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Thursday, June 30, 2011
Weekly Whitewater Watch: June 20th ? June 27th 2011
Planning on taking an O.A.R.S. trip in the near future? Booked on an O.A.R.S. trip already? We present you with our weekly whitewater watch – a resource available to YOU, the interested adventure traveler. Check back every week for updates on rivers across the west! Here you will find information regarding weather, river flows, exciting [...]
Birdhouse Fourth Of July Contest
Birdhouse is doing a simple contest over the Fourth of July holiday. Just send a photo of the best looking Fourth Of July BBQ spread and win one of the new Firecracker Series decks.
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Donald Cerrone Steps Up to Face Paul Taylor at UFC on Versus 5
An injury to John Makdessi has opened the door for Donald ?Cowboy? Cerrone (15-3) to face ?Relentless? Paul Taylor (11-6-1) at UFC on Versus 5 on August 14th. The UFC announced the fight today via Twitter.
UFC on Versus 5 is headlined by a welterweight battle between Chris Lytle and Dan Hardy.
UFC on Versus 5 is headlined by a welterweight battle between Chris Lytle and Dan Hardy.
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South Dakota town bans MMA because of a bar fight
A 28-year-old who belong to the Disciples of MMA club in Watertown was involved in a March bar fight. His opponent, Justin Jaton, died and the town has since banned MMA fights. Huh?
Jerrin Stulkin, who trains in Tae Kwon Do, is facing murder charges. (Video from KELO)
Three months later, according to The Republic, the residents of Watertown defeated a measure to allow an MMA fight within the city limits.
KWAT radio reports that Tuesday's vote was 841 people favoring the events and 1,228 people opposing them.
The City Council in May voted 5-3 to allow MMA events, a form of fighting entertainment that some label as barbaric. MMA opponents gathered enough petition signatures to force a citywide vote.
Mixed martial arts fighters use a variety of techniques, borrowing from boxing, wrestling and various forms of martial arts.
Promoter Mike Alama says he'll still hold fights in the Watertown area, but outside the city limits.
Did this really have anything to do with MMA? Of course not. The police description of the incident says it was even a fight.
"The term 'fight' should probably be used very loosely," said Detective Chad Stahl of the Watertown Police Department. "This was an assault."
Randy Leddy, a local bartender and MMA student, called the campaign to smear the sport silly.
"It's very frustrating for me that it has to be linked to MMA," Leddy said. "The cage fighting community had nothing to do with it - it was two individuals and liquid courage."
(NOTE: The Leddy quote appears to have been removed from the original story. It was saved from the story on MMA.tv.)
You still don't believe the fight and MMA are linked? Here's a follow-up story from April talking about how martial arts teaches you that it's proper to walk away from a fight.
With a population of 21,482, Watertown is the fourth-largest city in South Dakota.
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?The War Master? Barnett and Overeem admit their fights weren?t exciting
Tournaments are tremendous, but the one downside may be the fighters trying manage fights a little too much. Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett admitted to fighting smart fights, but not very exciting.
Overeem didn't want to take any risks on the ground against Fabricio Werdum. In the video below, he apologizes for the pace of the fight. Barnett admitted there was a methodology behind his mount without many strikes against Brett Rogers.
"We emphasis a lot with hip pressure and taking the wind out of people. My mount, the drive from my hips was really killing his wind," Barnett told Showtime. "While not super exciting to watch, ultimately [it was] very beneficial to me. It was a matter of setting things up."
Barnett faces a more experienced mixed martial artist in the semifinals. Sergei Kharitonov is 18-4 and has been in there with guys like Semmy Schilt, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Pedro Rizzo. He's also 1-1 against Overeem.
"Better all around fighter, sharp boxing and good kickboxing. [He's] very tough, granite chin and better ground game, but I know I have the tools to beat him as well. It's just going to be a different look," said Barnett.
The 33-year-old Barnett also revealed that he's no longer "The "Baby-Faced Assassin." He's now "The War Master."
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Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Mark Munoz Still Sees Major Holes in Demian Maia's Striking - UFC 131
Mark Munoz Still Sees Major Holes in Demian Maia's Striking Video by UFC 131
Daniel Egger Part
Redline Films has a six plus minute part from Daniel Eggers who stacks benches like Daewon all over Europe.
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Talking Strikeforce MMA at the Dallas Mavericks Victory Parade - Strikeforce
Talking Strikeforce MMA at the Dallas Mavericks Victory Parade Video by StrikeforceHenry Armstrong Joe Namath Rogers Hornsby Richard Petty Bob Beamon
Professor Paddle Ball 2011 Videos
The 2011�Professor Paddle Ball took place over Memorial Day weekend outside of Leavenworth, Washington, one of my favorite places.� The Ball is�a once-a-year gathering of the Northwest kayaking community organized by ProfessorPaddle.com founder James Amandus and a crew of volunteers, including Adam Ales, maker of the awesome Big Air Ramp over the past few years.� [...]
James Toney and Ken Shamrock Nearly Fight at a Press Conference - James Toney
James Toney and Ken Shamrock are supposed to fight sometime in the fall of 2011. The two had a short press conference in Van Nuys, California to announce the fight, but started to get physical a little early.Secretariat Oscar Robertson Mickey Mantle Ben Hogan Walter Payton
4th Westbeach Chinese Downhill ? Whistler
In the Westbeach Chinese Downhill you either win or you loose, there’s no inbetween, there’s no attitude, there’s nothing to hold on to. It’s you, your board and the mountain & you get down that mountain as fast as you can. On the way down you have no friends. Then when you reach the bottom [...]
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Jake Shields vs. Jake Ellenberger Headlines UFC Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou
The recently reported matchup between Jake Shields and Jake Ellenberger is now official, as the welterweight contenders will meet in the the main event of the UFC?s return to New Orleans for "UFC Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou" on September 17th on Spike TV.
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Vancouver Homies Montage
Marquardt medicals and firing still shrouded in mystery
Dana White appeared just minutes ago on Versus and we still have few answers about why Nate Marquardt was dumped from the main event at UFC on Versus 4 and fired by the promotion. The UFC president pointed to confidentiality issues and laid the suspension at the feet of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission.
The PSAC chief Greg Sirb said a problem was discovered six weeks ago and that Marquardt had a chance to rectify it, but did not.
"We gave him every opportunity," Sirb said. "The last report we got was 4 o'clock yesterday. We had given him as much leeway as we could, but obviously, when you've got a live event, you've got to make a call at that time," Sirb told MMAWeekly. "(It's) pretty straightforward stuff. You've got to meet these requirements, and there's no ifs, ands or buts about it. Unfortunately, he did not. I felt for the kid. I really did. He knew about it, and I think he was trying."
Was trying what?
"He knew the situation," Sirb said. "There was no surprise. Everybody knew. I think everybody assumed he was going to be able to qualify."
If "everybody knew" it sure seemed like the UFC was caught off guard. Why would you allow a fighter to risk a main event right up to a day before the fight? That might explain why Marquardt failing the medicals was greeted with such severe consequences.
"We can't say anything," Sirba said. "The HIPAA laws are really strict."
During his brief appearance on a Versus prefight show, White said something similar. It definitely sounds like something serious. White was still steaming.
"The thing that's going on with Nate Marquardt, Pennsylvania laws are unfortunate in that the commission can't come out and announce medical records or medical situations with fighters," White said. "But I think it's pretty clear to the fans and everybody else that I'm pretty disgusted with Nate Marquardt. He's been cut from the UFC. He won't fight in the UFC ever again.� Bottom line is, what Nate Marquardt did is bad enough to be cut from the UFC. ... I'm disgusted with him. He has no business fighting in the UFC."
Marquardt is currently under suspension from the state of Pennsylvania, but it does sound like something he can remedy.
"He needs to show us a new report," Sirb said. "When that report comes in and he meets our requirements, which could even be tomorrow, we'll take him off. It could be two months, but it's an indefinite suspension until he submits that report we're looking for."
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? USA's Tim Howard livid at awards ceremony
? Road rage steals spotlight at Infineon
? Redskins QB McNabb 'not a fan' of Twitter
Lawrence Taylor Wilma Rudolph Sandy Koufax Julius Erving Bobby Jones
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Stanley Cup winners also big MMA fans
Now, it turns out that the Boston Bruins, the winners of Lord Stanley's Cup, have pretty big MMA fans in their midst. Goaltender and Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas told Fight magazine that even on game nights, he'll stay up late to watch the fights so that he won't be left out when his teammates discuss them in the locker room.
He became a fan of MMA in its early days, recognizing the genius in Royce Gracie's jiu-jitsu.
"As a kid, I got into a fight with a wrestler. He was bigger than me, but he couldn't fight. He took me down, and I could not get up," Thomas says. "I gained an appreciation right there for wrestling, and to later see Gracie's BJJ?I got hooked on the ground game right away."
As a goalie, Thomas doesn't get in as many fights as his teammates, but he did admit that the many fights he's watched were in his mind when he got into a fight with Montreal goaltender Carey Price.
There are plenty of other hockey connections to MMA. UFC lightweight Sam Stout told Cagewriter that he is good friends with the Chicago Blackhawks' Dave Bolland. Featherweight contender and Bostonian Kenny Florian celebrated the Bruins win on his Twitter account, and UFC president Dana White encouraged, in his own, vulgar way, the Canucks fans to stop rioting.
In fact, hockey and MMA are a natural match. Both have dedicated fan bases, commonplace bloodshed, and athletes with busted-up faces. How could they not be friends?
Sam Stout talks about his UFC 131 KO and knocking out bullying
Sam Stout turned heads on the undercard of UFC 131 with his highlight reel knockout of Yves Edwards. With that win under his belt, he is working on stopping bullying while also thinking about his next fight. He talked to Cagewriter about his win, his future and more.
When discussing his knockout, Stout said he didn't know that he scored such a jaw-dropper when he connected with Yves Edwards.
"The thing is with the big knockout shot, when you make that perfect connection, it's like when you hit a home run in baseball. It doesn't feel like it's big. It didn't hurt my hand. It's that perfect connection right on the button."
Though it would have been permissible for Stout to jump on top of Edwards to make sure the bout was over, he didn't. As soon as he saw that Edwards' eyes were rolled back in his head, Stout held back.
"For me, mixed martial arts is a sport. I'm not out there because I'm trying to hurt anyone. Especially Yves Edwards. He's a great competitor, great guy, class act. We have a lot of respect for each other. I didn't want to do anything to hurt the guy. "
Stout now has two wins in row in the UFC, and would like to continue facing tough opponents.
"I've been so focused on this fight with Yves Edwards that I haven't been looking after him, right now, I'm still soaking it in. Enjoying it. There's a huge list of guys to choose from. I know Donald Cerrone kind of called me out, not in a disrespectful way, but he's a great opponent. There's Anthony Pettis, and so many great fighters and great possible match-ups for me right now. I want to fight another top 10, top 15 guy and keep climbing my way up the rankings."
In the meantime, he's spending working with his trainer Shawn Tompkins and teammates Chris Horodecki and Mark Hominick on teaching children about the dangers of bullying.
"That's one of our major responsibilities as fighters, to let people know that it's not OK to fight in the street. It's not OK to pick on someone because you're bigger and stronger. It's an important message for us to portray to kids who might not be able to decipher the difference between a fight in a ring and fighting outside the sport."
It's a cause that many fighters feel strongly about. Dan Henderson visited a Chicago school last week to discuss bullying's problems. Ben Henderson and Daniel Cormier have done the same, and Jason "Mayhem" Miller's television show was built around people standing up to their bullies.
Though Stout says that he was never the victim of bullies, he saw how much they tormented others.
"I was never picked on, but it's something I knew was wrong. My parents always raised me to stick up for myself, and to stick up for people who couldn't stick up for themselves."
Now, Stout shares that message with the young students of the Tapout Training Center in Las Vegas.
"It's a message we really portray with the kids program. If any of them get into trouble, especially with violence at their schools, we encourage the parents to let us know. We sit down and talk with them, and if it's something that continues, we let them know that they won't be allowed to train. Most these kids are having a lot of fun with it, so it motivates them to be better people."
UFC 132 looks like a win or retire match for Tito
Tito Ortiz is making a pretty hefty paycheck by MMA standards and he's lost four of his last five fights. Is he earning his keep? Well, that's a matter of perspective. Either the UFC believes Ortiz isn't keeping up his end of the bargain or it's concerned for his safety because the promotion asked him to walk away from the sport after his last fight against Matt Hamill.
"The UFC called me after that fight and said 'we want you to retire.' I was shocked, I thought they were kidding around. I took it as they didn't want to pay me, to give me what I'm worth. I'm competing against the top guys and I'm not getting dominated," Ortiz told The Telegraph.
Ortiz (15-8-1, 14-8-1 UFC) went into salesman mode.
"I pretty much begged for my job, to show how much I want to fight, but I still have it in my heart to compete, to fight. I told them I want to still fight against the top guys, I want to put on a show," Ortiz said. "I've just turned 36, but when they put me against the top guys, I think I can still compete."
Ortiz's losses aren't bad and he hasn't gotten crushed in fights against Rashad Evans, Matt Hamill, Lyoto Machida and Forrest Griffin. But how long can you keep a former star around if he can't beat anyone in the top 10?
His next matchup seems like an awful one. Ortiz's only shot in a fight is to get it the ground. Ryan Bader, a high-level former college wrestler, isn't going to get taken down by Ortiz and has a lot more power on the feet. The sports books seem to think Tito is done. Bader's been installed as a minus-450 favorite at UFC 132.
Jack Dempsey Rafer Johnson Greg Louganis Mario Lemieux Pete Rose
Charlie Brenneman: 'It Was Quite a Rollercoaster'
Within a span of five days, Charlie Brenneman experienced the self-described feeling of devastation upon learning of his preliminary fight cancellation to the joy of beating a top 10 welterweight in his live television debut. On an appearance Monday on MMAFighting.com's The MMA Hour, Brenneman detailed this past weekend's UFC on Versus 4 "rollercoaster" ride in Pittsburgh, one that should limit the teasing from fans for his lower standing within the UFC.
"I can proudly say, after this weekend, [Dana White] knows who I am," Brenneman said.
Last Wednesday, Brenneman received the unfortunate news of his scheduled opponent T.J. Grant suffering a case of mono that put their welterweight bout on the shelf. But for some reason, Brenneman was told by matchmaker Joe Silva to stay on weight to earn his show money. Looking back, Brenneman says he doesn't know if he was positioned then as a potential reserve.
"I thought [Silva] was making me do it to do it," Brenneman said. "... I was grumpy. I was very upset with the situation."
Following orders, Brenneman continued to cut weight and even doing so in proximity with the fighter he would end up replacing, Nate Marquardt.
By Friday, Brenneman was informed of the possibility he would fight Rick Story and by then Brenneman said he was able to stay level-headed after having already gone through tremendous stress.
"I had high highs and low-lows in the last 48 hours," Brenneman recalled. "I wouldn't have been surprised by anything."
Brenneman was not without possessing a hint of anxiety, however, having to repeatedly ask his team if the fight with Story would actually happen. Still, Brenneman was aware harassing the UFC with questions wasn't going to help.
So he waited.
Then on around 3:15 to 3:20 p.m. the day of the weigh-ins Saturday, Brenneman received the official green light. At that point, Brenneman's name still wasn't on the call sheet to show up for the weigh-ins and had to speak with UFC coordinator Burt Watson to find out which bus to take in order to attend the weigh-ins.
It was an opportunity of a lifetime for Brenneman. But on the other side, he was stepping into a spot taken away from someone else. Brenneman and his camp did their best to be respectful when approaching Marquardt and Brenneman initially wanted to offer his sympathy, eventually holding back.
"I didn't know if he wanted anything to do with me," Brenneman said. "I felt for him."
Brenneman was a huge underdog heading into the fight against Story, but after three rounds, his wrestling prowess became the factor on the scorecards. On scores of 29-28 three times, Brenneman earned the biggest win in his career in front of a supportive hometown crowd.
And from that point on, not only is White well aware of who Brenneman is, Brenneman might become a regular on the "main cards."
"Hopefully my next fight you're going to see me at this time on this channel," Brenneman said.
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Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva breakdown their upcoming fight - Strikeforce
At the Strikeforce Heavyweight GP in Dallas, TC Inside MMA correspondent Ron Kruck caught up with Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva. The Reem spoke about his victory over Fabricio Werdum and the challange that lies ahead in Silva. Bigfoot spoke about how to do the impossible and beat Overeem
Barnett steamrolls Rogers at Strikeforce, wins via submission
Brett Rogers was no match for the experience and grappling of Josh Barnett. Barnett is one of the most controversial characters in the sport, but no one will deny the fact that he's vicious on the ground. Barnett scored a big takedown at the start of the second round and quickly slapped on an arm-triangle choke. He finished Rogers at 1:17 of the round to advance to the semifinals of the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix.
"We can talk, but I still got a tournament to fight bit by bit, inch by inch and one by one. I'm gonna take 'em down one by one," said Barnett, showing off his pro wrestling verbal chops. "I'm going to add one skull to the collection, until the next, until the next. Until I'm standing on top of a pile of bodies with a pile of gold in my hand!"
Barnett's had a terrible history with athletic commissions in the U.S. He's still not licensed in the state of California, where he tested positive for PED's back in July of 2009. He also tested positive in Nevada back in 2002. Barnett, 24 at the time, had just won the UFC heavyweight title from Randy Couture.
Tonight, Rogers (11-3) spent 5:17 of 6:17 on the floor. Barnett mounted him in both rounds. Much of the first round was spent softening up Rogers. The big man from Minnesota was gassed at the start of the second and ate a huge left hook. Barnett grabbed hold of the stunned Rogers and dumped him hard via lateral drop. It took just a few seconds for Barnett to lock on the choke and Rogers lasted only five more ticks before he tapped.
Barnett (31-5) landed both of his takedown attempts and was good on 44-of-56 strikes. He'll face Russian Sergei Kharitonov in the semifinals. Kharitonov destroyed Andrei Arlovski in the opening round back in February.
Mark Spitz Lou Gehrig Secretariat Oscar Robertson Mickey Mantle
Monday, June 27, 2011
Strikeforce Challengers 16: Card highlighted by first-time Zuffa female fight
Scott Coker put together another solid Challengers card that lands in Kent, Wa. The television friendly slate features what could be some nasty striking fights. The best could be a female fight featuring two muay thai specialists in Julia Budd and Germaine de Randamie. The bout also marks the first time females have fought under the Zuffa banner. The parent company of the UFC bought Strikeforce back in March.
On the surface, a 1-1 fighter facing someone who is 2-1 seems a bit ridiculous until you track what these ladies have done on the muay thai scene. De Randamie is 46-0 and Budd sports a respectable 6-1 mark. They faced off back in 2009 with de Randamie scoring a first-round stoppage.
"I still have to learn a lot in the MMA game. I want to continue to make my ground game better and better so I try to stay focused on my MMA game right now," de Randamie told the Canadian Press. "Definitely, it challenges me. I'm like a newborn, a baby, that needs to learn how to walk. I feel very good. Every day I go to the gym with a smile. I learn so much every day. I'm enjoying it very much."
De Randamie was soccer player as a youth and turned to kickboxing at 15 years old.
Tonight's Strikeforce card also features pro fight No. 3 for Randy Couture's son, Ryan. Keep an eye on Lorenz Larkin against Gian Villante. Larkin looked spectacular in his Strikeforce debut against Scott Lighty. Larkin's scored seven straight KO or TKO finishes.
Strikeforce Challengers 16 weigh-in (courtesy MMAjunkie)
MAIN CARD
Caros Fodor (155.5) vs. James Terry (156)
Ryan Couture (155.5) vs. Matt Ricehouse (155.5)
Lorenz Larkin (205.5) vs. Gian Villante (205.5)
Jason High (171) vs. Quinn Mulhern (169)
Germaine de Randamie (145) vs. Julia Budd (145.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Derek Brunson (186) vs. Jeremy Hamilton (186)
Eduardo Pamplona (170.5) vs. Jerron Peoples (170.5)
Trevor Smith (206) vs. Keith Berry (205.5)
Diving In Cornwall, England
If you are interested in some cold water diving action, then the county of Cornwall ? situated on the most South Westerly tip of the United Kingdom ? could be the destination for you. With a wide variety of sea-life and hundreds of ship wrecks to explore, alongside its beautiful beaches and countryside, Cornwall has [...]
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Roxy Ride the Waves Pants ? True Black
Roxy Ride the Waves Pants – True Black The Roxy Ride the Waves Pants are available in True Black. 95% Cotton, 5% Elastine, embroidered logo design. Price �24.99 FREE UK DELIVERY AVAILABLE Category: Pants
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Pride of Maui?s Google Places Page
Click the image above to visit our Places page for more info about Pride of Maui. Related PostsNo Related Posts
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Surf Artist - Dominique Amendola
Introducing French artist (now living in India, which is a new location for COTW's artist base); Dominique Amendola. Dominique paints a vast array of subject matter, but her 'surf art' is particularly interesting and something 'new'… She takes famous paintings from great artists (e.g. Van Gogh) and gives them a surfing twist! She calls this the "Amadeus series" and she tells us there are more on the way, so watch this space…
www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/dominique-amendola.php
Artist's rendition of The Great Wave off Kanagawa
www.dominiqueamendola.com/collections/amadeus-series
www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/dominique-amendola.php
Artist's rendition of The Great Wave off Kanagawa
www.dominiqueamendola.com/collections/amadeus-series
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Sunday, June 26, 2011
Shifting Perception by Jay Alders
"Shifting Perception" as seen below, is a painting by Jay Alders inspired by the destructive earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March 2011. Jays says: "This painting just came to me with a glimpse of inspiration, a feeling of empathy and a sense that it needed to be expressed." "Despite differences in Global politics and [...]
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Blogger Pitch Tips
This may come as a surprise, I know it did for me the first few times, but I get a lot of PR pitches for ideas, guests posts and features for the blog. It’s not uncommon that they are highly off base and/or something that just isn’t a good fit for my blog. Usually, they [...]
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JZ Cavalcante Post Fight vs Wilcox Wants to Return to Action Soon - JZ Cavalcante
JZ Cavalcante Post Fight vs Wilcox Wants to Return to Action Soon Video by JZ CavalcanteWilt Chamberlain Hank Aaron Jackie Robinson Ted Williams Magic Johnson
Sebastien Toutant 2011 Video Debut
Sebastien Toutant, aka Seb Toots, known for his triple-cork and a record-setting X Games slopestyle run in which he strung together successive double-corks like it was his day off, backs up his big air cred with this debut edit. Proving that he can stomp a variety of rails and jibs with the best of them, this part just erased any of the last doubt people may have had— the guy is a force, on and off the contest circuit.
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UFC Live: By the Odds
Filed under: UFC
Ordinarily we'd already be gearing up for fight night on the Saturday of a UFC weekend, but this time UFC Live gives us one extra day to sort through the betting odds and make some adventurous and possibly ruinous financial decisions.I can't think of a better way to spend Sunday evening than sitting in front of the TV, watching some fights with a betting slip clutched in my sweaty little hand. Besides, now that season one of Game of Thrones is over, the Sunday night TV landscape is wide open once again, so why not?
Also, if you tune in to Versus an hour before fight time, you can catch our very own Ariel Helwani in the pre-fight show starting at 8 p.m. ET. Odds that he'll be the best-dressed man on the broadcast? I'd say at least 2-1 in favor.
Editor's Note: This article was written before the news of the removal of Nate Marquardt from the card. The new main event is Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry, and Rick Story's new opponent is Charlie Brenneman.
Nate Marquardt (even) vs. Rick Story (-130)
Oddsmakers already got fooled once by Story when they pegged him a heavy underdog against Thiago Alves. Apparently they're determined not to make the same mistake twice, though it's still a little surprising to see him as a slight favorite over the vastly more experienced Marquardt. If Story is able to work the same suffocating clinch game against Marquardt that he did against Alves, he stands a pretty good chance here. Marquardt hasn't fared all that well against aggressive wrestler-types lately, plus there's always a chance that the weight cut might sap some of his cardio and/or power. Still, it's one thing to get pushed around by middleweights like Okami and Sonnen -- both of whom are big even for 185 pounds -- and quite another thing to get handled by a welterweight like Story. It took guts for Story to jump in and agree to this fight less than a month after his last one, but I fear his reach might exceed his grasp.
My pick: Marquardt. I might save it for the parlay, but as long as he doesn't lay back looking to counter too much, Nate the Great should win this.
Cheick Kongo (-200) vs. Pat Barry (+160)
I covered this already in my Cut List article, but pause for a moment and take a look at Kongo's wins in the UFC, then tell me how many of the guys he beat are still in the UFC. Nevermind, I'll do it for you: one. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, and he's barely holding on to a UFC career by the skin of his military haircut. Kongo has plenty of athletic ability, but he has a hard time putting it to much use against quality opponents. Instead he tries to pin them against the fence in the stalled posture of a man who has taken only the first half of a 'Wrestling for MMA' class. Barry is a small-ish heavyweight who can be out-grappled, but I don't see Kongo doing that. I think he'll eventually end up in the center of the cage with Barry, where he'll get leg-kicked until he wants to cry.
My pick: Barry. I don't see a better underdog choice in here, honestly. I just wish they'd offer us odds on whether Kongo will land at least one low blow. I'll give you 3-1 he does.
Matt Brown (+190) vs. John Howard (-250)
How Brown has managed to hold on to a UFC career for as long as he has during his current losing streak, I don't know. As soon as the UFC started matching him up against the next level of fighters, Brown started showing just how far from that level he is. He's still as tough as they come and he never goes down easily, but I don't think he has the athletic ability or the overall game to compete with Howard. I think Brown gets overpowered and pounded out here, and probably cut from the UFC soon after.
My pick: Howard. Here's one for the parlay.
Matt Mitrione (-280) vs. Christian Morecraft (+220)
This line seems a little more lopsided than I would have expected, but at least it still favors the right guy. Mitrione is an excellent athlete and a good striker who only gets better with every fight, but at the same time you can't count out a guy with Morecraft's size and sheer caveman power. He was giving Stefan Struve all he wanted until he got caught with a punch combo early in the second, and in his last fight he manhandled Sean McCorkle until "Big Sexy" basically up and quit. Mitrione's ground game is still somewhat suspect, so it's not unreasonable to think that Morecraft could get him down and keep him there. Not unreasonable, but still not terribly likely.
My pick: Mitrione. I think -280 is waaaaay overblown (-180 sounds a bit more realistic to me), but I still don't see him losing this.
Quick picks:
- Javier Vasquez (+185) over Joe Stevenson (-225). With his recent decline, I'm not sure how Joe "Daddy" is favored this highly, but I think it's a mistake. Vazquez is certainly beatable, but a worthwhile underdog nonetheless.
- Manny Gamburyan (+211) over Tyson Griffin (-239). Griffin has a better chance of revitalizing himself at featherweight than Stevenson does, but I'd still be willing to do some small action on Gamburyan with odds like these.
- Charles Oliveira (+155) over Nik Lentz (+125). Lentz has been a magnet for boos in the UFC so far, and he was on his way to a loss against Waylon Lowe before he grabbed a last-minute guillotine. My guess is he'll try to bring a little more excitement against Oliveira, and will pay for it with a submission loss.
The 'For Entertainment Purposes Only' Parlay: Marquardt + Barry + Howard + Oliveira
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James Toney Returning to MMA in Fall Matchup with Ken Shamrock
When it comes to mixed martial arts, James Toney still has fight left in him.Most people believed the multi-divisional boxing champion was one and done in the sport after losing to Randy Couture last August, but nearly a year after the disastrous debut, Toney has decided to return for another go-round. Toney and MMA pioneer Ken Shamrock have both signed on the dotted line to oppose each other in a fall event that is still being planned.
Toney's trainer Trever Sherman confirmed the matchup to MMA Fighting.
BJPenn.com first reported the matchup, attaching it to a September 23 date in El Paso, Texas. Sherman, though, said to his knowledge, neither a date or location has been finalized. He said that Toney, Shamrock, their management teams and event promoters would meet this Saturday night to further discuss particulars.
"The earliest date as I know it would be late September, and the latest would be late October," said Sherman, who added that Texas, California and Nevada were the three potential sites discussed, with Texas as the most likely destination.
Also undecided is whether the match will take place under an established promotion, or as a stand-alone event of fights offered on pay-per-view. Sherman further mentioned that a reality series could be attached to the bout.
Toney's only pro MMA fight occurred against one of the sport's all-time legends. At last August's UFC 118, Couture took him down inside the opening 20 seconds and eventually forced Toney to tap to an arm triangle. Since then, Sherman said that Toney has done little MMA training aside from occasional grappling sessions. He has mainly focused on boxing, where he fought and retained his IBA heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Damon Reed in February 2011.
The 47-year-old Shamrock was once one of MMA's most intimidating fighters, but has won just twice since 2005, going 2-7 during that time. His last bout came last November, when he lost via TKO in the first round after injuring his knee.
Sherman said Toney promised to dedicate himself to training, and that they would invest time in working on takedown defense to keep the fight in Toney's comfort zone.
"The takedown is Ken's only chance," Sherman said. "I respect Ken as much as I do Randy. He's one of the reasons we have this art. But he can't stand with James. Randy proved that. He didn't stand with him for 10 seconds. No one will make that mistake. I want James to go in with hands down by his waist and dare Ken to punch with him."
Sherman said that Toney was adapting well to takedown defense in practices with experienced wrestlers but made a mistake against Couture that he wouldn't replicate against Shamrock. Even since then, he said that whenever Toney trains with wrestlers, he hurts them on the way in, and with small gloves, it may only take one well-placed punch to put Shamrock out.
Toney will prepare for the fight at the recently opened International Fight Center in Van Nuys, California. His team believes that with a win over Shamrock, Toney could put himself in place for a few paydays from promoters looking for unsigned drawing cards, and that if he can string a few wins together, a seemingly impossible goal looms for the soon-to-be 43-year-old: a return to the UFC.
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Bisping interview: The Brit is glad to be back, but far from thrilled with Miller choice
It's been a while since we've seen Michael Bisping. For many, the last memory is him spitting at a cornerman following his destruction of Jorge Rivera at UFC 127.
Bisping has returned to the UFC and was given a plum spot on Season 14 of "The Ultimate Fighter." As taping for TUF 14 began last week in Las Vegas, Spike allowed media members to speak with Bisping (video-NSFW).
The Brit traveled a rocky road after UFC 127. Many around the sport wanted the Brit to suffer a steep penalty for his actions. When pressed about his critics, Bisping was predictably outspoken.
"Those guys need to get a [expletive] grip on themselves, I apologized to Jorge Rivera and his camp for spitting on the floor because that's not the way I should've been acting," Bisping said. "I'm yet to hear an apology from him for insinuating that my girlfriend has chlamydia and all the other [expletive] he talked about. I was man enough to do that, he wasn't. Next question!"
Bisping defended his actions towards Rivera cornerman Matt Phinney.
"It wasn't a spitting incident. I spat on the floor because the guy was talking about my family and if i talked [expletive] about your family, I'd expect you to spit on the floor and show contempt for me as well," Bisping said. "The guy's an absolute piece of [expletive]� and that's what I think and that's what I showed him."
Bisping is ready to move on against another antagonist in Jason Miller. Miller is a pretty accomplished middleweight and recently crossed over as a television star with his show "Bully Beatdown" on MTV. That said, a lot of MMA fans aren't familiar with Miller because he was fighting outside the UFC and that concerns Bisping.
"I can understand it, he got a bit of a crossover but I wasn't overly thrilled that he's going to be my next fight," Bisping, who was hoping for Chael Sonnen or another well known 185-pound contender in the UFC.
Bisping also knows Miller is a rough fight.
"I'm not underestimating him. I'm not saying he's a lesser fighter than me, but in term of world rankings and getting a title shot, I don't think he's going to progress me in my career," Bisping said. "He's a very tough fight and in some ways a bad matchup because I'm going to be expected to beat him. He's obviously looking to make a name on my back."
Miller and Bisping will meet on Spike at the TUF 14 Finale in December. Miller has won seven of his last 10 fights. The only blips on his resume are a disqualification against Ronaldo Souza and a decision losses to Souza and Jake Shields. That's two of the top submission artists in all of mixed martial arts.
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Stanley Cup winners also big MMA fans
Now, it turns out that the Boston Bruins, the winners of Lord Stanley's Cup, have pretty big MMA fans in their midst. Goaltender and Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas told Fight magazine that even on game nights, he'll stay up late to watch the fights so that he won't be left out when his teammates discuss them in the locker room.
He became a fan of MMA in its early days, recognizing the genius in Royce Gracie's jiu-jitsu.
"As a kid, I got into a fight with a wrestler. He was bigger than me, but he couldn't fight. He took me down, and I could not get up," Thomas says. "I gained an appreciation right there for wrestling, and to later see Gracie's BJJ?I got hooked on the ground game right away."
As a goalie, Thomas doesn't get in as many fights as his teammates, but he did admit that the many fights he's watched were in his mind when he got into a fight with Montreal goaltender Carey Price.
There are plenty of other hockey connections to MMA. UFC lightweight Sam Stout told Cagewriter that he is good friends with the Chicago Blackhawks' Dave Bolland. Featherweight contender and Bostonian Kenny Florian celebrated the Bruins win on his Twitter account, and UFC president Dana White encouraged, in his own, vulgar way, the Canucks fans to stop rioting.
In fact, hockey and MMA are a natural match. Both have dedicated fan bases, commonplace bloodshed, and athletes with busted-up faces. How could they not be friends?
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Saturday, June 25, 2011
UFC Live: By the Odds
Filed under: UFC
Ordinarily we'd already be gearing up for fight night on the Saturday of a UFC weekend, but this time UFC Live gives us one extra day to sort through the betting odds and make some adventurous and possibly ruinous financial decisions.I can't think of a better way to spend Sunday evening than sitting in front of the TV, watching some fights with a betting slip clutched in my sweaty little hand. Besides, now that season one of Game of Thrones is over, the Sunday night TV landscape is wide open once again, so why not?
Also, if you tune in to Versus an hour before fight time, you can catch our very own Ariel Helwani in the pre-fight show starting at 8 p.m. ET. Odds that he'll be the best-dressed man on the broadcast? I'd say at least 2-1 in favor.
Editor's Note: This article was written before the news of the removal of Nate Marquardt from the card. The new main event is Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry, and Rick Story's new opponent is Charlie Brenneman.
Nate Marquardt (even) vs. Rick Story (-130)
Oddsmakers already got fooled once by Story when they pegged him a heavy underdog against Thiago Alves. Apparently they're determined not to make the same mistake twice, though it's still a little surprising to see him as a slight favorite over the vastly more experienced Marquardt. If Story is able to work the same suffocating clinch game against Marquardt that he did against Alves, he stands a pretty good chance here. Marquardt hasn't fared all that well against aggressive wrestler-types lately, plus there's always a chance that the weight cut might sap some of his cardio and/or power. Still, it's one thing to get pushed around by middleweights like Okami and Sonnen -- both of whom are big even for 185 pounds -- and quite another thing to get handled by a welterweight like Story. It took guts for Story to jump in and agree to this fight less than a month after his last one, but I fear his reach might exceed his grasp.
My pick: Marquardt. I might save it for the parlay, but as long as he doesn't lay back looking to counter too much, Nate the Great should win this.
Cheick Kongo (-200) vs. Pat Barry (+160)
I covered this already in my Cut List article, but pause for a moment and take a look at Kongo's wins in the UFC, then tell me how many of the guys he beat are still in the UFC. Nevermind, I'll do it for you: one. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, and he's barely holding on to a UFC career by the skin of his military haircut. Kongo has plenty of athletic ability, but he has a hard time putting it to much use against quality opponents. Instead he tries to pin them against the fence in the stalled posture of a man who has taken only the first half of a 'Wrestling for MMA' class. Barry is a small-ish heavyweight who can be out-grappled, but I don't see Kongo doing that. I think he'll eventually end up in the center of the cage with Barry, where he'll get leg-kicked until he wants to cry.
My pick: Barry. I don't see a better underdog choice in here, honestly. I just wish they'd offer us odds on whether Kongo will land at least one low blow. I'll give you 3-1 he does.
Matt Brown (+190) vs. John Howard (-250)
How Brown has managed to hold on to a UFC career for as long as he has during his current losing streak, I don't know. As soon as the UFC started matching him up against the next level of fighters, Brown started showing just how far from that level he is. He's still as tough as they come and he never goes down easily, but I don't think he has the athletic ability or the overall game to compete with Howard. I think Brown gets overpowered and pounded out here, and probably cut from the UFC soon after.
My pick: Howard. Here's one for the parlay.
Matt Mitrione (-280) vs. Christian Morecraft (+220)
This line seems a little more lopsided than I would have expected, but at least it still favors the right guy. Mitrione is an excellent athlete and a good striker who only gets better with every fight, but at the same time you can't count out a guy with Morecraft's size and sheer caveman power. He was giving Stefan Struve all he wanted until he got caught with a punch combo early in the second, and in his last fight he manhandled Sean McCorkle until "Big Sexy" basically up and quit. Mitrione's ground game is still somewhat suspect, so it's not unreasonable to think that Morecraft could get him down and keep him there. Not unreasonable, but still not terribly likely.
My pick: Mitrione. I think -280 is waaaaay overblown (-180 sounds a bit more realistic to me), but I still don't see him losing this.
Quick picks:
- Javier Vasquez (+185) over Joe Stevenson (-225). With his recent decline, I'm not sure how Joe "Daddy" is favored this highly, but I think it's a mistake. Vazquez is certainly beatable, but a worthwhile underdog nonetheless.
- Manny Gamburyan (+211) over Tyson Griffin (-239). Griffin has a better chance of revitalizing himself at featherweight than Stevenson does, but I'd still be willing to do some small action on Gamburyan with odds like these.
- Charles Oliveira (+155) over Nik Lentz (+125). Lentz has been a magnet for boos in the UFC so far, and he was on his way to a loss against Waylon Lowe before he grabbed a last-minute guillotine. My guess is he'll try to bring a little more excitement against Oliveira, and will pay for it with a submission loss.
The 'For Entertainment Purposes Only' Parlay: Marquardt + Barry + Howard + Oliveira
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Before fighting Cruz, Faber takes on internet tough guys
In the age of online gaming with strangers, anonymous internet commenting, and fake Twitter accounts, it can be easy for someone to hide behind a keyboard when ripping on others. With the help of Jareb Dauplaise from "The Hard Times of R.J. Berger," Urijah Faber has an answer for that. (Warning, lots of foul language in the video.)
Dauplaise didn't do much to prepare Faber for his UFC 132 bout, but he did serve up a nice reminder to the internet tough guys and gals of the world. You never know who is on the other side of that keyboard.
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Jake Blauvelt "Naturally" Episode 4 with Iikka Backstrom & Devun Walsh
Jake meets up with Iikka Backstrom and Devun Walsh to sled and shred the Whistler backcountry in the fourth episode from the Naturally web series. Later, cameras follow the crew as they score some heli assisted high altitude access.
Jake Blauvelt- Naturally Episode 4 from Jake Blauvelt on Vimeo.
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Great conditions at Lake Neusiedl
While the last weeks the conditions had a lot of variety on my homespot, the lake Neusiedl. We got some days with strong wind from south eastern direction and I could get some good speed on my GPS. So I am in the 2010 ranking on top. Check out the following link! It�s really hard [...]
UFC on Versus 4 analysis: Stevenson and Griffin go small, will it work?
Joe Stevenson and Tyson Griffin are playing what could be their final cards. Once upon a time, they were both title contenders at lightweight in the UFC. With bigger and more well-rounded fighters coming from all over the world feeding the division in 2011, both fighters have fallen on hard times. Stevenson's lost three straight and 5-of-7 while Griffin has dropped three in a row. They both make their featherweight debut on Sunday at UFC on Versus 4.
Surprisingly, both UFC vets are big favorites. Stevenson (31-13, 8-7 UFC) is minus-270 in some spots against Javier Vasquez. Griffin (14-5, 7-5 UFC) is minus-180 over Manny Gamburyan. Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole checked in with us and didn't sound super confident that either fighter would roll to a victory.
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Wake Up Movie Trailer (video)
Breath, life, vitality of the spirit. Join Us On Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo & YouTube
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Exclusive pictures from Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum
Check out pictures from Saturday night's Strikeforce bouts by Tracy Lee. See Alistair Overeem react to Fabricio Werdum's request to fight on the ground, Chad Griggs beat on Valentijn Overeem, and the remains of K.J. Noons face after Jorge Masvidal went to work on it.
Noons commits to difficult cut, reluctantly visits a salon
Strikeforce in Dallas this weekend is highlighted by the heavyweight battles but one of the sleeper fights is KJ Noons and Jorge Masvidal.
This inside video look at Noons shows the lightweight contender taking care of a crucial prefight task. He checks in with the stylist. Apparently, Noons wiping away his bangs against Nick Diaz annoyed the hell out of the fighter's trainers (1:40 mark).
The Noons' video series is well made and this one provides a bonus with an appearance by the fighter's wife, Melany Lorenzo. Lorenzo is also an athlete having logged time in the Lingerie Football League.
Noons' could be fighting for a shot at Strikeforce 155-pound champion Gilbert Melendez. Does he have a chance against Melendez? Of course. Noons' boxing is as good as anyone's in the business. He's faced Diaz twice. Noons is a true lightweight, who finished Diaz on one occasion and also went the distance with the welterweight champ last year.
The first task at hand though is Masvidal, a well-rounded fighter, who may be able to slow Noons' striking game by getting the fight to the floor. Noons is listed as a minus-320 favorite. With Gina Carano dropping off the card, Noons-Masvidal is now part of the Showtime telecast (10 p.m. ET/PT).
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