You know you're good when you question a seven second knockout. Todd Duffee walked across the Octagon and floored Tim Hague with a jab. Down went the big Canadian where he was greeted with eight more shots in five seconds. A left on the ground made Hague go limp, that's when referee Mario Yamasaki jumped in to give Duffee the knockout victory in UFC debut at 4:53 of the first round in the third fight of the night at UFC 102 in Portland. When asked about the seven second win, Duffee said, "I think it was six seconds." The knockout was a UFC record surpassing the previous mark of eight seconds set by James Irvin over Houston Alexander at Ultimate Fight Night 13 and Don Fyre over Thomas Ramirez at UFC 8. Duffee (6-0, 1-0 UFC), who looks like Brock Lesnar Jr., at a muscular 6-foot-4, 251 pounds obviously possesses massive power. The 23-year-old fights out of American Top Team in South Florida and now has six victories all by knockout. CHICAGO COP RUSSOW PUT THE SHACKLES ON MCCULLY If you can't wrestle don't step in the cage with Mike Russow. A former collegiate wrestler at Eastern Illinois, Russow took Justin McCully down at will. "The Insane One" didn't even challenge to get back to his feet. The only times McCully got up was when referee Herb Dean forced the fight back up. Russow threatened with a kimura at the end of each round but couldn't finish things. He still rolled to a unanimous decision (30-27 on all three cards) victory.
Randy Couture signed a six-fight contract extension early Saturday afternoon, so he’s clearly not going anywhere despite his 46 years and his loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the main event of UFC 102 at the Rose Garden. And Nogueira, who seemed much older than his 33 years in December when he was walloped by Frank Mir, made a statement of his own. Nogueira was a little bit better than Couture in every aspect on Saturday, pounding out a unanimous decision in a rousing battle that was chosen as the show’s Fight of the Night. It was the second consecutive loss for Couture, but his age clearly wasn’t an issue. He was beaten on this night by a guy who was highly motivated to quiet his critics. “I never worked in my life for a fight like I did for this one,” Nogueira said. “I have a lot of respect for Randy. He’s been around for 12 years and fighting everyone and that’s why I trained a lot, so I could make a good show.” More From Kevin Iole Nogueira outlasts Couture in UFC 102 thriller Aug 30, 2009 Silva draws another unorthodox foe Aug 28, 2009 ADVERTISEMENTdocument.write(''); if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object(); window.yzq_d['mIO5BESO53c-']='&U=13em5guno%2fN%3dmIO5BESO53c-%2fC%3d742269.13565264.13685894.4402949%2fD%3dSKY%2fB%3d5831489%2fV%3d1'; Nogueira looked like a beginner in his loss to Mir at UFC 92. He suffered from a staph infection and spent seven days in the hospital less than a month before the fight. On the day he got out, he tore the meniscus in his left knee. The reason Nogueira is one of the most popular fighters in the history of mixed martial arts is that he’s the type of person who said nothing to anyone about his condition and came out and slugged with Mir as long as he was able to do so. “He’s a very game, very durable guy,” Couture said of Nogueira. “He has a great jab and he followed it with some pretty good right hands. I’m not terribly surprised he fought the way he did.” Nogueira knocked Couture down about two minutes into the fight and then spent about a half-minute with a choke, trying for the submission. It was a pattern that would repeat itself throughout the fight. The former UFC and PRIDE titleholder would get Couture in a compromising position, Couture would make a heroic escape to bring the crowd to its feet and then they’d go toe-to-toe for a while before the cycle started over. Nogueira had to fight the inclination to get frustrated when nothing he was doing would result in a finish. “I’d just try something else, a different submission, something different,” Nogueira said. “I knew he was prepared to have a good fight. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to fight Randy. When I got his back, he escaped. When I got the triangle, he escaped. He threw some very tough elbows. I knew it was a tough fight and I was prepared for that.” Couture is going to have a lot of them ahead of him. UFC president Dana White pretty much gave him carte blanche to fight where he wanted – at light heavyweight or heavyweight. Couture has had three stints as heavyweight champion and two as the light heavyweight champion. Despite the defeat, he proved he can still compete at a high level at heavyweight, but he has some physical advantages at 205 pounds that might make sense for him to drop to that weight class. “He can do whatever he wants to do,” White said. Couture’s contract, which is for six fights or 28 months, will take him within six months of his 49th birthday, if he fulfills it. He may not be the fighter he was at his peak, but he’s still not far off of it. “I didn’t have any illusions I won the fight, but I knew it was a damn good fight,” Couture said. “Going out and doing what you trained to do is what it’s all about. Of course you’d like to win, but if you do what you trained to do, you can’t ask for more than that. “As far as staying at heavyweight or going to light heavyweight, I’m interested in interesting fights,” he said. “There are a lot of guys in both divisions who would be interesting fights for me. We’ll see what the Grand Poobah over here wants to do.” If White had his preference, Couture would drop to 205 pounds, where potential fights against the likes of middleweight champion Anderson Silva and light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida could be made. Nobody was ready to commit to anything just minutes after a fast-paced, back-and-forth battle. Couture’s performance on Saturday keeps another ace in White’s deck and sets the stage for a few more big fights. A fight against Silva would do big business at the box office and on pay-per-view, but White casually dropped Lesnar’s name as well. “There are a lot of logical opponents for him,” White said. “There’s a lot of young blood in our heavyweight division and there could be some fun fights for Randy there if that’s what he wants to do. The point is, he looked great. Even in losing, he looked good.” Nogueira looked great in winning and Couture look good in losing. For a promoter, it doesn’t get any better. And it doesn’t get much better for a fight fan, either. Two of the game’s greats are going to be around a while longer. There’s nothing to complain about there.
Antonio Nogueira vs. Dorian Grey: A solid Nogueira steps to the scale. He was 246 pounds for the Mir fight; 231 pounds here. Randy Couture, 220 for Brock Lesnar, is the same weight but looks better. He steps down and immediately sips the blood of a baby to replenish. 7:19 p.m. ET: Thiago Silva is 205, Keith Jardine the same. Silva puts on his sunglasses for the staredown. 7:17 p.m. ET: Demian Maia on stage: Royce Gracie 2009. 185 even. Nate Marquardt a seriously muscled 185. 7:16 p.m. ET: Krzysztof Soszynski coming in. Mr. Mxyzptlk weighs in at 205 even. Brandon Vera in the Speedos. 205. 7:14 p.m. ET: Jake Rosholt to the scale. 185 pounds. What distracting hairstyle will Chris Leben adopt tonight? Oh. He's looking normal. 185. 7:12 p.m. ET: Aaron Simpson enters. "Let's go, Herman!" someone yells. The life of a prelim fighter. 185 even. Ed Herman follows. 185.5. 7:11 p.m. ET: Anime-haired Chris Tuchscherer steps on: 258 pounds. Gabriel Gonzaga gets a good reaction. He's got his mouthpiece in. The man is ready for anything. 259 pounds. 7:08 p.m. ET:Police officer Mike Russow gets on the scale with a t-shirt on. That's always a little weird. Maybe he didn't manscape. 260 even. Justin McCully waves to a receptive (i.e. non-booing) crowd. A little imaginary lat syndrome happening. 238. 7:06 p.m. ET: Todd Duffee strolls up the stairs. Barrel-chested fellow. 251 pounds. Tim Hague: 263.5 with gum. 7:04 p.m. ET: Mark Munoz enters. The "Filipino Wrecking Machine" is sort of -- strange, no? Do we call Jardine the "Caucasian Dean of Mean"? Munoz is 185.5. Nick Catone sucking it in a little bit. 185.5. 7:02 p.m. ET: Evan Dunham doffs the shoes, socks, shirts, etc. He's 155 on the nose. Mini Clive Owen, Marcus Aurelio, approaches the stage. They're working the scale hard. 156.
UFC 106: Lesnar & Tito, Big PPV Potential August 21, 2009 Yesterday, it was leaked, and then confirmed by various sources, that Shane Carwin is indeed Brock Lesnar’s next opponent. The bout will headline UFC 106 on November 21st from Las Vegas, Nevada; the same night that Tito Ortiz is reportedly set to take on Mark Coleman. Carwin was supposed to face Cain Velasquez at UFC 104 in Los Angeles, but it appears as though the UFC is looking to avoid having either man eliminated from the heavyweight title picture. Velasquez, however, will still fight on the UFC 104 card against former IFL Heavyweight Champ Ben Rothwell. Payout Perspective: This has the potential to be a very serious PPV card. Lesnar or Ortiz headlining on their own have the potential to do huge numbers, let alone if both are on the same card. It may seem as though some are now trumpeting every UFC card to do 1 million+ buys, but here is why I think this card has a legitimate chance to actually make that mark: Brock Lesnar is the sport’s biggest draw: he’s been in a headlining position (main or co-main event) four times; none have ever done less than 600,000, and each has been successfully stronger than the last (UFC 81: 600k, UFC 87: 625k, UFC 91: 900k, UFC 100: 1700k). Heavyweight championships sell: no division in combat sports is a potent of a draw as the big men are. Lesnar’s UFC 100 Performances: he mauled Frank Mir, flipped off the fans, insulted Bud Light, and gave us a little TMI - people everywhere - hardcore, casual, curious, or otherwise - are more interested now than ever before. Ortiz is an MMA legend, one of the greatest draws of all time: he’s headlined two record breaking events on PPV and another on Spike (UFC 61: 775k, UFC 66: 1050k, Ortiz Shamrock III: HH 3.1 peaking at 4.3 ). UFC’s super-marketing machine: The UFC has a great deal of incentive to pump up the vaunted UFC hype machine for this event in order to set the tone and build momentum for a very busy year’s end (TUF 10 Finale, UFC 107: Rampage vs. Rashad, and UFC 108 which is an event that could likely feature the return of GSP on January 2nd).
We suppose, if nothing else, it'll bring some street cred to ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."UFC superstar and hall-of-famer Chuck Liddell will join 15 other celebrities on the upcoming ninth season of the reality-show competition, which pairs each celebrity with a professional dancer.Liddell, perhaps not surprisingly, is the first mixed-martial-arts fighter to appear on the highly rated dance program, which debuted in the U.S. in 2005."I want to win," the 39-year-old Liddell told UFC.com. "I don't like losing in anything, so I'll work as hard as they'll let me."Three other athletes will join Liddell this season: former NFL player Michael Irvin, Olympic gold-medalist swimmer Natalie Coughlin and professional snowboarder Louie Vito. The rest of the cast includes singer Aaron Carter, "Iron Chef America" host Mark Dacascos, politician Tom DeLay, singer Macy Gray, actor Ashley Hamilton, actress Melissa Joan Hart, model Kathy Ireland, model Joanna Krupa, actress Debi Mazar, singer Mya, reality star Kelly Osbourne and entertainer Donny Osmond. Liddell last fought in April, when he suffered a knockout loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 97 in Montreal. It was Liddell's fourth loss in five fights, and his third via knockout during that span. After the fight, UFC president Dana White said the fighter would enter retirement. But Liddell and his trainer, John Hackleman, have repeatedly stated they haven't shut the door on the fighter's career, and earlier this month at UFC 101 Q&A session with fans, White said he didn't want Liddell fighting again but that he wouldn't stop him if he wants to make a return to the octagon.Liddell, though, recently said he wouldn't return any sooner than next year, which opened the door for the "Dancing with the Stars" stint.And before the harassment begins, keep in mind that many notable athletes have appeared on the show, including NFL legends Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice; NBA Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler; Olympians Apolo Anton Ohno, Shawn Johnson, and Maurice Greene; and former boxing champions Evander Holyfield and Laila Ali.Liddell said the show producers had contacted him previously about appearing on the show."They asked a couple different times, but it would be too much time to take off from training for fights," Liddell stated. "Now I don’t have any fights coming up and I'm not training, so it's something to do."Liddell also hopes to change the public perception of MMA fighters."I'm going to go out, be myself and show what kind of people we do have in this sport," he stated. "I'm sure the reaction will be mixed (among fight fans). My friends are going to be excited, and I'll never hear the end of it because they'll make fun of me, but it should be fun and I think everyone will like it."The new season of "Dancing with the Stars" premieres Monday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
When Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos was introduced to American fans on CBS one year ago, with the idea of creating an ultimate opponent for Gina Carano, the Brazilian was given the moniker “The Baddest Woman South of the Equator.” After Santos finished Carano to become the first Strikeforce women’s lightweight champion (145 pounds) in the biggest women’s MMA fight ever in North America, her “Baddest Woman” title no longer needs any geographic boundaries. From D Meltzer In the aftermath of Santos’ first-round victory, one question asked for months seems to have been answered with an exclamation point. Strikeforce’s card at the HP Pavilion, headlined by Carano-Santos, drew 13,524 fans, one of the largest non-UFC crowds in the history of the sport. There was little doubt the crowd came to see Carano, who came across as a star at the level of a fighter like Georges St. Pierre or Chuck Liddell. The notion that people weren’t interested in seeing women fight was clearly put to rest. But the result raises another question: Where will the women’s sport wind up when its top fighter is a non-English speaking Brazilian who looks like she’s right off the pages of Flex Magazine instead of an American like Carano, who finished No. 16 in Maxim’s list of hottest women on the planet? Santos won’t be able to draw Carano’s level of attention on her own, but she has star power of her own to make another gigantic match with the right opponent. The question is, who will be that opponent? In this one, Santos’ relentless approach paid dividends. Her fast pace seemed to tire Carano, particularly as the first round passed the three-minute mark. Both women had been fighting three-minute rounds before this fight, but this one was scheduled for five rounds of five minutes. The match went back-and-forth early, with Carano even getting on top a few times and achieving mount position. At that point Carano stood up, and it looked like it may have been a tactical error because Santos had the edge in firepower when standing. Santos took over late in the round and with the clock ticking down, she was pounding on Carano. In a somewhat controversial decision, referee Josh Rosenthal stopped the match with less than a tick left in the round, and until Santos celebrated by jumping on the top of the cage, much of the crowd thought it was the end of the round as opposed to the end of the fight. The stoppage would not have been controversial if there were 20 seconds left in the fight. Clearly, a stoppage based on the pounding Carano had taken, under most circumstances, wouldn’t have even been an issue. The only issue is that there was one second left in the round, and at that point perhaps Carano should have at least been given the opportunity to use her one-minute rest period before the start of the second round. Either way, Carano’s star should not dim because of the loss. History has shown that MMA fans recognize everyone can and does lose. Every major drawing card in the sport has lost at one time or another. Still, it was an historic night for women’s MMA, with an atmosphere equivalent to the biggest men’s fights in history. Santos (8-1) was clearly the villain to the crowd in the MMA version of a Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova-type rivalry. Through an interpreter, she admitted sheltering herself in training. She didn’t feel pressure and wasn’t concerned about the hype of the match, while Carano was in the eye of the promotional hurricane as the star of the event. “I never felt I was in danger,” said Santos, particularly when Carano had her in full mount. “I took a lot of jiu-jitsu and was comfortable on the ground. I went for a heel hook and leg lock.” Carano (7-1) was unavailable for comment after the match. At times she tried to work a clinch game, similar to her trainer, Randy Couture, but she wasn’t able to make it work. “The clinch game, you can’t learn it in one or two months,” said Santos. So where does it go from here? Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker noted that his next major woman’s promotion would likely be Japanese-style tournaments, with one at 135 pounds and another at 145 pounds, perhaps as early as the end of this year. Coker spent years as the American promoter for K-1, the leading kickboxing group in Japan, which uses a tournament format for its major shows. “We’ll start with eight fighters,” said Coker. “The winners would go to a second show, where we’ll have the semifinals and finals. The winner of the tournament would become the top contender for Cyborg.” Coker, when asked if Carano would be put in such a tournament, said he’d have to discuss it with her people. The Strikeforce promoter is usually calm and cool under the worst of circumstances, and the weeks leading up to the show featured plenty of them, as several matches had to be rearranged for various reasons. But he thought he had a nightmare scenario on his hands the night before the show. At about 9:30 p.m. on Friday night, on a show where every major match but the main event fell apart, Coker got a phone call from the Santos camp. They were apologetic, saying that they had no idea beforehand, but that when the commission was testing Santos, they found out that she was pregnant and the fight was off.
There are bigger matches this year than Saturday night’s Gina Carano vs. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos bout that headlines Strikeforce’s card at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. But in some ways, none may be more important for shaping the future of the sport. As big as Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir was last month, or B.J. Penn vs. Georges St. Pierre was in January, neither were matches that were going to change the face of the sport of mixed martial arts. The sport, or at least the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand name, had already made it. This year’s megafights grew the sport, but the sport and brand would have been plenty healthy even had they never happened.
As much as the undefeated Carano downplays her role, the popularity of the women’s version of the sport was built on her back, and every big step along the way bears her footprints. In 2007, when Showtime started airing MMA, a proposed women’s match was suggested for the debut show and was not well received by the company. Gary Shaw, who promoted Elite XC at the time, pushed hard for the fight, believing that Carano had that special “it” factor that separates the people who can simply fight well, from those who people want to see fight. Showtime gave tentative approval, giving the women one chance to sink or swim. After Carano and Julie Kedzie tore down the house with an emotional performance on February 10, 2007, opposition faded. When CBS got into the game last year, Carano was the second-most heavily promoted fighter they used, behind only Kimbo Slice. Her appeal is unquestioned. In her last fight, when she defeated Kelly Kobold by decision on CBS on Oct. 4, from the start of her match until the finish, the audience grew by 1,643,000 viewers. It was the biggest audience gain for any MMA fight in the U.S. Saturday’s fight establishes a few firsts. It will be the first time a women’s match is the main event of a major televised MMA event. And they are not just main eventers, but they are carrying the show from a promotional standpoint. If the card is successful, it will be impossible to deny the headliners the credit. If the show isn’t successful, it will establish a stigma for women’s MMA. Fans will watch Carano in droves as part of the card, but if the numbers are disappointing, the stigma will be that women fighters, are not strong headliners. Thus far, signs are good. Promoter Scott Coker predicted between 10,000-12,000 fans live, which would be the company’s largest crowd on a show not headlined by Frank Shamrock. The event also creates the first women’s champion in a stable national promotion, with the creation of a 145-pound title. But the real question is whether this match represents the novelty of a pretty girl who was marketed well, or is it the foundation for women in MMA to break through in a way women in boxing, wrestling and kickboxing have never to truly able to achieve? “I don’t have to be there for the sport to be successful,” said Carano. “I’m doing the best with this opportunity to represent the sport. I’m doing everything I can do. But the sport is awesome. It’ll make it by itself. They don’t need me for it to be successful. I’m being given the chance right now for a period of time, and there’ll be another person with the chance next.” Women’s boxing seemed in a similar situation in the 90s, with Christy Martin in the Carano role. Martin got all the way to the cover of Sports Illustrated, but as Martin’s career faded, so did the popularity of women’s boxing. It still exists, as women’s MMA will a decade from now, but right now women’s boxing is not a major part of the sport, there is no superstar, nor match that could headline a major event. Whether Carano, 27, is the next Christy Martin or the female Royce Gracie as someone who builds the foundation of a lasting sport, her looks can’t carry her if she’s not a top level fighter. A win would answer any critics of her fighting ability, because Santos (7-1) is no joke. She’s a 9-to-5 favorite on the Vegas books, and has been the most impressive woman fighter on the big stage since her debut a year ago. Santos is ultra-aggressive, and has overwhelmed opponents similar to a prime Wanderlei Silva, with a relentless style. It’s a style that has allowed her to almost instantly win over audiences that had never heard of her going in. It makes for a great dynamic. Santos, 24, appears to have stepped off the pages of a women’s bodybuilding magazine. Carano could pass for a Maxim model, and in fact, just recently had a spread in that magazine. In every arena where both have appeared, there has been an obvious crowd reaction of anticipation that only the biggest fights of any era have. Both fighters have had issues making weight. In Santos’ last fight on April 11, she weighed in at 152 pounds, seven pounds over the limit. The fight before, she weighed 148, which was what the fight was contracted for. Carano has missed weight twice in her seven fights, and on two other occasions, was borderline. But her weight issues were all at 140 pounds, and she has always come in under 145. A lot of women fighters, and their camps, have been upset at both women, with the idea they aren’t respecting the sport by not making weight, and the feeling neither has been truly punished for it because of their star power. On Thursday, the California State Athletic Commission sent a memo out to all fighters, but obviously meant for Carano and Santos. They said there is only one opportunity to weigh in. No allowances will be made, so both fighters must make 145 pounds, or there will be no championship match. They will not permit cutting of weight after missing weight a first time. There is another first for both women, and that is the time limit. Both are used to fighting three rounds of three minutes. This fight is scheduled for five rounds of five minutes. That’s what makes predicting the fight more difficult. It’s the equivalent of putting two of the best 400-meter runners on the track, and then betting on who is going to win at 800 meters. “Five rounds is going to be difficult,” said Carano. “It’s 16 more minutes than I’m used to. But, I feel like it gives you a different mentality. At the beginning, I was like, `What did we ask for?’ But now, I’m happy with it and I think that (it) could help me out in the long run.” Carano has a strong Muay Thai base, and the fight looks to be someone who tries to overwhelm someone with an all-out style against someone better technically. But can Carano stand up to the ferocity, or will Santos come in with less in trying to pace herself? If Carano isn’t overwhelmed, and Santos doesn’t change her style because of the extended time, the longer match could favor Carano. In other matches of note, Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1), riding a 12-fight winning streak, arguably the most impressive non-UFC fighter of the past two years, makes his U.S. debut when he challenges Renato “Babalu” Sobral (35-8) for the Strikeforce light heavyweight title. Mousasi, born in Iran but living in Holland, figures to have a strong edge standing. Sobral is the better wrestler and needs to turn the fight into a grappling match to have his best chance. Mousasi, a major star in Japan, was the Dream middleweight champion, who vacated the title to move to light heavyweight, has never faced a wrestler of the caliber of Sobral, so this is a real test. The interim lightweight title will be at stake as Gilbert Melendez (15-2) looks for revenge against Mitsuhiro Ishida (18-5-1). Melendez was unbeaten and one of the highest ranked lightweights in the world when Ishida outwrestled him on December 31, 2007, en route to a unanimous decision. Ishida is a late replacement for lightweight champ Josh Thomson, who wasn’t cleared to fight due to his broken ankle suffered four months ago not being fully healed. Ishida’s style is based on fast-paced grappling and controlling his opponent, often winning decisions. Melendez is primarily a wrestler, known for his takedown defense and conditioning. The other televised fight is a heavyweight encounter pitting Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) against Mike Kyle (12-6-1). Werdum was scheduled to face Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, who had suffered a hand injury fighting bouncers in a bar, which got infected and hadn’t fully healed. Werdum, with a win, would be in line for a bout with either Overeem or Fedor Emelianenko.
In mixed martial arts, every second of every fight is like overtime in a hockey playoff game. Every fight can end at any moment. Miguel Torres found that out Sunday when he met Brian Bowles at the Hard Rock Hotel for the World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight championship. Torres was raining blows upon Bowles and backing his unbeaten challenger to the cage when, almost out of nowhere, Bowles let loose a right hook. In an instant, Torres was in a heap on the canvas and referee Josh Rosenthal was yanking Bowles off of him, completing the WEC’s second major upset in a year. Last year, Mike Brown accomplished a similar feat when he blew out the highly touted and heavily favored Urijah Faber in a featherweight title bout. Bowles won his belt by technical knockout at 3:57 of the first round, ending Torres’ 17-fight winning streak and definitively putting an end to any discussion that Torres should be considered the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter. “I was on top a long time and it’s hard to keep pushing,” said Torres, who fell to 36-2. Bowles, now 8-0, is a wrestler who had torn through the best the WEC had to offer but was still a considerable underdog to Torres, who entered the fight at No. 4 in the Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound rankings. From the moment the fight first became a possibility, Bowles exuded confidence. Torres had one of the most complete skill sets in MMA and his gym feats were legendary. There were reports that he was knocking down middleweights and was sparring evenly with heavyweights in his training camp, but Bowles never let it get to him. Even as he prepared to make the often long and lonely walk to the cage, Bowles was placid and confident. “I kind of confused myself back there, because even when it was time to go out to fight, I wasn’t nervous,” Bowles said. “I thought I had to psyche myself up.” But Bowles thought of elite fighters like ex-UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, who never let his emotions get to him, and he maintained his cool demeanor. It paid off big-time when he was in the middle of a firefight with Torres bearing down for the kill. Torres is, by trade, a jiu-jitsu expert, but he also has great hands with knockout power in each. He landed several flush shots to Bowles’ chin, backing the one-time police officer toward the cage. It was the kind of scene seen many times in a Torres fight, the moment before he ended the bout. But instead of crumbling, Bowles set his feet and ripped off a right hand that probably ended the fight by itself. Torres dropped instantly to the mat and the fight had turned 180 degrees. Bowles pounced and landed 10 or 11 flush shots to the head before Rosenthal halted the carnage. The turnaround was stunning in its swiftness. “This is why we fight the fights,” WEC general manager Reed Harris said. “ … The level of competition is so high that anything can happen on any show.” Torres had to carry the promotion and was a familiar presence on the interview circuit, pitching the WEC in particular and MMA in general. He’s one of the most insightful, well-spoken fighters in the game, and he is frequently sought after by the media. But Torres suggested on Sunday that the demands on his time somehow contributed to his defeat. He said life will change for Bowles now that he holds the belt. “No excuses,” Torres said. “Brian is going to be a good champion, but he’ll see that the responsibilities that go along with being the champion are not easy.” Bowles, who had an ice pack on his left hand which he believed may have been broken, is willing to find out what it’s like. He’s legendary at his gym for his work ethic and has frequently been compared to ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin for his meticulous preparation. There may be more gifted fighters, but few are going to outwork Bowles. Bowles is hardly the most charismatic champion in the world, but the power in those fists will speak volumes. “He throws a lot of heat,” Torres said in admiration. “He has a lot of power in those hands.” Bowles listened to Torres speak with a placid look on his face and his head bowed. He wasn’t flamboyant or outspoken as a challenger, and now, after the biggest win of his career, he wasn’t about to change. He was asked how he planned to celebrate, but shrugged. He was going for X-rays and then said he’d hang out with his teammates. “I’m just going to enjoy this,” Bowles said, “and then get back to work.” The WEC has yet another blue-collar, power-punching champion in its stable. This one scored a dramatic and significant win just as when it looked like he was in trouble. Harris couldn’t have been thrilled to see his top draw get knocked out in the first round, but he paid tribute to a sport in which anything is possible at any time. “Things like this happen,” Harris said of the major upset. “It’s why MMA is so exciting. It’s why people watch. Anything can happen. A guy can lose every round and pull a submission out of nowhere. This kind of thing is what makes it such an exciting sport.” please comeback to view !
Watch UFC 101 BJ Penn vs Kenny Florian Fight here! bj penn vs kenny florian, ufc 101, bj penn vs kenny florian fight video, bj penn vs kenny florian ufc 101, anderson silva vs forrest griffin !watch ufc 101 Kenny Florian vs BJ Penn lightweight fight live streaming.
I dont think there will be too much competition for silva in light heavys. Except rashad and lyoto. Rampage might give him a run as well but i expect that the great BJJ of anderson silva will be too technical for rampage ? This video features mixed martial artists, Forrest Griffin and Anderson Silva. Silva is one of - if not THE best - pound for pound greatest fighters in the world and he is moving up to fight former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin in Philadelphia at UFC 101.
Hours after the most electrifying domination in a career filled with them, deep in a back hallway of the Wachovia Center, Anderson Silva was waiting for Dana White. Silva is the UFC’s middleweight (185-pound) champion but Saturday he boldly moved up 20 pounds and in a jaw-dropping exhibition, brutalized Forrest Griffin, who just nine months ago was the light heavyweight (205) title holder. Silva knocked Griffin down twice, offered a hand to help him up once and then promptly floored him again for good at 3:23 of the first round of UFC 101. Most remarkably, he did it with a punch he threw while backpedaling.
It was a complete annihilation. Griffin failed to land a single punch and when he came to his senses, he sprung up and ran from the octagon, trying to push through a doctor’s examination. “He might be in Georgia by now, he ran out and I haven’t seen him since,” White, the UFC president, joked. That Silva could move up a weight class and not just win, but destroy with power, was a game-changing and perhaps UFC-altering moment. That’s what Silva and his manager, Ed Soares, wanted to discuss with White. With his arm rapped around White’s shoulder, Soares leaned in and delivered a proposition. “Spider” Silva would move permanently to light heavyweight, even if it meant the unorthodox move of giving up his middleweight belt. “I can do that,” White smiled, a bit stunned at the offer. “I like that. We can do that.” Soares smiled and shook White’s hand. Silva had been accosted by a fan by then and couldn’t hear White, but it was presumably the news he was seeking. The man has such outrageous confidence in his abilities he’s willing to potentially toss away a championship he’s owned for almost three years to take a challenge outside his comfort zone. “I’d let him,” White said later, sitting in his quiet dressing room. “We’d put [the middleweight title] up for grabs.” The hour was late and everyone’s excitement was still high. Perhaps plans and goals change by morning, so White didn’t know what to say officially. This was still just hurried talk. He knew this much though, as a promoter there are more blockbuster fights for Silva at 205 than 185, where he’s beaten everyone of note. Silva’s next title defense was supposed to be against Dan Henderson, who Silva savagely choked out in March 2008. “Who knows,” White said, wheels already spinning. “We’ll see what happens. In the talks I’ve had with Anderson, he wants to take on the best in the world. He’s the most talented fighter in the world, the best pound for pound fighter and it’s a joke to say anyone else is. And he wants to continue to prove [it].” White thought for a moment. “He would jump in that mix [at the top of the light heavyweight division],” White said. “You’ve got Rashad [Evans], you’ve got Rampage [Jackson], [Lyoto] Machida is the champion. And Tito [Ortiz] is in the mix now.” If Silva did vacate the middleweight title to move up full time, the ironic thing is that he claims it wouldn’t be to pursue the light heavyweight belt. At least as long as it was held by Machida, a fellow Brazilian and training partner. “Lyoto is my friend, he is my brother and there is no way that fight will ever happen,” Silva said. White, coveting a clash between two men who are both unbeaten in UFC competition, brushes that talk aside. “I’ll make it happen,” White said winking his eye. “It’s not even about money. It’s about proving you’re the best, it’s about securing your place in history. It’s about putting on a super fight that fans want to see. “I’m all about making big fights that fans want to see.” Saturday was one of those fights. Silva was motivated by criticism that his last two fights – both victories mind you ¬– were dull, so he gladly moved up to take on a dangerous Griffin, who was known for his attack dog style. It was intriguing, at least until Silva started toying with Griffin. He knocked Griffin down at will, dared him to connect with a punch, challenged him to be as tough as his reputation and then finally just finished him. Coming in there was a “Rocky” element to the fight, Griffin the heavy underdog with the Philly crowd firmly behind him and booing Silva. By the end, Griffin was gone and Silva was being cheered. It was the recognition of brilliance overcoming any easy Hollywood storylines. “He wants to be involved in the biggest fights we can put together,” Soares said. The fact Silva took this fight is a testament to that. The Brazilian is 25-4 overall and has won all 10 of his fights in the UFC. At age 34, he could’ve sat at middleweight and potentially won 10 more, making nice money with relatively little risk in a division he’s been untouchable in. That isn’t him though. Not even close. So not long after stunning the sport with a legendary performance, there he and his manager were, trying to force a back-hall huddle with the UFC kingmaker. Move Silva to light heavyweight for good, they suggested to White. With nothing left to prove at middleweight, Anderson Silva now wants to lay waste to a whole new division of the UFC. He doesn’t need a belt to prove a thing.
With or without Fedor Emelianenko, the UFC plans to continue pushing forward, making money and breaking barriers. Presiding over mixed martial arts' most successful organization, Dana White made it clear during a conference call with media Friday that his company would not dwell on another round of negotiations with the sport's top heavyweight or his promotional group, M-1 Global. "We tried everything that we could possibly do to get Fedor into the UFC, we went above and beyond," said White, who drew a line in the sand over the proposal of co-promotion. "I have been able to sign the best fighters in the world over the last 10 years into the UFC." As an example, White cited Tito Ortiz -- one of UFC's most marketable, successful and controversial fighters during the Zuffa era -- whose re-signing was among several items confirmed during the call. Additionally, White said a proposed rematch between Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin had been scrapped following negative fan reaction to the bout. In its place, Franklin will meet Vitor Belfort, his contract having been co-opted after Affliction folded, in Dallas at UFC 103 in September. Belfort is one of several fighters under contract to Affliction that White said would enter the UFC or WEC. Henderson, meanwhile, was named the No. 1 contender to Anderson Silva's UFC middleweight title. News of a three-year deal with ESPN UK was also made official. The network, which airs content in hi-definition and is set to kickoff Aug. 13, and the promoter begin their relationship in earnest with a free tape-delay broadcast of UFC 101. Though White wasn't interested in answering questions about negotiations with Emelianenko, the biggest story in the sport remains the chasm between UFC and M-1 Global over how best to create fights in MMA. On Tuesday, White and Zuffa co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta spoke by phone from Europe with Emelianenko and his representatives, who were in California during, what should have been, the final days leading up to a fight against Josh Barnett at Affliction "Trilogy." Though Emelianenko is currently under contract to M-1 -- a company in which he owns a significant equity stake -- for three fights at $2 million a bout, the UFC proposed what all sides agreed was a very generous money offer. However, "it does not give us a chance to do what we as a company, including Fedor, are wanting to and planning to do," said the fighter's long-time manager and partner, Vadim Finkelchtein. Rumors of a six-fight, $30 million deal from the UFC were shot down by Emelianenko's camp. Sources inside M-1 Global told SI.com that the UFC offer was for half as many fights at a rate less than what Emelianenko currently receives from his promotional company. Emelianenko's reply to the UFC the following day didn't need translation. Addressing a small contingent of media gathered at a makeshift press conference in Anaheim, Calif., Emelianenko wore a pullover emblazoned with the EA Sports logo, a clear dismissal of White's decree that fighters wishing to compete in the UFC would refrain from signing a deal with the video game giant. When he did say something noteworthy, his translator missed it. Asked why he should be considered any different than scores of world-class fighters who have agreed to fight in the UFC, Emelianenko said it was a matter of timing."When I first read the UFC contract that was offered two years ago, I clearly understood they were trying to [expletive] me," he said defiantly. "If we got an offer two years ago that we received yesterday, maybe we would agree. But not in today's situation, we could not accept that offer." Money, video-game rights and other points of contention aren't getting in the way anymore, said White. That distinction belongs to the proposal of co-promotion. Emelianenko agreed, saying Wednesday that a deal is impossible without Zuffa and M-1 Global coming together for a co-promotion. White doesn't see the point. "Let's be honest here, these guys are going to come in and co-promote?" he asked rhetorically. "How the hell are they going to co-promote anything? We built this entire friggin' industry. How are they going to co-promote? It's basically them coming in saying they've got this guy, some people say he might be the best heavyweight in the world, so for that we want half your business. Yeah, OK." In essence, M-1 asked the UFC to do what it can't, what Pride couldn't, what Bodog couldn't and what Affliction went out of business trying to do: build Emelianenko's North-American profile. In exchange for that, the UFC can pit its champion against the prestigious Emelianenko -- a sure moneymaker that will drive fans into a frenzy. With a long-term vision that includes making Combat Sambo -- Emelianenko's fighting base -- a state-sponsored sport in Russia, M-1 already sees itself as a major player in MMA. Without access to a top-tier TV or pay-per-view platform in the U.S., it's an argument that seems tenuous at best. Yet, whatever circumstances they find themselves in now, Emelianenko and his team envision their venture as the key to a life post fighting. Since March 2008, M-1 Global, which puts Emelianenko in a position similar to Oscar de la Hoya and his branded Golden Boy Promotions, has operated with the concept of joint promotions as a core principle. In Emelianenko (30-1), M-1 has a fighter who unquestionably owns his division and is arguably the best competitor in the sport. Unlike de la Hoya, one of boxing's all-time pay-per-view draws, Emelianenko doesn't appear capable of delivering audiences, which is why an arrangement with the UFC makes sense for the Russians. "Fedor is not only a partner in this company," Finkelchtein. "The reason he is there is because he sees a future beyond his career. He's not just looking at fighting for whatever period of time he's going to fight and then not do anything with his career." As of today, with other groups willing to enter into co-promotion for the chance to feature MMA's best heavyweight, Emelianenko's is a career that won't include the UFC
UFC president Dana White touched on a wide variety of topics in a news conference call on Friday, including the signing of former light heavyweight champion and longtime antagonist Tito Ortiz along with several roster additions from the defunct Affliction promotion. Ortiz (15-6-1) had what both sides categorized ahead of time as his final UFC fight on May 24, 2008, losing a one-sided decision to Lyoto Machida, the company’s current light heavyweight champion. After major back surgery, Ortiz, 34, said he was targeting November or December for his return, with White saying Ortiz’s first opponent would be Mark Coleman (16-9), the 44-year-old former Olympic wrestler who was heavyweight champion in 1997, and is coming off an upset win over Stephan Bonnar on July 11.
“Tito and I have a history that everyone knows,” said White. “He’s still a guy that everyone wants to see fight. He said his back has healed perfectly and he’s ready to take a shot at the title. He’s one of those guys that people love and people love to hate. We’ve put all our differences aside, have squashed everything and will move forward, and Tito will retire in the UFC.” White also changed the main event of UFC 103 on Sept. 19, a show at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, an important date on pay-per-view because it goes head-up with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s next boxing match, against Juan Manuel Marquez. Rich Franklin (25-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (18-8), as a light heavyweight match, will be the new main event for the Dallas show. Belfort, 32, a onetime teenage prodigy in the sport, has run off four straight wins since a 2006 loss to Henderson. He has been fighting during that period as a middleweight. Belfort had been training for a match with Jorge Santiago on the Affliction card. Last week, the company had announced Franklin vs. Dan Henderson, a rematch of a Jan. 17, fight in Dublin, Ireland that Henderson won via decision. The announcement was not well-received, largely because people were expecting Henderson’s next fight to be a middleweight title match against Anderson Silva. Franklin vs. Belfort is actually a weaker-drawing match in opposition to the Mayweather fight, since Henderson clearly became the biggest star of the three men coming off his vicious knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100. However, the change is a long-term positive, because White said that Henderson would be kept at middleweight and would get the next shot at Silva. Silva is facing Forrest Griffin in a light heavyweight fight on Aug. 8 in Philadelphia. White said that depending on how much damage Silva takes in that fight would determine when Silva vs. Henderson would take place. “It could be very soon,” said White. Previously, an Aug. 29 match between Demian Maia and Nate Marquardt had been considered the match to determine Silva’s next contender, and White indicated the winner of that fight would get the following shot after Henderson. As for Ortiz, his return to the UFC is the latest in a storied history. White originally got involved in MMA as the business manager for both Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. It was through that association in 2000, that he found out UFC was for sale, and convinced high school friend and casino magnate Lorenzo Fertitta to buy the company for $2 million in early 2001. Ortiz, who had won the vacant UFC middleweight (now light heavyweight) championship on April 14, 2000, in Tokyo, via decision over Wanderlei Silva, was the biggest star in the early years of White’s promotion. His 41-month reign as champion, before losing to Randy Couture on September 26, 2003, in Las Vegas, is still the longest title reign in any weight class in promotion history. But over the past eight years, the relationship between White and Ortiz was like a roller coaster ride. Problems first became public in 2003, when Ortiz held out, asking for more money, which White blamed on his wanting to avoid facing Liddell in a title defense. Their first complete split came in 2005, as Ortiz left the company and complained for nearly a year about the UFC pay structure. He was brought back at the end of the year to oppose Ken Shamrock as coaches on the Ultimate Fighter reality show, and to lead to a match. The Ortiz-Shamrock drama played out in several chapters and led to a record-setting business year in 2006. During that period, White joked, since Ortiz earned a reported $5.8 million that year in four matches, wins over Forrest Griffin, two over Shamrock and a loss to Liddell. “He loves me now.” But as Ortiz’s star faded after a loss to Liddell and a draw with Rashad Evans, tensions mounted, leading to Ortiz’s departure from the company.”Time really cures everything,” said Ortiz. “Dana was a man of his word. Dana apologized to me. We’re like boyfriend and girlfriend.” Ortiz said he’d been plagued by back problems since 2003, stemming from an injury in training before the Couture fight, and the injury had gotten progressively worse. He said after recent surgery, his back feels the best it has in years. He’s already got his rap down for his return, noting that before leaving the promotion, he had matches with the three most recent UFC champions. He won a close decision over Griffin in 2006, although Griffin improved greatly since that point in time. He went to a draw with Rashad Evans in 2007, and he did catch Lyoto Machida in a tight triangle in the third round of their fight last year. Machida escaped and dominated a lackluster fight, but it was the only vulnerable moment Machida has had since joining UFC. Ortiz said when White and Lorenzo Fertitta came to his home in Huntington Beach to sign him, he said they gave him “an offer you couldn’t refuse.”’ “I’m happy, I’m satisfied,” said Ortiz. “You’ll never hear anything about money again.” Besides Ortiz and Belfort, White announced the signing of former Affliction fighters, welterweight Paul Daley, lightweights Dan Lauzon and Rafaello Oliveira, and heavyweights Ben Rothwell and Chase Gormley to UFC. The latter two are already scheduled for an Oct. 24 match in Los Angeles. He also announced that Affliction featherweights Javier Vazquez, L.C. Davis and Mark Hominick have been signed and will fight in World Extreme Cagefighting. He indicated there are eight or nine other fighters from Affliction they are talking with, mentioning Gegard Mousasi (who faces Renato Sobral on Aug. 15 in San Jose for Strikeforce) as a possibility. But White said he has no interest in former UFC heavyweight champions Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, both coming off multiple first-round losses. In a sense, the announcements were a little disappointment to a media expecting a new U.S. television deal to be reached, with rumors abounding regarding ESPN getting into the game. There was an ESPN announcement, regarding the new U.K. version of ESPN, which launches in two weeks, being the new home of UFC in England and Ireland. On the television front, White indicated the company had multiple network suitors coming off the success of UFC 100, which is estimated at doing 1.6 million buys on pay-per-view. The show ranks behind only the biggest blockbusters in boxing history, the 2007 Oscar De La Hoya vs. Mayweather fight, the 1997 Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield fight and the 2002 Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis fight, in terms of purchaes. It was also the biggest pay-per-view event of any kind in Canada. Prior to the event, when UFC understated predictions on what the show was going to do, White said that he would to a back flip off the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas if the show did 1.5 million buys. “I have to work that out with Mandalay Bay,” he said. “We have to figure it out. I’m a man of my word so I’m jumping. I’m not looking forward to it.”
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