Dominick Cruz Whips Scott Jorgensen, Earns UFC Bantamweight Belt

by Michael David SmithDominick Cruz destroyed Scott Jorgensen at WEC 53, winning an easy unanimous decision to defend his World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight title and enter the UFC as its first bantamweight champion.

"I had a chip on my shoulder because a lot of people didn't believe in me," Cruz said. "Now, I think people believe."

Cruz, who improved to 17-1, is likely to face Urijah Faber in the first UFC bantamweight title fight. Faber is the only man ever to defeat Cruz, and Cruz said he wants a shot at revenge.

"I'm ready to fight Urijah," Cruz said. "Let's do it."

 

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Local Hero Peggy Oki

We're thrilled to hear that Peggy Oki has been named as a "Local Hero" by the Santa Barbara Independent (scroll halfway down the page to see Peggy!).

Peggy has more than earned this honor with her inspiring & enduring support for protecting cetaceans and ocean life, through her Origami Whales Project… An international campaign, aimed at getting the message across to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), to put a stop to the slaughter of whales and the cruelty of commercial whaling in Japan, Norway and Iceland.


Photo: Peggy Oki. Photo by Matt Dayka

You may remember Peggy Oki as the only female member of the legendary Zephyr Skate Team (a.k.a. Z-Boys of Dogtown)…



www.peggy-oki.com

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A Stevens Pass Backcountry Overnighter

A Stevens Pass Adventure from jordan ingmire on Vimeo.

Being back in the winter lifestyle has been a relief to say the least. The familiarity of a board under my feet far outweighs the lingering burdens that come with city life. Stevens Pass has had workable snow since opening day. Temperatures have stayed cold, allowing us to explore farther then we could throughout all last years El Nino season. Check out this short edit and take a glimpse into our 9-5.

This particular trip to the cabin didn’t come easy for us. After a seven hour expedition-style slog through knee-deep, at times even waist deep snow, deliriousness and exhaustion in blizzard conditions; we reached our sanctuary for the night. Jordan and I were relieved to say the least as we stepped in the door, dumped our gear on the floor and ourselves on the bunks. An hour later, dinner was ready and Jordan continued to finesse the stubborn fire. We ate dinner and relaxed under the ambient flickering-glow of candlelight and admired the comforts of our setting. This cabin is a unique and special place for anyone who is lucky enough to stumble across its far off location atop a distant ridge. Wake up, have breakfast, reminisce of the night’s stay, and prepare for the ultimate powder run. This night in the cabin combined with the run back down to reality made for a truly spiritual and enlightened experience. 

Thank you to my friends at Stevens Pass and Salomon/Bonfire for making my experience that much more enjoyable!

words: Ryan Waiste

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Braden Goddard

Blooka has a trippy part from Braden Goddard.

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When will Nelson fight? This video only confuses more

Roy Nelson is on the shelf for a while or is he? Inside MMA needed to bring Roger Cossack on board to navigate this story. Nelson is being sued by Square Ring Inc. for a contract signed before his fight against Jeff Monson in March of 2009. Nelson then accepted a slot on Season 9 of "The Ultimate Fighter." That's where things get fuzzy.

Apparently, SRI believes it holds promotional rights for Nelson and the fighter violated the deal by working out a deal with Zuffa. But there's a lot more to the story that the casual viewer should know.

The IMMA interview is incredibly misleading in several ways. Roy Jones is made into the villain. That's really not the case. Square Ring Inc. is a legitimate promoter in the world of boxing, so it's not Jones simply trying to screw over the MMA fighter.

Secondly, Nelson was working in a matchmaking capacity for the promotion after his March of 2009 fight. According to the Fight Lawyer blog, Square Ring built its lawsuit around a short conversation between the UFC's Marc Ratner and Nelson at a May 2009 MMA event in Primm, Nev. 

On or about May 24, 2009, Defendant's Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Mr. Marc Ratner, attended the Primm Event. Plaintiff s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. John Wirt, spoke with Mr. Ratner at the Primm Event and told Mr. Ratner that Mr. Nelson was not only assisting SRI's matchmaker for the MMA bouts on the Primm Event, but also that Mr. Nelson was under contract with SRI as a fighter. Mr. Ratner also spoke separately with Mr. Nelson while at the Primm Event.

In the end, it sounds like the lawyers have to figure out some cash settlement Nelson will have to send the way of Square Ring.

Check out the interview and then read the take from the Fight Lawyer. SRI probably has a case and Nelson is far from a fighter getting bullied by Jones. Hopefully, the financial terms can be worked out quickly so Nelson can get back into the Octagon sooner rather than later. Because of his fighting style, appearance and ability to promote a fight, just about every high level UFC heavyweight is calling out the mulleted-mammoth. Nelson's tale should serve as a lesson to all MMA fighters outside the UFC. Get a lawyer before you sign any contract!

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What Would Jacques Do? 100 Years of Oil + Plastic

Jacques Yves Cousteau spent halcyon days gliding above and beneath the ocean. He lived among the largest mammals and sea drift. He was the master educator and voice for the sea. And so, on this, the 100th anniversary of his birth, it is a sorry state of affairs that we cannot celebrate the legacy of [...]

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Video: Roadside Attraction on Icicle Creek

I could just as easily call this video “Why I love whitewater kayaking” because it’s a perfect example of everything that’s amazing about it – the beautiful surroundings, the thrill of whitewater and the great people you do it with.� This is me, Rob McKibbin, Dave Moroles and Sam Grafton on Roadside Attraction on Icicle [...]

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'Surf Artist' Bryn Hall Interview

Check out a cool little interview with Cornish COTW featured surf artist Bryn Hall put together by myCornwall.tv…

Click the video below to watch…



- Bryn's website/blog
- Bryn on Switch-foot

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You tell us: The best fights of 2010

MMA outdid itself this year. With more fights on television and better fighters from around the world, the depth provided the material for some great scraps. What were the best ones in 2010? You tell us. Winners will be announced on Dec. 30.

Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald (UFC 115) -- One punch or strike can change the momentum in a heartbeat. MacDonald had a slight edge in this slugfest heading to the third. That's when Condit crushed him with an overhand right and the Canadian was never the same. Condit also landed an elbow minutes later that broke MacDonald's orbital bone. "The Natural Born Killer" won it as the fight was stopped with just seven seconds left.  

Robbie Lawler vs. Melvin Manhoef (Strikeforce: Miami) -- Sometimes a comeback can qualify as a great fight. Manhoef chopped down Lawler's legs in similar fashion to what Jose Aldo did to Urijah Faber. Except Manhoef did all his leg-kick damage in less than 3 1/2 minutes. Lawler needed a miracle to survive. Not only did Lawler produce one to survive, but ripped out a Hail Mary punch that put Manhoef to sleep. He was out cold. 

Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung (WEC 48) -- Garcia is always involved in absolute throwdowns, but this one was his best because he had a willing dance partner. The fighters wailed away on each other with Garcia smiling on multiple occasions after getting blasted right in the face. Most fans thought the "Korean Zombie" won the fight but Garcia got the nod. In just three rounds, they combined to land 225-of-534 strikes. In the true spirit of MMA, they also hit a Denny's to eat together after visiting the hospital. Jung was the big winner from a marketing standpoint. He became an instant star for a few months with his Korean Zombie T-shirt. 

Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki (Sengoku 14) -- You know a great fight when you see it. There's a feeling in your gut and you talk about it for hours, if not days after it's over. This five-round middleweight title fight was all over the ring. Misaki nearly choked out Santiago in the second, got dropped in the third and dropped the Brazilian in the fourth. Misaki had the early lead, but Santiago came back to get the win with 23 seconds left.

Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (UFC 116) -- You knew this one was going to be a donnybrook. Akiyama always fights to his opponent's strength and Leben only gets going when he's getting beat down. Plus Leben was fighting on less than two week's rest. They mauled each other for 14 minutes before Leben pulled off a submission to pull off the upset with 20 seconds.

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Stefan Struve Prepares for Sean McCorkle - UFC 124

See "The Skyscraper" in action this Saturday at UFC 124: St-Pierre vs Koscheck 2 - Live on Pay-Per-View at 7pm PT/ 10pm ET.

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McKee's arrived, says he's going to dial down the trash talk

Antonio McKee is a smart guy. He realized a few years back his fighting alone wasn't going to get him to the UFC, so he honed his skills on the microphone. It worked. He kept winning - he hasn't lost since 2003 - and the UFC signed the 40-year-old lightweight.

In two weeks, he'll debut at UFC 125 against Jacob Volkmann.

In this video introduction piece, McKee (25-3-2) says now that he's with the big show he won't have to play a "character" as he calls it outside the ring. Why not?

It's more important now than ever for McKee to talk his way into the mix. He doesn't have much time. He's a skilled grappler and takedown artist, but to gain the attention of the brass and more importantly new fans, McKee better use those chops.

Paul Daley, Dan Hardy, Tito Ortiz, Josh Koscheck, Michael Bisping, Anthony Johnson, Frank Mir, Matt Serra and Chael Sonnen have all earned a little extra credit and a few free passes on the rankings ladder because of their prefight media work in the past.

We feel safe in saying, McKee should provide some good prefight fodder. He just can't help it (video below - NSFW). McKee's great at hyping fights and won't be able to contain himself once he hits the ground in Las Vegas. 

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George Wendt Interview

Click here to view the video version of this interview. After a career as a middle school match teacher, George Wendt, left Los Angeles, California with his wife Pam and found a home in Angels Camp. He wanted to focus more intimately on the whitewater rafting business he started in 1969, which was intended to [...]

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Anagram Welcomes Hugo Millard

Anagram Skateboards welcomes Frenchman, Hugo Millard to the team.

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MMA Top 10 Bantamweights: Moving to the UFC

by Michael David SmithWorld Extreme Cagefighting is over, and its fighters are heading to the UFC -- which means the UFC now has, by far, the strongest bantamweight division in mixed martial arts.

In fact, although Japan was once home to most of the sport's best small fighters, in 2011 just about every single significant 135-pound fight will take place inside the Octagon.

The biggest fight will be the first UFC title defense for bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who's No. 1 in our bantamweight rankings and ready for a rematch with No. 2 Urijah Faber. See how the rest of the bantamweights stack up below.

 

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Apple Pie and Whitewater Rafting??.

………………..the great American combo!� Ok, well maybe not.� But still not a bad idea.� And here in lovely El Dorado County, we can offer you award-winning versions of both! In the the same weekend, no less, how ya doin. The South Fork of the American continues to flow past the turning fall colors, and lucky [...]

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Scuba Diver Girls ?Really Cool? Dive Day!

If you have ever been diving with Duane from Admiralty Dive Center in Windward Passage St. Thomas, you will understand what a “really cool” dive shop we saw before the “really cool” boat that took us to a “really cool” wreck captained by a “really cool” guy named Fish Butt! If you have not been [...]

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UFC 124: Stefan Struve TKOs Sean McCorkle

by Michael David SmithStefan Struve pulled out a dramatic comeback against Sean McCorkle Saturday at UFC 124, pulling off a beautiful reversal from his back and drilling McCorkle with punches to win a first-round technical knockout.

The two fighters expressed plenty of bad blood toward each other in the run-up to this fight, which Struve referenced in his post-fight comments.

"You can trash talk all you want," Struve said. "It's settled here in the Octagon."

 

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Where would MMA be without Chuck Liddell?

Certain athletes can carry a sport to the next level and every game has that watershed moment or era when it enters the sports world's consciousness. Was Chuck Liddell that guy for MMA and the UFC? 

Has MMA really arrived yet? Maybe. Maybe not. It is safe to say the sport might be still be struggling badly if it weren't for the contributions in and out of the Octagon from the "Iceman."

Liddell arrived on the scene in 1998 at UFC 17. He had the look, with the mohawk and scowl, plus a love of the standup game. If you think some fans complain now about the ground game, imagine trying to sell MMA to an audience that only wanted blood and guts, and was used to watching boxers duke it out.

Liddell produced huge wins over Randy Couture at UFC 52 and 57. He also put an exclamation point on his war with Tito Ortiz by crushing him at UFC 66. That 2007 event was the first time the UFC passed the one million mark in pay-per-view buys on a single card.

There was a lot of work outside the cage that led to that moment.

Liddell, along with Dana White, basically went on a barnstorming media tour for three years.

My radio show in Las Vegas had Liddell on at least a half-dozen times.

The future champ signed autographs and made appearances all over the U.S., even if only a few dozen people showed up. But it was that grass roots effort, that Liddell took part in whole-heartedly, that layed the groundwork for what we see today. Now a "disappointing" UFC PPV draws 350,000 buys and the company is reportedly worth in excess of $1 billion.

The sport is also all over cable television. Remember the days, when holding a UFC card outside of Las Vegas seemed like just a dream? In 2010, the promotion hit 18 different cities in six different countries.

Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar are given a lot of the credit, and rightly so, for saving the company in 2005 with their scrap at the first 'The Ultimate Fighter Finale." Don't forget it was Liddell, along with Randy Couture, who coached that first season. It was a reality show that the promotion and participants didn't even know would make it onto television. What if Liddell, who was becoming a big star at that point, had an inflated ego and said he didn't want to do it? What was the fallback plan?

In the cage, Liddell dominated the MMA landscape in 2005 and 2006. As his career was winding down, he became a crossover star on shows like The Simpsons and Dancing With The Stars. The fight game has to have studs that transcend the sport. Liddell was that guy for some moms, grandpas and other non-MMA fans. 

Liddell probably shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as other sport's greats like Jack Dempsey or Bill Russell/Wilt Chamberlain or Dale Earnhardt or Johnny Unitas or Babe Ruth, but 25 years from now, he'll be looked upon fondly by those who'll remember the early days of MMA when it was an absolute zero on the sports landscape.

Throughout the day, we'll post some old interviews we did with Liddell from 2004-2009.

Aug. of 2004 - Liddell talks about his fight at UFC 49.

Oct. of 2006 - Liddell and Matt Hughes before UFC 64.

Apr. of 2009 - Liddell before his fight against Mauricio Rua at UFC 97.

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GSP won't close the door on another Koscheck fight

He never wanted to hear about him again. That's what Georges St. Pierre said before his UFC 124 match against Josh Koscheck. After Koscheck, stood in front of him for 20-plus minutes with a broken orbital bone, St. Pierre admitted he may have to fight him again down the road.

"I've said in an interview before the fight, he's gonna be done and we're never going to fight each other again," St. Pierre said as he smiled during the UFC 124 postfight press conference.

"He's very tough and the performance he did tonight, he's a top welterweight. Maybe I talk too fast. Maybe in a few years, maybe he's going to come back." 

Don't scoff. It could happen.

Koscheck (15-5, 13-5 UFC) isn't going anywhere. His only losses in the UFC have come against St. Pierre (twice), Thiago Alves and two upsets at the hands of Paulo Thiago and Drew Fickett. The 33-year-old will be a mainstay in the UFC's top five at 170 pounds.

The question comes with St. Pierre and his willingness to eventually leave the division.

GSP said he weighs 190-192 between fights and that's not big enough to fight 185 pounds. He wants to get to 200 pounds before considering a fight with UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva. St. Pierre also said if he moves to 185, the switch will be permanent. He has no interest in bouncing between weight divisions.

If he doesn't move to middleweight or gets destroyed by Silva down the road, one has to wonder what the UFC will do if Koscheck is the No. 1 contender again around say, UFC 159.

Sounds like St. Pierre may not like Koscheck as person, but he knows that he's a necessary evil.   

"At the end of the night, it's only a fight," St. Pierre said of all prefight trash talk by Koscheck. "I need Josh Koscheck to do what I do for a living. If Josh Koscheck would not have been there tonight. I would not be able to make money and you guys would not have a good night of entertaining. We need good guy, we need bad guy. It's nothing personal at the end of the day, it's a business."

Koscheck may be a dick as Dana White calls him, but he is good for the sport. He also showed amazing heart, fighting with a broken orbital for 20-plus minutes.

What happens if Koscheck doesn't suffer the gruesome injury in the first round? What if he actually tried to use his wrestling and score some takedowns? Koscheck was the first guy in a long time that St. Pierre had trouble taking down and settling on the ground. If Koscheck rolls through Alves, B.J. Penn, Carlos Condit and Jake Shields, he won't deserve a third crack at GSP? We'll see.

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(Another) Last Chance for Middle Fork Rafting

We’re down to our second Middle Fork deadline of the season–first we were told we’d be done on Oct 3rd, then we got a little extension to the 1oth.� As far as we know, this is the real deadline, so this weekend is your last chance for class IV white water rafting in 2010! Bookmark [...]

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Happy Holidays from Cagewriter

What says "Happy Holidays" more than scowling fighters? Nothing! The fine folks at Playboy did a photo shoot with UFC stars Ryan Bader, Junior dos Santos, Dana White, Vitor Belfort, Stephan Bonnar and Jon Jones. You can catch it in the January issue, which has Pam Anderson on the cover, and apparently, a nude pictorial of a Russian spy. (With the possibility of a treaty between the U.S. and Russia, she's just planning for unemployment.) You should also check out the updated Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound rankings, and read on for some MMA poetry.

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the Octagon with care,

In hopes that St. Dana White soon would be there;

The fighters were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of bonuses danced in their heads;

When out on the Strip there arose such a sound,

Someone asked "Who is the best pound-for-pound!?"

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Thinking Silva or GSP -- they're straight cash.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature fighter, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, how could he go?

I knew in a moment it must be Jose Aldo.

More rapid than eagles his opponents they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Manny! now, Faber! now, Brown and Brookins!

On, Mickle! on Shoji! on, Nogueira and Swanson!

To the floor of the cage! to the canvas on the ring!

To knock you all out ain't no big thing!"

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Aldo came with a bound.

A bundle of belts he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His fists so strong, his kicks rather scary!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

Training to fight without a single quirk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!

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Scary moment on WEC 53 preliminary card

Eddie Wineland and Ken Stone had a frightening moment during the preliminary card at WEC 53. From Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole, who was cageside:

Stone pulled guard and Wineland walked him across the cage and backed him to the fence. Then, he did a Rampage Japan-style slam and Stone was out cold immediately. Down for 5-10 minutes and then out on a stretcher.

Stone was taken from the arena in a stretcher, but he did not sustain any serious injuries, and was moving and breathing without trouble. 

Otherwise, the WEC 53 undercard was called by several on-site media the most exciting undercard they've seen. Only two fights went to the judges cards. 

Complete undercard results:

Renan Barao def. Chris Cariaso via submission via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:47

Yuri Alcantara def. Ricardo Lamas via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 3:26

Danny Castillo def. Will Kerr via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 1:25

Eddie Wineland def. Ken Stone via knockout (slam) - Round 1, 2:11

Brad Pickett def. Ivan Menjivar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Shane Roller def. Jamie Varner via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:55

Danny Downes def. Tiequan Zhang via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

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"I Shred The Gnar Without Even Trying" - The Truth About Fat Skis

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Scuba Diver Girls Arrive in USVI and DIVE!

Once we arrived in St. Thomas, we checked into the Frenchman’s Reef Marriott where we quickly dumped our suitcases in our room and gathered up our gear. The hotel staff brought up a wonderful cheese plate which we devoured as we got ready for our first dive in the United States Virgin Islands. We took [...]

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Cerrone punches his ticket to the UFC with win over Horodecki

Donald Cerrone has been one of the mainstays in the WEC, but with the merger of the promotion into the UFC, nothing was guaranteed. Cerrone was likely to get the invite to the big promotion but certainly didn't have room to jerk around and lose to Chris Horodecki.

He didn't. Early in the second round, Cerrone hit the deck and transitioned to a triangle choke. The veteran stayed patient with Horodecki and eventually locked on the submission hold where it was unbearable for the 23-year-old to continue at 2:43 of the second round.

Cerrone will now go from being a big fish in a little pond to a small fish in the biggest MMA pond in the sport. The 155-pound division in the UFC is extremely deep. The lanky lightweight should provide some great matchup opportunities for UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. 

"The Cowboy" called out Cole Miller following the fight. Miller has a win over Cerrone's teammate Leonard Garcia.

Horodecki was very much in the fight in the first round. In spite of giving away a lot in the reach department, Horodecki was having success getting inside and landing combinations to the head and body. There were several trips to the floor, and Cerrone looked like the slicker fighter in the grappling department. Cerrone won the first round, but it was competitive.

For some reason between rounds, Horodecki's trainer Shawn Tompkins asked the fighter to grapple and get it to the ground in the second.

Horodecki listened and got it down but was almost immediately in danger, in the grips of Cerrone's long legs.

Cerrone (13-3, 6-3 WEC) moves over to UFC with the potential of being a Chris Lytle-type. The MMA veteran has won seven postfight honors during his time with UFC.

Cerrone, 27, has the same exciting, go-for-broke approach, that'll make him a big hit with his new fans over in the UFC.

Horodecki (16-3, 2-2 UFC) may have cost himself a gig with the UFC. That said, he's a young dude who probably deserves at least one more fight with Zuffa. 

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Geoff Lawton Talks Soil (video)

In this informative short exert from Geoff Lawton’s new DVD “Soils” , join Geoff at Zaytuna farm as he guides us through the world of Permaculture Soil Science.�Profits from these DVD’s help to continue the world changing work of the … Continue reading →

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My favorite fight of 2010: Edson Barboza vs. Mike Lullo

My top fight of the year will not show up on any top ten lists. It didn't show up on any of our "You Choose" polls, and since it aired after the main event of UFC 123, it's not even one that many MMA fans saw.

But the fight that stood out the most to me in 2010 was Edson Barboza's win over Mike Lullo, because it was the first time I saw my cousin fight in the Octagon. Though Mikey, errr, Lullo lost, I've never been so proud.

Mikey called me on Nov. 10 to share the good news. He was replacing the injured Darren Elkins at UFC 123, a card that, coincidentally, I was planning to cover in person. I was floored. After Mikey's last fight, a third-round submission of Tyler Combs, I thought that he was ready for the next level but had no idea that the next level would come so quickly.

I was nervous before weigh-ins, since I hadn't talked to Mikey yet that day. An interview with the UFC's Marc Ratner distracted me, but as soon as that was over, I couldn't calm down until I saw him on the scale. I was so anxious that I didn't even notice that internet sensation Antoine Dodson was sitting in front of me. When I finally heard Joe Rogan say the name "Mike Lulll-ooooo," I had tears in my eyes.

Mikey is my cousin on my mother's side, and Lullo is a family name we take pride in. There have been Lullos who served in wars and built businesses from the ground up. My grandfather (Mikey's great uncle) John Lullo Sr., was a prizefighter in the 1920s. Seeing the name Lullo on the screen above the UFC weigh-ins took my breath away.

Though my Cagewriter duties kept me busy, I was able to hang out with Mikey the night before the fights. We went to dinner and watched "Couples Retreat," a truly terrible movie, the night before the fight, and I watched a calmness come over my cousin. Usually, he's like a ball bouncing around a pinball machine, but he had finally relaxed. He was ready to fight.

He had the third fight in on the UFC 123 undercard, and I'll be honest. I had a hard time concentrating on the first two bouts: Tyson Griffin's questionable (to put it mildly) decision loss to Nik Lentz, and Paul Kelly's TKO of T.J. O'Brien. I just wanted to see Mikey.

As I was sitting on press row, I had to stay professional and abide by the rule of no partisan cheering. I could hear my relatives. A bus full of Mikey's friends and family had driven in from suburban Chicago that afternoon, and they were not quiet. As much as I wanted to join them in yelling "MIKEY!" I sat quietly in my seat. Dave Meltzer kindly agreed to write up the fight story so I could concentrate on watching my cousin fight.

Mikey started off strong, but I grew concerned when he couldn't get a takedown. He is a submission wiz, but even when he was in the right position to get a gogoplata, he couldn't finish. I became more concerned when Barboza started to use whipping kicks to batter Mikey's legs, shuddering every time I heard the loud smack from the kicks.

But he kept standing. I could tell he was in pain, and though the MMA journalist in me thought, "He needs to keep going and make a good impression," the protective cousin in me just wanted it to end. How much more could he take? 

After the end of the second round, I thought the fight was going to be stopped. Mikey was limping badly, but when the horn sounded, he returned to the center of the cage, ready for more. Barboza knocked his legs out from underneath him a few times, and finally, the fight was stopped. Mikey had lost his debut in the UFC, and had to be carried out by his cornermen. 

After the Fight

I had to shake that off. Karo Parisyan and Dennis Hallman would soon be walking out for their fight, and I had to file Meltzer's story about Mikey's loss. In retrospect, having work to focus on helped me to keep it together. 

There was an intermission a few fights later, and I accompanied a fellow reporter to Mikey's prep room. He greeted me with a huge smile, saying, "Hi cuz!" Though his knee was wrapped up and covered in ice and his face was bruised, he assured me that he was OK. 

I hugged him and said again and again how proud I was of him. Though I tried my damnedest to hold them in, my tears flowed. Staying professional didn't matter any more. My cousin had just taken a fight on 10 days notice, just a month removed from his last fight, and had showed he was as tough as nails. Pride wasn't a strong enough word to cover what I felt. 

After I saw him, I updated our family that he was doing OK, and returned to my job. Writing fight reports and briefs from the press conference was much easier after seeing Mikey smile and say, "I'm fine." The night went on. Phil Davis invented a new submission, B.J. Penn knocked out Matt Hughes, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson won a close decision over Lyoto Machida.

When I finally finished my work, I had no interest in going to post-fight parties. I just wanted to see my family, so I headed to fight hotel. A large group of loved ones were gathered, and had plenty of questions for me. "Who won Fight of the Night? Why did Tyson Griffin lose? When is the UFC coming to Chicago?" I answered them best that I could, and heard from Mikey that there was no structural damage on his knee. Phew.

Scanning the restaurant, I noticed that Barboza and his family and friends were sitting just a table away. I smiled. Mikey noticed where I was looking and said, "Oh yeah! We talked. We took a picture together. Nice guy."

Call me sentimental, but Barboza and Lullo gave me my favorite fight of the year. If you ever are lucky enough to see a beloved family member get in the Octagon, it will be your favorite, too. 

Maurice Richard Otto Graham Henry Armstrong Joe Namath Rogers Hornsby

UFC 128: Brendan Schaub vs. Mirko Cro Cop

by Michael David SmithAt long last, Brendan Schaub has an opponent in place for his next fight: He's taking on Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 128 on March 19.

Schaub, who's coming off a great 2010 in which he went 3-0 inside the Octagon, had previously been linked to a meeting with either Frank Mir or Stefan Struve. But instead he'll take on Cro Cop, who will return to the Octagon for the first time since a lackluster loss to Mir in September.

 

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Anthony Pettis Uses Amazing Kick to Beat Ben Henderson

by Michael David SmithAnthony Pettis brought the WEC promotion to an end in style on Thursday night, using one of the most incredible kicks in the history of the sport to seal the victory against Ben Henderson at WEC 53.

The kick all but defies description: Pettis jumped into the air, pushed off the fence with his foot and landed an incredible head kick at the end of the fifth round, putting an emphatic ending on his unanimous decision victory. The kick looked like something out of a martial arts movie, but Pettis said it's something he and his coach have been working on.

"Duke Roufus, we practice that all the time," Pettis said. "I've got 10 more of those kicks coming when I'm in the UFC. How do you like that to end the WEC?"

 

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UFC 124 Results: Jim Miller Submits Charles Oliveira

by Michael David Smith
Jim Miller has shown once again that he's one of the best lightweights in mixed martial arts, and Charles Oliveira has suffered the first loss of his career, after the two fought an exciting, back-and-forth couple of minutes before Miller submitted Oliveira in the first round at UFC 124.

Miller took Oliveira to the ground early in the first round and stayed on top of him, but Oliveira was very active with strikes and submission attempts from the bottom. But when Oliveira went for Miller's leg, Miller reversed it with a knee bar, forcing Oliveira to tap at the 1:59 mark of the first round.

"Charles is a tough kid with a ton of potential, but I'm one of the best in the world," Miller said afterward.

 

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Fedor Emelianenko "When my career ends, the UFC will be sorry" - Fedor Emelianenko

In this dated Fight Hub TV interview, Our cameras caught up with "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko. He talked to us about what he has learned since losing to Werdum, stating that he thinks Werdum doesn't want to fight him. He also believes when his career ends, that the UFC will regret not signing him and more such as his brother, his pride days and his hobbies.

Walter Johnson Stan Musial Jerry West Satchel Paige Sammy Baugh

Video analysis: UFC announces it's hitting Brazil in 2011

The UFC will continue its worldwide expansion in 2011. The promotion will hit a nation that already produces some of the best fighters in the world. Now it's time to make more money from the Brazilian MMA fanbase and build the sport even further. Dana White and UFC president Lorenzo Fertitta were in Brazil today to announce the UFC will hold a fight card in Aug. of 2011 in Rio de Janeiro.

Who will be on the fight card? Could it be the capper to Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter" with coaches Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva meeting in "The Axe Murderer's" homeland? Why now? Yahoo's lead MMA writer Kevin Iole answers those questions. Iole said the presser had an impressive collection of legends, current and future, on hand. 

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Mirko Cro Cop Eyes February UFC Return, Says 2011 Will Be His Year

Heavyweight veteran Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is ready to return to UFC action in February after recovering from a last-minute knockout to Frank Mir in September that ended their lackluster UFC 119 headliner.

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WEC 53's Three Stars: Pettis, Wineland and Cruz

The WEC went out with a bang on Thursday night, leaving MMA fans with memories of crazy kicks, talented fighters and another reliably exciting card. Who rose above?

No. 1 star -- Anthony Pettis: This was an easy choice. Pettis won the WEC lightweight belt by realizing that he was in a razor-close fight, and then hitting one of the craziest moves MMA fans have ever seen. His off-the-wall kick made Sportscenter's top plays and was nothing short of Matrix-esque. The scary thing about Pettis is that he's just 23 years old.

No. 2 star -- Eddie Wineland: The WEC's first bantamweight champ closed the promotion with a humongous slam knockout of Ken Stone. His first-round KO was Wineland's fourth win in a row. Though Urijah Faber is the obvious next contender for Dominick Cruz's belt, Wineland is making a case to be in the upper echelon of the UFC bantamweights.

No. 3 star -- Dominick Cruz: The new UFC bantamweight champ didn't finish Scott Jorgensen, but that has more to do with Jorgensen's stone chin than Cruz's lack of ability. Cruz executed a perfect gameplan, sticking and moving throughout the entire fight and taking down Jorgensen with ease. On Twitter last night, I heard fans say that Cruz didn't engage, and that's just crazy talk. Cruz engaged; Jorgensen just couldn't keep up with him. For those who don't like his quick-footed style ... haters gonna hate. 

A special mention to the WEC: World Extreme Cagefighting earned the reputation of always giving fans exciting cards. Last night was no different. Though the main card had a few less-than-exciting rounds, the main events delivered. As that promotion ends and gives way to the UFC, one last kudos to the little promotion that could. 

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Danny Sommerfield Leftover Part

Mob has a sick leftover part from Danny Sommerfield.

Maurice Richard Otto Graham Henry Armstrong Joe Namath Rogers Hornsby

You tell us: The best fight finishes of 2010

As much fun as it is to watch a three- or five-round scrap, one of the best things about MMA is that fighters can have control of their own destiny by finishing their fights. What were the best ones in 2010? You tell us. Winners will be announced on Dec. 30.

Paul Daley's KO of Scott Smith -- At the Strikeforce St. Louis event in December, knockouts were the order of business. Robbie Lawler and Dan Henderson both won with impressive first-round KOs, but it was Daley's sickening KO of Smith that stood out. With a left hook, Daley sent Smith directly to the canvas.

Fabricio Werdum's triangle armbar of Fedor Emelianenko -- This ending was impressive both for the interesting submission and the fact that Werdum ended Emelianenko's incredibly dominant run of win after win. 

Scott Jorgensen's guillotine of Chad George -- It wasn't in a title fight or a main event, but for sheer awesomeness, you have to love this one. At WEC 47, Jorgensen locked on a guillotine, and squeezed it so tightly that George's feet left the ground. George tapped in just 0:31.

Cain Velasquez's TKO of Brock Lesnar -- Velasquez took the UFC heavyweight championship with a perfect combination of speed, power and wrestling skills. He took advantage of Lesnar's biggest weakness -- his inability to take punches. Velasquez broke Lesnar with strike after strike, winning by TKO in the first round. 

Takanori Gomi's KO of Tyson Griffin -- Gomi had lost his UFC debut to Kenny Florian, an uninspired start for the PRIDE star. He made up for it with a quick right hand in his bout with Griffin, which stiffened Griffin and laid him out in the first round.

Anderson Silva's triangle armbar of Chael Sonnen -- Sonnen dominated this championship bout for 23 minutes, taking down and striking the previously invincible Silva at will. Sonnen seemed destined for a decision win and the UFC middleweight belt, until he got sloppy and gave up an arm in the fifth round. Silva took advantage and tapped Sonnen out at 3:10 in the fifth round.

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Scary moment on WEC 53 preliminary card

Eddie Wineland and Ken Stone had a frightening moment during the preliminary card at WEC 53. From Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole, who was cageside:

Stone pulled guard and Wineland walked him across the cage and backed him to the fence. Then, he did a Rampage Japan-style slam and Stone was out cold immediately. Down for 5-10 minutes and then out on a stretcher.

Stone was taken from the arena in a stretcher, but he did not sustain any serious injuries, and was moving and breathing without trouble. 

Otherwise, the WEC 53 undercard was called by several on-site media the most exciting undercard they've seen. Only two fights went to the judges cards. 

Complete undercard results:

Renan Barao def. Chris Cariaso via submission via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:47

Yuri Alcantara def. Ricardo Lamas via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 3:26

Danny Castillo def. Will Kerr via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 1:25

Eddie Wineland def. Ken Stone via knockout (slam) - Round 1, 2:11

Brad Pickett def. Ivan Menjivar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Shane Roller def. Jamie Varner via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:55

Danny Downes def. Tiequan Zhang via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

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Safe Diving Practices

When we think of Safe Diving Practices what comes to mind? Diving with a buddy at all times? Not going beyond your training and experience? Not diving in conditions that could be hazardous? Certainly these are some very good ones, but as we will see in this article safe diving practices start before we even [...]

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WEC 53: Donald Cerrone Submits Chris Horodecki

by Michael David SmithDonald Cerrone showed off a great display of fighting from his back Thursday at WEC 53, spending most of the second round controlling Chris Horodecki from the bottom before eventually getting him to tap out to a triangle choke.

Cerrone thanked his coach afterward.

"Thanks to Greg Jackson," Cerrone said. "Always pushing, always giving us words of wisdom to keep us motivated. I've got to give it all to Greg Jackson."

 

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I?d rather be skydiving: Segway Edition

For my regular readers, y’all are aware of the fact that I recently made a rather hefty life change and moved back to the Midwest (as I grew up a Michigander), to the city of Chicago. Though we’ve only been here two weeks, I can already tell you that I’m loving it! This past weekend [...]

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20kms of coast - 17 September 2010

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UFC 124 picks, Vegas-style: Has Koscheck broken mentally?

Josh Koscheck laid down a lot of smack during the summer. Georges St. Pierre had to listen to Koscheck's big yapper for nearly three months and then watch it again during the fall on Season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter."

Tomorrow night, we find out if Koscheck has awakened the beast inside GSP.

Larry Pepe from ProMMARadio.com and Damon Martin from MMAWeekly.com both thought the usually vibrant and loquacious Koscheck was subdued (video) at yesterday's UFC 124 prefight press conference. Does that mean, he's lost his confidence? Is he overwhelmed by the fact that the entire Bell Centre filled with 23,000 fans will be rooting against him?

Pepe, Martin and myself break down the main event. What's the best approach to betting the fight? In this RawVegas.tv video, GSP is listed as a minus-400 favorite, but most Las Vegas sportsbooks have him even higher.

UFC 124 betting odds (Courtesy Lagasse Stadium):

Josh Koscheck (+350) vs. Georges St. Pierre (-500) - UFC welterweight championship
Sean McCorkle (+130) vs. Stefan Struve (-160) - Heavyweight
Charles Oliveira (-115) vs. Jim Miller (-115) - Lightweight
Mac Danzig (+190) vs. Joe Stevenson (-240) - Lightweight
John Howard (+250) vs. Thiago Alves (-330) - Welterweight
Jesse Bongfeldt (+115) vs. Rafael Natal (-145) - Middleweight
John Makdessi +110 vs. Pat Audinwood (-140) - Lightweight
Joe Doerksen (+220) vs. Dan Miller (-300) - Middleweight
T.J. Grant (+150) vs. Ricardo Almeida (-180) - Welterweight
Dustin Hazelett (-115) vs. Mark Bocek (-115) - Lightweight
Sean Pierson (+220) vs. Matt Riddle (-300) - Welterweight

Stan Musial Jerry West Satchel Paige Sammy Baugh Althea Gibson

Dustin Hazelett Dropped by UFC After Third Straight Loss

Filed under: UFC, News

After his third straight setback in the promotion, the UFC has parted ways with Dustin Hazelett.

Sources close to Hazelett's camp confirmed his release to MMA Fighting. MMA Weekly reported the news Tuesday night. The pink slip comes after Hazelett was submitted by Mark Bocek in the first round at UFC 124 earlier this month in Montreal.

Jimmy Connors Bobby Hull Honus Wagner Man o\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' War Maurice Richard

Great October sessions

Since I am back from the PWA Slalom final on Sylt I tried to get as much time as possible on the water. The good performance on Sylt, I could finish the season with the best result of the 2010 season with a 35th, gave me a lot of motivation. Most of the sessions on [...]

Lawrence Taylor Wilma Rudolph Sandy Koufax Julius Erving Bobby Jones

California River Awards 2010

It’s that time of year when the luminaries of the California Rafting and watershed scene gather for an evening of celebration, hob-nobbing, and fund-raising–yep, get your engines started for the star-studded Friends of the River California River Awards! This year the awards will be held Friday October 8th at the Presidio Officer’s Club in San [...]

Ty Cobb Gordie Howe Joe DiMaggio Jackie Joyner-Kersee Sugar Ray Robinson

With Matchmaking, UFC Plays Chess While Others Play Checkers

Filed under: DREAM, UFC, Strikeforce

If you're wondering what's up with Alistair Overeem, allow me to fill you in: He's supposed to fight for Dream on New Year's Eve, except for the pesky little problem that they can't find an opponent for him (maybe it'll be Todd Duffee), and then he's supposed to fight for Strikeforce in the spring, except they've consistently been unable to find opponents for him (one title defense since he won their heavyweight belt more than three years ago).

In case you haven't noticed, finding an opponent is kind of an important part of booking a fight. And the inability to consistently get fighters into the cage with the right opponents is the fundamental reason that Strikeforce, Dream and other MMA promotions consistently lag behind the UFC in generating fan interest and building momentum from one fight card to the next.

The UFC's matchmakers, Joe Silva and (now that the WEC has been absorbed by the UFC) Sean Shelby, are like chess grand masters thinking several moves ahead. Other promotions are like a kid playing checkers, moving ahead one square at a time, without any long-term strategy.

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Scrambling Mt. Temple

This past week in the Canadian Rockies, enough snow has fallen at high elevations and the daytime temperatures have remained cool enough that scrambling season has clearly ended. Sure, any summit is accessible any time of year, if you’re a black-belt mountaineer. But a patina of snow and/or ice makes a long, steep, rough scramble [...]

Jackie Joyner-Kersee Sugar Ray Robinson Joe Montana Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jerry Rice

UFC audio memories: Liddell and Hughes before UFC 64

Two of the biggest stars in the history of MMA sat down for a long interview in 2006. Liddell was prepping for his UFC 66 showdown with Tito Ortiz. Even back then, Liddell was wary of Tito showing up for a fight.

Hughes was coming off his UFC 63 win over B.J. Penn. He talks about Georges St. Pierre disrespecting him coming into the Octagon after that win. Hughes would go on to loss his belt against GSP at UFC 65.

This was a great interview because Liddell forgot he was on live radio and cursed 15-plus times. 

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Sunny Sunday Morning

Stan Musial Jerry West Satchel Paige Sammy Baugh Althea Gibson

UFC 124: Mac Danzig Knocks Out Joe Stevenson

by Michael David SmithIn a battle of former Ultimate Fighter winners, Mac Danzig knocked Joe Stevenson out with one devastating punch at UFC 124.

For a couple minutes of the first round the two were just feeling each other out, and then all of a sudden, Stevenson left his chin exposed as he tried to get inside, and Danzig landed a perfect left hand to the jaw that sent Stevenson to the canvas, face first. Danzig pounced and landed one more hammerfist on the ground before the referee could pull him off, but Stevenson was out cold before he hit the ground.

 

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