Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu BJJ Internet Radio
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Helio Gracie passed away ? RIP
Helio Gracie, legendary patriarch of the Gracie family and father of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has passed away at the age of 95, according to a report by GracieMag.com.
Gracie passed in his sleep early Thursday in Itaipaiva, Rio de Janeiro, said another report on Sherdog.com, after he had been admitted to a local hospital a few days prior for stomach problems.
Gracie was recognized worldwide for his accomplishments in the sport of jiu-jitsu, as well as crossing over into other formats, while also serving as father to legends like Royce, Rickson, and Rorion Gracie, who helped found the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
A 10th degree red belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Helio was a national hero in Brazil. His family name has carried on for generations of some of the best grapplers in the entire world, with their style defining a sport.
Last October, Gracie celebrated his 95th birthday. He will be remembered throughout time as the man who helped build this generation of fighters and grapplers that compete worldwide.
Known for many matches throughout his life, Gracie took on fighters from numerous different disciplines to help promote the jiu-jitsu legacy. One fight that attracted thousands of fans and even the president of Brazil was a match pitting Helio against Japanese judoka Masahiko Kimura.
The two warriors battled it out and in the end it was Kimura who applied a shoulder and arm lock that actually broke the arm of Helio, although he refused to tap. From that point on the hold known as the “reverse ude-garami” was forever referred to as the “Kimura,” a move still used in jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts today.
In an interview with GracieMag.com, Gracie said about his death, “I’ve already told my sons that when I die I want there to be a party. No drinking, no debauchery.”
The world has one less legend today after the passing of Grandmaster Helio Gracie
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Affliction 2:Watch Fedor vs. Arlovski Knock Out Video And More !
ANAHEIM, Calif. – The legend of Fedor Emelianenko added another chapter Saturday night at the Honda Center.
And for the third time in his career, he appeared in trouble. And for the third time, just seconds later, he was the winner.
Emelianenko stopped former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in 3:14 of Round 1 to retain his World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight title in the main event of Affliction: Day of Reckoning.
Arlovski had just connected with a push kick to the chest that backed Emelianenko into the corner. Arlovski went in for one of his bread-and-butter moves, the flying knee, and while Arlovski was in mid-air, Emelianenko threw an overhand right. Arlovski went down like he was shot.
“I knew that Arlovski was prone to make a mistake and I saw the opportunity and I capitalized on it,” said Emelianenko (29-1, 1 no-contest) through an interpreter after the fight.
Arlovski’s superior boxing technique gave him a slight advantage in the three minutes of the fight, up until his mistake.
“I read what he said in a Russian newspaper about this not being a boxing match, but being an MMA match, and I guess he was right,” said Arlovski, who felt he was controlling the fight until throwing the knee.
Emelianenko downplayed Arlovski’s early advantage or that he was really hurt by the push kick that knocked him backward.
“No, not really. I didn’t get hurt at all,” he said. “Andre’s punches were mostly glancing blows. They didn’t hit me on the button and I didn’t feel them too much.”
Emelianenko had two prior fights where it appeared he was in serious trouble. One, against Kazuyuki Fujita, saw him seriously stunned by a punch, but he recovered and quickly choked Fujita out. Another, against Kevin Randleman, saw him picked up and suplexed on the back of his head, but he got right up from the fall and submitted Randleman seconds later.
But Arlovski believed Emelianenko was vulnerable.
“I let myself down and I let my trainers down,” he said. “They gave me a game plan and I don’t know why I didn’t follow the game plan and threw the flying knee.”
For the second time, Affliction Entertainment proved to be able to put on a strong live show and drew an announced crowd of 13,228, only slightly down from its packed first show in July in the same venue.
But with a huge payroll for the event, reported by MMAWeekly.com at $3.3 million, the question remains whether the company is in it for the long haul. Getting that many fans to the Honda Center was a huge success considering there were another 20,000-plus fans at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the Shane Mosley-Antonio Margarito boxing match. But success or failure depends more on pay-per-view numbers, which Affliction vice president Tom Atencio wouldn’t discuss.
The first event did about 100,000 buys, which was the best number for a non-UFC MMA event in history, but a major money loser for an event Atencio had previously said would need 250,000 buys to break even.
No date or place was announced for a third show, with Atencio only estimating in about four months and that they would have to sit down with their partners, M-1 Global, the company that represents Emelianenko, The Trump Organization and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions on Monday to start to work on it.
De La Hoya praised the show as the best MMA event he had seen and emphasized what more in the arena came away with: that Emelianenko is every bit what he’s cracked up to be with his tag as the new “baddest man on the planet.”
“This is not a short-term relationship,” he said, giving the impression he was impressed by the prospects of a new sport for his company. “This is going to be a long-term relationship.”
Atencio said he was working on Emelianenko vs. Josh Barnett for the main event on the next show. Barnett defeated Gilbert Yvel in a third-round stoppage in the show’s semifinal match.
“I always said that the Fedor-Arlovski winner would face the Barnett-Yvel winner,” said Atencio. “That’s a fight I would like to see and it’s a fight the fans, especially in Japan [where Emelianenko and Barnett have fought primarily the past several years] would like to see.”
Barnett (24-5) would be Emelianenko’s last top level non-UFC heavyweight challenge. Barnett controlled Yvel (35-13-1) on the ground for most of their fight. He damaged the left side of Yvel’s face with punches and elbows before Yvel tapped out at 3:05 of the final round.
But neither participant seemed thrilled about the prospect of the match, even though both said they were open to do it.
When asked if he wanted to fight Barnett next, Emelianenko said, “No, he’s my friend.”
“I don’t care about rankings and belts,” said Barnett. “I just want to fight and beat the hell out of my opponent or give an exciting performance.”
Barnett said he had a lot on his mind going into the fight, as his boxing coach, Oscar Muniz, was involved in a serious auto accident Friday and in intensive care. He also noted that he was good friends with Justin Levens, the fighter who is believed to have died along with his wife last month in what police termed a possible murder-suicide.
Barnett, whose face was a mass of cuts and bruises from Yvel mostly punching upward while on his back, felt disappointed with his performance.
“It was a game plan to wear him down over the fight,” he said. “But the game plan was to finish him right away. I thought they were going to stop the fight in the first. I’m not happy about my performance. I couldn’t get the submission.”
Like Mike Tyson, Fedor Emelianenko hits with fists of iron
Fedor Emelianenko attends the news conference promoting his mixed martial arts fight.
The Russian mixed martial arts star brings the same assassin's mentality to his work as Tyson in his prime.
Ghost of Mike Tyson's past, make room for Fedor.Many have said that the cold-blooded Tyson we knew in his days of real damage had nothing on today's mixed martial arts dynamo, Fedor Emelianenko. Saturday night at the Honda Center, the burly Russian with the assassin's gaze underscored this view with a coldcock right hand for the ages, a punch that knocked out Andrei Arlovski, dropping the challenger like a bag of stones tossed from a bridge.The blow came toward the end of a tense first round. For much of that round, the two men measured each other and grappled while standing on the ropes. Then, for a few moments, Arlovski pressed the action.With Emelianenko, who goes by Fedor, backed into his own corner, Arlovski went airborne with a flying kick. Seeing an opening, Fedor let loose with a right hand that caught Arlovski's bearded face flush. Knockout.From the amped crowd came a percussive roar. Meantime, with the Belorussian challenger flat on his back, Fedor was expressionless. Just as Tyson would have in the late '80s, he seemed completely unfazed as he surveyed the damage, even as he was mobbed in the ring by his supporters and a beaming Donald Trump."I knew Arlovski was prone to making mistakes," Fedor said through an interpreter, speaking in his typical simple, matter-of-fact way. Arlovski presented an opening, and "at that moment, I caught him."You really don't expect that [a knockout] is going to happen, but it did happen."For his part, Arlovski, in his thickly accented English, explained the knockout as brought on by a momentary slip. "I tried to do something flashy and I am really upset with myself. . . . I don't know why I changed my tactic and did flying knee."By winning this fight, Fedor defended his World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight title and put a chokehold on his reputation as the best, most feared man in the still-growing sport. He came to Anaheim following a thorough demolition of Tim Sylvia, one of the MMA's most dominant fighters. Arlovski was expected to provide a tough test. He had little chance."I didn't really think I was in any danger," said Fedor, who lives in Ukraine. "Now," he said, "I just want to go home."Simple, pure, foreboding.Fedor versus Arlovski was not the only fight on the card. There were 11 others, and it was like watching 11 car crashes. But through it all, the stands buzzed with more energy than you'll find in 11 1-0 Dodgers wins. This was sort of like a Lakers game, but with more anger, fewer silicon injections, an even younger vibe and far more muscled-up dudes in the stands who looked like they would drop you in a flash if you laid an eye on their girlfriend.Full disclosure: This was the first time I've watched MMA live. All night, watching blood fly, I felt accosted by two opposing sides of my psyche.There was the peaceful part of me that thinks we should not give too much glory to this kind of brutality. And there was the side that burns with anger and won't compromise and likes blood -- face it, all of us have it. Saturday night, the angry side won.All evening, a rush of adrenaline pushed through my veins. What a show. The stands rocked and heavy metal, hip-hop and flashing strobes filled the air. It was gaudy, the way all sports that are not played in country clubs are these days. But there was also a nice minimalism, too. Hardly anything in the way of equipment: no shoes, no socks, only shorts and tiny, four-ounce gloves that don't cover the fingers. And from the fighters, a mental minimalism: What is either complete "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" nuttiness or utter bravery. No in-between. No extra fluff. Nice.How do I feel about this sport now? I'm still skeptical, maybe not all the way there yet.But after watching the guts, the coldly delivered moves and barely controlled chaos, and watching a stunningly powerful fighter like Fedor -- tough and simple as Tyson as he left a post-fight news conference with a quiet, assassin's smile and a simple "I want to go home" -- you can now count me as an MMA fan.After the fight, "I really didn't think I would knock him out but it happened. You don't expect it to happen but it did... I had a feeling he was going to make a mistake and I was waiting to capitalize."Emelianenko, who improved his professional MMA record to 29-1, is expected to fight.
Watch Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski at Affliction Day of Reckoning for free here !
http://smotri.com/video/view/?id=v82802197ca
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And for the third time in his career, he appeared in trouble. And for the third time, just seconds later, he was the winner.
Emelianenko stopped former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in 3:14 of Round 1 to retain his World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight title in the main event of Affliction: Day of Reckoning.
Arlovski had just connected with a push kick to the chest that backed Emelianenko into the corner. Arlovski went in for one of his bread-and-butter moves, the flying knee, and while Arlovski was in mid-air, Emelianenko threw an overhand right. Arlovski went down like he was shot.
“I knew that Arlovski was prone to make a mistake and I saw the opportunity and I capitalized on it,” said Emelianenko (29-1, 1 no-contest) through an interpreter after the fight.
Arlovski’s superior boxing technique gave him a slight advantage in the three minutes of the fight, up until his mistake.
“I read what he said in a Russian newspaper about this not being a boxing match, but being an MMA match, and I guess he was right,” said Arlovski, who felt he was controlling the fight until throwing the knee.
Emelianenko downplayed Arlovski’s early advantage or that he was really hurt by the push kick that knocked him backward.
“No, not really. I didn’t get hurt at all,” he said. “Andre’s punches were mostly glancing blows. They didn’t hit me on the button and I didn’t feel them too much.”
Emelianenko had two prior fights where it appeared he was in serious trouble. One, against Kazuyuki Fujita, saw him seriously stunned by a punch, but he recovered and quickly choked Fujita out. Another, against Kevin Randleman, saw him picked up and suplexed on the back of his head, but he got right up from the fall and submitted Randleman seconds later.
But Arlovski believed Emelianenko was vulnerable.
“I let myself down and I let my trainers down,” he said. “They gave me a game plan and I don’t know why I didn’t follow the game plan and threw the flying knee.”
For the second time, Affliction Entertainment proved to be able to put on a strong live show and drew an announced crowd of 13,228, only slightly down from its packed first show in July in the same venue.
But with a huge payroll for the event, reported by MMAWeekly.com at $3.3 million, the question remains whether the company is in it for the long haul. Getting that many fans to the Honda Center was a huge success considering there were another 20,000-plus fans at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the Shane Mosley-Antonio Margarito boxing match. But success or failure depends more on pay-per-view numbers, which Affliction vice president Tom Atencio wouldn’t discuss.
The first event did about 100,000 buys, which was the best number for a non-UFC MMA event in history, but a major money loser for an event Atencio had previously said would need 250,000 buys to break even.
No date or place was announced for a third show, with Atencio only estimating in about four months and that they would have to sit down with their partners, M-1 Global, the company that represents Emelianenko, The Trump Organization and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions on Monday to start to work on it.
De La Hoya praised the show as the best MMA event he had seen and emphasized what more in the arena came away with: that Emelianenko is every bit what he’s cracked up to be with his tag as the new “baddest man on the planet.”
“This is not a short-term relationship,” he said, giving the impression he was impressed by the prospects of a new sport for his company. “This is going to be a long-term relationship.”
Atencio said he was working on Emelianenko vs. Josh Barnett for the main event on the next show. Barnett defeated Gilbert Yvel in a third-round stoppage in the show’s semifinal match.
“I always said that the Fedor-Arlovski winner would face the Barnett-Yvel winner,” said Atencio. “That’s a fight I would like to see and it’s a fight the fans, especially in Japan [where Emelianenko and Barnett have fought primarily the past several years] would like to see.”
Barnett (24-5) would be Emelianenko’s last top level non-UFC heavyweight challenge. Barnett controlled Yvel (35-13-1) on the ground for most of their fight. He damaged the left side of Yvel’s face with punches and elbows before Yvel tapped out at 3:05 of the final round.
But neither participant seemed thrilled about the prospect of the match, even though both said they were open to do it.
When asked if he wanted to fight Barnett next, Emelianenko said, “No, he’s my friend.”
“I don’t care about rankings and belts,” said Barnett. “I just want to fight and beat the hell out of my opponent or give an exciting performance.”
Barnett said he had a lot on his mind going into the fight, as his boxing coach, Oscar Muniz, was involved in a serious auto accident Friday and in intensive care. He also noted that he was good friends with Justin Levens, the fighter who is believed to have died along with his wife last month in what police termed a possible murder-suicide.
Barnett, whose face was a mass of cuts and bruises from Yvel mostly punching upward while on his back, felt disappointed with his performance.
“It was a game plan to wear him down over the fight,” he said. “But the game plan was to finish him right away. I thought they were going to stop the fight in the first. I’m not happy about my performance. I couldn’t get the submission.”
Like Mike Tyson, Fedor Emelianenko hits with fists of iron
Fedor Emelianenko attends the news conference promoting his mixed martial arts fight.
The Russian mixed martial arts star brings the same assassin's mentality to his work as Tyson in his prime.
Ghost of Mike Tyson's past, make room for Fedor.Many have said that the cold-blooded Tyson we knew in his days of real damage had nothing on today's mixed martial arts dynamo, Fedor Emelianenko. Saturday night at the Honda Center, the burly Russian with the assassin's gaze underscored this view with a coldcock right hand for the ages, a punch that knocked out Andrei Arlovski, dropping the challenger like a bag of stones tossed from a bridge.The blow came toward the end of a tense first round. For much of that round, the two men measured each other and grappled while standing on the ropes. Then, for a few moments, Arlovski pressed the action.With Emelianenko, who goes by Fedor, backed into his own corner, Arlovski went airborne with a flying kick. Seeing an opening, Fedor let loose with a right hand that caught Arlovski's bearded face flush. Knockout.From the amped crowd came a percussive roar. Meantime, with the Belorussian challenger flat on his back, Fedor was expressionless. Just as Tyson would have in the late '80s, he seemed completely unfazed as he surveyed the damage, even as he was mobbed in the ring by his supporters and a beaming Donald Trump."I knew Arlovski was prone to making mistakes," Fedor said through an interpreter, speaking in his typical simple, matter-of-fact way. Arlovski presented an opening, and "at that moment, I caught him."You really don't expect that [a knockout] is going to happen, but it did happen."For his part, Arlovski, in his thickly accented English, explained the knockout as brought on by a momentary slip. "I tried to do something flashy and I am really upset with myself. . . . I don't know why I changed my tactic and did flying knee."By winning this fight, Fedor defended his World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight title and put a chokehold on his reputation as the best, most feared man in the still-growing sport. He came to Anaheim following a thorough demolition of Tim Sylvia, one of the MMA's most dominant fighters. Arlovski was expected to provide a tough test. He had little chance."I didn't really think I was in any danger," said Fedor, who lives in Ukraine. "Now," he said, "I just want to go home."Simple, pure, foreboding.Fedor versus Arlovski was not the only fight on the card. There were 11 others, and it was like watching 11 car crashes. But through it all, the stands buzzed with more energy than you'll find in 11 1-0 Dodgers wins. This was sort of like a Lakers game, but with more anger, fewer silicon injections, an even younger vibe and far more muscled-up dudes in the stands who looked like they would drop you in a flash if you laid an eye on their girlfriend.Full disclosure: This was the first time I've watched MMA live. All night, watching blood fly, I felt accosted by two opposing sides of my psyche.There was the peaceful part of me that thinks we should not give too much glory to this kind of brutality. And there was the side that burns with anger and won't compromise and likes blood -- face it, all of us have it. Saturday night, the angry side won.All evening, a rush of adrenaline pushed through my veins. What a show. The stands rocked and heavy metal, hip-hop and flashing strobes filled the air. It was gaudy, the way all sports that are not played in country clubs are these days. But there was also a nice minimalism, too. Hardly anything in the way of equipment: no shoes, no socks, only shorts and tiny, four-ounce gloves that don't cover the fingers. And from the fighters, a mental minimalism: What is either complete "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" nuttiness or utter bravery. No in-between. No extra fluff. Nice.How do I feel about this sport now? I'm still skeptical, maybe not all the way there yet.But after watching the guts, the coldly delivered moves and barely controlled chaos, and watching a stunningly powerful fighter like Fedor -- tough and simple as Tyson as he left a post-fight news conference with a quiet, assassin's smile and a simple "I want to go home" -- you can now count me as an MMA fan.After the fight, "I really didn't think I would knock him out but it happened. You don't expect it to happen but it did... I had a feeling he was going to make a mistake and I was waiting to capitalize."Emelianenko, who improved his professional MMA record to 29-1, is expected to fight.
Watch Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski at Affliction Day of Reckoning for free here !
http://smotri.com/video/view/?id=v82802197ca
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Monday, January 19, 2009
UFC 93 Fight Rich Franklin Vs Dan Henderson
UFC 93 Dan Henderson vs Rich Franklin
DUBLIN, Ireland – Dan Henderson’s face reflects the carnage a 12-year career as a mixed martial artist will inflict upon a man.
His nose meanders east and west like a country road along his tattered face. He has bumps where it should be smooth and dents where there should be bumps.
Inevitably, though, Henderson has given more than he’s gotten when it comes to rearranging faces, as was the case on Saturday at a packed and roaring O2 Arena.
The 38-year-old former U.S. Olympic wrestler won a split decision over ex-UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin in the main event of UFC 93 by nearly willing his way to the victory.
Franklin may have been quicker, more athletic and might have hit harder. But Henderson again found his way to neutralize an opponent’s skills with his grit and sheer toughness. He’s the kind of guy you imagine would love to have played football in the leather helmet era or hockey goalie before masks were mandatory.
“I just love to get in there and mix it up and fight,” Henderson said about an hour after his second consecutive UFC victory, which earned him the right to serve as a coach on the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Henderson began his second stint in the UFC after a long and successful run in the PRIDE Fighting Championship. He left that organization holding both its 183- and 205-pound belts, the only fighter in major MMA history holding multiple weight-class titles.
His debut in his second UFC go-round came in a 205-pound title vs. title match with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 75 in London, which he lost by an agonizingly close decision.
In his next time out, he fought for the UFC middleweight title against pound-for-pound kingpin Anderson Silva. Henderson won the first round, becoming the first man in the UFC to take a round in a title fight from Silva, before being submitted in the second.
But Henderson defeated submission expert Rousimar Palhares the last time out and then won an eye-opening victory over Franklin. Judges Chris Lee and Tim Vannatta each scored it 29-28 for Henderson, giving him the first two rounds before awarding Franklin the last round. Inexplicably, Chris Watts gave all three rounds to Franklin.
The win certainly keeps Henderson, who weighed in at 202 pounds Friday, three below the limit (despite holding a large drink while standing on the scale), among the UFC’s elite performers.
He’ll fight Michael Bisping, who is coaching the opposite team in the upcoming season of TUF, in his next outing, which will come only a few months before his 39th birthday on Aug. 24.
Henderson, though, still doesn’t make any concessions to age.
“I feel like I’m the same Dan Henderson [despite my age],” he said. “Obviously, those first two [UFC] fights were two [scheduled] five-round fights. I think I almost prepared for those. I was real ready, conditioning-wise. For whatever reason, I got a little tired this fight in that third round.
“I don’t know if it was from getting nailed in the ribs or just getting tired. Either way, I’m the same fighter. I had a good day today.”
Henderson is a perfectionist who wasn’t ebullient despite beating one of the UFC’s top fighters. Franklin left the middleweight division while still widely regarded as the second-best fighter in the class. He also became an instant contender at 205, almost certainly the UFC’s best class.
Henderson wasn’t pleased that he tired in the third and allowed Franklin to take that round. Most 38-year-old fighters – heck, most fighters, period – would have been happy to walk away with a win over Franklin.
Henderson’s victory puts him in an elite group, joining Silva (twice) and undefeated Lyoto Machida as the only men to defeat Franklin.
“I could have done more in that third round,” Henderson said solemnly while sipping from a bottle of water. “That’s what I’m disappointed about.”
But that was all about his night that wasn’t first-rate. He kept Franklin off-balance, not allowing Franklin to connect regularly with his powerful left hand.
Franklin’s left is one of the game’s most feared weapons, but he never really landed a telling blow with it on Saturday.
Henderson kept his chin tucked low, circled frequently to his left and winged the overhand right for which he’s become famous anytime Franklin ventured into his range. The result was that while Franklin was able to land a number of good kicks, he didn’t do the damage with his hands that he does in most fights.
Henderson just ground him down, as he has so many top-shelf opponents over the years. This is a guy who probably could make 180 pounds if he was required yet has wins over stars such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on his record.
He’s proof that pluck and courage are as critical to a fighter’s success as punching power and wrestling skill.
Henderson has plenty of all of them, but he’s overloaded with the first two assets. He understands the significance of the win but was picking apart his performance afterward and finding things he wasn’t pleased with.
That’s another sign of a great fighter.
“I’m very happy that I won. Don’t get me wrong,” Henderson said. “But it would have sat a lot better with me if I had a better third round. Maybe I’m my own worst critic, but I always like to finish strong in fights and keep going. I kind of slowed down in the third round, and there’s no reason I should have.
“I always feel like I have something to prove to myself and make sure I perform to the level I’m capable of performing. That’s probably why I could be a little happier after that win. I felt I could have performed a lot better in that third round. I haven’t been concerned what the public feels and who the favorites are. Ultimately, it comes down to performing in the fight.”
And few men in the modern history of MMA have performed more gallantly, more successfully and more fearlessly than one Dan Henderson.
UFC 93 Dan henderson Rich Franklin video Decision
DUBLIN, Ireland – Dan Henderson’s face reflects the carnage a 12-year career as a mixed martial artist will inflict upon a man.
His nose meanders east and west like a country road along his tattered face. He has bumps where it should be smooth and dents where there should be bumps.
Inevitably, though, Henderson has given more than he’s gotten when it comes to rearranging faces, as was the case on Saturday at a packed and roaring O2 Arena.
The 38-year-old former U.S. Olympic wrestler won a split decision over ex-UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin in the main event of UFC 93 by nearly willing his way to the victory.
Franklin may have been quicker, more athletic and might have hit harder. But Henderson again found his way to neutralize an opponent’s skills with his grit and sheer toughness. He’s the kind of guy you imagine would love to have played football in the leather helmet era or hockey goalie before masks were mandatory.
“I just love to get in there and mix it up and fight,” Henderson said about an hour after his second consecutive UFC victory, which earned him the right to serve as a coach on the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Henderson began his second stint in the UFC after a long and successful run in the PRIDE Fighting Championship. He left that organization holding both its 183- and 205-pound belts, the only fighter in major MMA history holding multiple weight-class titles.
His debut in his second UFC go-round came in a 205-pound title vs. title match with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 75 in London, which he lost by an agonizingly close decision.
In his next time out, he fought for the UFC middleweight title against pound-for-pound kingpin Anderson Silva. Henderson won the first round, becoming the first man in the UFC to take a round in a title fight from Silva, before being submitted in the second.
But Henderson defeated submission expert Rousimar Palhares the last time out and then won an eye-opening victory over Franklin. Judges Chris Lee and Tim Vannatta each scored it 29-28 for Henderson, giving him the first two rounds before awarding Franklin the last round. Inexplicably, Chris Watts gave all three rounds to Franklin.
The win certainly keeps Henderson, who weighed in at 202 pounds Friday, three below the limit (despite holding a large drink while standing on the scale), among the UFC’s elite performers.
He’ll fight Michael Bisping, who is coaching the opposite team in the upcoming season of TUF, in his next outing, which will come only a few months before his 39th birthday on Aug. 24.
Henderson, though, still doesn’t make any concessions to age.
“I feel like I’m the same Dan Henderson [despite my age],” he said. “Obviously, those first two [UFC] fights were two [scheduled] five-round fights. I think I almost prepared for those. I was real ready, conditioning-wise. For whatever reason, I got a little tired this fight in that third round.
“I don’t know if it was from getting nailed in the ribs or just getting tired. Either way, I’m the same fighter. I had a good day today.”
Henderson is a perfectionist who wasn’t ebullient despite beating one of the UFC’s top fighters. Franklin left the middleweight division while still widely regarded as the second-best fighter in the class. He also became an instant contender at 205, almost certainly the UFC’s best class.
Henderson wasn’t pleased that he tired in the third and allowed Franklin to take that round. Most 38-year-old fighters – heck, most fighters, period – would have been happy to walk away with a win over Franklin.
Henderson’s victory puts him in an elite group, joining Silva (twice) and undefeated Lyoto Machida as the only men to defeat Franklin.
“I could have done more in that third round,” Henderson said solemnly while sipping from a bottle of water. “That’s what I’m disappointed about.”
But that was all about his night that wasn’t first-rate. He kept Franklin off-balance, not allowing Franklin to connect regularly with his powerful left hand.
Franklin’s left is one of the game’s most feared weapons, but he never really landed a telling blow with it on Saturday.
Henderson kept his chin tucked low, circled frequently to his left and winged the overhand right for which he’s become famous anytime Franklin ventured into his range. The result was that while Franklin was able to land a number of good kicks, he didn’t do the damage with his hands that he does in most fights.
Henderson just ground him down, as he has so many top-shelf opponents over the years. This is a guy who probably could make 180 pounds if he was required yet has wins over stars such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on his record.
He’s proof that pluck and courage are as critical to a fighter’s success as punching power and wrestling skill.
Henderson has plenty of all of them, but he’s overloaded with the first two assets. He understands the significance of the win but was picking apart his performance afterward and finding things he wasn’t pleased with.
That’s another sign of a great fighter.
“I’m very happy that I won. Don’t get me wrong,” Henderson said. “But it would have sat a lot better with me if I had a better third round. Maybe I’m my own worst critic, but I always like to finish strong in fights and keep going. I kind of slowed down in the third round, and there’s no reason I should have.
“I always feel like I have something to prove to myself and make sure I perform to the level I’m capable of performing. That’s probably why I could be a little happier after that win. I felt I could have performed a lot better in that third round. I haven’t been concerned what the public feels and who the favorites are. Ultimately, it comes down to performing in the fight.”
And few men in the modern history of MMA have performed more gallantly, more successfully and more fearlessly than one Dan Henderson.
UFC 93 Dan henderson Rich Franklin video Decision
Monday, January 12, 2009
Junnie Browning next fight ?
Junie Browning likely to face Cole Miller in April
Undefeated and controversial “The Ultimate Fighter 8” cast member Junie Browning (3-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) appears the likely opponent for American Top Team’s Cole Miller (14-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 18.Sources close to the bout confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) late Wednesday night that both fighters have verbally agreed to the contest. Bout agreements have not yet been signed.Though not yet officially announced by the organization, UFC Fight Night 18 is expected to take place April 1, most likely in Nashville, Tenn. MMAjunkie.com first reported the potential of Miller’s involvement in the event on Wednesday. The 24-year-old, who last fought in July 2008, will be looking for his sixth victory in his past seven bouts.Browning, the center of several controversial moments from the most recent season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will be making his second official appearance for the UFC.The 24-year-old competed in three fights on “The Ultimate Fighter.” Considered exhibition bouts by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Browning went 2-1 with wins over Jose Aguilar and Roli Delgado before falling to eventual season winner Efrain Escudero.After his well-documented, trouble-filled stint on the UFC’s Spike TV-broadcast reality series, Browning relocated to Las Vegas and began training with the famed Xtreme Couture camp. The results were impressive in the Kentucky-native’s first outing, as Browning earned a second-round submission win—and a $25,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus—over David Kaplan at the “TUF 8” finale.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Top 10 MMA Fighters ( Ranking )
By D. Doyle,
The first month of a two-month span in which most of the best fighters in the world compete is complete. They may as well have been grappling for position in the rankings, given all the comings and goings. To wit:
• Rashad Evans enters the poll at No. 6 following his impressive win over Forrest Griffin for the UFC light heavyweight title on Dec. 27. Evans never seemed to get his due on his way up, perhaps because he didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his first two marquee matches – a draw against Tito Ortiz and a split decision over Michael Bisping. Since then, though, Evans has come into his own, with a versatile approach that includes one of the most effective counter-striking games in the sport.
• From the “wow, tough crowd” file: Griffin fell out of the Top 10, finishing 11th. This is still the same guy who finished Mauricio Rua and Quinton Jackson back to back, and won the first two rounds against Evans before losing to his unbeaten foe in the third.
The first month of a two-month span in which most of the best fighters in the world compete is complete. They may as well have been grappling for position in the rankings, given all the comings and goings. To wit:
• Rashad Evans enters the poll at No. 6 following his impressive win over Forrest Griffin for the UFC light heavyweight title on Dec. 27. Evans never seemed to get his due on his way up, perhaps because he didn’t exactly set the world on fire in his first two marquee matches – a draw against Tito Ortiz and a split decision over Michael Bisping. Since then, though, Evans has come into his own, with a versatile approach that includes one of the most effective counter-striking games in the sport.
• From the “wow, tough crowd” file: Griffin fell out of the Top 10, finishing 11th. This is still the same guy who finished Mauricio Rua and Quinton Jackson back to back, and won the first two rounds against Evans before losing to his unbeaten foe in the third.
• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fell out of the Top 10 after his listless loss to Frank Mir at UFC 92. Never say never, but it looks like Big Nog’s UFC interim title reign could have been the legendary heavyweight’s swan song at the top. Mir, for his part, showed up in the “votes for others” category with five points, five behind the man he beat in February, Brock Lesnar.
• Welterweight Thiago Alves, who finished 11th last month, eased into the 10 spot without fighting.
Alves, of course, is expected to meet the winner of the Jan. 31 megafight between UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn and welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. The match between No. 4 Penn and No. 3 St. Pierre highlights a month that also includes No. 2 Fedor Emelianenko against former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski, No. 7 Lyoto Machida vs. unbeaten Thiago Silva, and No. 9 Urijah Faber against Jens Pulver.
• Welterweight Thiago Alves, who finished 11th last month, eased into the 10 spot without fighting.
Alves, of course, is expected to meet the winner of the Jan. 31 megafight between UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn and welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. The match between No. 4 Penn and No. 3 St. Pierre highlights a month that also includes No. 2 Fedor Emelianenko against former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski, No. 7 Lyoto Machida vs. unbeaten Thiago Silva, and No. 9 Urijah Faber against Jens Pulver.
Note: This month’s poll was compiled before Shinya Aoki’s win over Eddie Alvarez in Japan on Dec. 31 and thus the poll does not reflect the result.
10. Thiago Alves
Points: 19
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Welterweight
Hometown: Fortzleza, Brazil
Record: 16 (won last seven)
Last month’s ranking: unranked
Recent results: def. Josh Koscehck, unanimous decision, Oct. 25
Analysis: Seven straight victories and the most complete Muay Thai game this side of Anderson Silva makes Alves a dangerous foe for the fighter who comes out of the Georges St. Pierre-B.J. Penn match with welterweight gold.
9. Urijah Faber
Points: 24
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Featherweight
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
Record: 21-2 (lost last one)
Last month’s ranking: 8
Most recent result: lost to Mike Brown, R1 TKO, Nov. 10
Analysis: Faber faces Jens Pulver on Jan. 25 in a rematch with little upside. The former featherweight champ already handled Pulver in their June meeting. A loss or poor showing against Pulver, who has lost four of his past five matches, will only serve to drop his stock.
8. Lyoto Machida
Points: 28
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Hometown: Belem, Brazil
Record: 13-0
Last month’s ranking: 10
Most recent results: def. Tito Ortiz, unanimous decision, May 24
Analysis: Machida might not be the biggest ticket seller, but an impressive win over fellow unbeaten Thiago Silva in January will make it very hard to deny “The Dragon” a light heavyweight title shot.
7. Quinton Jackson
Points: 47
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Record: 29-7 (won last one)
Last month’s ranking: 9
Most recent result: def. Wanderlei Silva, KO R1, Dec. 27
Analysis: Just to review, “Rampage” has won seven of his past eight fights; beaten the likes of Matt Lindland, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva; and his only loss in that span was a coin flip of a decision against Forrest Griffin. Jackson’s résumé over the past three years holds up against everyone ranked ahead of him.
6. Rashad Evans
Points:59
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight (UFC light heavyweight champion)
Hometown: Lansing, Mich.
Record: 13-0-1 (won past three)
Last month’s ranking: unranked
Most recent result: def. Forrest Griffin, R3 TKO, Dec. 27
Analysis: Evans was doubted by fans and media alike throughout his rise to the top. But the tremendous counter-striker, whose success may be the biggest testament to Greg Jackson’s training style, has both the gold and the last laugh.
5. Miguel Angel Torres
Points:98
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Bantamweight (WEC bantamweight champion)
Hometown: East Chicago, Ind.
Record: 35-1 (won past 16)
Last month’s ranking: 6
Most recent result: def. Manny Tapia, TKO R2, Dec. 3
Analysis: How good is Torres? He beat Tapia using just his standup – Tapia’s strength – simply to prove he could. Word on the street has Torres’ next title defense, against Brian Bowles, taking place in Chicago in the spring.
4. B.J. Penn
Points: 128 (one first-place vote)
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Lightweight (UFC lightweight champion)
Hometown: Hilo, Hawaii
Record: 13-4-1 (won past three)
Last month’s ranking: 4
Most recent result: def. Sean Sherk, R3 TKO, May 24
Analysis: The Jan. 31 megafight between Penn and St. Pierre marks just the second time two top-five fighters have met since the Y! poll began. The first was in September 2007, when then-No. 4 Jackson defeated then-No. 3 Dan Henderson.
3. Georges St. Pierre
Points: 133
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Welterweight (UFC welterweight champion)
Hometown: Saint-Isidore, Quebec
Record: 17-2 (won past four)
Last month’s ranking: 3
Most recent result: def. Jon Fitch, unanimous decision, Aug. 9
Analysis: When St. Pierre and Penn met last at UFC 59, Penn tagged GSP early and won the first round, forcing St. Pierre to rally. The welterweight champ has rarely allowed himself to be put in such a position since.
2. Fedor Emelianenko
Points: 135 (4 first-place votes)
Affiliation: Affliction/M-1 (WAMMA heavyweight champion)
Weight class: Heavyweight
Hometown: Stary Oskol, Russia
Record: 28-1, one no-contest (won past nine)
Last month’s ranking: 2
Most recent result: def. Tim Sylvia, R1 submission, July 19
Analysis: After losing in the world sambo championships a couple months back, Emelianenko decided to skip the media hype for his upcoming match so he could regain his focus. That could be very bad news for Andrei Arlovski come Jan. 24.
1. Anderson Silva
Points: 154 (11 first-place votes)
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Middleweight (UFC middleweight champion)
Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil
Record: 23-4 (won past nine)
Last month’s ranking: 1
Most recent result: def. Patrick Cote, R3 TKO, Oct. 25
Analysis: Silva is at his motivated best when he’s challenged by elite competition. Thales Leites, his rumored next foe, doesn’t quite fit the bill.
More
• Votes for others: Forrest Griffin 15; Brock Lesnar 10; Eddie Alvarez 6; Frank Mir, Dan Henderson 5; Shinya Aoki 4; Mike Brown, Carlos Condit 3; Jon Fitch, Andrei Arlovski 2; Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 1
• Upcoming matches for ranked fighters: No. 2 Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski, Jan. 24, Anaheim; No. 3 Georges St. Pierre vs. No. 4 B.J. Penn, Jan. 31, Las Vegas; No. 7 Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva, Jan. 31, Las Vegas; No. 9 Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver, Jan. 25, San Diego.
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