, wouldn't you think? He insisted otherwise.

"It wasn't important to me at all," said Johnson. "Like I've said, if the finish comes to me, I'm going to take it."

Uh-huh. In becoming just the second fighter in UFC history to score 10 or more takedowns in more than one bout, the 26-year-old Johnson (18-2-1) was in control from start to finish. Moraga's best round was the first, when he actually had a numbers edge in significant strikes, but even then Johnson dictated where (on the mat, with Moraga on his back) and at what pace (fast, fast, fast) this fight would be fought. The challenger never was able to get out of the starting gate.

"I'm disappointed in myself," said the 29-year-old Moraga (13-2), who had a seven-fight win streak snapped. "He put me on the bottom and I never got up. I just lost focus on what I needed to do, so he got the submission."

After getting that sub, "Mighty Mouse" set his sights on new challenges ahead. He's already beaten the flyweight division's apparent top challenger, Joseph Benavidez. He's also defeated both of the guys immediately in line behind Benavidez, John Dodson and Ian McCall. So Johnson talked about a superfight against either bantamweight king Dominick Cruz, the last man to beat him (in 2011, before the 125-pound division was born), or interim champ Renan Barão, whichever injured belt-holder is ready first. "I'm just putting it out there," he said.

And after Saturday night's anything-but-boring performance, we're listening.
Notes from the undercard

All talk: Jake Ellenberger showed Rory MacDonald no respect in the run-up to the welterweight contenders' collision in the co-main event. On fight night, though, Ellenberger showed him way too much respect.

Ellenberger stalked and then stalked some more for three rounds but never really attacked. Which is another way of saying that after he had talked the talk, he did little more than walk.

And take left jabs to the face.

And lose by a lopsided unanimous decision.

With the unusually passive Ellenberger landing significant strikes to the barely audible tune of five in the opening round and four in the second, MacDonald cruised to an efficient if unsatisfying victory. Fans booed but did not sway the native of British Columbia, just north of the border from Seattle. "I obviously look to finish fights, but he's a good fighter, so what can you do?" said MacDonald (15-1), who won his fifth straight bout. "I think I had him worried with the elbows because he didn't want to come near me after that."

There is something the 24-year-old MacDonald wants to get near, though: the UFC championship belt. "That's my goal," he said, "before I turn 25."

One problem. The man who wears that 170-pound belt is Georges St-Pierre, his teammate at Montreal's TriStar Gym as well as his his friend. "I won't fight Georges," said MacDonald.

This is a story that bears watching.

Read More: Demetrious Johnson dominates John Moraga in UFC 8 on Fox - MMA - Jeff Wagenheim - SI-com

Jason "Mayhem" Miller, whose feats outside of The Octagon now outnumber what he's done inside, is back in full-blown troll mode.

The ex-UFC, Strikeforce, WEC and Dream middleweight fighter took to the popular MMA Underground forums after the FOX UFC Saturday: Johnson vs Moraga event to unleash his latest diatribe upon UFC President Dana White.

Mayhem's open letter to DW ignited a thread now 18-pages long (epic for even theUG's standards), and asserted that the UFC President "killed the sport" and bored FOX executives with last night's card.

Dana White has killed the sport that you and i love. The refusal to build stars. The reward for standing and wanging. THE UNIFIED RULES, have all killed the sport of mixed martial arts. I come to you humbly, as a student and teacher of the mixed martial arts. A man that has never tapped out, or been knocked out in mixed martial arts competition and ask that you do not support a corporate monarchy that favors a mark in the Win column, over showcasing the ART of MMA.

Obviously, it behooves those with an interest in gambling on Ultimate Fighting to know who will most likely win and most likely lose a UFC match, so the current structure will remain until YOU, the Fan demand that these forces stop controlling Mixed Martial Arts.

I am Mayhem Miller, so i am well aware of what it is like to live on the opposite end of the coorporate power structure, with a lifetime record of 52-8-1 and a UFC record of 0-3. The men in UFC were never stronger than men i fought around the World, just the circumstances in which i fought them were more Extreme.

As a fan. I urge you...

When the next Big Thing hits, jump aboard-because with PPV sales slipping since 2009, and the executives at Fox watching these boring fights, if you are still a Dana shill, you are polishing the brass on the Cubicle Captain's Titanic. Don't let him kill our sport. I love it too much.

Sincerely,

The Mayhem Monkey

Jason Mayhem Miller




Mayhem Miller says Dana White killed MMA, calls for fan boycott - News | FOX Sports on MSN

Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway is laying off employees on both sides of the border. A company spokesperson told The Gazette that it is letting go of an undetermined amount of U.S. employees in addition to the five Quebec employees it laid off Tuesday.

It’s the second round of layoffs in Quebec in the last month, and further indication of a company in financial turmoil. The downsizing was announced on the same day that the devastated town of Lac-Mégantic upped its estimate of cleanup costs to $7.7 million.

It also came a day after Quebec Environment Minister Yves-François Blanchet ordered MMA, as well as two fuel companies — World Fuel Services and its subsidiary Western Petroleum Company — the estimated cost of cleanup efforts incurred by the town and province. The town’s previous estimate had been $4 million.

Earlier Tuesday, before Lac-Mégantic announced that the cleanup cost had risen, MMA chairman Ed Burkhardt’s assistant, Cathy Aldana, told The Gazette that the company would discuss its financial obligations directly with town authorities, and a public statement would be unlikely. But later in the day, Aldana said she was unsure when the company would respond given the increased price tag.

Monday’s provincial order appeared to come as a surprise to World Fuel, which said in a statement Tuesday that “given that MMA and local authorities have assumed control and management of the site to date, and that MMA has assumed responsibility for the accident, we did not expect to be named in this or any similar government action ... We have serious objections to the legality of the order.”

In fact, the company, which acts as a middleman between drilling companies that extract the oil and refineries that turn the crude into a product, said that it has nothing to do with MMA, and therefore had nothing to do with the July 6 derailment in Lac-Mégantic.

“There is no relationship between the two companies, contractual or otherwise,” said a World Fuel spokesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity. “World Fuel contracted Canadian Pacific Railway for the transport of the trains carrying the crude from North Dakota to New Brunswick,” with CP subcontracting a portion of that trek to MMA, the spokesperson said.

When asked about the relationship between CP and MMA, a spokesperson refused to comment.

An employee of the Quebec chapter of the United Steelworkers union, which represents MMA workers in the province, said the laid-off employees had been informed of their terminations by phone, and the union had not been informed, which is unusual. The employee said that the five were a mix of conductors and maintenance workers, and the union is unaware of when the terminations would take effect.

Aldana said the layoffs are “temporary,” and due to the company’s main line being cut off after the derailment.

Aldana relayed a message from Burkhardt to The Gazette in reference to the U.S. layoffs, saying: “(We) are adjusting the workforce to the volume of traffic that we’re now experiencing, and it includes both Canada and the U.S.”

On July 16, the company let go of 19 employees, including two managers. The new total of 24 laid-off employees represents slightly less than one-third of MMA’s Quebec workforce.

Representatives from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the union that represents MMA’s U.S. employees, did not respond to requests for comment.

While MMA has yet to respond to Quebec’s demand that it pay for Lac-Mégantic’s cleanup costs, Université Laval professor Daniel Gardner, an expert in liability claims, said it seems obvious to him that MMA would be held responsible. However, he explained that having reviewed the insurance policy that the company had bought from England’s XL Group, the policy clearly covers the damages of the sort seen in Lac-Mégantic. Only if the incident had occurred wilfully would there be grounds for the insurance company to not pay the damages, he explained.

“I read the contract and it’s quite clear that it covers this kind of accident,” he said. “The pollution risk, the bodily injury, the material damages are covered.”

Gardner said that in his understanding of the situation, it should be the insurance company paying for the damages, even should rumours that MMA is on the verge of bankruptcy prove true.

“Bankruptcy would not affect insurance coverage,” he said. “This is why you have to have insurance, in case you don’t have enough money to pay for the damages.”


MMA cuts more staff as payment dispute lingers

Canadian Pacific Railway , hired to transport oil from North Dakota to New Brunswick, subcontracted part of the job to the small railroad involved in the deadly crash in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, the company that chose the Canadian railroad said.

CP Rail, which had not until now been named in connection with the accident, subcontracted a section of the route to Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway (MMA), World Fuel Services said on Wednesday.

"We contracted with Canadian Pacific Railway on behalf of our crude oil marketing joint venture DPTS Marketing for the transportation of the tanker cars and crude oil from New Towne, North Dakota, to a customer in New Brunswick, Canada," said Ira Birns, chief financial officer of World Fuel Services, on a conference call after the company reported earnings.

On its website, U.S.-based World Fuel Services says it is an "integrated provider of credit, finance, services, and logistics to the energy and transportation markets."

A spokesman for CP Rail, Canada's No. 2 railroad, declined to comment.

CP Rail's indirect role could complicate determination of liabilities in the disaster. CP Rail said earlier this month that it was strengthening some of its operating safety rules in the aftermath of the Lac-Megantic crash.

The train derailed on July 6 in the small, tourist town of Lac-Megantic, where it exploded into a ball of fire, killing 47 people and destroying the town center. An estimated 36,000 barrels of oil spilled into the air, water and ground.

The Quebec government on Monday signed a legal order to force MMA and World Fuel Services to pay for the cleanup.

World Fuel Services has questioned the legality of the order.

MMA has said it does not have the funds and is in talks with its insurer.

"The issue is between us and our insurance company about when they are prepared to start to disperse funds for this effort," MMA Chairman Ed Burkhardt said in an interview with a U.S. radio station on Monday.

MMA was required under Canadian rules to have "adequate" insurance, but the law does not stipulate a minimum amount of coverage.



CP Rail subcontracted to MMA in Quebec train crash | Reuters

His face was blasted open ... his eyes were swollen shut ... but MMA fighter Mike Barreras still posed for a photo after getting destroyed in a Bellator fight -- and the pic is NASTY😡!

Barreras' ass-whooping came at the hands of Bubba Jenkins -- who put a hurting on Mike during an undercard fight at "Bellator 97," which aired on Spike TV.

The loss knocked Barreras' record down to 5-6 ... which hurts ... but not as bad as his face.

Read more: Bellator MMA Fighter -- Face Obliterated In MMA Beatdown | TMZ-com
Visit Fishwrapper: Fishwrapper Home | Fishwrapper-com