What a bummer for Sean Loeffler. The 29-year-old was set to make his debut at UFC on Fuel TV 1, but apparently injured himself just before the fight.
MMAjunkie reported that Loeffler's opponent Buddy Roberts, also making his debut, was paid his win and show money. Loeffler was also paid his show money. That's a great gesture for two guys who were minutes away from laying it on the line.
Mauricio Shogun Rua Murilo Ninja Rua Marco Ruas Rodrigo Ruas Gabe Ruediger Mikko Rupponen
JZ Cavalcante Post Fight vs Wilcox Wants to Return to Action Soon Video by JZ CavalcanteDan The Beast Severn Frank Shamrock Ken Shamrock Sean Sherk Katsuyori Shibata Jake Shields
James Toney and Ken Shamrock are supposed to fight sometime in the fall of 2011. The two had a short press conference in Van Nuys, California to announce the fight, but started to get physical a little early.Pedro Rizzo Colin Robinson Ricco Rodriguez Jason Reinhardt Eddy Rolon João Roque
Have you tuned in to the Westminster Kennel Club's Dog Show? Then you've seen a dazzling array of dogs that vary from the adorable to the weird. We tune in to this show for the same reason that we'll tune into the UFC on Fuel fights on Wednesday -- because it's awesome.
Now, if only the Zuffa would put together a dog show for their fighters. Bellator could get in on the act, too, and it could serve as a fundraiser for an organization like Knock Out Dog Fighting. Who wouldn't want to see a fighter lead their dog around the ring at a moderate trot? Since we don't have that (yet), here's a gallery of fighters and their puppies.
Rashad Evans is trying to keep up the steely demeanor that helped him earn a shot at the UFC light heavyweight belt, but you just know that seconds after this shot, he burst into giggles and snuggled the pup.
Benson Henderson worked with his new Akita to get ready for his championship bout with Frankie Edgar at UFC 144. If the pup can't pass Henderson's guard, do you think Edgar can?
Joe Lauzon's dog Grip likes to help him as Lauzon plays Call of Duty.
Lauzon's opponent at UFC 144, Anthony Pettis, has good taste in friends.
Jason "Mayhem" Miller's dachsund Gator is always by his side. Gator appeared on "The Ultimate Fighter" when Miller coached, and the pup even has his own Twitter.
Alan Belcher will take on Rousimar Palhares at UFC on Fox 3. More importantly, he sat in a kennel to promote pet adoption last October.
If you're a total softie for your dog, take heart. So are men who beat people up for a living.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/know-want-look-fighters-dogs-200247484.html
Haik Soukiasian Ronaldo de Souza Ron The Monster Sparks Patrick Speight Mario Sperry Pete Spratt
Full episode! Vancouver is on notice - heavy hands mean a big-time main event unlikely to go the distance in Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin. Plus Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes and Demian Maia vs. Mark Muñoz - see what's in store!Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc/countdown-to-ufc-131-video_460590e56.html
Ivan Pack Ido Pariente Karo Parisyan Sherman Pendergarst B J Penn Anthony Perosh
Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos Video by UFC 131Genki Sudo Amar Suloev Mike Swick Takashi Sugiura Jung Chan Sung Minoru Suzuki
LAS VEGAS -- It wouldn't be a Josh Koshceck fight if the fans weren't trying to boo him out of the building, would it?
Everyone's favorite UFC villain was it again on Saturday night at UFC 143, frustrating the crowd during his fight against Mike Pierce and taunting them on the mic afterwards. Koscheck took a split-decision victory every bit as close as it sounds, winning on two of three judges' score cards, 29-28.
"Hey, you guys boo me all the time," Koscheck said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. "I'm the most hated guy in MMA, guess what, deal with it man! I find a way to win."
Round one was a very close affair; a tight positional battle with lots of grappling. According to Compustrike, Pierce outlanded Koscheck 22-16 in the round.
In round two, Koscheck picked up the pace and opened up a deep cut in Pierce's scalp, above his left eye. Koscheck landed a late takedown fairly easily, but couldn't do much with it.
At the start of round three, the Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd serenaded Koscheck with a "Koscheck sucks" chant, then another close round ensued. Koscheck then further aggravated the crowd with an apparent eye poke late in the round.
Judge Junichiro Kamijo gave Pierce rounds one and two; Jeff D'Amato and Jeff Collins both gave Koscheck rounds two and three.
"Mike Pierce is a tough guy," said Koscheck (19-5) "I knew this going in."
Koscheck has won both of his fights since returning from a broken orbital bone he suffered in his Dec. 2010 loss to Georges St-Pierre.
Follow Dave Doyle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/davedoylemma
Sam Stout Georges St Pierre Masanori Suda Genki Sudo Amar Suloev Mike Swick
Dana White has said it for years, the fight game isn't a place for team camaraderie in the long run, The fight game will eventually will split up even the best of friends.
The heat between former teammates Jon Jones and Rashad Evans has been palpable for over a year and now we could see two guys, who appeared to be even closer, fighting in the future.
Josh Koscheck is done with American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Ca. That could mean the roadblocks are gone for a Koscheck match against Jon Fitch.
As teammates they said they'd never fight each other unless it was for a title. That always drove their boss nuts. Now that Koscheck is on his own, would they pass up a chance for a title shot if it meant they had to fight?
Koscheck gave a cryptic answer when conversing with White during the UFC 143 postfight press conference.
"That's what I whispered to him," White told the media. "I said, 'Now I'm doing the Jon Fitch fight.' He said, 'Good luck with that.'"
Koscheck gave no details as to why he split from the camp. He first indicated things were on shaky ground during the week when he said he was fighting for "Team Me" not "Team AKA."
He confirmed things during the postfight.
"I'll be training out of Fresno for now. I'm no longer affiliated with some of the people at the gym that I've been training at. I'm going to do my own thing," said Koscheck.
What happened at AKA? Koscheck wouldn't even mention the gym by name.
Koscheck barely squeaked by Mike Pierce and admitted his motivation to fight was less than stellar. Between the drama of leaving his longtime team and Pierce not being a huge name, the veteran UFC star produced a lackluster performance.
"Josh looked flat tonight. I expected Josh to have the faster hands. He didn't really let his hands go tonight," White said. "He looked flat."
Maybe a Fitch fight, with the winner getting a title shot, is exactly the energy Koscheck needs. For now White said he's not planning on Fitch-Koscheck, but he's open to it.
"No. I'm just [expletive] with him. If the fight made sense ... because there was a time when those two were [at the top of the rankings] ... but if the fight made sense, yeah, I'd try to make it. I wouldn't do it just to do it," said White.
Fitch needs to get back in there as soon as possible. Knocking on the door for a second title shot for the last three years, Fitch's chances got crushed when he was knocked out in just 12 seconds at UFC 141 against Johny Hendricks. In the USA Today/Bloody Elbow 170-pound rankings, he dropped all the way down to No. 7.
Alexander Ustinov Umer W Chheena Victor Valimaki Mike Van Arsdale Paul Varelans Jovany Anaconda Varela
Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski Recorded Live Video Chat July 8th 2011 Video by Andrei ArlovskiAkitoshi Tamura Kiyoshi Tamura Evan Tanner Peni Taufa ao Thiago Tavares Paul Taylor
JZ Cavalcante Post Fight vs Wilcox Wants to Return to Action Soon Video by JZ CavalcanteMarcus Vinicios Falaniko Vitale Igor Vovchanchyn Anthony Walsh Wang Guan Wang Sai
Chad Griggs Wants a 'Real Big Name' Opponent Next Video by Chad GriggsSource: http://mmalice.com/chad-griggs/chad-griggs-wants-a-real-big-name-opponent-next-video_c65946c1f.html
Nam Phan Mike Pierce Mike Plotcheck Ross Pointon Trevor Prangley Daniel Puder
Nick Diaz was a no-show at the UFC 137 press conference in Las Vegas - just like he was a no-show at the press conference in Toronto the day before. Dana White decided enough is enough and axed him from the card, giving Carlos Condit the title shot in his place. In this interview with MMA:30's Dave Farra; Dana White talks about the trust lost, why he thinks he'll never heard from Diaz again, and touches on Overreem vs. Lesnar and the UFC's return to Japan. See more videos at MMA30.comAaron Riley Joe Riggs Pedro Rizzo Colin Robinson Ricco Rodriguez Jason Reinhardt
Shane Carwin Discusses Leaner Diet, Plan of Attack Against Junior dos Santos Video by UFC 131Tim Sylvia Javier Torres Tor Troeng Nobuhiko Takada Yoshihiro Takayama Daiju Takase
Division 1 baseball and wrestling are on his resume, but if Stipe Miocic keeps going this way in mixed martial arts those accomplishments will be a footnote. The former elite athlete at Cleveland State put on a show on Fuel TV by finishing a fellow unbeaten Philip De Fries in just 43 seconds in Omaha, Ne.
After a plodding victory over Joey Beltran in his debut at UFC, Miocic looked to send a message here. He came out looking to bang and paid the price in the early seconds. Just 16 seconds in, De Fries (8-1, 1-1 UFC) drilled him with a three-punch combination. The Independence, Ohio native stood his ground stuffing a weak attempt at a clinch and reset himself.
Miocic (8-0. 2-0 UFC) landed a big right of own with 4:25 left that stopped De Fries in his tracks. A submission specialist, De Fries freaked out and tried to punch his way out of trouble. It didn't work. De Fries got pushed back into the cage when Miocic landed another big right. That was all it took. He dropped to his hands and his knees, and covered up. He didn't want to fight anymore, so referee Dan Miragliotta saved him after seven more shots.
Miocic's skill set is impressive. He was a high level college wrestler at 197 pounds and also played on the Cleveland State baseball team.
He's the rare wrestler, who also boxed at a young age. He's got a Golden Gloves title to his credit. At 29, he's getting a little bit of a late start to his MMA career, but it's also allowed to grow into his frame. The 6-foot-4, 240 pounder didn't have an ounce of fat on him. He continues the trend of new heavyweights, who are much more athletic than the big men of the part.
Dillashaw regains his status as a top 135-pound prospect to watch
The outcome of "The Ultimate Fighter" doesn't always predict who'll be the best fighter to come off the show. T.J. Dillashaw wasn't up to snuff at the TUF 14 Finale, but he more than made up for it tonight by putting on a clinch against Walel Watson. Dillashaw rolled with a unanimous decision victory, 30-25, 30-25 and 30-26.
Dillashaw, 25, destroyed Watson from the opening seconds. He scored two takedowns early and worked what appeared to be three nasty chokes. And that was all in the first round. In the second, Watson found himself on his back just 24 seconds in. By late in the second, he'd outstruck Watson 110-2.
At 5-11, Watson is extremely long for the division, but Dillashaw did a great job staying away from any submission predicaments by working mostly from half guard. He also mounted Watson on several occasions.
At the end of the fight, Dillashaw's advantage in the stats department was staggering. He outlanded 172-12.
TUF 12 champ Brookins looks explosive in easy victory over Rocha
If Jonathan Brookins can clean up one bugaboo in his game he has a chance to be a real player in the UFC's featherweight division. Brookins holds his chin a little too high, but it didn't matter tonight because he made such quick work of Vagner Rocha.
A flubbed Rocha takedown attempt turned into a dominant position for Brookins, who scored the rare top control knockout of Rocha at the 1:43 mark of the first round.
Rocha caught a Brookin kick and tried to drive forward to shoot for a double leg takedown. Brookins easily thwarted the attempt and pushed forward to get Rocha on his back. Instead of staying patient and protecting himself, the Brazilian started grasping at a leg to potentially attempt a knee bar and foot submission.
Brookins is too slick for that, so he started raining down right hands. the first three didn't land cleanly, but the fourth did. So much so that is appeared to knockout Rocha, who ate three more shots before the ref tossed Brookins to the side.
UFC on Fuel TV 1 undercard results:
Ivan Menjivar def. John Albert via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:45
Justin Salas def. Anton Kuivanen via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-27)
Tim Means def. Bernado Magalhaes vis unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26).
Javier Torres Tor Troeng Nobuhiko Takada Yoshihiro Takayama Daiju Takase Oleg Taktarov
Diego Sanchez fought his rear end off last night in losing to Jake Ellenberger. The lead in to the fight was very revealing as Sanchez admitted he hadn't taken all elements of his career seriously enough. He seemed apologetic.
Just like the Season 1 "Ultimate Fighter" champion, Kendall Grove knows he's made mistakes along the way too, but he's not about to say he's sorry.
The headstrong Grove, who won TUF 3, is back fighting tonight in Las Vegas with a smaller promotion. Grove is headlining Superior Cage Combat 4 at the Orleans Arena. It's a solid card dotted with several UFC veterans. He may not be in the biggest show in the world, but Grove is happy with where he's at in his career.
"UFC was good, no doubt. But when I wanted to fight more it was 'no wait, wait. We'll tell you when you can fight.'Â It's more easier on my head," Grove told ESPN1100/98.9 FM. Don't get me wrong, I love competing with the best fighters in the world, but not all thebest fighters are in the UFC. There's other fighters out there."
Tonight, he faces another UFC veteran in Jay Silva (7-5, 0-2 UFC). He's looking for the finish. That's something he wasn't doing in his last few fights with the UFC.
"I kind of stalled in my UFC career ... just trying to survive and keep my job. I'm at the highest level, you don't want to go back down," said Grove. "That's where I messed up. I was just trying to survive."
Grove (14-9, 7-6 UFC) said in his mind he was a scrub and lucky to be there. His mindset has changed. He's fighting as often as possible. In fact the turnaround for this tilt was less than four weeks. Grove took out Japanese legend Ikuhisa Minowa back on Jan. 21 in Honolulu.
John Gunderson faces Justin Buchholz for the SCC lightweight title. TUF 13 alum Jamie Yager is also featured on the card. Two other UFC vets Terry Martin and Jesse Taylor were slated to square off, but the fight was canceled according to MMAWeekly.
SCC 4 weigh-in:
Kendall Grove (185) vs. Jay Silva (184) - Middleweight
John Gunderson (154.5) vs. Justin Buchholz (155) - Title fight
Danny Davis Jr. (170) vs. Jamie Yager (170) - Welterweight
Dominique Robinson (156) vs. Paulo Bananada (155) - Lightweight
Brandon Bender (145) vs. Shorty Weikel (144) -Bantamweight
Walt Harris (255) vs. Anthony Hamilton (265) - Heavyweight
Jimmy Jones (145) vs. Joao Victor (145) - Bantamweight
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