Late Night with Jimmy Fallonpromoting his new book death clutch and
the new season of the ultimate fighter
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu BJJ Internet Radio
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Brock Lesnar on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon buy death clutch book here ...
Brock Lesnar on Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and SurvivalLate Night with Jimmy Fallon
promoting his new book death clutch and
the new season of the ultimate fighter
Late Night with Jimmy Fallonpromoting his new book death clutch and
the new season of the ultimate fighter
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
ufc 128 jon Jones defeats Rua, becomes youngest UFC champ the future is here ....
Jon Jones has been the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most hyped prospect since B.J. Penn entered the promotion more than a decade ago. And Jones more than lived up to the hype Saturday, demolishing highly regarded light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and stopping him in the third round to become the UFC’s youngest champion in the main event of UFC 128 at the Prudential Center.
Jones landed a series of kicks, elbows, punches and just about anything else he wanted to land. It was a complete blowout as Rua, the fourth-ranked fighter in Yahoo! Sports’ rankings, had next-to-no offense.
Rua’s face was a mess when the fight ended, with his eyes closed and swollen and blood coming from his nose and mouth and welts covering his body.
More From Kevin IoleNew champion Jones is one of a kind Mar 20, 2011 Jones hype is 'Shogun's' motivation Mar 18, 2011 AdChoices
Jon Jones (top) dominated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to win the light heavyweight title.
(Al Bello/Getty Images)
Jones, now 14-1 overall, blistered the Brazilian throughout and never let Rua get on track. Jones came out hard with a flying knee early in the bout and then a pair of kicks.
“He was better than me tonight,” Rua said. “He’s a very tough guy. He showed good ground work. He had very good Muay Thai. He’s a great champion.”
After the fight, the UFC brought former champion Rashad Evans into the cage and announced he will fight Jones in Jones’ first defense. Jones and Evans have been teammates and long said they would never fight.
But Jones said Saturday he would take the fight and Evans said, “I guess you should never say never.”
Former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Urijah Faber had a difficult challenge in his UFC debut, but he rallied to win the final two rounds to pull out a unanimous decision victory over Eddie Wineland.
The win may set up a rematch with UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who watched the fight from Octagonside and stood for most of the bout.
Wineland took the first round, using superior takedown defense and landing the harder strikes. But Faber’s speed took over in the final two rounds. He managed to land a clear number of strikes and, in the second round, pounded Wineland with a series of hard elbows.
Faber’s hand speed was a difference in the third too, as he was consistently beat Wineland to the punch.
“Going in, you don’t know how fast someone is, or how powerful they are, until they’re right in front of you,” Faber said. “I was gauging that [in the first].”
Jim Miller won his seventh consecutive UFC fight and put himself near the top of the lightweight division, stopping Kamal Shalorus in the third round.
Miller had controlled the action in each of the first two rounds and had Shalorus’ back in the second. He worked for a rear naked choke, though Shalorus successfully fought that off.
Jon "Bones" Jones Autographed UFC Glove W/PROOF, Picture of Jon Signing For Us.
But Miller, who is now 20-2 overall, used his hands and his knee to end the fight at 2:15 of the third. Miller raked Shalorus with an uppercut that staggered him and sent him back to the cage.
Miller charged and landed a knee to the face that put Shalorus down. Miller ended it with a quick ground-and-pound finish.
Afterward, he was thinking about fighting for the title.
“That’s seven in a row,” Miller said. “I’m ready. I’m ready for it [the title shot].”
His brother, Dan Miller, wasn’t so fortunate. Earlier on the card, Dan had no defense for a right hand and so Nate Marquardt kept throwing it. The result was that it cut Miller by the left eye, swelled it shut and helped Marquardt to pull out a unanimous decision. All three judges scored it 30-27 for Marquardt, who hopes to fight his way back into contention in the middleweight division.
He had to fight off two guillotine chokes by Miller, one in each of the first two rounds, but Miller mustered very little offense other than that. Marquardt pummeled him with the right hand, raked him with elbows on the ground and controlled the fight virtually all the way.
Brendan Schaub is a young up-and-coming heavyweight star, but he had his hands full with veteran Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic before ending it in the third round with a right hand to the temple.
Filipovic was preparing to fire one of his legendary kicks, but Schaub was quicker and his overhand right got to the target first. Filipovic went down immediately. Schaub landed a power fist on the ground before referee Herb Dean stopped it at 3:44 of the third.
Brendan Schaub (left) continued his rise up the heavyweight ranks by beating Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.
Schaub is one of the heaviest-handed fighters in the UFC, but he used a lot of wrestling on Saturday. He took Filipovic down several times as a way to avoid getting into a slugfest with the powerful Filipovic.
“I keep getting more and more experience,” Schaub said. “I showcased my wrestling because Mirko is so dangerous [on his feet].”
Luiz Cane made short work of Elliot Marshall, landing a punch that knocked Marshall down and finishing him with a barrage of punches on the ground. Referee Dan Miragliotta stopped it at 2:15 of the first.
Marshall may have been poked in the eye in the sequence that knocked him down. When he hit the mat, he covered up and did very little. Cane fired punch after punch and, while many of them did not land, they did enough to force Miragliotta to step in and halt the fight.
The best match on the preliminary card was a lightweight battle between Edson Barboza and Anthony Njokuani, a fight which featured spinning kicks and elbows and plenty of powerful strikes.
Barboza connected with a spinning kick to the head at the bell in the third round, punctuating a late rally that enabled him to claim the unanimous decision. All three judges gave Barboza the third for a 29-28 victory.
Mike Pyle won a very closely contested fight with black belt Ricardo Almeida, managing to avoid bad positions on the ground en route to a unanimous decision. All three judges had it 29-28 for Pyle.
Gleison Tibau disappointed a large hometown contingent that came out to root for Kurt Pellegrino, rallying in the final round to claim a split decision in a welterweight match. Judges Cardo Urso and Doug Crosby each had it 29-28 for Tibau while Anthony Tamburrino saw it 29-28 for Pellegrino.
Pellegrino knocked Tibau down in the second and did some damage on the ground, but Tibau controlled the third. He took Pellegrino down late and did some
yahoo.com/ufc
Jones landed a series of kicks, elbows, punches and just about anything else he wanted to land. It was a complete blowout as Rua, the fourth-ranked fighter in Yahoo! Sports’ rankings, had next-to-no offense.
Rua’s face was a mess when the fight ended, with his eyes closed and swollen and blood coming from his nose and mouth and welts covering his body.
More From Kevin IoleNew champion Jones is one of a kind Mar 20, 2011 Jones hype is 'Shogun's' motivation Mar 18, 2011 AdChoices
Jon Jones (top) dominated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to win the light heavyweight title.
(Al Bello/Getty Images)
Jones, now 14-1 overall, blistered the Brazilian throughout and never let Rua get on track. Jones came out hard with a flying knee early in the bout and then a pair of kicks.
“He was better than me tonight,” Rua said. “He’s a very tough guy. He showed good ground work. He had very good Muay Thai. He’s a great champion.”
After the fight, the UFC brought former champion Rashad Evans into the cage and announced he will fight Jones in Jones’ first defense. Jones and Evans have been teammates and long said they would never fight.
But Jones said Saturday he would take the fight and Evans said, “I guess you should never say never.”
Former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Urijah Faber had a difficult challenge in his UFC debut, but he rallied to win the final two rounds to pull out a unanimous decision victory over Eddie Wineland.
The win may set up a rematch with UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who watched the fight from Octagonside and stood for most of the bout.
Wineland took the first round, using superior takedown defense and landing the harder strikes. But Faber’s speed took over in the final two rounds. He managed to land a clear number of strikes and, in the second round, pounded Wineland with a series of hard elbows.
Faber’s hand speed was a difference in the third too, as he was consistently beat Wineland to the punch.
“Going in, you don’t know how fast someone is, or how powerful they are, until they’re right in front of you,” Faber said. “I was gauging that [in the first].”
Jim Miller won his seventh consecutive UFC fight and put himself near the top of the lightweight division, stopping Kamal Shalorus in the third round.
Miller had controlled the action in each of the first two rounds and had Shalorus’ back in the second. He worked for a rear naked choke, though Shalorus successfully fought that off.
Jon "Bones" Jones Autographed UFC Glove W/PROOF, Picture of Jon Signing For Us.
But Miller, who is now 20-2 overall, used his hands and his knee to end the fight at 2:15 of the third. Miller raked Shalorus with an uppercut that staggered him and sent him back to the cage.
Miller charged and landed a knee to the face that put Shalorus down. Miller ended it with a quick ground-and-pound finish.
Afterward, he was thinking about fighting for the title.
“That’s seven in a row,” Miller said. “I’m ready. I’m ready for it [the title shot].”
His brother, Dan Miller, wasn’t so fortunate. Earlier on the card, Dan had no defense for a right hand and so Nate Marquardt kept throwing it. The result was that it cut Miller by the left eye, swelled it shut and helped Marquardt to pull out a unanimous decision. All three judges scored it 30-27 for Marquardt, who hopes to fight his way back into contention in the middleweight division.
He had to fight off two guillotine chokes by Miller, one in each of the first two rounds, but Miller mustered very little offense other than that. Marquardt pummeled him with the right hand, raked him with elbows on the ground and controlled the fight virtually all the way.
Brendan Schaub is a young up-and-coming heavyweight star, but he had his hands full with veteran Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic before ending it in the third round with a right hand to the temple.
Filipovic was preparing to fire one of his legendary kicks, but Schaub was quicker and his overhand right got to the target first. Filipovic went down immediately. Schaub landed a power fist on the ground before referee Herb Dean stopped it at 3:44 of the third.
Brendan Schaub (left) continued his rise up the heavyweight ranks by beating Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.
Schaub is one of the heaviest-handed fighters in the UFC, but he used a lot of wrestling on Saturday. He took Filipovic down several times as a way to avoid getting into a slugfest with the powerful Filipovic.
“I keep getting more and more experience,” Schaub said. “I showcased my wrestling because Mirko is so dangerous [on his feet].”
Luiz Cane made short work of Elliot Marshall, landing a punch that knocked Marshall down and finishing him with a barrage of punches on the ground. Referee Dan Miragliotta stopped it at 2:15 of the first.
Marshall may have been poked in the eye in the sequence that knocked him down. When he hit the mat, he covered up and did very little. Cane fired punch after punch and, while many of them did not land, they did enough to force Miragliotta to step in and halt the fight.
The best match on the preliminary card was a lightweight battle between Edson Barboza and Anthony Njokuani, a fight which featured spinning kicks and elbows and plenty of powerful strikes.
Barboza connected with a spinning kick to the head at the bell in the third round, punctuating a late rally that enabled him to claim the unanimous decision. All three judges gave Barboza the third for a 29-28 victory.
Mike Pyle won a very closely contested fight with black belt Ricardo Almeida, managing to avoid bad positions on the ground en route to a unanimous decision. All three judges had it 29-28 for Pyle.
Gleison Tibau disappointed a large hometown contingent that came out to root for Kurt Pellegrino, rallying in the final round to claim a split decision in a welterweight match. Judges Cardo Urso and Doug Crosby each had it 29-28 for Tibau while Anthony Tamburrino saw it 29-28 for Pellegrino.
Pellegrino knocked Tibau down in the second and did some damage on the ground, but Tibau controlled the third. He took Pellegrino down late and did some
yahoo.com/ufc
Saturday, March 19, 2011
UFC 128 Weigh-in results:
Weigh-in results:
BAD BOY SHOGUN RUA "UFC 128 WALKOUT" BLACK SHIRT SIZE LARGE
Maurcio “Shogun” Rua (205) vs. Jon “Bones” Jones (205)
Urijah Faber (135½) vs. Eddie Wineland (135½)
Nate Marquardt (186) vs. Dan Miller (185)
Brendan Schaub (245) vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (229)
Jim Miller (155½) vs. Kamal Shalorus (155)
Eliot Marshall (205) vs. Luis Cane (205½)
Anthony Njokuani (155) vs. Edson Barboza Jr. (155½)
Mike Pyle (171) vs. Ricardo Almeida (170)
Kurt Pellegrino (156) vs. Gleison Tibau (155)
Joseph Benavidez (136) vs. Ian Loveland (135)
Nick Catone (194) vs. Constantinos Phillipou (195)
Erik Koch (145) vs. Raphael Assuncao (145)
BAD BOY SHOGUN RUA "UFC 128 WALKOUT" BLACK SHIRT SIZE LARGE
Maurcio “Shogun” Rua (205) vs. Jon “Bones” Jones (205)
Urijah Faber (135½) vs. Eddie Wineland (135½)
Nate Marquardt (186) vs. Dan Miller (185)
Brendan Schaub (245) vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (229)
Jim Miller (155½) vs. Kamal Shalorus (155)
Eliot Marshall (205) vs. Luis Cane (205½)
Anthony Njokuani (155) vs. Edson Barboza Jr. (155½)
Mike Pyle (171) vs. Ricardo Almeida (170)
Kurt Pellegrino (156) vs. Gleison Tibau (155)
Joseph Benavidez (136) vs. Ian Loveland (135)
Nick Catone (194) vs. Constantinos Phillipou (195)
Erik Koch (145) vs. Raphael Assuncao (145)
Friday, March 18, 2011
JON Jones vs Shogun ufc 128
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua says he wasn’t trying to prove a point Thursday during a spirited workout in front of the media, a little more than 48 hours prior to his light heavyweight title defense against budding star Jon “Bones” Jones in the main event of UFC 128 Saturday at the Prudential Center.
He still did make his point, very loudly, even if he wasn’t trying to do so.
Rua is a 2-1 underdog and has been almost shunted aside by the media in the buildup to the fight, as Jones, the UFC’s 23-year-old phenom, has essentially been given top billing.
More From Kevin IoleGrounded Jones on brink of superstardom Mar 17, 2011 Schaub ready to let loose at UFC 128 Mar 15, 2011 AdChoices Bad Boy Mauricia Rua Shogun UFC 128 Walkout T-shirt - Royal (X-Large)
It was Jones, he of zero championship fights, whom the UFC opted to devote a separate, prime-time special on, not Rua, the reigning champion.
It was Jones, who was still in high school in Endicott, N.Y., when Rua won the Pride Grand Prix by defeating Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona in 2005, who drew the most attention at Wednesday’s final news conference at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
And it was Jones, whose addition to the card in February as a late replacement for the injured Rashad Evans, who sparked a flurry of ticket sales that quickly sold out the arena.
If anyone forgot that Rua is a world-class talent and as dangerous as they come, Rua gave them a very audible demonstration in a conference room at the Hilton Penn Station on Thursday.
He threw rapid-fire combinations at the mitts, the sound resonating in the crowded room like an automatic weapon firing bullets.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Then, Rua began a drill that involved kicking the bag that sounded like a series of explosions every time he made contact.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rua just shrugged when asked if he was bothered by the perceived slights – “He has been winning his fights in great fashion and this is a natural consequence of that,” Rua said – but Rua’s manager, Eduardo Alonso, believes it has made a change for the better in him.
Rua is, indeed, annoyed at “Bonesmania,” Alonso said, but he has used it to his advantage.
“I think it does (bug him), but the good thing is, it bugs him in a good way,” Alonso said. “It brings out his competitiveness and his motivation to prove something to everyone. He’s a very competitive guy. He gets pissed off and wants to prove a point.”
Rua had been expecting for nearly a year to fight Evans. Evans defeated Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 114 last May and, when Rua injured a knee, opted to wait until Rua was recovered from surgery rather than taking an interim fight.
But during a routine training drill in February, Evans injured his own knee and had to pull out. Rua had been working out in preparation for Evans, but didn’t have the sense of urgency that Alonso felt he needed. When Jones was given the shot, that all changed.
Jones is, in a way, “The Chosen One.” He’s a good-looking, charismatic guy with a knack for saying the right thing at the right time and for bringing fans out of their seats with his unorthodox moves.
An extremely confident Jones began signing autographs with the tagline, “Champion 2011.” And though he frequently professed respect for Rua, he also made it clear he thought Rua was there to be had.
“He can be broken mentally and physically, mainly mentally,” Jones said. “That’s part of what I am going to do to him. I’m going to show that the Mark Coleman fight (at UFC 93) wasn’t a fluke, that the Forrest Griffin fight (at UFC 76) wasn’t a fluke, that he didn’t come unprepared.”
Suddenly, the highly competitive Rua had a reason to ratchet up his training and his intensity.
“When a guy is so talented as Shogun is, they tend to get lazy,” Alonso said. “Against Rashad, as a team, we were a little more accommodating. It’s not to say Rashad is not a great fighter, but we’d been thinking about him for a year. But then, when they changed it to Jones, it was like, ‘Hmm. There is motivation. We have to work.’ We all got pumped. It’s really for the best for him. He’s focused and he started to train much more. He’s very motivated and the team united.
Bad Boy Mauricia Rua Shogun UFC 128 Walkout T-shirt - White (Large)
“We had some problems, personal problems within the team, health issues within families, and it was tough. But this brought us back together. Shogun performs best when he’s an underdog and that’s why we’re feeding this whole thing that Jones deserves to be the favorite.”
Those who made Jones the favorite probably didn’t see Rua blistering the bag with kicks Thursday. He’s had three surgeries on his left knee, including one in June that forced a postponement of a title defense against Evans, but it looked 100 percent on Thursday.
UFC middleweight contender Demian Maia, a long-time friend of Rua’s, said he has never seen Rua as physically fit as he is for the bout with Jones. Alonso hired Eric Haddad to work on Rua’s strength and conditioning and the results have been astounding.
Maia said he got a chance to see it first-hand and it left him shaking his head.
“Everybody went out and talked about what Jon Jones could do and how good Jon Jones is and Shogun I think was bothered by that,” Maia said. “He’s a professional and he’s accomplished a lot. I think he pushed himself so hard so he would be at his absolute peak and be able to put on a performance that the people will remember.”
Rua is one of the most popular fighters in the world, particularly among long-time fans, though it’s only recently that he’s begun to get a high profile in his native Brazil. Alonso said that, despite the perception of Brazil as an MMA hotbed, it hasn’t been until only recently, through the UFC’s marketing efforts, that the sport has begun to catch on there in the mainstream.
As recently as a year ago, Alonso said, Rua could have walked down a busy street in Sao Paulo, the country’s largest city with a population of around 8 million, and gone unrecognized.
In the last year, as the UFC has expanded its marketing and public relations efforts and brought the sport to television, interest in MMA is growing quickly and Rua is suddenly becoming a star. He’s sponsored by BVA, a large bank in Brazil, and representatives of a national supermarket chain in the country who are interested in sponsoring him will attend Saturday’s bout.
He was mobbed at a news conference in Rio de Janeiro to announce a UFC show there and has made several appearances on various shows on Global, the country’s largest over-the-air television network.
A win over Jones would go a long way toward firming his status as one of his nation’s elite athletes. The low-key Rua, though, isn’t worried about much other than doing his job.
“Surely, if I win this fight, I’ll take one more step forward in my career,” Rua said. “In the end, I understand that Jon Jones has been winning his fights decisively and earning all this hype behind him. But I’ve set goals for myself and I’m going to do everything in my power to reach those goals. … If I do exciting fights, everything else takes care of itself. The important thing is to go out there and win and put on the best fight I can. That’s what I will go out to do, no matter who I am fighting. Fighting someone with all the attention of Jon Jones is good, but I have to stick to my approach that brought me to where I am.”
yahoo.com/ufc
He still did make his point, very loudly, even if he wasn’t trying to do so.
Rua is a 2-1 underdog and has been almost shunted aside by the media in the buildup to the fight, as Jones, the UFC’s 23-year-old phenom, has essentially been given top billing.
More From Kevin IoleGrounded Jones on brink of superstardom Mar 17, 2011 Schaub ready to let loose at UFC 128 Mar 15, 2011 AdChoices Bad Boy Mauricia Rua Shogun UFC 128 Walkout T-shirt - Royal (X-Large)
It was Jones, he of zero championship fights, whom the UFC opted to devote a separate, prime-time special on, not Rua, the reigning champion.
It was Jones, who was still in high school in Endicott, N.Y., when Rua won the Pride Grand Prix by defeating Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona in 2005, who drew the most attention at Wednesday’s final news conference at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
And it was Jones, whose addition to the card in February as a late replacement for the injured Rashad Evans, who sparked a flurry of ticket sales that quickly sold out the arena.
If anyone forgot that Rua is a world-class talent and as dangerous as they come, Rua gave them a very audible demonstration in a conference room at the Hilton Penn Station on Thursday.
He threw rapid-fire combinations at the mitts, the sound resonating in the crowded room like an automatic weapon firing bullets.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Then, Rua began a drill that involved kicking the bag that sounded like a series of explosions every time he made contact.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rua just shrugged when asked if he was bothered by the perceived slights – “He has been winning his fights in great fashion and this is a natural consequence of that,” Rua said – but Rua’s manager, Eduardo Alonso, believes it has made a change for the better in him.
Rua is, indeed, annoyed at “Bonesmania,” Alonso said, but he has used it to his advantage.
“I think it does (bug him), but the good thing is, it bugs him in a good way,” Alonso said. “It brings out his competitiveness and his motivation to prove something to everyone. He’s a very competitive guy. He gets pissed off and wants to prove a point.”
Rua had been expecting for nearly a year to fight Evans. Evans defeated Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 114 last May and, when Rua injured a knee, opted to wait until Rua was recovered from surgery rather than taking an interim fight.
But during a routine training drill in February, Evans injured his own knee and had to pull out. Rua had been working out in preparation for Evans, but didn’t have the sense of urgency that Alonso felt he needed. When Jones was given the shot, that all changed.
Jones is, in a way, “The Chosen One.” He’s a good-looking, charismatic guy with a knack for saying the right thing at the right time and for bringing fans out of their seats with his unorthodox moves.
An extremely confident Jones began signing autographs with the tagline, “Champion 2011.” And though he frequently professed respect for Rua, he also made it clear he thought Rua was there to be had.
“He can be broken mentally and physically, mainly mentally,” Jones said. “That’s part of what I am going to do to him. I’m going to show that the Mark Coleman fight (at UFC 93) wasn’t a fluke, that the Forrest Griffin fight (at UFC 76) wasn’t a fluke, that he didn’t come unprepared.”
Suddenly, the highly competitive Rua had a reason to ratchet up his training and his intensity.
“When a guy is so talented as Shogun is, they tend to get lazy,” Alonso said. “Against Rashad, as a team, we were a little more accommodating. It’s not to say Rashad is not a great fighter, but we’d been thinking about him for a year. But then, when they changed it to Jones, it was like, ‘Hmm. There is motivation. We have to work.’ We all got pumped. It’s really for the best for him. He’s focused and he started to train much more. He’s very motivated and the team united.
Bad Boy Mauricia Rua Shogun UFC 128 Walkout T-shirt - White (Large)
“We had some problems, personal problems within the team, health issues within families, and it was tough. But this brought us back together. Shogun performs best when he’s an underdog and that’s why we’re feeding this whole thing that Jones deserves to be the favorite.”
Those who made Jones the favorite probably didn’t see Rua blistering the bag with kicks Thursday. He’s had three surgeries on his left knee, including one in June that forced a postponement of a title defense against Evans, but it looked 100 percent on Thursday.
UFC middleweight contender Demian Maia, a long-time friend of Rua’s, said he has never seen Rua as physically fit as he is for the bout with Jones. Alonso hired Eric Haddad to work on Rua’s strength and conditioning and the results have been astounding.
Maia said he got a chance to see it first-hand and it left him shaking his head.
“Everybody went out and talked about what Jon Jones could do and how good Jon Jones is and Shogun I think was bothered by that,” Maia said. “He’s a professional and he’s accomplished a lot. I think he pushed himself so hard so he would be at his absolute peak and be able to put on a performance that the people will remember.”
Rua is one of the most popular fighters in the world, particularly among long-time fans, though it’s only recently that he’s begun to get a high profile in his native Brazil. Alonso said that, despite the perception of Brazil as an MMA hotbed, it hasn’t been until only recently, through the UFC’s marketing efforts, that the sport has begun to catch on there in the mainstream.
As recently as a year ago, Alonso said, Rua could have walked down a busy street in Sao Paulo, the country’s largest city with a population of around 8 million, and gone unrecognized.
In the last year, as the UFC has expanded its marketing and public relations efforts and brought the sport to television, interest in MMA is growing quickly and Rua is suddenly becoming a star. He’s sponsored by BVA, a large bank in Brazil, and representatives of a national supermarket chain in the country who are interested in sponsoring him will attend Saturday’s bout.
He was mobbed at a news conference in Rio de Janeiro to announce a UFC show there and has made several appearances on various shows on Global, the country’s largest over-the-air television network.
A win over Jones would go a long way toward firming his status as one of his nation’s elite athletes. The low-key Rua, though, isn’t worried about much other than doing his job.
“Surely, if I win this fight, I’ll take one more step forward in my career,” Rua said. “In the end, I understand that Jon Jones has been winning his fights decisively and earning all this hype behind him. But I’ve set goals for myself and I’m going to do everything in my power to reach those goals. … If I do exciting fights, everything else takes care of itself. The important thing is to go out there and win and put on the best fight I can. That’s what I will go out to do, no matter who I am fighting. Fighting someone with all the attention of Jon Jones is good, but I have to stick to my approach that brought me to where I am.”
yahoo.com/ufc
Monday, March 14, 2011
Top Strikeforce fighters join UFC ?
This afternoon, Dana White announced that Zuffa bought its top competitor in the U.S. He made a point of saying, with fighters contracts and a Showtime television deal in place, Strikeforce will operate under a "business as usual" header for the time being. How long that lasts is anyone's guess. UFC is planning on revealing more details to the media during a Monday teleconference.Form Athletics White Jon ''Bones'' Jones Fight Premuim T-shirt (X-Large)
The purchase should certainly excite fight fans. A deeper overall roster should eliminate the possibility of the best in the world being kept out of the same cage because of promotional issues.
Who are you most excited to see in the UFC? Here's a list of the top 15 fighters based on ability, mixed with the existing hurdles that could prevent them for stepping into the Octagon.
1. Nick Diaz, Welterweight (23-7, 5-0 Strikeforce, 6-4 UFC)
Outside the cage, the former UFC fighter is a wild man, but White is the first to admit he's a talented kid. The current Strikeforce welterweight champion hasn't lost since 2007. He's also one of the only welterweights outside of the UFC that fans would love to see take on Georges St. Pierre. In less than a month at Strikeforce's next scheduled event in San Diego on Apr. 9, he defends his title against Paul Daley. His brother Nate is currently fighting at 170 pounds in the UFC.
2. Gilbert Melendez, Lightweight (18-2, 8-1 Strikeforce)
He wasn't the first name on the lips of many MMA fans, but he probably should be. He's the most legitimate threat to any of the UFC title holders. Melendez's mix of wrestling, striking, strategy and stamina puts him immediately in the mix with Gray Maynard and Anthony Pettis to challenge for Frank Edgar's title. Just as important, he wants to fight the best and is an easy guy to manage.
3. Dan Henderson. Light heavyweight (27-8, Strikeforce 2-1, UFC 5-2)
With just one fight left on his deal, Henderson could be the first Strikeforce star to crossover. His 2009 exit from the UFC was more about ancillary concerns than his performance in the cage.
With his win last weekend over Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Rafael Cavalcante, the 40-year-old proved again that he's a top 10 fighter at light heavyweight. He could also go back down to middleweight if he wants to and the UFC thought that was the best spot.
Henderson told MMAWeekly it's a shocking move, but he's open to fighting for anyone.
"I don't know what to feel about it, I don't necessarily think, it might not be the best thing for the sport. But then again you're going to start being able to see all these match-ups that everyone wants to see. Who knows," Henderson said. "I had no plans of leaving, but I don't know what this is going to do those plans, but I have one fight left on my deal and we'll see what happens,"
Henderson is cool with White.
"I've never said anything bad about them. I always appreciated everything they've done for me and for the sport. It's just I was paid more money to go elsewhere, and that's what I did. Dana's the type that needs to talk a little smack if he doesn't get his way, but I've got no hard feelings about anything."
Strikeforce paid Hendo a healthy salary and allowed him to promote his clothing line, Clinch Gear. Hopefully, this time around the Clinch Gear issue can be resolved so we can see Henderson face the likes of Mauricio Rua, Rashad Evans, Quinton Jackson, Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida.
4. Alistair Overeem, Heavyweight (34-11, 3-0 Strikeforce)
If everything is cool on the pre-fight drug testing front, Overeem would be an awesome addition to the UFC heavyweight division. His pure power, look and striking is very promotable. An Overeem fight against Cain Velasquez, Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir or Shane Carwin would be a seat-filler. That said, he'll have to drop the desire to compete in K-1 competitions.
5. Antonio Silva, Heavyweight (16-2, 3-1 Strikeforce)
This seems high, right? That's how good Silva is now and can be down the road. "Big Foot" is one of the biggest heavyweights in the world and is quickly developing one of the more well-rounded games in the division. His size overwhelmed Fedor Emelianenko and now that he's better managing the weight cut, he's got his stamina up to snuff.
6. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, Light heavyweight (7-1, 2-1 Strikeforce)
From a selling standpoint, King Mo has as much potential as anyone on the Strikeforce roster. His amateur wrestling background makes him competitive with any 205-pounder in the world. Once he cleans up his striking and learns how to manage his gas tank, sky's the limit. His personality and willingness to bond with the fans and haters alike, makes him a promotional dream.
7. Tim Kennedy, Middleweight (13-3, 4-1 Strikeforce)
Strikeforce is onto something here with Kennedy. Think Brian Stann, but a lot better in most facets of the game. The Army Special Forces veteran wants to fight all the time and he's a great role model to push to casual and non-MMA fans. More than any other division, the UFC's middleweight class is in need a new blood. Kennedy is a great pickup.
8. Fedor Emelianenko, Heavyweight (31-3, Strikeforce 1-2)
I'd love to have Fedor on top of this list, but the relationship is so frayed between M-1, his management team and White, it's difficult to imagine seeing him the Octagon anytime soon. He also needs to win some fights to rebuild his brand and reputation.
In his first comments about Fedor, White didn't seem optomistic:
"I don't see any irony in that," White told Yahoo!'s Kevin Iole, chuckling. "Even though Fedor is now under contract with Zuffa, I still have a hard time imagining he'll ever fight in the UFC. We'll see, but that's my bet right now."
"You know me," White said. "I'm as big a fan of this as anybody and I love making the fights that everyone wants to see. At the end of the day, it's all about making great fights and the fights the people want to see. That's what we're doing."
9. Jason Miller, Middleweight (24-7, 1-1 Strikeforce, 0-1 UFC)
Miller is far from the best fighter on this list, but he's the most media savvy. His MTV show "Bully Beatdown" and appearances all over satellite radio give him exposure more MMA fighters can't even sniff. He fought for the UFC back in 2005 against GSP, but simply wasn't ready for that level and was draining himself way down at 170 pounds.
10. Gegard Mousasi, Light heavyweight (30-3, 2-1 Strikeforce)
I'm still a backer of Mousasi. His calculated style and killer instinct makes him an attractive addition. He just needs to strategize a little more against top level fighters and must shore up his takedown defense. Don't sleep on the Armenian's future. UFC may talk to him about going back down to middleweight. An Anderson Silva-Mousasi fight would be dynamite.
11. Fabricio Werdum, Heavyweight (14-4, 3-0 Strikeforce)
We're still not sure what went down when Werdum was sent packing by the UFC back in 2009. His talent is undeniable. Werdum is a huge dude at 6-5, 245 and his jiu-jitsu is some of the best in the world for the weight class. The win over Fedor was no fluke and don't forget he avoided dangerous situations in getting the win over Antonio Silva too. Grappling matchups against Lesnar, Mir, Carwin and even Roy Nelson would be awesome.
12. Paul Daley, Welterweight (27-9, 1-0 Strikeforce, 2-1 UFC)
The villain of all villians. Whether Daley should've been cut from the UFC is still debatable. His questionable attitude is not. We all have bosses and sometimes have to swallow our pride to co-exist. Daley was supposedly posting today on the Underground Forum today that he needs to "think" about fighting for the UFC and making money for White. Frankly, it's not his decision. It's also pretty stupid to push for your options to only include Japan's DREAM, BAMMA, Shark Fights, Titan Fighting, Bellator and MFC.
13. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Middleweight (14-2, 4-0 Strikeforce)
Jacare is very intriguing. His submission game is off the charts and would be a great anti-dote against the UFC's wrestlers/grapplers like Chael Sonnen and Yushin Okami. As the Strikeforce middleweight champ, he controls his own destiny. If he keeps winning under the "business as usual" operation, he'll force the hand of the UFC to put him in the mix with the big company.
14. Rafael Cavalcante, Light heavyweight (10-3, 3-2 Strikeforce)
"Feijao" lost to Henderson, but it's just one fight. The guy comes to bang and has an excellent ground game. The UFC could certainly find a home for another huge, well-rounded light heavyweight.
15. Robbie Lawler, Middleweight (18-7, 2-3 Strikeforce, 4-3 UFC)
It would be shocking to see Lawler on the outside looking in. He's a favorite of White's. His style is exactly what fans and the promotion latch onto. Lawler's one-punch knockout power makes him a more talented version of Chris Lytle and we know he's got a job for life with the promotion as long as he remains around .500.
Others possibly in the mix: Josh Thomson, *Shinya Aoki, *Tatsuya Kawajiri, Shane del Rosario, Daniel Cormier.
*Not under contract with Strikeforce. Co-promotional deals with DREAM.
The purchase should certainly excite fight fans. A deeper overall roster should eliminate the possibility of the best in the world being kept out of the same cage because of promotional issues.
Who are you most excited to see in the UFC? Here's a list of the top 15 fighters based on ability, mixed with the existing hurdles that could prevent them for stepping into the Octagon.
1. Nick Diaz, Welterweight (23-7, 5-0 Strikeforce, 6-4 UFC)
Outside the cage, the former UFC fighter is a wild man, but White is the first to admit he's a talented kid. The current Strikeforce welterweight champion hasn't lost since 2007. He's also one of the only welterweights outside of the UFC that fans would love to see take on Georges St. Pierre. In less than a month at Strikeforce's next scheduled event in San Diego on Apr. 9, he defends his title against Paul Daley. His brother Nate is currently fighting at 170 pounds in the UFC.
2. Gilbert Melendez, Lightweight (18-2, 8-1 Strikeforce)
He wasn't the first name on the lips of many MMA fans, but he probably should be. He's the most legitimate threat to any of the UFC title holders. Melendez's mix of wrestling, striking, strategy and stamina puts him immediately in the mix with Gray Maynard and Anthony Pettis to challenge for Frank Edgar's title. Just as important, he wants to fight the best and is an easy guy to manage.
3. Dan Henderson. Light heavyweight (27-8, Strikeforce 2-1, UFC 5-2)
With just one fight left on his deal, Henderson could be the first Strikeforce star to crossover. His 2009 exit from the UFC was more about ancillary concerns than his performance in the cage.
With his win last weekend over Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Rafael Cavalcante, the 40-year-old proved again that he's a top 10 fighter at light heavyweight. He could also go back down to middleweight if he wants to and the UFC thought that was the best spot.
Henderson told MMAWeekly it's a shocking move, but he's open to fighting for anyone.
"I don't know what to feel about it, I don't necessarily think, it might not be the best thing for the sport. But then again you're going to start being able to see all these match-ups that everyone wants to see. Who knows," Henderson said. "I had no plans of leaving, but I don't know what this is going to do those plans, but I have one fight left on my deal and we'll see what happens,"
Henderson is cool with White.
"I've never said anything bad about them. I always appreciated everything they've done for me and for the sport. It's just I was paid more money to go elsewhere, and that's what I did. Dana's the type that needs to talk a little smack if he doesn't get his way, but I've got no hard feelings about anything."
Strikeforce paid Hendo a healthy salary and allowed him to promote his clothing line, Clinch Gear. Hopefully, this time around the Clinch Gear issue can be resolved so we can see Henderson face the likes of Mauricio Rua, Rashad Evans, Quinton Jackson, Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida.
4. Alistair Overeem, Heavyweight (34-11, 3-0 Strikeforce)
If everything is cool on the pre-fight drug testing front, Overeem would be an awesome addition to the UFC heavyweight division. His pure power, look and striking is very promotable. An Overeem fight against Cain Velasquez, Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir or Shane Carwin would be a seat-filler. That said, he'll have to drop the desire to compete in K-1 competitions.
5. Antonio Silva, Heavyweight (16-2, 3-1 Strikeforce)
This seems high, right? That's how good Silva is now and can be down the road. "Big Foot" is one of the biggest heavyweights in the world and is quickly developing one of the more well-rounded games in the division. His size overwhelmed Fedor Emelianenko and now that he's better managing the weight cut, he's got his stamina up to snuff.
6. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, Light heavyweight (7-1, 2-1 Strikeforce)
From a selling standpoint, King Mo has as much potential as anyone on the Strikeforce roster. His amateur wrestling background makes him competitive with any 205-pounder in the world. Once he cleans up his striking and learns how to manage his gas tank, sky's the limit. His personality and willingness to bond with the fans and haters alike, makes him a promotional dream.
7. Tim Kennedy, Middleweight (13-3, 4-1 Strikeforce)
Strikeforce is onto something here with Kennedy. Think Brian Stann, but a lot better in most facets of the game. The Army Special Forces veteran wants to fight all the time and he's a great role model to push to casual and non-MMA fans. More than any other division, the UFC's middleweight class is in need a new blood. Kennedy is a great pickup.
8. Fedor Emelianenko, Heavyweight (31-3, Strikeforce 1-2)
I'd love to have Fedor on top of this list, but the relationship is so frayed between M-1, his management team and White, it's difficult to imagine seeing him the Octagon anytime soon. He also needs to win some fights to rebuild his brand and reputation.
In his first comments about Fedor, White didn't seem optomistic:
"I don't see any irony in that," White told Yahoo!'s Kevin Iole, chuckling. "Even though Fedor is now under contract with Zuffa, I still have a hard time imagining he'll ever fight in the UFC. We'll see, but that's my bet right now."
"You know me," White said. "I'm as big a fan of this as anybody and I love making the fights that everyone wants to see. At the end of the day, it's all about making great fights and the fights the people want to see. That's what we're doing."
9. Jason Miller, Middleweight (24-7, 1-1 Strikeforce, 0-1 UFC)
Miller is far from the best fighter on this list, but he's the most media savvy. His MTV show "Bully Beatdown" and appearances all over satellite radio give him exposure more MMA fighters can't even sniff. He fought for the UFC back in 2005 against GSP, but simply wasn't ready for that level and was draining himself way down at 170 pounds.
10. Gegard Mousasi, Light heavyweight (30-3, 2-1 Strikeforce)
I'm still a backer of Mousasi. His calculated style and killer instinct makes him an attractive addition. He just needs to strategize a little more against top level fighters and must shore up his takedown defense. Don't sleep on the Armenian's future. UFC may talk to him about going back down to middleweight. An Anderson Silva-Mousasi fight would be dynamite.
11. Fabricio Werdum, Heavyweight (14-4, 3-0 Strikeforce)
We're still not sure what went down when Werdum was sent packing by the UFC back in 2009. His talent is undeniable. Werdum is a huge dude at 6-5, 245 and his jiu-jitsu is some of the best in the world for the weight class. The win over Fedor was no fluke and don't forget he avoided dangerous situations in getting the win over Antonio Silva too. Grappling matchups against Lesnar, Mir, Carwin and even Roy Nelson would be awesome.
12. Paul Daley, Welterweight (27-9, 1-0 Strikeforce, 2-1 UFC)
The villain of all villians. Whether Daley should've been cut from the UFC is still debatable. His questionable attitude is not. We all have bosses and sometimes have to swallow our pride to co-exist. Daley was supposedly posting today on the Underground Forum today that he needs to "think" about fighting for the UFC and making money for White. Frankly, it's not his decision. It's also pretty stupid to push for your options to only include Japan's DREAM, BAMMA, Shark Fights, Titan Fighting, Bellator and MFC.
13. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Middleweight (14-2, 4-0 Strikeforce)
Jacare is very intriguing. His submission game is off the charts and would be a great anti-dote against the UFC's wrestlers/grapplers like Chael Sonnen and Yushin Okami. As the Strikeforce middleweight champ, he controls his own destiny. If he keeps winning under the "business as usual" operation, he'll force the hand of the UFC to put him in the mix with the big company.
14. Rafael Cavalcante, Light heavyweight (10-3, 3-2 Strikeforce)
"Feijao" lost to Henderson, but it's just one fight. The guy comes to bang and has an excellent ground game. The UFC could certainly find a home for another huge, well-rounded light heavyweight.
15. Robbie Lawler, Middleweight (18-7, 2-3 Strikeforce, 4-3 UFC)
It would be shocking to see Lawler on the outside looking in. He's a favorite of White's. His style is exactly what fans and the promotion latch onto. Lawler's one-punch knockout power makes him a more talented version of Chris Lytle and we know he's got a job for life with the promotion as long as he remains around .500.
Others possibly in the mix: Josh Thomson, *Shinya Aoki, *Tatsuya Kawajiri, Shane del Rosario, Daniel Cormier.
*Not under contract with Strikeforce. Co-promotional deals with DREAM.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Dana White talks about the UFC/Strikeforce merger
0:48 "We just closed the deal"
- 0:53 "As we continue to expand, we need more fights"
- 1:10 "Strikeforce has a following, people enjoy the fights, it made sense to us"
- 2:05 "The deal happened quickly; I don't want to disclose the details"
- 2:30 "The reality is we now own Strikeforce"
- 3:18 "Strikeforce is going to continue to run as business as usual, there are contracts in place, Showtime is happy with them, these guys will remain Strikeforce fighters. Could guys from the UFC leave and end up in Strikeforce? Yes absolutely."
- 3:46 "Scott Coker is staying on, Scott is a good guy"
- 5:20 "Lorenzo can deal with Showtime"
- 6:00 "Scott Coker will continue to run that business (example: M-1 Global, Dan Henderson)
- 6:55 "M-1 has a deal with Showtime, that's completely separate and Fedor will continue to fight in Strikeforce/Showtime"
- 7:42 "No we won't be doing any super fights"
- 7:50 "When I say business as usual, we don't co-promote, even when we own it"
- 8:12 "Can we make some tweaks (to Strikeforce) and make them better? Absolutely"
- 10:26 "(The Showtime deal) is around 2 years"
- 10:43 "Once contracts expire, I have the right to negotiate for the UFC and try to acquire some of their talent"
- 11:20 "Josh Barnett has a deal with Strikeforce and Scott Coker, that deal will remain in place"
- 13:06 "Scott Coker will continue to put on women's fights and sign women"
- 15:00 "We do acquire their (fight) library, we need more fighters"
- 17:20 "Whatever deals (with DREAM, etc) Scott Coker has in place, he'll continue to do"
- 17:50 "Strikeforce could end up in Canada and other parts of the world"
- 18:00 "It's the same thing that happened with PRIDE and the WEC, that's the way it goes"
- 20:00 "I'm stll not a Paul Daley fan. He will never fight in the UFC"
This is obviously huge, shocking news. The interesting thing will be to see how the property is used. Dana says that the company will be run as a separate entity and it will be "business as usual"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
