Thursday, 31 May 2012
Silva vs. Franklin 2 to Headline UFC 147
Silva was originally set to face fellow TUF Brasil coach Vitor Belfort in a rematch of their 1998 UFC Brazil bout, but a hand injury forced Belfort to withdraw from the event. Franklin had been training to meet Cung Le at UFC 148 -- plans for Le's next matchup will be announced shortly.
The co-main bout will feature heavyweight stand-outs FabrÃcio Werdum and Mike Russow, both coming off wins in their last fight.
Plus, two elite Brazilian featherweights will go head-to-head as Yuri Alcantara fights Hacran Dias. The two have nearly 50 combined wins without a defeat in years. Their styles and ability to finish the fight anywhere make for a hard-to-predict bout that should pique the interest of hardcore fans.
A featherweight showdown between Felipe Arantes and Milton Vieira will also take place at this event. Vieira is a longtime veteran of the sport, known for his incredible durability and submission ability, while Arantes is a young prospect with a flashy and powerful striking game.
The remainder of the fight card will feature contestants from TUF Brasil, including the two finalists vying to become the show's first-ever Ultimate Fighter.
Daniel Cormier takes Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix and Gilbert Melendez defends belt (VIDEO)
Daniel Cormier can no longer be called an exciting prospect, as he showed he's among the best heavyweights in MMA with a dominating unanimous decision win over Josh Barnett on Saturday night. Check out the video for one of the nastiest takedowns I've ever seen in an MMA bout as well as highlights from Gilbert Melendez's close decision over Josh Thomson to hold on to the Strikeforce lightweight belt.
Still Alive and Well, Hardy KOs Bang - UFC 146 Prelim Results
Chronically plagued with questions about losing four straight fights, and facing a “must-win” predicament Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, former No. 1 contender Dan Hardy rediscovered his mojo with a textbook left hook that dropped Duane Ludwig and carried him to a first-round knockout.
It was a compelling and exciting fight for all 3 minutes and 51 seconds that it lasted. Back and forth they went, trading heavy shots (no pitter-patter in this one). Early on, in fact, Ludwig landed a nice straight right that briefly forced Hardy to retreat and seek out a clinch. Hardy has worked feverishly with highly acclaimed grappling instructor Ricky Lundell on his wrestling, but could not take the action to the canvas. Yet, at the very least, his improved wrestling and grappling since relocating to Las Vegas made the Brit seem multi-dimensional for the first time in a long time. The 30-year-old fought like a man who was comfortable wherever the fight went and his standup – which in the past could be characterized as instinctive brawling – seemed much more fluid and purposeful.
The end came suddenly: Hardy unleashed a near-perfect left hook – his most faithful weapon—and down went Ludwig. Hardy briefly admired his work by hoisting his arms in the air (perhaps thinking Ludwig was out), only to look down and see that Ludwig was discombobulated but still kicking. So Hardy followed up with several well-placed elbows to the face, putting Ludwig out and forcing the stoppage.
Hardy euphorically erupted about the cage, then kissed the Octagon in celebration. One of Britain’s most popular fighters, as well as one of the sport’s most colorful and exciting fighters, was back.
“It’s good to be back,” Hardy said afterward. “One thing about this fight is it’s a little bittersweet. Duane has been a bit of a hero to me. I’ve always admired him, I’ve always respected him.”
DARREN ELKINS VS. DIEGO BRANDAO
Darren Elkins’ coaches offered him this advice leading up to his featherweight bout against Diego Brandao, season 14 winner of The Ultimate Fighter: “He comes out hard and swinging and fights with a lot of emotion. You gotta survive the first two or three minutes and then find a rhythm.”
The strategy worked to perfection, though it did require Elkins (15-2) to weather a furious storm from Brandao in the first round. The action saw Brandao cracking the Indianan with bombs, a thundering flying knee and a diving right hand to Elkins’ grill while he was on his back and trying to play guard.
But as the fight wore on, in rounds two and three, Brandao’s output did begin to fall and Elkins opportunistically imposed his wrestling takedowns and top control. In the second round, in particular, Elkins mounted the Brazilian and whaled away with a barrage of heavy shots. In the third frame, Elkins again controlled on top for most of the round, sealing the deal.
Judges scored it 29-28 across the board for Elkins. Hear what Elkins had to say during his post-fight interview
JAMIE VARNER VS. EDSON BARBOZA
Rightly or wrongly, Jamie Varner has attracted his fair share of “haters” who have questioned his heart under heavy fire. Once upon a time the Arizona lightweight had held the prestigious World Extreme Cagefighting belt; a string of tough losses later, the 27-year-old dropped off the big stage radar.
The Prodigal Son, five years after he last fought in the UFC, returned home Saturday night, but as a substantial 4-to-1 underdog to unbeaten Edson Barboza. Clearly many had mistook Varner as a sacrificial lamb of sorts, and they had reasons to pat themselves on the back early on as Barboza whacked away at Varner’s legs with potent leg kicks. Yet Varner ate those kicks and stayed aggressive, landing a flurry of shots then stunned the Brazilian. Smelling hurt, Varner scored a takedown and relentlessly teed off with a hail of punches, earning a referee stoppage.
Barboza immediately protested to the referee while Varner ran around the cage yelling “I’m back!!”
“Once you hit rock bottom you can really appreciate some of the places you been,” Varner said, so I really appreciate the UFC giving me a second chance. Barbosa is tough, he’s a scary dude. I didn’t care whether I won or lost, I just wanted to put on a show for the fans.”
Winner of four of his past five, Varner conceded he had plenty of nerves headed into this fight with the previously 10-0 Barboza. But he was inspired, he said, by his cornermen, who implored him to “Go be the wolf.”
“What that means: Go eat,” said Varner (20-6-1, 2 NC). “I can’t believe it’s me. I can’t believe I just beat Edson Barboza, a guy who was this monster in my mind.”
Watch Varner's post-fight interview
JASON MILLER VS. C.B. DOLLAWAY
Jason Miller presents himself as wild and carefree. But after dropping a three-round decision to C.B. Dollaway, the star of MTV’s “Bully Beatdown” looked to be quite sober in demeanor and probably in line for a lot of soul-searching regarding his career. Miller (34-10, 1 NC) showed glimpses in this one, stunning Dollaway with a punch in round one, and landing a sizzling overhand right in round two that made Dollaway do the so-called “chicken dance” about the cage.
But Dollaway (13-5) survived each scare, looked much-improved in his own boxing and rode his takedowns and top control to grind out a three-round unanimous decision by scores of 29-28, 30-26 and 29-28.
“I did what I had to do coming off hip surgery, so …,” Dollaway said. Check out Dollaway's post-fight interview
JACOB VOLKMANN VS. PAUL SASS
Jacob Volkmann’s quest for a sixth straight win in the Octagon was denied, courtesy of unbeaten Sass and the lanky Brit’s trademark triangle submission. Volkmann, a top-shelf grappler and former All-American wrestler at the University of Minnesota, got going early with takedowns. But daring to test Sass’s guard proved his undoing as Sass (13-0) swiftly locked in a deep triangle and then cranked the professional chiropractor’s arm for good measure, earning the tap at 1:54 of the opening stanza.
Hear what Sass had to say after his win
GLOVER TEIXEIRA VS. KYLE KINGSBURY
Based on first impressions, light heavyweight Glover Teixeira is going to be around for a while. The highly-touted Brazilian (18-2) made quick work of UFC veteran Kyle Kingsbury, choking the former Arizona State University football player out with an arm triangle at 1:53 of the first round.
Teixeira, victorious in 16 straight now, never offered the slightest glimmer of hope to Kingsbury in the bout, jumping out of the gate and cracking Kingsbury with hard overhand right after hard overhand right. Kingsbury (11-4) was wobbled early, and when he went to the canvas, Teixeira followed him there and dished out some very effective ground and pound before slipping in the fight-ending choke.
“It was a little bit of pressure, I tell you, man,” Teixeira said. “I felt, ‘I gotta win.’”
Watch Teixeira's post-fight interview
MIKE BROWN VS. DANIEL PINEDA
Mike Brown, the former WEC world champion at 145 pounds, outworked a very game Daniel Pineda en route to a unanimous decision victory.
The former collegiate wrestler was able to muscle Pineda to the canvas throughout the fast-paced fight, and effectively dished out some ground and pound. There were moments of splendor in the standup game, with both fighters winging and landing some hard shots.
Early in the second round, Pineda – who had won seven straight coming in -- got the better of the banging, but midway through, Brown turned the tides with a torrent of hard uppercuts. The difference in that round was Brown’s ground-and-pound, opening a cut on Pineda (17-8). In the third round, Brown (26-8) dropped the Houstonite with a vicious knee to the body and retained top control for the bulk of the round. Pineda rallied in the last 90 seconds by reversing and taking Brown’s back, but was unable to capitalize or inflict much damage.
The 36-year-old Brown has now won two straight.
Hear what the former WEC champ had to say in his post-fight interview
Inc. Magazine features Blue Grace Logistics UFC sponsorship
Inc. magazine’s June issue featured UFC sponsor BlueGrace Logistics and its marketing in the UFC. The article interviews CEO Bobby Harris and UFC agent Malki Kawa about the marketing.
Via Inc. Magazine:
Of all the peculiar places businesses advertise, a man’s backside may top the list. But in the world of mixed martial arts, it’s the most visible space on a fighter’s shorts. For sponsors, that makes it the money sport, and, according to Bobby Harris, founder and CEO of BlueGrace Logistics, it’s worth every penny.
BlueGrace, a shipping, transportation and logistics company has sponsored more than 20 fighters including current lightweight champ Benson Henderson. Similar to MusclePharm, its logo is readily identifiable.
Harris had a chance meeting with Jon Jones in the lobby of a Las Vegas hotel. Impressed with Jones, Harris considered a sponsorship deal with the UFC.
Some other takeaways from the article:
- It can cost “as little” as $10,000 to sponsor a fighter for one night and an annual contract is in the “low six figures.” According to the article, its a fraction of the cost if a company wanted to get into NASCAR.
- The “newness” of the sport allows personal relationships between fighter and sponsor. The BlueGrace-sponsored fighters promotes and interacts with fancs for the brand on Twitter and Facebook.
- Thiago Alves, a fighter with an annual contract, appeared on its holiday card and made a personal appearance at a BlueGrace career fair.
The article also comes up with some sport comparisons when it comes to marketing:
Equestrian – $15,000 an event
Surfing – $25,000 an event
Bowling – $20,000 an event. The article noted that this sport has a much lower cost of entry than other televised sports.
Women’s Golf – $50,000 an event
UPDATE: Credit Larry Rothstein from Source Communications with the above estimates.
Payout Perspective:
It’s an informative writeup on how a company with no real ties to MMA got into sponsorship. The comparables also show why a smaller company still may find value in sponsorship opportunities with the UFC. The article did not address the UFC sponsorship fee so its not clear whether the cost of sponsoring includes the fee or not.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Payout/~3/5thmqKHifH0/
Mike Chiesa vs. Al Iaquinta: Head-to-Toe Breakdown of TUF Live Finale Bout
Since being selected as two of 32 fighters to compete on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter on FX, Urijah Faber-coached teammates Mike Chiesa and Al Iaquinta have won four straight fights and earned spots in the finals of the lightweight tournament.
While living in The Ultimate Fighter house, Chiesa learned of the passing of his father. Despite the tragic loss, Chiesa opted to continue competing and is now just one win away from making worthwhile the hardship he had to endure by being away from his family during their time of grieving.
Though it's probable both fighters will get another chance inside the Octagon after Friday night, let's take a look at whether Chiesa or Iaquinta has a better chance of winning a guaranteed contract with the world's premier MMA organization.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1201105-tuf-live-mike-chiesa-vs-al-iaquinta-head-to-toe-breakdown
Police blotter: More on Jon Jones and Arianny Celeste’s arrests
Checking in on the legal issues of a few members of the UFC:
-- Jon Jones pled guilty to DWI in Binghamton, N.Y. on Tuesday. His driving privileges were suspended and he was ordered to undergo an alcohol abuse and dependency evaluation. His next hearing is in June, where he will find out his exact sentence. He can have up to a year in jail and a fine of $1,000.
Also, Sports Illustrated's Loretta Hunt is reporting that Jones was not alone in his Bentley when he hit a pole. He had two passengers. Dana White commented on the arrest on Inside MMA.
"He's a good kid. He made a stupid mistake. The thing about social drinking. Everybody's done it. Everybody was at that age where they jumped in the car, drove home and the next day they said I can't believe that I drove home last night. It's a serious situation that happens here in the United States. I know for a fact Jon has learned from this and hopefully he can educate other people."
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 10,000 people will die in drunk driving accidents this year. A person will be injured in an alcohol-related crash every minute. Shane del Rosario, who fought in the UFC this past weekend, nearly had his MMA career ended because of a drunk driver.
Perhaps the correct attitude for the UFC's president to take on his biggest star getting arrested for drunk driving is to just say how wrong it was, and not try to couch the behavior with, "Everybody's done it," because that's simply not true.
-- Details have emerged from Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste's arrest for domestic violence over the weekend. She was in a fight with her boyfriend, Praveen Chandra, and allegedly kicked him in the face. Police observed cuts on her arms, and also arrested Chandra.
Mike Dolce Is Talking, So You Need To Listen
Ever since being the architect of a 45-pound weight cut for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson two years ago, over a mere eight weeks, Mike Dolce’s star has skyrocketed among UFC fighters. Quite simply, the founder of The Dolce Diet has no equal in MMA when it comes to helping fighters shed significant poundage without feeling absolutely drained once they step into the Octagon. The 36-year-old New Jersey native has directed the dietary and nutritional needs of some of the biggest names in the sport – clients such as Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Gray Maynard, Michael Bisping and Jake Ellenberger, to name a few – and you will be hard-pressed to find another man more passionate about nutrition in the fight game than Mr. Dolce. A former pro fighter himself, and standout wrestler and powerlifter in high school, most of Dolce’s life has revolved around the science of maximizing human performance. It is more than a job for the author of the book “Living Lean;” it is an obsession he has cultivated since the age of 8 or 9, which is why there is likely no better brain to pick on the subject than this undisputed master of the weight cut.
Curreri: What are some of the core ‘Superfoods’ for fighters?
Dolce: Everybody has their own list. I use the term “earth-grown nutrients.” Now, I’m not talking about cocaine or things like that, obviously. We’re talking about blueberries, avocados, chia seeds, and a tremendous amount of green vegetables. I also believe in moderation and rotation of Superfoods. So don’t always eat baby spinach when you can have kale. Don’t always eat asparagus when you can have broccoli on the side. I like to rotate them. So it’s really more Supergroups, not just Superfoods. But blueberries, kale, spinach, broccoli, avocado, apples and red peppers are high on the list.
Curreri: What about satisfying the protein needs of your athletes?
Dolce: As far as proteins go, I sway back and forth and embrace a lot of the Vegan principles. It’s just the application of it is especially different in MMA. From a cultural standpoint, and from the athlete’s perspective, a lot of times guys think that if they don’t eat meat they will be weaker. So then a placebo effect kicks in and they don’t perform as well. So we have to pay attention to that. It’s very important.
Curreri: Different fighters have different views on sugar. Most agree that added or refined sugars are bad, but there are varying views on the sugar derived from fruits. Where are you on that? Is there a problem if someone is consuming sugar from fruit?
Dolce: Most people stand on the side of, ‘Sugar is in fruit, sugar is bad, equals fruit is bad.’ So they won’t have fruit - they will have brown rice, chicken breast, some sort of steamed vegetables, that sort of thing. But when you pull the fruit out of your diet you’re also pulling out many antioxidants and many, many vital nutrients that cannot be replicated from any other product on the planet. So when you eliminate fruit then you eliminate a lot of your own vitality. This is why I identify myself as a longevity advocate, not a sports-performance advocate. So being a longevity advocate, I love and embrace fruit. And my athletes eat a tremendous amount of fruit and they also eat a much higher amount of carbohydrate than most other weight-class oriented athletes. And people say, ‘Well that will make them fat or they won’t perform as well.’ And I say, ‘Respectfully, you’re wrong. Because Vitor Belfort is 5 percent body fat and he just beat the s--- out of a high-level athlete last night. Chael Sonnen is 6 percent body fat and he cut 42 pounds and had a three round war with Michael Bisping …
Glycogen is the primary fuel source for the brain and the muscles, so we need sugar. When you pull out sugar, everything starts to shut off. So I make sure my athletes are fed all the way up to the time that they step on the scale. We don’t neglect nutrients or food groups just for the sake of making weight. My philosophy is to give the body everything it needs and the body will give it back to you.
Curreri: So your clients are eating relatively well leading up to weigh-in?
Dolce: Food is fuel … so I recommend that you eat every two to four hours that you’re awake, no matter what is going on, to keep your insulin stable and regulate your metabolism. And we cater that around your goal and provide the right amount of nutrients and have the metabolism adapt accordingly.
So my guys typically, week of the fight, they eat four times on the Thursday before weigh-in. They eat constantly, everyday. So some of the Brazilians, guys like Vitor Belfort and Thiago Alves, love to tweet pictures of their food like, ‘I can’t believe it’s fight week and I’m eating pancakes today!’
A guy might be 22 pounds over fight week but we’re still feeding them dinner, feeding the metabolism and making it faster. We make the fighter feel strong and feel fresh so they have the energy to get out there and cut weight. I have them cut weight by feeding them instead of starving and suffering.
The afternoon interview is pleasantly interrupted by a phone call. It’s coaches for Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, a giant of a man who will fight former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez this Saturday night. Dolce takes the call and travels to another room at the MGM Grand hotel with meals for his massive client. Dolce drops off a hot, homemade meal to Bigfoot consisting of lentils, beans, quinoa, onions, sweet potato and crushed tomatoes.
Curreri: What did Bigfoot start his camp at?
Dolce: Five weeks before this fight, when I went to Florida to work with him in his camp, he was 289 pounds. Within 10 days he was down to 271, and I probably doubled his calories.
Curreri: Give me an idea of what he was eating to accomplish that?
Dolce: He ate a lot of everything. He likes soups – that speaks to his culture, he’s Brazilian … he
likes that feeling of warm, homemade food. So I made a lot of soups surrounding that using lentils, beans, seeds and fresh chopped vegetables and quinoa, things like that. A guy like Thiago Alves, on the other hand, is a steak and meat and potatoes eater. Curreri: So you try to individualize and cater the diet to whatever a fighter’s body is used to, not wanting to totally shock their body with a sudden and dramatic overhaul?
Dolce: That’s exactly right. I make little suggestions initially and I slowly transition them to a higher level (of diet and nutrition). If you don’t do it gradually then you have problems with detoxification and them having a lack of faith in the system. They might think, ‘My God, I started eating clean and I feel like s---‘!’ It’s psychology also. These guys can become basket cases during fight week. You know, they’re two or three days away from getting punched in the face in front of millions of people and their career and their mortgages are on the line, and they’re cutting 20 and 30 pounds on top of that.
Curreri: Yours is no 9 to 5 job. You get phone calls and texts at all hours of the day and night from fighter-clients. What are some common questions and concerns that are on their minds when they reach out to you?
Dolce: They ask me, Can I have a cup of coffee? Can I get tea? Can I add milk or honey to that? Can I drink a soda? Can I get a piece of pizza? Can I get eggs at the airport?
Or, I’m standing in the supermarket, I don’t know what brown rice to get … it’s amazing. It might seem like an annoyance to other people, but for the fighter it’s the biggest decision of his life at that particular moment. So I encourage them to ask those questions and I want to coach them through that.
Curreri: Eating organic is more expensive. A lot of people assume that eating healthy means more expensive. Should a fighter that hires you expect to see his food and grocery bills increase significantly?
Dolce: No. The grocery bill drops! This is what blows people’s minds. People that have bought my books … I have like 2,000 and some tweets, direct testimonials from people and a good portion of those are people talking about their grocery bill going down. I try to recommend food groups and food pairings that are extremely nutrient dense and low-calorie. So you get more nutrients and less calories while sustaining a much higher level of vitality. So you don’t need to eat as much to have the same amount of energy and vital nutrients.
Another thing: When you go to the store and buy, say, an organic red pepper for between $1.50 and $3.00 … you’re going to slice that red pepper into quarters most likely so that’s spread out of over four meals. And you’re going to cut a chicken breast in half for two meals. Then you’ll have some vital greens, kale or spinach. You’ll have 20 cents worth of chia seeds thrown on there. You’re going to have another 40 cents for a fruit or vegetable, so the meals actually break down to be inexpensive. In my house (of three) we only spend about $150 a week on groceries and we mostly eat organic products. We only buy what we’re going to make and we only make what we’re going to eat.
Most people make too much and throw out way too much and that runs their bill up. That’s why my meal plans for my athletes are very structured. Now a pack of berries, instead of lasting a day or two, lasts a lot longer.
I have worked for Johny (Hendricks) his past two fights: The Koscheck fight and the Jon Fitch fight. Before me stepping on board, Johny was nicknamed, “The Baconator.” Evidently there is a sandwich out there at one of the fast food joints called The Baconator that Johny absolutely loved and would eat in copious amounts. But now we’ve been able to get Johny to reform a little bit and turn the corner.
Curreri: You grew up and played a lot of sports, right?
Dolce: My upbringing was all sports-related. My father owned and trained thoroughbred racehorses. My mother had been on a college scholarship for basketball and became a college basketball coach. So me and my siblings played recreational sports throughout our childhoods: baseball, basketball, soccer, wrestling. I started wrestling and playing lacrosse, but then I just focused primarily on powerlifting when I was 13 years old and started wrestling in high school.
Curreri: Tell me about your first experiences with weight-cutting. How old were you?
Dolce: Honestly, it was being around jockeys when I was younger; they were cutting weight. And the horses were cutting weight, too, and using diuretics! So I remember as a boy seeing jockeys go in and out of the sauna cutting weight just like MMA athletes do – which is crazy. I remember seeing the look on the jockeys’ faces, they were so gaunt. And they’re such little guys anyway. If they weigh 140 they’re fat.
As a freshman in high school I made the varsity team. I had never wrestled before so my coaches would bounce me around weight classes. I weighed about 125 pounds when I started the season but I was growing and training a lot. So I started bouncing from 125 to 145 pounds, so I had to lose weight a lot. I came back my sophomore year weighing 174 pounds and wrestled at 152. So that was a 22-pound weight cut.
Even as a freshman I was a team captain and I had a good grasp on weight-cutting. I was already strength training, already learning about nutrition, already constantly immersed in reading bodybuilding magazines … I knew I could be stronger than everybody else, be in better shape than everybody else and work harder than everybody else. My coaches would have us do situps and things like that and I would be correcting other people’s form … I was like this little know-it-all. But I actually did know more than they did at this stuff and I would interject and stuff.
I was studying Dorian Yates, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding”, that was like a bible to me. Every time I would walk a mile and a half to 7-Eleven I would get the muscle magazines: Flex, Muscle & Fitness, Men’s Health. I would pick up all these kernels of information and apply them.
Curreri: Your forte is nutrition, diet and weight-cutting. You could have focused on strength and conditioning … where there is a lot more competition. You chose diet and I’m at a loss to name and identify whoever is Number 2 or 3 behind you. It’s a biiigggg gap. I can’t think of another name. You’ve got that niche on lock …
Dolce: I started out as a strength coach. I saw myself as a strength coach. I was hired by Team Quest in Portland, Oregon – working with Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, Nate Quarry, Chael Sonnen and those A-class guys – as a strength coach. And it wasn’t until I started fighting (first as a MMA amateur and then professionally) and making 30-40-pound weight cuts in a couple of weeks as opposed to guys that complained about making 16-20 pound weight cuts in two months (that guys perked up and took notice). I was able to cut the weight, rehydrate afterwards and perform at a high level without ill effects from the weight cut. That blew everybody’s mind. And that is when the allure of The Dolce Diet began. Before that I was a strength coach and just assumed, ‘Well, everybody knows nutrition …it’s so simple, such common sense, what to eat.’ Well it turned out that nobody was really doing that.
Curreri: How did you happen upon this niche?
Dolce: I think the legend started when Rampage (Jackson) fought Rashad Evans (at UFC 114, in May 2010). Rampage started that training camp at 251 pounds, so seven weeks and six days before the fight he was 44 pounds over (the 206-pound limit for light heavyweights). And that was a huge story because he was so out of shape after taking a 14-month layoff and doing the A-Team movie. So Rampage stepped on the scale and looked amazing after losing 45 pounds, and went on record saying it was the easiest weight cut he had ever had … and then to go out there and perform against Rashad and win the third round, having more power and more mental acuity and being the better conditioned athlete in my mind … all of the sudden my phone started ringing a lot more. Because Rampage is notorious for not liking to train and eating garbage food and everybody saw that conversion, you know, ‘What the hell happened?’
Prior to that I had been working with a smaller group of Team Quest guys, it just wasn’t so public. Now people think I’m a nutritionist, or a dietician, but I’m not. What’s my label? I don’t have one. I’m just a coach who can help these guys (make weight and feel great). I’ve been involved in thousands of weight cuts and you’d better believe that I spend my mornings spending hours and lunch breaks reading scientific journals, reviews and any pertinent data I can get my hands on for education. I have multiple certifications … Then I run and test along with other high-level coaches and elite athletes from around the world that I’m blessed to work with on a daily basis. So rather than sitting in a classroom learning and cramming for exams, I’m actually living in hotels with UFC fighters and preparing them for the stage and competition.
Curreri: How much of the food that your fighter clients eat should be organic?
Dolce: As a goal, 100 percent of what they eat should be organic. 100 percent. I think everybody on the planet should be able to walk out of their backyard, and pull their meal out of their plot of land and bring it in their house and eat it. That way it’s live and fresh. The farther you get away from that, the nutrient quality is diminished. So we try to keep the food source as close to home as possible. So I don’t want my food to come from a town over if I can get it from my neighbor, and I don’t want to get it from my neighbor if I can get it from my own backyard. So organic gives you the highest nutrients.
Curreri: Who are the biggest weight cutters among your clientele?
Dolce: The biggest weight cutters come to me now. And that’s not a statement of pride – it’s just a fact. Rampage, who literally would walk between 250 and 260 up to eight weeks before a fight … now, I haven’t worked with him for his last two fights (one of which saw Rampage overweight for his bout against Ryan Bader, which Rampage attributed to a knee injury suffered in training camp). I worked with Chael Sonnen, who was 233 pounds, eight weeks before his fight with Michael Bisping. Chael fights at 185 pounds so that’s roughly 48 pounds; that’s huge man.
Thiago Alves and Johny Hendricks both brought me in and they are guys that both weigh upwards of 205 and 210 pounds, so that’s a 35- or 40-pound weight cut. I got Jake Ellenberger, who’s a 200-pound man. Mark Bocek, who gets up to 190 or so and fights at ’55. Keith Jardine, who made 185 for the first time since he was 17 years old with me, leading up to his Strikeforce middleweight title fight against Luke Rockhold. Now, Keith lost that fight, unfortunately, but he made the weight and felt great.
But out of all the guys that I work with, Duane Ludwig (who fights Saturday night against Dan Hardy at UFC 146) is the best weight cutter that I’ve ever worked with. Duane is a 195-pound man and gets up to 200 pounds and is decently lean at that weight. Around Christmas of 2009 Duane had been fighting in smaller shows and he got a call from Joe Silva and an offer to fight January second against Jim Miller, on 13 days’ notice. Duane calls me up, tells me the deal. I’m like, ‘Sweet, what do you weigh?’
He was 198 pounds and had to make 156. That’s a 43-pound weight loss in 13 days. We did it. Wow! Duane looked great, he just got caught in an armbar by Jim. Now five fights later Duane is back at welterweight. I’ve worked with Duane for quite a while now and he used to cut more weight than anybody else and he handles it like a professional, he doesn’t handle it emotionally. People don’t really see that because he looks skinny but he’s a big guy. He knows what he has to do and he gets it done very clinically. Other guys moan and complain and things like that, but it’s the choice that you make.
Curreri: When a fighter calls you, have you ever had to tell a guy, ‘I can’t help you make the weight?’
Dolce: No. I don’t guarantee weight loss. What I do is say, ‘I will make you as healthy as possible. You’re the boss.’ But whatever the athlete wants done, we come together as a team and try to get it done. It’s my job to keep them healthy and make sure they train with the right intensity, at the proper volumes, and we go through periodization. That’s something a lot of people don’t see with The Dolce Diet - it’s a periodized peaking plan. So I want to know what your morning heart rate was, the weight you woke up at … I literally talk to a fighter’s wife, I talk to his brother, I talk to his best friend. ‘Is he joking? Is he watching his normal TV shows? Is he falling asleep at night? What kind of radio is he listening to?’
I also stay and train with a lot of guys that bring me in … so if a guy was stuck in traffic for two hours, then that’s critical data for me that needs to be addressed and understood. And we act according to that. So what if he strains his knee in practice? What if he has an argument with his girl? Then everything absolutely changes. So I try to keep my guys in the moment and keep them dialed in. That’s the way my guys are able to make weight so easily and look amazing on the scales and backstage and rehydrate so they can have a career-defining performance on Saturday night.
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Mike-Dolce-Is-Talking-So-You-Need-To-Listen
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Still Alive and Well, Hardy KOs Bang - UFC 146 Prelim Results
Chronically plagued with questions about losing four straight fights, and facing a “must-win” predicament Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, former No. 1 contender Dan Hardy rediscovered his mojo with a textbook left hook that dropped Duane Ludwig and carried him to a first-round knockout.
It was a compelling and exciting fight for all 3 minutes and 51 seconds that it lasted. Back and forth they went, trading heavy shots (no pitter-patter in this one). Early on, in fact, Ludwig landed a nice straight right that briefly forced Hardy to retreat and seek out a clinch. Hardy has worked feverishly with highly acclaimed grappling instructor Ricky Lundell on his wrestling, but could not take the action to the canvas. Yet, at the very least, his improved wrestling and grappling since relocating to Las Vegas made the Brit seem multi-dimensional for the first time in a long time. The 30-year-old fought like a man who was comfortable wherever the fight went and his standup – which in the past could be characterized as instinctive brawling – seemed much more fluid and purposeful.
The end came suddenly: Hardy unleashed a near-perfect left hook – his most faithful weapon—and down went Ludwig. Hardy briefly admired his work by hoisting his arms in the air (perhaps thinking Ludwig was out), only to look down and see that Ludwig was discombobulated but still kicking. So Hardy followed up with several well-placed elbows to the face, putting Ludwig out and forcing the stoppage.
Hardy euphorically erupted about the cage, then kissed the Octagon in celebration. One of Britain’s most popular fighters, as well as one of the sport’s most colorful and exciting fighters, was back.
“It’s good to be back,” Hardy said afterward. “One thing about this fight is it’s a little bittersweet. Duane has been a bit of a hero to me. I’ve always admired him, I’ve always respected him.”
DARREN ELKINS VS. DIEGO BRANDAO
Darren Elkins’ coaches offered him this advice leading up to his featherweight bout against Diego Brandao, season 14 winner of The Ultimate Fighter: “He comes out hard and swinging and fights with a lot of emotion. You gotta survive the first two or three minutes and then find a rhythm.”
The strategy worked to perfection, though it did require Elkins (15-2) to weather a furious storm from Brandao in the first round. The action saw Brandao cracking the Indianan with bombs, a thundering flying knee and a diving right hand to Elkins’ grill while he was on his back and trying to play guard.
But as the fight wore on, in rounds two and three, Brandao’s output did begin to fall and Elkins opportunistically imposed his wrestling takedowns and top control. In the second round, in particular, Elkins mounted the Brazilian and whaled away with a barrage of heavy shots. In the third frame, Elkins again controlled on top for most of the round, sealing the deal.
Judges scored it 29-28 across the board for Elkins. Hear what Elkins had to say during his post-fight interview
JAMIE VARNER VS. EDSON BARBOZA
Rightly or wrongly, Jamie Varner has attracted his fair share of “haters” who have questioned his heart under heavy fire. Once upon a time the Arizona lightweight had held the prestigious World Extreme Cagefighting belt; a string of tough losses later, the 27-year-old dropped off the big stage radar.
The Prodigal Son, five years after he last fought in the UFC, returned home Saturday night, but as a substantial 4-to-1 underdog to unbeaten Edson Barboza. Clearly many had mistook Varner as a sacrificial lamb of sorts, and they had reasons to pat themselves on the back early on as Barboza whacked away at Varner’s legs with potent leg kicks. Yet Varner ate those kicks and stayed aggressive, landing a flurry of shots then stunned the Brazilian. Smelling hurt, Varner scored a takedown and relentlessly teed off with a hail of punches, earning a referee stoppage.
Barboza immediately protested to the referee while Varner ran around the cage yelling “I’m back!!”
“Once you hit rock bottom you can really appreciate some of the places you been,” Varner said, so I really appreciate the UFC giving me a second chance. Barbosa is tough, he’s a scary dude. I didn’t care whether I won or lost, I just wanted to put on a show for the fans.”
Winner of four of his past five, Varner conceded he had plenty of nerves headed into this fight with the previously 10-0 Barboza. But he was inspired, he said, by his cornermen, who implored him to “Go be the wolf.”
“What that means: Go eat,” said Varner (20-6-1, 2 NC). “I can’t believe it’s me. I can’t believe I just beat Edson Barboza, a guy who was this monster in my mind.”
Watch Varner's post-fight interview
JASON MILLER VS. C.B. DOLLAWAY
Jason Miller presents himself as wild and carefree. But after dropping a three-round decision to C.B. Dollaway, the star of MTV’s “Bully Beatdown” looked to be quite sober in demeanor and probably in line for a lot of soul-searching regarding his career. Miller (34-10, 1 NC) showed glimpses in this one, stunning Dollaway with a punch in round one, and landing a sizzling overhand right in round two that made Dollaway do the so-called “chicken dance” about the cage.
But Dollaway (13-5) survived each scare, looked much-improved in his own boxing and rode his takedowns and top control to grind out a three-round unanimous decision by scores of 29-28, 30-26 and 29-28.
“I did what I had to do coming off hip surgery, so …,” Dollaway said. Check out Dollaway's post-fight interview
JACOB VOLKMANN VS. PAUL SASS
Jacob Volkmann’s quest for a sixth straight win in the Octagon was denied, courtesy of unbeaten Sass and the lanky Brit’s trademark triangle submission. Volkmann, a top-shelf grappler and former All-American wrestler at the University of Minnesota, got going early with takedowns. But daring to test Sass’s guard proved his undoing as Sass (13-0) swiftly locked in a deep triangle and then cranked the professional chiropractor’s arm for good measure, earning the tap at 1:54 of the opening stanza.
Hear what Sass had to say after his win
GLOVER TEIXEIRA VS. KYLE KINGSBURY
Based on first impressions, light heavyweight Glover Teixeira is going to be around for a while. The highly-touted Brazilian (18-2) made quick work of UFC veteran Kyle Kingsbury, choking the former Arizona State University football player out with an arm triangle at 1:53 of the first round.
Teixeira, victorious in 16 straight now, never offered the slightest glimmer of hope to Kingsbury in the bout, jumping out of the gate and cracking Kingsbury with hard overhand right after hard overhand right. Kingsbury (11-4) was wobbled early, and when he went to the canvas, Teixeira followed him there and dished out some very effective ground and pound before slipping in the fight-ending choke.
“It was a little bit of pressure, I tell you, man,” Teixeira said. “I felt, ‘I gotta win.’”
Watch Teixeira's post-fight interview
MIKE BROWN VS. DANIEL PINEDA
Mike Brown, the former WEC world champion at 145 pounds, outworked a very game Daniel Pineda en route to a unanimous decision victory.
The former collegiate wrestler was able to muscle Pineda to the canvas throughout the fast-paced fight, and effectively dished out some ground and pound. There were moments of splendor in the standup game, with both fighters winging and landing some hard shots.
Early in the second round, Pineda – who had won seven straight coming in -- got the better of the banging, but midway through, Brown turned the tides with a torrent of hard uppercuts. The difference in that round was Brown’s ground-and-pound, opening a cut on Pineda (17-8). In the third round, Brown (26-8) dropped the Houstonite with a vicious knee to the body and retained top control for the bulk of the round. Pineda rallied in the last 90 seconds by reversing and taking Brown’s back, but was unable to capitalize or inflict much damage.
The 36-year-old Brown has now won two straight.
Hear what the former WEC champ had to say in his post-fight interview
Roy Nelson: Brock Lesnar Would Only Come Back for a Fight He Can Win
Roy Nelson has never been a dude that pulls any punches, whether he's in the cage or on camera being interviewed by various media outlets.
Both of those traits have turned him into one of the most popular stars in the sport. That's pretty impressive when you consider where he came from. When Nelson won The Ultimate Fighter and made his proper debut in the UFC, he was booed far more than he was cheered, mostly because he's the guy who exposed Kimbo Slice as a silly clown fighter by holding him down with his massive belly and forcing the ref to stop the fight after hundreds of non-damaging punches.
Yes, it may seem unthinkable, but Nelson wasn't all that well-liked back then. Most of that stemmed from UFC President Dana White's comments towards Nelson on The Ultimate Fighter. White thought Nelson was a fat jerk who didn't take the sport seriously and he didn't mind telling you so. Lots of fans glommed on to this idea, and it took Nelson more than a year to turn public sentiment in his direction.
But now, as I said above, he's one of the most popular stars in the UFC, coming off a big knockout win over Dave Herman at UFC 146. And for his next trick, Nelson is going back to his old habit of calling out Brock Lesnar, even though Lesnar is still technically retired. I say "technically retired" because, well, no one is really sure what kind of game Lesnar was playing by showing up at UFC 146 last Saturday.
Does he want to fight? Probably not. He's more than likely attempting to use Dana and the UFC to create leverage with World Wrestling Entertainment. Brock's always been the guy who uses every little angle he can to create the best deal possible for himself, both in business and in life. I think that's essentially what we're seeing here, and I have doubts that we ever see Brock back in the UFC for a fight.
That's not stopping Roy from offering his own pitch for a fight with Lesnar. Nelson appeared on HDNet's Inside MMA on Monday night and said Lesnar won't fight him because, well, he can't beat him:
You know what? Brock coming back, if he does come back, I would love to welcome him back to the UFC. That was a fight that I actually called him out on ESPN, before. But if they actually make him come back, or if he actually thinks about coming back, he'll probably come back to fight Frank Mir, because I think that's the only fight he thinks he can win. But, you know what? I would love to have that fight with Brock.
Nelson is right, but not for the reasons he's saying in this quote.
If Lesnar comes back to fighting—and right now, nobody outside of Lesnar's trusted inner circle is sure what's going on—it would be almost criminal if he fought anyone besides Frank Mir in his return bout, but not because Lesnar would automatically win the fight.
No, the UFC would make that fight simply because it would do more money than any fight in the heavyweight division. And yes, I'm including the Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez rematch in that category.
Lesnar and Mir aren't what they used to be, but there's still a deep hatred between the two that somehow has the ability to hook fans and create extreme interest. Even now, several years after Lesnar seemingly ended their feud by beating Mir into a pulp at UFC 100, folks are interested in seeing them square off for a third time.
But kudos to Roy for throwing his name in the mythical Lesnar hat. If the biggest-drawing fighter in the history of the sport does ultimately decide to make a comeback, I wouldn't mind seeing "Big Country" finally get a crack at him.
And this time, I bet Brock wouldn't pretend as though he didn't know the rotund fellow with the absurd haircut talking trash about him.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
UFC 146 Medical Suspensions: X-Rays to Determine the Fates of Velasquez, Silva, and Varner Among Others
(And to think that all “Bigfoot” did was ask Arianny for a hug. Image courtesy of Fightcove.)
UFC 146′s all-heavyweight lineup promised to deliver the violence, and sweet baby Jesus did it ever. We were treated to five finishes in five fights on the main card alone, including what was initially labeled as a broken arm on Lavar Johnson’s part, as well as the above mutilation of Antonio Silva, which more closely resembles a scene from Saw movie (specifically, the pig soup sequence from the third installment) than anything else. But perhaps the most surprising of suspensions to come as a result of Saturday’s action were that of Cain Velasquez and Jamie Varner, whom, despite earning quick and violent finishes against Silva and Edson Barboza, respectively, could be looking at up to six months out of action pending x-rays of their hands. That’s some shit luck for Velasquez, who Dana White pegged as the probable number one contender (in Ubereem’s absence, of course) following his victory.
Though it appears that “Big” Johnson’s arm was not actually broken in the first round of his PPV lead-off scrap with Stefan Struve, he will need to have his elbow cleared by an orthopedist before he can return to action, and is looking at a minimum suspension of just over a month regardless.
Cain Velasquez: Needs X-ray of left hand. If broken, he is suspended until November 20 unless cleared by doctor. Suspended at minimum until June 26 with no contact until June 17
Antonio Silva: Needs X-ray of nose. If broken, he is suspended until November 20 unless cleared by an ear, nose and throat doctor. Suspended at minimum until July 23 with no contact until July 11 for lacerations
Jamie Varner: Needs X-ray of right hand. If broken, he is suspended until November 20 unless cleared by doctor. Suspended at minimum until June 26 with no contact until June 17
Jason Miller: Needs clearance of right thumb and left knee by orthopedist or sports doctor or suspended until November 20. Suspended at minimum until July 11 with no contact until June 26 for tough fight
C.B. Dollaway: Needs X-ray of left thumb. If broken, he is suspended until November 20 unless cleared by doctor. Suspended at minimum until June 26 with no contact until June 17
Jacob Volkmann: Needs clearance of left elbow clearance of right thumb and left knee by orthopedist or suspended until November 20
Frank Mir: Suspended until July 23 with no contact until July 11 for TKO loss
Dave Herman: Suspended until July 23 with no contact until July 11 for TKO loss
Shane Del Rosario: Suspended until July 23 with no contact until July 11 for TKO loss
Duane Ludwig: Suspended until July 23 with no contact until July 11 for TKO loss
Lavar Johnson: Needs evaluation of left elbow by orthopedist. Suspended at minimum until July 11 with no contact until June 26
Edson Barboza: Suspended until July 11 with no contact until June 26 for TKO loss
Stipe Miocic: Suspended until June 26 with no contact until June 17
Darren Elkins: Suspended until June 26 with no contact until June 17 for left ear hematoma
Diego Brandao: Suspended until June 26 with no contact until June 17 for tough fight
Mike Brown: Suspended until June 26 with no contact until June 17 for left forehead laceration
Daniel Pineda: Suspended until June 26 with no contact until June 17 for tough fight
One other interesting thing of note from the aftermath of UFC 146 is that, aside from Mayhem Miller announcing his temporary retirement from the sport, Mike Brown also announced his decision to retire, although he later told Joe Rogan over Twitter that “I’m not 100 percent.” Whether Brown is truly hanging up the gloves or not, he will always hold a place in history as the man to end Urijah Faber’s dominant run as WEC featherweight champion, and defend the belt twice thereafter. Although he never seemed like quite the same fighter after losing his belt to Jose Aldo, Brown currently holds an impressive 26-8 record to his credit should he decide to call it a career, and deserves a great deal of respect for his accomplishments, so make sure to wish him your best on Twitter.
Alan Belcher survived a Rousimar Palhares leg lock and wants to help you do the same
Alan Belcher recently survived one of Rousimar Palhares' leg locks and went on to win by TKO at UFC on Fox 3. To give you an idea how rare that is, half of Palhares' 14 wins have come via a leg submission. Generally, when "Toquinho" gets a hold of a leg, the only way to get out is by tapping.
But Belcher solved his the Palhares puzzle and wants to help you (yes, you!) do it, too. After being approached by several people for tips, the jiu-jitsu black belt is going to teach how he gameplanned for Palhares, and how he executed it while in the fight.
On Thurs., May 24, at 8:30 E.T., Belcher will hold a free webinar complete with drills, defenses, and conditioning moves. If you want to learn from Belcher, sign up here. Seminars with fighters of Belcher's caliber will often cost you hundreds, so anyone training should take part.
Athletes will often guard their game plans like nuclear missile launch codes. It says a ton about both Belcher's character and his confidence in his game that he'll share his secrets to anyone who asks.
Thanks, Fightlinker.
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Related UFC video from Yahoo! Sports:
Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort’s Wife Trade Words Amidst “The Phenom’s” Withdrawal From UFC 147
(She makes an arousing compelling argument.)
It has not been a good year for heated rematches set against the backdrop of MMA-themed reality shows. Not only were our hopes of Faber/Cruz III dashed before our very eyes on the tail end of what has been a forgettable season of TUF 15 here in America, but even the coaches of TUF: Brazil (or at least one-half of them) have been bitten by the injury bug, delaying a rematch that not only promised guaranteed fireworks, but one that has eluded us for what seems like a decade now.
And apparently Wanderlei Silva, a.k.a the TUF: Brazil coach who wasn’t forced out of his expected matchup at UFC 147, shares our frustration. Ever since Vitor Belfort was forced to withdraw from his much-anticipated rematch with “The Axe Murderer” due to a broken hand, Silva has seemingly exploded with rage at Belfort’s…I don’t know, clumsiness? Insolence? We’re not really sure how you criticize someone for getting injured, unless that someone is Ken Shamrock, of course, but Wandy was relentless in his mockery of Belfort, calling him an “amateur” among other things in a recent Twitter tirade:
(Fighting me) with one hand (laughs)? We are professionals. It’s a great irresponsibility not to be careful on training, a great disrespect towards the fans. I’m really sad. I’m ready to knock you out, you have nowhere to run. This fight is happening. I guess you got scared of me. Nobody trains so hard that breaks his hand. We use the best equipments, gloves, bandages.
If you were scared, you shouldn’t have accepted it. If you really got it broken, it’s amateurism and if you didn’t, you’re scared. In both scenarios, it was irresponsible of you towards the fans. Pardon the word, but I’m pissed with your amateurism. A main event on the biggest event of the world and the guy shows up like that.
Of course, when asked to respond to these harsh claims, Belfort was his usual combination of respectful/devout, refusing to trade insults with his long time rival. His lovely, lovely, wife, on the other hand, would not stand idly by and listen to her man be made a fool of, responding to Wanderlei with this little poorly-translated zinger:
The only thing Wanderlei can do is talk too much, he chickened out several times on fighting Vitor… and now he comes to talk my husband is ducking. If you doubt, the next opponent of Wand in UFC147 will beat the record of 40 sec of vitor Belfort or Chris Leben 20 seconds hahahaha.
Aaaaaand boom goes the dynamite. As much as we love Wandy, the fact that Vitor, you know, utterly destroyed him in their first meeting doesn’t really help his “Vitor’s scared” theory. There has been no response from Wanderlei, nor a replacement opponent named for his expected appearance at UFC 147, so we ask unto you, Potato Nation, who would you like to see “The Axe Murderer” face come June 23rd?
Tom Lawlor’s greatest entrances (VIDEO)
Tom Lawlor brings flair and a touch of MMA history to every one of his weigh-ins and walk outs. For his UFC on Fuel 3 bout with Jason MacDonald, Lawlor has promised the "most obscure reference yet."
Any guesses on the weigh-in shtick Lawlor will use this afternoon? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter, and watch weigh-ins here.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/tom-lawlor-greatest-entrances-video-162026235.html
B.J. Penn shoots down Josh Koscheck’s plans for a fight
Thursday morning, UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck tweeted news on his next possible fight. "#UFC just offered me to fight BJ Penn...I said YES!!!!! Just waiting on him!!!!!! Let's scrap bra?"
Coming off a loss to Johny Hendricks, a bout with Penn, a former champion at lightweight and welterweight, would certainly pique Koscheck's interest. Not only would it draw considerable fan interest because of Penn's vast legions of fans, but it's the kind of win that could get Koscheck back on track.
Unfortunately for Koscheck, Penn is completely retired and appears to have no interest in returning to the fight life. He responded, " I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars & you need big fights but sorry I'm not coming back anytime soon!"
Perhaps now the MMA world will believe that Penn really retired after losing to Nick Diaz in November. He was also talked about as an opponent with Gilbert Melendez and had to shoot that down, too. Penn had a great MMA career and is now enjoying the retired life in Hawaii. Would you give that up?
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/b-j-penn-shoots-down-josh-koscheck-plans-221324896.html
Roy Nelson’s Beard has plenty to say
Roy Nelson got a chance to speak at Thursday's UFC 146 press conference, but his beard remained silent. That is, until now. In a Cagewriter exclusive, Roy Nelson's Beard (RNB) spoke about its past, future, and what it brings to Nelson's game.
Cagewriter: How are you feeling today?
RNB: Good. Full. Ready to take on Dave Herman.
CW: How long have you been with Roy?
RNB: Well, I've been a part of his life for some time, but it was just in the past year or so that Roy really let me shine. He and I push each other to make each other great. It's truly a symbiotic relationship.
CW: What do you bring to his MMA game?
RNB: What DON'T I bring to his game? Striking, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, I taught him all of that. When he and his coaches come up with his game plan, they turn to me for advice. TKOing "Cro Cop"? That was all me.
CW: So then do you also take the blame for the fact he's lost three of his last four bouts?
RNB: Well, we're a team. We lose together, y'know? It's not just Roy out there. It's me, the belly, the mullet.
CW: Is there ever a rivalry between you?
RNB: Well, I'll let you in on a secret. The belly is TOTALLY jealous of me. He always used to get all the attention, but since Roy has been getting in better shape, he's lost prominence. Now it's all eyes on me.
CW: Has Roy talked to you about the future? Will he definitely keep you around or is there discussion of ... a razor?
RNB? Why would you ask such a thing? That's sick. Seriously. A razor? To what? Shave me off? You don't shave me off. You don't get rid of a glorious beard like this one. Are you crazy. I'm done. Interview's over.
CW: Well, thanks for your time.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/roy-nelson-beard-plenty-120306694.html
Ronda Rousey shares why you should always call when you say you will
Strikeforce bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has made quite a name for herself. She won the belt from Miesha Tate in March, and since then has appeared on "The Ultimate Fighter," in magazines and at UFC and Strikeforce shows. As she became famous, someone from her past suddenly reappeared. On Instagram, Rousey shared how an old beau contacted her out of the blue and how she responded.
Let this be a lesson to men everywhere. Always give the courtesy call, because you never know when a woman will become a famous mixed martial artist who is capable of embarrassing you and breaking your arm.
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Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
• Tiger Woods gets a new tee shout at The Players: 'Light the candle!'
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• Shine: Beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh-Jennings almost lost out on Olympic dream
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ronda-rousey-shares-why-always-call-172406757.html
The Ultimate Recap Live*: Episode Twelve
The show opens with a sponsored, er, riveting look at the Harley Davidson store in Las Vegas. As you may know by now, the winner of TUF as well as his coach will receive a brand new custom Harley Davidson motorcycle. The segment sounded like this: “It’s awesome to be here at Harley Davidson to check out all the great Harley Davidson motorcycles at this Harley Davidson store. I really hope I win a Harley Davidson motorcycle and cruise around town in my Harley Davidson bike and Harley Davidson gear with my buddy Harley Davidson.” It wasn’t a total loss though. Seeing James Vick marvel at the handlebars and seats like a kid on Christmas morning was adorable.
We cut to the house where we get our only real taste of drama the whole season. That rascal “Bad” Tickle as at it again with his pranks. This one involved the particularly brilliant gag of hitting a sleeping man in the crotch with a water bottle (genius!). He succeeds in striking a napping Cruickshank and the only thing dumber than the “prank” is the response. Cruickshank gets up, runs at Tickle and throws a couple punches and a low kick. To his credit, Tickle doesn’t escalate situation, but seriously? Who kicks someone in a fight? That’s like being the guy that tries to pull guard in a bar fight. I mean, that’s like throwing a shoe. Who does that?
Back at the training facility and Dana tells all the guys how proud he is of them, best season ever, etc et al and so on and so forth. He then says that every single guy will fight on the Finale show next week...except not. Both Mike Rio and Andy Ogle’s injuries will prevent them from competing. Rio’s knee is still hampering him while Ogle has a medical suspension due to the concussion suffered in his previous fight.
We then see how the training for the first semi-final contestants Michael Chiesa and James Vick is progressing. Cruz worries about Vick’s vulnerability if he gets put on his back and wants to keep it standing. Chiesa talks about how he has striking ability and can stand toe to toe with Vick but the show then cuts to him getting handled in sparring. Clearly emotional with the struggles, Chiesa does what anyone would do -- locks himself in bathroom. Props to Urijah Faber for getting him to open the door, though. If he ever has a teenage daughter, he’ll do well.
The show comes back from commercial with its signature Britney boob shot. Sometimes I'd like to see her wear a frumpy sweater just to change things up, but then again, BOOBS! They also inform us that we can help pick the walkout music. I hope you will all agree that we should ensure “Let’s Get Physical” and “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.”
Round one of Chiesa vs.Vick features a lot of gangly guys swatting at each other. There are no real significant strikes landed, until Vick starts to turn the tide toward the end of the round and hurts Chiesa. Chiesa turtles up and tries to survive as Vick attempts a Darce, but is unsuccessful.
With his back against the wall, Chiesa steps it up in round two. He comes out more aggressively and starts opening the holes in Vick’s defense. At the 3:20 mark Chiesa takes him down and we see that Cruz’s fears were well founded. Vick immediately gives up his back and Chiesa rains punches down and the ref ends it.
We then have a brief glimpse of the training for Iaquinta vs. Pichel. Faber is really excited for the fight and expects, “one for the history books.” Pichel ruins any expectations I have for his success when he says, “who wants to throw jabs?” He also baffles me when he tells Iaquinta, “I hope you have a metal on because I’m gonna break that thing.” What does that even mean? I once watched all of Gymkata and even that confused me less.
In the fight, Iaquinta is able to get a broomstick takedown about a minute in but is unable to really advance position. Pichel gets back up and thy exchange. Both are connecting, but Iaqunita definitely lands the more significant strikes. Later, Iaquinta gets another takedown and rides ou the last minute out.
Round two is more of the same. The most important thing that happens is that someone loses their mouthguard and Faber flips out. It’s nice to know that he’s concerned about proper dental protection, though. Iaquinta gets the decision and cements himself as the new Mark Hunt of post fight interviews. It appears that when Jon Anik calls someone “stone cold” that’s code for short and stoic.
After a brief face-off of next week’s finale between Iaquinta and Chiesa, movie preview guy comes in to give us a preview of the other fights. And that my friends is the end of the season. Will Chiesa overcome all his emotional difficulties to beat the hard hitting New Yorker? What other guys will have enough success to earn themselves a UFC contract? Will Al Iaquinta get suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for being a cyborg? Find out this and more on The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Live! Friday night on FX.
In the meantime, be sure to follow me on Twitter @DannyBoyDownes and the show at @InsideTUF. Now I know you’re all upset that you won’t be able to read my brilliant recaps, but it’ll be alright. You still be able to read my Downes Side predictions before every UFC event and my blog. Don’t cry for me, I’ll be fine. My wit, intellect and boyish good looks have gotten me this far and will continue to serve me well. Remember, it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later. Unless, we don’t see each other. I suppose in that case it really is goodbye.
Team Cruz (5-7)
Myles Jury - (0-1) lost a split decision to Al Iaquinta in episode 4
Jeremy Larsen - (0-1) lost via unanimous decision to Mike Chiesa in episode 5
Justin Lawrence - (1-1) won via KO over Cristiano Marcello in episode 3; TKOd by Mike Chiesa in episode 10
Vinc Pichel - (2-1) submitted John Cofer in episode 7; beat Chris Saunders by majority decision in the episode 11; lost a unanimous decision to Al Iaquinta in the episode 12 semifinals
Mike Rio - (0-1) lost via submission to Andy Ogle in episode 9
Sam Sicilia - (0-1) lost a split decision to Chris Saunders in episode 8
Chris Tickle - (0-1) lost via submission to Joe Proctor in episode 6
James Vick - (2-1) won via KO over Daron Cruickshank in episode 2; won a unanimous decision over Joe Proctor in episode 10; lost via TKO to Mike Chiesa in the episode 12 semifinals
Team Faber (9-6)
Mike Chiesa - (3-0) won a unanimous decision over Jeremy Larsen in episode 5; TKOd Justin Lawrence in episode 10; TKOd James Vick in the episode 12 semifinals; scheduled to fight Al Iaquinta at the TUF Live Finale June 1
John Cofer - (0-1) lost to Vinc Pichel in episode 7
Daron Cruickshank - (0-1) lost to James Vick in episode 2
Al Iaquinta - (3-0) won a split decision over Myles Jury in episode 4; TKOd Andy Ogle in episode 11; won a unanimous decision win over Vinc Pichel in the episode 12 semifinals; scheduled to fight Mike Chiesa at the TUF Live Finale June 1
Cristiano Marcello - (0-1) lost to Justin Lawrence in episode 3
Andy Ogle - (1-1) submitted Mike Rio in episode 9; lost via TKO to Al Iaquinta in episode 11
Joe Proctor - (1-1) submitted Chris Tickle in episode 6; lost a unanimous decision to James Vick in episode 10
Chris Saunders - (1-1) beat Sam Sicilia by split decision in episode 8; lost a majority decision to Vinc Pichel in episode 11
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/tuf-live-recap-episode-12-semifinals
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Belfort Breaks Hand, Out of UFC 147 Rematch with Wand
Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/Belfort-Breaks-Hand-Out-of-UFC-147
Junior dos Santos wins, transforms from power puncher to happiest man on the planet
Junior dos Santos defended the UFC belt at UFC 146. In the second round, the barrage of dos Santos' punches were too much for Frank Mir. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight, and a smile took over dos Santos face.
When UFC commentator Joe Rogan asked JDS how he was feeling, the jubilant heavyweight yelled into the microphone.
"I'm feeling awesome, man!"
He smiled his way through the interview then talked about the young kids he works with in Brazil. He brought one of them with him to the fight. After hoisting the shy boy on his shoulders, JDS kept him there while posing for post-fight pictures.
[Kevin Iole: Junior dos Santos rocks Frank Mir at UFC 146]
In that 15-minute span, dos Santos showed what is so likable about the heavyweight champ. He can put on an exciting fight, hammering Mir so badly that his face was already swollen and bruised by the end of the first round. As soon as the bout was stopped, dos Santos' killer instinct subsided. He became the happy, smiling man who loved his job and wanted to share that joy with everyone he met.
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