Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson – All Fighters Make Weight
July 29, 2011 by Matt
Every fighter is on weight for Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. The main event will feature legends Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson, and also features a five-round title fight between champion Marloes Coenen and Miesha Tate in the women’s bantamweight division.
Local fighter Gabe Salinas Jones will be on the prelim card against Bryan Humes. Humes hasn’t fought in over a year, losing via decision to Paul Buentello at Shark Fights in May of 2010. Humes holds a professional record of 6-1 and sources tell us he will be cornered in part by APFC promoter Rich Seldal.
Salinas-Jones has never lost as a pro or amateur, although he did have a loss in Greece that is not reflected in his record because it was a non-sanctioned event. Salinas-Jones is getting to be that rare breed — a heavyweight with a slick ground game. 3 of his 4 pro wins have come by way of submission.
Here are the weigh-in results:
Main card
Fedor Emelianenko (223) vs. Dan Henderson (207)
Marloes Coenen (135) vs. Miesha Tate (135)
Robbie Lawler (185) vs. Tim Kennedy (185)
Paul Daley (171) vs. Tyron Woodley (170)
Scott Smith (171) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (170)
Prelims
JZ Cavalcante (155) vs. Bobby Green (155)
Eduardo Pamplona (170) vs. Tyler Stinson (171)
Julie Kedzie (136) vs. Alexis Davis (136)
Derek Brunson (186) vs. Lumumba Sayers (184)
Bryan Humes (266) vs. Gabe Salinas (260)
Betting on MMA
July 28, 2011 by Matt
Fans of MMA have never had it better than in recent years, with the sport emerging from the sidelines to being a full-fledged mainstream sport. Top UFC fighters are now household names and the sport has broken out as one of the fastest-growing sports, with millions of fans around the world keeping tabs on big UFC fights and other events through pay per view broadcasts, dedicated fan forums and websites, and interviews and MMA news from major sports publications. US casinos in Vegas such as Mandalay Bay, MGM, and the Palms Casino have all hosted recent UFC events, drawing tens of thousands of fans.
Many MMA fans — both newcomers and veteran fans alike — don’t always realize that they can now bet on nearly every major UFC event, and can do so even if they don’t live in Vegas. In the past it was much more difficult to place a wager on MMA but the growing popularity has spilled over to sportsbooks. Only a handful of sportsbooks offered MMA betting in the past but now every major sportsbook not only offers MMA betting but also provides betting lines on all the fights at an event, and not just the headline match.
It’s also much easier to actually place a bet, as online sportsbooks make the process simple and convenient, even if you’ve never placed a bet before. Some players are hesitant about the safety of their money when gambling online but the reality is that major online sportsbooks are fully licensed and regulated, with many operated by brick-and-mortar bookmakers and sportsbetting firms that trade publicly on the London Stock Exchange and other markets around the world. If you stick to playing at reputable, licensed sites, your money is completely and utterly safe, with any money won paid out very promptly.
Another perk of wagering on MMA online is that you’ll also have access to casino games, poker, bingo, and other gambling games. Most sportsbetting sites also offer a wide range of other games for customers to enjoy, with all the games accessible from one single account for the maximum in convenience and fun.
Nate Marquardt Sets the Record Straight
July 28, 2011 by Matt
Former UFC fighter Nate Marquardt sat down with HDNet’s Ron Kruck to set the record straight about his release from the UFC, his use of testosterone replacement, and why he needs that medical treatment.
Jeff Curran Signs UFC Deal
July 26, 2011 by Matt
When Jeff Curran entered the arena for his XFO 39 fight against Billy Vaughan, his manager was right behind him, holding high a blue UFC hat and pointing at the logo emblazoned on the front. The message was clear: Jeff Curran wants back in the UFC.
He’s getting his wish. Curran confirmed to us that he did indeed sign a multi-fight deal with the UFC, as first reported by MMA Junkie.
MMA Junkie also reports that Curran’s first opponent on the new deal will be Scott Jorgensen at UFC 137. That event will feature GSP vs. Nick Diaz, and takes place October 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
It’s one of the feel-good stories of the year in MMA. Curran is one of the most respected martial artists in the game, and has had to overcome quite a bit of adversity to make it back to MMA’s biggest stage.
He endured a four-fight losing streak in the WEC, a broken arm and then surgery to fix that arm. When he enters the Octagon in October, it will have been over seven years since his last UFC appearance.
“It’s been a long road back but I am more game than ever,” Curran told Chicago’s MMA. “It’s time to live up to my own expectations of myself and make all the sacrifices and ups and downs worth it.”
He’ll get ready for the Jorgensen fight at Curran Martial Arts in Crystal Lake, saying he doesn’t feel the need to go train at another gym like Miguel Torres and other fighters have done.
“I will be doing my training at Team Curran as always. If I need a getaway from business or work then I would go spend time training at ATT [American Top Team] or with one of my other affiliated teams. But I’ll probably stay home 100% because I got the best guys [training partners] I could ask for right at home,” Curran said.
Curran will have his hands full with the dynamic Jorgensen, who rattled off five straight wins before fighting Dominick Cruz for the WEC bantamweight title. Jorgensen lost that bout in a lopsided, unanimous decision, but he is a very dangerous opponent with knockout power and a solid ground game. He needed little time to get back to his winning ways when he beat Ken Stone via TKO in his first UFC fight at the TUF 13 finale.
Curran will enjoy both a height and reach advantage against Jorgensen, something he didn’t always have when he fought at 145. If he beats Jorgensen, he immediately thrusts himself into contender discussion.
After he beat Vaughan at XFO 39, he laid down the law in a post-fight interview. “You’ll never see me in the XFO again,” Curran said. “If the UFC doesn’t want me then I’m done.” The UFC called. And that’s good news for Curran and fight fans.
Marcus Charles Edged Weapons Seminar
July 26, 2011 by Matt
Sifu Marcus Charles will be teaching an edged weapons seminar at Veritas Martial Arts Academy this Saturday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Charles is the Midwest director for PFS, Progressive Fighting Systems, and is an instructor under some of the most respected names in martial arts: Paul Vunak, Larry Hartsell, Dan Inosanto and Erik Paulson.
Golden Gloves champion Jon Manos will also be on hand to teach dirty boxing.
Admission to the event is $50, and details are located on the poster below.
Pat Curran Interview After Bellator 47 Win
July 25, 2011 by Matt
Pat Curran put on another impressive performance and advanced to the finals of the Bellator featherweight tourney finals with a decision win over Ronnie Mann. Curran moves on to face Sandro in the finals, and he spoke about the matchup with Rogers Sportsnet after his win.
Jonatas Novaes Breaks Sherron Leggett’s Arm to Win Title
July 25, 2011 by Matt
FLO MMA instructor and Team Brasa fighter Jonatas Novaes faced WEC vet Sherron “Rob Roy” Leggett in the lightweight championship of the Combat USA Illinois vs. Wisconsin finals. Novaes needed little time to secure the win via submission.
Congrats to Novaes on winning the championship, as well as to his coach Rodrigo ‘Comprido’ Medeiros and his manager Joe Fortis of Title Shot Management. Best wishes to Leggett on a full and speedy recovery.
XFO Outdoor War – September 3, 2011
The XFO’s annual outdoor war will take place Saturday, September 3rd at Sideouts in Island Lake. You get 2 shows for the price of one: amateurs fight during the day, then the pros enter the cage at night. You sit on chairs in the sand and enjoy some good food and drink. It’s a good time and always cool to see MMA fought outside.
Here’s a quick look at the pro card:
Eric Schafer vs Chris Albandia
Mike Stumpf vs Tony Parker
Mike Pitz vs Kent Rexford
Daniel Aguirre vs Stanton Gavia
Mike Marrello vs Alex Rozman
Matt Tobie vs Baron Rotza
Christian Reynoso vs Greg Reddington
Joey Diehl vs Rob Couillard
Eric Acuna vs Christopher Haney
Kenny Booker vs Robert Couillard
Some really exciting matchups on the card, but the standout to me is the Mike Pitz vs. Kent Rexford bout. Pitz fights out of MTC and is undefeated. Wrecking Ball’s Rexford is just 1-1 as a pro, but he had a lengthy and successful amateur career.
Quick notes:
-Former UFC fighter Eric “Red” Schafer will make his first appearance in almost 18 months when he takes on MTC’s Chris Albandia.
-Patriot’s Greg Reddington will finally get to make his pro debut against Christian Reynoso. We chronicled the mess that Reddington had to go through leading up to his first scheduled pro fight, which ended up canceled.
-Longtime XFO fighter and TUF vet Mike Marello will be fighting for the first time in over two years. His last appearance came at XFO Outdoor War 5.
Click the pic below for the full-screen poster.
Bellator Sets Season 5 Welterweight Tourney
July 23, 2011 by Matt
After a exciting Season 4 Welterweight Tournament that saw Jay “The Thoroughbred” Hieron capture the tournament crown, an elite class of 170 pounders are back for Bellator’s Season 5 Welterweight Tournament. The winner of the Season 5 tournament receives an automatic title shot against the winner of the highly anticipated Welterweight World title fight between Bellator Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren and Season 4 Welterweight Tournament winner Jay Hieron.
The welterweight action gets started September 10th LIVE on MTV2 from Caesars Atlantic City. The eight-man tournament will feature Brazilian knockout artist Luis “Sapo” Santos, who brings an incredible 49-6-1 record into the tournament, against fan favorite and five-time Bellator vet Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle in an explosive matchup. Hornbuckle hails from Mahomet, and has fought locally at the Duneland Classic, Ironheart Crown and the TFC.
The sport’s top welterweight prospect Douglas “The Phenom” Lima enters the tournament riding a six-fight win streak and faces submission specialist Steve Carl. The buzz has been growing for Lima, and the impressive welterweight is ready to show fans what he is truly capable of.
“I’m not going to go in there and just lay on a guy or run around the cage,” said Lima. “When I step inside the cage, I’m ready to go to war. I’m not in there to play around.”
Bellator 39 winner Ben Saunders is looking to make noise in his first Bellator tournament and will have his work cut out for him when he takes on former Judo Olympian and Season 4 Welterweight Tournament finalist Rick Hawn in quarterfinal action.
Bellator veteran Brent Weedman will look to build off his Season 4 Welterweight Tournament Semifinal appearance when he takes on hard-hitting Cleveland native Chris “The Assassin” Lozano in what is sure to be an explosive fight.
“A lot of these guys were in our Season 4 Tournament, and after seeing some of the performances they put on, it was a no-brainer to bring a lot of them back,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “With newcomers to the tournament like Ben Saunders, Douglas Lima and Luis Santos, the winner of the title fight between Ben Askren and Jay Hieron will have a great fight on his hands.”
The Season 5 Welterweight Tournament in full is listed below:
Douglas Lima vs. Steve Carl
Dan Hornbuckle vs. Luis Santos
Ben Saunders vs. Rick Hawn
Brent Weedman vs. Chris Lozano
I’ve said it before on this site and I’ll say it again: if you’re not watching Bellator you’re missing out on some amazing MMA. And now that it’s live on MTV2, it’s easily accessible. They do tourneys how they are supposed to be done.
Gina Carano in Haywire: Trailer
July 22, 2011 by Matt
Here’s the trailer for the new (and long awaited) Steven Soderbergh film “Haywire” starring Gina Carano.
Here’s the synopsis of the film from the Haywire website:
“This dynamic action-thriller directed by Oscar® winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) boasts a talented cast that includes Channing Tatum (GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra), Ewan McGregor (The Ghost Writer), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class), Antonio Banderas (The Legend of Zorro), Bill Paxton (“Big Love”), Michael Douglas (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps), Michael Angarano (Almost Famous); and introduces mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, in a demanding lead role that has her performing her own high-adrenaline stunts.
Mallory Kane is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive.
Using her black-ops military training, she devises an ingenious—and dangerous—trap. But when things go haywire, Mallory realizes she’ll be killed in the blink of an eye unless she finds a way to turn the tables on her ruthless adversary.”
