Marquardt had been a staple in the UFC’s middleweight division for 6 years. Always a top contender, Marquardt had earned himself a title shot in July of 2007. However like all other challengers in the middleweight division, Nate came up short against Kingpin Anderson “The Spider” Silva. Marquardt has however defeated the likes of Demian Maia, Martin Kampmann and Rousimar Palhares while in the UFC.

In what turned out to be his last fight week with the organization, Marquardt was denied a fighter’s license by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. Marquardt failed to satisfy the requirements for a therapeutic use exemption for hormone replacement therapy and thus was not granted his license to fight. Dana White immediately announced that Nate Marquardt was cut by the organization because of failure to satisfy the requirements for therapeutic hormone replacement therapy. Marquardt was scheduled to make his welterweight debut that weekend in Pennsylvania had he received his license.

Following his release from the UFC, Marquardt signed with UK promotion BAMMA and was expected to fight in their welterweight division. After two scheduled fights got delayed by the organization, BAMMA and Marquardt announced they had agreed to part ways.

Now that Nate has been signed, he will finally make his debut as a welterweight in Strikeforce. Marquardt’s last fight was at middleweight with a win over Dan Miller at UFC 128 in March of 2011.

MMAJunkie has indicated that Marquardt will likely make his Strikeforce debut against contender Tyron Woodley. Verbal agreements are in place for the matchup, though a date has yet to be set.

Champ Frankie Edgar (14-1-1)vs. Ben Henderson (15-2)

Analysis: Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson collide for Edgar’s 4 title defense since winning the gold from BJ Penn. Frankie Edgar has become the modern day Rocky Balboa winning fights in which he is the clear underdog. It’s hard to imagine Frankie as the underdog in this fight however. Ben Henderson hasn’t finished an opponent inside the octagon as of yet and I don’t see him finishing the resilient Edgar. Edgar should be able to use his experience, quick footwork and superior boxing to walk away with this one.
Prediction: Frankie Edgar via decision.

Ryan Bader (13-2) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-9)

Analysis: Ryan Bader looked like the Ryan Bader of old (before getting finished by Jon Jones) in his last fight against Jason Brilz. Bader has solid hands and an excellent wrestling base. However, as shown in his loss to Tito, there may be some question marks around his chin. Rampage hits harder than Tito, and if Jackson can land one big punch I think it’s lights out for Ryan Bader.
Prediction: Jackson via 3rd Round KO

Cheick Kongo (27-6-2) vs. Mark Hunt (7-7)

Analysis: Mark Hunt is on a 2 fight win streak (recently defeating Ben Rothwell) but is still only 7-7 overall. He is facing a whole new beast in Cheick Kongo and I don’t see Hunt having much of a shot at victory. Hunt loses the majority of his fights by submission and has only been knocked out once. So I do see this being a 15 minute war. Kongo is just on a different level than the Ben Rothwell’s of the world.
Prediction: Kongo via decision

Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-4 {2}) vs. Jake Shields (26-6-1)

Analysis: Akiyama makes his debut in the welterweight division against former top contender Jake Shields. To be honest, I don’t see things going well for Akiyama during his first fight at 170. Even though he’ll have the home town support, he’ll be fighting a very hungry Jake Shields who is coming off 2 losses. His last loss coming a mere weeks after the sudden passing of his best friend, manager, mentor and father. Look for Shields to take the fight to ground and submitt a gassed out Akiyama late in the fight.
Prediction: Shields via 3rd round submission

Tim Boetsch (14-4) vs. Yushin Okami (26-6)

Analysis: Boetsch looked incredible in his first fight at 185, and then looked “okay” in his last fight against Nick Ring. “Okay” just isn’t going to cut it against Yushin Okami in his home country. Okami should come in motivated and in better overall shape not having to adjust to any time difference.
Prediction: Okami via decision

Hatsu Hioki (25-4-2) vs. Bart Palaszewski (36-14)

Analysis: In many pundits eyes Hioki is the top contender to Jose Aldo’s featherweight strap. Although he didn’t look overly dominant in his octagon debut against George Roop, he is 13-1-1 in his last 15 fights. He also holds 2 victories over former title challenger Mark “The Machine” Hominick. Palaszewki looked very impressive against Tyson Griffin and holds a split decision victory over former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. This one is a coin flip in my eyes but I’m going to go with home country advantage.
Prediction: Hioki via decision

Joe Lauzon (21-6) vs. Anthony Pettis (14-2)

Analysis: Joe Lauzon silenced all doubters with his quick work of Melvin Guillard in Houston. However I would still consider him the heavy underdog in this fight. Over the last 4 years Lauzon has lost to Kenny Florian, Sam Stout and George Sotiropoulos. I like Anthony Pettis as the hypothetical winner against any one of those guys. Barring another quick knockdown and submission, I think Pettis should have this one.
Prediction: Anthony Pettis via 2nd Round TKO

After moving from Kentucky and working hard to get back into fighting shape under the instruction of  John Hahn and Dennis Davis at Xtreme Couture, Williams says, “I’ve been gettin it in at Xtreme.”  As a fighter, Williams says he’s really making progress on becoming a much more well rounded MMA fighter, improving his wrestling and jiu jitsu in training.

Combat is nothing new to the amateur fighter who was with the Alpha Company, making him one of the first US troops to go to Iraq in March 2003 along with the 101st Airborne. Williams took time to recollect an interesting moment in his service involving television journalist, Geraldo Rivera, who was one of the first to cover their division in the news and almost gave away their entire plan of attack. “It was kind of an interesting day ’cause that was first time my mom got to know I was ok from when we crossed over to Iraq…But Geraldo was actually giving our plan, writing it out in the sand on live TV…It didn’t sit too well with the guys.”

Williams credited his military background for giving him the motivation needed to be successful in his training. Since going to John Hahn’s boot camp to get himself ready, he said, “I come from the military, so it got me back in the mode of getting up.”  We’ll see if that same spirit drives him in the cage to beat Carlton Little.

Jones explained how he had to adapt to early after taking punches in the first round.  He explained how he took control of the fight after a rocky first round, “Honestly, I was a little disappointed.  Just because no one likes losing a round.”  Even if his corner thought he won, Jimmy still wasn’t satisfied with his performance, “Anyone who’s seen me fight before could tell that I wasn’t myself in the first round.  I really didn’t have any footage to go off of, so I really didn’t know what to expect going in there. So, I think I kind of I underestimated him a bit as far as his power.”  Going into second round, changes were made to the gameplan to get the fight to the ground.  Jimmy was able to go for the submission and won the fight in the third.

The fight that took place this past Saturday at The Orleans in Las Vegas, put Jimmy in the spotlight as he had the opportunity to put his skills on display in front of Dana White, Frank Mir, Anderson Silva and more.  Though he knows he was fighting in front of a star-studded audience, he said there was no added pressure fighting in front of some of the biggest names in MMA.  ”I don’t really get nervous in front of celebrities perse. ..I’ve already fought in front of Dana White, so I’m always excited to fight in front of him.”

For the time being, Jones is enjoying the win and not quite returning to train just yet.  In fact, he’ll be working Ryan Couture’s corner for his upcoming Strikeforce fight against Conor Heun on March 3rd.  With no plans to jump into another fight too quickly, Jones is looking to get back in the cage in May with Superior Cage Combat.

Recorded LIVE February 21, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM Las Vegas at Hard Rock Hotel

Guests: Jimmy Jones, Anthony Castrejon and Prentice Williams

MMAFightCorner.com

Jackson last fought in the Land of the Rising Sun in February 2006, defeating elite judo competitor Yoon Dong-Sik at the PRIDE® 31 event. Since then, Jackson has predominantly fought in Las Vegas, where the Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization is headquartered; and he is reveling in finally getting another chance to return to the scene of some of his career-defining victories.

“I had a lot of success here, but the real reason I was so anxious to be on this UFC 144 card is that have a special bond with the Japanese fans,” Jackson said from his hotel room in Tokyo. “I’ve really missed fighting here, just the whole energy of the place and how they go crazy but they are also so respectful at the same time. I was so determined to make sure I was on this card. I must have asked Dana (White, UFC President) about it a thousand times. I guess he got tired of me asking and put me as the co-main event with Ryan Bader. Honestly, I’d have been cool as a prelim guy for this fight, just put me on the card!

“I’m so happy, so excited to be here. I’ve seen some old friends, fans of mine who became friends, who are coming to the fight and I can’t wait for UFC 144 this weekend.

“I’m going to go on the Rampage in Japan. I’m going to go back to my old style that and just whup his ass. He’s a good fighter, he can punch and wrestle like me, but I want to fight like I did in Japan, just fight and give the fans a fight they will remember for years like they do my PRIDE days. That’s all I care about. I’m looking to do some slams, my powerbomb and knocking Ryan Bader out!”

To commemorate Rampage’s return to Japan, the UFC presents a limited edition UFC 144 poster in the style of Japanese ‘Manga’ movies. A strictly limited number will be printed, but five of them are up for grabs at the UFC.com’s official Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/UFC.

To view the digital version of the UFC 144 Program, click here: http://www.ufc.com/program

UFC® 144: EDGAR vs. HENDERSON will air live on Pay-Per-View in North America on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. In the night’s main event, reigning UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar defends his crown against former WEC® champion Benson Henderson.

While Frankie Edgar is known for his plodding style and careful strategy (8 out of his 14 wins have been by decision), Benson Henderson made his way to the top by submitting increasingly tougher opponents (10 of his first 12 fights were won by submission); Some of those submissions included top contenders like Donald Cerrone, Shane Roller, and Anthony Njokuani. It wasn’t until losing his WEC title to Anthony Pettis (also on the card vs. Joe Lauzon) and subsequently joining the UFC, that his submission streak came to an end. Meanwhile, Edgar just finished his long-time nemesis, Gray Maynard with a 4th round KO — the first fight he didn’t leave in the judges hands since UFC 73 in 2007.

According to MMAJunkie, Henderson’s only concern about fighting Edgar is, “maybe losing each round by a hair.” Studying his form and style, Henderson remarked, “Frankie does a great job… of doing just enough, or not just enough,” he continued, “He wins one round and does just enough the next time to win that round… so by the end of the fight… you’re not really too beat up or too damaged, but you lost.”

Frankie Edgar has made a career out of outsmarting his opponents like that. Whether it’s his back to back decisions over B.J. Penn, or his improving record against Gray Maynard (loss, draw, win respectively), it’s obvious that Edgar studies his opponents just enough to get the job done. While many see him as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, some see him as just another stepping stone to greatness; Henderson is one of them, saying, “It’s going to be an honor taking the belt from such an amazing fighter and established champion.”

Henderson compares himself to Anderson Silva when looking at the prospect of earning the belt… and keeping it. He says that the Middleweight Champion’s string of a dozen title defenses makes him the best pound for pound fighter of all time, and hopes to better that record. “I… have long-term goals,” Henderson said on a media conference call today, “… to be the best fighter on the planet.” On Saturday night, we’ll all find out if he’s on the road to greatness, or just another notch in Edgar’s belt. My prediction will follow later this week after further consideration.

Bellator Season 6 will be underway March 9th this year and will have The Ultimate Fighter’s season 2 alumni, Seth Petruzelli (14-6 MMA), fighting in Spring of 2012.  Since signing a multi-fight deal with Bellator, Petruzelli has found working with the organization to be an awseome experience.  Petruzelli said he has two fights left on the contract and expects his next fight to be in late April, or early May.

Though Petruzelli has set up his own training camp in Florida, Jungle MMA Fitness in Orlando, he admitted its been hard for him to train lately since there’s no one in his weight class to compete against.  He’s actually ventured south to Boca Raton and trained with Blackzilians for his last two fights.

While he may be most remembered by fans for his KO of Kimbo Slice, Petruzelli said fighting MMA legend Dan Severn is the win that’s resonated with him most.  ”That was a huge, huge deal to me to me because that was the first time I ever fought anyone with such huge name recognition like that. And beating him was just a huge, huge point, a high point in my life.  So that to me was a huge, memorable moment.”  I’m a mental midget when it comes to preparing mentally.  I was super nervous and I just though to myself, if I win this, this is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. And when I finally accomplished that, it was just a huge, huge feeling for me.”

As for knocking a street-fighter type like Kimbo Slice, it didn’t mean that he prepared any less strategically to find the right way to catch Kimbo, “Its proper placement and proper timing and the speed and the power behind that punch. You have to throw a perfect punch to get that KO.”

With MMA evolving at a rapid pace and really truly encompassing every facet of every discipline, Petruzelli explained, “There’s that careful balance of being super exciting and actually getting the W.”  Tom Lawlor, a man synonymous with the word excitement and flashy entrances to the cage said, “Or you can bypass all that by just being really, really good.”

Lawlor who’s an alumni of the Ultimate Fighter season 8,  is slated to fight Jason MacDonald on May 15th (also Lawlor’s birthday), in Fairfax,Virgnia for the UFC on FX 3.  While his cohort Petruzelli admitted he gets nervouse before fights, Lawlor said, “I’m not nervous at all because I know for the most part it’ll be over in the first round whether I win or lose.”  Petruzelli summed up the way that Lawlor thinks of every fight, is as though you prepping for a street fight, and that anything can happen in the time frame of a few minutes. Lawlor confirmed that by adding, “The fact that I fight for the UFC is a by-product of me training for street fighting.”

With “The Ultimate Fighter Live” debuting March 9th, Petruzelli said the first two seasons fighters had it a lot rougher than Lawlor’s or any recent TUF competition has had it. “We didn’t have this pansy two round stuff.  They worked us so damn hard on that show. They changed it because they were pushing too hard in the first 2 seasons.  There were so many injuries. There were so many fights that weren’t up to Dana’s expectations because we were so worn down from the training. It was ridiculous.”  Pertruzelli added that he’s remained close with several of the Heavyweights he worked with on the show.  While he’s obviously training with Rashad at Imperial Athletics, he’s kept in touch with Brad “the Hillbilly Hearthrob” Imes & Keith Jardine as well.  As for the experience he simply said, “Going through the whole thing was amazing.”

Lawlor best remembers an indicent with a very drunk David Kaplan who kept daring Lawlor to knock him out.  Kaplan went down cold from one swing of Lawlor’s right fist.  Lawlor recalls, “He was probably knocked out for 20 seconds.”  With the Ultimate Fighter never falling short of entertainment value, here’s looking for the upcoming season to bring us more memorable moments.

Schilling came up with the idea after Marcus did some serious trash-talkin’.  ”He did an interview with some website and said that he was going to expose me, and I was an incomplete fighter.  He said some nonsense to try to get under my skin, which is not really an intelligent thing to do.  I responded with whatever this dude sucks.  I honestly think he’s garbage.”  After he read this, he called Scott Kemp from Fight Live, who loved the idea of this being a put up or shut up contest so much that he arranged with the NSAC for it to become a reality. Now wanting to take undefeated Simon Marcus’ pride and his money away, Schilling said, “My reputation to me is worth way more than my purse.”

While Simon doesn’t love the idea of the situation, Schilling says that’s just the price Marcus has to pay for running his mouth off of about him, “If he woulda said that kind of stuff to me in the parking lot, I woulda fought him for free.  Putting up the purse doesn’t really matter to me.”

Since signing a multiple fight deal with Lion Fight Promotions in January, Schilling says he feels great, “I’ve never really seen my coach so confident.  It’s not really about my confidence so much as it is about my coach’s.  When my coach is really confident, it makes me really confident, and I”m really confident.”

Perhaps once Schilling gets past this fight, he’ll be able to put an end to being the “Interim” champ and go after the WBC’s title as official owner of the Light Heavyweight belt.   Until then, he doesn’t want any part of the title “Interim Champ”.  He said to the MMA Fight Corner,  ”I really hate that moniker. It’s not even you belt at that point.  Its somebody else’s belt and you get to wear it. My goal is to unify the titles and this guy’s is in the way. So I’m gonna take his money and move on to the next one.”

The fighters success and resulting trajectories made it appear as if they would never meet again… until now. Shinya Aoki will be making his BFC debut against Eddie Alvarez, at Bellator 66 on April 20th. The fight card and location have yet to be revealed, as contract negotiations are ongoing. After Alvarez lost the title in November, it was decided that he wouldn’t compete in Bellator’s season six lightweight tournament for the title. Instead, Bellator CEO, Bjorn Rebney, has been negotiating with Dream in order to have their Lightweight Champion, Aoki, debut in Bellator with a much anticipated Alvarez rematch. The winner of the Alvarez vs. Aoki fight will likely get a crack at a tournament for the BFC Lightweight Title within a year (season 7).

Both fighters have unique styles and are exciting to watch. Aoki submits almost everyone he faces with creative movements and strategic accuracy. Alvarez was known as a heavy-handed striker that knocked almost every opponent out… until his loss to Aoki. Since that loss, he’s submitted nearly every opponent; a sign of Aoki’s weighted influence. The matchup should make for an amazing spectacle that will likely change these warriors’ trajectories, once again. The date is set, but without a venue or fight card… the deal just needs some ink.

Miller, who has competed in Strikeforce, WEC, ICON Sports and DREAM, looks to earn his first victory in the UFC. The former MTV “Bully Beatdown” host was bullied himself against opposing coach Michael Bisping at the TUF 14 finale this past December. He also holds a loss against current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre dating back to UFC 52. Immediately following his loss to GSP, ‘Mayhem’ bounced back winning 10 of his next 12 fights. Recently however, he holds a .500 record in his last 6 contests (3-3) and is looking to get back to his winning ways.

C.B. Dollaway showed lots of promise during the TUF 7 season with many considering him to be the early favorite. That is until he lost twice via armbar to eventual winner Amir Sadollah. Dollaway himself bounced back from that loss winning 5 of his next 6 fights inside in the UFC. Enter Mark Munoz, who put an end to that streak knocking out Dollaway at 54 seconds of the very first round this past March. Dollaway followed that with another knockout loss, this time in the second round to Jared Hamman in August of 2011. UFC 146 will mark the first time Dollaway has returned to the cage in nearly 9 months.

No word yet if their fight will serve on the main card or the preliminary portion of the night. One thing is for certain though; two fighters who have garnered national reality TV fame, fight with their careers on the line Saturday May 26th live from Las Vegas, Nevada.

For someone you would think has a surmountable amount of pressure for a win going into his upcoming fight as the underdog against Japanese home favorite Fukuda, Cantwell seems nothing more than excited to immerse himself into Japanese culture and enjoy the moment. “I grew up watching PRIDE. And the whole Tokyo dome, and the silent crowd, and I’m excited.”

As for his opponent and taking him on in a foreign land, “I don’t know, I’ve never fought in front of a crowd this big before. I think all the pressure’s on Riki.”  After studying  Fukuda he’s said, “I think he’s one of those guys that tends to get nervous.”  With the simple facts that Fukuda injured his knee in a car accident last July and hasn’t been in the Octagon for nearly a year since losing to Nick Ring, Cantwell added that ring rust could have a factor in the fight and rattle Fukuda’s mindset. “I think the lay off and stuff, and fighting in front of his home crowd, is definitely gonna add to that.”

Though a win would be just what the doctor ordered for Cantwell, he said his mental game going into the Octagon isn’t any different this time than it ever is. “Every fight’s important. You know people keep asking me that. ‘How important? How important is this fight?’ Every fight’s important. It’s like I have the mentality of life or death you know. If that referee stops it, a loss is death. I’m dead in mind, you know? So every fight is important. Not one fight is more important than the other.”

In both fighters cases, judges decisions have been the thorn in their side, holding them back from wins. Riki Fukuda’s coming off his UFC debut which resulted in a controversial unanimous decision loss to Nick Ring. Even Dana White had tweeted after the fight that he saw the win in favor of Fukuda. The UFC went so far as to pay Fukuda a Fight Bonus in order to acknowledge the unfortunate outcome of the fight.

Admitting that he was over 40 pounds heavier and did some drastic cutting before his last fight, he’s a lot closer to 185 now and feeling better than ever. The term “feeling great” is exactly what you want to hear from a fighter who had been removed from UFC 108 & UFC 116 for undisclosed medical reasons. At one point, it was even said those reasons may prevent him from ever fighting again. Though he’s still not revealing the exact reason for those withdrawls, Cantwell explained the fights were simply cancelled because of mix ups with the commission.  He explained that even when he thought he was good to go, the commission couldn’t fix their mistakes in time for him to fight, though he wanted to.

Seems whatever roadblocks Cantwell may have had in the past, he’s putting those behind him.  While Cantwell admitted that he may have been overwhelmed by the big stage of his first UFC fight and possibly portrayed himself differently than he’d like, this time he’s going to prove who he really is. With the ever growing depth of talented fighters being added to all of the UFC’s weight classes, Cantwell knows he’s fortunate to have the opportunity to fight on the main stage.  Finally feeling like youth and good health are on his side, he says, “I’m blessed to have a fourth shot back in the UFC after four losses, and I’m gonna take it like that. I’m not gonna take it for granted. I worked extremely hard this camp. It’s a blessing. I’m not gonna let anything pass me by.”

Recorded LIVE February 18, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM Las Vegas at Hard Rock Hotel

Guests: WBC Champ Joe Schlling, Steve Cantwell, Tom Lawlor and Seth Petruzelli

MMAFightCorner.com

Recorded LIVE February 15, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM Las Vegas at Hard Rock Hotel

Guests: Guest Host Sean Spangler, Mark Beecher, and Alistair Overeem

MMAFightCorner.com

Round One: Ellenberger  comes out throwing a combo. Sanchez with a low leg kick.  Diego gets a body shot in with the left, Ellenberger coutners with a body kick.  Diego comes in with a left right punch combo.  Ellenberger throws a right hook. Sanchez attacks witha left, right combo, Ellenberger counters with a left hook. Diego maintaining cage control.  Ellenberger withan uppercut, Diego blocks. Sanchez works a left, to the body, follows right.  Sanchez gets caught by a knne from Ellenberger. Sanchez swings with a wild right that misses, Ellenbeger lands two knees.  Ellenberger hits Diego with a right leg kick. Ellenberger low leg kick Ellenberger goes for a takedown, misses, Diego gets him in the clinch they exchange punches.  Sanchez backs up and finds a leg kick.  Sanchez comes in with a straight left, Ellenberger counters Sanchez with a big right that knocks down Sanchez. Sanchez with a left leg kick to Ellenberger’s head.  they clinch and exchange blows.  Ellenberger knocks Diego with a right. Sanchez goes in for a leg kick to end round one and got caught with a knee.  Sanchez’s nose appears cut and possibly broke.  Round One: Ellenberger 10-9

Round Two: Ellenberger tries for a right leg kick, Sanchez backs up. Ellenberger high left leg kick blocked by Sanchez.  Sanchez works a low leg kick, Ellenberger counters with a right punch. Diego back spin kick misses. Ellenberger lands a left hook, and another left hook. Sanchez comes in, Ellenberger finds a two punch combo and lands a straight left.  Sanchez goes for an uppercut that misses.  Ellenberger low left leg kick, Sanchez clips Ellenberger with a right hook. Sanchez comes in with a heavy right, Ellenberger’s counter kick misses. Ellenberger gets a double leg takedown. Sanchez has him in his guard, looking to grab wrist control and an arm bar.  Ellenberger gets lefts in while Sanchez tries to work out of the mount.  Ellenberger works the ground and pound and comes in with elbows that land.  Sanchez appears saved by the bell. Fang’s Score Round Two: Ellenberger 10-8

Round Three: Ellenberger comes in with a straight right. Ellenberger kicks Sanchez, Sanchez backs up.  Ellenberger comes in with another kick Diego lands a right, follows with another right.  Ellenberger kicks Sanchez and catches him with a left. Ellenberger dodges a combo from Sanchez, Ellenberger counters aSanchez comes in with a jab, Ellenberger straight right.  Diego misses with an uppercut Ellenberger grabs a single leg, Sanchez defends the takedown. Sanchez gets aleft leg kick in Ellenberger knees the body  Ellenberger witha single leg takedown attempt, Sanchez comes up and throws a left hook that lands.  Sanchez with a straight left. Sanchez with a right to the body, Ellenberger gets another takedown. Sanchez workd to gets up and Ellenberger looses position and slips. Sanchez gets his back and starts working his ground and pound Sanchez posters up working the left to Ellenberger’s hand. Ellenberger gets out and throws a knee and a two punch combo to end the round. Fang’s score Round Three: Sanchez 10-9

Official decision: Ellenberger wins via unanimous decision (Scored 29-28 by all three judges)

Round One: Herman kicks Struve’s inside lead leg, Herman lands a short right hand.  Struve lands a right leg kick. Herman comes in with a jab, cross and a knee. Herman slams another leg kick to Struve’s lead leg, Herman follows with a right.  Struve lands an overhand right.  Herman gets a couple jabs in and lands an overhand right.  Herman with a leg kick to Struve’s body. Herman with another combo Struve and works a couple low kicks to Herman’s lead.  Struve comes in with a right.  Herman catches Struve with a pop up front kick. Hermantries an uppercut that misses, follows with a left. Struve comes in witha small jab.  Herman with a back round house kick.  They exchange kicks. Herman takes a jab, works a leg kick and attacks the body.  Herman with another leg kick and Struve counters back with a leg kick.  Struve comes in with a jab.  Herman counters Struve’s leg kick.  Round ends with a low kick to Struve’s lead leg.   Fang’s score: 10-9, Herman

Round Two: Struve looks to land jabs, Herman combos with a left and a leg kick.  Struve lands a takedown, has a full mount on Herman. Struve takes Herman’s back, Herman escapes. Struve kicks Herman’s lead leg.  Struve jabs left, Herman with a right hand counter punch. Struve works the jab and lands inside leg kicks to Herman.  Struve lands a body kick to Herman’s mid section. Struve continues to jab. Herman with a jab, cross combo.  Struve finds a right hook and lands a leg kick to Herman’s lead leg.  Struve brings a right hand, Herman circles away from the attack.  Herman cut from the right hand under his left eye.  Struve lands a leg kick and a big right uppercut to Herman and follows him to the ground.  Struve brings the ground and pound from full mount.  Struve TKO’s Herman with under a minute remaining in the 2nd.

Official Decision: Stefan Struve wins via TKO at 3:52 into Round 2

Round One: Simpson comes in with a quick combo. Markes lands a two punch combo.  Simpson lands a knee.  Markes works the clinch on Simpson.  Ref has them break.  Simpson circles Markes looking to land jabs.  Markes works the inside lead leg of Simpson. Markes jabs with the left, lands a power right on Simpson.  Simpson circles back around hits Markes with a big right uppercut, Markes hits the ground.  Simpson gets top control and pounds Markes.  Markes goes for an arm bar and can’t hold on.  Markes stays on the mat, Simpson won’t go the ground, they’re stood up.  Markes tries to land an overhand right, misses, Simpson gets him in the clinch.  lands a couple lefts.  End round One:  Fang’s score 10-9, Simpson

Round Two: Markes leg kicks Simpson.  Markes lands an overhand right, gets Simpson in the clinch. Simpson gets an underhook in on Markes.  Markes gets out of the clinch.  Markes lands an outside leg kick.  Markes swings a big left and misses. Simpson goes for a single leg, can’t get Markes down.  They back up to the clinch. Simpson gets a left leg kick that doesn’t and flush. Markes gets a takedown, falls into half guard. Markes working elbows, Simpson tries to sweep the half guard.  Stands back up.  Markes secures underhooks on Simpson pressed against the cage. Markes works knees in the clinch. End round two:  Fang’s score 10-9, Markes

Round Three: Simpson starts with a big right, the two get into a clinch.  Markes lands a leg kick.  They exchange punches.  Markes comes in with a right that doesn’t land.  Simpson gets an overhand right that skims Markes face, Markes pushes Simpson up against the cage. Simpson tries to reverse position – they separate.  Simpson works a body punch combo, Markes lands another leg kick to Simpson’s lead leg.  Markes lands a right, Simpson tries a push kick.  Simpson gets pushed up against the cage again by Markes.  Ref calls for action.  Markes lands multiple foot stomps.  Simpson takes knees to the inside left leg.  Ref separates them.  Simpson lands a punch, Markes lands a knee in the counter, Simpson goes for a double leg takedown, doesn’t get Markes down.  Simpson connects a right hook to Markes, slips and catches a knee from Markes on the way down.  Simpson tries to stay up, Markes lands a double leg takedown.  Simpson pressed against the cage taking knees and foot stomps.  End round three:  Extremely close looks like Markes can edge this out by a takedown – Fang’s score: 10-9, Markes

Official Decision: Markes wins via split decision (29-28 Markes)(29-28 Simpson) (29-28 Markes)

Round One: De Fries lands an overhand right on Miocic, a second right lands on Miocic.  Miocic tries to counter, Miocic lands a heavy right on De Fries’ button, then lands a few more heavy rights.  De Fries hits the mat cold.

Official decision: Stipe Miocic wins via KO at :43 seconds in Round One

Round One: Superman punch by Dillashaw to start the fight!  Dillashaw looks for single leg takedown on Watson. Dillashaw gets two takedowns in a row, gets  into Watson’s half guard. Right elbow lands by Dillashaw. Dillashaw mounts Watson’s back, secures hooks, looks for a rear naked choke on Watson. Watson defending by grabbing Dillashaw’s wrist.  Dillashaw lands elbows, gets Watson in half guard, gets Watson’s back again.  Watson falls back into Dillashaw’s rear naked choke.  Watson gets out, Dillashaw remains mounted on Watson. Dillashaw lands an inadvertent shot to the back of Watson’s head. Dillashaw working a rear naked choke again. Dillashaw ground and pounding Watson in the last minute of round one. Watson keeps moving, trying to defend.  Fang’s score round one: 10-9 Dillashaw.

Round Two: Dillashaw opens with a big right.  Watson lands a left.  Watson falls to the ground.  Dillashaw passes Watson’s guard, gets the side mount on Watson. Dillashaw lands short elbows to Watson’s head.  Dillashaw still in top position, landing shots, takes Watson’s back again.  Dillashaw starts the ground and pound, Watson turtles up. Dillashaw continues to punish Watson with punches landing, finally gets Watson into a rear naked choke attempt.  Watson gets out of the choke.  Dillashaw regains top position and ground and pounds Watson again.  Watson gives up his back, Dillashaw gets into another Rear Naked Choke attempt. Dillashaw gets top control and lands repeated punches to Watson. Finishes the round with a right knee to Watson’s body.  Fang’s score round two: Dillashaw 10-8.

Round Three: Watson comes out attempts a flying knee and high kick that miss, Dillashaw still looking fresh with his footwork.  Dillashaw lands a heavy right. Single leg by Wtason.  Watson attempts a guillotine on Dillashaw. Dillashaw escapes and attempts to get into side control.  They stand.  Dillashaw left leg kick to Watson, Dillashaw catches a knee from Watson.  Watson attempts a superman punch that doesn’t land. Uppercut just catches Dillashaw. Dillashaw falls to the mat. Watson gets Dillashaw into a triangle.  Watson gets Dillashaw’s arm, attempts an armbar.  Dillashaw works out of the triangle and tries a knee bar. Dillashaw escapes. Dillashaw works from Watson’s guard, Watson gives up his back, Dillashaw gets a hook in and find the rear naked choke on Watson.  Watson tries to defend, but can’t.  Fang’s score round 3: Dillashaw 10-9

Official decision: TJ Dillashaw wins by unanimous decision.  (30-25) (30-25) (30-26)

Round One: Right leg kick by Albert, Over hand right by Menjivar, kicks exchanged, switch kick by Albert, Albert lands knees in the clinch, Menjivar gets a take down, Albert attempts an omoplata, Menjivar counters, Albert switches from a traingle choke to an armbar.  Menjivar looking for a heel hook, Menjivar scrambles and gets Albert’s back.  Albert lands a high kick to the head, knees follow to the body in the clinch.  Albert pounds with the right.  Menjivar falls into Albert’s guard.  Menjivar mounts Albert’s back, secures his underhooks,, lands punches to the head, works ground and pound, gets Albert in a Rear Naked Choke.   Albert taps at 3:45  into Round One.  Menjivar wins – submission by Rear Naked Choke.

Haywire, directed by Steven Soderbergh, saw Carano work with such famous Hollywood notables as Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas and Channing Tatum. The film received positive feedback from multiple critics. Online review website “Rotten Tomatoes” reported 80% of critics gave the film a positive review (based on 152 reviews.) One of the film’s proudest accomplishments to date is opening up #2 at the UK box office.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carano is set to be the lead in a new film titled “In The Blood” directed by John Stockwell (Into the Blue, Blue Crush.) The film is set in motion when a husband and wife (Gina Carano) vacation in the Caribbean and the husband disappears. The grieving wife passionately and recklessly pursues the men whom she believes kidnapped her husband. “This role will showcase not only Gina’s fighting skills, but also her acting abilities as her character struggles to reign in her violent past,” Stockwell tells The Hollywood Reporter

Carano was last seen on the MMA stage in a title loss to current champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos on August 15th, 2009. That loss effectively ended Carano’s undefeated professional MMA record of 7 straight victories. At the time of that fight, Carano was arguably the biggest name in women’s MMA. Carano was scheduled to appear on the Strikeforce: “Overeem vs .Werdum” card this past June before pulling out of the fight for undisclosed reasons. No word yet on how this new role will affect her MMA career, however Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has said in the past “Gina has an open invitation to return to the promotion.”

by Heidi Fang – Contributor to MMA Fight Corner

Alistair Overeem told the MMA Fight Corner in an exclusive interview that he’s now signed with Authentic Sports Management after parting ways with Golden Glory prior to UFC 141.   He also informed the MMA Fight Corner that he will prepare for his second UFC fight, a shot at the heavyweight title vs Junior “Cigano” dos Santos (14-1, MMA, 8-0 UFC), with Imperial Athletics.  The team known as the “Blackzilians” includes: Rashad Evans, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, Michael Johnson, Melvin Guillard, Bigfoot Silva, Danilo Villefort, JZ Cavalcante, Miguel Torres, Matt Mitrione, Jorge Santiago and K-1 standout Tyrone Spong.  The bout between two of the world’s most dangerous strikers will take place May 26, 2012 as UFC 146’s main event at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Alistair Overeem (36-11, 1 NC) defeated Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 in Dec of 2011 and had done some of his training with Xtreme Couture leading up to that fight.

Joining the Blackzilians team to train in preparation for dos Santos means, “I’ll be improving in every facet of the game.  I mean my striking is already top notch, but I’ll be improving that as we go.” Since making the move to ASM and Imperial Athletics, the experience has been just what he needed to ground himself.  “Just recently started up the training camp, training is going well. I just made the connection to Miami, signed with Authentic Sports Management, so gonna move there soon.  Basically, making good progress, very good, very happy.” Overeem still plans to travel back and forth between the US and his native Holland and has retained his personal management team.

Relocating to America was something Overeem explained he had been planning since his UFC 141 win. “Well basically, America is the main market.  I mean MMA is booming over there.  They’re doing a great job at promoting the sport.  I mean the focus is America, so that means you gotta be there.”  He toured the states extensively before deciding where to establish a camp and because of its great weather, Alistair decided to call Florida his new home.  He has  high hopes to begin expanding his image and brand with ASM,  “Some things you do need to, I could use a little more professionalism in that field.  So, I was looking for partners who knew what they were doing; who were professional, who could help me advance my brand in the States.”  Wanting to partner with fighters he knew, like K-1 kickboxer Tyrone Spong of Holland, was also part of his decision.  Overeem said, “ASM management, they have everything I need to expand and this goes from sparring partners, trainers, training facilities, legal advice, business advice, everything you name it they got it.  I like the way they handle things, so the choice was very, very logical.”

Though Overeem joked that he’s lifestyle does force him to be a bit of a vagabond, he knows, “America is the future and I am committed to the states.  I’m guessing this will be a permanent move. I will be based out of America.”  After scouring different facilities in which to train such as Xtreme Couture, American Top Team and Reign MMA, he decided to make the move to Miami. “I’m a really a weather type. I really don’t like snow, so it’d have to be in the south end of the states and I think I have a good find in Miami.”

The parting of ways from Golden Glory can best be described as an ugly divorce.  The Reem’s former management parent company, Knockout Investments, has obtained court orders to withhold a portion of Overeem’s pay from UFC 141. The order reportedly has been served to Zuffa, LLC and claims to have the right to collect 30% of Alistair’s winnings in that fight. Alistair explained to MMA Fight Corner that “Everything is under control,” as far as his legal woes go. And he reiterated, “We’re on top of everything.”

Although Alistair remained tight lipped about his approach to fighting the current heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos, he did say, “The gameplan is ready-good to go. I already know how to beat him. It’s just a matter of training and getting my body and mind in a 100% conditioning that it needs to be in, and then it’s going to turn out perfectly, just fine.”  While he wouldn’t go on to divulge any further information, he did say, “Every fighter has holes, dos Santos has them too.”  His words made it evident that he ultimately respects the champ.  “I believe he’s a great fighter. I believe he’s got great hands, great boxing.  He’s a clever fighter. He has a great team around him.  I see the Brazilians as a gifted people, they’re very clever.  They work hard, they’re very decicated.  They’re the arch enemy of Holland, also in soccer.” JDS should be fully recovered from the surgery he had to have on his left knee’s torn meniscus within the next few weeks and should begin training shortly thereafter. While neither fighter has lost since 2007, Overeem is in no way looking past dos Santos.  He even knows,  “Don’t underestimate the Brazilians, they’re here to stay.”

MMAFightCorner.com: Joining us on the Fight Corner is number one UFC heavyweight contender, Alistair Overeem-fresh off his win with Brock Lesnar recently back in December.  There’s a fight coming up with Junior Dos Santos this May.  Allistair we want to welcome you to the show. How are you doing today?

Alistair Overeem: I’m good, just recently starting to train again and training is going well. I just made a connection to Miami to sign with Authentic Sports Management.

MMAFightCorner.com: What does Authentic Sports Management have to offer that the other agencies do not? 

Alistair Overeem: Basically, America is the main market. MMA is booming over there, UFC is doing a great job at promoting the sport.  The focus is America and you’ve got to be there, you got to be on the ground, and you’ve got to do the promotion-the PR, you’ve got to show your face.  The fights are all there and that means you’ve got to expand.  I recognized this some time ago and after the Brock fight I toured the states-LA and Vegas.  I met with a lot of people, managers, visited a lot of gyms.  I came into a long, healthy, positive discussion with Glenn Robinson of ASM Management.  They already signed a several other fighters of which I knew a couple.  Based on their references also, I had a good conversation which led to me signing with ASM Management.

MMAFightCorner.com: You’ve decided to join the Florida team known as the “Blackzillians”.  What led you to this choice and what do you think it will do for your fight game? 

Alistair Overeem: I already have a personal management team, but of course they are based in Holland and in the states.  I could use a little bit more professionalism in that field so I was looking for partners who knew what they were doing and who could help me advance my brand in the states.  ASM Management has everything I need to expand, this goes from sparring partners, trainers, training facilities, legal advice, business advice. Everything-you name it, they got.  I like the way they handle things.

MMAFightCorner.com: Is this going to be a permanent move or a temporary move? Will you be moving and living in Florida full-time? 

Alistair Overeem: I travel around a lot.  I do television appearances in Japan, I’ve got a base in Dubai.  Of course, I’m still based out of Holland, but America is the future and I’m committed to the states so I’m guessing this is going to be a permanent move-I’ll be based out of America, but I’ll still be flying around doing all the PR and travel.

MMAFightCorner.com: What camps did you visit before you made your final decision? 

Alistair Overeem: I’ve been to American Top Team-Miami, Team Takedown. I’ve been to several gyms in Vegas and all the gyms in LA.  I had a very nice connection to Reign MMA in LA.  I’ve been to San Diego.  So basically the southern parts of the states.  I don’t like snow so it had to be in the south states.   I think I got a good find in Miami.

MMAFightCorner.com: Are your legal woes affect your training or mental for world championship fight like you have coming up? 

Alistair Overeem: No, not at all.  Everything is under control, we’re on top of everything.  I get my weekly email of what’s going on and that allows me to focus on training.

MMAFightCorner.com: What’s your game plan going into the fight with Junior Dos Santos? 

Alistair Overeem: The game plan is good to go, I already know how to beat him.  It’s just a matter of training and getting my body and mind in the 100% condition that it needs to be in and it’s going to turn out perfectly-just fine.

MMAFightCorner.com: What holes in his game will you try to expose? 

Alistair Overeem: Every fight style has holes-Dos Santos has them too.  I don’t want to give away the surprise, but you’re going to see it.

MMAFightCorner.com: What part of your game are you looking to improve on the most? 

Alistair Overeem: I’ll be improving every facet of the game.  My striking is top notch, but I’ll be improving that as we go, wrestling, Brazilian jujitsu, and sparring.  I expect to be growing in every aspect of the game.

MMAFightCorner.com: What are your thoughts on Junior Dos Santos as a fighter? 

Alistair Overeem: I believe he’s a great fighter.  I believe he’s got great hands-great boxing.  He’s a clever fighter and has a great team around him.  I see the Brazilian’s as gifted, clever, dedicated, hardworking people who a lot of time come with a surprise-so don’t underestimate the Brazilian’s.

MMAFightCorner.com: In your fight with Brock, did you thin he would bring a little bit more into the fight? 

Alistair Overeem: I know the impact of my knees.  I think he took five direct impacts and then a liver kick.  I know that one accurately placed knee is a knock out so that’s a lot of good shots.  It’s so easy to say after the fight if somebody’s performance was disappointing.  I think certain fans do that, but I think fighters realize all the hard work and preparation that went into it.  I think Brock was 100%, he did cut me on the eye with a hard jab.  I think it’s a little bit short-minded to say he wasn’t there to fight.

MMAFightCorner.com: If you beat Dos Santos in May, who would your rather face Cain Velasquez or Frank Mir? 

Alistair Overeem: I don’t have a preference.  I’ll fight anybody they put in front of me.  I’m a fighter, I want to fight a lot.  That being said, I’m also ready to beat anybody.

MMAFightCorner.com: Is there anything you’d like to say to the UFC fans-here in Vegas and in the United States?

Alistair Overeem: Stay tuned, there’s more to come.  AlistairOvereem.com.  Thank you for your support.  I had a great welcome in the UFC, the fans were just great to me and I love you guys.

MMAFightCorner.com: We want to wish you all the best in your fight coming up in May against Junior Dos Santos.  

Super Fight League is the brainchild of founder, Raj Kundra, who has organized the only MMA governing body in India, the Federation of Mixed Martial Arts. “Indians anyway like action and what can be bigger than this,” said Kundra, “The idea struck me when I was in USA and got in touch with Ken Pavla, who is helping us establish the league here.”

Joining the leadership as CEO is Ken Pavla, an elite MMA agent that has represented more mma fighters than anyone else in the industry. The face of Super Fight League is Co-founder Sanjay Dutt, the most well-known action star in Bollywood history. Dutt has a long history of involvement in all kinds of fighting sports and sees a bright history for MMA in his country.  Between them, they are confident that their brand will grow with the popularity of MMA in a country with over a billion potential fans. Their debut fight with longtime international sensations Bob Sapp vs. James Thompson is sure to kickstart excitement for the sport; and the mostly Indian fight card will introduce some homegrown MMA fighters to the nation.

Super Fight League fighters will square off in the ‘O’ Zone, a round cage that is similar to the octagon. The upstart fight league has its own stable of fighters, and is looking to build on it, working to attract top fighters from around the world. Interested MMA competitors can inquire on their website. Two more fight dates are already scheduled after the Sapp vs. Thompson event; fighters have yet to be determined.

While Sapp (11-10) and Thompson (16-14, 1 NC) haven’t exactly been on winning streaks of late, both of these super heavyweight fighters consistently stir excitement among MMA fans around the world. Both fighters have faced top contenders in their careers and put on some exciting fights. It’s always an impressive spectacle to see two massive warriors go to battle. This should be an exciting fight that will ignite a whole new generation of Indian MMA fight fans.

Recorded LIVE February 13, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM Las Vegas

First Exclusive Interview with Alistair Overeem and his move to the United States

MMAFightCorner.com

MMAFightCorner.com:  Now joining us, lightweight MMA fighter, Steve Lopez.  Welcome to the show, how are you doing? 

Steve Lopez: Good.  Thanks for having me on the show.

MMAFightCorner.com:  You made a UFC debut September 19, 2009 against Jim Miller.  You sustained a bad shoulder injury in that fight.  How does that affect you in future fights? How has the recovery been since then?

Steve Lopez: What most people don’t know is that I took that fight on two week’s notice and I was sitting on the couch for the previous 13 months with the same shoulder injury.  I didn’t think I was ever going to fight again, then the UFC calls me up.  I had that injury-I went in for a try out for the Ultimate Fighter with lightweights and heavyweights and they paired me up with a 320-pounder and he ripped my shoulder out of socket.

MMAFightCorner.com:  Do you feel an injury like that inhibited the fights that you were able to take?

Steve Lopez: With the recurring injury after I fought Jim, I didn’t do any type of rehab because I never thought I’d fight again.  My orthopedic surgeon said that this was my last chance so I stayed in the sling for six months, then another six months of intense rehab.  I refined my works and rehab-everything was great and I haven’t had a problem with it since.

MMAFightCorner.com:  You’re fighting with Superior Cage Combat.  What are your plans at this point? 

Steve Lopez: I don’t have anything scheduled.  I feel like I’ve done Superior Cage Combat a couple favors-I actually took Dominique Robinson on five days notice and Justin Buchholz on thirteen days notice.  Those are two world-class opponents and you’ve kind of got to train for those guys.

MMAFightCorner.com:  You train at Xtreme Couture.  What is it like working out at that camp? 

Steve Lopez: You have to mentally prepare yourself everyday when you go in there, to be honest.  Martin Kampmann, Jay Herron, Forrest Griffin-all these guys are way bigger than me. You have to mentally prepare yourself to go to war every night.  A fight is nothing compared to practice.

MMAFightCorner.com: What are your thoughts on the Nick Diaz / Carlos Condit fight? 

Steve Lopez: If you are going to be a counter fighter, you need to land some solid shots.  I don’t feel that Carlos landed any really, really fight defining shots.  I think Diaz won 3 rounds: 1,2, and 5.

While he admits leaving Xtreme Couture to pursue his own goals was difficult, Drysdale insists there are no hard feelings. “I was doing my training there up to a while ago. I just decided to open up my own place. I just wanted to do my own thing and I just wanted to have my own personal Jiu Jitsu place, so to speak.” Of course he and Randy Couture remain friends as have many of the fighters who he’s trained from there. “Fortunately, a lot of the guys that were training with me at Xtreme Couture came over to my place and are still training with me ‘til this day.”

For a man that’s travelled all over the globe training and competing, returning to Las Vegas, Nevada took a bit of adjusting for him. He says, “Vegas is the opposite of what I’m used to in Brazil for example. In Brazil, you know, you have your camp, and for you to leave your camp and go to a different camp, it’s like a slap in the face to your coaches. They’re very strict about who you train with, it’s to the point of stupidity.”

But after the last four years of being in Vegas, he admits the respect Brazilian fighters have for their camps and inability to be disloyal by leaving them, is something that should be practiced more in the states. “I actually think the old way works better. I like the consistency of it. I like showing up to practice and knowing that those guys are going to be there for me and help me prepare for my fight. They’re just gonna be there. I like that team mentality I think to some extent that that’s missing in Vegas.”

With hopes to try to get a few more fights under his belt and break into the UFC in 2012, Drysdale explained to the MMA Fight Corner what happened when he had previously named Roger Gracie as someone he love to fight.  Apparently when the Gracie camp heard the news, they shot back at Drysdale for calling Roger out. Drysdale clarifies, “His camp kinda took it seriously…but I think it’ll be an interesting fight. He beat my butt three times in jiu jitsu. I think he’s phenomenal. I think his jiu jitsu is outstanding. [I want to fight him] Not, you know, for any other reason because I think he’s outstanding.”

With two newly signedUFC  fights including two pro veterans that Drysdale has trained, he took time to weigh in on what he thinks of the Frank Mir vs Cain Velasquez and Forrest Griffin vs Tito Ortiz matchups. From being able to work closely with Frank Mir, Drysdale explained how impressed he’s been with him.

“He’s incredibly talented. He picks it up really quick. He understands things easily. When he understands it, he can immediately apply it.” Though Robert foresees Cain giving Mir some trouble, he continued, “As far as Frank and Cain I think that could be a tough fight for Frank. It could be a one of his toughest matches. I think Cain is a better version of Brock. I still put my money on Frank as far as the hands go. I think Cain can outwrestle him. I’ve never seen him, Cain, go against a skilled grappler. I don’t know how he’d behave on top of Frank.” But from what he knows about Frank Mir he’ll be able to take the adversity and work it to his favor, especially since he doesn’t think Cain will have anyone to spar against that could really mock what Mir does best. “That’s the thing about heavyweights that are good grapplers, there aren’t too many out there…you can’t really mimic that…Of course I’ve got my money on Frank, I put him as the best heavyweight in the world.” As for Griffin vs Ortiz 3, “I see Forrest and Tito being almost like a replay of the last match-I have my money on Forrest. Of course, you know, he’s my bro.”

As someone who trains top level MMA fighters and has made a career of mastering MMA, Robert admitted that he’s never satisfied with his own skill set and is constantly striving to improve in all areas. Interesting comment to come from a man who was part of BRASA, a Jiu Jitsu competition team that was comprised of: Demian Maia, Andre Galvao, Leo Vieira, Pablo Popovich and Drysdale. Close friend Demain Maia was actually responsible for convincing Drysdale to join the team. They won seven trophies at the BJJ World Cup, and accomplished what Drysdale said “can never be accomplished again.” They were what he describes as “arguably the best Jiu Jitsu camp ever,” with this on his resume, you’d have to stop and wonder how much higher Drysdale can set the bar.

Recorded LIVE February 11, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM Las Vegas at Hard Rock Hotel

Full Show with: Robert Drysdale

MMAFightCorner.com

“In the past, the norm for a positive test for marijuana is six months,” NSAC Executive Director, Keith Kizer, told mmajunkie.com, “but we have had two repeat offenders and they both got a 12 month suspension.” The NSAC will likely follow the previous precedent. However, Kizer added, “that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what will happen here.” According to NSAC punishment guidelines, Diaz can face fines,  be  suspended, and/or have conditions on his license to fight revoked or changed. While revocation is highly unlikely, a 1 year suspension isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion.

Some may remember the 2007 Kazuhiro Nakamura decision loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 76. His suspension was only 90 days, but that was in California. The California State Athletic Commission handed down the same 90 day suspension to Diego Sanchez, after he knocked out Joe Riggs at UFC Fight Night in December, 2006. More recently, Isaac DeJesus, Tachi Palace Fights featherweight champion, was suspended for 6 months.

California and Nevada State Athletic Commissions are two different animals; both States have legalized marijuana for medical use. Diaz has a legitimate prescription to use marijuana to treat his hyperactivity disorder. Prior to his departure in 2009, California State Athletic Commission Executive Officer (Armando Garcia) agreed that Diaz would only need to be tested on the night of his bouts, because of his prescription. The current CSAC administration has since overturned Garcia’s decision.

Meanwhile, the UFC’s pursuit of Diaz-Condit II is put on hold. Condit will meet with officials today to discuss his future. Dana expressed his frustration by release this statement:  “I am beyond disappointed that he tested positive for marijuana,” he said, “It is now in the hands of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.”

“We’re still working on that, but we want to do it. I was kind of hoping to go to Hawaii again and do a B.J. (Penn) fight at the Aloha Bowl, but B.J. wants to take some time off. He’s going to relax for a while. We’re coming regardless, but that was the fight I really wanted to do there.”

MMA Weekly got the news from the Boss himself, with no official comment from BJ Penn.

Penn is one of only two fighters in UFC history to hold titles in two different weight classes. Following his decision loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 in Las Vegas, Penn announced his retirement from the sport. ”Hats off to Nick Diaz.  He’s the man.  Joe, this was probably the last time you’ll see me in here. I can’t keep performing at the top level. That’s it Joe. I got a daughter and another daughter on the way, I don’t want to go home looking like this.  I’m done.”

Shortly after the loss, Penn seemed to back off retirement talks by tweeting: ”I want to thank all the fans for their love and support. I have decided to take some time off to enjoy life, train and teach. I will keep you guys posted with what’s next.

Recorded LIVE February 04, 2012 at UFC 143

Interview with: Dana White at UFC 143

MMAFightCorner.com

Both fighters are former heavyweight champions and are looking for an opportunity to win back the gold they cherish. Mir is currently riding a 3 fight win streak with victories over Mirko Cro Cop, Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Previously undefeated Cain Velasquez looks to rebound from his first loss.  That loss came after current champ Junior Dos Santos, knocked him out in just over a minute, yanking his title away in a flash.

Velasquez is famous for his strong wrestling base and extremely improved striking game, having 9 wins overall and 8 via T(KO). Whereas Mir might have the most dangerous submission game in the history of the sport. Mir has literally broken bones in his opponents while applying his deadly submission game. Most recently, he snapped the arm of Nogueira marking the Brazilian’s first submission loss of his career.

Speaking of Nogueira, Velasquez and Mir share something in common being the only two fighters to ever finish him. (Mir has actually done so twice.)

Recorded LIVE February 08, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM Las Vegas at Hard Rock Hotel

Full Show with: Steve Lopez & Urijah Faber

MMAFightCorner.com

MMAFightCorner.com: Let’s welcome back to the show, Sean Spangler. Glad to have you back.

Sean Spangler: Thank you very much.

MMAFightCorner.com: Nick Diaz /Carlos Condit.  What are your thoughts about the fight and the controversy surrounding it? 

Sean Spangler: I watched it again tonight.  I actually thought Diaz won the fight the first night and when I watched it tonight, I actually thought he lost the fight.  The way the fight went, there was some aggressiveness.  Condit was backing up a lot, but he was still aggressive.  I think he was able to capitalize on his ability to elude Nick Diaz’s game.  Diaz’s style isn’t going to play our well against guys like Condit.  I think Condit played the perfect game plan. After watching it, it was almost a unanimous decision.  In fact, the first round might have been a draw but everything after just appeared that Condit fought a brilliant fight.

MMAFightCorner.com: Do you think there’s a difference in judges watching it in person and watching on camera? 

Sean Spangler: I think they’re going to miss a lot, which is what happened tonight when I was watching the second fight.  When you watch video, the camera cuts to different angles.  I missed punches and couldn’t tell if he was hitting or missing.  If they are going to that, they are going to have all different angles.

MMAFightCorner.com: Are you excited about the thought of a re-match or interested in another fight? 

Sean Spangler: I want to see Nick Diaz & Martin Kampmann.  The problem with Nick Diaz is his style- it’s different and he is not going to be able to beat everybody.  To be honest with you, I don’t want to see a Nick Diaz & GSP fight-it’s a boring fight.  A Diaz/ Josh Koscheck fight, a Diaz/Diego Sanchez fight-those are the types of fights where you’ll have guys coming at each other.  It’ll suit Diaz’s fans better.  Who cares about the GSP fight? He’ll still make the money fighting Sanchez.

MMAFightCorner.com: What are your thoughts on the co-main event fight Roy Nelson & Fabricio Werdum? Have you heard anything about Roy Nelson retiring?

Sean Spangler:  I trained with Roy Nelson for five years, his heart is bigger than his belly.  All I can tell you is that he isn’t going to quit.  I’d love to see him drop down to the next weight class because I think he’s a champion.  Roy Nelson will give anybody a fight.

MMAFightCorner: Joining us on the line right now is UFC Fighter Urijah Faber. How are you doing today?

 Urijah Faber:  Doing very well.

MMAFightCorner: What are your thoughts on Chad Mendes’ loss to Jose Aldo?

Urijah Faber:  I thought he was doing great up until that last second.  It was kind of like a clash of instincts.  Chad turned around, changed his elevation for a shot and Jose Aldo turned and threw a knee.  It was just bad news for Chad.  It’s unfortunate, but Jose Aldo is a great champion.

MMAFightCorner: Was starting with legs kicks then stopped throwing those a part of Chad’s plan?

Urijah Faber:  I think it was definitely part of the plan.  I think he stopped because it was only the first round.  He had to mix it up, he had some take down attempts and getting some hands in there.  You could see the red inside of Jose Aldo’s leg.  

MMAFightCorner: In the first round, Chad had a take down but Jose grabbed the fence to prevent the take down.  What are your thoughts?

Urijah Faber: We’ll never know because of the knock out, but it definitely could have changed the whole trajectory of the fight.  It was a smart foul by Jose Aldo, he really should have had a point taken away. Who knows how it would have restarted the action.  It could have changed the fight completely. He didn’t get a warning or a point, I think partially because the referee was shaken by getting booed by messing up a call earlier that night that, he was cautious.  In the locker room, one of the main things he said was if you grab the cage to avoid a takedown he would take a point, but he didn’t stick to that.

MMAFightCorner: What are your thoughts overall on inconsistent judging and refereeing?

Urijah Faber: I don’t think the refereeing is as bad as the judging.  Mazagatti is actually a pretty good ref, I like him as a referee.  I really think that it had a direct relation to the call made earlier to switch the results of a fight and had gotten some much flack for it that he was scared to blow it again basically.  The judging, on the other hand, is pretty terrible, we need to have a more definite understanding of how to win a fight because you don’t really know as a fighter.  It’s scary because the guys who are judging you haven’t accomplished much in the sport, especially in all the different areas of the sport.  Some guys know about boxing, some know abot wrestling, some know about jujitsu.  Not many in an in depth understanding of all the different disciplines.  The top fighters do so it’s hard to know who you are playing to.

MMAFightCorner: You are going to be coaching on the new season of the Ultimate Fighter, which is a little different than the normal.  What’s the difference this year besides the live fights?

Urijah Faber: The big difference is the Ultimate Fighter Live because everyone will have live fights instead of the pre-recorded six weeks, you see a two day delay on the reality part of it, and have a season that’s twice as long.  There’s no spoilers, no leaks of who’s going to win, you have to tune in and find out first hand.

MMAFightCorner: When do you start filming?

Urijah Faber: I’ll be out in Vegas starting March 1 and filming actually starts March 6.  The first episode is March 9 with the first round of fights.

MMAFightCorner: How not excited are you about having to be around Dominick Cruz for 6-8 weeks?

Urijah Faber: If I had to choose people to be around he’s definitely not at the top of the list, but I’ll just use it for motivation and to get under his skin a little bit and win in a couple different respects.  I can beat him in the coaching gig. I can beat him in a fight.  That’s going to be the reality for us, we’re going to be in each other’s face and I’ll just make the best of it.

MMAFightCorner: How did you score the Carlos Condit / Nick Diaz fight?

Urijah Faber: I know that it was a very close fight.  It was kind of like mine and Dominick’s fight.  A lot of the rounds could have gone either way.  I thought Diaz had the edge in the first three and the last two were kind of questionable, but Diaz got the take down in the fourth and a lot of time the judges give points for that.  It’s not like Condit was running, he was doing some damage as well.  Nobody got beat up in that fight so it’s hard to make a case.  In my mind I thought Diaz had won the fight.

MMAFightCorner: Do you feel that that it’s unjustified criticism or agree that Condit was running? 

Urijah Faber: I think it’s a little bit unjustified because he was doing his part to fight.  It’s not like he didn’t land some big punches and use a lot of tools.  Diaz has the ability to zap energy and it looked like he was fatiguing Condit in the second and third rounds, but Condit re-grouped and actually won the later rounds which doesn’t happen against Diaz much.

MMAFightCorner: You fought Dominick Cruz twice-you beat him once and lost to him once.  If you guys fight again and you lose, where do you go from there? 

Urijah Faber:  I don’t know, you just have to see what the circumstance is-is it controversial?  I would have no problem fighting him again if he were to lose to me.  I feel like this sport is about finding out who the best guy is, so I would keep on fighting and making sure that no one can beat me.  That’s why I keep getting these title shots. I beat top contenders and until a lot of people can beat me they’re not going to get rid of me.

MMAFightCorner: Being that the second fight was so close, going into preparation for third do you stick with your existing game plan and training camp or do you switch it up to bring different elements to this fight? 

Urijah Faber: I think you always have to change it up a little bit.  Of course, I don’t always know what the judges are looking at, but if I need to paint a better picture of winning the fight then so be it.  When you go in with a game plan and you’re able to do a lot of things you wanted to do it’s hard to know how they’re viewing it.

MMAFightCorner: At the end of last year, your sister was in car accident and you cut your hair in support. How is she doing? 

Urijah Faber: She’s doing really great.  She’s 19 years old, she’s really young which helps with her recovery process.  She’s expecting a full recovery so at this point we are happy with where things are at.  She’s 100% physically and cognitively OK.  She’s getting stronger with physical therapy and letting her hair grow back.

MMAFightCorner: Thanks for joining us.  We wish you the best of luck in the future and look forward to having you on the show again.

Aldo started working with Soares and Guimarães in 2009 around the time he won the WEC featherweight championship from then champion Mike Brown. The Soares/ Guimarães team currently manage the likes of Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Noguiera Brothers and many other top fighters.

Aldo is widely regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. He  is 3-0 since migrating over to the UFC, defending his title against Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian and most recently a viscous knockout of undefeated fighter Chad Mendes. H

When asked for an update by MMAFighting.com, Soares had this to say: “It wasn’t really much of anything, other than his coach, who used to be his manager, felt like he didn’t need our services. It pretty much was one of those things. It was really strange the way it all went down. His coach sent us an e-mail and that was it.”

Jose Aldo trains out of the Nova Uniao camp with fellow Soares/ Guimarães managed fighters Diego Nunes, Luis Ramos and Johnny Eduardo. Soares has indicated there is no bad blood with Aldo and he’ll continue to work with Diego, Luis and Johnny.

Recorded LIVE February 08, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM Las Vegas at Hard Rock Hotel

Media Interview with: Urijah Faber

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When Urijah Faber joined the MMA Fight Corner on February 8th, he revealed that he’s ready for Dominick Cruz – anytime, anywhere.  The two bantamweight fighters will coach The Ultimate Fighter’s 15th season which will debut on FX on March 9th and feature live fights with a new appropriately dubbed title: “The Ultimate Fighter: Live.” Filming will begin March 1st and is slated to last 13 weeks, putting the two rivals together for a long period of time.

Urijah explained how he’s adjusting to the idea of being around Cruz for that long,  “If I had to choose people to be around, he’s definitely not at the top of the list.  But, I’ll just use that for motivation, and do it to get under his skin a little bit and win in a couple different respects. I can beat him in a coaching gig.  I can beat him in a fight.  You know, that’s gonna be the reality portion.  We’re gonna be in each other’s face and I’ll just make the best of it.”

In 2007, Urijah Faber became the first and only man to ever defeat Cruz, submitting him in the first round via guillotine choke in WEC 26 and defending his WEC Featherweight title.  In their second fight, Cruz was the victor, avenging his defeat with a unanimous decision win, and defending his UFC Bantamweight title.  The fight following TUF Live season will be their third.  And this time, there’s no doubt Urijah will try to keep this one from ending up in the judges hands.

He explained when it comes to MMA judging, “We need to have a more definite understanding of how to win a fight.  Because you don’t really know as a fighter and its scary.  Because the guys who are judging you, a lot of times haven’t accomplished much in the sport, especially in all different areas of the sport.  Some of the guys know about boxing, some know about wrestling, some know about jiu jitsu.  Not many have a very in depth understanding of all the different disciplines, the top fighters do.  It’s hard to know who you’re playing to.”

The inconsistencies in refereeing became more apparent to Faber when Alpha Male teammate, Chad Mendes, lost to Jose Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Title. At one point in the fight, Jose Aldo grabbed the cage when Mendes went for a takedown. Faber says both fighters were warned before the fight by referee Mario Yamasaki that points would be taken away for that action. Yet no points were deducted in the fight when it happened.  Faber attritubed Yamasaki’s failure to do so to hesitation from his prior controversial call of changing Erick Silva’s TKO to a disqualification from strikes to the back of the head.

For a man that knows rematches amd controversial decisions, Urijah also chimed in on the Carlos Condit- Nick Diaz UFC 143 aftermath. “I know It was a very close fight.  It was like mine and Dominick’s fight.  I thought a couple of the rounds could have gone either way.”  As far as the outcry to see a rematch between the two he added, “It wasn’t like Condit was just running. He was actually doing some damage as well.  I mean, nobody got beat up in that fight, so its hard to make a case. But in my mind, Diaz won that fight.”

As for the much anticipated third chapter of Cruz vs Faber, Urijah answered what his future would be like if he were to lose to Cruz. “Depends how the win is.  Is it controversial again?  Like, is it a fight that needs to be decided again?  I would have no problem fighting him again if he were to lose to me. It wouldn’t bother me.  I feel like this sport is about finding out who the best guy is.  And so, I would just keep on fighting and make sure that no else can beat me, until they do. That’s how I keep getting these title shots, I beat top contenders. I mean, until a lot of people can beat me, they’re not gonna get rid of me.”

On a personal note, Urijah updated that his 19 year-old sister who was injured in a car accident on Black Friday of 2011, is expected to make a full recovery.  For Faber, 2012 is looking brighter already.

There’s GSP looking to fight Diaz, Condit hasn’t denied the prospect of a rematch, and while the UFC is working on Diaz-Condit II, Condit must carefully consider whether or not he wants to risk his guaranteed title match. Yesterday, Dana White tweeted that Carlos is up for the rematch, saying, “The rumor is true. Carlos did accept  the fight today…” No response came from Condit’s camp, but White is still skeptical of the negative response from Nick Diaz’s camp as well his claims of retirement at age 28.

Dana White wants the fight to happen and considers Diaz’s decision a knee-jerk reaction after the fight, “The kid’s made a lot of money,” White said, “If he didn’t want to do it any more, maybe he could retire. But why? He’s in his prime.” Maybe… just maybe… Diaz’s announcement is designed to siphon as much money as possible from the UFC before he truly retires. I couldn’t think of a better way to do it.

Earlier this week, MMAJunkie reported Cesar Gracie was asked about the prospects of Nick Diaz’s return after Nick’s post-fight retirement announcement on Saturday night. “I think Nick will miss fighting when he’s not doing it for long enough,” Gracie imagined, “… not now but maybe end of the year, 2013, something like that.” When asked about the possibility of a rematch with Condit as recently as yesterday, Cesar Gracie simply said “no” 

While UFC officials circle the wagons to negotiate Diaz-Condit II, one must wonder what they might have up their sleeve. I’m anxious to find out. Fans have been tweeting and blogging about it, and I, for one, would love to see it happen… how about you?

Rashad Evans formerly trained at Greg Jackson’s camp in New Mexico, until Jon Jones showed up and destroyed every fighter who stepped in front of him.  Jones then infamously stated he would fight friend and teammate Rashad Evans if asked to by Dana White.  Those words sent shockwaves throughout the MMA community and into the heart of Rashad Evans.

Just prior to his title fight against Shogun Rua, Rashad suffered an injury in training and was forced off the card. Not long after, Jon Jones dismantled Ryan Bader and was offered to be a replacement for Rashad. It has even been stated that Rashad openly lobbied for his friend and training partner to receive the shot in his absence.

In the meantime however, Jones muttered those now infamous words that he’d fight Rashad. Which left Evans feeling disrespected and confused. Tempers escalated and suddenly Rashad left his home in New Mexico to join the “Blackzillians” in Florida.

Since that moment, and his recovery from injury, Rashad has earned victories over former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, and the then undefeated prospect Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis. Jones, on the other hand, has defeated the likes of former champions Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida.

Rashad swears he’s always had Jon’s number in training. Jon swears Rashad has a suspect chin that he’ll take advantage of.

Now after months of speculation and months of buildup, we’ll finally get to see who has who’s number.

Saturday April 21st live from the Philips Arena in Atlanta Georgia it’s UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans.

Carlos Condit:
It is almost shocking to me that there is any controversy whatsoever to the result of UFC 143’s main event. Carlos landed more strikes, landed more significant strikes and executed a better overall strategy. Condit proved on this night he is not only a great striker who loves to fight. He is also a smart fighter who can stick to a game plan, even while getting taunted by his opponent. Condit has the mental and physical abilities to be an elite fighter for years to come. Next up (if he chooses to wait) is a fight for the undisputed welterweight championship against pound for pound great Georges St. Pierre.
Prediction: Carlos will chose to wait for St. Pierre and spend his next 9 months working on his takedown defense. If history shows us anything it’s that Georges likes to avoid his opponent’s strengths. Therefore Carlos will definitely benefit from some wrestling training over this next break in action.

Nick Diaz:
While Nick’s initial talk of retirement and disregard of the judge’s scorecards didn’t surprise me. His camp’s continued questioning of the result has. They say Nick has a true fighter and warrior’s mentality. Well if that’s the case, shouldn’t you accept defeat like a man? I seriously doubt Nick will stick to his original talk of retirement and instead will get back in the cage sooner rather than later. I do doubt however if Nick will ever have what it takes to be an elite athlete in the UFC’s welterweight division. We know he’s always had difficulty against great wrestlers (which is why he hardly fought any during his time in EliteXC and Strikeforce). However, a striker has now laid out the perfect game plan to beat him. Nick has a phenomenal ground game (as shown in the 5th round taking Condit’s back) and I think he’ll need to rely on that more than just his boxing if he wants to climb back up the welterweight ladder.
Prediction: Dana White mentioned in an interview with Ariel Helwani that Josh Koscheck would be a great fight for Diaz. I have to agree as that would force Diaz to use his famed BJJ and not rely solely on his hands.

Fabricio Werdum:
After seeing his last fight (if you want to call it that) against Alistair Overeem, I seriously questioned the legitimacy of Werdum’s overall game. Boy did he ever change my opinion and fast. Werdum looked like a seasoned striker out there Saturday night, not just a famed BJJ practitioner. Werdum landed everything from punches to kicks to knees on Saturday night and judging by Nelson’s face he did a very good job of it.
Prediction: Werdum next faces Frank Mir which could result in a #1 contender’s fight.

Roy “Big Country” Nelson:
Did you see the picture of his face? If not click the hyperlink above. Nelson got completely outclassed in the striking game on Saturday night and it’s tough to see where he goes from here. He is one of the toughest and most durable fighters in the history of the sport, but that can only take you so far.
Prediction: Big County takes on Gabriel Gonzaga for one last crack in the big leagues.

Josh Koscheck:
Kos looked “okay” in his last fight eeking out a close split decision victory. Afterwards Koscheck blamed a lack of motivation for his poor result against Mike Pierce. When you’re in the top 5 of your division for the major promotion of your chosen sport, shouldn’t the risk of losing it all be motivation enough?
Prediction: See above (Kos takes on Nick Diaz)

Honorable Mention:

Renan Barao:
Renan now holds an extremely impressive 28 fight unbeaten streak and is certainly knocking on the doorstep of a UFC bantamweight title shot. One more victory against a top 5 opponent and I don’t think there’s any doubt this man should be #1 contender.
Prediction: Barao fights Brian Bowles next and should he win he’ll get his title shot.

Other fighters worth noting:
This is normally where I would write a “dishonorable mention”, however UFC 143 has so many positives (with the exception of Nick’s post fight outburst) I really wanted to focus on the fighters who have great futures in the sport based on their performance. In no particular order, here’s a list of fighters to look out for after Saturday night:

Dustin Poirier:

This kid is young, extremely talented and is 4-0 in the UFC. I don’t think he has what it takes yet to defeat Jose Aldo, but at only 23 years old he has tons of time to improve his game.

Ed Herman:

Seems to have come back after his long break, refocused and better than ever. Time will only tell if he’s able to stand up to his division’s elite. However I like his chances now better than they ever were before.

Stephen Thompson:

57-0 in Kickboxing and now 6-0 in Mixed Martial Arts. This undefeated fighter showed us that a karate background in MMA can be successful even if your name isn’t Lyoto Machida. The sky truly is the limit for Thompson and I’m very excited to see what his future may bring.

Recorded LIVE February 4, 2012 Fox Sports Radio 920 AM Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel

Guests: Thurman Thomas and Frank Mir

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