Shonie Carter Doing Work — as a Reporter
August 1, 2011 by Matt
Check out “Mr. International” Shonie Carter doing work at the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson post-fight presser. Dig that boa he’s wearing.
I’d love to see a rematch. I think Fedor wants one, and I know the fans do.
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)
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.”
MMA Fighters and the ESPY Awards
July 10, 2011 by The Entity
by Tim Stroud
The 2011 ESPYS, hosted by Seth Meyers, will air live on ESPN this Wednesday, July 13th at 8pm CT. The ESPYS are always fun to watch and this year should be no different. It’s always great to see which player, team, coach or moment will win each award, but it’s even better that mixed martial artists are nominated.
This year, five different mixed martial artists are nominated for three different awards. Anthony Pettis was placed in a bracket of 16 plays to determine the award for Best Play. Pettis is listed as the 11th seed against the 6th seeded Oklahoma State football team. Pettis’ “Showtime Kick” against Ben Henderson was one of the best moves ever pulled off in MMA. However, the fans voted for Oklahoma State for its “Tag Team Interception”. Yes, the interception was great, but Pettis deserved to move on to the Elite Eight.
Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko is nominated for the Best Upset award. I’m sure the Fedor will be there with a big smile on his face. Werdum & Fedor are up against the VCU run in the NCAA Tournament, Blame beating Zenyatta at the Breeders’ Cup and the Seahawks win over the Saints in the NFL Playoffs. As big of an upset that Werdum had over Fedor, I don’t see them winning this award. I feel that VCU or the Seahawks are the favorites.
Finally, we have the Best Fighter award. If there is any category that fits MMA, this is the one. The UFC have two fighters, Jon Jones and Georges St. Pierre, up for this award, so one or both will go home unhappy. Jones and GSP have some tough competition with Bernard Hopkins, Sergio Martinez and Manny Pacquiao. I hope that MMA fans took to their computers and voted for Jones or GSP, but I think Pacquiao will be the victor.
It will be upsetting if none of these great fighters go home a winner on Wednesday, but it’s great that MMA guys are involved in such a high-profile, mainstream event. MMA is growing each year and ESPN and other networks are certainly taking notice.
Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Predictions
June 17, 2011 by The Entity
by Tim Stroud
The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix will continue Saturday at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, TX. The Grand Prix will pair two more quarterfinal match-ups with Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett.
In the first two quarterfinal fights, we saw Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva defeated Fedor Emelianenko by TKO (doctor stoppage) and Sergei Kharitonov beat Andrei Arlovski by KO to advance to the next round. If the fights on Saturday are anything like these two, we are in for a treat.
In the first two fights, Strikeforce decided to have a fourth judge on hand in case a fight ended in a draw. Since then, Zuffa, LLC purchased Strikeforce and decided to make a change. If either of the two quarterfinal fights ends in a draw, then there will be a sudden death round to find the winner. I think that this is a huge improvement because the fighters will get another opportunity to win and not leave it up to a fourth judge.
Here are my predictions for all five main card fights.
Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum
Overeem and Werdum have fought once before. They met each other at the Pride 2006 Openweight Grand Prix. Werdum took the victory by submission (Kimura) in the second round. Werdum is currently on a four fight win streak and he’s coming off the biggest win of his career, when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko on June 26, 2010. However, Overeem has won 9 of 10 (one no-contest) and is the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion. Werdum has a chance if this fight goes to the ground, but I see Overeem using his superior striking to win and advance to the next round.
Pick – Alistair Overeem
Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett
Rogers is coming off a rough stretch where he has only won once in his last three fights. Barnett has an impressive 26-5 record, but his biggest knock is that he has tested positive for anabolic steroids three times. Rogers can KO anyone at any time and Barnett likes to take guys down and get a submission, but he also has some power in his punches. If Rogers can stay on his feet, then he has a great shot at landing the knock-out shot, but I don’t see it happening. Barnett will use his experience and skills to take this fight to the ground and make Rogers tap.
Pick – Josh Barnett
KJ Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal
Noons and Masvidal is an intriguing match-up. They both rely on their boxing skills, but in different ways. Noons loves to throw the leather and get after his opponent, while Masvidal is more of a counter striker. Noons is coming off a tough decision loss to Nick Diaz, while Masvidal is coming off of a decision win. I see this fight staying on the feet and Noons will stop Masvidal for the win, and possible title opportunity.
Pick – KJ Noons
Daniel Cormier vs. Jeff Monson
Here we have a battle of ground specialists. The undefeated Cormier and Monson are both wrestlers, but Monson is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Monson has a wealth of experience and has faced a lot of top fighters in MMA. This will be Cormier’s eighth fight and he hasn’t faced anyone as talented as Monson. With that said, I think Cormier uses his superior wrestling to take the veteran down and win a decision. This will be Cormier’s biggest win to date.
Pick – Daniel Cormier
Valentijn Overeem vs. Chad Griggs
Overeem, the less talented brother of Alistair, has a ton of experience, but just a 29-25 record. Overeem can strike and submit, but he is not great at either. Griggs, best known for defeating pro wrestler Bobby Lashley, is a no nonsense fighter. Griggs throws a lot of punches and he doesn’t back down. I see Griggs going right at Overeem and getting a KO or TKO in the first or second round.
Pick – Chad Griggs
Tim Stroud is a Kentucky-based writer. Follow him on Twitter @TheEntityMMA
RYAN COUTURE, STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS ON JUNE 24
May 12, 2011 by Matt
Ryan Couture may have initially been noticed due to his famous dad and surname. But anyone who saw him battle Lee Higgins in February knows that he is a legit fighter. He’ll enter the cage again on June 24th, when Strikeforce Challengers takes in place in Washington.
In the main event lightweight Caros “The Future” Fodor (8-2) of nearby Kirkland, Wash. defends his home turf when he meets the hard-hitting James Terry (10-2), a protégé of middleweight star Cung Le.
The night’s co-feature is equally explosive, as Woodinville’s Ryan Couture (2-0), the son of UFC® Hall of Famer Randy Couture, looks for his third straight victory when he battles undefeated Matt Ricehouse (4-0).
STRIKEFORCE Challengers also features Lorenz “The Monsoon” Larkin (10-0) taking on Gian Villante (7-2) at light heavyweight, a middleweight bout between Antwain Britt (11-5) and UFC® veteran Danillo Villefort, as well as a women’s 145-pound contest between Julia Budd (1-1) and Germaine de Randamie (2-1).
“Washington has become a hotbed for mixed martial arts and we’re excited to head back to Kent with this exciting card featuring local stars Caros Fodor and Ryan Couture,” STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker said. “Our Challengers events have delivered some outstanding fights and we expect nothing less on June 24.”
Caros Fodor (fighting out of Kirkland, Wash.), a 27-year-old former Marine, has won three straight STRIKEFORCE bouts, including a third-round TKO of David Douglas in April. Now, the grappling ace seeks his ninth professional win when he meets James Terry (fighting out of Livermore, Calif.) at ShoWare Center. A training partner of former middleweight champion Cung Le, the 30-year-old Terry is riding a three-fight win streak of his own. He would like nothing more than to spoil Fodor’s homecoming by scoring a knockout victory on June 24.
Ryan Couture (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.), the son of UFC pioneer Randy Couture, returns to his native Washington with hopes of carrying on his legendary family name. Two straight submission wins have kicked off Couture’s career, and now the 28-year-old faces the toughest test of his career when he locks horns with up-and-comer Matt Ricehouse (fighting out of St. Charles, Mo.) in 155-pound action.
Perhaps no fighter heads to Kent with as much momentum as undefeated light heavyweight Lorenz Larkin (fighting out of Riverside, Calif.) The 24-year-old Larkin has finished eight of 10 opponents, including a knockout of Scott Lighty in his STRIKEFORCE debut in April. “The Monsoon” hopes to keep his streak alive when he enters the cage against 25-year-old Gian Villante (fighting out of Bellmore, N.Y.), whose seven victories have all come by way of stoppage.
Former UFC competitor Danillo Villefort (fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) makes his STRIKEFORCE debut on June 24 in search of his fifth consecutive victory. The American Top Team product, known for his slick submissions and heavy hands, expects a war when he meets knockout artist Antwain Britt (fighting out of Virginia Beach, Va.). The 33-year-old Britt has 11 victories, nine of which have come by knockout, and looks to fuel a run in the 185-pound division by besting Villefort.
An outstanding women’s 145-pound content pits Julia Budd (fighting out of Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada) against Germaine de Randamie (fighting out of Utrecht, The Netherlands). Nicknamed “The Jewel,” Budd is a devastating kickboxer with the ability to finish any and all opponents. Her bout with de Randamie could be a slugfest, as “The Iron Lady” has won two straight fights, including a brutal knockout over Stephanie Webber in January.
FEDOR VS. HENDO: JULY 30 IN CHICAGO
May 3, 2011 by Matt
Jonathan Snowden tweeted and ESPN reporter Josh Gross confirmed that Dan Henderson will fight Fedor Emelianenko on July 30th at the Sears Centre in suburban Chicago, Illinois.
Strikeforce and Fedor came to that venue in November of 2009, and it is the scene of Fedor’s last win. He defeated Brett Rogers by TKO in round 2. Rogers was undefeated at the time.
Reports vary on what the weight limit will be for the fight. Some have reported that it will take place at heavyweight, or a catch weight of 220 but billed as a heavyweight bout.
Henderson recently won the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title by defeating Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante in March.
STRIKEFORCE ANNOUNCES JUNE 18 CARD
April 12, 2011 by Matt
Four of the sport’s most talented heavyweights are set to collide when STRIKEFORCE® heads to American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, June 18 for the quarterfinals of its Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament.
Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) squares off against Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) in the highly-anticipated main event, while former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett (29-5) will battle heavy-handed knockout artist Brett “The Grim” Rogers (11-2).
Two additional, non-tournament heavyweight clashes are also scheduled for the card, as former U.S. Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier (7-0) will face fellow undefeated budding star Shane Del Rosario (11-0) and Valentijn Overeem (29-25), the elder brother of Alistair, will take on streaking Chad Griggs (10-1).
Plus, women’s mixed martial arts superstar Gina Carano (7-1) returns to action with her sights set on taking the STRIKEFORCE championship.
“We are really excited to head to Dallas with two outstanding quarterfinal heavyweight Grand Prix fights,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said. “With Overeem vs. Werdum, Rogers vs. Barnett, as well as the return of Gina Carano, STRIKEFORCE is bringing one of its best cards ever to American Airlines Center.
The main event between 30-year-old Alistair Overeem (fighting out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and the 33-year-old Fabricio Werdum (fighting out of Porto Alegre, Brazil) pits the two superstars against one another nearly five years after Werdum submitted Overeem on a PRIDE® Fighting Championship card at Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan on May 5, 2006.
Since their initial encounter, the 6-foot-5, 260 pound Overeem has become the first fighter in history to simultaneously hold both a major mixed martial arts (STRIKEFORCE) title and a K-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix championship. Meanwhile, Werdum has wreaked havoc on the heavyweight division, including his submission over Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko in June, which was considered 2010 Upset of the Year.
Josh Barnett (fighting out of Seattle, Wash.) is a former UFC heavyweight champion who owns victories over the likes of Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Pedro Rizzo and Gilbert Yvel. The 33-year-old heads to Dallas with hopes of derailing his opponent and advancing in the Grand Prix. To do so, he must defeat the heavy-handed Brett Rogers (fighting out of St. Paul, Minn). The 6-foot-5 powerhouse reeled off 10 straight wins to start his professional career and holds knockout victories over the likes of former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski and PRIDE vet James Thompson.
A former Division I All-American at Oklahoma State University Daniel Cormier (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) is unbeaten in seven fights. Training alongside the likes of UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and welterweight stars Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, Cormier’s blend of wrestling and power could pose problems for his opponent in Texas. With an unblemished record in 11 professional bouts, Shane Del Rosario (fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) remains unfazed by the hype surrounding his opponent. Coming off an impressive submission win over Lavar Johnson in February, the 27-year-old Del Rosario has finished every fight and expects nothing less when he meets Cormier on June 18.
A seasoned veteran riding a three-fight winning streak, Valentijn Overeem (fighting out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) believes a win on June 18 could propel him into contention in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight division. Thus, expect fireworks when he meets free-swinging Chad Griggs (fighting out of Tucson, Ariz.), who has won five straight, including a stoppage of Bobby Lashley.
This loaded event also marks the return of former STRIKEFORCE title contender Gina Carano (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.), who will take on an opponent to be announced in the weeks to come. The fierce striker, who turns 29 this Saturday, will train for this fight under the tutelage of renowned coach Greg Jackson, who has trained elite athletes such as UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. A rising star in the acting world, Carano is eager to get back to her first love and impress in her first bout since Aug. 2009.
NICK DIAZ VS. PAUL DALEY PREVIEW VIDEO
April 7, 2011 by Matt
“Nick Diaz and Paul Daley: Beyond Trash Talk” takes a look at the upcoming battle between the two welterweights. The event airs this Saturday on Showtime.
GILBERT MELENDEZ EL NINO FDM SHIRT
February 23, 2011 by Matt
It’s about time that Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez gets his own shirt. We think he’s still one of the most underrated fighters in all of MMA. It’s good he’s getting some props!
