UFC 126 EXTENDED PROMO
January 13, 2011 by Matt
Here is the extended promo for UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort. Which Anderson Silva will we see in the main event? According to Ed Soares, there is only one Silva: the Anderson Silva that is 12-0 in the UFC with 7 title defenses. Those numbers are staggering.
THE OLD MAN’S CLUB: BEST MMA FIGHTERS 35 & OVER
December 18, 2010 by Matt
Randy Couture may or may not have retired this week. He tweeted: “I think I’m at the end of it all”. But rumors persist that he wants to fight either Shogun Rua or Lyoto Machida. So until we get a definite answer, I’m saying “The Natural” will fight again in the Octagon. And he heads our list of the top MMA fighters over 35. Here they are in no particular order.
Randy Couture, 47
The guy is 47 years old. 4-7. It’s kind of insane just how in shape he is — for any fighter — let alone one that is 47 years old. The Toney fight was an easy match. Does he want to go out that way? It doesn’t really matter. He’s the man. But plenty of fans want to see him back in the Octagon.
Anderson Silva, 35
The UFC middleweight champion of the world turned 35 in April. He’s somewhat of an enigma when it comes to judging his desire, but he remains at the top of his game. Silva has won 13 straight fights and will defend his title against Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 in February.
Rich Franklin, 36
The move to light heavyweight seems to have given a Franklin some rejuvenation. He’s as solid and professional as they come, and always puts on entertaining fights. He will get Forrest Griffin at UFC 126. The light heavyweight division is stacked, but a win over Griffin keeps Franklin in the mix for a title shot, even if the possibility is slim.
Shane Carwin, 35
Carwin will turn 36 in January and is coming off back surgery. The loss to Brock Lesnar was crushing for him, but he is still one of the top strikers in the heavyweight division. There are a number of great matchups for him out there, and he should be able to make another title run. Fight fans are hoping to see him back in the cage early in 2011.
Dan Henderson, 40
Hendo didn’t look all that good in his first Strikeforce fight against Jake Shields, and the “too old” cries started rolling in. But after knocking out Babalu in the first round just a few weeks ago, people are anxious to see him fight again. And Mauro wants to see “The H-Bomb” again.
Matt Hughes, 37
Hughes recently was KO’d by BJ Penn and started dropping retirement hints. I’m hoping he reconsiders because from his previous fights it’s obvious he has plenty left in the tank. His submission of Ricardo Almeida was simply amazing, and Hughes’ striking is vastly improved from his championship days.
Cung Le, 38
The kickboxer turned MMA fighter turned actor has fought just one time in each of the last three years. Making movies pays better and no one is trying to choke you unconscious. But Le should be back in the cage at some point in 2011. Would love to see him fight Robbie Lawler.
Mirko Cro Cop, 36
Cro Cop is currently serving a medical suspension until April of 2011, but we should see him again soon after that. His last fight against Frank Mir was somewhat uneventful, but his fight against Pat Barry was one of the more exciting bouts of the year. He seems to vacillate between saying he’s too old for MMA and not too old for MMA, so who knows what his plans are. I think most fans would like to see him continue to fight.
Chris Lytle, 36
Lytle is “Mr. Bonus” in the UFC, having been the recipient of 7 fight bonuses. And the fun will continue when Lytle faces Carlos Condit at UFC 127. And he’s not all just stand and bang. His last 2 fights before his decision win over Matt Serra were submission victories over Matt Brown and Brian Foster.
Megumi Fujii, 36
Fujii will skip entrance into the “Old Man’s Club”, but she deserves to be on this list. She just had one of the most impressive win streaks in MMA history stopped when she lost to Zoila Frausto at Bellator 34. Prior to that “Mega Megu” had won 22 straight fights with an amazing 17 wins by submission.
Honorable Mention: Sean Sherk, Sexyama, Joey Villasenor, Rick Hawn, Jeff Monson, Neil Grove, Trevor Prangley, Kevin Randleman, Ray Sefo, Bobby Southworth, Matt Lindland, Aaron Simpson, Vladimir Matushenko, Tito Ortiz, Cheick Kongo, Marcus Davis, Mike Guymon, Matt Serra, Jorge Rivera and Nate Quarry.
UFC 117 POST-FIGHT PRESSER [VIDEO]
August 8, 2010 by searstapper
Chael Sonnen was making good on all the pre-fight trash talk against Anderson Silva till the champ pulled off one of the greatest comebacks of all-time in UFC history. Watch Chael and Anderson share their thoughts on the outcome of their title fight at UFC 117.
ANDERSON SILVA: MASTER OF KNEES AND ELBOWS
January 1, 2010 by Matt
For the first post of the new year we’re giving you some Anderson Silva. Seems like it’s been a year since his last fight, even though it’s only been about 5 months. Here is his dominant performance against Tony Fryklund at Cage Rage 16. This was his last fight before joining the UFC, and it was also right after his last loss, when he was DQ’d against Yushin Okami.
2009 MMA FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
December 27, 2009 by Matt
There are a lot of big names being nominated for MMA Fighter of the Year, but in the end, I think it’s a fairly easy call. I made my decision based on a few factors: quantity of fights, quality of opponents, type of fights (title bouts weigh more) and overall dominance. First, the runners-up…
B.J. Penn
No fighter looked more dominant than “The Prodigy” did in his wins against Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian. But Penn was throttled soundly by GSP back in January.
Fedor Emelianenko
Fedor fought only twice and won both times. He beat Arlovski and Rogers, but it’s not enough for FOY.
Gegard Mousasi
Mousasi will get a lot of mentions for FOY, but his 2008 was actually more impressive than his 2009. He beat Mark Hunt, who was on a 4-fight losing streak. He needed just one minute to KO Babalu. And he finished the year with a TKO win over Sokoudjou here in Chicago.
Anderson Silva
“The Spider” probably was the most bored fighter of the year. The Forrest Griffin fight was nonsense and Thales Leites is no longer in the UFC. The UFC needs to challenge him more in 2010.
Georges St. Pierre
GSP dominated B.J. Penn and Thiago Alves, but it’s not enough for the FOY.
Lyoto Machida
Machida beat Thiago Silva, then Rashad Evans for the LHW belt. But it is the opinion of many that Shogun Rua should be the champion after their UFC 104 fight. I agree. So I can’t give Machida FOY.
There’s just one man left that could be the “FOY”. Read more
THE SPIDER DOESN’T STOP TILL HE GETS ENOUGH
October 25, 2009 by searstapper
Anderson Silva is one of the best finishers in mixed martial arts. His highlight reel is a spectacular collection of unforgetable knockouts. But Silva isn’t just a “Killer Finisher”, he’s a “Killer Starter” too! Check out this collage of ring entrances from his fights in Japan. Silva has stated before he is a big Michael Jackson fan, and how the King of Pop was an influence in his own life. Anderson is not only “Dangerous” but he’s “Bad.” Alright, that does it for the Michael Jackson puns, watch the video.
Silver Star Anderson “Spider” Silva UFC 97 Walkout Tee (Black, Red, or White)
UFC 101 POST-FIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE
August 9, 2009 by Matt
Dominant performance by B.J. Penn. Here is the post-fight press conference from UFC 101.
VIDEO: UFC 101 PRE-FIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE
August 6, 2009 by searstapper
The UFC has come to Philadelphia for UFC 101. Philly fans expect action and full effort. Dana White and company know their debut in the City of Brotherly Love needs to be a big one, or they’ll get booed out of town. To hear everything Dana and fighters had to say click in.
VIDEO: ANDERSON SILVA INSTRUCTIONAL PREVIEW & HIS BRUCE LEE IMPERSONATION
August 4, 2009 by searstapper
Anticipation grows for Anderson Silva’s instructional DVD on striking for MMA. There are some solid videos currently on the market including Joe Lauzon’s “Boxing for MMA”, Bas Rutten’s various selections, and Duane Ludwig’s series. Those particular titles seem to get good word of mouth. But unlike groundfighting videos, where there are absolute must have DVDs such as Mario Sperry’s “Vale Tudo” series, Erik Paulson’s “Killer Leglocks”, or Darrel Gholar’s “7-9-5′s of Wrestling”, there is no absolute must have DVD instructional for MMA striking. Many feel Silva’s DVD could be THE one to buy. Watch and enjoy this preview snipet of “The Spider” working with Rafael Feijao.
THE TOP 100 UFC FIGHTERS
June 9, 2009 by Matt
With UFC 100 coming up soon, our friends at Keyboard Kimura are compiling a list of the top 100 fighters in UFC history. This is a monumental undertaking. They are not just naming 100, they are actually ranking them too. So head on over there and post your picks in the comments, or do it here since he is a Chicago’s MMA reader.
You’ll start finding out who the top 100 of all-time are on July 1st. Then they’ll deliver 10 a day until they unveil #1 on July 10, the day before UFC 100.
I’m going to go ahead and throw some names out there. And it’s not as easy as you think. Some fighters — like Cro Cop — have been very successful in Pride but not in the UFC. Here we go, in no particular order… Read more
