Bloody Elbow: FanPosts

Fedor Emelianenko vs Brett Rogers Will be for the WAMMA Heavyweight Belt

2009-11-07T08:59:18Z

Despite earlier reports (and Brent's efforts), WAMMA has proven to be alive and well, as they will be "sanctioning" Strikeforce's main event that will be broadcast to millions of people on CBS. Fedor Emelianenko vs Brett Rogers will now be for the WAMMA Undisputed Heavyweight Championship.

They presented the new WAMMA belt in the press conference, and there were rumors that it was still going to be a three round non-title affair, but their press release says otherwise:

"It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of this incredible fight card that our partners at STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global have put together," said WAMMA Rankings Chairman, Andrew Falzon. "It is another landmark night for the sport on national television and a rare opportunity for fans nationally to see top WAMMA-ranked fighters compete on free TV."

Fedor’s manager and M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein said
"Recognizing Fedor as the undisputed WAMMA heavyweight champion means that Fedor is the world champion wherever and whenever he fights."

"Putting a title on the line just provides the fighters with more incentive to perform at their best," said Scott Coker, CEO of STRIKEFORCE.

In addition to sanctioning the main event, WAMMA will also be unveiling a new design for the championship belt, and a new logo, which will be featured on the fight surface during the live telecast.

"This is another sign of WAMMA’s new direction and continued commitment to moving the sport of MMA forward," said Falzon. "We remain open to working with all promotions at all levels of MMA, so long as it is to the benefit of the sport."

HT: mmamania

Dustin Hazelett Interview: ACL is good, Ready for Karo

2009-11-07T01:53:33Z

The following is the interview recently conducted by Steven Kelliher with UFC 106 participant Dustin Hazelett. All the highlights are below, and if you want to read the full thing you can find it here with a few more questions on each topic.

Widely considered one of the most promising young prospects in the UFC’s stacked welterweight division, Ohio native Dustin Hazelett was forced to back out of a UFC 96 fight with Ben Saunders after tearing his ACL in training. Following a successful surgery and recovery process, Hazelett has progressed much more quickly than even he anticipated, resulting in his early return to the UFC on the main card of UFC 106 this month against veteran Judo master Karo Parisyan. Hazelett recently spoke with Tapology’s Steven Kelliher to discuss his speedy recovery, his thoughts on Parisyan, his opinions on judging in MMA, and how he plans to get the UFC Welterweight Championship.

Tapology: Let’s talk about your ACL injury. That is one of the worst injuries a professional athlete can have, but you seem to be bouncing back much quicker than usual. Why do you think that is?

Hazelett: I don’t know, I mean the surgery went really well. I did my rehab and had really good trainers, but I was back in training in five months and usually you’re not supposed to be pivoting in six months. I was happy with the way it went, but I was surprised that it went that quickly. It feels great now, though.

Tapology: That’s surprising to me, as Joe Lauzon, who is also coming off of an ACL surgery—he got a cadaver ACL—thought he was bouncing back ahead of schedule but you have done it even faster than he has.

Hazelett: I opted for a hamstring tendon from one of my own hamstrings instead of the cadaver ACL, because my doctor told me he is finding more and more cases of people rejecting cadaver ACLs years after their surgeries. I didn’t want to risk that.

Tapology: You are set to fight Karo Parisyan at UFC 106 in November. Are you expecting to face the vintage Parisyan and how do you feel about him as an opponent?

Hazelett: I’m preparing for the best Parisyan ever. If you look at his last fight against [Dong Hyun] Kim, he may not have been as dominant as he has been in the past, but you have to look at it as a style match up as well because Kim is a really good judo guy as well, so that would nullify some of Parisyan’s strengths.

Tapology: Do you feel overpowered fighting against some of the bigger and more powerful wrestlers in this division?

Hazelett: With Koscheck it was more of an explosion thing. He was much faster than I was, and his strength wasn’t a crushing kind of strength, he was just so fast and explosive that he could take you down really fast. I didn’t feel overwhelmed as far as the strength is concerned; the only time I felt like that was against Tony DeSouza. At the time I didn’t have a strength and conditioning coach and I didn’t take my conditioning as seriously as I do now.

Conditioning is a horrible thing to do, but it is incredibly necessary, so I have been taking it very seriously for this fight.

Tapology: What advantages do you feel you have over Parisyan?

Hazelett: I think I have a striking advantage and I haven’t grappled anybody of his caliber in Judo so I think it’s going to be an interesting fight. His fight with Diaz was awesome, and so was the fight with Sanchez, and he has never been submitted, so I think it’s going to be a fun fight to be in and it’s going to be one of those fights that is really fun to watch, so I’m looking forward to that.

Tapology: Going back to the Koscheck fight: are you the type of fighter who hates losing enough that it continues to burn you up, or do you not really care anymore at this point?

Hazelett: It eats me alive every time I watch the fight. I get so mad at myself because I made the exact same mistake in the second round that I did in the first round and he caught me on it. It was a great job on his part and he deserved the win, but I am so mad at myself because I think that I could have won that fight. As far as a rematch goes I could take it or leave it right now because there are so many good guys in the division that I could work my way to the title without having to fight him again.

Tapology: How long before we can see you fight for the title? Do you think about that a lot or do you try to focus on the next fight alone?

Hazelett: One good thing that I learned from the Koscheck fight is not to want too much too fast. When I fought him I was looking to make a run for the title as quick as I can, and once I lost to him I realized I needed to work on my flaws and problems and make it count when I get back up there. Obviously I really want the title—that’s my main goal—but my goal is to make myself as good as I can make myself, so I’m not as worried about putting myself in position for a title shot right now. I think if I make myself as good as I can be then I will definitely be a champion.

Tapology: You mentioned that there are so many great guys in the welterweight division. Do you think Georges St. Pierre is as good as he is because he is more well-rounded than the other guys right now?

Hazelett: Yeah, I mean he is a very well-rounded fighter. He is a phenomenal wrestler with great takedown defense. He is very athletic, very conditioned, and has great striking, but I think I match up with him well because I am very good off of my back and that’s something that a lot of fighters don’t have.

Poll

Who wins at UFC 106?

Your chance to hang with top MMA fighters

2009-11-06T19:32:15Z

Lionsgate Home Entertainment and MovieSet are giving you a chance to win a role in an MMA film, a free trip to the North American Set and a weekend hanging out with some top MMA fighters. Our last flick had GSP, Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson, Keith Jardine...and more. It's so easy to enter, just show us a few of your fight moves and you could be in a feature film.

I'm sure the Bloody Elbow audience has what it takes!

Fighters should be fighters and not actors but ...

2009-11-06T19:00:13Z

I know some people think fighters should be fighters and not actors but ... in case you are interested, Death Warrior and MovieSet are running a video contest and the winner gets a role in a forthcoming Lionsgate MMA-themed movie including flight and hotel & photos with the fighters etc.

The films aren't fancy but feature fighters, blood, gratuitous sex & unlikely plots. No Oscar chances here ;-). The last movie (Death Warrior) had GSP, Rampage, Rashad and Keith Jardine. Could be a great way to get some exposure for some emerging fighter, actor and/or a good way to win a trip to a film set.

See the entries so far at: http://mma-movie-star.movieset.com/

via csos.movieset.com

Dan Henderson: Enormous Benefit To Strikeforce Has Parallels in World of Wrestling

2009-11-06T14:48:18Z

via assets.heavy.com

Yesterday, I said Dan Henderson was in the driver's seat in negotiations with the UFC and Strikeforce. It seems, after making a few calls, that he actually hopped in the car Monday and started making the long drive from Zuffa's Las Vegas headquarters to San Jose, California, home of the fledgling Strikeforce promotion. I make the case today at Heavy.com that Henderson has enormous value to Strikeforce, offering them more than he can the UFC.

If that's the case, this would be a tremendous coup for the growing promotion out of San Jose, California. Dan Henderson has tremendous value to Strikeforce. They need to build their own stable of fighters, and what better way to do so than have them beat a recognizable face? Henderson is not Tim Sylvia or Andrei Arlovski. They both left the UFC after seeing their star diminish in the cage. Henderson is different. He coached The Ultimate Fighter this year. He knocked out Michael Bisping in devastating fashion this year. He's never been hotter; and may never be again. This is a perfect chance to have him fight Gegard Mousasiand transfer some hard earned credibility to a fighter people don't yet know, but will. Mousasi, who will battle PRIDE and UFC veteran Rameau Sokoudjou Saturday on CBS, is one of the world's best prospects. He could benefit enormously from a fight with Henderson. A win immediately catapults him into the discussion of top light heavyweight fighters. That's what Henderson brings with him. Guys like this, even if they are a little more expensive than you'd like, lend your promotion credibility. It saves years you would spend earning it on your own. Import it from UFC whenever and however you can.

The brewing battle between Strikeforce and the UFC has plenty of parallels to another famous promotional battle, one that went down in the 1990's between WCW and the WWF (now WWE). More on that angle and exclusive interviews and commentary this weekend from Chicago at Heavy.com

The Roy Nelson Interview Post Elite-XC Loss

2009-11-06T05:53:55Z

Just going to embed this Fukerton interview, listen to it, reply.

Rare interview with a lot of tidbids, including his thoughts on steroids, the Arlovski stand-up, etc.

From what I have read in the Dana White Hates Roy Nelson thread, a lot of people have not heard this. The conversation about steroids is starts about 6:30 in if you want to skip to the "good part".

NOTE by Kid Nate: I went ahead and embedded the video in the post rather than just the link.

Add Gerald Harris To The List Of Veterans Applying For TUF

2009-11-06T03:00:13Z

Put Gerald Harris’ name among the other established MMA veterans that want a shot to earn their way in to the Octagon by going through "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series. While other names being rumored to be applying for the next season of the show are coming off of disappointing stretches in their careers or periods of inactivity, Harris is one of the hottest middleweights in the sport at the moment.

Harris (16-2), a contestant on season seven of the show, lost to Amir Sadollah during his stay in the house, was only one of a few fighters from the show not to compete at the finale.

Since the show wrapped, Harris has gone 6-0 with five of his wins coming by first round stoppage. His most recent bout saw him become the Shark Fights middleweight champion, destroying former UFC signee Nissen Osterneck in just 46 seconds. ‘Hurricane’ has also greatly improved his grappling over the last two years, winning one of the largest NAGA grappling tournaments earlier this year.

All of this success has lead to a stack of offers sitting on Gerald’s desk. He has recently received, or currently has, offers from Strikeforce, Dream, Sengoku, not to mention the many regional promotions that would like to see him in the cage. However, Gerald has repeatedly held on to his dream to one day fight in the Octagon.

With some luck, UFC officials will take note of Harris' desire and sacrifice and give him another shot to live his dream.

MMA Spot

Scott Smith, King Mo, Gilbert Melendez Confirmed For "Strikeforce Evolution"

2009-11-06T01:35:48Z

Source

Earlier today while in Chicago, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed that Strikeforce would indeed be holding an event on December 19 called "Evolution". Coker also confirmed that Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (10-2) would make his Strikeforce debut against Matt Lindland (21-6). No main event has been announced yet, however MMA Recap (www.mmarecap.com) has confirmed with sources close to the event that Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (5-0), Gilbert Melendez (16-2), and Scott Smith (16-6) are also participating, however no opponents have been named yet.

"Strikeforce: Evolution" will take place from the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California. Scott Coker had the following to say about the upcoming event. "We're calling the card 'Evolution. It's a big card for us as we feature some of the new fighters signed with some of the established, proven stars. Fans will get to see the new and old."

I can't wait to see who they fight.

Dan Henderson: Suddenly in the driver's seat in UFC negotiations

2009-11-05T19:41:29Z

via assets.heavy.com

As I wrote today at Heavy.com,Dana's car and his promotion are a bit of a wreck right now. The UFC is having some major issues keeping main event fighters healthy and happy. They lost Silva, GSP and Machida through injury-them's the breaks. But some other guys are dropping out for some odd reasons.

First they lose Rampage Jackson, in the midst of the most watched season of The Ultimate Fighterever, a season designed to push his fight with Rashad Evans. Rampage wanted to fulfill a childhood dream (and make mad scrilla) as the star of the new A-Team remake. His fight with Evans was postponed, then after a Dana White diss session, straight up cancelled as Rampage announced he wasn't coming back at all.

Meanwhile, Dan Henderson, the former Olympian who decisively shut the mouth of the voluble Brit Michael Bisping is in the midst of a holdout. Henderson, at 39, has never been hotter. After a high profile coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter9, Henderson knocked out Bisping in a highlight worthy fashion, then delivered an extra shot for good measure. It was the most memorable moment at UFC 100 that didn't involve Brock Lesnar promising to hump Sable. It was also Henderson's last contracted UFC fight - and he wants a million dollar signing bonus to re up. Dana White doesn't drive a Ferrari F430 because he likes to give his money away, so that didn't happen. Scratch headliner number two.

And then you have Brock. The UFC's biggest star, the heavyweight champion of the world, and the victim of the kissing disease? As Heavy.com was first to report, Lesnar, who was scratched from UFC 106 this month because of an illness, has still not started training. Word finally came out yesterday that he has mononucleosis, a disease that can keep even the toughest man sidelined for two months.

All of the turmoil leaves Henderson sitting pretty. He is waiting at home for the UFC to call. And if guys keep dropping like flies, they will have no choice but to give in to his demands. Henderson has the added bonus of being able to fight in two weight classes competitively. If you need to slot him in, for the right price, he is good to go.

Sengoku 11: Drowned out in a Strikeforce Weekend

2009-11-05T17:15:11Z

Here is the Tapology Sengoku 11 buzz preview in its entirety below. Source is here. A Strikeforce Challengers event buzz preview can be found here and a Strikeforce Fedor vs Rogers event buzz preview can be found here. Feedback or questions? Give it!

World Victory Road’s “Sengoku 11″ event takes place this Saturday in Tokyo, Japan featuring a main event pitting featherweights Hatsu Hioki and Michihiro Omigawa. Unfortunately, with the majority of focus on Strikeforce’s CBS card, the Sengoku event stands to be overlooked by most North American fans. The lack of star power and the difficulty of marketing an event that airs in the middle of the night will result in Sengoku 11 continuing to be relegated to second tier status in the states.

Sengoku has consistently focused on sport over spectacle for its shows, and as a result has become a favorite of serious MMA fans. Main event participant Hatsu Hioki is a grappling prodigy that has gone undefeated in his run with the promotion and may be capable of taking on some of the elite competitors globally in his weight class. As evidenced by Hioki’s buzz ranking of 465 among MMA fighters, however, Sengoku has a marketing problem in the U.S. that it has thus far been unable to solve. Co-main event participant Jorge Santiago currently generates the most buzz among U.S. fans, ranking 186th in the most recent rankings.

With 11 bouts on this weekend’s card that are difficult to rank or prioritize in their importance, it may be time for Sengoku to consider adopting a more Americanized style of building an event. A focus on establishing legitimate champions in each of its weight classes and having one high-profile title defense per event may go a long way in drawing in more fans and interest. Rather than dispersing attention among 11 different fights, focusing the U.S. marketing on a single title fight would help give Sengoku an identity for the fans to recognize and remember. Until then, Sengoku will continue to put on great fights for the hardcore American fans yet remain drowned out by promotions like Strikeforce and the UFC.

Fighter	Latest Buzz Rank	Peak Buzz Rank	Peak Month
Jorge Santiago	186	98	Jan 2009
Hatsu Hioki	465	224	May 2009
Michihiro Omigawa	483	162	May 2009
Mamed Khalidov	N/A	N/A	N/A
Average	378	121

Poll

Which events to you plan on watching this weekend?

Strikeforce lands undefeated Welterweight prospect Roger Bowling

2009-11-05T16:46:57Z

Strikeforce is quietly building up its 170 pound division with American born prospects which now includes.

Bowling
Tyron Woodley
Jesse Taylor
Shamar Bailey
Lyle Beerbohm
Paul Bradley

Will be interesting how each of these guys develop over the next two years with Ex Ultimate Fighter cast members Taylor and Bradley serving as good benchmarks for the rest of the up and comers in the weight class.

Expect Bowling to debut with Strikeforce in February or March 2010

Press Release

"Relentless" Roger Bowling, the undefeated MMA Big Show Welterweight kingpin, has signed a contract with San Jose-based StrikeForce, one of the top MMA promotions in America. The signing took place during intermission at the "Full Force" event on Saturday, Oct. 24th.

Bowling, who has yet to go to a decision or even see the 2nd round in his career, is considered by many to be one of the top welterweight prospects in MMA. Known for his cardio, brutal strikes, and excellent wrestling, he is expected to make his StrikeForce debut in February or March 2010. He holds quality wins over former IFL fighter Seth Baczynski and current StrikeForce fighter Shamar Bailey, and his last fight was a victory over Devon Plaisance via TKO at Big Show's "Unstoppable" event in July. Bowling was scheduled to fight UFC veteran War Machine in June and then September, but had to pull out due to injuries both times, sparking a verbal feud between the two. With that behind him, Bowling is moving on to bigger and better things.

"I have been lucky enough to have one of the most supportive fan and family bases, which has helped me get to where I am today," stated the young 6-0 fighter. "Without them, I wouldn't have worked as hard to be able to do what I've done so far, and I'm grateful to have this opportunity. I won't let the fans down; you can count on that."

MMA Big Show Owner/Promoter Jason Appleton, who is also Bowling's manager, explained "In talking with the guys at StrikeForce, I can say that I'm very excited for Roger to be given the opportunity to compete in their 170 lbs. division. I think it's time the world sees who Roger is and what he's capable of." Appleton also talked about how difficult the transition will be for him personally. "It's honestly like giving up your child for adoption to better-suited parents, but the Big Show is merely a springboard for talented fighters. When a fighter shines as bright as Roger has in the Big Show, my job is to help them get further in their career, even if it means them being exclusive to someone else."

HT: Roger Bowling dot com & Uniting Locals Through MMA

War Machine: "Porn is More Important Than MMA at the Moment. I Want to be One of the Top Porn Guys"

2009-11-05T02:42:30Z

The fighter/porn actor formerly known as "Jon Koppenhaver" talked to MiddleEasy about a multitude of controversial topics. Here's War Machine talking about prioritizing his new career in porn over MMA:

My priority right now is to make good money and feed the War Machine. I've been fighting for seven years and MMA, I make a living but I don't make enough money to save. I'm never going to be able to have enough to buy a house or buy a cool car. Right now, my main priority is making money. I want to do my best in the porn industry and I want to try to be one of the top, top porn guys, you know what I mean? So right now, porn is more important than MMA at the moment. I love to fight and I'm always going to fight, regardless of what happens.

I was nervous as hell. More nervous than any other fight I've ever had. So nervous...terrified. It's no joke. It was crazy. Luckily when I got to the set, the crew were super cool they were MMA fans. The girl that I shot my first scene with, Riley Steele, she was really pretty and she was really nice. She made me feel comfortable. Porn is like fighting, you're always ready before but once you get punched...you're fine. When I touched her, I felt way better but until I made contact I felt nervous as hell... Before the scene, I really didn't know what to do. I thought 'should I shadowbox?'

Fighting and porn is so similar. Everything from like, I got the agent. I got Ken Pavia from MMAagents and Derek from Alex Drake models. They find me the fight, they find me the girls. You got organizations like UFC and WEC then you got the organizations like Digital Playground, it could be Vivid, Wicked, whatever. So in MMA I fight around, in porn...I hump around. Then you got the pre-fight jitters, same as being on the set. Performance anxiety...dude, it's very similar. I think fighting has helped me prepare for it. The producer was telling me 'Dude, I'll tell you right now you're going to fail. The first time everyone fails. Sometimes the first two or three times they all fail'. But I was able to succeed and I think it's mostly because my fighting stance really helps me...plus my whoring experience. I've been around and around and around. It's similar man, it's very similar.

In the porn, the money is very lucrative. I think from now on I'll be focusing on the porn. I'm still going to fight because that's my passion. I love to fight and I realized that I've probably blew my chances of ever going back to the UFC. But I can still main event all medium sized shows all across the country and the world. But I'm still going to fight, two or three times a year. That's what I love to do, I love beating people up, I want to fight, I want to train, I want to get better. I'm still going to be training.

The entire interview shows more of War Machine being War Machine. He says the UFC "Rapes" fighters by being not paying them well, Cris Cyborg takes testosterone, Brock Lesnar is a "big gay bully", and believe it or not, he was a smart student who all the teachers liked.

CBS Commercial Ads Sold-Out for Strikeforce Fedor vs Rogers, Plus Targetting Markets and Sponsors (EA Sports, etc)

2009-11-05T02:40:56Z

Well, its seems like it wasn't that long ago that everyone was worried about how good of a job Strikeforce, CBS, and Showtime were going to do to sell/market this event on network TV. As with anything that Strikeforce does, they never over exert themselves and their costs, and they seem to do just enough to make their events a success. Now that we are a few days away, here are some of the more interesting stories leading up to the event.

CBS Commercial Ads Sold-Out For Strikeforce Fedor vs Rogers

Fight Camp 360 on Showtime/CBS, ESPN, USA Today, and Chicago Sun-Times to just name a few, Strikeforce and CBS finally seem to be hitting their promotional stride for this event. One of the important aspects of Saturday's event will be how the ratings do, but more importantly for CBS is what kind of advertisers they have acquired by putting MMA on prime time network again. First, lets look at how CBS is doing compared to other networks in regards to ad sales and revenue.

First, MMAPayout digs a great piece from BusinessWeek.com, which reports that CBS will bring more advertising dollars than any of the other big four networks in 2009:

Everywhere you look these days, network TV executives seem to be shredding their playbooks and experimenting with their programming. The prevailing sentiment seems to be: We’ll do whatever it takes to cut costs and keep viewers tuning in. Exhibit A: Jay Leno, who has stepped out from behind his late-night desk to yuck it up on NBC during prime time.

Then there’s CBS, where it’s same old, same old. Yes, the Tiffany Network has added a Los Angeles spin-off to its military crime show NCIS, and launched The Good Wife, a ripped-from-the-headlines drama about the lawyer wife of a philandering politician. But mostly CBS is relying on sitcoms and police procedurals–the very definition of Old Media.

How is that working out for CBS? Pretty well, it seems. Three weeks into the fall season, it’s on a roll. With 12 shows in Nielsen’s top 20, including the top-rated comedy, Two and a Half Men, and its most popular drama, NCIS, CBS draws an average of 12.4 million prime-time viewers, 2.4 million more than runner-up ABC. Meanwhile, the stock has been handily outperforming those of its peers. “They’ve proven anyone wrong who thought that no matter what a network did, their audiences would continue to erode,” says Andrew Donchin, who works for the media buying agency Carat North America and helps buy ad time on CBS for such companies as Pfizer, Black & Decker, and Papa John’s International.

Here is how they stack up:

GROSS AD REVENUES

(BILLIONS)*

CBS $4.7

NBC 4.6

ABC 3.8

Fox 2.8

*2009 estimate

Data: SNL Kagan

In terms of MMA and in anticipation for the upcoming Strikeforce event, CBS executive vice president for primetime programming Kelly Kahl previously had this to say about Fedor's ability to boost credibility among sponsors:

"I think (Fedor) made it a lot easier for our sales guys and our sales are going very, very well for this fight," said Kahl. "To be able walk in with a presentation and show Fedor shows a credibility and it speaks volumes to have a world-class fighter and maybe the best in the world. I think it certainly made it an easier sell than maybe we’ve had in the past."

Kahl said movies studios, automobile purveyors, and video game companies are among those that have bought commercial slots.

"EA Sports is unveiling a preview of their MMA game in this fight exclusively," said Kahl. "In terms of getting mainstream sports reporters interested, Fedor gives us the credibility that maybe we didn’t have before.

Now, Sherdog reports that all CBS commercial Ad spots are sold out for this event.

Commercial spots for CBS’s Saturday Night Fights broadcast of Strikeforce/M-1 Global "Fedor vs. Rogers" have completely sold out, according to Kelly Kahl, executive vice president for primetime programming for the network.

"I’d say this was probably a quicker sellout than the EliteXC shows," said Kahl, who added that the addition of top-ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko has piqued interest in "premium advertisers" from the auto, movies, and video gaming genres.

Aside from ratings, advertising sales are a second way that networks can gauge interest in its programming. Kahl said that other sporting events on CBS usually complete their advertising sales a day or two before air date if that.

Among those scheduled around the live broadcast, EA Sports will unveil a preview of its MMA game due out in 2010.

If you can recall, CBS did a great job selling ads for the first EliteXC event on CBS. On the other hand, they had a tough time selling ad spots for their next two events. One reason is that the second event didn't have Kimbo or Gina Carano, but most importantly, the bad economy was starting to take a toll on the networks. This is another good sign for CBS and Strikeforce. A rating greater than 2.0 and about 4-5 million people would be a home run for CBS.

Strikeforce/CBS's Marketing Brings In...My Mom?

Here is a pretty interesting story from Tony Preston over at BleacherReport:

Today, I had a great conversation about MMA with my mom. I thought I would never have a conversation with my mom about MMA. She knows that I have watched MMA since high school and since I got to college have been doing a little training, but we never really talk about it. She knows that it is called Mixed Martial Arts and that the UFC is just one promotion but that is about it.

Today, I had just gotten back to my dorm after class when I got a call from my mom. She was watching CBS and had just seen a commercial for the Strikeforce card this weekend. She asked me my opinion on Fedor and if I thought he was the best in the world. This lead into me telling her about Brett Rogers and the other fights on the card.

At the end of the conversation she said that she would probably watch at least a few of the fights on Saturday just to check it out. This surprised me and I asked why. She said that it must be decent if it is on CBS.

HDNet To Televise Strikeforce Weigh Ins Via IMMA

"Big" John McCarthy Joins EA Sports MMA

One of Strikeforce's biggest sponsor, EA Sports MMA, will not only be releasing new video game footage of their MMA title next year, but they are also announcing that MMA great Big John will be in their video game. Not official yet, but I have also heard that Jake Shields will be in the game as well. Nick "The Goat" Thompson will also be announced in the near future as a participant in the game, along with Matt Lindland and other Strikeforce and Bellator fighters. The exclusive video footage will also be made available in Japan, which will go along with EA's theme of making EA Sports MMA a world wide title.

Video: http://mma.easports.com/home.action

Strikeforce on Tape Delay? Orlando Station Responds to Fan Outrage

Steve Cofield over at Yahoo write up this piece about how UG members were able to get their CBS affiliate network to show Strikeforce Fedor vs Rogers LIVE instead of being delayed until 1AM. Great stuff from the UG and MMA fans.

Power to the people! According to a thread on the Underground Forum, WKMG, the CBS affiliate in Orlando, had originally planned to show this Saturday's Strikeforce mixed martial arts show on a tape-delayed basis at 1:35 a.m. on Sunday morning. In the MMA show's place was going to be "Legend of the Seeker."

After voicing their displeasure, some UG readers received emails this morning, from the station's General Manager Skip Valet, again stating that the fight card could be seen on Sunday morning or live at CBS.com. Then mysteriously a switch was made:

Cagewriter spoke with Valet who said CBS made a late change in available programming and the station was unaware of the opportunity to show the fight card live.

Strikeforce Pool Sheet Download

2009-11-05T00:34:18Z

The pool sheet for this coming weekend's Strikeforce event is now online (hi-res download below). If you wish to see a slightly larger preview, just click the image on the right.

Since the past few sheets have been a bit 'grungy' in design, I wanted to clean it up a bit with this one. And having a white background does several cool things as well. First, it uses much less ink. There is no white ink, so whatever color the paper is, that's the sheet color. Personally, I like the way these printed on my white card stock. It looked real clean and sharp, a nice change. If you decide to print on colored card stock paper, I would highly suggest using lighter colors or maybe recycled textured paper. If you use darker colored paper, the print will not show up as well (and besides, it will be harder to see your marks). I did a few test prints on some light orange and blue card stock sheets, as well as some recycled textured sheets, and they still looked fantastic. Much better than I even anticipated.

The "note pad" area is a little smaller in height, but wider over all. Since it's really just for adding numbers, it shouldn't be a problem. It's only temporary for now and with only four guaranteed televised fights anyway, there is not a lot of math to be done. I also added a "total points" section for easy reading when determining a winner.

And please feel free to share this with your friends on other MMA forums and blogs. I know most fans watching this particular event are going to mainly be the hardcore, but the more you share, the more people may get into it and realize there is more than just the UFC.

Now, to answer some of your questions regarding the pool sheets.

Download the hi-res sheet: Just Click Here

1.) How does it work?

Simple. You just circle the fighter's name you think is going to win, then circle the round and method (or just mark on it some way, get creative). Don't forget to fill in your name at the top left. Then using scissors, cut on the dotted line and carry the tab with you to fill in the actual results as the fights happen. When it's done, take your tab back and compare it to your picks.

2.) What are the game rules? How do you score the card?

The rules and points are printed on each card.

3.) How do I print it? What are the best printer settings?

When I print them on my Epson, I set it for US Letter (No Borders). I also select "scale to media". The best paper to use is card stock, and they look really great when they're done.

Of course, you don't have to go through that. You can just send them to print and it should look great, even if you have borders. I just prefer no borders because it looks more professional.

You will notice it prints a little light. That's on purpose, for several reasons:

1.) It doesn't use as much ink, saving you money on cartridges.
2.) It prints quicker, so you're not waiting as long. Time is money.
3.) Most importantly, it allows you to see any selections made with a highlighter or circles made with a pencil or pen. Just makes it all around easier to see your picks.

And please, before printing out a bunch of these, check for typos. I'm not perfect and miss things all the time. So maybe print one, look it over, and continue with the rest if it all looks good. If you do find a typo, read #6 below on how to contact me (or just leave a message here on this post). I will work very fast to correct it.

4.) Are you going to make these for other events too besides just the UFC?

Sometimes, but it really just depends. The problem with many other promotions is they just can't seem to get their shit together. They either announce cards really late or the card is constantly changing. The UFC doesn't have these problems nearly as much so I don't have to do much editing when they do change. But if there is enough of a request, I will certainly do so.

5.) Do you design other stuff? How much do you charge?

I love designing promotional posters and fliers for all kinds of fight related events. I am currently working for the TV industry, but I would love to do some work for anyone that needs some design done for their promotion or event. Pricing is negotiable, just ask and we'll get something worked out.

6.) Feedback?

If you have any suggestions or notice anything like a typo or incorrect fighters record, please feel free to let me know. You can also just post a comment here if you don't want to email me directly. I will try to adapt these as time goes on to your requests and needs. Without any feedback, I wont know what to correct for you.

Fabricio Werdum ~ Honored To Be Part Of History

2009-11-04T21:20:18Z

Fabricio Werdum ~ Honored To Be Part Of History

Just days away from watching the world’s #1 ranked heavyweight (Fedor Emelianenko) take on one of the world’s most destructive up-and-coming heavyweights (Brett Rogers) on CBS, Strikeforce has another pivotal heavyweight bout on the same card. Although the bout between Antonio Silva and Fabricio Werdum may not be as lauded or talked about as the network's televised main event, but his fight has all the makings of the fight of the night.

Fabricio ‘Vai Cavalo’ Werdum’s journey to prime time television has not been smooth or without doubters. The 12-4-1 Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist says that he feels no added pressure appearing in front of millions of viewers, “I treat every fight as though it is the biggest fight of my career. Of course I want to impress the fans, Strikeforce, CBS, and M-1 Global. I have fought in many big shows before, both in the U.S. and in Japan. I am honored, however, that I have been given the opportunity to participate in this historic event for organizations with the prestige of Strikeforce and M-1 Global.”

“Training went great. I have been training virtually non-stop since my Strikeforce debut. Since after beating Mike Kyle, I went straight into training for Abu Dhabi,” said the winner of this years ADCC +99kg title, Werdum, about preparing for Antonio Silva (12-1). “Silva is no different than the others, other than the size of his head. I think it’s a great match up. My stand up is underrated and his is decent. But there shouldn’t be any question as to who is better on the ground. We are the same height [6’4”]. He weighs a little bit more than me. All that means is that he will fall harder.”

-----Also From the full article------

.....Even if he is awarded the next title shot, he has doubts that he will ever face the current champion, “I really don’t think Alistair will agree to fight me; unless it is in a jurisdiction that does not drug test.”

......This is not meant to disrespect them, and although they are excellent fighters, they are newcomers.” When asked to assess Brock Lesnar’s ability and rise to the top of the UFC ladder, Werdum simply stated, “Brock sells tickets.”

.......Although Werdum has just one fight remaining on his Strikeforce contract after Saturday night, he does not seem to be looking to his next contract as much as he is looking to accomplish his goals in the sport, “Promoters are in the business to make money, not hand it out. So a contract is a contract."

Full Article

How's Taste My Tweet Tweet? Mixed Martial Arts on Twitter for the 1st Week of November

2009-11-04T09:27:37Z

A few updates on what's been going on in the MMA Twittersphere.

Promoted from the FanPosts by Kid Nate.

WILL YOU GO TO PROM WITH ME ARIANNY?

"http://tinyurl.com/ydbmrfb see you at the prom Arianny" -Miguel Torres, Gives a kid a mullet to help him get a date with Arianny to the prom.

"http://tinyurl.com/ydbmrfb Prom.Still not sure, but he did get a mullet 4 me! @migueltorresmma ur crazy! Ur mullet does nothing 4 me ;) " -Arianny Celeste

"No excuses @ariannyceleste, @eckomma pays for your trip and expenses. The ball is in your court. Connor is ready for some Mexican food." -Miguel Torres

TWAINING

"Kru Mark, kru John, Marcus Davis, the whole Sityodtong team and the city of Boston, thank you so much again for a great camp. I'm leaving In the morning, once again, ready and absolutely confident on the outcome of my fight. Til next time, Boston! Obrigado!! JG." -Jorge Gurgel

"Brett Rogers says he weighs about 280-285 right now. Says he'll have no trouble getting down to 265 in eight days." -Michael David Smith

"spar with @jakeshieldsajj today wow he is a beast and so ready to win the title at 185 pound strikefoce, put you $ on this kid!!!" -Josh Koscheck

"Just left the fights good night meet wanderlay and hcg did pretty good 2 for 3 Lawson had fight of the night" -Brian Bowles

"http://twitpic.com/niuxu - queso" -Miguel Torres

"so tired !!! i ve just started boxing with Claudio Coelho !" -Kyra Gracie, Uh ohh.. watchout MMA...

"Just got done training with big Nog and his brother and junior dos antos, Dominick Cruz and Ben henderson. Great session I'm off to dinner" -Efrain Escudero

"Headed to wands silvas to train and spar!! Goin to be interesting with a hangover... Just spared with wanderlei! Felt good except for my vodka pouring out of my skin!!" -Seth Petruzelli

"I had a great time hanging out with Sugar Shane Mosely today." -Sam Hoger, sees your Miguel Cotto, and raises it with a Shane Mosley.

ZUFFA FIGHTER SUMMIT

"(Photo) @DanaWhiteUFC & @LorenzoFertitta talking to fighters at Summit. http://yfrog.com/0ibpyj" -UFC

"http://twitvid.com/97658 - At the fighter Summit in Vegas. 250 Fighters in one spot! Few of us just landed.... http://twitvid.com/F552F - Bright and early at the fighter Summit in LV. This place is crawling with fighters.... http://twitvid.com/FDB4D - At the fighter summit, checking out lunch! ...http://twitvid.com/4BC5D - Dinner with Dana, and some of the dudes." -Urijah Faber, doing a great job of documenting the Zuffa Fighter Summit.

"http://znl.me/RVE27 Just got back from abu dhabi. Now at the ufc fighter summit. Check out the boys from brazil!" -Lorenzo Fertitta

"http://znl.me/D0GY2 Mir looks bored!" -Lorenzo Fertitta, Joe Silva too.

" A quick Twitter plug for @WEConVersus fighter, @JamieVarner during the summit. http://bit.ly/10YbJy" -UFC

"Nice pic, with @jamievarner not sure how he did this, but I'm gonna find out. http://yfrog.com/j8989j" -Urijah Faber

"2 legends, ive bn a huge fan of ths guys since my early teens. Vitor & Mark still rockin in da cage! http://yfrog.com/71u4wj" -Urijah Faber

"Time to get fat. Lorenzo and Dana are hooking us up with a great dinner at T-Bones steak house. I think I am gonna get a salad." -Miguel Torres

"ufc summit. awesome. dont do drugs. pay your taxes. wake up early to be here... ufc lesson for the day dont hang out with wiseguys and loose women. but mostly wiseguys... UFC advice, "What should you do with your bonus money? Open a savings account." thank God i'm here... there's 50 states. ufc info of the day" -Nate Quarry, doesn't seem to be too thrilled about being in the Zuffa Summit.

"#ufcsummit back from lunch. Talking to us about gambling now... FightDentist.com doing guards for @tomlawlor4 and @FrankieEdgar at #ufcsummit I love my guards from them. http://twitpic.com/o5q9f ...#ufcsummit this guy has never used a steroid ever... http://twitpic.com/o5hp2 ... #ufcsummit DEA: "Drugs are bad... Mmmkay". Just showed a list of professional wrestlers... #ufcsummit they are talking about Steroids and just showed carrot top! Hahaha... #ufcsummit they are explaining about production, swing bouts, why not to thank sponsors, etc. It all makes a lot of sense... At the UFC Fighter Summit and they love Twitter!" -Joe Lauzon

"Twweeeeeeet, tweet. Im in las vegas! @joelauzon besides me, f that guy... I am soooooooooo tired from all these meetings, and I had to sit next to some computer nerd who wouldn't stop tweeting all morn" -Tom Lawlor, talking about being beside Joe Lauzon.

"Serra n Hazlett #UFCSummit" -Frankie Edgar

"Great dinner! Dana, Lorenzo, Shogun, Coleman, Faber, Hamil, Crunkilton, Mir, Aikiyama, Nog bro's, Varner,Rothwell, among others! Good times! ...http://twitpic.com/o3ujw - Fitch finally arrived! Straight to the cafe..." -Mike Swick

"Just finished up with the UFC fighter summit. Pretty long but informative." -Carlos Condit

"http://twitpic.com/o3ive Fighter seminar in vegas. Dinner tonight at t bones at red rock. If your in vegas get your ass over here!!! ...http://twitpic.com/o3ix3 ...http://twitpic.com/o3j4a Swick hasn't hurt himself yet!!! ...http://twitpic.com/o3j8g Shogun vs. Coleman 2... http://twitpic.com/o3ja9 ... http://twitpic.com/o3jbs Wec!!!!! ...http://twitpic.com/o3m5n We got big nog, lil nog, egg nog!!! ...http://twitpic.com/o3mad ...http://twitpic.com/o3mj6 ... http://twitpic.com/o6gww Lesnars new opponent! Serra will have to cut to 265 tho... http://twitpic.com/o6h3k Nate diaz at the fighter summit... http://twitpic.com/o6how Monsters!!!!!!!!! ...http://twitpic.com/o6iv5 Amir!!!!" -Dana White, that would be Shogun Coleman 3..

"http://twitpic.com/o84gf - Check out after hours at UFC summit with @silverbackseth, @tomlawlor4, @cbdollaway, @mstracylee " -Ryan Bader

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO WTF?

"Getting on plane for vegas in 1 hour!! Ill be out and about say hi if you see me! ...Ok note to everyone that travels...buddy passes SUCK! ...Ok my planes engine caught fire mid air, NEVER NEVER NEVER flying again" -Seth Petruzelli, almost died in a plane crash.

"Quite the treasure chest. RT @badbradIowa: @MMANation Check out Wes Sims' Ebay page. http://tinyurl.com/ylajwtk" -Luke Thomas

"Wow... Wes Sims stole one of Kimbo's du rags. Wow." -Chris Nelson

"Oscar the grouch is hilarious. Wouldn't we all be grouchy if we lived in a trash can?" -Jason High

" It's a chicken & egg thing. Was Oscar grouchy before he lived in the trash can? Maybe his wife left him and he became this way?" -Chris Nelson, wow guys, way to analyze Sesame Street.

"Just walked by a lady pushing a stroller with an old school 32" tv inside. Something not right about that." -Jake Shields

"I want everybody to know that I'd fight Bernard Hopkins for free. And I'd rub my nuts all over his face." -Jason High, wants to confirm Hopkins' view of MMA fighters

"Coaching the 5'3" and under B-ball team! Keeping it gangsta!" -Urijah Faber

"Me and Sylvester Stallone back in my EMTing days." -Jason High, had two jobs, both of which bring people in the Hospital.

"Gator learned a new trick.. Where he learned it i have no idea @gatorhotdogdog http://twitvid.com/587CB" -Mayhem Miller, made a twitter account for his dog.. he.. i mean it, tweets a lot also.

"Wtf... Boundries!!" -Gator Hotdog Dog (Mayhem's Dog), see, it replies.. WTF indeed.

HALLOWEEN

"I am so completely ready to take steroids." -Luke Thomas, wants to be uber-eem for Halloween.

"two kids are each eyeballs and they're carrying around a huge pair of glasses........ embarrassing. i thought a girl came as a pregnant teen then i realized she is just really fat...... girl dressed as a toilet. no. that is not right." -Nate Quarry

"is a PIRATE for Halloween!!! what's everyone else? I want to see some pictures ;) " -Gina Carano, No Gina, WE want to see some pictures.

"Strip of doom on a pumpkin! Firrrrre! RT @hans711 this is for you. http://twitpic.com/nmh9c" -Mayhem Miller

"Halloween is an excuse for girls to dress like hookers. Ha just kidding.. (kinda) ;) or it's just an excuse for me to eat candy all day" -Logan Stanton, rec'd!

"Happy halloween!!!: Come hang out with us at pure!! " -Brittney Palmer, WEC Ring Girl

"Costume #1..feel the wrath!! #fb http://pic.gd/cfc2af" -Arianny Celeste

"Street fighters for holloween, big. Will have whole crew up in a few min. Chris & I messing around. http://moby.to/tk9zlo... More to come :) http://moby.to/o7ry22... And more to come http://moby.to/04utyj... Some of the gang http://moby.to/7ao3mj" -Roger Huerta, why does a jabbawockee have wolverine's claw? :P (but seriously though, they came all out with this one, I'm impressed)

"@gatorhotdogdog just ran up to me with 5 bucks in his mouth. Now he's trying to hump me. I don't think he understands our deal." -Mayhem Miller

"Oh, I understand motherfucker! Happy Halloween loud! @mayhemmiller" -Gator Hotdog Dog (Mayhem's Dog)

"http://twitpic.com/ntw2h - On our way out in slo" -Chuck Liddell, has looked more buff since DWTS.. Also, that's WEC fighter, Antonio Banuelos as Robin.

"Costume #2 josie n the pusscats.I prefer being scary tho.I'm halloweened out..time for bed. Hope everyone had fun!#fb" -Arianny Celeste

"Video... Slutty Costumes for Halloween http://bit.ly/1K3YnV #fb" -Joe Lauzon

BULLY GOT BEATEN DOWN

"Hello everybody, I didn't have time to send any messeges for you during this time, but today I got a few minutes. I'd like to say that this fight was hard, Shogun is a tough guy. I know I won and I have no doubt. Whoever understands about fights knows it...from now on we are gg to prepare ourselves and study more to the revenge, so it will be no questions about it any more...thanks for the great support from the fans! ...This week I'll heading to Hawaii with my wife and son for some rest. I'll be back to Belém soon..Good bye guys!" -Lyoto Machida

"Hello my twitter buds..My spread in FIGHT! Magazine is out. Grab a copy n plz vote for me worldmmaawards.com! Xoxo" -Arianny Celeste, wants to win "Ring Girl of the Year".

"How bout them MMA Awards? Hmm what do you get for being ring girl of the year exactly? Ha I'm curious.. Out n about running errands :) " -Logan Stanton, doesn't know what it's for.

"Just cause your at the top of the pecking order doesn't mean you have to act like a pecker." -Miguel Torres

"Paul Kelly just told us he wants to be the "lightweight Wanderlei"" -Fighters Only, Again, Really?

"Apparently MTV pulled the plug on Bully Beatdown tonight- I just found out too. Complain to MTV.com" -Mayhem Miller

"Met with some MTV guys today. Might be taking over someones show..." -Jake Shields, what's this? Did MTV add a clause that if you beat him you also get his show?

"Sheilds is taking over Fantasy Factory- his is a bedroom he lays in fantazing he can beat me." -Mayhem Miller, Not a good comeback at all.. I expected better from you!

"This belt looks kinda old and dusty. Looking forward to my shiny new one... http://twitpic.com/nrfo9" -Jake Shields

"I'm in Chicago. I smell blood, like a crazed warlord... Chicago Update: It's cold as fuck to me here, but Fedor is walking around like it's 4th of July." -Mayhem Miller

"Saw miller today. He looks bigger on tv lol" -Jake Shields

BRO

"http://twitpic.com/ngv1s - In Fresno having dinner Sorry Kos u r not here hahaha" -Chuck Liddell

"@ChuckLiddell haha get your hands off my girls!!!" -Josh Koscheck

"My God! Get a room you two! ;) @JoshKoscheck & @ChuckLiddell" -Mike Swick, is jealous.

"@officialswick we had a room sat night after UFC104. You missed a good cute time,don't hate! Ha next time we will invite u. Xoxo" -Josh Koscheck, gave Swick hugs and kisses to make him feel better.

"@officialswick why u need something bro" -Chuck Liddell

"My review of Boondock 2.. fckn awesome" -Marcus Davis

"Best movie I've have seen in a long log time! Watched it with an Irish dude and in Boston just to top it off! The theater was packed and it Was a midnight showing! Definitely recommend it. Will see it again for sure. Yes, I am THAT type of guy that sees the same movie over and Over..." -Jorge Gurgel

MILEY CYRUS??

"Not saying 2 be cute: Is it weird that I can't stop listening 2 Miley C's Party in the USA? Even as a Canuck I just can't get enuf. 'Tis all" -Ariel Helwani, uh ohhh.

"Ur not a man" -Luke Thomas

"Sheesh. Just giving props. It's a catchy tune, what can I say? ....Well said @JasonArmistead Its because it tells your life story in the song right? Well except for the girls and whole Nashville party thing." -Ariel Helwani, and JasonArmistead has some really interesting choice in music. and that's putting it nicely. :)

"Miley Cyrus is a horrible damn singer. And she's not cute, pretty, or remotely attractive IMO. I don't get all the hype." -Leland Roling

"@lelandroling I don't know why his brother has a completely different look, taste in music, and accent. It's like they're not even related." -Anton Tabuena, rambles on with unrelated stuff.

"@lelandroling Don't know about all that other stuff. Just said I like the song. 1st time hearing. Who knew this was such a sensitive subject" -Ariel Helwani

"@antontabuena She is terrible. Her voice is straight bad. I don't get it. Why are people mesmerized by her bad music and bad acting?" -Leland Roling

"@lelandroling I don't know man.. ask @arielhelwani.. haha :P" -Anton Tabuena

"@antontabuena Dude, he is not a man. I know a lot of girls who can't stand that song, but can stand La Bouche. That's how bad it is." -Leland Roling, what's La Bouche?

"@antontabuena man, one tweet causes a Miley Cyrus war. Yikes." -Ariel Helwani

"@arielhelwani You can say this: "Real men don't listen to Miley Cyrus. Ever. Under any circumstance. Did I mention EVER?" ;)" -Luke Thomas

"@MMANation Maybe next week. For now, I'm digging it. "And the Jay-z song was on. And the Jay-Z song was ooon."" -Ariel Helwani

"@arielhelwani To each his own, really. For me, if the chick is going to have zero musical talent then she has to be hot and of age. She's 7... For me if the music is going to be studio garbage at least let me ogle the singer like a creep: http://bit.ly/dCLVz" -Luke Thomas

"Now I have Taylor Swift fans following me, so I'll do my part. Taylor Swift is way better than Miley Cirus. Big Bird is better than Miley." -Leland Roling

"Correct. You are a girl. RT @djeffreys: @MMANation are dad's whose kids listen to it therefore they are required to also not "real men?"" -Luke Thomas

"The pop-music-by-teenaged-girls discussion among MMA bloggers is cracking me up. Thoughts on Carrie Underwood, boys?" -Maggie Hendricks

"@maggiehendricks She's hot and she can actually sing. I'd rather have that than "trying to be hot jailbait but failing" Miley Cirus on TV." -Leland Roling, If this was DivaElbow.com Leland would be banned for popstar bashing

"/unfollows anyone who mentioned Miley Cyrus today" -Chris Nelson

TWITPICS & RANDOM TWEETS

"Just got a letter informing me that I have been selected for induction into the CA Wrestling Hall of Fame! I feel blessed and honored!" -Mark Munoz

"I found a new video app. #ufcsummit http://tweetreel.com/?rz14x" -Frank Trigg, uh ohhh..

"Pulled up to the gym and I see the NYBA rolling hard!!! http://yfrog.us/j4f3uz" -Josh Koscheck, click the video... pretty soon i'll have to add TWITVIDS to the title of this section.

"Sitting in my massage chair :) Day of of rest is the best thing!!! sparring tomorrow can't wait to put countless weeks of training with TonyP. And my brand new Casanova Mexican gloves....Yes!!!!" -Diego Sanchez

"http://twitpic.com/nn9y2 At the f1 in abu dhabi! Pretty fuckin cool... http://twitpic.com/nukty F1 again today!!!! ...http://twitpic.com/nukxp How cool is this!? ...http://twitpic.com/nul3f Abu dhabi is amazing. Save your money to come when we do a fight here. U have to c this place b4 u die!!!" -Dana White, (insert obligatory why Dubai and not the Philippines rant)

"http://twitpic.com/nv6pp Look who's at the f1 with me" -Dana White, fueling the rumors of a Renzo return?

"Here in abu dhabi with renzo gracie. Do you want him to fight in the ufc?" -Lorenzo Fertitta

"Ha ha ha look at the newbie Chad mendez he is new to Wec 145lb division. http://twitpic.com/o12qy" -Jamie Varner

"http://twitpic.com/o66dq the work continue" -Gabriel Gonzaga, training for Dos Santos

"In Vegas to meet with the boss & to do some media stuff. Did some crazy photo & video shoots in a futuristic octagon. Was like The Matrix." -Mike Swick

"3D There is about 90 cameras taking action shots. This is awesome!" -Joe Stevenson, has a picture of what swick was talking about. It's nice to see that they're doing something new this time.

"wec.tv pics" -Brittany Murphy, Cerrone is a lucky man.

"http://tinyurl.com/yfqpkys New Gallery pics of me in UFC gear. xo Hollllaaaaa!!" -Arianny Celeste

Also, If you have a twitter account, don't forget to follow:

The Official BloodyElbow Twitter Account, Luke Thomas, Kid Nate, Brent Brookhouse, Mike Fagan, Chris Nelson, Leland Roling, and some guy named Anton Tabuena

Marcus Davis Interview: Search for Consistency

2009-11-04T16:35:53Z

I recently had the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with UFC welterweight Marcus Davis for Tapology. Among other topics, Davis discussed his training heading into his next fight--against Ben Saunders at UFC 106--the controversial decision loss to Dan Hardy last June and what he could have done differently in that fight, and some of the welterweight contenders he would like to fight in the future.

On training for Saunders:

Tapology: Let’s talk about your training in Boston. How is that going?

Davis: Training has been going great. It just so happens that my good friend Jorge Gurgel is in a training camp there too, so I have been getting a lot of time on the mat with him. The whole crew with Mark Delagrotte there

giving me the plan for Ben Saunders and Kevin Kearns doing my conditioning has been great. Back home at Team Irish in Maine, I have been working on developing more speed and more explosive power.
Tapology: Do you think the main problems Saunders will pose for you will be the height and reach advantage?

Davis: I think the height and reach will be a huge advantage for him, so I’ve got to take that away. It’s no mystery that anytime I get in there to bang him up he’s going to grab my head and try to bang me up in the clinch, and he’s got great kicks. He is also fairly awkward, so it’s hard to get sparring partners to mimic a guy like Ben Saunders.

On Dan Hardy:

Tapology: What do you think you learned from the Dan Hardy fight, and how has it helped you to improve?

Davis: I would fight the fight completely different now. I was able to control the top game at the beginning of the fight, but I wouldn’t even do that the second time, I would just bite down on my mouthpiece and go into that fight more like a Chris Lytle does and look to take him out on the feet. We’ll see what happens with him and Swick, but in an ideal situation Swick beats him and sends him back my way so I can get that rematch. That’s what I would like to see happen.

On future opponents:

Davis: I have actually heard from pretty reputable people that if I win my next fight and Phil Baroni beats Amir Sadollah then that would be a fight the UFC would be interested in putting together. Obviously, if I had my choice and could pick anybody it would be Dan Hardy.

Tapology: Everyone talks about how dominant Georges St. Pierre has been in the welterweight division, but in order to get to the title you’re going to have to go through a lot of really tough guys, such as Koscheck, Alves, Fitch, and so on. Are there any guys in this division that you want to fight more than others?

Davis: All of those guys. I don’t think you really have a choice. All of those guys from AKA [American Kickboxing Academy] are all dangerous dudes—Fitch, Swick, Koscheck—and then Thiago Alves is a scary monster—he looks like he was created in a laboratory.

Be sure to read the full interview to get the full scoop on Davis's 2003 stand-up war with Thiago Alves, his thoughts on getting into the top five of the welterweight division, and more.

Tito Ortiz Wants a Third Fight Against Chuck Liddell

2009-11-04T02:15:26Z

Promoted from the Fan Posts by Kid Nate.

"I know I’ve lost two matches. I still think I can beat him, and I still think that’s a big fight. I still want that fight. That would be awesome.

I think if I call him out enough times I think he’ll be a man and step up. Why wouldn’t he? That’s a huge fight and a big payday for him. It will be good.

I think we can see one more. Why not? I’m down. I’m always game. You know me, I’m not afraid to fight anyone, even though there was a picture that was painted a long time ago that wasn’t true. I’ve fought him twice already. I’m not afraid.

He already proved he’s not my friend, so the hell with it. I’ve got nothing to lose. Lets make some money, and this time I’m going to kick his ass."

--"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz, who will be making a return to the Octagon against Forrest Griffin, talks to MMAWeekly about having his eyes set on yet another rematch, a third shot at Chuck Liddell.

Jim Wallhead Wins At "Knuckle Up At The Manor"

2009-11-04T12:15:51Z

Jim Wallhead Wins At "Knuckle Up At The Manor" Che Mills and Jim Wallhead battled it out in the main event at "Knuckle Up At The Manor" over the weekend. With all of the pressure and rumors circling around two of the best unsigned fighters in the business, Wallhead managed to win a very scrappy technical battle. Rumors circulated for weeks that Zuffa or another major U.S. organization has had their eye on both fighters and opened preliminary discussions with one of them.

One rumor hanging over the bout was that Wallhead, a natural welterweight fighter, may be offered a spot in the WEC's lightweight division if he is willing to drop down in weight. For Wallhead, the decision victory at "Knuckle Up" was a big weight off his shoulders. Knowing that, win or lose, he had likely outgrown the local U.K. MMA scene. A win would likely bring offers from the major organizations, while a loss could send him searching far and wide for suitable opponents on upstart shows, a situation not too dissimilar to the career paths of high-end free agents like Jeff Monson.

Full article........

Meet Brett Rogers, the man who is fighting Fedor

2009-11-04T01:30:35Z

Brett Rogers has very much been in Fedor's shadow during the promotion of Saturday's event. That's to be expected--Fedor is much more of a known commodity, and he is the oddsmaker's favorite to win the fight, which could be a star-making coming out party for the Russian.

But Rogers has a pretty interesting story himself. He lives and trains in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the City Pages just published a lengthy profile that serves as a good get-to-know-you brief on the other guy in the fight. Excerpts:

"The storyline looks like Ivan Drago versus Rocky," says Mike Afromowitz, a spokesman for Strikeforce, co-promoter of the bout. "But it's more than that. It's two guys who walked two different paths. Now, they are going to meet in what I think will be one barnburner of a fight."

Rogers on Fedor:

"Ain't nothing but another man," Rogers says aloud. "Just another man. That's all he is to me."

On moving to St. Paul from the notorious Cabrini Green housing projects in Chicago:

Rogers grew up in the Cabrini-Green housing projects in Chicago, possibly the toughest 12 blocks in America. Now razed, the failed urban experiment became synonymous with violence— a cluster of low-income apartments where snipers fired at cops, teens slept in bathtubs, and thugs raped and poisoned a nine-year-old girl, leaving her in a stairwell.

If not for his grandmother, Rogers might be dead. She moved him to St. Paul when he was in fourth grade.

"My grandmother...she's everything, man. I mean, everything," says Rogers. "And, you know, she was hesitant about me doing this. As that's what she took me up here to avoid. But she's coming around. I just had to tell her I could be professional with this."

There is also a slideshow of pictures of "The Grim" training.