Chuck Liddell Thinks Jake Shields Will Upset Georges St. Pierre

Chuck Liddell Thinks Jake Shields Will Upset Georges St. Pierre

Chuck Liddell knows a thing or two about defending a championship. The "Iceman" captured the UFC light-heavyweight title and held it for two years before relinquishing the crown. Georges St. Pierre has held a UFC belt even longer. He won the undisputed welterweight title in April 2008, so a successful title defense over Jake Shields at this weekend's UFC 129 will make it three years and counting at the top.

Liddell, though, has his doubts about St. Pierre getting there. In a Monday interview on The MMA Hour, Liddell said he thinks the challenger is likely to walk away with the belt.

"I'm siding with Jake," Liddell said. "Jake's going to have to take him down. I'm expecting him to be in great shape for the fight. He'll be in great shape for GSP. But yeah, I expect him to take him down and finish him."

Part of Liddell's opinion admittedly stems from his long history with Shields, who got his start in the sport by training with Liddell in San Luis Obispo, California.

The 32-year-old Shields has been one of the top multi-division fighters in the world for several years, but Liddell knew him from his early days, when Shields (26-4-1) was known for his hardcore work ethic. Liddell says he couldn't predict Shields' future excellence, but it was clear from his drive that he was determined to make an impact in the sport.

"He had athletic ability, I knew he was very tough and he always wanted to work," Liddell said. "He was always in the gym working on new things, working with people. We'd always say, 'Relax, you have a fight in a couple days. Just relax.'"

Liddell, who is retired as a fighter and currently serves as the vice president of business development for the UFC, said he's at peace with his recent decision to call it quits inside the cage as he works on projects to promote the sport and his company.

"It's one of those things, I'm never gonna get over not fighting, I don't think, but i'm content with my decision to retire," he said.

Next up on Liddell's personal agenda is getting married. He'll tie the knot with his longtime girlfriend Heidi Northcott this summer. And while he still works out, he doesn't incorporate MMA training into his routine as often as he'd like. But he still makes time to watch fights as a fan.

When asked how he thought a prime Iceman would fare against current light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones, Liddell laughed at the hypothetical.

"I don't like to answer questions like that because I'm not going to fight him," he said. "I'm retired, it's not going to happen. But you know what? If you asked me when I was fighting in my prime, I would have said I'd win. That's just the way I was. I thought i could beat anyone in the world."

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UFC President Dana White To Speak to Nick Diaz About Boxing Future Following UFC 129

UFC President Dana White To Speak to Nick Diaz About Boxing Future Following UFC 129

Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz

If Nick Diaz really wants to pursue a secondary career in boxing, UFC president Dana White will get involved in the negotiation process.

Since his win over Paul Daley a few weeks ago in Strikeforce, Diaz has said emphatically time and time again that he wants to box later this year before taking another fight in MMA.

His manager and trainer Cesar Gracie even commented that they had looked into signing a fight with either former boxing world champion Fernando Vargas or Jeff Lacy. Right now, no ink is dry on a contract, but White plans on speaking to Diaz following UFC 129 to figure out what they can do.

“What I’m going to do is I’m going to sit down Nick. I like the Diaz brothers. I’m going to sit down with him and figure out what he wants to do,” White said on Wednesday.

“I’m going to sit down with Nick Diaz, literally, after this fight and try to figure out what’s next for him.”

There had been some confusion recently about the language in Diaz’s current deal with Strikeforce that would allow him to strap on the gloves and try his hand at boxing, but White says he absolutely has that clause in his contract.
Now, it’s a matter of figuring out the how, when, and where of the situation.
“It’s in his deal that he can do it, absolutely,” White confirmed about Diaz being able to box while under contract to Strikeforce.

Ultimately, White wants to do his best to make Diaz happy, Strikeforce happy, and of course keep the fans happy. Sometimes it’s not easy, but he plans to try really hard to get this situation under control.

“For the last 10 years, I’ve dealt with the craziest, the cruelest, the baddest, the this, the that, and I’ve always tried to make everybody happy,” said White. “You can’t make them all happy, but you can try.”

Nick Diaz will be in Canada this week with teammates Jake Shields, Daniel Roberts, and his brother, Nate Diaz, as they all have fights on the UFC 129 show. White plans to meet with him soon thereafter to hammer out some details, and then the world will know for sure if Diaz is headed to the boxing ring or back to the cage.

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UFC 129 Countdown Week: Will Ribeiro Cranioplasty Surgery Successful

UFC 129 Countdown Week: Will Ribeiro Cranioplasty Surgery Successful

“Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.”—Tom Krause

For many people around the world (depending on your specific religious beliefs, I suppose), Monday April 25th was a day of Easter celebration—a chance to spend some “quality time” with the crazier members of your families, and to maybe even enjoy a carb-heavy meal or two along the way.

For Will Ribeiro however, this was also a day that he had been looking forward to for a very, very long time. It was a day that was as much feared, as it was welcomed.

As many of you may already know, Will Ribeiro suffered a terrible head trauma a little over two years ago in his home country of Brazil when he was injured on his motorcycle, which ultimately ruined this young athlete’s very promising fighting career. With over 30 percent of his skull removed due to the seriousness of his injuries, a major indent was formed on the right side of Will’s head, making it extremely difficult for him to go out into public without having to worry about people staring or laughing as he went by.

A head injury such as the one that Will suffered has a tremendous psychological effect on a person, as well as physical, but luckily, there is a surgical procedure known as “Cranioplasty” that specifically helps with the repair of any defect or deformity of the skull.

This procedure is usually very expensive, but it isn’t exactly a routine root canal either. In fact, this is a very complicated and serious operation that far from guarantees that the patient will ever wake up.

For Will, yesterday was the big day of his surgery, and I have to tell you, that as strong and courageous as Will normally is, I know that he was absolutely “terrified” by the real possibility that he may never wake up. Despite that however, Will remained positive and optimistic, as he placed his life into the hands of the doctors.

Well, I have good news. The surgery was apparently a huge success and Will is recovering just fine.

Below is a message that he posted on his Facebook page:

Documentary Material for the Rehabilitation of the Athlete International MMA Will Ribeiro
Hospital Santa Teresa - Petrópolis
Doctors in charge: Dr. Edelton, Marcos, Marcelo and Bruno

“This plastic surgery cranioplasty in any private hospital here in Brazil, would not leave for less than 120,000 reias [Equal to $76,677.00 USD], now thanks to Doctor Program Edelton Ali, his research and made more than 12 years in Sao Paulo, simple people like me who cannot afford 120,000 reias can enter this design, material and national custom in Brazil-Campinas, fits perfectly in the local deformed, and the surgery performed in a hospital in the first Petrópolis if risk contamination. Thank God there are still good people here in Brazil that cares about others.

“Petrópolis is to be congratulated, public health here and first, the health of the River could look up at the Hospital Santa Teresa, here they are a partner in the private hospital with the SUS, is AWESOME, and particularly the Hospital and at the same time, public.”

Please add Will as a friend on Facebook to view a video of his procedure, and to congratulate him on a successful surgery. I know it would mean a lot to him. He loves his family, friends and fans.

Thank you.

These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Desolate Warrior is my new self-published book, which is set to be released at Midnight on April 30, 2011 via the Internet (Lulu.com), immediately following the UFC 129 event.

For more information on the life and struggles of former Brazilian Olympic boxer and professional MMA fighter, Will Ribeiro, please visit www.desolatewarrior.com

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Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva's dominance and the ruining of two weight class

Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva's dominance and the ruining of two weight class

Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva's dominance and the ruining of two weight classes

by Geno Mrosko on Apr 24, 2011

Saturday Night's Mania Event (SNME) is back again, as it will be every Saturday without a major mixed martial arts event (sorry Bellator).
Instead of recapping last week's piece, I'll simply pass along the news that SNME now has its very own section on the upper left hand side of the front page. So whenever you want to find any of these features, that's where you need to go.
I decided this week I would focus on an issue that's been bothering me for some time. The timing is right to harp on it a bit, what with UFC 129: "St. Pierre vs. Shields" just around the corner and all, so I'm going to take advantage.
I've got a bone to pick with Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva.
It's nothing against them personally, as they both seem like stand-up gentlemen. I'm sure they would provide plenty of entertainment if I were to ever get the chance to bless them with my company.
No, my issue is with how utterly and completely dominant they are every time they walk out to the Octagon.
They've single-handedly buried two divisions and left them without an interesting title picture, which is what sells in this business. It's why folks buy pay-per-views (PPV).
It's gotten so bad, and they've cleaned out their divisions so thoroughly, that fans everywhere are yearning for the two to simply forgo these useless propped up challengers in favor of just fighting each other.
What a crock.

Georges St. Pierre has run through every man he's ever faced. Sure, he's lost twice, but he avenged both those losses as emphatically as they were given to him.
He's been so dominant, that fans have taken to complaining about subsets of his skill-set .. like his lack of finishing ability as of late. Whether that's true or not, or a legitimate gripe or not, that's what happens when you set the bar so high by crushing every man in front of you. You better come back and crush the next guy even harder.
The same applies for Anderson Silva. Knockout after devastating knockout, dancing around the Octagon because he's not getting adequately challenged and a record streak that might not ever be reached ... except maybe by St. Pierre.
While all that's well and good, it has major drawbacks. Sustained success like that puts them on a pedestal they, quite frankly, don't deserve. Both of them understand this.
It's why you see them constantly downplaying their own worth whenever some mark interviewer is gushing all over them and calling them the greatest ever. They understand the dangers in buying into their own hype.
The problem is, the larger audience doesn't believe them and two weight classes -- and a whole lot of extremely talented fighters -- are suffering because of it.
Look at Jake Shields. Sports an impressive 26-4-1 record (damn near the same as Silva's 28-4 career mark), won the SHOOTO middleweight championship, the EliteXC welterweight championship and the Strikeforce middleweight title, has beaten some of the best fighters in the world today (including the number one contender to the UFC 185-pound strap) and is anyone giving him much of a shot against GSP?
Nope.
Why is that? It's not because Jake isn't good. On the contrary, dude is a boss. His jiu-jitsu is disgustingly special and he has this uncanny ability of taking the fight wherever he wants to take it. Kind of like St. Pierre.
But because of how flawless "Rush" has looked, over such a long period of time, it's hard to imagine Shields poses any sort of threat to his throne. As far as credible challengers go, you won't find a guy with better credentials than Jake.
Which means the entire welterweight division, many of which GSP has already had his way with, is chopped liver. There is no longer any reason to care about a title fight involving a 170-pound fighter.
It's sad.
Same goes for Anderson Silva and the way he's systematically dismantled anyone dumb enough to agree to fight him. He even moved up and bitch-slapped a couple of light heavyweights. At this point, no one cares to see him fight a middleweight; none of them stack up.
Yushin Okami, the last man to hold a win over "The Spider" (controversial as it may be), is the current 185-pound challenger getting overlooked by the media and fans.
He's built like an ox, with a relatively well-rounded game and the necessary tools to bring an end to Silva's reign of terror. However, because of the nature of Anderson's run through the UFC, outside of a few rebels who like to go against the machine, no one wants to believe in "Thunder."
I can't blame anyone for overlooking Shields and Okami. As good as they are, they haven't accomplished what St. Pierre and Silva have.
And therein lies the rub. They've created an atmosphere in which I don't care about seeing them fight anymore. When I hear of a pending fight, I assume their victory before the battle is even waged.
I used to love watching Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour because I always felt like excellence should be appreciated. But the fact of the matter is, eventually, I was tired of seeing him lap the field. He got too good for his own good. He only became interesting again when he started running through women like he was running through drivers.
It's to the point where the only fights involving GSP and Silva that are worth the time are pipe dreams that have about as much of a chance of happening as me hitting the lottery.
While we sit here and clamor for the superfight of the century, stellar fighters like Jake Shields and Yushin Okami are getting treated like they aren't worth the time the press is forced to devote to them. Like they don't belong at the top of the heap despite their unwavering work ethic and outstanding accomplishments in the sport.
I like to think we make our own luck and my heart isn't exactly bleeding for these two but they're only part of a larger issue at play here. When they lose, which they both likely will, two new challengers will have to take their place.
Will they be worthy? Probably not. Know why?
Because they'll be fighting Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva. The two men who have single-handedly ruined the welterweight and middleweight divisions.
Thanks, fellas.

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UFC 133. . Jones out. . Phil Davis in. . .

UFC 133. . Jones out. . Phil Davis in. . .

With UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) injured, UFC officials have now booked a bout between the champ's original opponent, Rashad Evans (15-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC), and replacement Phil Davis (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC).

Sources today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the new matchup, which takes place at UFC 133. The Canadian Press' Neil Davidson first reported the opponent switch, which was later officially announced by the UFC.

A source told MMAjunkie.com that Jones is facing a lengthy recovery from a torn right-hand ligament suffered in his title win. A timetable for his return wasn't immediately available.

Although not officially announced, UFC 133 is expected to take place Aug. 6 in Philadelphia. The main card is expected to air on pay-per-view.

The change of plans means another speed bump in Evans' request to reclaim the UFC's light-heavyweight title.

Evans had been in line to fight then-champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 128 before a knee injury forced Evans off the card. As Rua healed from his own knee injury, Evans sat out nearly a year waiting for the title shot rather than taking a non-championship bout and risking his shot at the belt. But when he lost the slot due to injury, UFC officials gave it to Jones following his early-February victory over fellow top prospect Ryan Bader at UFC 126.

Jones won the title from Rua in dominant fashion at UFC 128, which set up a meeting with Evans, a former training partner with whom he's now had a very public fallout.

But rather than Jones, Evans next will fight Davis, a former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion. Davis is 9-0 in his pro career, and the past five fights have come in the UFC. With victories over Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson, Rodney Wallace and Tim Boetsch, he began drawing comparisons to Jones. In this past month's UFC Fight Night 24 headliner, Davis scored one of his biggest wins yet: a hard-fought unanimous-decision victory over notable Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

For the latest on UFC 133, stay to tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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We Thought M-1 Global Couldn’t Get Any Greedier, Along Comes Fedor iPhone App.

We Thought M-1 Global Couldn’t Get Any Greedier, Along Comes Fedor iPhone App.

Just When We Thought M-1 Global Couldn’t Get Any Greedier, Along Comes The Official Fedor iPhone App to Prove Us Wrong

(If you ever wondered exactly how far you are from Fedor, this app has your answer.)
I don’t know how we missed out on this announcement last week, but apparently a company has just released a new Fedor Emelianenko iPhone application to allow fans to keep up with what the Russian heavyweight is up to, you know, just in case you haven’t quite figured out how to use Google.
Here’s some info from the press release that was issued on April 12:

“The official app give fans around the world a look into the public life of an international sports icon. Users of the app have access to Fedor’s Twitter feed and the latest news from M-1 Global.
Want to know what’s next for Fedor? App users also have the opportunity to “Ask Fedor” questions through a special “app only” email account. The Fedor app also has a special media section with images, e-cards, entrance themes, videos, and a GPS feature.
“We are pleased to work with Fedor and M-1 Global on this incredible app. Fedor’s career is in its most interesting stage and what better place for fans to follow it than on their iPhone,” said Peter Klamka, President of Cephas Holding Corp which developed and markets the app.”

Some how I doubt that Fedor has access to that “exclusive” email account in Stary Oskol and I’d be surprised if he even knows what the hell an iPhone is or what an app does. The replies to fan questions will probably sound a lot more hipster and a lot less Russian philosopher than usual.
According to the company that developed the program, they are also in the process of making a Wanderlei Silva app as well as a social networking app for MMA fans called MMA Underboss. Let’s hope they’re better than their flagship Iron Shiek soundboard

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Spider fighter: Jon Jones thinks he has the capabilities to beat Anderson Silva

Spider fighter: Jon Jones thinks he has the capabilities to beat Anderson Silva

Spider fighter: Jon Jones thinks he has the capabilities to beat Anderson Silva

by Jesse Holland on Apr 19, 2011

Anderson Silva said he would "never" fight Jon Jones.
That's because the reigning UFC middleweight champion is now buddy-buddy with the newly crowned 205-pound champion. In fact, they're even going on a movie date this week in Tribeca.
Besides, they fight in two completely different weight classes. "The Spider" is comfortable in his role as 185-pound deity while "Bones" is sawing his way through the light heavyweight ranks. There just isn't a scenario where these two gladiators would ever meet inside the Octagon.
Of course, that's probably what Rashad Evans thought back when he and Jones were chummy in Albuquerque.
Jones "doesn't see himself as the guy to fight Anderson right now" because he's too busy trying to be like him. And as he tells ESPN.com, he's still trying to reach Silva's epic epicness inside the cage:

"Because I look up to Anderson so much, I don’t look at myself as the guy to fight him right now. Anderson’s one of the guys right now I look at his way of being to like Bruce Lee. I would need to do some serious soul-searching to know that I’d beat Anderson Silva’s [butt]. I think I have the capabilities of doing it. But I truly admire Anderson Silva. My goal is to reach a level of comfort in the Octagon where you don’t even process your thoughts. You just move as your body thinks it. That’s what I’m looking for is that level of comfort, that level of cool. That’s what I’m trying to get. I think Anderson’s close to that. That’s what I want."

Silva is currently booked to fight Yushin Okami at UFC "Rio" this August. If he manages to silence "Thunder" in front of a hometown crowd, there won't be too many options left for him in his current weight class, which means fans will likely start calling for a divisional "super fight" against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.
Or perhaps even Jon Jones.
"Bones" is also booked to throw leather later this year when he defends his newly-won strap against Evans, his former training partner under Greg Jackson.
And then? Only time will tell.
But should Silva watch his back?

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Who is the worst Judge in MMA?

Who is the worst Judge in MMA?

Well with all the judging controversy rearing it's ugly head again, let's take a poll to see who we award the first annual MMACRYPT worst judge award too......

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Is this really Okami's 13th UFC fight, he has to be the most quiet UFC fighter ever.

Is this really Okami's 13th UFC fight, he has to be the most quiet UFC fighter ever.

I was reading in another thread that Okami has won 10 of his last 12 UFC fights making this fight with Silva his 13th in the UFC.

Are you kidding me??? 12 fights already??? Has there ever been a UFC fighter so far under the radar than Yushin Okami. I always thought he was a very good fighter, just couldn't stay healthy long enough to earn the title shot. But damn, I would have never thought 12 fights so far. If somebody asked me yesterday how many UFC fights he had, I would have said 8 or 9 tops. Meaning I'm spacing a third of his UFC fight. As I get older, I am starting to forget more and more shit but damn, only thinking 8 or 9 fights tops??? And if somebody told me only 7 instead, I think I could have bought it. I know he's not the most exciting fighter but either is Jon Fitch and I could come within a fight or 2 guessing his total in the UFC

Just blown away by this but I'm curious to see if others view him the same way. Be honest.

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Michael Bisping responds to Alan Belcher calling him out, and does a good job at it.

Michael Bisping responds to Alan Belcher calling him out, and does a good job at it.

UFC middleweight bad-boy, Michael Bisping has tonight hit back at the recent comments made by Alan Belcher which saw the American label him an “ass hole”, saying he’s got a lot of nerve calling him that when he walks around with a rather flamboyant tattoo on his arm.

Speaking via Fighters Only Magazine, Bisping said:

“Yeah really original. I suppose he thinks he can get back in the mix by calling me out. But if he wants an easy fight he should sue his tattooist for that abomination on his arm. I know Belcher has vision problems right now but we still have to look at that mess.”

“He’s got a lot of nerve calling me an a–hole when he walks round with that on him. Although lets be fair, the real a–hole is the tattooist who drew that.”

Bisping is currently looking for an opponent for his next fight inside the octagon, with rumours swirling that it could be the biggest trash-talker on the roster, Chael Sonnen especially if he can sort out his differences with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Stay tuned to MMAbay for more on this as we get it.

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Tito Ortiz Feels He Matches up Well With Ryan Bader

Tito Ortiz Feels He Matches up Well With Ryan Bader

Former UFC light heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz will face up and comer Ryan Bader at UFC 132 in July. Ortiz has been hampered in recent years by a long string of back injuries. He gives his thoughts on the fight and has some advice for fighters who want to avoid ending up like UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes:

"I think (Ryan Bader and I) match up really really well. He only has one loss on his record. He's a tough kid, really great wrestler; his stand up skills are fairly decent. His ground game is ok. I think I have my (work) cut out for me. I have to be in great shape and I have to press the pace."

"I haven't had a win since 2006. But people have to understand, watch all the fights I have lost. I lost them by a little bit. I fought Forrest Griffin the second time, I thought I beat him two rounds to one. When I fought Rashad (Evans), I thought I beat him, but they took a point away, made it a draw, I didn't think I grabbed the fence. I’m competing against the top guys of the world, each and every time. There's never no gimmies and I want to thank Dana and Joe Silva who give me these matches to show I'm still competing against the top guys in the world."

(About his past contract disputes) "People have to understand, I have to take care of my family. I make the difference that other fighters are afraid to do. (MMA) is a business. If you think of it as just fighting, you're going to be lost and forgotten about like a Matt Hughes. You have to become a role model and an inspiration to a lot of these fighters, knowing what to do, as a business man."

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Be a man Bones: Jon Jones pulled a snake move and Rashad Evans doesn't like snakes

Be a man Bones: Jon Jones pulled a snake move and Rashad Evans doesn't like snakes

Poor Rashad Evans.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion took a lot of heat for sitting on the sidelines and waiting for "Shogun" Rua's knee to heal up after earning a title shot at UFC 114. His much-criticized plan ironically backfired when he suffered knee injury of his own in training which forced him out of his title fight.
In stepped teammate Jon Jones and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now Evans is on the outs with his former training camp, Jackson's Submission Fighting, and he's scheduled to face his former training partner, Jones, sometime in September or October. It's something "Bones" swore in previous interviews that he'd never do.

"Suga" discussed his current predicament with Pro MMA Radio, making sure the MMA world knows his side of the story.

The sidelined former champ got things started by updating the status of his injured knee.

"The knee's doing good. It's about 80-percent right now, just trying to do a little bit of training. Just trying to work and get my movement good. I don't want to go too hard and too fast. Don't want to injure myself further."
After leaving Greg Jackson's camp, Rashad moved from Albuquerque to Florida and began training at newly christened Imperial Athletics with American Top Team castaways Jorge Santiago, the Villefort brothers and JZ Cavalcante, as well as Antonio Silva. Evans believes his upcoming title fight with Jon Jones will go down sometime this fall.

"I was ready to fight this summer but I think Jon needed a little more time. He had the two fights back to back so he deserves a little time to relax. I thought it was gonna be August but I'm pretty sure it'll end up being September or October."

There's likely nothing worse than watching an opportunity to reclaim a title slip through your fingers. Rashad experienced it first-hand and regaled his experience cage-side at UFC 128 in New Jersey.

"It was tough for me to sit there and watch it unfold. I knew I would have been able to beat Rua. I knew there was a chance he'd look bad coming off of surgery because of the last time he fought [Forrest Griffin] coming off surgery. I was extremely happy for Jon. That kid, he fought crime at day and then beat a world champion at night. You can't be nothing but impressed by that despite how much you want to hate him."

There's been considerable drama with Team Jackson lately. After the public split with the famous training center, the former champion admitted that he had been against Jon Jones joining Jackson's camp in the first place.

"[About Jon Jones joining] I told Greg no and Greg went to Phil Nurse and talked to him about it and tried to convince Phil to convince me to let him on the team. Chris Luttrell is pretty much the guy that's Greg first guy. He's from way back in the day. He told Chris that he wants Jones because he's the wave of the future. Ask any of those guys and they'll corroborate my story. "

"I told him I didn't want [Jon Jones] on the team and I didn't feel comfortable with him on the team. Greg was really hard-headed about it. Greg said we'd never fight and we were brothers. I trusted Greg with my life so I finally said 'to hell with it.'"

Evans wasn't the only fighter in Jackson's camp that didn't want Jones on the team.

"I never felt comfortable with the idea. I went through the situation with Keith [Jardine]. Keith didn't like it either because he was fighting up-and-coming guys and he was concerned he'd have to be in a situation where'd he's be forced to fight Jon to keep his job. It took Keith a really long time before he was comfortable enough to even train with him."

Rashad doesn't want to say "I told you so!" but he admitted that at least one trainer regrets their decision.

"I talked to Phil Nurse the other day and he told me that he feels like crap because, 'you told us this was gonna happen and we didn't listen.' I say this because I don't want people to feel sorry for me. It wasn't about him being on the team. What's done is done. The thing that upsets me about Jon is how he threw me under the bus because he said he'd fight me after all that time we said we wouldn't fight each other... It was a snake move and I don't like snake moves. Be a man."

Jon Jones presents himself as MMA's golden boy but Rashad believes he's human just like anyone else.

"Jon is always trying to say the right things and be perceived a certain way. Just keep it real. Now I know what time it is. Now I know that you would fight me. You must have been thinking of this for a long time. You must have been keeping score, taking notes during training for a long time."
"He gets beat in practice, he gets beat up just like anybody else, just like any other fighter. I'd never take away his talent but when it comes to acting with integrity. It pisses me off beyond belief."

When it's all said and done, Evans doesn't think he'll ever be able to reconcile with Greg Jackson or Jon Jones.

"I'll be respectful when I see them. I don't think I'll be friends. When you see people's true colors, what more do you need to see? I want real friends. I don't want friends who are only circumstantial. I want somebody who will be there for me when I need help. I don't need weak, fake friends."
"The last thing Greg [Jackson] said to me was if you can't trust your friends, you can't trust anybody."

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Royce Gracie hints that he will be fighting Matt Hughes at UFC Rio, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Royce Gracie hints that he will be fighting Matt Hughes at UFC Rio, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kenny Rice hit it right on the head in this interview with legend Royce Gracie, Royce=Yoda. He even has the inflection in his voice to add to the wisdom in his words. Since the UFC announced it was going back to Brazil for the first time in thirteen years the rumors have been swirling around the first (linear) UFC champ. Will he be fighting in Rio and who? Well, it looks like he's stepping in the cage, everything points to it except Dana alone in a hotel room with Ariel Helwani and a single cameraman announcing it. Gracie's opponent however, is up for much speculation. Where do we turn for a face to face confrontation for answers? HDnet baby.
Check out Royce sandwiched between Gilbert Melendez and a giddy Jorge Santiago and kind of answering questions on InsideMMA.

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Will "El Nino" Storm the UFC Lightweight Division?

Will “El Nino” Storm the UFC Lightweight Division?

by Wesley A. Fiorentino

Last Saturday, April 9, Gilbert Melendez defended his lightweight title in violent fashion. His unfortunate opponent: Tatsuya “the Crusher” Kawajiri.

He had beaten Kawajiri once before back at PRIDE Shockwave 2006 via judges’ decision. However, many actually thought Kawajiri had deserved the decision.

Melendez didn't let any controversy find its way into the outcome of the rematch. He stopped Kawajiri with strikes, brutally and efficiently, in the first round at “Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley.”

Kawajiri is just one more top-ranked 155 lb. opponent utterly defeated at the hands of "El Nino.”

Twelve of Melendez’s nineteen career victories have come via stoppage to due strikes, a rate of roughly sixty-three percent. Compare that with a rate of twenty percent for top UFC lightweight contender Gray Maynard and approximately thirty-eight percent for reigning UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.

With the purchase of Strikeforce by Zuffa, LLC., parent company of the UFC, fans and critics alike have begun to clamor for Melendez to enter the UFC and challenge for the title.

None of the Strikeforce titleholders make a stronger claim for a fight with a UFC champion than Gilbert Melendez.

Will the fans see Melendez fight under the UFC banner? Michael David Smith of mmafighting.com seems to think another year or so will pass before that happens:

“It will probably be 2012 before we get to see that: UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar has to fight Gray Maynard in May, and the winner of that fight is expected to fight the winner of the June Anthony Pettis-Clay Guida bout after that.”

If Anthony Pettis defeats Clay Guida and moves on to fight the winner of UFC 130’s lightweight title bout, there is a large degree of uncertainty as to who the next number one contender is. Jim Miller is one fighter, in particular, who has made a strong case with his string of recent victories.

But does Miller or any other current UFC lightweight have a stronger case than Gilbert Melendez?

Melendez has long been considered one of the sport’s top lightweights. Having avenged both of his career losses and sporting wins over the likes of Josh Thomson, Shinya Aoki, and Tatsuya Kawajiri certainly bolster his résumé.

Furthermore, with few or no legitimate challengers to Melendez’s Strikeforce title, it is almost inevitable that he will be fighting for the UFC lightweight championship within a year.

There is a precedent for the treatment of a Strikeforce champion entering the UFC.

When former Strikeforce titleholder Jake Shields signed with the UFC, he was given a fight with Martin Kampmann before being allowed to challenge Georges St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight title.

Should Melendez receive similar treatment, or should he be allowed to immediately challenge for the UFC title?

There will certainly be a contingent which argues that he should be placed directly into a match-up with the UFC lightweight champion. Since losing his title in 2008, Melendez has been on a five-fight winning streak, during which he avenged both of his career losses.

Melendez arguably holds the only major lightweight title other than that of the UFC, and now these two titles are both overseen by Zuffa, LLC.

In all likelihood, Zuffa will indeed match Melendez up against another UFC lightweight contender before placing him in a title bout. However, this does not mean that there is another lightweight contender with a more convincing case than him.

To phrase it simply: if Anthony Pettis defeats Clay Guida and challenges the winner of Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard III for the lightweight title, Gilbert Melendez should be the next man in line.

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Tokyo Five brand to raise funds for GlobalGiving through the sale of Japan Endure Tee

Tokyo Five brand to raise funds for GlobalGiving through the sale of Japan Endure Tee

TOKYO FIVE BRAND TO RAISE FUNDS FOR GLOBALGIVNG'S JAPAN EFFORTS THROUGH SALE OF JAPAN ENDURE TEE.
NEW YORK, NY, April 12, 2011 (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)-Contributing to the emergency relief effort in Japan, Tokyo Five brand will begin raising funds for GlobalGiving through the sale of their ‘Japan Endure Tee.'

Available for purchase starting April 12, 2011, the Japan Endure tee will retail for $20 exclusively through Tokyo Five's website. All proceeds will be donated to GlobalGiving's Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.

More than one month after the tragic Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, this effort seeks not only to raise funds but keep a spotlight on a region still in need. GlobalGiving's vast network of charities with creative ideas allows Tokyo Five to aid projects that might never be funded through traditional structures.

This is Tokyo Five's first step in a long commitment to a country that continues to give the brand endless inspiration.

To purchase the Japan Endure t-shirt, please visit: TokyoFiveBrand.com by clicking here.

To donate directly and learn more, please visit: GlobalGiving.org by clicking here.

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Alistair Overeem has a new shirt that supports Japan that he wants you to buy

Alistair Overeem has a new shirt that supports Japan that he wants you to buy

Alistair Overeem's arms looks like it has an irrigation system built inside. It's tough getting all of those horse nutrients around his gargantuan body, that's why he employed technology to help him out. In an attempt to be as cool as us, Overeem's camp decided to create a 'Save Japan' shirt with Genki Sudo's message of 'We are all one'. Notice they also didn't use the infamous 'Genki tattoo', because it's copyrighted folks. Trust us, we've looked into it. It's impossible to replicate legally.
Overeem is part of a larger campaign in which famous Japanese celebrities are showing their support for Japan by holding up a sign and being included in this Japanese organization that I simply do not know the name of. If you would like to buy Overeem's 'We are all one' shirt, $15 of every shirt will go to the Red Cross to help those in Japan affected by the earthquake/tsunami. Do something great today. Help people that you've never met by ordering Alistair Overeem's new shirt.

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Diego Sanchez wants to coach The Ultimate Fighter against Nick Diaz

Diego Sanchez wants to coach The Ultimate Fighter against Nick Diaz

With the myriad of issues facing Chael Sonnen, and his participation as a potential coach of the upcoming season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) in serious doubt, a few fighters have started campaigning to take his slot.

First it was "Mayhem" Miller, who simply wanted to coach opposite Michael Bisping, who was already rumored for a spot on the popular Spike TV reality show.

Now it's former TUF winner Diego Sanchez throwing his hat in the ring and he's got his eye on an explosive personality to clash against on TV before meeting in the Octagon -- Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz:

"@danawhite me and Nick Diaz for tuf coaches I think we have earned it. Our fight chemistry will forever be epic! Our rivalary would be LOCO! ... To all my followers let's push for me and Nick Diaz as tuf coaches I know the fans want it again."

Diaz just dispatched Paul Daley on April 9 in San Diego via first round technical knockout in an impressive title-retaining performance. Sanchez is coming off a controversial decision win over Martin Kampmann just last month.

Should UFC brass pair them off for a second time in a rematch of an epic war at The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale? Anyone planning on joining "The Dream's" initiative and Twitter bombing Dana White to make this happen?

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Georges St. Pierre vs Nick Diaz? Cesar Gracie says not so fast

Georges St. Pierre vs Nick Diaz? Cesar Gracie says not so fast

Georges St. Pierre vs Nick Diaz? Cesar Gracie says not so fast

by Jesse Holland on Apr 11, 2011 11:47 AM EDT i

Now that a majority of UFC fans have abandoned the Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva fantasy "superfight" in favor of "The Spider" taking on newly crowned light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones, it only makes sense to have "Rush" try to unify the 170-pound titles by fighting Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, right?

Not so fast.

The Canadian superstar won't have the chance to fight Diaz because according to Cesar Gracie, UFC welterweight number one contender Jake Shields is going to "take care of business" in his UFC 129: "St. Pierre vs. Shields" title fight on April 30 in Toronto.

Gracie is the mastermind behind the success of Shields, the Diaz brothers and Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, which means a win for his team across the northern border pretty much eliminates any type of title unification bout for as long as Diaz and Shields retain their respective straps.

As Gracie explains to StudioMMA.com, his students won't subscribe to "teammate vs. teammate" matchmaking under any circumstance:

"As far as Nick Diaz is concerned, there's nothing out there like him, really. I'd love for him to fight GSP but I think his teammate's gonna take care of business. My guys won't fight each other, it's just one of the laws we got. Even if I didn't want that, they just don't want to fight each other. It's a big world with a lot of good fighters out there, why do they have to fight each other? Because people want to see it? People want to see a car accident, I don't really care. Our guys don't fight each other."
And there you have it.

Of course none of that matters if St. Pierre successfully defends his title in front of a hometown crowd, but does that put him any closer to a cross-promotional fight against Diaz?

There's been a lot of talk from the Zuffa brass about keeping the brands separate until the Showtime contract expires in 2014, but if Shields should fail, who else is in the UFC welterweight division that can give "Rush" a run for his money?

I'm sure the idea of GSP vs. Fitch II doesn't get too many fans excited, but what about the rest of the division?

Anthony Johnson? Someone else?
Let's hear your take on the 170-pound landscape for the rest of 2011 -- and beyond.

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Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami Targeted for UFC: Rio in August

Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami Targeted for UFC: Rio in August

The UFC had allowed fans to get pretty worked up about a potential super-fight between middleweight champion Anderson Silva and welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre after Silva beat Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. Since then the promotion has apparently backed off, with GSP being quite vocal about his hesitance to make the jump. Now word is coming from Silva's camp that Yushin Okami may finally be getting his shot at UFC: Rio: (via Tatame.com)
According to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, former UFC heavyweight champion and his training partner, Silva will fight Yushin Okami, the last opponent to defeat him (by DQ at Rumble on the Rock 8, in 2006), trying to set a new record of nine straight title defenses in the UFC. The return of the organization to Brazil will take place at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena, on August 27.
Aug 27th, live on Pay-per-view from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
Anderson "The Spider" Silva (28-4) [Num. 1]
Win Vitor Belfort - KO (Front Kick and Punches) UFC 126
Win Chael Sonnen - Submission (Triangle Armbar) UFC 117
Win Demian Maia - Decision (Unanimous) UFC 112

Yushin "Thunder" Okami (26-5) [Num. 2]
Win Nate Marquardt - Decision (Unanimous) UFC 122
Win Mark Munoz - Decision (Split) UFC Versus 2
Win Lucio Linhares - TKO (Doctor Stoppage) UFC FN 21

Yushin Okami vows to beat Anderson Silva and become UFC Champion:
"I want to fight Anderson, beat him, and I believe I’ll become a new star in the UFC. I’m concentrating and training for that fight now. ... Anderson is the top of the middleweight division and I am coming for the belt. I promise you’ll see him fall and I’ll be the new champion."

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Georges St-Pierre: "Anderson has no holes in his game."

Georges St-Pierre: "Anderson has no holes in his game."

Georges St-Pierre: "Anderson has no holes in his game."

by Tim Groves on April 11, 2011

“As a MMA fan, I wanted to fight him. I believe he’s the best pound for pound fighter of the world, but like I said: no one is unbeatable, If I find a way to defeat him, I’d set the right strategy to do it” - Georges St-Pierre

UFC welterweight champion recently spoke to TATAME about the potential superfight with Anderson Silva.

Fight fans have been clamoring for a fight between the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world. UFC President Dana White even hinted at the possibility of the two fighting if they both dispatched of their next challengers.

Silva defeated Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 while St-Pierre is patiently waiting to step into the cage with Jake Shields at UFC 129. However, thoughts on the superfight have recently cooled as Silva is being rumored to take on Yushin Okami at UFC Rio.

Regardless of whether the two ever meet, St-Pierre still had some high praise for the middleweight champion.

When asked about his supposed wrestling advantage, the Canadian responded “Anderson has no holes in his game.”

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M-1 Global Confirms Fedor Has Agreed to Fight Henderson

M-1 Global Confirms Fedor Has Agreed to Fight Henderson

As we predicted, Saturday’s Strikeforce delivered plenty of ‘holy eff’ moments, highlighted of course by the Nick Diaz’s thrilling win over Paul Daley and Gilbert Melendez’s dispatching of Tatsuya Kawajiri. Shinya Aoki fans also got to celebrate his ‘that can’t be good for anybody’ neck crank win over Lyle Beerbohm, which obviously came at a good time for Japanese MMA.
One of the interesting storylines to emerge out of the card is that it’s looking more and more like Fedor Emelianenko will throw down with Dan Henderson sometime this summer. Strikeforce boss man Scott Coker has confirmed that negotiations for the fight are underway, and in a report today from ESPN U.K., M-1 Global’s Appy Echteld reported that Fedor has “agreed. He’s ready to fight.” It remains somewhat unclear as to what weight the bout will take place at, as Coker said Fedor and his crew aren’t down with the Russian trimming to 205, while Echteld maintains that “The Last Emperor” is getting back to his old form.

”With his progress from training, I can only think he’ll be back the way he was. If he doesn’t win, he’ll make his own decisions like he does now. If he stops, he stops. But if he wins, I think he’ll continue fighting.”

Obviously Fedor’s next fight was going to be pivotal for him, regardless of who he fought, but wow…Hendo huh? Looks like no one’s doing Fedor any favors opponent wise.

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Was the Diaz Daley fight a good stoppage, rewatch it but replace Daley with GSP

Was the Diaz Daley fight a good stoppage, rewatch it but replace Daley with GSP

Now, this isn't going to be easy for everybody cause we all hate Daley so much but please, please try to do it. Replace Daley with GSP, it will take a minutes but really, really try to do it. Take all that Daley hate out of your mind and replace it with that GSP love everybody has. Don't just vote on what you watched earlier, re-watch the fight with the GSP love versus the Daley hate strong in your heart. Now, if you are one of the 3 guys out there that doesn't love GSP, just pick your favorite fighter and do it with him instead. Remember, this is a title fight and only 3 seconds left in the round.

About 1 minute left in the fight, look how bad GSP hurt Diaz and look how little Diaz was defending himself. Rewind if you have to but give it a good look. Remember, remove the hate, bring in the logic. And at 11 seconds left, GSP wasn't even dropped by a punch, more of being tired.

---------- Post added at 11:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:05 PM ----------

Here's what they are saying on our twitter right now.

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Chael Sonnen Has Told Too Many Lies for the NSAC

Chael Sonnen Has Told Too Many Lies for the NSAC

It looks like Chael Sonnen's lies have caught up with him again. After failing a drug test after UFC 117 he was suspended by the California Athletic Commission. He managed to get the suspension reduced by appearing before the CSAC, but in doing so he made some claims about having had conversations with Keith Kizer, the Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Those claims were false.

He also pled guilty to a felony on a federal money laundering charge and has been "suspended" by the UFC while he awaits sentencing on April 8th.

The UFC was exploring the possibility of Sonnen coming back to coach The Ultimate Fighter opposite the similarly-if-not-equally-controversial Michael Bisping. I wrote about the difficulties that created for NSAC ED Kizer the other day. Basically the whole project hinged on Sonnen being able to convince Kizer that he should be willing to license a man who had perjured himself under oath during his CSAC hearing and done it by invoking Kizer's name as initially reported by Cage Side Seats.

We live in an era of captured government when everyone expects government regulators to do the bidding of large corporations, but Sonnen has apparently gone a bridge too far for Kizer who is now commenting on the outcome of the meeting between he, Sonnen and UFC officials three weeks ago.

From MMA Junkie:

"With his explanations, I don't know how productive of a meeting it was. I really did expect a much more constructive meeting out of that. But it just wasn't there. I think Zuffa tried; I know we tried. I put the blame completely on Mr. Sonnen."
...
"His point was, 'Well, you and I have never talked before right now, but I don't think I lied,'" Kizer said.

"Then he gave some very strange story and claimed, 'My manager and you talked about therapeutic exemptions, and therefore, I just used the wrong word. I should have said 'my' instead of 'I.' As in 'my manager' instead of 'I.'

"I was very straight with him, saying, 'That's a ridiculous explanation.'"

Kizer also said that Sonnen would have to appear before a full hearing of the NSAC to get a second's license (required to coach TUF) and that he would have to formally address his statements to the CSAC, his felony conviction and his accusations against Referee Josh Rosenthal after his loss to Paulo Filho at WEC 31.

Will Cooling at Inside Fights had some commentary on the prospect of a full hearing for Sonnen:

Such a thorough investigation into whether Sonnen is a man with the character worthy of fighting in the Octagon is long overdue. Repeatedly over the past twelve months and before he has simply lied, lied, lied. Alarmingly that was clear in the build up to the his match with Anderson Silva at UFC 117, with (to pick just two examples) Sonnen was caught lying about not having a twitter account and accusing Lance Armstrong of taking performance enhancing drugs. And yet this pathological pattern of deceit was ignored by the MMA media who were too busy falling in love with his wisecracks and aggressive attitude.

Hopefully following Kizer leads MMA journalists will now start asking the tough questions they should have been asking from the start. Not least there should be a proper look into Sonnen's testimony back on December 2nd. We need to know whether the evidence provided by his doctor was credible given that that the doctor was a local practitioner who seemingly lacked basic knowledge of the side effects of prolonged anabolic steriod use. We need to know why an Olympic level athlete believes its appropriate to secretly inject himself with testosterone in fearsomely large doses. Above all we need to know how a person that since childhood was should have been signficiantly weaker than the average male due to delayed puberty caused by Hypogonadism, had such a glittering athletic career.

There are so many questions that have to be asked as one after another of Chael Sonnen's lies are exposed. Make no mistake about it, as his lies unravel Sonnen is fighting for his very career. And the fact that these lies have been so self defeating shines a light onto Sonnen's character. To put it simply he lies not because its in his interests but because its in his nature.

Kaleb Kelchner at Cage Side Seats added:

Why is it that every guy I know accused of money laundering never lies, just misspeaks? I have no qualms with Sonnen being refused a spot as coach on The Ultimate Fighter, even though it may just be a big talker like him that would spark some interest in the show once again. It would also set a poor example for the UFC to place two fighters who are currently under fire for recent actions in such an esteemed position as coach on TUF. I wouldn't be surprised to see Bisping included still, well, so long as they can find a coach who'd be willing to antagonize him enough to force him to play ball. I'm quite certain though, if Sonnen had come across humbled, and apologetic, we'd likely see him paired with the Brit on season 14 of TUF.

Mayhem Miller has already volunteered to fill Sonnen's shoes, but I doubt the UFC would put such a hard push behind a fighter whose only UFC fight was a welterweight bout six years ago. Then again it certainly makes more business sense than Yushin Okami or Brian Stann as coaches. The winner of Wanderlei Silva vs Chris Leben at UFC 132 would be ideal but I think taping of the show needs to start too soon for that.

As for Sonnen, everything hinges on his sentencing in the felony case on April 8th. Provided that his sentence will allow him to compete, I expect he and the UFC will take the wiser course and avoid trying to get Chael licensed to fight in Nevada for any reason.

It's very sad that Sonnen's personal failings have so thoroughly torpedoed his career. Ironically it was Sonnen's knack for making preposterous claims in public in the build up to UFC 117 that made him a star.

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Georges St-Pierre Lays Out Jake Shields’ Game Plan for UFC 129

Georges St-Pierre Lays Out Jake Shields’ Game Plan for UFC 129

Georges St-Pierre Lays Out Jake Shields’ Game Plan for UFC 129

Written by Tom Ngo
April 5th, 2011

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Welterweight king Georges St-Pierre claims to already have the answers for his upcoming exam against Jake Shields. Perhaps that’s why he’s a whopping 5-to-1 favorite to retain his crown at UFC 129 on April 30th.
“I know what he’s going to want to do to me,” St-Pierre matter-of-factly stated. “He’s going to want to setup his takedown with striking, pull me down, mount me and try to submit me from there.
“He doesn’t know what I’m going to do to him. I can try to knock him out standing, I can knock him out on the floor, I can submit him. I’m not afraid to go on the floor with him.”
GSP was last seen steamrolling Josh Koscheck at UFC 124 in December. The win was his eighth consecutive lopsided victory and fifth straight successful title defense.
Shields earned his shot at the brass ring with his split decision win over Martin Kampmann at UFC 121.

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Ben Askren is not impressed by bonus-chasing 'losers' like Leonard Garcia

Ben Askren is not impressed by bonus-chasing 'losers' like Leonard Garcia

Sounds like Ben Askren has mastered the art of subtlety.
The brash Bellator welterweight champion, who is undefeated in his "Funky" mixed martial arts career, will go head-to-head with Nick Thompson in the main event of Bellator 40 this Saturday night (April 9, 2011) at the First Council Casino, in Newkirk, Oklahoma.
So, what can we expect this weekend from the collegiate wrestling champion and former Olympian?
Well, according to his interview with the Sherdog Radio Network’s "Beatdown" show, he won't be submitted (because of his wrestling pedigree) and he won't be knocked out (because of his wrestling pedigree).
So what's left?
Just winning, according to Askren, which is why he got into MMA in the first place. To win. He doesn't want to fight for a "bonus" or to entertain the masses, like some of the other "losers" in the UFC.
Hear it directly from the horse's mouth (via Fight Opinion):

"I think people like that are losers because, in my mind, a fight's about winning, not about putting on a show. We're not singers, we're not actors, we are mixed martial artists or fighters or athletes, whichever way you wanna do it and that's about winning ... When you're fighting for 25 minutes, every fan and their mother can talk shit about this and that and don't finish fights. Well, why don't they get in there and fight for 25 minutes? That's a long time. And you got to win before you show. I mean, people that show on top of winning, say Anderson Silva, that dude now he's a showman but he's also won, what, 13 fights in a row? So, obviously, he can do it. And there's people like Leonard Garcia who goes out and puts on a show but he's like 3-5 in his last 8 fights. Like, c'mon dude."

Since Askren is tucked safely behind the Bellator curtain, the chances of him having to back up what he says against some of the UFC's elite are fairly slim.
Then again, the way Zuffa has been known to acquire rival promotions, you can never say "never" in this industry. With that in mind, where do you rank the wrestling phenom in your 170-pound list -- if at all?
And do you agree with his assessment of fighters who fight to entertain and win bonuses? Or is he completely off base? Would a $100,000 "Fight Night" bonus be able to change his mind?

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