MMA NEWS

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All Things MMA News.

 

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Cesar Gracie comments on claims that GSP was ‘jumping’ and ‘running’ at UFC 137

[video=youtube;izJbRqqaZHM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izJbRqqaZHM&feature=pl ayer_embedded[/video]

 

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Georges St-Pierre UFC 137 Interview

[video=youtube;rg-VUeksKaU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg-VUeksKaU&feature=related[/video]

 

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Georges St Pierre: Post-Injury Interview - UFC 137

[video=youtube;vynVigP_2Ds]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vynVigP_2Ds&feature=re lated[/video]

 

[Rodja]

Cesar is starting to get as annoying as Ed Soares.

 

[VolcomX311]

Manager: Demian Maia Wants to Fight Jake Shields at 185

Jake Shields hasn't had the best year so far inside the cage, and there has been some minor speculation that he might like to return to middleweight after two losses in a row at welterweight. While there's no shame at all in losing to Georges St. Pierre and Jake Ellenberger, especially with the fact that he had to deal with the death of his manager and father going into the second fight, it is believed the former Strikeforce middleweight champion might be a better fit up at 185. If that is the case, Demian Maia's manager Eduardo Alonzo told Tatame that he wants his fighter to get the first crack at Shields:


"It’s a personal desire, but I guess it’d be a good fight, an interesting challenge for Demian. For his record and skills as a fighter, I’m guessing it’d be interesting", said the manager to TATAME.

...

"Fighting top 10 guys is always interesting", says Alonso, explaining his "choice". "Since he once was a champion in Strikeforce in this weight class and has great wins over top athletes like Dan Henderson, and because he likes to fight on the ground, I believe it’d be a great match-up against Demian".

He also goes onto say that he'd like Maia to fight in January or February. While I personally see Shields returning to 185 as a longshot, a bout with Maia would be awesome. I think he has a bunch of unfinished business at welterweight though and despite his quick loss to Ellenberger, he's still a top-5 talent at 170 and can beat almost anyone in the division on any given night. If they want to give Carlos Condit a stellar fight on the Super Bowl card in February, a rematch with Shields would be a main candidate in my eyes.

 

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UFC 137 Results: B.J. Penn Releases Statement

After dropping a decision to Nick Diaz in the main event at UFC 137 and having his eye swollen up to grotesque proportions, B.J. Penn announced his retirement from MMA in an interview with Joe Rogan. Penn has talked about retirement many times before, and the moment seemed appropriate for that sort of announcement. But today he released a statement through his webpage BJPenn.com, and it might have opened the door to a return just a tiny bit:


"I want to thank all the fans for their love and support. I have decided to take some time off to enjoy life, train and teach. I will keep you guys posted with what's next."

- BJ Penn

"Take some time off" and "retire" are very different things. Could we see Penn back in the cage someday? He is definitely still a top guy in the sport and is only 32 years old, so it's possible. Whatever he decides to do, he's a surefire Hall of Famer. I wonder how long it will take for the UFC to jump on that idea.

 

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Carlos Condit camp 'upset' with Georges St. Pierre, fight with 'curly haired blonde'

Could tension be brewing at the Greg Jackson camp ... again?

After Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) official's pulled the old switcharoo on Carlos Condit by taking away his title shot against welterweight champion, Georges St. Pierre, immediately after Nick Diaz defeated B.J. Penn this weekend, Malki Kawa, Condit's manager, took to the Twitter boards to express his unhappiness with the decision.

In case you missed it:


"Last I checked, 'Carlos is the harder fight.' So I guess now he'll fight Nick. Wasn't our choice and def not happy. BUT It is what it is, and we'll figure some things out. In the mean time, I'm sure @danawhite Is going to make it worth his while

."

Kawa, who represents many of today's top mixed martial arts (MMA) stars, elaborated a bit more today on "The MMA Hour:"




"I could understand them coming to us like that, the issue with the whole 'he decided to step aside,' obviously, that wasn't the case. There was no just stepping aside. There was a little bit more than that. It's going to take more than that. I think we're way more upset with Georges and the way Georges handled it than we are with the way Dana presented it or anything like that. Are we pissed off about it? Absolutely, but it's not like I've never been on other end of stick where I put one of my fighters ahead of someone else and another guy got shafted or screwed over. It's just business, it's not personal. It's nothing personal with Georges. Are we upset with him? Absolutely."

Kawa went on to say that Condit -- who wept upon initially learning that he was granted a UFC title shot -- was very heart broken having to bow out of the fight with St. Pierre. However, not all is lost, as the power agent shed some light on a few possible opponents for his client that the promotion offered him, possibly on the same card as Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre on Super bowl weekend:


"Possibly a curly haired blond."

One would assume he was referring to none other than UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck. When asked if a fight with Jake Ellenberger -- a person who Condit has already defeated -- appealed to them, Kawa said it's all about what benefits his client the most:


"It's more about whoever brings the most to the table, we want to make it a big-money fight. Whoever that is. Make it a big-money fight. A No. 1 contender, possibly make it a five-rounder if we could. And somebody who win, lose, or draw, we can take something from it."

Though St. Pierre's home camp is with Firas Zihabi at TriStar gym in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the 170-pound kingpin splits his training time with Jacksons' camp out of Albuquerque, N.M., which is the home of "The Natural Born Killer." Both Jackson-trained fighters had kept it cordial leading up to their highly anticipated fight that was scheduled for UFC 137.

Whether this will cause increased tension between the welterweights remains to be seen. For what it's worth, head trainer Greg Jackson previously stated that he would not train either fighter prior to UFC 137.

Now that his dance card is empty, who would you like to see Condit face off against in order to reclaim his title shot?

 

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Cesar is starting to get as annoying as Ed Soares.

Almost.... almost.

 

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I'd actually be very interested in Shields/Maia. Both have hideous TD's, but both are amazing on the ground. I'd love to watch that submission chess match.

 

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Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz official, granted co-main-event status for UFC 141

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported Sunday night, Donald Cerrone (17-3 MMA 4-0 UFC) and Nate Diaz (14-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) will meet at December's UFC 141 event.

UFC brass today announced the contest and confirmed that the intriguing matchup will take the card's co-main-event slot.

Featuring a heavyweight matchup between former UFC champ Brock Lesnar and former Strikeforce titleholder Alistair Overeem, UFC 141 takes place Dec. 30 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Cerrone is fresh off a sweeping victory over top prospect Dennis Siver at this past weekend's UFC 137 event. After rocking the German on two occasions with head kicks, "Cowboy" cinched a rear-naked choke that brought the tapout at the midway point of round one. The victory, which earned him a $75,000 "Submission of the Night" bonus, was his sixth straight, all of which have come in the past 13 months.

Diaz, meanwhile, emerged from a two-fight skid in his most recent performance and picked up significant momentum with a first-round submission victory over Takanori Gomi at UFC 135. It was his first fight as a lightweight since he squared off with Gray Maynard at UFC Fight Night 23, after which he served a 2-2 stint as a welterweight.

The latest UFC 141 card now includes:
MAIN EVENT: Cain Valasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos
•Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem
•Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz
•Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks
•Alexander Gustafsson vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
•Dong Hyun Kim vs. Sean Pierson
•T.J. Grant vs. Jacob Volkmann

 

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Roy Nelson on Retiring Cro Cop at UFC 137, Eating Well + Steven Seagal

[video=youtube;THeTGgL7jt0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THeTGgL7jt0[/video]


Clean cut Roy Nelson!

 

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UFC 137 Post Fight Press Conference

[video=youtube;V1E89fa5zvw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1E89fa5zvw&feature=re lated[/video]

 

[Rodja]

BJ will be back again. He'll get the itch in a year and, if he's smart, will do it at LW. I think Cerrone is 2 wins away from a title shot since the LW division is pretty thin on contenders. Outside of Bendo, Guida, and Melendez, there aren't any other legit contenders.

 

[BigGunn]

This will be an awesome fight......and finally we don't have to shell out 50 bucks to see it!
...............

Dana White (QMI Agency)
The UFC fight on Nov. 12 in Anaheim, Calif., is going to be big. Huge. Gigantic.
Those are the superlatives being tossed around in anticipation of the heavyweight title clash between UFC champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos, and not just because the two combatants tip the scales at a combined weight of 480 pounds.

No, this fight is big for another reason: For the first time in the history of the organization, the UFC is beaming its product live and for free into homes across the United States on a major network.
Velasquez (9-0-0) will defend his crown against dos Santos (13-1-0) at the Honda Center two Saturdays from now and the fight will be carried on the FOX network as part of a seven-year deal that was recently worked out. The bout also will air live in 15 other countries, including Canada where it can be watched on Sportsnet.

The significance of this event is palpable; it's the first salvo in what the UFC hopes will be a successful campaign to capture an even greater portion of the almighty sports buck; the final step in transforming mixed martial arts into a legitimate mainstream sport.

It won't come without a cost, though. Dana White, the UFC's ringmaster, says his company will take a huge financial hit in the short term for taking this fight off the pay-per-view format.

"In no way shape or form do we come anywhere close to making our money back," White told a conference call on Wednesday. "You don't go on free television and make your money; it's not how it works. We're going to get smashed on this fight, but it's an investment in the future of the business."

And it seems a little bit of the past figured into White's desire to get MMA on free TV.
The dynamic White, a boxing fan from way back, reminisced fondly about how he used to watch boxing matches on Wide World of Sports when he was a kid and said pay-per-view helped to damage boxing.

"Our goal has always been to bring big free fights back to television," White said. "We're thinking long term for the future of the sport and making the sport bigger. That's why we're going to do it and will continue to do it."

On this ground-breaking broadcast, White says viewers can expect the usual fight breakdowns, features and at least one new twist: "Interviews with the guys (heavyweights) before they come out (to fight)."

With so much at stake, then, it's interesting that the UFC chose to showcase Velasquez and dos Santos, two relatively unknown names to the general public, when it had Lesnar, St. Pierre, and Silva at its disposal.

But White has no doubt he picked the right fight.

Velasquez and dos Santos are both strikers, dos Santos at a rate of 85%, the champ somewhat less at 40%. So this fight promises to be a smack down, something the less knowledgeable fan can appreciate.

"I'm confident in Junior and Cain. We made this fight the first fight on free TV for a reason," White said. "These guys stylistically, both are aggressive, that's why we made this fight. This is going to be an awesome fight. The fight is the least of my worries. That's why these two are in the spotlight."

Since knocking out Fabricio Werdum in the first round of his first UFC fight, dos Santos has gone on a tear. He's 7-0 in the organization and deserved a title shot.
Velasquez also has been impressive, taking the crown from Brock Lesnar on Oct. 23 of last year, and having to wait until now to defend it.

The bout airs at 9 p.m. Eastern. There are nine fights on the undercard that will only be shown on Facebook and FoxSports.com. The weigh-ins for the heavyweight title bout will air live on Fuel TV at 7 p.m. on Nov. 11.

 

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Velasquez-Dos Santos will be lone fight on UFC on FOX 1, regardless of length

If you want to see Clay Guida (29-11 MMA, 9-5 UFC) battle Ben Henderson (14-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on Nov. 12, you better be next to a computer.

While many MMA fans have openly hoped for a quick ending in that night's Cain Velasquez (9-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) vs. Junior Dos Santos (13-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) main event in order for Guida vs. Henderson to also air on the UFC on FOX broadcast, UFC president Dana White today said that's not going to happen.

During a conference call to promote the event, which takes place in Anaheim, Calif., White said the featured bout will be the only fight on the broadcast, even if it "only goes 10 seconds."

The UFC and FOX deal doesn't technically begin until 2012, and the Nov. 12 event is simply a one-hour teaser show. The evening's 10-bout undercard streams free on Facebook and FOX.com.

White also revealed today that in addition to FOX in the U.S., the Velasquez vs. Dos Santos fight will also air live in 15 additional countries, including Canada and the U.K.

MAIN CARD (FOX)

• Champ Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos (for heavyweight title)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook and FOX.com)

• Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
• Pablo Garza vs. Dustin Poirier
• Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
• Ricardo Lamas vs. Cub Swanson
• Clay Harvsion vs. DaMarques Johnson
• Robert Peralta vs. Mackens Semerzier
• Paul Bradley vs. Mike Pierce
• Matt Lucas vs. Aaron Rosa
• Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo

 

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UFC 138: Mark Munoz Discusses How He Got Into MMA

The UFC put out an excellent Youtube video that features one half of the UFC 138 main event, Mark Munoz. The video shows him training in his gym, Reign Training Center, while he discusses his life over the footage. It's an interesting look at a fighter that is in the main event for the first time. It covers where his parents are from, how they came to America, and how he got into sports in California to not get picked on by others. He briefly discusses his college wrestling and coaching career, and says the day it all changed was the day he met Urijah Faber. He also tells an amusing story about his first-ever sparring session, where he didn't even know how to wrap his hands. Who was his sparring partner? Randy Couture.

Munoz faces Chris Leben this Saturday at UFC 138 in the first five-round non-title fight in UFC history.

[video=youtube;xVewKzsE7LI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded& v=xVewKzsE7LI[/video]

 

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Mark Munoz | Talks UFC®138

[video=youtube;-PwJQv2SO7Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PwJQv2SO7Q&feature=related[/video]

 

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UFC 138 - Chris Leben Video Blog

[video=youtube;0k8bQKjWLr8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k8bQKjWLr8&feature=re lated[/video]

 

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UFC 138 - The Makambo Story

[video=youtube;l5OIVITFc5k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5OIVITFc5k[/video]

[video=youtube;lMvVSgaFFCE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvVSgaFFCE&feature=re lmfu[/video]

[video=youtube;Nq1JZiJQegk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq1JZiJQegk&feature=re lmfu[/video]

[video=youtube;0sSkR8AaxsA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sSkR8AaxsA[/video]

 

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Anderson Silva sticking around longer than originally anticipated

Anderson Silva is finally starting to speak for himself, and the words do not sync up with what his manager has had to say.Silva, the awe-inspiring UFC middleweight champ, is working his way back from a shoulder injury requiring rest and rehab for several months. “The Spider” was last in action defeating Yushin Okami this past summer at UFC Rio.
Ed Soares, Silva’s manager, has made comments about the pound-for-pound king having only three or four fights left before he retires from the sport. Silva, however, denied those claims while appearing on a Brazilian television show recently.
“I’ll fight for another six or seven years and then I’ll stop. I stopped to think about it and I’ll postpone my retirement for a little longer. Then I’ll think about TV,” said Silva (thanks to Tatame for transcribing the television interview).
Silva also discussed the possibility of a rematch with Chael Sonnen, who has made it his life-long goal of getting another shot at Silva.
“He doesn’t deserve to fight me,” Silva plainly stated. “I believe he shouldn’t be in the sport because he has no emotional control. While trying to provoke me, he makes the sport look bad. He made bad comments, offended me and my wife.
Sonnen tried calling out Silva after defeating Brian Stann. The champion, however, has remained mostly quiet in regards to any possible rematch though UFC President Dana White has said he will likely try to get the bout signed.

 

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UFC PRIME TIME - Cain vs Dos Santos

http://ironforgesiron.com/2011/10/video-ufc-on-fox-primetime-velasquez-vs-dos-santos/

 

[Rodja]

I'm kinda sick of this posturing by Anderson regarding fighting Chael again. Honestly, there aren't any other intriguing fights for him at MW (outside of Hendo, but even that's a rematch) and this fight would make him some HUGE money.

 

[VolcomX311]

Couldn't agree more. Even the "new" Hendo would be a bad match up, because the new Hendo is more stand up oriented then he was when they first met and standing is exactly where you don't want to be with Andy.

 

[Rodja]

Couldn't agree more. Even the "new" Hendo would be a bad match up, because the new Hendo is more stand up oriented then he was when they first met and standing is exactly where you don't want to be with Andy.

The thing that sucks that Hendo's win wouldn't get the merit it deserves bc people would just call him a cheater, too.

 

[VolcomX311]

The thing that sucks that Hendo's win wouldn't get the merit it deserves bc people would just call him a cheater, too.

Oh, cause the whole TRT thing. I don't know how much people really care about the TRT thing as much as it was people who disliked Sonnen found a facet to crucify him with. Chael is still called a cheater to this day about TRT usage, yet you'd be hard pressed to find hate threads on Hendo being on TRT.

 

[Rodja]

Oh, cause the whole TRT thing. I don't know how much people really care about the TRT thing as much as it was people who disliked Sonnen found a facet to crucify him with. Chael is still called a cheater to this day about TRT usage, yet you'd be hard pressed to find hate threads on Hendo being on TRT.

Or Couture. I think part of it is that people really are idiots when it comes to PEDs and all they see is testosterone and label him a cheat.

 

[VolcomX311]

Or Couture. I think part of it is that people really are idiots when it comes to PEDs and all they see is testosterone and label him a cheat.

MMA forums are the most aggressively ignorant on the matter.

 

[VolcomX311]

Cesar Gracie Makes Formal Offer To Unite Team Penn & Team Gracie Into One

[video=youtube;jMUcOSk_zHc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMUcOSk_zHc&feature=pl ayer_embedded#![/video]

“I was reminded by something that happened many, many years ago. I think BJ was
probably about 17 at the time, we were at a tournament and I was giving one of
my guy’s instructions. At the time there was an alliance, it was my school and
Ralphs school and we where one team and BJ was on that team.

I was giving one of my guys instructions and
I looked over to my left a little bit and I saw BJ’s eyes focused on every word
I was saying and he kind of smiled and said, ‘You always have the best advice,
that’s why I always listen to you.’

And
it just reminded me, years and years have passed since then, but BJ, take my
advice now, it’s time to make something new happen. “

These are the sentiments of famed coach and leader of the Gracie
Fight Team, Cesar Gracie, as he tells it exclusively to BJPENN.COM this
afternoon.

We are just five days removed
from UFC 137, and
as I sat here in my chair, writing a story about Reagan’s upcoming fight this
weekend I was surprised by my phone’s caller ID flashing “Cesar Gracie” on
it.

I obviously picked up the call, for
one, curiosity and two; I enjoy the company of Cesar and Nate and have always
considered Nick one of my personal favorite fighters. What happened last weekend
was business and while, yes, I admit, it did hurt to see BJ go down, as the boss
man JD tells it, ‘You can let defeat keep you down, you gotta raise up
snappin.’

Much to my surprise I was met
with a voice of concern on the other line. Cesar was concerned for BJ and the
future of his career. So much so that he instantly asked me how BJ is doing and
instantly wanted me to play middle man between the camps to try and get BJ back
on track and back home where he started his career.

From my personal standpoint, I agree that BJ needs a change. One
of the very best and most talented martial artists to ever walk the earth, yet
he has only notched official victories in one of his last five fights.

But where do we go from here? Our fearless
leader who has taken on all comers across the globe his entire career suddenly
retired in the cage last Saturday, and left the world hungry for more of his
furious fighting style in the process. I talked to BJ after the fight and he has
definitely acknowledged the fact that indeed, maybe something needs to change if
he wants to compete at the highest level still.

But is it diet, a new camp, new sparring partners and coaches or
a new weight class? That is all dependant on what BJ decides to do and we all
support him regardless, however there is one man who has a plan set out for the
“Prodigy” and it is our most recent opposition in the cage, Cesar Gracie.

Through me and the discussion that I
eventually decided to document for the website, Cesar talks about BJ’s heart and
desire to win, the changes he thinks he needs to make in order to resurge as the
champion he is as well as makes a formal offer to merge both of our teams in an
alliance that will surely be un*****ed across the globe.

I share this conversation for the first time with the world,
with BJ and the rest of our team in hopes that if this is the change that is
needed for BJ to make a dominant return that it is met with open ears and open
hearts.

I’ll let Cesar explain his plan
from here on out. (Check the full audio at the bottom of the entry)

“Me looking at the fight that just occurred,
a chord struck. Looking at BJ coming out, he had the Hawaiian music, I could see
the emotion on the guys face and I could see how much he cared. It kind of moved
me to a certain extent, seeing all those Hawaiians that flew over, me meeting
with BJ’s mom beforehand and having a conversation with her and seeing just what
kind of a person that she is and what kind of people these are.

There was something very honest and genuine
there that struck a chord with me and I got to thinking to myself. I’m watching
this guys fight and I’m very impressed with his abilities, number one. Not a lot
of guys can stand up like that with a Nick Diaz and not a lot of guys can win a
round like that in the first round, the judges gave it to him, it was a great
round and Nick lost that round on the judge’s scorecard.

But also, being in the game for this
long I’ve seen the problems. I see the heart that BJ has but I see, well, wait a
minute, how come a guy with this much heart with this much technique and natural
god given ability, why isn’t it happening for him now. He’s only 32 years old,
which in his mind that’s old, but it isn’t and it boggles the mind looking at
that.

So I’m looking at all that and
going, what’s wrong?

What’s wrong here is
the stuff around him. I don’t know his coaches or anything like that but for
whatever reason it’s not happening. This guy is coming into a fight and it’s not
that he is totally out of shape, but he is not in world class shape and that’s
what it takes these days to make it to the upper levels of fighting.

I’ve had a relationship with BJ since he was
16 years old, so I obviously always like the kid, always knew of his talent.
There were things coming up, like when he fought my cousin, obviously he went
one path and I wish he hadn’t gone that path, it would have been better if he
was with us instead of against us through some of that. But let’s turn the page;
let’s look at it for what it is. He’s a genuine person; he’s a guy that fights
with his heart. He’s not a steroid user like a lot of these guys he’s not a
cheater and you know there’s respect for a guy like that.

I think the joining of our camps, of our teams together, a sort
of coalition would benefit him incredibly and it would benefit us too. Guys like
BJ Penn, Reagan Penn, Nick and Nathan, you know, Gilbert Melendez all the guys
on our team would benefit from having those guys around.

I also look at what’s the psychology of what’s happening. Why is
BJ not able to go somewhere and stay there and have to go back to Hawaii? Well,
the similarities between Nick and BJ are striking, and when I mean striking it’s
almost like they’re the same person. They’ve got the same traits. These guys
don’t like to be far away from home.

If I
take Nick and I move him to some great place in New York and he’s training
somewhere out there, the guys is gonna hop on a plane after a few days or a week
at most and he’s going to come home because he wants to be where his
surroundings. And BJ is the same way, he wants to go back and be with his kids,
he wants to be with his family and you have to accommodate for people.

I think a lot of people say, ‘Come out here,
you’re gonna do this tough camp.’ and pretty soon the guy is going to get
depressed. He’s not gonna train to his fullest because what is happening
psychologically.

You’ve got to make it so
the guy can come over and leave anytime he wants. My guys will go over there,
Nick and Nate absolutely love Hawaii so they would train there with him and
obviously BJ used to live in Northern California when he started over here with
us so it just makes sense and it’s what he needs. He’s got too much talent to
quit right now and he needs to get with some world class athletes and this is
the perfect opportunity, the time is ticking and it’s time to do it.”

Cesar continued…

“It’s just a good fit, everyone is talking about BJ’s cardio,
Nick, Nathan and Gilbert, these guys are the kings of cardio, and they do not
get tired. BJ has to change some things up, he’s gotta change his diet up a
little bit too. With Nick and Nate they eat so clean it’s ridiculous, they don’t
get sick ever and they don’t get tired.

So it wouldn’t be me telling him, ‘Hey BJ you have to do this.’
and it’s not a nutritionist telling him something, it’s actually guys he’s
training with saying ‘Hey man, why don’t you try this?’, that’s the only thing
that’s going to change someone’s mind. Things have needed to change with this
guy for awhile now and my interest in it is that it’s just too much talent to
let go.

Not only for BJ, but he has a
younger brother coming up the ranks and Reagan’s not going to make it without
the help of professionals too and he’s gonna follow the lead of his brother and
this is the best time for BJ to say, ‘You know what? I lost my fight, but I’m a
man, I’m a warrior and I’m gonna lead the way and I’m going to show everybody
what it is to be a warrior.’

A good man
gets knocked down 6 times, he’s gonna get up 7 and that’s the thing about our
team. Everyone’s wanted to bury it from the get go, ‘Oh these guys, they don’t
talk a certain way, they’re not doing this, they’ll never make it, Nicks not
gonna be good, Jake will never make it’. (When speaking of their critics.)

Jake Shields joined my team after coming off
a terrible loss to one of my guys and instead of Jake Shields quitting he said,
‘Ya know what? I better go train with these guys, cuz they’re doing something
different, they do this Jiu Jitsu, it’s the best what they have up there.’ And
he joined the team and he hasn’t looked back. He went up and up and up and has
become a world class fighter. From being a C-Level fighter to becoming a top A
level pound-for-pound fighter, it’s because he made the changes he had to back
then.

BJ has been running off talent and
talent alone and that’s not good enough to make it these days.”

I asked Cesar his honest opinion on BJ’s
career, I wanted to know if in his opinion are BJ’s best days behind him and he
said…

“BJ’ best days are in front of him.
This is a wonderful opportunity to turn the page and look towards the future. He
can rewrite his whole future right now, he can do it. The best days are in front
of him he just doesn’t know it yet. We are going to get rid of that negative
attitude, he’s a young man, everything is pointing to go up and return.

This guy can make it, he needs pros as good
as him to train with, to sit there with, to hang out with and be friends with
and reinvigorate his career. That’s my idea on it.”

Just so our readers, our team and myself are clear, this is a
formal invitation from your team to ours to merge our camps and become an
alliance is that right, I asked?

“Absolutely, said Cesar. This is a formal invitation. I talked
to Nathan Diaz just a few minutes ago because he is one of the guys I haven’t
discussed this with yet and he said ‘absolutely!’ Nick Diaz told BJ not to quit
after the fight because BJ was talking about quitting and that really upset Nick
because this guy just gave him a war and he’s thinking the same thing I am
thinking, No way don’t quit.

Circumstances put us to fight each other but let’s put that
aside now and lets fight a common enemy from this point out. Let’s fight these
other guys, these guys that are the lay n pray guys, these guys that are ruining
MMA.

For the cause of saving MMA in the world
these guys need to get together because people are inspired by that kind of
fighting and if we keep having these other guys that just want to hold you and
not fight it’s going to destroy the sport that we
love that we have been involved with our whole lives.

For the cause of saving MMA these type of people need to unite.”

 

[JudgementDay]

O subbed to this one!

 

[VolcomX311]

Opinions on Cesar Gracie inviting BJ to join their team? Personally, I love it. I think it'd be best for BJ to surround himself around other elite pro's to train with on the regular, especially someone who fights like himself, but better (Nick Diaz). Anything that could keep BJ relevent for a few more years I'm behind.

 

[VolcomX311]

UFC 138 Weigh-Ins

[video=youtube;Kh5T-NDr1Ls]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh5T-NDr1Ls[/video]

 

[VolcomX311]

Mark Munoz talks UFC 138, Chael Sonnen, PED's, Spygate and Nick Diaz

[video=youtube;GvVz5OmRLKs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvVz5OmRLKs[/video]

 

[JudgementDay]

Opinions on Cesar Gracie inviting BJ to join their team? Personally, I love it. I think it'd be best for BJ to surround himself around other elite pro's to train with on the regular, especially someone who fights like himself, but better (Nick Diaz). Anything that could keep BJ relevent for a few more years I'm behind.

I love the idea, it's what BJ needs if he ever wants to be champion again. BJ needs to fight at lightweight tho, if he is ever going to beat frankie he would have to be in amazing shape and training with guys such as Diaz and Melendez. That or go to new mexico and train with the jackson team.

 

[VolcomX311]

Sad Video of the Day: Tank Abbott Goes the Distance With Scott Ferrozzo in Somebody’s

http://www.cagepotato.com/sad-video-of-the-day-tank-abbott-goes-the-distance-with-scott-ferrozzo-in-somebodys-backyard/

 

[JudgementDay]

http://www.cagepotato.com/sad-video-of-the-day-tank-abbott-goes-the-distance-with-scott-ferrozzo-in-somebodys-backyard/

wow, I didn't expect it to be that sad, but wow lol.

 

[Rodja]

Opinions on Cesar Gracie inviting BJ to join their team? Personally, I love it. I think it'd be best for BJ to surround himself around other elite pro's to train with on the regular, especially someone who fights like himself, but better (Nick Diaz). Anything that could keep BJ relevent for a few more years I'm behind.

Not really digging it. BJ needs a great conditioning coach and he goes through them far too frequently. He also needs to stop going from LW to WW as he clearly belongs at LW. At WW, if he doesn't finish within a round, he gasses out and loses (his only wins at WW are against Hughes and maybe Bang as I can't remember if they fought at LW or WW).

http://www.cagepotato.com/sad-video-of-the-day-tank-abbott-goes-the-distance-with-scott-ferrozzo-in-somebodys-backyard/

I saw that on my BJJ instructor's FB. One of the comments was that it was, "like watching two elephant seals mating."

 

[VolcomX311]

I saw that on my BJJ instructor's FB. One of the comments was that it was, "like watching two elephant seals mating."

Lol

 

[Rodja]

UFC 138 was one of the better cards that I've seen in awhile. Munoz seems to have finally learned how to really implement his wrestling into MMA and not keep taking long-range, low-percentage shots from the outside.

 

[VolcomX311]

His GnP is looking nice & brutal as well.

 

[VolcomX311]

The Reem Episode 7 - Alistair Overeem Explains Departure From Golden Glory

http://www.thereem.com/

 

[VolcomX311]

UFC eying Josh Koscheck vs. Carlos Condit in February

The last couple of months have been a roller-coaster ride for Carlos Condit. After initially being scheduled to fight B.J. Penn at this past month’s UFC 137, Condit was moved up the card to take on Georges St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight title after Nick Diaz no showed a press conference. When GSP pulled out due to injury, it was determined that Condit would wait for the champion to heal. However, yet another change of plans left the Team Jackson standout in limbo, as Diaz’s impressive victory in the show’s headliner pushed him back into number one contender status.
Now, it appears Condit is destined for a date with former top contender Josh Koscheck at UFC 143 in February. The event should also feature St. Pierre’s title defense against Diaz. At last night’s UFC 138 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White had the following to say on the subject:

“Right now, Carlos Condit wants to fight,” the UFC President explained. “He wants to fight on the same card as GSP and Diaz, so we’ll see what happens….It could be with Koscheck. Condit wanted that fight.”
Koscheck is coming off a first round knockout victory over UFC legend Matt Hughes last September in a fight he took on short notice following an extended layoff due to the injury he sustained in his defeat to St. Pierre last year.

 

[VolcomX311]

UFC on FOX 1: Who should Cain Velasquez vs Junior dos Santos winner fight next?

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will put on a heavyweight mash up of epic proportions when current champion Cain Velasquez defends his belt against Junior dos Santos at UFC on FOX 1 in Anaheim, Calif., on Sat., Nov. 12, 2011.
It is a fight that mixed martial arts (MMA) fans have looked forward to for some time now. It may end up being the most high-profile heavyweight fight in the history of the UFC because it will air live on network television, serving as the conduit to convert millions of unsuspecting mainstream fans into loyal, long-term supporters.
When the Octagon door slams shut, the world will witness two of the most well-rounded, 265-pound fighters who have ever fought under the Zuffa banner. But then when, "IT'S ALL OVER," the debate will soon begin to swirl:
Who got next?

The first option is the least exciting, so let's get it out of the way.
There is a possibility that when the fight between Velasquez and dos Santos is over, fans will still wanting more of the same. If it isn't decisive, be prepared for UFC President Dana White to run it back. It doesn't happen often, but it's not outside the realm of possibility (see Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 2).
Meanwhile, former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem is adamant that the winner of his fight with former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas, Nevada, will receive an instant title shot with whoever happens to be the champion at that time.
It's tough to argue with that kind of a match up. Lesnar fought Velasquez once before and got bludgeoned. The storyline of redemption in a potential rematch would be a huge seller. Really, any combination of the four of them, respectively (Velasquez, dos Santos, Lesnar and Overeem) would garner a ton of pay-per-view (PPV) buys.
A less enticing pairing may include the winner of Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira when the two square off at UFC 140 on Dec. 10 in Toronto. For this to happen, we'd either have to see a very unimpressive winner in the bout between Overeem and Lesnar, or an injury would have to occur.
Inside the UFC, there's not a lot more to offer. Roy Nelson is available and would love a title shot, but let's not get crazy. He'll need another impressive win before that conversation could even happen.
And what about Strikeforce? Is it sticking around? Is the promotion on borrowed time?
If San Jose, Calif.-based promotion really does bite the dust in the next 12 to 18 months (as many believe that it will), the winner of the heavyweight grand prix, which features Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier, may be "in the mix," too.
There are clear front runners, as well as dark horses. Factor in misfortune in the form of injuries, which has been a thorn in the side UFC matchmaker Joe Silva seemingly the entire 2011 fight season, and it's possible that any of the aforementioned fighters will be called upon to step up next.
Who do you think will ultimately fight the Velasquez-dos Santos next?http://mma.sbnation.com/2011/11/7/2543531/will-ufc-mma-boxing-smokin-joe-frazier

 

[VolcomX311]

Fighters in L.A. for BJJ tournament stop a robbery at hotel

Two mixed martial artists from Oregon were in Los Angeles for a grappling tournament, but they ended up using their skills to do much more than win a match. They subdued an armed robber who was holding up the clerk at their hotel. Watch the security video in this report from KCAL-TV.

Video Link: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Fighters-in-L-A-for-BJJ-tournament-stop-a-robbe?urn=mma-wp9093

Brent Alvarez runs Twisted Web MMA in Eugene, Ore., and Billy Denney is his student. They were walking through the hotel lobby when they saw the robber, who had gone behind the hotel's counter, pulled out a gun, and demanded money. The clerk handed over the cash, but yelled for help. Alvarez and Denney jumped on the robber, and while Denney controlled his wrists, Alvarez sunk in a rear naked choke. They held him in place until police arrived.

 

[VolcomX311]

The robber was held in an RNC with a bodylock until cops arrived. I heard the radio personalities report the incident and they couldn't make sense of the phrase "rear naked choke," they kept wondering if it had a sexual conotation.

 

[JudgementDay]

I can't believe the UFC on fox is only showing 1 fight, I was pissed when I heard that, but I guess there showing it live on Facebook, just sucks because now I can't record it on my DVR and I work that night

I think the winner should fight the REEM if he wins his fight with Lesnar.

I'd be down with seeing the winner fight..

The Reem
Barnnet
Cormier
Lesnar
Mir
Nelson

in that order.

 

[VolcomX311]

I can't believe the UFC on fox is only showing 1 fight, I was pissed when I heard that, but I guess there showing it live on Facebook, just sucks because now I can't record it on my DVR and I work that night

I think the winner should fight the REEM if he wins his fight with Lesnar.

I'd be down with seeing the winner fight..

The Reem
Barnnet
Cormier
Lesnar
Mir
Nelson

in that order.

I'm hopeful for the Reem, but I'm not sure how much defeating Brock would say about him, unless the fight went to the ground and he managed to survive it. Brock's TD's, unless they are up against the cage, aren't very effective. They're slow and projected, so I think a mid-cage shot would be easily defended by Alistair. We'll see if Brock has learned to throw in a TD after some jabs, as oppose to something more foreseable.

 

[VolcomX311]

Alistair Overeem joins Xtreme Couture

Alistair Overeem was on MMAFighting.com’s The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani Monday afternoon and the former Strikeforce heavyweight fighter, who many speculated would be joining King’s MMA in Huntington Beach, Calif. after splitting with Golden Glory in the summer, revealed that he has instead decided to relocate to Las Vegas, Nev. where he will train at Xtreme Couture.

Although he wouldn’t reveal too much about the change in camps on the show, “The Demolition Man” gave more details of his decision to train stateside and what was behind his split with Bas Boon and company in the following episode of The Reem documentary, which was released minutes ago.

It’s curious that Alistair would choose Xtreme Couture when the camp has an obvious deficiency in top-tier heavyweight training partners for him to work with save for Ray Sefo and sometimes heavyweight Randy Couture. XC is known for its wrestling pedigree, which Overeem has stated he would like to focus more intently on, so in that sense, the choice makes sense.

If you’ve watched the video, it’s an unfortunate situation that saw Alistair break ties with his management and trainers, but business is business and sometimes doing what’s best for one’s career isn’t what’s best for one’s friendships.

It will be interesting to see what changes to his game he displays in his upcoming UFC 141 fight with Brock Lesnar. Considering Randy has both trained with and fought Brock, he should be able to offer some first-hand insight on him.

 

[VolcomX311]

VIDEO: Jake Ellenberger - I would love to smash Diaz, he has no punching power!

[video=youtube;2Bdc_Crb_SY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bdc_Crb_SY&feature=pl ayer_embedded[/video]

 

[VolcomX311]

VIDEO: Jake Ellenberger: Nick Diaz won't beat GSP

[video=youtube;FuWxpFjGCt0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuWxpFjGCt0&feature=pl ayer_embedded[/video]