UFC 159: Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen Extended Preview
April 4, 2013 by Matt
“I still think Chael can be a pretty crappy human at times.” – Jon Jones
“I started watching (Jones’) fights. I suggest you watch them too if you have trouble sleeping at night.” – Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones finally do battle for the UFC light heavyweight title on April 27. Here is the extended preview for the fight.
If Nick Diaz Retires, UFC Should Add Him to Broadcast Team
March 18, 2013 by Matt
It sounds crazy. Nick Diaz, UFC color commentator. The odds of it happening are slim to none. But what fun it would be.
Ariel Helwani interviewed Nick Diaz for FUEL TV after his fight with Georges St. Pierre, with Diaz saying that he wants a rematch. The rematch won’t happen anytime soon, but if Diaz retires I would love to see him on the panel with Jay Glazer and other fighters, or even teamed up with Jon Anik and Kenny Florian. It likely wouldn’t last long with Diaz’s proclivity to absences and foul language, but it would be awesome to watch him rap on other fighters and call fights.
Can you imagine the banter between Sonnen and Diaz? How critical Diaz would be of fighters with so-called ‘boring’ styles? It would be TV gold, and the tension would seep through the screen into your living room.
I find Diaz to be a compelling speaker, even when he rambles on. Because we rarely got to hear his true thoughts over the years, it was great to hear him talk in length at the press conference and in this clip.
Jeff Curran on Bartimus, Pat Curran and His Flyweight Debut
March 14, 2013 by Matt
by Matt Lo Cascio
It isn’t easy trying to rehab injuries, stay in fighting shape, own a gym, teach classes and coach pro and amateur fighters.
“I need a vacation,” Jeff Curran joked.
Curran has a lot on his plate these days, and that’s just how he likes it. There’s no slowing down for the 35-year-old, and he says he is finally healthy enough to get back in the cage. He will likely make his return, and flyweight debut, on May 18 for the XFO.
Curran couldn’t reveal his opponent, but he did tell us that the fighter had agreed to fight him on an earlier date, so he hopes to have an announcement soon. Curran was scheduled to fight Tachi Palace vet Dustin Ortiz at last year’s XFO Outdoor War but had to withdraw due to hand injuries. Ortiz has since signed with the RFA, so Curran will have a different opponent.
Meanwhile, Curran is getting four other Team Curran fighters ready for big fights, not to mention a number of fighters for XFO 47 on March 29.
One of those fighters is Bart Palaszewski, who will fight Cole Miller at the TUF 17 Finale on April 13. Palaszewski left the team for a spell, but he is back under the Team Curran banner.
“Bart is 100% with Team Curran,” Curran said. “We worked out some things that were long overdue and he is refocused with the team more than ever. I think Bart vs. Cole is an awesome match-up. Bart is hard to submit and a dangerous knockout fighter. Not to mention he has a solid submission game himself being a BJJ black belt under me.”
About a week before that fight is the Bellator featherweight championship match, where cousin Pat Curran will defend his title against Shahbulat Shamhalaev, who replaces the injured Daniel Straus. The training camp was thrown a curveball when Straus had to withdraw from the bout. Pat Curran’s first career knockout came against Straus back at XFO 29, but Jeff isn’t concerned about the change.
“I think it holds a different challenge than Straus, but it falls into our advantage and gives us a very good vision of a game-plan. Pat is ready to fight anyone they send us.”
Felice Herrig will fight Heather Clark in Tampa at Bellator 94, and Joey Diehl recently signed to fight Eric Moell on April 19 for the XFC on AXStv.
“We’re excited about Diehl’s fight. He was a replacement and gets a chance to prove he is who we all know he can be. March 28 – May 18 is action-packed busy with fights for Team Curran,” Curran said.
That much-needed vacation? It will have to wait.
Pat Barry Striking Seminar at MMA Stop Fitness
March 12, 2013 by Matt
Pat “HD” Barry will teach a striking seminar at Clay Guida’s MMA Stop Fitness on Saturday, March 16 from 11am to 2pm.
Barry is coming off an impressive KO win against tough heavyweight Shane del Rosario at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in December. The Duke Roufus-trained kickboxer will also do a meet-and-greet session after the seminar.
Admission prices and registration details are on the poster below.
Cole Miller on TRT, Cowboy Cerrone and Fighting For His Job
February 21, 2013 by Matt
by Matt Lo Cascio
Cole Miller knows what will be on the line when he fights Bart Palaszewski at the TUF 17 Finale on April 13, even if it hasn’t been spelled out for him.
“I am fighting for my job. No one has told me if I lose then I am cut, but that would make 3 (losses) in a row. Definitely the loser goes home after this fight,” Miller told Chicago’s MMA.
With the exception of Dan Hardy, three straight losses in the UFC seems to be the death knell. Both Miller and Palaszewski have lost three of their last four fights, including two in a row.
That aspect adds intrigue to what is already an interesting matchup of skills. Miller is known for his killer sub game, while Palaszewski has become known as more of a striker, although he does have an underrated ground game. Miller’s last 5 wins have come via submission. So can he beat Bart standing or does he have to take it to the ground?
“I never feel like I have to do anything to get the win. I can say that being predictable and trying to fight only in one area at a time is not the kind of game plan to go in there with to fight an experienced, seen-it-all kind of fighter like Bart.”
With so much at stake, Miller doesn’t have much energy to think about grudges, but rest assured that his feud with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is alive and well.
“When you don’t like someone, you don’t like them,” Miller said. “Nothing’s changed. Of course I want to fight the guy, but I’m not really in that kind of position at the moment. He’s the big dog right now at lightweight, with several high profile showings and I’m 0-2 at featherweight fighting for my job. I’m trying to think about Bart Palaszewski, not that guy.”
Miller also shared his thought on TRT usage throughout MMA. A well-known opponent of TRT, Miller doesn’t care that it is deemed ‘legal’.
“I’ve always been vocal about fighters that cheat, and use TRT. TRT can be called legal all day long. If your body doesn’t produce naturally what you feel it should then you shouldn’t fight anymore,” Miller said.
“I don’t respect anyone as a martial artist that uses TRT, EPO, HGH, Anavar, Deca or any other kind of steroid. What makes people worth fighting at the highest level is that they have something others don’t whether you were born with great genetics and have an average skill set, or your skill set is super high and you have below average athletic abilities. So basically you’re saying ‘I’m not happy with the cards I’ve been dealt, let me inject this into my body so we can all be equal’. But it’s not equal — that’s why guys that can throw 100mph consistently are worth big dollars, and guys that have a crazy amount of testosterone and killer instinct and high skill sets are worth big dollars.”
TUF 17′s Kevin Casey’s Rap Video
February 18, 2013 by Matt
Kevin Casey didn’t show up to his fight against Collin Hart according to coach Chael Sonnen on the last episode of “The Ultimate Fighter”. But if his MMA career doesn’t take off, Casey ca always drop rhymes for a living. Or maybe not, if you saw him freestyling on TUF.
We posted this Kevin Casey rap video back in 2009, when he was the subject of a reality show produced by Spencer Pratt that apparently never made to air. So you make the call: does Casey have skills on the mike?
If Casey isn’t able to rock the mic or rock the fight for a living I guess he could always try his hand at some casino online action. Meanwhile, Casey will hold out hope for a wildcard slot on TUF, but that doesn’t seem likely given the quality of his performance against Hart.
Dana White Continues His Rant Against Randy Couture
February 4, 2013 by Matt
Pulling no punches, Dana White goes into deeper detail about the falling out with Randy Couture, as well as what the future holds for Ryan Couture in the UFC in this video from Middle Easy. He also has unkind words for Frank Shamrock.
NSFW LANGUAGE
Chicago Cop Mike Russow Suffers Second Round KO
January 26, 2013 by Matt
by Matt Lo Cascio
Chicago cop Mike Russow was back fighting in his hometown Saturday night, as the UFC on Fox 6 invaded the United Center. Russow walked in to “Simple Kind of Man”, and entered the cage behind a thunderous roar from his many fans.
Russow had opponent Shawn Jordan in trouble early in the first round. Russow moved Jordan up against the cage and then landed a series of rights that left Jordan a bit wobbly and bloodied. Russow took a break from the barrage and gathered some breath while holding Jordan up against the cage.
With 2:30 left in the round, Russow unleashed another barrage of punches that stunned Jordan led to a takedown.
Jordan escaped, but with blood trickling down his face. Russow attempted a single-leg takedown but couldn’t complete it. Jordan landed some short, solid elbows at the end of the round, but Russow clearly won it.
Jordan seemed to have a better feel for Russow in the beginning of round 2, but then an eye poke to Russow halted the action.
Jordan found his range and began landing hard shots to Russow’s face, then easily took him down. Russow gave up his back to Jordan, but Russow escaped with about three minutes left in the round. He got Jordan in a clinch and the United Center crowd called for knees. Russow obliged, landing two knees behind a loud roar.
But Jordan was able to turn the tables on Russow, get him to the ground and take his back. There would be no escape for Russow this time, as he was clearly hurt from the powerful lefts and rights that Jordan was landing. Herb Dean stepped in to end it at 3:48 of round 2.
“I thought I had it,” Russow said. “I’m disappointed but it’s MMA. You have to finish when you get your guy hurt.”
Jordan acknowledged that Russow had him in big trouble in the opening round.
“How badly was I hurt in the first round? What? There was two rounds in that fight? Well, I was shook up pretty bad,” Jordan confessed. “That first round wasn’t fun at all.”
Russow drops to 15-3 in his pro career, including a second straight defeat. He suffered a first-round TKO loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 147 last June.
UFC on Fox 6 Results
January 26, 2013 by Matt
RESULTS FROM UFC ON FOX 6 – 1/26/13 – UNITED CENTER – CHICAGO, IL
Demetrious Johnson vs John Dodson – Demetrious Johnson def. John Dodson via UD
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs Glover Teixeira – Teixeira def. Jackson UD
Anthony Pettis vs Donald Cerrone – Pettis def. Cerrone, TKO- Strikes, 2:22 rd. 1
Erik Koch vs Ricardo Lamas – Lamas def. Koch via TKO – ref stoppage via strikes 2:22 rd.2
PRELIMS
TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman – Grant def Wiman via TKO 4:51 rd. 1
Clay Guida vs Hatsu Hioki- Guida def. Hioki via SD
Mike Stumpf vs Pascal Krauss – Krauss def. Stumpf via UD
Ryan Bader vs Vladimir Matyushenko – Bader def. Matyushenko via guillotine, :50 of rd. 1
Mike Russow vs Shawn Jordan – Jordan def. Russow via TKO-strikes, 3:48 rd. 2
Rafael Natal vs Sean Spencer – Natal submits Spencer via arm triangle, 2:13 rd. 3
Simeon Thoresen vs David Mitchell – Mitchell def. Thoresen via UD, 30-27 on all three judges’ cards
Demetrious Johnson UFC on FOX Fighter Diary
January 25, 2013 by Matt
What’s the stupidest question UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson has been asked? He talks about it in his UFC on FOX fighter diary.
