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The Downes Side: UFC on FOX 2 Predictions |
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Friday, 27 January 2012 17:00 |
The Downes Side is riding a lot of momentum after going 4-0 last week. Truth be told, it’s the most impressive I’ve felt since I had a friend’s older brother buy me a CD with a parental advisory sticker. Okay, so it was a KoRn album, but that did help me learn how to take a punch after my parents found it. Speaking of childhood memories, the UFC rolls into Chicago (my hometown) this week for the UFC on FOX tripleheader. The United Center isn’t too far from my old high school, which got me to thinking. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has a lot in common with high school. I mean there’s every clique imaginable represented (with maybe the exception of Goths), there are ample opportunities for both glory and embarrassment and your first time is usually awkward and uncomfortable. Mike Russow vs John-Olav EinemoThe night gets going with a heavyweight contest between Mike Russow and John-Olav Einemo. Russow, a Chicago native and police office, has constructed an impressive 14-1 record, showing a solid chin, knockout ability (even with one arm broken while facing the Former Next Big Thing Todd Duffee) and submission skills. Einemo’s been on the shelf for a while, with just one fight in the last four years – a TKO loss to Dave Herman in June. Prediction: My dad, also a Chicago cop, always told me that “you can’t escape the long arm of the law,” In Russow, that long arm has a 73-inch reach, and it’s more like, “you can’t escape the angry fist of the law.” I’m not trying to promote police brutality, but Russow via 1st round TKO Evan Dunham vs Nik LentzNext up: lightweight Evan Dunham against Nik “The Carny” Lentz. After dropping two in a row, Dunham scored a decision victory in September against Shamar Bailey. Lentz, stepping in on short notice, is looking for a quick bounce back after losing a decision to Mark Bocek a month ago at UFC 140. Prediction: Both guys have strong submission skills that will cancel each other’s out. Neither one of them have the edge wrestling either, so this one will be decided on the feet. With that being the case, Dunham has the superiority in that department and will ruin the Carny’s day faster than a visit from the county safety inspector. Demian Maia vs Chris WeidmanDemian Maia is looking to get back into the middleweight title mix after winning three of his last four. After a knockout by Nate Marquardt that was nastier than when they showed me the “Miracle of Life” video in health class, Maia has been working his striking ability with brutes like Wanderlei Silva. The undefeated All-American wrestler Chris “The All-American” Weidman is taking a big step up in competition, talking this fight on less than two weeks’ notice. He quickly submitted Tom Lawlor at UFC 139 and his looking to skip a couple rungs on the way up the middleweight ladder with a win over Maia. Prediction: Everyone talks about Maia’s grappling ability, which is superb, but he hasn’t had a submission victory in eight fights. Weidman, besides being an excellent wrestler, is a purple belt under Matt Serra and has had success at the Abu Dhabi tournaments. Maia will be on his back for the majority of the fight and while he’ll be throwing a lot of submissions, Weidman will be able to neutralize them and get the decision. Chael Sonnen vs. Michael BispingPersonally I’d rather see these two in one of those three-hour Lincoln Douglas debates or create their own spinoff of the Odd Couple, but watching them fight is a close third. Chael Sonnen is looking to get a rematch for the middleweight title and is making a good case after his second round submission of Brian Stann in October (his first finish since 2007). Bisping takes the spot for an injured Mark Munoz and is riding a four-fight win streak with the most recent one a beatdown of Mayhem Miller at the Ultimate FIgher 14 finale. Prediction: Bisping has the advantage in striking but Sonnen survived Anderson Silva, and he will survive enough of the Count’s strikes to get his takedown. The Count’s takedown defense will be about as effective as when I tried to get a date to Freshman Homecoming. The “217lbs of muscle, steel and sex appeal,” known as Chael Sonnen may knock people out with verbal assaults, but he’s going to grind this one out and win by unanimous decision.
Rashad Evans vs Phil DavisI think that Rashad is like the school lunch lady – he gets taken for granted. Sure he may not have the sex appeal of the new science teacher who just graduated from college, but he’s there day in and day out serving you to the best of his ability. He’s been in the UFC since 2005 and his only loss has come against Lyoto Machida. The 9-0 Davis has had a fast rise to the elite level light heavyweight, most recently with a win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Prediction: Mr. Wonderful has the superior grappling ability, both with regards to jiu jitsu and wrestling. These advantages, though, are only slight. Meanwhile Rashad has a tremendous edge in the striking department and he’ll use this to damage Davis as he comes in for the takedown. Rashad wins by TKO in the 2nd and the lunch lady gets her due. That wraps up the Downes Side for UFC on Fox 2. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @dannyboydownes or share your comments. Also, I’ll be down at the fights so feel free to share your thoughts face to face if you’re so inclined… Especially if we went to high school together and you’ve failed miserably in your young adult life. |
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UFC® RETURNS TO ATLANTA |
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Friday, 27 January 2012 17:00 |
145-Las
Vegas, Nevada –The Ultimate Fighting Championship®, the
world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, announced today that it will
return to Atlanta with a championship card at Philips Arena on Saturday, April
21. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones will defend his 205-pound
crown in the night’s main event.
The event marks UFC’s first time back in the city since UFC
88 on Sept. 6, 2008, when nearly 15,000 fans packed Philips Arena to watch
Rashad Evans knock out UFC legend Chuck Liddell.
“Fans in Atlanta have been
tweeting me and telling me over and over again to bring the UFC back to their
city,” UFC President Dana White said. “Well guess what Atlanta? The UFC is
coming back to Atlanta with the sport’s fastest-rising star, Jon Jones,
defending his light heavyweight title!”
“We are thrilled to welcome the Ultimate Fighting
Championship organization back to Philips Arena for UFC 145,” stated Trey
Feazell, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Philips Arena. “The
2008 UFC 88 event featuring Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans was an incredible
night and remains a highpoint in Philips Arena’s 13 year history.”
Tickets for UFC®145, presented by
MetroPCS, go on sale Friday, Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are
available through Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone (800) 745-3000, at all
Ticketmaster Outlets, and the Philips Arena Box Office. Ticket prices will be
announced in the days to come.
UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the
opportunity to purchase tickets to this event on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. ET
via the website www.ufcfightclub.com.
A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter
subscribers on Thursday, Feb. 16, starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this
presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
Official UFC VIP packages are
also available at http://vip.ufc.com.
These packages include tickets to UFC 145, official event merchandise, as well
as special VIP experiences with backstage tours and meet and greets with top
UFC stars. Get closer to the action than ever before with this unique UFC VIP
opportunity.
UFC®145 will be available live on
Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH
Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and
Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for
Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.
For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject
to change.
About
Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las
Vegas, Nev., UFC® is the world’s premier MMA organization and
produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually around the
globe. This year, FOX will broadcast four fight cards annually. In spring
2012, The Ultimate
Fighter®, UFC’s signature weekly reality TV show, debuts on
FX. UFC content is also distributed commercially to U.S. bars and restaurants
through Joe Hand Promotions.
Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in 150 countries,
territories and jurisdictions, reaching over one billion homes worldwide, in 21
different languages.
UFC® also boasts a powerful presence online, with
UFC.com attracting over seven million unique visitors per month, while also
possessing one of the most powerful social media followings in all of
professional sports. To date, UFC has over six million fans on Facebook and
over 475,000 followers on Twitter. In addition, UFC President Dana White
is one of the most accessible and most followed executives in sports with nearly
1.9 million followers on Twitter. On January 22, 2011, UFC continued to
set trends in social media, becoming the first major sports league to stream
live, broadcast quality action on Facebook.
Ancillary businesses include best-selling DVDs, UFC Magazine,
the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC
GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals,
UFC branded apparel, trading cards, and articulated action figures.
About Philips Arena
Named for founding partner Philips, Philips Arena is
consistently ranked among the top 10 concert and event venues in the world. In
April 2009, Philips Arena became the first NBA arena to achieve LEED
certification for an existing building as specified by the United States Green
Building Council (USGBC). Philips Arena is online at www.PhilipsArena.com |
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UFC on FOX Prelim Results – Dunham Impresses, Stops Lentz |
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Friday, 27 January 2012 17:00 |
CHICAGO, January 28 - Evan Dunham, who hadn’t finished a fight in over two years, promised to finish Nik Lentz in UFC on FOX preliminary card action Saturday night. And after a less-than-idyllic start, Dunham turned up the heat in the second, unloading on Lentz with a wicked 12-punch sequence and bullying the Minnesotan with takedowns and threatening with a tight guillotine. Lentz, his face covered in blood, gamely survived the onslaught but doctors halted the fight at the end of the round due to a deep cut near Lentz’s badly swollen left eye. “The first round I felt a little flat and came out slow,” said Dunham, who improved to 13-2. “I just remembered what my coach Ray Sefo always told me, ‘One round doesn’t determine the next.’ So I came out just knowing I needed to be really aggressive, which I was. I was hoping for the third round, because I was hungry for that third round.” The bout had been nip-and-tuck early, with both fighters trading combinations and Lentz (23-5-2) edging Dunham 2-1 in the takedown department.
JOHN-OLAV EINEMO VS. MIKE RUSSOWScratch one off Mike Russow’s Bucket List, and this one ranked pretty high up there. With Hall-of-Famer Matt Hughes barking instructions cageside, the Chicago police officer treated hometown fans to a unanimous decision win over world-class grappler Jon Olav Einemo. “It’s a dream come true,” said Russow (15-1, 1 NC). Russow wrestled for and graduated from Eastern Illinois University – the same alma mater as welterweight legend Hughes – and his repeated takedowns and top control proved to be the difference. Einemo, known for his submission prowess, actually had his best moments with right hands and knees to the body and face. But every time the 6’6” Norwegian rallied, Russow blunted the attacks with takedowns and the grinding of his 255-pound frame. Einemo also managed a deft butterfly sweep in the first round, achieving mount, but the horn saved Russow from damage. Chants of “Let’s Go Russow!” and “CPD! CPD!” filled United Arena – those initials standing, of course, for Chicago Police Department.
GEORGE ROOP VS. CUB SWANSONA back-and-forth featherweight bout took a dramatic turn when Cub Swanson uncorked a highlight reel right hand, knocking out an aggressive adversary who had given him a run for his money up until then. Roop (12-10-1) had experienced success early, particularly utilizing his length advantage to score a myriad of kicks. Both men traded combinations in the first round, with Swanson’s blows having a little more heat on them and drawing blood under the Arizonan’s nose. The most memorable moment in the round came when Swanson stuffed a takedown attempt and immediately executed a textbook judo throw of his own. In the second, a hemotoma the size of a baseball began forming on Roop’s power leg (possibly the result of Swanson checking the kick). Roop continued to kick with the leg and was competitive until Swanson baited him with a jab, then stepped in with that fateful and textbook right hand that sent Roop’s mouthpiece flying and body falling. “That’s a combination we work all the time at Greg Jackson’s back home with my boxing coach,” said Swanson (16-5), who earned his first-ever UFC win.
CHARLES OLIVEIRA VS. ERIC WISELYCharles Oliveira’s reinvention at 145 pounds could not have gone much better. The native Brazilian caught a low kick early, putting Eric Wisely on his back. The 22-year-old was having much success landing hard punches on top but, out of nowhere, risked his dominant position by diving for a heel hook Rousimar Palhares-style. Wisely rolled out of the heel hook but Oliveira transitioned to a leg lock from the back, awkwardly torquing Wisely’s leg back to earn the tap out at 1:43 of the opening frame. “I felt the cut a little to 145,” said Oliveira (15-2, 1 NC), “but my gym helped me and I did it.”
SHANE ROLLER VS. MICHAEL JOHNSONMichael Johnson, lightweight finalist on TUF 12, relied on superior speed and boxing en route to a unanimous decision win over Shane Roller. The classic striker versus grappler match saw Johnson imposing his style by rebuffing all of Roller’s takedowns in the opening two rounds, and scoring with crisp combinations. Roller thoroughly disrupted Johnson’s groove to open the third, scoring a takedown and immediately transitioning to the back and flattening Johnson. Things were looking really bad for Johnson as Roller (10-6) teed off with punches on his trapped opponent. It was the kind of position where, as a fan, you watch and wonder how many punches the ref will jump in and stop it because a fighter is not “intelligently defending” himself. As it turns out, referee Herb Dean did stop the action – but only to warn Roller about punching to the back of the head. Dean allowed the fighters to restart in a similar position, but Johnson – perhaps benefitting from the restart -- now found space to eventually wiggle free. Though he dominated most of the round, Roller’s opportunity for the come from behind win came and went. Judges scored it 29-28 across the board for Johnson (11-6).
LAVAR JOHNSON VS. JOEY BELTRANDurability had defined Joey Beltran’s six-fight UFC tenure. Never had the “Mexicutioner” been finished inside of the Octagon. Until tonight, when knockout specialist Lavar Johnson simply overwhelmed his fellow Californian from the opening horn. In the first 30 seconds, Johnson dropped Beltran with a right hand. As the round played out, Johnson landed at will. Jabs. Leg kicks. Body shots. Knees to the body. Combinations. As the one-sided bashing continued, Beltran leaned against the cage and ate a dozen hard punches – at least four of them clean uppercuts to the chin with much of Johnson’s 240 pounds behind them. It was too much for any man to take, sending Beltran to the canvas out cold at 4:24. “Those were four nice good uppercuts. Usually I knock people out with just one,” said Johnson, a former Strikeforce standout who improved to 16-5 after winning his UFC debut. Beltran fell to 13-7.
DUSTIN JACOBY VS. CHRIS CAMOZZIWhen two southpaws collide, the right hook can be the most difficult weapon to see coming. In this middleweight bout, the right hook was an absolute game-changer. Dustin Jacoby, hungry in pursuit of his first UFC win, came out guns blazing and landed combinations and low kicks at a high clip. The 23-year-old Marc Fiore protégé seemed to have the opening round in the bag, as they say, until a booming right hook in the waning seconds exploded out of nowhere and briefly put him on the deck. Jacoby survived the round but never seemed the same thereafter, and the veteran Chris Camozzi took full advantage of his opponent’s newfound reticence. In what was entirely a standup affair, Camozzi kept the momentum in the second round with combinations that bloodied Jacoby’s nose and, by all indications, assaulted the young fighter’s confidence as well. Entering the third round, you could have judged the fight at 1-1 or 2-0 for Camozzi. But the judges were rendered irrelevant after a Camozzi leg kick took Jacoby’s legs out from under him. As Jacoby (6-2) scrambled back to his feet, Camozzi greeted him with a front headlock and immediately sank in a “10-finger guillotine” and earned the tap at 1:08 of the round.
Camozzi (16-5, 3-2 UFC) said afterward that he dislocated a finger in the second round, but re-aligned and kept grinding.
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UFC on FOX Post-Fight Presser Report |
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Friday, 27 January 2012 17:00 |
Seven fighters attended the UFC
on FOX post-fight press conference: Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen,
Michael Bisping, Mike Russow, Chris Weidman and Lavar Johnson.
The event's Fight of the Night bonuses went to Evan Dunham and Nik Lentz. The
two lightweights entertained the crowd in a slugfest that ultimately went to
Dunham after the cageside doctor stopped the fight due to a Lentz injury.
KO of the Night went to “Big” Johnson, who handed Joey Beltran his first KO
loss inside the Octagon.
Charles Oliveira earned Submission of the Night for his
rarely-seen calf crusher submission of newcomer Eric Wisely. The submission proved
Oliveira made the right choice by dropping from lightweight to featherweight.
Each bonused fighter received $65,000.
Check back for video clips from the post-fight press
conference.
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Joey Beltran – The Mexicutioner’s Song |
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Thursday, 26 January 2012 17:00 |
Whether he wins or loses, Joey Beltran is not in the business of having easy fights. If his hand is raised at the end of the night, his face can sometimes look like it was on the wrong end of a decision, not the right one. It’s a tough way to make a living, but you’ll never hear “The Mexicutioner” complain; in fact, it’s usually just the opposite as soon as he accepts his next fight and the idea that for 15 minutes or less, he’s going to be working harder than most of us could imagine. “It’s definitely something that I have to mentally prepare myself for, and just be comfortable and accept the fact that it’s gonna hurt,” said Beltran. “I get ready to embrace the war. And when I’m in the thick of it, I just know that’s where I’m comfortable and that’s where I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. At that time, when blood’s coming down my face and I’m trading punches, that’s my place in the world, and I’m completely at peace with that.” That’s why no UFC fan wants to miss a Joey Beltran fight. Yes, his UFC record sits at .500 (3-3), and he’s lost three of his last four, but when the bell rings, the result really doesn’t matter. Well, at least not to us watching or to his fellow heavyweights, and all who have left the Octagon after fighting him have certainly walked away with a new appreciation for the Southern California native. But that’s not enough for Beltran, who wants to right his ship this Saturday against Lavar Johnson. “It is very nice to have the respect of my peers,” he said. “It does make me feel good and it does give me a little sense of validation, but the goal is still to win. And I really feel that for this fight we’ve made the right choices, the right changes, and I’m really excited to go out there and give it another go.” That meant another grueling training camp, another trip out of town, and the possibility of another punishing brawl. Beltran’s fine with all of the above, but he also knows that it’s not so easy for his wife Helen to deal with. “I understand what she goes through a little bit more now,” he said. “It’s like the feeling I get watching my friends fight, whether it’s on TV or when I’m there live. Then I magnify that by ten times, imagining that it’s somebody that I love dearly, and not just a friend, and it would be as if I was watching her fight. Even when I’m winning, it’s painful, and taking punches from large men right in the face, I’m aware of how difficult it is for not only her, but everyone else that cares about me.” But at 30 and in his physical prime, Beltran’s not about to give up the sport he loves. More accurately, he can’t give up the feeling that fighting gives him. “In February it will be my five year anniversary,” said Beltran, referring to his pro MMA debut, not his marriage. “The feeling that I got that first night in San Jose, it comes back every time, and nothing other than competing in that cage even compares. I had some bad years growing up, and I tried other things, but nothing ever compared to that feeling, and that’s what I go back for every time.” In his debut fight, he lost a Strikeforce bout to Yohan Banks via decision. He would go on to compile a 9-2 record mainly on the California scene, earning himself a shot at Tony Lopez for the King of the Cage heavyweight title in October of 2009. The way he explains it, that was the night he really became a fighter. “Over the course of five rounds, you can learn a lot about yourself,” said Beltran. “I remember distinctly in the fourth round, there was a scramble and he ended up on my back. I lost eyes with my cornermen, and for a split second, I was like ‘maybe I’ll lose.’ And then something switched and I thought ‘no, get up, get up.’ And I learned right there that it’s gonna take a lot more than some pain or being tired or getting beat up to make me stop once I’m in there. And once I’m in there, and my wife hates when I say it, but I’ll die before I quit.” Beltran dropped a decision to Lopez in that fight, but three months later he knocked out UFC vet Houston Alexander in the second round, and in less than a month, he was called in on short notice to fight Rolles Gracie in the UFC. He halted Gracie in the second round and an Octagon career was born. Oddly enough, he thought beating fellow Californian Johnson was going to be his ticket into the UFC, but now it’s the Strikeforce and WEC vet looking to make his name in the Octagon off Beltran. “I’ve always had my eye on Lavar Johnson, even when I was on the regional circuit,” said Beltran. “I used to look at him as somebody that ‘all right, if I fight this guy and beat him, I’ll probably get a call from the big show.’ I wanted to step up to that challenge, and he’s definitely always been on the radar.” Now he gets his wish, and on a card filled with compelling matchups, this might be the most explosive. “It’s definitely a black or white situation,” said Beltran with a chuckle. “Either I’m gonna get knocked out or I’m gonna take him out, but if I could put money on any fight, it would definitely be on this one that it’s not gonna go all three rounds. If he catches me with one of those right uppercuts, who knows what will happen, but I’m definitely coming out with that mindset to hit the gas pedal and get to work right away.” And at some point, whether in the first round or the last, Joey Beltran is going to find out just who Lavar Johnson is. “My goal, in every fight, is that I’m gonna force the other man to look deep inside himself and look inside his soul and really, really decide if he wants to be a fighter and wants to be in there,” said Beltran. “And if he decides yes, then good for him, but a lot of people have broken, and in a sense I know what that man is made of and what he’s all about as a person after those 15 minutes.”
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Phil Davis – Prime Time For Mr. Wonderful |
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Thursday, 26 January 2012 17:00 |
Phil Davis is fighting Rashad Evans on Saturday night. But it doesn’t really matter to Davis who stands across from him on fight night. It could be Evans, it could be “Shogun” Rua, it could be light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. He’s not concerned. They’re all just names to him. “If you’re only looking to beat people, ultimately the people will continue to change,” said Davis. “I want to be the best me I can be. I don’t care who I’m gonna have to face. I just want to continue to prepare myself and advance my skills.” It’s a philosophy grown from years in the wrestling room, a segment of his life that reached its peak in 2008 when he won the NCAA National championship for Penn State University. His next step was to attack the world of mixed martial arts, and while he hasn’t reached the peak of the mountain yet, he has not wavered in the belief system that took him to the top once already in wrestling. “I’ve been a champion before, and the rules change and it’s a completely different sport, but the attitude is very much the same,” he said. “If you can’t master your own skillset and your own self, then it doesn’t matter who the other guy is or what the other guy is capable of doing. If you can’t be the best you, then he doesn’t even have to be the best. Sometimes you get caught up chasing this number one guy, and all of a sudden, that guy loses and you have to go against somebody else. So why have you been training to fight this guy the whole time?” At this point, it’s safe to say that Davis hasn’t had a picture of Evans on his mirror ever since the two were scheduled to fight back at UFC 133 last August, a bout postponed when the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native injured his knee and was forced to the sidelines. “Not necessarily,” he chuckles. “As soon as you don’t have a fight, I’m back to focusing on me a hundred percent, and no one else. I do try to keep an eye on the division and who’s fighting who and how guys are doing. I attended the fight in August and watched him (Evans) fight Tito (Ortiz), and I was definitely checking him out and watching how he was doing. But not too much other than that.” And as much as a knee injury and over five months on the sidelines can hurt a young fighter’s career, in this case, it may have been a blessing in disguise for the 27-year old, who was fighting at a breakneck pace since entering the UFC in 2010. Just 4-0 when he made his debut at UFC 109 against Brian Stann, Davis fought four times in 2010 and once in March of 2011 before getting injured. Yes, he was impressing fans and the media and winning all his fights as his level of competition kept getting amped up, but when he got injured, he finally had the time he needed to add some more skills to his still raw MMA game. “When you fight four or five times in a year, you don’t really have time to get better,” admits Davis. “You’re just going from fight camp to fight camp and that’s not always good for someone as inexperienced as I am. So it has been great to just fall back for a little bit, and you can’t rush an injury, so I just had to work at a slow, steady pace until I got better, I picked up skills here and there, and now I’m right where I want to be.” Yeah, as scary as it sounds, a guy who already has beaten Stann, Rogerio Nogueira, Alexander Gustafsson, and Tim Boetsch is getting even better. His timing is impeccable though, as this is without question the biggest fight of his career. Not that he’s getting caught up in all the hype of being the main event on FOX. “This is just the next fight,” he said. “This is just another challenge along the road of me becoming a champion.” Sounds convincing, and according to him, not getting rattled and not letting his ego run wild isn’t difficult at all. “That’s the easy part as long as you’re true to yourself,” said Davis. “If you start to believe that you’re the best, baddest dude ever, and it all just comes so easy to you that you don’t have to work hard for it, then it’s hard to make new goals for yourself. But I know that things don’t come easy for me. If you forgot how you got to where you are, then you won’t make it to the next level. Even if you reached the highest point, there’s something else.” Like the perfect fight? What would that entail for “Mr. Wonderful?” “Minimal damage and a perfectly executed gameplan,” he said. And what happens next? “You make a new gameplan and prepare to carry that one out.” So you can be perfect more than once? |
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Rashad Evans – Embracing The Suffering 2012 |
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Thursday, 26 January 2012 17:00 |
In early 2006, Rashad Evans was fresh from winning The Ultimate Fighter’s second season at heavyweight and he was returning to the 205-pound weight class to begin chasing after a UFC title. He was just a prospect then, unbeaten with the world ahead of him. Yet before his fight with Sam Hoger, he spoke of a philosophy that would serve him well in the future. He called it “embracing the suffering.” When reminded of this in a recent interview before his Saturday FOX main event against Phil Davis, he laughed. “The theme for this camp has been embracing the suffering,” said Evans, but it’s been no laughing matter getting to the Davis fight, where a win will once again put him in position to regain the light heavyweight title he lost to Lyoto Machida in 2009. Since the lone defeat of his career, Evans has won three in a row, beating Thiago Silva, Quinton Jackson, and Tito Ortiz. But he’s also been plagued with injuries, layoffs, cancelled fights, late replacement opponents, a switch in training camps, and a highly-publicized feud with his former teammate and current 205-pound champion Jon Jones. So there’s been plenty of suffering for Evans to embrace. “Coming back from an injury and not being able to be active with back-to-back injuries like that is kinda hard,” he admitted. “It was a bit tough, I wasn’t finding my rhythm early on and stuff like that, but when you spend so much time out, it tends to happen like that.” In the process, the man whose name should be first on your mind when it comes to contenders for Jones’ throne has become an afterthought to many. On Saturday he gets to reintroduce himself to the world as the number one contender, so at this point, some fans’ apathy doesn’t really affect him now. “In this sport, it’s pretty much what have you done for me lately,” said Evans. “If I’m not out there doing it on a consistent basis, letting everybody see all the time, then people tend to forget. And that’s fine, that’s okay with me. It just gives me a little bit of something more to work for and it gives me a lot more motivation on those days when it’s hard to motivate myself. I just think about where I could be, where I should be, and where I want to be, and that gives me enough drive to push through those days that get hard.” So what are those days like? “On those days, it gets kinda frustrating, I can’t lie,” he said. “I get upset and angry with myself when things don’t go the way that I want them to, but then I remember that it’s all part of the plan, it’s all part of what’s supposed to happen to me. I don’t think that anything happened to me that’s not supposed to happen to me, and I feel that I can make it through and persevere through anything. So I just try to keep a strong mind because it’s easy to start feeling sorry for yourself. And once you start feeling sorry for yourself, only bad things come and you can never get anything done.” Needless to say, Evans keeps his internet surfing to a minimum during camp, choosing to avoid the inevitable stream of haters and advice-givers that always seem to overshadow the true fans. “I stay away from the internet for the most part,” he said. “But I still keep a bead on what’s going on. All I can control is what I need to do on January 28th. That’s my main focus. Everything else is just extra. Kanye West said it best when he said “nothin’s ever promised tomorrow, today.” So it don’t even matter when they say ‘Rashad, you get this next title shot.’ It’s all about what happens when it’s supposed to happen, and I’m not gonna waste no time, thought, or energy trying to be like ‘this should be what it is.’ Because when it is, it is.” At 32, Evans has pretty much seen it all in the sport of mixed martial arts, both good and bad. And once of the key things he’s learned is that all the stuff outside the gym and the Octagon is just that – stuff that needs to stay outside. When the door closes and the bell rings, it’s time to – you guessed it – embrace the suffering. And with his team of Blackzilians in Boca Raton, Florida, he’s getting exactly what he needs to achieve that feeling. “I’ve got a bunch of killers in my training room, and they are not feeling sorry for me or taking it easy on me one bit,” said Evans. “So whenever I go in there, I gotta go against Rumble (Johnson), I gotta go against whoever else they may bring in, and they want a piece of me, so if I’m not competing at that level, I’m gonna be feeling bad in practice as well as outside of practice. I’ve got to swim or drown, and that’s how it’s been and that’s how I’m able to stay sharp, because everybody around me is razor sharp.” Physically, Evans is where he wants to be, and that was the biggest hurdle for him after dealing with serious injuries to his knee and thumb over the last year. As far as the mental game goes, he’s always had that part of things down pat, and nothing has changed leading into this Saturday’s bout. In fact, his motivation comes from way back, and it extends far into the future. “I come from nothing,” said the Niagara Falls, New York native. “Growing up I didn’t really have too much, and I can tap into that anytime that I want to and just remember how bad things were for me growing up and just knowing that I never want to go back there and I don’t want my kids to go through it. So what I’ve got to do is I gotta stay strong and I gotta drive. And more than anything else, this is a dream of mine to become the best and in other words, immortal. How many other people get a chance to be remembered forever? And that’s what I really want. I want to be remembered forever.” Evans’ attitude brings to mind a conversation with future boxing Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in which he told me that a loss in his upcoming fight with Oscar De La Hoya would knock him out of Pay-Per-View fights and back to fighting on basic cable. He knew that wasn’t going to happen, but he needed to think that in order to keep himself hungry and motivated. Evans has that same mindset. “I never want to get content,” said Evans. “I never want to think that I’m at a certain spot and I’m gonna stay there, because this organization’s hard to stay in, and this is the wrong place to get complacent in. You’ve got so many guys coming up and putting in work, and everybody wants to be in my position, so I gotta be paranoid and think that if I’m not producing, if I’m not going out there and winning fights and winning impressively, I’m gonna be replaced. And I don’t like that and that’s not an easy feeling for me, so I try to do everything in my power to make sure that does not happen.” The unbeaten Davis is one of those guys “coming up and putting in work,” and he would like nothing more than to take Evans’ spot at the top of the light heavyweight contenders’ list. But can a young fighter with raw talent beat an older, but more experienced one? Evans believes so. “If you go in there and you just think that you’re experienced and you’re gonna use that alone to take the young buck out, you might find yourself sitting down and being upset because if he’s got that raw talent and he’s hungry, that could get him the win,” said Evans. But like anyone who has been to the mountaintop and wants to get back there again, it’s not as simple as that. He may be older, but he’s got tricks up his sleeve that he can’t wait to reveal on Saturday night. Evans didn’t embrace the suffering for nothing; now it’s time to dish some out to his opponent. “You gotta be hungry and try to match that intensity,” he said. “I know Phil is preparing for the fight of his life and he’s got everything to gain in this situation. This is his coming out party. So I really got to go in there and beat him mentally first. I’ve got to think like I’m fighting me. I’ve got to tap into that feeling I had when I fought my big fight against Chuck Liddell or Tito Ortiz or Rampage, which was ‘this is my moment to shine.’ If I go in there thinking I’ve got something to keep away from him, it’s not gonna be a good fight for me. I’m going in and I’m gonna hunt for him. I’m trying to take something he’s got.”
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Tweets of the Week 1/27 |
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Thursday, 26 January 2012 17:00 |
UFC on FOX: Evans
vs Davis
@philmrwonderful
riddle me this: if u can't takedown non wrestlers in a fight how do u expect to
take me down?! U need 2 revise your plan! SugaRashadEvans -Rashad Evans
can't believe
neither Rashad or phil gave me cred for the Arsenial Hall joke. @UrijahFaber
@ufc @sugarashadevans @philmrwonderful UrijahFaber -Urijah Faber
@UrijahFaber I
can't either PhilMrWonderful -Phil Davis
My view live from
the press conference right now! yfrog.com/h3q0vywj bisping -Michael Bisping
Hey Gov'nor, I'll
finish you faster than you can devour a Bovril & pie, u doughy wanker. Just
because u have a Queen doesn't make it English sonnench -Chael Sonnen
And here are Chael
@SonnenCh and Michael @Bisping with their soundbytes at today's presser http://t.co/4L13mKOB
ufc -UFC
I'm gonna leave
@CubSwanson singing a Swan song after @ufc this weekend. #ufc GeorgeRoop -George Roop
Don't make me beat
you up before Saturday @GeorgeRoop CubSwanson
-Cub Swanson
I like dancing, and
being awesome @JordanMcDonald EllenbergerMMA
-Jake Ellenberger
Done with all my
interviews for the day. Lil nap then get some training in ChrisWeidmanUFC -Chris Weidman
Chicago is a
beautiful city, but a little cold. Weight is good, body is good, mind is good
now lets do this. evandunham155 -Evan
Dunham
I scored these from
an old timer at tractor supply earlier. lockerz.com/s/177439782
shaneroller -Shane Roller
I'm on weight and
waiting for weigh ins now. Couple more hours until I get to rehydrate and eat
some good Chicago food! ChrisCamozzi
-Chris Camozzi
We have formed the
#Blaxicans @lloydirvin @SutYadPalung @EricDelFierro @manny_mma @amel619
@PhilMrWonderful ANd Me! Boom that just happened mexicutioner760 -Joey Beltran
I Don’t Understand
Either but Do What She Says!
Hey guys I need
more gems on dragonvale! My gamecenter SN is rowdyronda - friend me and send me
gems! I need to get an epic breeding island! RondaRousey -Ronda Rousey
The Debates Lacked
a Certain… Chael.
I'm watching the
republican presidential debate. Who do you like/dislike? MartinKampmann -Martin Kampmann
Because They Don’t
Tweet?
Why do old people
talk so much? Unclecreepymma -Ian McCall
A Question for the
Ages
Wonder who would
win a fight between Big John Mc Carthy n Herb Dean? I've seen herb throw nasty
head kicks in King of cage! #wondering LiLHeathenMMA -Jeremy Stephens
Comfort Food
Cheesecake, you are
my friendly friend theninjaoflove -Nick Denis
The Classics Never
Get Old
If your looking for
a reason to follow @StephanBonnar, he just made a f$&$ing Dan Quale
reference ForrestGriffin -Forrest Griffin
Barry Calls Out
Jorgensen
if @HypeOrDie wants
me he's gonna have to meet me at 205. #ilikecake Scottjorgensen -Scott
jorgensen
@Scottjorgensen I
CAN'T MAKE IT MAN!!! HypeOrDie -Pat Barry
Bang’s Sense of
Humor Uninjured
I cant believe they
stopped my fight! BS call. Haha I joke I joke congrats @joshneer DUANEBANGCOM
-Duane Ludwig
Showtime Kick your
Birthday in the Face
Happy birthday to
my brother @Showtimepettis he is ready to whoop some ass in Japan. NEWBREED04
-Erik Jon Koch
@Showtimepettis
happy bday brotha! Hope u have a good one! chadmendes -Chad Mendes |
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Official weigh in results for Saturday’s UFC on FOX event |
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Thursday, 26 January 2012 17:00 |
Below are the official weigh in results for Saturday’s UFC on FOX event. UFC on FOX, which is headlined by the light heavyweight bout between Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and the middleweight bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping, airs live on FOX from the United Center in Chicago, IL at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. Fans can also tune in to FUEL TV for seven prelim bouts at 5pm ET / 2pm PT. MAIN EVENT Phil Davis (205) VS Rashad Evans (205) FOX MAIN CARD Michael Bisping (185) VS Chael Sonnen (185) Demian Maia (186) VS Chris Weidman (185) FUEL PRELIMS Nik Lentz (155) VS Evan Dunham (155) John-Olav Einemo (253) VS Mike Russow (251) George Roop (145) vs Cub Swanson (145) Eric Wisely (145) vs Charles Oliveira (144) Michael Johnson (156) VS Shane Roller (156) Lavar Johnson (252) VS Joey Beltran (228) Dustin Jacoby (185) VS Chris Camozzi (185)
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Lavar Johnson - Life After Near-Death |
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Wednesday, 25 January 2012 17:00 |
 Lavar Johnson knows that the man he’s facing in his UFC debut this Saturday night, Joey Beltran, is one of the toughest men in the entire sport, let alone the division. But the former Strikeforce heavyweight is also aware that fighting 15 minutes or less with “The Mexicutioner” can’t be tougher than surviving being shot three times. So when the training gets rough or the leather starts flying in the middle of a fight, the 34-year old always has a reference point of how much worse things could be. Back in July of 2009, Johnson was at a family reunion when a random drive-by shooting took the life of his cousin, and injured him and three other family members. 13-3 as a pro at the time, and less than two months removed from a Strikeforce debut that saw him knock out Carl Seumanutafa in just 18 seconds, Johnson was now in the fight of his life. Hit in his stomach, forearm, and hip, Johnson was forced to have his appendix removed and he received damage to his colon and intestines. Eventually though, after losing 60 pounds, he recovered and left the hospital. It was a life-altering experience for the Madera, California native. “When you’re that close to dying, you realize how precious life is,” said Johnson. “I’ve got kids and my girl, and I saw everybody else going through it…my life means a lot to me, but it means a lot to others as well, so it puts everything in perspective.” And just like a fighter, Johnson had every intention of putting the gloves on again, and less than a year later, on March 26, 2010, he picked up where he left off, stopping Lolohea Mahe in the second round. “It (the shooting) didn’t really affect me too much,” he said. “My breathing was just a little off, but everything healed up fine, so I’m good to go. I haven’t had any problems, other than being old (Laughs) and the wear and tear on my knees; that’s about it. Other than that, I’m good.” Following the win over Mahe, Johnson knocked out Virgil Zwicker in the first round of an October 2010 bout, but 2011 wasn’t as kind to him, as he was submitted in consecutive fights by Shane del Rosario and Shawn Jordan, putting his record at 15-5. But as he prepares for Beltran, the one thing he probably won’t have to worry about is getting submitted, as this one has Pier Six brawl written all over it. “I think it’s gonna be a good and entertaining fight,” said Johnson. “He likes to stand up and trade and I do too, so I think our styles match up fine.” The question is, has Johnson ever faced anyone with a chin like Beltran’s, and has Beltran ever faced a puncher like Johnson? The 34-year old banger thinks he has the answer to those questions. “I don’t think he’s been hit by anybody like me yet, so we’ll see. I’ve got a little pop in my punches, so we’ll see how he handles it.” If Johnson sounds confident in his ability to become the first man to knock out Beltran, he’s got reason to be. None of his wins have gone the distance, with all but one ending via his fists. But more than that, Johnson has gained confidence by working with two of the best big men in the game – former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Strikeforce Grand Prix finalist Daniel Cormier. Johnson has gotten plenty of sparring time with Velasquez at the AKA Gym in San Jose, and that experience has been invaluable. “You get to see where you’re at,” said Johnson of working with Velasquez. “If you ever have the chance to spar with the heavyweight champion of the world, you’re gonna test yourself and see where you’re at. He was number one in the world, and you’re always pushing forward and trying to better yourself, so it always gave me a push and I’m always learning something new. Him and Cormier always take the time out to show me a little something here and there. That’s awesome, and they’re good guys too.” Watching Velasquez in the eye of the media storm has helped the soft-spoken former linebacker carve his own path as well. “He (Velasquez) is humble, he’s himself, he doesn’t get caught up in the media and the hype, and he just does his job,” said Johnson. “He’s a hard worker, he clocks in, does his job, does it well, and goes home.” Expect the same from Lavar Johnson. “I know he (Beltran) is gonna go hard and he’s not gonna give up and quit, and neither am I,” said Johnson. “I just hope the fans get a Rocky-type fight, but of course with me raising my hand at the end.” |
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Chael Sonnen - Creature of Habit |
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Wednesday, 25 January 2012 17:00 |
 In mixed martial arts, variety is often the spice of life. But not to Chael Sonnen, the middleweight contender who has never strayed from his native Oregon and the gifts that familiarity breeds, even after enduring the struggle to get them. “It’s one of the bigger challenges of this sport – the monotony,” he said. “The same drive, the same gym, the same smells, the same sounds, the same awful track playing in the CD player, the same voices, the same drills. It’s very monotonous, and it’s very difficult mentally, aside from the physical work. I’m always looking for some way to add a little excitement back to it, or to freshen things up, but I don’t have the answer for that. I’m stuck more in the rat race end of it.” Surviving that rat race has paid off though, if you consider that Sonnen has won four of his last five UFC bouts, came within 1:50 of winning the middleweight title, and in the process established himself as one of the mixed martial arts’ most compelling stars. So don’t expect him to be switching up from his familiar haunts at Team Quest anytime soon. “I don’t do well on the road, I don’t do well away from home,” he said. “I’m not ever gonna leave. I was born in West Linn, Oregon, I will die in West Linn, Oregon, and I don’t like to go far. I eat here, sleep here, train here, I don’t like to have to go anywhere, and that’s okay, I’m not complaining about it. There is something to be said for doing the same thing over and over each day with the same people in the same place, and you can’t get around it.” And while it’s Sonnen’s outlandish quotes that are the ones lighting up Twitter and message boards around the sporting world in the last couple years, when it comes to his craft, Sonnen is at his best, revealing the parts of the game few prizefighters will, simply because it would make them appear to be less than supermen. Sonnen has never subscribed to that notion, readily admitting that when all is said and done, a fist fight with another well-trained athlete isn’t the ideal night out many of his peers make it out to be. But the 34-year old has never shied away from that walk to the Octagon, even when the situation is less than ideal. “Those are mental skills that I’ve worked on and I’m not gonna share the secret to success because a lot of people do struggle with it, and those athletes can find their own journey,” he said. “But it’s just part of it. The event’s going to take place whether we want to do it or not, whether we feel good or not, whether we’re happy or sad – the event is going to happen. So the question is, how are you going to deal with it when it does?” Since his return to the UFC in 2009, Sonnen has dealt with his second lease on life in the Octagon with wins and brutal honesty, a deadly combination that is also a highly marketable one. But while it’s the soundbites that have made him a star, it’s his fights that have made him arguably the best 185-pound fighter in the world not named Anderson Silva. And should he defeat Michael Bisping this Saturday night in the UFC on FOX co-main event in Chicago, he will get another shot at the champion later this year. Yet Sonnen isn’t concerned with the shot, per se. “I’m not after a title shot, and this is the big thing that separates me from everyone else,” he explains. “I’ve never asked for a title shot and it’s not about a title shot – it’s about the title. And for so many guys, they want that title shot and they sit and they argue and they go to the media and they politick for these opportunities, and I’ll fight my way through. And if somebody can beat me, then I don’t deserve it; if somebody can beat me, then they should go have it. I don’t need politics or the media or anything else to propel me. If my skills and my ability won’t do it, then I don’t want it. It’s not about the shot and these fake opportunities because you politicked your way through the system. I will punch my way through the system, and if it fails me, then I shouldn’t be there in the first place.” So evening the score with Silva isn’t an issue? “That rematch is never gonna happen,” said Sonnen. “Don’t get caught up in that. Anderson and I will never cross paths again.” And Sonnen is okay with that? “Yeah, that’s the way it goes.” But even if he won the title, would never getting another shot at Silva eat at him? “I imagine it will, but such is life. You pack up and you move on.” You guessed it, the Gangster from West Linn is just getting warmed up. “The title’s the goal, not Anderson,” Sonnen continues. “He can go off and do what he wants. But he will be remembered the same way Mike Tyson is – as a phony. I had to grow up hearing Mike Tyson was the best fighter in the world when he was never – not for one day of his life – the best fighter in America. He never won a national title as a kid, he never made an Olympic team as an amateur, he could never beat Evander Holyfield, he never was the best fighter in America, but for 10 years they told us he was the world champ. It’s the same with Anderson. He’ll be remembered the same way. His pocketbook and his bank account will look really good, and he’ll be remembered as the wimp that he is.” Needless to say, Sonnen’s venom for “The Spider” is still strong, and maybe he’s just laying the promotional groundwork for a rematch that would likely shatter attendance and Pay-Per-View records. But first there’s the business of Bisping, the Brit who isn’t about to let his own opportunity for a shot at Silva fade away without a fight. And Sonnen knows this, so he’s taken his foot off the smack talk pedal a bit leading up to this one, instead showing a grudging respect for the skills of “The Count.” “These guys are all so tough,” said Sonnen. “They really are. I look at Bisping’s skills and I don’t know that it’s tickling me with a feather, but I look at Bisping’s record, and I go ‘damn, the one thing that guy knows how to do is win.’ And Bisping’s been in a lot of big fights, he’s headlined shows, sold out arenas, and he’s a winner. First and foremost, he wins matches, so it’s not like they dealt to me from the bottom of the deck here – this guy’s a good fighter, his name’s been in title contention, and I’m a supporter for the most part. A lot of people don’t think Bisping’s ready for title shots and big fights, and I’m sitting on my couch going, well, he’s beating everybody they’re putting in front of him. I don’t think we can badmouth him with a straight face for too much longer.” Whether Bisping is a tougher fight for Sonnen than the man he replaced - the injured Mark Munoz - remains to be seen, but the veteran from Oregon is well aware that whether they talk smack or play nice, when Saturday night comes, they have to fight. “He’s coming after me, I’m coming after him. That’s all the motivation you need.” It’s simple. It’s direct. It’s Chael Sonnen, creature of habit. |
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Bisping's Count-Down Begins |
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Wednesday, 25 January 2012 17:00 |
 The moment Michael Bisping dispatched his coaching rival on season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter, Jason Miller, via third round TKO last December, it should have signaled the end of a long year that included two fights, two training camps, the taping and promotion of the show, and a move from his native Manchester, England to Southern California. In other words, Bisping earned himself a break for the holidays. Yet less than a week after his win over Miller, “The Count” was getting a call from UFC President Dana White, asking him if he was interested in opening up the company’s second FOX card in Chicago against Demian Maia on January 28th. Bisping jumped on the opportunity. “This is what I do,” he said. “I’m a fighter, this is how I make my money, and I like to be active. Doing The Ultimate Fighter was ten months off and that’s far too long for me. I don’t like to do that. I put a little weight on in between the Jorge Rivera fight (at UFC 127 in February of 2011) and the Miller fight because of The Ultimate Fighter, so I lost the weight, I was back in shape, I had a good performance (against Miller) and no injuries, and of course, when Dana White comes to you and asks you to fight on FOX, who am I to say no? That’s the man right there, and if that’s what he wants, that what he gets.” Bisping’s acceptance of the bout was just another example of the Brit’s fighting spirit, something that occasionally gets lost in the midst of his trash talking with prospective foes. And let’s face it, taking on a short notice fight immediately after a previous one is always a less than ideal situation. Doing it when you’re in Bisping’s position, which is within shouting distance of a world middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva is even riskier. But the 32-year old didn’t flinch. “Obviously there’s always a risk,” he said. “But if I’m gonna go out and be champion, I need to be able to beat these guys. If I can’t beat them, sitting on the sideline and twiddling my thumbs certainly isn’t gonna help me beat them. This is what I do, and let’s see what happens. If I beat him, great; if I don’t, then I don’t deserve the title shot, simple as that.” There would be more twists and turns to this story though, as January 17th saw fellow contender Mark Munoz forced out of his co-main event bout with Chael Sonnen on the same card in Chicago. Bisping then got another call from White. Did he want to step up again, this time to face Sonnen for a shot at the middleweight crown? Again, the answer was yes, and while some late-notice fighters have that shell-shocked sound to their voice in the moments after getting the news, Bisping sounded ecstatic last week, and he made sure to get in the first verbal jabs on the always quotable Sonnen. “There’s no doubt about it, he’s a tough opponent, has great wrestling, and he’s a grinder,” said Bisping of the former middleweight title challenger. “But he’s got no submission defense, and Chael Sonnen’s best weapon is his mouth, and that’s something that’s going to be absolutely useless in this fight. I see a very bright future for Chael Sonnen as a used car salesman very soon.” For fight fans and the media, the Bisping-Sonnen matchup is gold, not only in the Octagon, but outside it as well, and while the two have fired off some zingers at each other in the last few days, there is an obvious mutual respect between the two. You would think such a situation would favor Sonnen and not Bisping, since “The Count” has insisted in the past that he fights better when angry, but whether Sonnen unleashes a torrent of smack talk at him or not, Bisping is prepared for battle. “The fact that I’m winning, the fact that I’m a natural competitor, the fact that I’ll lose almost half of my fight purse if I lose, the fact that if I beat him it gets me a title shot, that’s all the motivation I need,” said Bisping, who brings a four fight winning streak into the fight. “The fact that he may or may not be calling me names doesn’t really come into it. I have my goals that I want to achieve. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always nice and it always spices it up a little bit when they talk a little s**t, but I don’t need it.” “And all trash talk aside, he’s going to be a very difficult match,” he continues. “The title shot is right there, and it’s there for the taking. All I’ve got to do is reach out and take it. But to do that, I’ve got to beat Chael Sonnen. I’ve had a week’s notice, it’s not perfect, but I am who I am, and I’m a fighter. Dana called me, offered me the opportunity, and I took it straight away. I may have only got a week’s notice, but there’s a lifetime’s worth of preparation coming into this.” That may be the key. After all the sacrifices, the fights, the training, the media tours, and the ups and the downs, this is what Bisping has been fighting for. Now he just has to get past one 15 minute hurdle on Saturday and he will be that much closer to his goal. It’s almost as fate has intervened, because he’s gone from what promised to be a peaceful Christmas with his family to a major fight on national television that could very well change his life. Sounds like all the dominoes have lined up at the perfect time. “Dana said I win this fight, I’m fighting for the title in a soccer stadium in the summer,” said Bisping. “It’s all there. The dominoes are lined up, and I’m gonna knock them down. Easier said than done, but if anyone can do it, I can.” |
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Jacoby's Second Chance to Make A First Impression |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2012 17:00 |
 In short, Dustin Jacoby made a bad first impression, but he’s getting a second chance to make a better one at UFC on FOX 2. On October 29th at UFC 137, Jacoby went toe-to-toe with fellow debuting middleweight Clifford Starks in an underwhelming unanimous decision victory for Starks. The win was for the most part a 15 minute display of takedowns for the former Arizona State University wrestler, Starks. For Jacoby, the loss was absolutely his worst performance of a young career that previously featured an undefeated streak of lightning quick finishes with the majority being first round TKOs. In life there might not be second chances, but in sports there are and, on January 28th, Jacoby wants to make an inedible second impression to make everyone forget the first. “Everyone should expect to see a guy who is going to go in there and leave it all on the line,” emphasizes Jacoby. “They should expect to see a guy who throws caution into the wind and lets it go and has fun. At the same time, I'm using my athletic ability, I'm evading, I'm being elusive, but not being tentative. I’m going to be attacking and aggressive. You can watch any one of my fights, besides that Starks fight, and you see two different people. You see me kicking, which sets up my hands, I'm catching them with my hands, the next thing you know they're going down, and once they go down I'm on top of them with no hesitation. My coach says, ‘When the UFC sees you fight this time, they're going to see a completely different fighter. In your last fight you fought 95% terrible and the only reason I give you 5% is because you had good movement, but you weren't throwing off of it.’ I'm the aggressor, I'm taking it to the guy, I'm overwhelming them, and I'm setting the tone.” Now, that sounds a lot more like the 6’4” middleweight the UFC thought they had drafted last October. In less than a year, Jacoby fought seven times with the final bout being his debut at UFC 137. Jacoby’s six previous drubbings of opponents totaled together took less time than the 15 minute decision loss to Starks. Some fighters chalk up a rough first fight in the Octagon to the “jitters”, but Jacoby’s hiccup was due in part to a hairline fracture on his leg suffered in training 19 days prior to the scrap. Break or no break, Jacoby got the call to be in the UFC and he was going to answer it. “I had an injury we kept on the low going into Clifford Starks,” discloses Jacoby. “I knew going into the fight I wasn't going to be myself and wasn't going to be 100%. I had a pretty bad hairline fracture on my leg that prevented me from doing what I normally do. I wasn't necessarily nervous about it being my first fight, I was nervous at how limited I was. It showed during the fight. If you have watched any of my fights prior to that you can see that I'm a completely different fighter. I threw zero kicks against Starks and something I do in all my fights is throw kicks to set up my hands. I'm about a hundred times more aggressive in every other fight I've ever had than I was against Starks. In hindsight, I should not have taken the fight, but if I had to do it again I would do it the same way. It's just one of those things, how do you back out of a UFC debut? It was just something I was so excited for. Probably at the time, I shouldn't have taken the fight, but I'm not making a big deal about it. I did it, it's over with, and it's time to move on.” At UFC on FOX 2 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, Jacoby is getting another opportunity to wow UFC fight fans against Chris “Kamikaze” Camozzi. The Ultimate Fighter alum is 15-5 and, currently, 2-2 inside the Octagon. Camozzi also suffered a decision loss at UFC 137 and will be looking to give everything he’s got to get back on the winning track. A matchup between two young and big 185ers who have something to prove can only be a must watch and possibly dark horse candidate for “Fight of the Night”. “ Chris Camozzi is a tough guy,” says Jacoby. “I've watched a few of his fights, including the one where he fought on the same card I was on in Vegas. Just watching that fight over and over again, you can tell he has a lot of heart and he can take a punch. No matter what happens he is going to keep coming and keep going. I like that about him because I know he is going to bring out the best in me. I'm the same way, where if I get hit, which I haven't been hit too much, but the more I get hit and the tougher the opponent is it brings out the best in me. It's going to be a tough fight and he's a really good competitor who has been in the game for quite awhile now. He's 2-2 in the UFC, so he's had some experience and it's going to be a fun fight.” The 23-year old former college quarterback for Culver-Stockton College and later Quincy University is busy preparing for his tussle with Camozzi at Fiore MMA in Springfield, Illinois. In a short time, Jacoby’s MMA training went from messing around with his twin brother in his garage to sparring with UFC veterans at Matt Hughes’ H.I.T. Squad in Granite City. Nothing like jumping from the pot into the frying pan, Jacoby’s first six amateur fights were taken on sheer guile in the football off-season and, soon enough, he found himself in a gym trading punches with “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler. Jacoby is awfully green in this sport, but he’s been learning from the best early and often. “I started out at Matt Hughes' The H.I.T. Squad in Granite City with Matt Veach, Kyle Watson, Robbie Lawler and Brian Foster,” tells Jacoby. “That was quite an experience. That was the first real gym I ever walked into. That was pretty overwhelming. We recently moved to Springfield, Illinois, where coach Marc Fiore opened up his gym, Fiore MMA. We have a lot of good guys. We have my twin brother here, who obviously matches up with me perfectly sizewise. We have Brian Foster. We have Jon Madsen who is a 4-1 heavyweight in the UFC. We have a lot of guys who push me on a daily basis. It's hard to keep up, especially with those heavyweights who when they grab a hold of you they suck the life right out of you.” Although he is only just starting his second professional year in MMA, Jacoby is a lifelong athlete who believes the work ethic instilled in him from other sports has carried over perfectly for the UFC. “My whole life has been a practice and that's what an MMA camp is,” asserts Jacoby, who played college football plus fought in amateur fights and then turned pro in MMA with no gaps in between because he’s a born competitor. “Being a quarterback, I always had to be at practice on time and on time for me was 10 minutes early to set an example. I've always been that team leader or that guy people looked up to, and I catch on to things quickly. Some people have trouble getting up and getting after it, but it's something I’m used to.” This weekend in the Windy City, Jacoby will look to blow the doors off the United Center with a blistering attack-oriented performance against Camozzi. “I'm going to use my superior athletic ability mixed with the aggression I've brought to every sport I've ever played,” affirms Jacoby, who promises that being injury-free means an exciting fight for the fans. “I'm a crowd pleaser. I'm so anxious, I'm ready to rock n' roll, I'm healthy and I'm so excited. When I get done with this fight, win, lose, or draw, the fans are going to be like ‘that guy can fight.’” In short, sports and life are more about “what have you done for me lately?” For Jacoby, a thrilling battle in Chicago this week will always be more memorable than a year prior's lackluster showing in Las Vegas. |
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Chris Weidman - Carpe Diem |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2012 17:00 |
 Some people will always stick to the safe path in life, never deviating from the course they’ve already charted, disinterested in exploring the possibilities that come with turning left when your destination is to the right. Chris Weidman is not one of those people. The 27-year-old UFC middleweight answered the call to fill the opening opposite Demian Maia this weekend as a part of the UFC on FOX 2 event, taking the most challenging fight of his young career on just 11 days notice. “I know I’ve got my undefeated record and all that, but I’m looking at the positives. If I win this fight, it’s huge for me,” explained the Hofstra University graduate. “It’s huge for my life, it’s huge for my family, and I’m willing to take the risk of possibly having a loss — which I don’t think is going to happen — because of what a win would mean. “I’d be in title contention at that point. I’d be exactly where I wanted to be in my career. This is exactly what I wanted, and it’s awesome. I’m going to make the best of it. I’m going to go out there and exert as much energy as I possibly can to try and win that fight.” Weidman has been through this process before, having made his UFC debut on short notice against veteran knockout artist Alessio Sakara last March. It was a risky proposition for the All-American wrestler with just four fights under this belt, but the Baldwin, New York native never hesitated, then or now. “I said the same thing as this time – ‘Let’s do this!’” Some people thought I was crazy then, but it’s similar. It was high reward, low risk taking a fight on short notice against a tough veteran like Sakara, but at that point, I’m in the UFC, where I want to be.” After using his high-level wrestling to earn a unanimous decision win over Sakara in his debut, Weidman posted back-to-back first round submission wins over Jesse Bongfeldt and Tom Lawlor to close out 2011. Pushing his record to 7-0, the Matt Serra-Ray Longo trainee entered 2012 as one of the top prospects in the sport, and he wasn’t going to pass up the chance to take a giant step closer to reaching his goal of becoming a UFC champion. “I know I can do this; I know how hard I can push, and I know about my weight cut. I know I’m going to go in there and fight as hard as I can, no matter how I was training or how my camp was. Having that experience of doing it is big. Before the Alessio Sakara fight, I took a fight on two weeks’ notice. “My goal is to be world champion and hold that for a while, so I’m taking it one step at a time, and my next step is Demian Maia. “But this whole thing is surreal,” Weidman admitted with a laugh. “I’m fighting on FOX. It went quick, and I’m excited about it. This is where I’ve been dreaming to be, with the guys I’ve been watching. I think I can beat them, and I want to be where they’re at, and now I’m there, so it’s time to make the best of it.” While some people would caution Weidman about the risks of facing a former title challenger and top 5 competitor like Maia on short notice, recent events in his life help the unbeaten talent to keep things in perspective. The day after accepting the biggest fight of his young career, Weidman attended the wake of his uncle, Freddy Weidman, a Vietnam veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star for his service. “He put himself at true risk,” Weidman said of his uncle, who passed away unexpectedly last week. “With platoon after platoon of the Vietnamese shooting at him, he had to run out to an open field, grabbing more ammo because his team was out of ammo, and bring it back. On top of that, he got blown up with a grenade, and had a bunch of difficulty throughout his life because of that. “Imagine that — running out into a field when guns are firing at you, and you don’t know whether you’re going to die; that’s risk. Getting into a cage to fight, doing something I love to do is not a risk.” Weidman wasn’t expecting to return to action until April, but the opportunity to return to the Octagon against an established veteran on network television was too good to pass up. Maia is easily the toughest opponent to date for Weidman, a sharp and sudden bump up in competition. No one would have questioned him if he chose to stay on course for an April return, and few would fault him if he were to incur a loss to the Brazilian standout under these conditions. But plans change, and Weidman intends to make the most of the latest last-minute opportunity the UFC has presented him. “There’s always risks, especially in the UFC because you don’t want a loss on your record, but whatever — you only live once. I’m young, I don’t want to miss opportunities; I want to go out there and make the most of them. “I think it’s a good matchup for me; I like it. I’m excited to really show my overall game in this fight, and have fun with the whole thing. I’m 100% focused on Demian Maia, and I just feel like nothing good is going to come out of me losing, so I have to win this fight.” |
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Maia Thinking Like A White Belt, Fighting Like A Black Belt |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2012 17:00 |
 If you’re a Brazilian fight fan or someone associated with the sport, you were either in HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro on January 14th or you wanted to be there for UFC 142. But not Demian Maia. Tucked away in Sao Paulo, Maia was putting the finishing touches on his training camp, getting ready for a fight in Chicago on January 28th, and, with the exception of an autograph session in his home city, not worrying too much about what was going to happen in Rio earlier this month. “I’m very focused and I don’t think about fighting on this or that day – just that I have a fight on the 28th and that’s it,” said Maia when asked about the event and whether he was going to attend or watch UFC 142. “I don’t even know if I’m gonna watch because normally right before my fights I don’t usually watch fights. I’m just focused on the 28th.” So there was no worry from him about being seen with the crème de la crème of the Brazilian MMA world or disappointment about not competing on the card; he had business to take care of, and all eyes were on America, not Brazil. “I’m very happy to fight and because I do what I love, and I know UFC is coming to Brazil more often, so sooner or later I know I’m going to be fighting here, but I’m not in a rush about that,” said Maia, whose attitude matches his fighting style. He’s not going to be reckless or wild. He will beat you with his mind before he does it with his hands or feet, and in a little over four years, he has gone from a one-dimensional jiu-jitsu player to a well-rounded mixed martial artist whose form may be unorthodox, but effective. And that’s come with a mix of work, focus, and a refreshing lack of ego. “For me, it’s not hard because I love what I do and I love to fight,” he said. “I love boxing also, and not just jiu-jitsu, so whenever you do something that you love, it’s never hard work. Of course the training and everything is tough, but what I do I like very much and when you’re like that I think you develop very well.” “I see some guys that are standup fighters and they’ve been doing jiu-jitsu for many years and they’re still not so good, and there are some jiu-jitsu guys that do standup for many years and they’re not so good, and the key is that they don’t like the other style,” Maia continues. “Sometimes they don’t like to train other styles and sometimes they don’t like to go from being the best at what they do to learning something else and there’s an ego involved there. If you think like a white belt, you can keep getting better. And when I decide to do something, I know that I will do it hard and I will get it.” Winner of three of his last four, with the only loss a hard fought three round scrap with Mark Munoz that saw him actually rock “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” while the two traded blows early on, Maia has shown the ability to handle himself standing as well as on the mat. He will never be confused with a 185-pound knockout artist, but if going three rounds with Munoz and five rounds with champion Anderson Silva haven’t erased the memory of his knockout loss to Nate Marquardt back in 2009, you’re just not paying attention. So with his ego in check, his game growing by leaps and bounds with every fight, and the outlook looking bright for the 34-year old, it was no surprise that he didn’t get rattled when his original opponent for this Saturday’s FOX bout, Michael Bisping, was pulled from the fight to replace the injured Munoz against Chael Sonnen. In comes unbeaten New Yorker Chris Weidman, and Maia is as ready for his new foe as he was for the last one. “Chris Weidman is one of the most promising fighters in the middleweight class, with amazing wrestling credentials, and he’s also showing a lot of good and always improving Jiu-Jitsu technique,” said Maia. “Being undefeated is not easy at this level of competition and he’s shown that he is a good fighter. I respect a lot the fact that he took the fight on short notice, as this is a big card on a great platform in FOX, and it shows how much heart he has. In no way do I think this is an easier fight, and I think it's going to be very interesting and great for the fans.” And a win on such a nationally televised platform will also do wonders for Maia’s growing profile. “It’s a good test for me if I want to be champion one day,” said Maia, who is already reaping the benefits of the UFC’s success in his home country. “It’s a great feeling,” he said. “After last year, when the UFC came back to Brazil again, there was a great change in the sport in Brazil. And now, people recognize us in the street, they come to talk to us everywhere, and it’s different than before. Before, maybe just other fighters and the people involved with fights knew who I was. Now everyone comes to talk and the sport is very big here.” Not surprisingly though, he hasn’t let all the attention get to his head. “It doesn’t change my life. I’m still the same person like everybody else.” That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t mind making his debut as a UFC fighter in his home country with a world title on the line one day. “That would be great.” |
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For Russow, Home Is Where The Fight Is |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2012 17:00 |
 The phrase “hometown hero” is thrown around quite a bit, and a lot of times it’s used improperly. A guy from Fort Worth, Texas takes on a guy from Denver, Colorado at an event in Houston and, suddenly, Fort Worth is a suburb of Houston even though they’re four hours apart. At UFC on FOX 2, that will not be the case with the born and bred Chicagoan, who trains in The Windy City, and, when he’s not competing, he’s literally keeping the Second City’s streets safe as a police officer. On January 28th, a real “hometown hero” will battle in the Octagon and will hopefully receive the thunderous ovation he deserves: Mike Russow. “It's exciting and it's awesome,” says Russow of competing in his Illinois backyard. “I don't have to travel, which is good. But it makes you more nervous because a lot more friends and family will be there who normally wouldn't be there. It does add more pressure, but I look forward to it and I'm excited. Getting to fight in the United Center - it's a great place.” In “The House that Jordan Built”, UFC heavyweight Russow will look to keep his impressive 10 fight winning streak alive in a clash with Norwegian grappler John-Olav Einemo. Since joining the UFC in August of 2009, Russow has remained undefeated inside the Octagon with three wins: a unanimous decision over Justin McCully, a “Knockout of the Night” over Todd Duffee, and, most recently, a second round TKO (doctor stoppage) against Jon Madsen. Russow’s staggering professional record of 14-1, 1 NC is a rare commodity, especially in the ultra competitive heavyweight division, where one mistake can usually mean the end of a fight. The 35-year old active duty Chicago police officer last stepped inside the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 24 in March 2011. “I knew it was going to be a tough fight because I knew Madsen was a tough kid with good wrestling,” tells Russow of the previously undefeated TUF alum, who had trained with Russow a couple times at Team DeathClutch in Minnesota. “I think he was 4-0 in the UFC when I fought him. I think it was a solid win and I was pretty happy with my performance. I figured it was going to be on our feet and I definitely wanted to get a knockout.” Although he forced a doctor stoppage at the end of the second round, Russow wasn’t sold on his standup showing and believed he should have done better. “I wasn't real happy with my standup because I was really only throwing one punch and then kind of hanging around instead of putting combinations together and moving,” admits the former NCAA Division I wrestler from Eastern Illinois University, who has been pushing himself in training to become more dynamic on the feet. “I kind of figured going into that fight it was going to be a lot of standup and I didn't think I was going to be able to take him down as easy as I did because I knew he was a good wrestler. I definitely have been trying to make my standup to the next level. I definitely think I'm getting more confident, but I'm wrestling and jiu-jitsu first.” With all the strides this heavyweight has made as a mixed martial artist, one thing that has held Russow back are long layoffs between UFC fights. During his three years with the organization, Russow has competed only once a year, with 2011 looking to finally break that cycle until the unexpected happened. Originally, Russow was scheduled to fight at UFC 136 in October against the 21-2 Dave Herman, but Herman was forced out of the bout. But there is a “silver lining” and it is twofold: he’s now fighting in Chicago and Russow’s had back-to-back full training camps to improve as a fighter and athlete. “I have been able to stay in shape,” states Russow. “I took a week off after UFC 136 just because that was a long camp, but since then I've been pretty much going full-time. We've really picked up the sprints and doing more running than we did in the last camp. The intensity has been higher, the workouts have been harder, and conditioning wise, I think I was in great shape last time, but this time we started doing sprints and stuff about six weeks out instead of waiting until four weeks. We've done a lot of sprints and running for this camp, which is something we always do, but we've been having some real hard workouts and started it out earlier, so I think I'm going to be in even better shape. I always think my conditioning is pretty good. I have a belly, I'm fat and some people see that, but I'm always in good shape. I think as I'm getting older and we're doing these camps I think we're tweaking them and being smarter about the way we do things. I think I'm in the best shape right now. I hope that it pays off and I have a ton of energy and hopefully we put on an exciting fight.” At UFC on FOX 2, Russow’s new challenger is world renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Einemo. “The Viking” made his UFC debut last June in a second round TKO loss to Herman that was awarded “Fight of the Night” honors. It had been six years since the 6-2 Einemo had competed in an MMA bout, but “ring rust” was not too evident as “The Viking” swung heavy leather at Herman and scored a couple takedowns. Even though he lost, Einemo showed off a standup attack learned from the Dutch kickboxers of Golden Glory, which adds a new element of danger to the already well-decorated submission artist. “I think he's a very tough opponent,” asserts Russow. “Obviously, his grappling is something to look out for because he's a world champion. That's one of the main concerns we really have focused on for this camp - he's very dangerous on the ground. Even if I take him to the ground or if he takes me down - he's dangerous. That's what he's good at. But from what I've seen from him on the tapes, he tries to throw the hard punches too. He likes to throw hard and straight punches. He throws a good 1-2. A lot of times, he likes to lead off with his right hand. He likes to stand on the feet. In the Dave Herman fight, he only took him down like once and the rest of the time they fought on their feet. I definitely think I can get the takedowns on him. That is my goal to get the takedowns and once I get him down to stay in good position.” In training for each of his fights especially a ground fighter like Einemo, Russow’s resident “ace in the hole” is Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros. “One thing I'm fortunate to have is ‘Comprido,’ who is my jiu-jitsu coach who I have had for three, four years now,” boasts Russow of the Carlson Gracie BJJ black belt, who has won multiple grappling world championships. “I love jiu-jitsu and I think I get better every year. Fortunately, I have ‘Comprido’ and he's been able to simulate a lot of what John likes to do, like grabbing your back and stuff like that. I think anyone can be beat in any area; it just depends on the right timing and situation, so I'll definitely try to finish him on the ground if the timing and situation are there.” This weekend, two heavyweights are set to tangle, with Russow squaring off against Einemo. “I really think no matter where it goes, whether it goes to the ground or stays on the feet, that I'll be fine,” affirms Russow, and even though he will face his toughest opponent to date, he has had ample time to prepare and is ready to get a win in his hometown. “I've had a month off of work for this fight, which is something I've never had. I used all my vacation days for January to February. I've been able to sleep and work out in the mornings and work out at night and I'm really excited, so it should be my best fight.” Move over Derrick Rose, Brian Urlacher and Kanye West, if Russow wins Saturday night, there will be a real “hometown hero” watching the throne in Chi-Town. |
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