Thiago Alves back to gym in three weeks after successful brain surgery (Updated)

Thiago Alves back to gym in three weeks after successful brain surgery (Updated)

Former UFC welterweight contender and division standout Thiago Alves (16-6 MMA, 9-3 UFC) can go back to the gym in three weeks, doctors today told the fighter.

Ricardo Liborio, Alves' trainer at American Top Team, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Alves successfully underwent surgery today in New York City to correct an arteriovenous fistula on the left side of his brain.

An arteriovenous fistula occurs when there is an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein and can be congenital, created by surgery or caused by disease.

The procedure, which was performed at Beth Israel Medical Center by renowned neurointerventionalist Alejandro Berenstein, was minimally invasive and separated vessels that had crossed inside Alves' brain.

"Everything is good," Liborio said.

Alves was set to rematch Jon Fitch this past Saturday at UFC 11, but the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board discovered the brain irregularity in his pre-fight medical paperwork and suspended him two days prior to the fight as a precaution. Shortly afterward, Ben Saunders was allowed to pull out of a scheduled fight with Jake Ellenberger and stepped in to face Fitch.

Initial diagnoses cast doubt on Alves' future as a mixed martial artist, though a follow-up visit to Berenstein one day after the suspension revealed the problem was not career-ending. NJSAC doctor Sherry Wulkan arranged an immediate appointment with Berenstein when the suspension was issued.

Alves will remain hospitalized for at least one day to assure no complications arise, but doctors are positive about a full recovery, Liborio said.

A final decision will be made on Alves' suspension after a final report is issued on the procedure, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

"The first thing he said when he got out of anesthesia was, 'When can I get back to training?'" Liborio said. "In three weeks, he should be training if he doesn’t do anything stupid."

Alves, 26, has not fought since dropping a five-round decision to welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100 in July 2009. He's twice been scheduled to avenge a second-round TKO loss to Fit, which came in 2006. A knee injury forced him out of UFC 107, and the failed exam once again has "Pitbull" on the sidelines.

"It's the second time the fight was supposed to happen, and it didn't," Alves said this past Friday. "I just have this bloody taste in my mouth, and I have to get it out. I guess it just wasn't the right time."

Alves and his camp have already requested a fight at UFC 114 on May 29 in Las Vegas.

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UFC exec Marc Ratner not giving up on UFC 115 in Vancouver just yet

UFC exec Marc Ratner not giving up on UFC 115 in Vancouver just yet

UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner says accounts of UFC 115's demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Amid reports the UFC's first trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has been moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, due to legal issues with the Vancouver City Council, Ratner told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the promotion will make a final decision regarding the June 12 event within 24 hours.

"We're certainly working hand in hand with the mayor's office and the city council, and hopefully we have what they want," Ratner said. "The fight is still going forward as we speak."

However, UFC president Dana White today told Rogers Sportsnet that the promotion can't wait any longer to announce the event and is in the process of moving it to the U.S.

The UFC needs 60 to 70 days to mount an event in a new city, according to Ratner, which means the UFC still has time left before it's too late. But it's getting down to the wire.

Ratner said VAC's major impasse remains over legal liability in the event a lawsuit is filed against the city due to an injury or mishap during a fight. A rider added to the city's two-year pilot program after its passage this past December stated potential promoters need to provide a $12 million bond to protect against such an occurrence. The figure is more than double the usual bond required of promoters.

"The hold-up is (that) we need to be sure that nobody is going to sue the city," Dr. Kerry Jang, a Vancouver city councillor, said today. "We need to know we're free and clear of responsibility if there's a problem. So if we're going to hold these events, we'll hold them responsibly, and right now the province has not given us indemnity like the Quebec government gives Montreal.

"Until we get that, we're 100 percent responsible and can't take those risks."

Jang said responsibility for the delay rests on the provincial government in British Columbia and the Canadian federal government. Under the country's criminal code, the sport is technically still illegal.

"The insurance companies are concerned that we're talking about what is in fact an illegal activity according to federal law," he said. "The prize-fighting code was going to be changed we were told by [federal heritage and culture minister] James Moore, but that hasn't happened yet. The B.C. attorney general, [Mike De Jong], sent us a letter waving his pompoms saying 'yay UFC,' but they haven't addressed this issue/ They've just thrown it back at us.

"What needs to happen to make this work? The B.C. government needs to step up and show leadership on it. We're making precedent here. We can't be too cautious."

Ratner said the 2010 Winter Olympics proved to be a costly delay to working through liability issues with the city.

"I wanted to get everything done if we could before the Olympics, and that we couldn't do," he said. "We lost a couple of months, so I wasn't surprised (we had problems).

"I thought we'd have it done by now, but I'm just enthusiastic, and I look at the positives."

If UFC 115 does not take place in Vancouver on June 12, Ratner said a future event is still in the cards.

"Absolutely," he said. "We have no problems. We want to put a show on in Vancouver. We're very, very strongly wanting to do it. If we had to ... postpone the show, we'll still be looking (at Vancouver) some other time."

Ratner said a formal decision on where the show's new location would be has not been finalized, but Cincinnati has been "bandied about."

The UFC has held two events in Montreal, Quebec, Canada: UFC 83 and UFC 97, which were near-instant sellouts. A third event, UFC 113, takes place at the city's Bell Centre on May 8 and is sold out. Zuffa, LLC, the UFC's parent company, is expected to send World Extreme Cagefighting to Calgary, Alberta, on June 20.

And for the latest on UFC 115, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

The Vancouver Sun's Chris Parry contributed to this report.

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UFC 111 winners Georges St-Pierre, Jon Fitch make case for rematch; UFC prez not sold

UFC 111 winners Georges St-Pierre, Jon Fitch make case for rematch; UFC prez not sold

NEWARK, N.J. – Following their respective wins at Saturday's UFC 111 event, Jon Fitch asked what his two thumbs and wants a rematch with UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

It's pretty easy to imagine where Fitch's upward-turned thumbs were pointing.

However, following the fighters' effective and dominant – yet somewhat unpopular – performances, UFC president Dana White hardly seemed to share their enthusiasm for the potential championship rematch.

Fitch, who lost initial UFC 111 opponent Thiago Alves a day before the fight because of a failed CT scan, instead took on late replacement Ben Saunders, who volunteered for the bout on the eve of the Newark, N.J. show. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva agreed, Saunders' original opponent, Jake Ellenberger, got his show and win money, and Fitch vs. Saunders was set.

Fitch (22-3 MMA, 12-1 UFC), a former Purdue University wrestling team captain, posted a familiar performance: He used takedowns, a stifling top game, and good ol' ground and pound to post a unanimous-decision win. Fitch's past six wins have all come via decision in a similar manner. The string of wins was interrupted by – and Fitch's only defeat in the Octagon was the result of – a lopsided unanimous-decision loss to champ St-Pierre at UFC 87 in 2008.

Since then Fitch has won four straight and is anxious for another shot at the belt.

And after watching St-Pierre's similarly lopsided (and thus far, largely criticized) title defense over Dan Hardy, Fitch is even more eager to exploit what he sees as holes in the champ's game.

"It was a good fight for him, but I still see flaws in his game, and that's why I want to fight him," Fitch said of St-Pierre. "There's nothing that means more to me right now than fighting for the title.

"I'm 12-1 in the UFC with my lone loss to GSP. I've won my last four fights. I wish they would have all been finishes, but it doesn't always work out that way. But I'm a better fighter than the first time we fought."

St-Pierre (20-2 MMA, 14-2 UFC), who said he simply spent too much time on submissions after deciding it'd go "against the odds" to stand and trade with such a dynamic striker as Hardy, was just as critical (if not more so) than anyone after the performance. He said he wanted a "clean win" but that relying on the judges' cards didn't allow that.

Of course, one could wonder if pitting St-Pierre against a fellow wrestling stand-out such as Fitch would provide the same result. Wouldn't the second fight look like the first – or at the very least, prove yet another easy win for St-Pierre that lacked his once-crowd-pleasing standup game?

Fitch found a supporter in his potential opponent.

"It's never the same competitor," St-Pierre said. "It's never the same guy.

"(Fitch) isn't the same guy he was when I fought him the first time. He's a much, much better [fighter]. And I'm not the same fighter I was when I fought him the first time."

Despite the endorsement from the champ, White wasn't ready to claim Fitch a No. 1 contender just yet.

"He's in the mix," White said. "There's no doubt he's in the mix."

In fact, White had another idea for Fitch: a fight with Josh Koscheck, who next meets Paul Daley in a likely No. 1 contender's bout at UFC 113.

"Maybe we do [Fitch] and Koscheck for the No. 1 (contender)," said White, who's long expressed dissatisfaction withe concept of fighters not wanting to fight their teammates.

Would Fitch be open to that – a fight with a fellow top contender who also happens to be one of his closest teammates?

"Nah," he said.

"Well then, he doesn't want the title shot that bad then," White shot back.

"If that fight had to happen, it'd happen at our gym with the doors closed," Fitch said.

Never one to miss a good sound bite, White couldn't help himself.

"That would make a lot of money," White deadpanned.

In any manner, don't expect St-Pierre's future to be determined anytime soon.

"We've got a lot of figuring out to do," White said.

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Vote for your top 10 UFC fighters after the champs.

Vote for your top 10 UFC fighters after the champs.

Hey guys, we are getting closer to getting a fantasy league up and running but need to take care of the top 10's in the UFC first.

So, please take a second and vote. We would like to have at least 15 votes before we fire up the fantasy league, they will be tied in together. I will explain that more later. Already have the LW results so we just need to knock out these 4.

UFC top 10 Welterweights - http://mmacrypt.com/forum/misc.php?do=form&fid=9

UFC top 10 Middleweights - http://mmacrypt.com/forum/misc.php?do=form&fid=12

UFC top 10 Light Heavyweights - http://mmacrypt.com/forum/misc.php?do=form&fid=10

UFC top 10 Heavyweights - http://mmacrypt.com/forum/misc.php?do=form&fid=11

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Now a "company man," UFN 21's Roy Nelson wants Stefan Struve's "European belt"

Now a "company man," UFN 21's Roy Nelson wants Stefan Struve's "European belt"

The wisecracking Roy Nelson is back.

The 6-foot, round-bellied winner of "The Ultimate Fighter 10" has a tall order in front of him – literally – tomorrow when he faces 6-foot-11 Stefan Struve in the Spike TV-televised co-headliner at UFC Fight Night 21 in Charlotte, N.C.

So how do you prepare for that?

"The only thing I've been doing is trying to pick fights on the basketball court," Nelson (14-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently. "I called [Shaquille O'Neal] a couple of times, and I think he injured his hand or something."

Yesterday at the event's open workouts, Nelson joked about having his coach stand on a chair so he could practice punching at Struve's height.

Seriously, though, it's the biggest height disparity he's faced in six years of fighting. The closest he's come is Brad Imes, a 6-foot-8 finalist on "The Ultimate Fighter 2." Nelson stopped him with strikes in less than three minutes at a May 2008 IFL event.

But it's not a match-up that screams favoritism.

"On paper, he should beat the crap out of me," Nelson said of Struve. "He's got a 10-inch reach advantage. That's a whole foot. I have to get past that and hopefully either take it to the ground or keep it standing."

Nelson jokes the Struve fight is for the UFC's "European belt" – a strap held together with a baguette – and French fighter Cheick Kongo could be next in line. He wants Joe Silva to show him the belt in Charlotte.

A fight is never too important to joke about for Nelson.

That sardonic style hasn't always jived with his current employer. Nelson made headlines after his appearance on "TUF 10" when he suggested that contestant Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson was favored during filming, to which UFC president Dana White called him "an idiot."

Nelson drew the kind of attention many would say is negative in a company in which one bad performance can earn you a pink slip. He's perhaps a little wiser with his words now, but he said he's not going to change too much.

"I think I'm the company man who will always keep it real and call shenanigans when I see shenanigans," Nelson said.

He's fine with White but doesn't feel a pressing need to make nice.

"I think our personalities are still going to clash and (we'll) still have the good drama that comes between president and employee, but as long as I'm putting on a show, we have an understanding that I'm OK," Nelson said.

In that way, the match-up with Struve makes perfect sense. The 22-year-old Dutch fighter has won three of his four UFC fights but hasn't used his reach to play it safe like many other tall fighters. He's aggressive inside the cage and jumps right into the fight. In his most recent performance, he leaped at the 6-foot-2 Paul Buentello and got plucked out of the air with a punch that nearly put him out. He's got youthful bravado.

Nelson has four fewer fights than Struve but has a decade of life experience on his side. It's the kind of experience that keeps him from taking unnecessary risks.

Like his fight with Kimbo Slice, Nelson hints that the easiest path to victory is the one he'll take against Struve.

"Maybe like the (Junior) Dos Santos match-up," Nelson said of Struve. "That's where I'm hoping it can go—maybe keep him standing so I can push the pace so I get him up against the fence so he can't use his reach."

But in the end, Nelson said the fight is about who's hungrier to win. Struve is a fighter with time to grow; Nelson is on his last run at success in mixed martial arts.

While the UFC heavyweight class has more talent than ever, it remains the division with the shortest path to the top. Nelson estimates he could be there within a year – if he continues to put on exciting fights.

"My goal is to fight the best in the world, which means whoever has the belt," Nelson said.

Pretty serious for a wiseguy.

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Brock Lesnar Favored In Early Line Against Shane Carwin

Brock Lesnar Favored In Early Line Against Shane Carwin

Less than 72 hours since Shane Carwin beat Frank Mir to set up a UFC heavyweight championship showdown with Brock Lesnar, the early odds are favoring the current champ to hold off the challenger and hold on to his belt.

Though the fight is not yet official, UFC President Dana White told MMA Fighting late last Saturday night that the company was aiming for UFC 116, which takes place on July 3. The early line makes Lesnar a more than 2-to-1 favorite.

Bodog became the first sports book to set a line, and they have installed Lesnar as a -225 favorite. Carwin, the interim champion who will be considered the challenger in the title unification bout, is listed as +185 underdog.

Lesnar (4-1) has not fought since last July's UFC 100, when he defended his title with a second-round TKO of Frank Mir. The 32-year-old was knocked out of action for several months after a bout of diverticulitis threatened his career and resulted in an over 40-pound weight loss. He was cleared to resume training in January and has recently stated he is 100 percent healthy.

Carwin improved his record to 12-0 by smashing Mir in just 3:48 of the first round at UFC 111. All 12 of his victories have come inside of the first round. At 6-foot-2 and over 265 pounds and a former collegiate wrestling national champion, Carwin is one of few UFC heavyweights with the size and power to rival that of Lesnar.

UFC 116 will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

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Shane Carwin was very close to not fighting Frank Mir at UFC 111

Shane Carwin was very close to not fighting Frank Mir at UFC 111

The week leading into this fight was hectic. I was unable to get cleared based on the medical records I submitted so I spent a good part of one of the media days in the Dr.'s office. I was able to
pass the MRI/MRA that was initially in question but the doctors located a new
problem. Apparently there was
concern that one of the vessels in my brain looked as if it was connected on
one end but not the other. The Dr. told me it could be that or it could be a
vessel that was widening or ballooning but they could not really tell and
needed a better test. It sounded
serious and I wanted to fight so I agreed to the test, which involved CT Angiography
(CTA). They had to set up an IV
and inject a contrast material in me (containing iodine) and named off some
possible side effects, this was all fine, but not when you are less than a
couple of days out from a fight. The dye made me pretty sick for about the next 24 hours. I was thankful they were being so thorough, but it could not have come at a worse time

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Another title run? Chuck Liddell shares his plans for the future

Another title run? Chuck Liddell shares his plans for the future

During today’s UFC media conference call, former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell talked about his return to fighting and his experience coaching opposite Tito Ortiz on "The Ultimate Fighter (TUF)." The 11th Season 11 premieres Wednesday, March 31 on Spike TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Liddell won the UFC light heavyweight world title on his second of three fights against Randy Çouture and would go on to defend the title four consecutive times, including once against Ortiz. All of his title victories came by way of vicious (T)KO.

But having gone 1-4 since his reign of terror — albeit it to a "who’s who" of top 10 world-ranked light heavyweights — Liddell was urged into retirement by UFC president Dana White, who saw his close friend succumb to three brutal knockouts in those five fights.

Liddell admits he needed time off to rest from so many knockouts, saying, "I thought I was getting hurt by shots that shouldn’t hurt me."

While confirming White is taking his return on a fight-by-fight basis, Liddell is optimistic he is here to stay, referring to his upcoming fight against Ortiz as a "warm-up fight" throughout the call.

"I want to make another run at the title. If I can do it, I’m guessing it’s going to take another couple fights. I’m going to have to beat Tito, then beat a couple more guys, then hopefully a title shot after that. One more shot at going out on top. I can still beat anybody in the world. So I just want one more shot at it."

Liddell says he always knew he’d return to fight one day and that he first started to realize how much he missed training for competition during his time as a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."

Thanks to training with the TUF competitors and to his renewed focus on his upcoming opponent, Liddell is already in fighting shape, weighing around 220 pounds — lighter than he walked around as champion. He sounded a bit like his old self when he reflected on what he missed the most about his fighting career and what’s driving him back to the cage.

"I love the game, I love fighting. I love trying to prove that I’m the best in the world. I love the sport, I love what I’m doing. I really do love being out in the ring fighting people."

Now back on TUF for his second stint as coach, Liddell noticed the contestants of today are more well-rounded as mixed martial artists than their predecessors. He confirmed that he was pursued about the coaching opportunity by White — which made sense to "The Iceman" because it was a means to build his return to the cage — but that he asked that they not use Ortiz as his coaching opponent.

Request denied.

The two former champions have a long, turbulent history, which has often become personal. Liddell complained of lies he attributes to Ortiz, saying, "I don’t like the guy. … If you listen to him, he took me off the street, taught me how to fight, and I betrayed him," referring to the 10 weeks they spent as training partners.

Ortiz recently called out former heavyweight champion Mark Coleman for allegedly insulting his girlfriend, former pornstar Jenna Jameson, which Liddell called preposterous because Ortiz has used personal attacks for years to get under his opponents’ skin.

"Tito complaining that people talking about personal life things is insane. I remember back when he was going to fight Vitor (Belfort), before he fought Vitor, he said in an interview, ‘I don’t date white trash bitches like Chuck (does),’ on a radio interview. Now the sad thing about that was he was talking about ‘Star Magazine’ that said I was dating Juliette Lewis, which obviously wasn’t true. She’s a nice person, but we weren’t dating. I met her a couple of times … But he was referring to her, he said, when I confronted him about it and warned him not to do that again or I’d beat him in his own living room. I told him not to talk about my family ever again or I’d beat him in his own living room, and he apologized in front of all of his friends."

Apology aside, that hasn’t stopped Ortiz from recently misinforming media that he is "proud of Chuck" for coming clean and battling alcoholism, which he had supposedly struggled with for years. All lies in order to get "The Iceman" heated during their first week of TUF taping, according to Chuck, who says Ortiz’s strategy has backfired by providing more fuel for the fire.

"Now he pissed me off enough so that now instead of training for a tune-up fight, I’m training to hurt him. I’m training to go out there and beat him. He did the worst thing he coulda done — he motivated me to train." Liddell also commented on rumors that Ortiz will not be his opponent when he returns to the cage and that he will instead be fighting former middleweight champion Rich Franklin.

"I’ve heard the rumors, of course, but from what I understand, (Tito) has signed to fight and is actually going to show up and get the beating that he’s supposed to get. I think I earned it, having to put up with him for seven weeks. … I’ve heard the rumors too, and I hope that’s not true, because I think I earned the right to punch him."

Fans will have to wait and see. TUF kicks things off Wednesday.

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Matt Hamill vs. Keith Jardine targeted for The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale

Matt Hamill vs. Keith Jardine targeted for The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale

Light heavyweights Matt Hamill (8-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and Keith Jardine (15-7-1 MMA, 6-6 UFC) are targeted to meet at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned.

Sources close to the negotiations said at least one fighter has formally agreed to the fight and is expected to sign a bout agreement shortly.

Although not yet formally announced by the UFC, The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale is expected to take place June 19 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The event airs like on Spike TV and features the finalists of the reality show's 11th season as they fight for a UFC contract.

Jardine, 34, is undoubtedly fighting to stay relevant in the 205-pound division after three consecutive losses, and four of his six octagon losses have come by way of TKO or knockout.

In his most recent performance, Jardine was knocked out by "The Ultimate Fighter 8" winner Ryan Bader at UFC 110 in February.

Jardine's awkward style has won him key victories over Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell and Brandon Vera. However, those victories are dotted by losses to heavy-handed strikers.

Hamill, 33, recently returned to training after a grade-two shoulder separation that he suffered in his most recent bout against Jon Jones at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale this past December.

In a fight that Jones dominated, Hamill's injury occurred during a takedown in the first round. However, Jones threw an illegal "12-to-6" elbow from mount position shortly after the takedown and was disqualified for the strike, which gave Hamill the victory.

On paper, it was Hamill's third consecutive win, though he later wrote that he didn't receive it as such and gave praise to Jones for the performance.

The position of Jardine vs. Hamill on the Spike TV card is unknown at this time, though the fight is expected to be part of the event's televised portion.

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Alves OUT, Saunders in. Fitch vs Saunders UFC 111

Alves OUT, Saunders in. Fitch vs Saunders UFC 111

Hours after learning opponent Thiago Alves failed a CT scan and was scratched from the card, his opponent, Jon Fitch (21-3 MMA, 11-1 UFC), has agreed to replace Jake Ellenberger (22-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and fight fellow welterweight Ben Saunders (8-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) on the UFC 111 pay-per-view main card.

Multiple sources today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the change to Saturday's card, which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

A source told MMAjunkie.com said Saunders specifically asked for the new bout when Fitch became available.

Ellenberger has been promised his "show" and "win" money to make up for the UFC's last-minute switch, we're told.

An official announcement is expected any time now from the UFC.

Fitch and Alves were scheduled to fight in a featured UFC 111 bout with potential title implications. The duo first met in 2007, when Fitch defeated Alves. However, an irregularity in a pre-fight CT prompted the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board understandably to err on the side of caution and nix the rematch. As we reported earlier today, Alves' agent, Malki Kawa of First Round Management, said the fighter doesn't have any serious injuries or ailments and hopes to return at UFC 112 in April.

Fitch looks for his fourth straight UFC win since a loss to UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. Saunders, meanwhile, recently rebounded from his first career loss (to Mike Swick) with an impressive KO win over Marcus Davis.

The UFC 111 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy (for welterweight title)
* Shane Carwin vs. Frank Mir (for interim heavyweight title)
* Jon Fitch vs. Ben Saunders
* Mark Bocek vs. Jim Miller
* Fabricio Camoes vs. Kurt Pellegrino

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

* Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown

PRELIMINARY CARD (Un-aired)

* Jared Hamman vs. Rodney Wallace
* Tomasz Drwal vs. Rousimar Palhares
* Matthew Riddle vs. Greg Soto

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Spike TV airs "The Ultimate Fighter 10" marathon on Sunday

Spike TV airs "The Ultimate Fighter 10" marathon on Sunday

If Saturday's UFC 111 event isn't enough for you, Spike TV has an additional offering on Sunday.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship's longtime cable home broadcasts an eight-hour marathon of "The Ultimate Fighter 10" beginning at 1 p.m. ET/PT.

"TUF 10" debuted in the second half of 2010 – with ex-champs Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson as coaches – featured 16 heavyweight fighters, including four former NFL players, three ex-UFC fighters, an IFL champ, and former EliteXC headliner Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson.

The highly anticipated season revived and boasted record ratings for the long-running series, thanks largely to Ferguson.

Sunday's marathon includes six regular-season episodes as well as a re-airing of the show's finale, which included the "TUF 10" finals and a non-show headliner between light heavyweights Jon Jones and Matt Hamill.

The marathon, of course, airs just three days before "TUF 11" makes its debut on Spike TV. The upcoming season features Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell as coaches, and 28 middleweight fighters will complete in a tournament format that UFC president Dana White has said will have some "format changes."

The "TUF 11" debut follows Spike TV's airing of UFC Fight Night 21 and a headliner between Kenny Florian and Takanori Gomi.

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MMA Crypt's Prediction Contest XII : UFC 111

MMA Crypt's Prediction Contest XII : UFC 111

MMA Crypt's Prediction Contest XII : UFC 111 Hardy Vs GSP
Date: Mar 27, 2010

Location: Newark, N.J.
Venue: Prudential Center
Broadcast: Pay-per-view and Spike TV

MAIN CARD
•Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy (for welterweight title)
•Shane Carwin vs. Frank Mir (for interim heavyweight title)
•Jake Ellenberger vs. Ben Saunders
•Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch
•Mark Bocek vs. Jim Miller
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
•Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
•Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown
PRELIMINARY CARD (Un-aired)
•Fabricio Camoes vs. Kurt Pellegrino
•Jared Hamman vs. Rodney Wallace
•Tomasz Drwal vs. Rousimar Palhares
•Matthew Riddle vs. Greg Soto

This Fantasy Challenge Contest requires that you pick the winning fighters offered in the events, the method in which they will win and when they will win.

Enter here - http://mmacrypt.com/forum/misc.php?do=form&fid=7
Here is how it works:
4 points to pick the winner.
3 points to pick the style of win, decision, sub or KO
3 points to pick when the fight is over if you get the winner right.

Most points wins

If there is a tie, the poster with the most posts on MMACrypt.com wins the tie breaker

Method :
KO (votes as TKO and KO count as the same)
Decision (split and unanimous count as the same)
Submissions (all count as the same)

Prizes & Bonuses :

* Prizes :
1st Place : 10,000 + the first ever MMACrypt T-Shirt* (don't get too excited, it's nothing special but it's free)
2nd Place : 5,000
3rd Place : 2,500

Fight picks must be entered in this thread by March 27, 2010 no later than 5:00 pm East Coast Time.

Enter here - http://mmacrypt.com/forum/misc.php?do=form&fid=7
*Shirt is only available to those in the states, maybe Canada and overseas depending on shipping costs.

Front

Back

Enter here - http://mmacrypt.com/forum/misc.php?do=form&fid=7

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Dana: "We want to bring the big fights back to Madison Square Garden"

Dana: "We want to bring the big fights back to Madison Square Garden"

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24/03/10 - Dana: "We want to bring the big fights back to Madison Square Garden"

“We want to bring the big fights back to Madison Square Garden,” UFC president Dana White told a packed press conference at New York’s Radio City Music Hall today. The statement was met with applause by fans in attendance, most of whom were proud New Yorkers and avid fight fans.

Madison Square Garden is renowned in the boxing world, being something of a Mecca in the sport. Staging an event there would be a significant milestone for the UFC, and not just because it would mean that the state of New York had finally capitulated to the MMA revolution.

“I’m not frustrated,” White says of still having states in the US that still have not legalised MMA. “We just have to get out there and educate the politicians about this sport. I am very confident that New York will happen soon.

“Its in the [New York State] budget, so as long as it stays in there [when it goes to the Department of State] then it should happen very soon. Madison Square Garden, that’s where we are going. To go to a historical place like MSG and have a big fight is what we really want to do. We want to bring big fights back to Madison Square Garden.”

White added that the recently-launched UFC Gym franchise will also soon be making its way to the Big Apple. “There will be a gym here in New York,” he said to a chorus of cheers. “They will be in all the major cities. The first gym was very successful and honestly we can’t crank them out fast enough.”

The UFC president was flanked by welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre at the conference and he commented on the prospect of the French-Canadian putting his career on hiatus to wrestle for his country at the 2012 Olympic Games.

“It would be great if GSP got into the Olympics and brought back a medal for his country, that would be big. It would suck for us for the time he was gone from the UFC but if he made that decision we would sit down and work it out. I think it would be big for him, for us, and for the sport,” White said.

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UFC Re-Signs Rampage Jackson For Six Fights

UFC Re-Signs Rampage Jackson For Six Fights

“Rampage and I are friends again now. I was mad at him because of what he’s done, and he was mad at me because I was mad at him [smile].”

When we asked [Dana] at the private media session whether Rampage’s recent statements about him wanting to leave the sport after his contract is finished, would affect his chances of getting a title shot in the near future (provided of course, he defeats Rashad Evans), Dana responded :

“No, we just renewed Rampage’s contract… It’s a 6 fights contract.”

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UFC Re-Signs Rampage Jackson For Six Fights

UFC Re-Signs Rampage Jackson For Six Fights

“Rampage and I are friends again now. I was mad at him because of what he’s done, and he was mad at me because I was mad at him [smile].”

When we asked [Dana] at the private media session whether Rampage’s recent statements about him wanting to leave the sport after his contract is finished, would affect his chances of getting a title shot in the near future (provided of course, he defeats Rashad Evans), Dana responded :

“No, we just renewed Rampage’s contract… It’s a 6 fights contract.”

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Georges St. Pierre Endorses a Skin Care Line

Georges St. Pierre Endorses a Skin Care Line

UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has already inked endorsement deals with big-time companies like Gatorade and Under Armour. Now he's got another endorsement deal with a company that's slightly less significant in the sports business landscape, but is interesting nonetheless: Mission Skincare.

Yes, St. Pierre's latest sponsor is a company that describes itself as selling products "designed and tested by elite athletes to help people of all ages live an active lifestyle with healthier, stronger skin."

This leads to a few questions.

1. Do men actually use skin-care products? This is a serious question. I always think of moisturizer as an exclusively female product. Any men who use moisturizer, feel free to tell me I'm wrong in the comments.

2. If the answer to the above question is no, does this endorsement deal show that GSP has an appeal to females? Zach Arnold of Fight Opinion writes that GSP is "super-popular with both men and women," while Kelsey Philpott of MMA Payout notes "his ability to draw people to his fights, especially on the female side." I think that's an important, and underrated, aspect of GSP's importance to the UFC: The ladies love him.

3. Will GSP's skin-care ads bring up the aftermath of UFC 94, when B.J. Penn accused St. Pierre of greasing? I think it would be great to see an ad showing St. Pierre saying something like, "I always take care of my skin -- even between rounds during a fight." Somehow I don't think he'd go for it, though.

Anyway, this seems like a good endorsement deal for St. Pierre. And a great deal for Mission Skincare, which is now affiliated with the most likable guy in MMA.

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White says Jones hype warranted, though title shot at least one year away

White says Jones hype warranted, though title shot at least one year away

With his UFC on Versus 1 win over Brandon Vera this past Sunday, light heavyweight Jon Jones (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) seems to have elevated his status from "bright prospect" to "developing superstar."

And there is no bigger fan of Jones than UFC president Dana White, who openly praised the 22-year-old "Bones" following his first-round win.

But despite another impressive performance by Jones in is first-round win, White said he doesn't believe his newest star is quite ready for title contention.

"He's not ready for that," White said. "I'd like to see him get another year under his belt, and in that year, before he got a shot at the title, he'd have to take out Rashad (Evans), 'Rampage' (Jackson), possibly 'Shogun' (Rua) or (Lyoto) Machida, then get the title shot."

The light heavyweight division has long been looked at as one of the most competitive in the UFC, and that trend continues today. Jones now owns quality wins over Vera, Jake O'Brien, Stephan Bonnar and Andre Gusmao. The hype surrounding Jones has already reached epic proportions, and White isn't comfortable calling the New Yorker a title contender, he believes the attention on the fighter is well-deserved.

"The hype is warranted," White said. "The kid is incredibly talented. Every time I see him fight, he looks phenomenal, and he gets better every time.

"It's incredible. He's a serious, serious talent."

As for Jones, he's in no rush, either. While he appreciates the attention his past performances have received, Jones is simply focused on bettering himself each time in the cage.

"As far as the hype, I don't ask for it," Jones said. "I just train really hard. My ultimate goal is just to be successful and be able to retire one day as a successful mixed martial artist.

"I just try to focus on the things that I can control. I can control my performance. I can control the way I train, how serious I take the sport. I can't control the hype. I don't ask for it, but I do appreciate the supporters."

Jones' next move is still uncertain. He's expressed a desire to take a little time off to spend with his family. While Jones has shown the ability to matchup with anyone in the UFC, there's one opponent that can be immediately ruled out.

White said despite how much he can't stand seeing the one controversial loss on Jones' record, he has no desire to arrange a rematch with Matt Hamill.

"The thing that really bums me out about [Jones'] career right now is that one loss on his record," White said. "It drives me crazy. Every time he gets in the octagon now, I'm going to look and see that one loss on his record, and it's going to drive me nuts. But even when that happened, the kid took it in stride.

"I don't think anybody thinks, 'Oh God, I wonder what would happen in that second fight?'"

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"UFC on Versus 1: Vera vs. Jones" draws 1.24 million viewers

"UFC on Versus 1: Vera vs. Jones" draws 1.24 million viewers

The UFC's first-ever event on Versus, "UFC on Versus 1: Vera vs. Jones," held this past Sunday in Broomfield, Colo., drew 1.24 million viewers, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed.

UFC on Versus 1 marked the first event on the cable channel available to the 18 million homes serviced by DirecTV after a six-and-a-half-month service interruption due to a dispute over carrier fees.

The ratings included a 1.66 rating in the males 18-34 demographic, as well as a 1.21 figure in the persons 18-49 category.

The figures represent an astounding 232 percent increase from the 373,000 viewers that tuned in for the UFC's sister promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting, on March 6 for "WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz."

The WEC's last event before Versus was dropped from DirecTV, "WEC 42: Torres vs. Bowles," held in August 2009, drew 670,000 viewers.

While the 1.24 million viewers for UFC on Versus 1 represents a significant increase from the channel's average WEC viewership, the number ranks the event as only the third most-watched MMA event in the channel's history.

"WEC 34: Faber vs. Pulver," which took place in June 2008, drew 1.54 million viewers, while "WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber II" drew 1.3 million viewers in June 2009.

In comparison to the UFC's recent live-event broadcasts on its primary cable-television partner, Spike TV, UFC on Versus 1 fell short.

The UFC on Versus 1 audience size is a 27 percent decrease from the 1.7 million viewers that tuned into January's "UFC Fight Night 20: Maynard vs. Diaz" event, and less than half of the 2.5 million viewers that tuned into September 2009's "UFC Fight Night 19: Diaz vs. Guillard." UFC Fight Night 19 is the second-largest audience to ever watch a UFC Fight Night event.

At the UFC on Versus 1 post-event press conference, Versus president Jamie Davis said the channel will host its second event, UFC on Versus 2, on Aug. 1.

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Jon Jones attacks employee in Broomfied, Colorado. Caught on video

Jon Jones attacks employee in Broomfied, Colorado. Caught on video

Don't not if charges have been filed yet but the guy didn't have a chance. Didn't see it coming, it was completely classless from Bones Jones.

I'm guessing that 50K bonus might go to paying this guy off or Jones will be spending a lot of time in court over the next few months.

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Dana White a believer in "real deal" Junior Dos Santos, Cain Velasquez fight possible

Dana White a believer in "real deal" Junior Dos Santos, Cain Velasquez fight possible

BROOMFIELD, Colo. –Dana White found a way to dodge the question a dozen different ways from a dozen different reporters – both before and after Sunday's UFC on Versus 1 post-fight press conference.

But following the heavyweight fighter's dismantling of Gabriel Gonzaga, Junior Dos Santos would seem a logical next opponent for fellow fast-rising heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez.

While UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Dos Santos' latest win solidifies his standing as "the real deal," he's not ready to commit to Velasquez – or any potential opponent – just yet.

In the UFC on Versus 1 co-headliner in Broomfield, Colo., Dos Santos made quick work of Gonzaga while flooring the longtime contender with a left hook. Dos Santos then stood over his downed opponent and rained down heavy blows until the referee halted the action four minutes into the first round.

Dos Santos (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has now posted knockouts in all five of his UFC wins (four in the first round). In fact, all 11 of his pro wins have come via stoppage, 10 of which were the result of his heavy hands.

White, though, said the Gonzaga win proves that Dos Santos isn't a mere one-dimensional striker.

"There are a lot of questions [about] his ground game because he's been knocking people out so fast," White told MMAjunkie.com. "Tonight, he got in a scramble with Gonzaga, and he popped right out of it. It was impressive. He's the real deal; I think this kid is the real deal."

So why not match him up with Velasquez (8-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), a two-time Division I All-American who recently toppled former UFC and PRIDE champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110? Why not whittle down the list of contenders by pitting two of them against each other?

White simply wants to await this weekend's UFC 111 co-headliner between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin, which earns the winner an interim heavyweight title and a likely title-unification bout with current champ Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 in July.

With so many pieces available, White simply wants to see how it all shakes out. That's why doesn't want to commit to Dos Santos vs. Velasquez – or any other heavyweight bouts – right away.

"They're all going to fight," White said of the glut of contenders. "All these guys in that lineup are going to fight, but we've got to figure out how it's all going to go down. Mir and Carwin are going to get this thing started. We'll see what happens there, and the great thing is, we're a week away from that."

And while MMA fans have never proven to be a patient bunch, White said the list of fight possibilities – with the likes of Lesnar, Carwin, Mir, Dos Santos, Velasquez, Nogueira and even UFC on Versus 1 winner Cheick Kongo and UFC Fight Night 21's Stefan Struve – proves just how far the once-depleted division has come.

"We've got this big lineup of heavyweights," White said. "Back in the day, it was pretty grim. Now we've got them lined up ready to go. They're all great guys, and there's so many different ways that we can mix and match these guys that it's going to be fun."

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Brock Lesnar’s Motivation: We Assume Too Much

Brock Lesnar’s Motivation: We Assume Too Much

Motivation is the activation or energization of goal-oriented behaviour, which can be classified by two main sub groupings:

The first is intrinsic motivation, which comes from the rewards inherent to a task or an activity itself (the love of fighting).

To me, what makes a guy like Randy “The Natural” Couture such a great champion, isn’t so much that he has been the most dominant fighter throughout his career, but it has more to do with his “natural” love of fighting.

My perception (and I could very well be wrong) is that he is the type of fighter who is always looking for the next best way to challenge himself.

He lives for the competition.

He will fight whoever they put in front of him (including a monster like Brock Lesnar), not because he is 100 percent certain that he will win, but because win or lose, he only ever wants to fight the best that is available (hence, his strong desire to want to fight Machida).

The result?

Well, an 18-10 record for starters, and an obvious amount of damage to his legacy in the eyes of many fans (not that he cares – nor should he).

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”—Frank A. Clark

The second is extrinsic motivation, which comes from outside of the performer. Money and fame are obvious examples, but so is the threat of punishment (loss of a championship title).

Recently, while discussing his upcoming fight with Shane Carwin, Frank Mir had this to say about Lesnar:

"The competitor in me wants to face Lesnar as soon as possible and be the first one in line.

"As far as if it worked out, I don't feel like holding the heavyweight division hostage. If after, if I'm victorious on March 27, and I had an injury that didn't allow me to fight, and Brock wants to take a risk to fight Cain first before he fights me, more power to him.

"I think [Velasquez] is a dangerous fight for [Lesnar]. I would be willing to bet that maybe he would be more comfortable waiting for me."

Clearly, Mir’s remarks are working on the bold assumption that Lesnar’s motivation is strictly – extrinsic.

More comfortable fighting Mir?

What is it about the current UFC heavyweight champion that would make anyone assume that Lesnar’s motivation would be any different than Couture’s?

Lesnar has been a sporting competitor his entire life.

He made his way from being an accomplished amateur wrestler, to gaining prominence in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Then in 2004, Lesnar quit the wealth and security of the WWE to pursue a more challenging (and dangerous) career in the NFL (wow, talk about willing to “take a risk!”).

After that “risk” didn’t pay off, Lesnar then returned to professional wrestling at the end of 2005 for a brief stint in Japan before shifting gears and entering into the unknown world of mixed-martial arts.

Soon after, with only a record of 2-1, Lesnar was already willing to fight Randy Couture for the championship (because let’s face it – it was offered to him), when he easily could have taken his time fighting one tomato can after another (Bobby Lashley anyone?), with absolutely no affect to his fame, money, or pay-per-view drawing power.

But wait a second, if Lesnar is only concerned about protecting his title and status as the champion, then why wouldn’t he have played it safer from the start?

Hmmm....something just isn’t adding up.

Please don’t tell me that Mir is simply playing more mind games?

That would be very “un-Mir-like.”

“Success isn’t determined by winning. Each year, it’s how [a fighter] improves. Instead of focusing on actual “wins,” we focus on our system and as a result, the wins will simply become a by-product of all of the hard work that the [fighter] will put in.”—Coach Dave H.

Brock Lesnar is a true champion (like him or not) because he fights for the sake of fighting and would welcome any of the top heavyweights in the world at any given time – not because he is so completely positive that he will win, but because like Couture, he wants the greatest challenge available to him.

If that is Mir – great!

If it’s Cain, Carwin, Fedor, Dos Santos, Big Nog...whoever...Lesnar will be ready to take on all challengers.

The bigger question is; will they be ready for a new and improved Brock Lesnar?

I look forward to finding out.

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Shane Carwin unconcerned with rocky road to UFC 111 fight

Shane Carwin unconcerned with rocky road to UFC 111 fight

BROOMFIELD, Colo. – Recounting the past year of Shane Carwin's (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) fighting life is a bit difficult. Just listen to him try.

"You get ready for a training camp, and you get your eyes on an opponent and start getting prepared for them, and then it falls through," Carwin told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Then a new one was there, and so you take a week off and get ready to get prepared for that fight. Then it was six weeks before that fight, and that fight fell through. Then they were going to reschedule it in January, so I took another week off."

Despite the less-than-ideal path to his interim title shot with Frank Mir (13-4 MMA, 11-4 UFC) at UFC 111 on March 27, Carwin insists he'll be well-prepared – and he credits his life outside of the cage for pulling him through.

"It's definitely been a roller-coaster ride," Carwin said. "But fighting is not the only thing I have in life. Family is first. I always have my wife and my children, and that's the most important thing.

"Whether these fights fall through or not, I have my family, and I have a life outside of fighting. It's very important to be balanced, I think, in life."

Part of that life includes a full-time job as an engineer, and Carwin said that escape from the fight game has proven to far more beneficial than distracting.

"It's a place I get to go into at work, and I get to not think about fighting for a while and actually get to use my brain," Carwin said. "I went to college to retire in engineering. This whole fighting thing wasn't something that when I watched the first UFC, it wasn't like I was like, 'Wow, I want to do that.' It was more like, 'Wow, those guys are [expletive] crazy.'

"Now I guess I'm just part crazy, too."

Carwin needed just 3:24 to dispatch of his first three UFC opponents, and a March 2009 win over Gabriel Gonzaga cemented him as a legitimate threat in the heavyweight division. Unfortunately, due to a variety of scheduling issues, Carwin hasn't fought since.

Despite having to sit on the sidelines for more than one year between fights, Carwin believes the experience could prove positive.

"I was getting prepared to go through camp again, so it's been some ups and downs," Carwin said. "But along the way, I've learned a lot – training, especially. It's given me more time to work on technique.

"I'm obviously not the most technical guy, but I'm one of the tougher guys, I know that – maybe just a 'blue-collar fighter' is what you would call it. I get out there and brawl and do my best and work on as much as technique as possible. ... Being able to have the great coaching staff that I have around me has helped immensely, and the more technical I can become, the better fighter I'll become."

Another question mark surrounding Carwin is his endurance. While the powerful heavyweight has never shown suspect conditioning, he's also never fought longer than 2:11 in any fight. In fact, in his 11 career trips to the cage, Carwin has spent just 12:22 fighting.

Carwin understands the concern – he's curious, too – but he's confident in his conditioning.

"I feel comfortable going into later rounds," Carwin said. "I think in training, anyway, I do better as the rounds tend to go on and get more relaxed and more fluid. The same can be said for wrestling. When I was in the third round, I was the one pushing guys. So in the fighting, we'll see.

"It's unanswered for me, too, and especially when it's in front of 17,000 or 20,000 people. But I feel confident. We train for all that in here, and I feel good after all those rounds."

Of course, Carwin said with a smile, it might not even matter.

"Stylistically, my style of fighting, I don't know if I'll ever see those last rounds," Carwin said.

After more than a year away from competition, Carwin meets Mir in the co-main event of UFC 111. The winner will walk away with the interim title and will likely face current heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar this summer.

While Mir will undoubtedly prove a stiff test, Carwin doesn't believe the layoff will.

"I'm not concerned about that," Carwin said. "I don't perform my best in training. I perform my best in the octagon or on the mat, same as when I was on the football field. That's when I perform my best, and those are the moments that I look forward to.

"A lot of people might want to call it ring rust, but to me, however the fight comes out, you go in there and you do the best you can, and you be proud of that."

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Just got back from the UFC Versus 1 weigh ins with lots of crappy pictuers :D

Just got back from the UFC Versus 1 weigh ins with lots of crappy pictuers :D

Well, made the drive up to Denver today to catch the weigh ins and Nate doing his thing. Well, starting off, I-25 had a wreck that closed the freaking highway heading North, which I was trying to do. So I took 83 which is a 2 lane road with lots of traffic since the damn highway was shut down. So I ended up getting there about an hour after I wanted.

It started with Mike Goldberg doing his thing. I know, we all love to make fun of this guy. I won't any more. He was great IMO. I mean really, really good just standing there shooting the shit with us. He won me over today and I'll start to look away whenever he pulls his little Goldberg's in the future.

One note, Nate said he turned down a fight with Bisping on April 29 (not sure about the date) cause his wife is due a couple of days before so he's not sure what his next fight is.

And the main thing that jumped out at me was the Sandman. Hollycrap, he looked thin. I don't know if he looked good or not, his face was really sunken in. I'm guessing he had a HELL of a time making this first cut. I don't think my poor pictures while show it or not but damn oh damn. Big props to him for making weight, I hope he's able to fight strong tomorrow.

And Kongo actually look BIGGER in real life. That fucker is just huge. I got a good picture of Dana and Arianna looking at him while he was taking his shirt off.

Ok, let me get this pictures uploaded and see how they turned out.

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Junior dos Santos: I'll Surprise Gonzaga With My Speed

Junior dos Santos: I'll Surprise Gonzaga With My Speed

Junior dos Santos is younger than Gabriel Gonzaga, smaller than Gabriel Gonzaga and less experienced with Gabriel Gonzaga.

But as dos Santos prepares to battle Gonzaga on Sunday night at UFC on Versus 1, he says he's confident he's going to win because he's faster than Gonzaga.

"I am ready to go wherever the fight takes us, but I believe I will surprise him with my speed," dos Santos says. "I am very confident with my stand up."

Dos Santos certainly has good reason to be confident in his stand-up. In four UFC fights, he's beaten four opponents (Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Mirko Cro Cop and Gilbert Yvel) by doing nothing fancier than standing in front of them, going on the attack and landing clean, effective, powerful punches.

But Gonzaga has pretty good stand-up, too. He has knockout power in his hands and his feet, and he's also about 25 pounds heavier than dos Santos. While acknowledging that he'll be the smaller man in the Octagon on Sunday night, dos Santos emphasized that speed advantage as the reason he thinks he's going to win.

"I am not worried about that," dos Santos said of Gonzaga's size. "Again, I believe my speed will be superior."

Gonzaga would seem to have a significant advantage over dos Santos if the fight goes to the ground: In addition to being the bigger man, Gonzaga is a more decorated jiu jitsu practitioner than dos Santos. And dos Santos, whose only loss in his MMA career came via an armbar submission in a 2007 bout in a small Brazilian promotion, acknowledges that he hasn't been tested on the ground since signing with the UFC in 2008.

But dos Santos, who trains in Braziliani jiu jitsu with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, says that if he is tested on the ground, he'll be ready for it.

"I am very comfortable on the ground, I believe in my jiu jitsu skills," dos Santos said. "I haven't had to go to the ground in the UFC yet, but if it happens, I will be ready."

Still, dos Santos says, his favorite way to win a fight is the way he's done it in all four fights of his UFC career so far: With his punching power.

"I am always looking for the knockout when I fight," he said.

As the UFC's heavyweight division currently stands, there are at least three fighters ahead of dos Santos in line for a shot at the champion, Brock Lesnar: Frank Mir, Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez. The winner of the Mir-Carwin UFC 111 fight will get the first crack at Lesnar, unless he suffers an injury, in which case Velasquez would step in. So dos Santos is at least one more win away from a title shot, even if he beats Gonzaga in convincing fashion. But dos Santos says he's ready for a title shot right now.

"I feel that if I have a good victory over Gonzaga, as I have been doing in my UFC career I will be ready for a title shot. I consider myself to be up there with the top heavyweights in the UFC now," he said.

It might not come in 2010, but dos Santos believes the time is coming when he'll be the heavyweight champion of the world.

"My goal is to be the best one day," he said. "I feel that I am not yet at my peak and I believe that when I reach that point, I will be a great fighter."

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Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey estimated at 650,000 to 700,000 buys:

Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey estimated at 650,000 to 700,000 buys:

"With no HBO "24/7" dedicated to the event, an unknown B-side fighter in the main event, and an undercard that while not notably weak certainly didn't help matters, industry chatter is that the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight last weekend did around 650,000 pay-per-view buys in the United States, with the final number likely to be near 700,000.

Even the highest end number there (700K) would put it well below recent numbers for major "event" fights. Last year, Hatton-Pacquiao did around 825K, followed by Mayweather-Marquez at 1 million and Cotto-Pacquiao at 1.25 million. But I'd also say that this shouldn't have been unexpected, and it should be considered a success and testament to Pacquiao's drawing power."

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Fedor vs. Yoshida potentially going down April 25th rumor only

Fedor vs. Yoshida potentially going down April 25th rumor only

A Thursday just isn't a Thursday without a little bit of Fedor news that will make you throw your coffee table across the room in pure elation. MMA Ironman somehow got their hands on tomorrow's issue of Nikkan Sports which features a report about Fedor potentially facing Yoshida in his retirement fight April 25th in ASTRA. Since most of you guys probably don't speak Japanese, largely in part because there's something called 'English' that keeps getting in the way, here is my rather accurate translation of the newspaper's feature story. Now excuse me while I pat myself on the back.

An article in tomorrow's Nikkan Sports newspaper says that Yoshida's retirement fight in ASTRA will most likely be against Fedor. The exact quote is "Retirement match against Fedor, world's strongest man". According to the newspaper, Fedor's camp got in contact with Yoshida when he announced his retirement fight somewhere around February 8th and both parties have been negotiating ever since. There is a final meeting that will be held in Japan at Dream 13 which should finalize the negotiations. If nothing pans out after Dream 13, then they apparently have other fighters readily available to fight Yoshida.

If the fight is finalized at Dream 13, then it would mean Fedor would have just under a month to get ready for Yoshida at ASTRA which goes down April 25th. That's ichiban.

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So, you want to be an MMA fighter, watch this.

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Countdown To UFC 111: Full Episode (Vid)

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MMA Crypt's Prediction Contest XI : UFC on Versus 1

MMA Crypt's Prediction Contest XI : UFC on Versus 1

MMA Crypt's Prediction Contest XI : UFC on Versus 1
UFC on Versus 1: Vera vs. Jones
Location: Denver, Colorado
Venue: 1STBANK Center
Broadcast: Versus

MAIN CARD
•Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera
•Junior Dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
•Paul Buentello vs. Cheick Kongo
PRELIMINARY CARD
•James Irvin vs. Alessio Sakara
•Darren Elkins vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig*
•Shannon Gugerty vs. Clay Guida
•Eliot Marshall vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
•John Howard vs. Daniel Roberts
•Chase Gormley vs. Brendan Schaub
•Julio Paulino vs. Mike Pierce*
•Jason Brilz vs. Eric Schafer

This Fantasy Challenge Contest requires that you pick the winning fighters offered in the events, the method in which they will win and when they will win.

Enter here - http://mmacrypt.com/forum/misc.php?do=form&fid=5
Here is how it works:
4 points to pick the winner.
3 points to pick the style of win, decision, sub or KO
3 points to pick when the fight is over if you get the winner right.

Most points wins

If there is a tie, the poster with the most posts on MMACrypt.com wins the tie breaker

Method :
KO (votes as TKO and KO count as the same)
Decision (split and unanimous count as the same)
Submissions (all count as the same)

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Bobby Lashley tapped for for slot on April's "Strikeforce: Nashville" card

Bobby Lashley tapped for for slot on April's "Strikeforce: Nashville" card

Fast-rising heavyweight prospect Bobby Lashley (5-0 MMA, 1-0 SF), a former WWE and TNA "professional wrestler" who's posted an undefeated MMA record, is likely to earn a spot on the upcoming "Strikeforce: Nashville" event.

Sources close to the organization told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Strikeforce officials plan to book the fighter for the April 17 card.

No opponent has been determined, though an announcement could come within the next week.

With three title fights already booked for the CBS-televised card, Lashley is expected to be part of the night's preliminary card. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently told MMAjunkie.com that a fourth fight could be shown via delay on the CBS broadcast, time permitting. Sources said the Lashley fight is expected be that featured bout.

"Strikeforce: Nashville" takes place at Bridgestone Arena (formerly known as the Sommet Center) in Nashville, Tenn., airs live at 9 p.m. ET (tape delayed on the West Coast).

Lashley, a two-time NAIA national wrestling champion who also competed for the U.S. Army, made his Strikeforce debut in January and stopped UFC veteran Wes Sims via strikes midway through the first round. Prior to the promotional debut, he cut his teeth in smaller promotions while picking up wins over the likes of Jason Guida, Mike Cook and Bob Sapp.

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UFC's Maynard didn't hesitate to call out Florian-Gomi winner

UFC's Maynard didn't hesitate to call out Florian-Gomi winner

Gray Maynard is tired of fighting tough guys who do little for his career. He's looking for a name that pushes him toward a title shot with UFC lightweight champ B.J. Penn.

"That's just where I'm at," Maynard today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "The last three or four (fights) I've had tough ones, but they're just not that name. It's like, 'Ah well, he beat Nate (Diaz), but he was supposed to. He beat (Rich) Clementi, but he was supposed to.'"

That's why today on Twitter he called out the winner of a March 31 UFC Fight Night 21 headliner between two-time title challenger Kenny Florian and Japanese import Takanori Gomi.

Maynard (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), a 30-year-old Las Vegas native and veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter 5," quietly has built a virtually spotless UFC record by taking on fighters who matchmaker Joe Silva struggled to book at the time.

His past five opponents – Frankie Edgar, Rich Clementi, Jim Miller, Roger Huerta, and most recently, Nate Diaz – were fights in which he had a lot more to lose than to gain.

He's beaten them all with a solid mix of boxing and wrestling in 15-minute wars that all went the distance. But as a result, Maynard said, it's been harder for him to build the "wow factor" necessary to get big opportunities.

Fighting the winner of Florian vs. Gomi is the perfect solution.

"If Florian beats him, [Florian has] a great name," Maynard said. "It's like, 'Florian's unbelievable, he beat the PRIDE champ'. ... It doesn't matter if [Gomi] is still good or not; it's his name (that matters)."

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"Countdown to UFC 111" debuts tonight on Spike TV

"Countdown to UFC 111" debuts tonight on Spike TV

As a reminder, "Countdown to UFC 111," which previews next month's pay-per-view event in Newark N.J., debuts tonight on Spike TV.

The 30-minute special airs at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

It follows the debut of "UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. Hardy" Part II (10 p.m. ET/PT). The three-part series debuted last week with a record audience of 1 million viewers and concludes a week from today.

Both shows preview the March 27 UFC 111 event, which takes place at the Prudential Center and features UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy and an interim heavyweight title fight between Shane Carwin and Frank Mir. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view, and two preliminary-card fights air as part of Spike TV's one-hour "UFC Prelim" broadcast.

Spike TV airs replays of "Countdown to UFC 111" on March 25 (12:30 a.m. and 2 a.m.), March 26 (6:30 p.m.) and March 27 (2:30 p.m.).

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