Take a closer look at UFC 130 through Tracy Lee's lens, with views of the Frank Mir and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's wins, Demetrious Johnson's controversial win, Travis Browne's knockout and more.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Pellegrino, 32, walking away from MMA career
Quinton Jackson looked solid on Saturday night, but his performance still leaves questions about his desire to continue fighting. The 32-year-old legend of the sport admits that he's fighting for money, not glory or titles. That's not uncommon amongst fighters.
Later in their careers, even with a lack of desire to train hard, most prize fighters will take a few extra fights past their prime. Kurt Pellegrino, 32, doesn't want to be one those guys and is doing something about it.
It was just last March, that Pellegrino (16-6, 7-5 UFC) was riding a four-fight win streak, but now he's leaving the sport as an active fighter.
"At this time I am choosing to take some time off and step away from the sport as a fighter. Over my most recent fights I have come to the realization that at this point I no longer can, nor want to make fighting my first priority," Pellegrino said on his website. "[...] Even last year when i was on a 4 fight win streak I still was questioning myself. This has made me reconsider what my next step will be competitively. I have spoken at length with [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva about my decision and have decided not to renew my contract with the UFC."
Pellegrino wants to make his family his first priority.
"Most importantly I want to spend more time with my family. My daughter is four years old and I can't tell you how much of her life I've missed dedicating my life to training for fights. I did so willingly and I've made a lucrative career with the UFC, but I'm not sure I could ever say any amount of money was worth it," Pellegrino said. "My wife and I just welcomed a baby boy and I can't bare the thought of missing as much of his 'firsts' as I did my daughters."
It looks like Pellegrino set himself up nicely. In his native New Jersey, he's got a gym in Belmar, a town on the Jersey Shore. He just expanded the Kurt Pellegrino Mixed Martial Arts Academy.
The future isn't certain for Pellegrino. He may not be completely through with active fighting, but he wants to step back and see if he can regain the hunger that's missing.
"I want to take the time to regroup, refocus, and rethink what it is that I want to do going forward. I want to do things that I enjoy right now and refresh my mind. I want to concentrate on my BJJ game and improve it. I want to work on my boxing game and improve that also," Pellegrino said. "I'd like to compete in some grappling tournaments again like the old days and maybe even try my hand at a pro boxing fight. I want to have fun training again, bottom line."
Pellegrino put on some entertaining shows in the UFC. In 12 fights, he earned a postfight bonus on five occasions.
From a media standpoint, Pellegrino was an interesting guy to cover. Fighting at the highest level always seemed to be more mental than physical for Pellegrino.
His debut in the UFC against Drew Fickett was a prime example. Through two-plus rounds at UFC 61, Pellegrino smoked Fickett, only to make a silly mistake and get submitted in the third round. The same thing happened against Nate Diaz at Ultimate Fight Night 13.
Pellegrino was brutally honest about his failures. That included admitting that he'd taken his education less than seriously and still couldn't read well into his late 20's.
One of the best moments of his career came at UFC 88. Before the fight, Pellegrino spoke about living with his in-laws. He needed to win a fight bonus in order to buy his dream house for his wife and young daughter. Pellegrino beat Thiago Tavares that night, received a $60,000 Fight of the Night award and got his new house.
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More Seven Day Weekends From Dustin
Dustin Dollin keeps dropping his behind the scenes raw Seven Day Weekend videos, click on through to view the two latest two
Source: http://theskateboardmag.com/blogs/shad-lambert/2011/05/28/more-seven-day-weekends-from-dustin/
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BasCB wins Monaco Predictions Championship round | Predictions Championship
Check your position in the Predictions Championship.
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UFC 130′s Three Stars: Browne, Stann and Boetsch
UFC 130's main events were less than thrilling, but the undercard delivered. Which fighters stood out?
No. 1 star -- Travis Browne: Coming off of an unsatisfying draw with Cheick Kongo, Browne was determined to not leave this one in the hands of the judges. Instead, he threw a superman punch that sent the 6-foot-11 Struve flying, and sent Browne home with an extra $70,000 in his pocket.
No. 2 star -- Brian Stann: Leave it up to a Marine to perform on Memorial Day weekend. Fighting a game Jorge Santiago, "The All-American" Stann dominated the bout and ended it with a KO near the end of the second-round.
No 3 star -- Tim Boetsch: In his first bout at middleweight, Boetsch showed that dropping an extra 20 lbs. didn't slow him down at all. He controlled Kendall Grove for every minute of the fight, using takedowns and ground-and-pound to earn a unanimous decision, and a spot as someone to watch in the middleweight division.
Who were your Three Stars? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.
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Boetsch dominates his way to UFC 130 win over Grove
In his first fight at middleweight, Tim Boetsch put on an impressive performance, beating Kendall Grove in a unanimous decision30-27 on all three judges cards.
Boetsch, a division one wrestler at Lock Haven, used his wrestling skills in the first round to take Grove down and then smother him with ground and pound in the first round. Grove had a hard time generating offense. He tried for an arm bar, but Boetsch shook it off easily.
In the second round, Boetsch stuck with the same script, continually taking Grove down and then controlling his every move. Grove could get to his feet at times, but wasn't able to cause any damage when there.
Grove had no idea how to stop Boetsch's grinding style by the third round. Again and again, Boetsch took Grove down, and then used his weight to wear out Grove. Late in the round, Grove took Boetsch down, but was reversed immediately. Boetsch was in control as the fight ended.
"Phil Davis affirmed my thoughts of moving to middleweight," Boetsch said after the bout. "I'm looking to make a run."
Boetsch was on the wrong side of history in his last bout, as Phil Davis introduced a new submission on him at UFC 123. But his size and strength at this middleweight seem to suit the 29-year-old. This win puts him to 13-5, with five wins in the UFC.
Grove, who won the "Ultimate Fighter" in 2006, has had an up and down career in recent years. This is his second loss in a row, as Demian Maia beat him in a decision in December. Grove's record now stands at 12-9.
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Now Kimbo Slice wants to box an NFL player?
Kimbo Slice's rise from underground street fighter to network TV star was simply amazing. His fall hasn't possessed the charm, but it seems to have happened just as quickly.
After losing in the first round of the UFC's "Ultimate Fighter" and going 1-1 with the promotion, the man has simply fallen off the face of the earth.
Now we're confused about what he wants to do. Does he ever want to fight again? He's been mum on the topic. His original MMA promoters, The Shaws, continue to push for him to get back in the ring, but we wonder if the latest effort is only making Kimbo look foolish.
Jared Shaw is proposing a ridiculous boxing debut for the former streetfighting king. Shaw�told MMAWeekly Radio:
"I'll tell you right now on the air, I've called Mike Riley to get in touch with Ray Edwards' people and I've made an open challenge to come fight Kimbo Slice. That fight I will deliver.
"If Ray Edwards wants to step up and fight Kimbo Slice I will deliver that to the public. There's two guys that come from athletic backgrounds, that haven't been in the ring that many times, so let's see two big boys bang it out. If Ray Edwards thinks he's a great boxer, then maybe he thinks he can go through Kevin Ferguson very quickly."
Edwards is a defensive end with the Minnesota Vikings. Much like Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski, Edwards decided to make a little money during the NFL lockout by stepping into the squared circle. He hasn't made his boxing debut yet, but Shaw is calling him out, saying:
"Some people will call it a circus, but you can call it whatever you want.�It's two guys who are willing to get in the ring and bang it out. I don't really call that a circus."
The 6-foot-5, 268-pound Edwards is slated to fight this Friday against a former kickboxer named T.J. Gibson.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
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Calculated Risk
It’s not uncommon, when telling someone that I’m a skydiver, to hear comments like: “Wow, you’re brave!” “That’s dangerous, don’t you get scared?” “Aren’t you afraid your ‘chute won’t open?” You get the idea. Truth is we are taking risks as skydivers, but they are calculated risks. Just as with anything else in life, you [...]
Source: http://skydivechick.com/2011/05/calculated-risk/
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Sunday at Miller Motorsports Park with Scott Jones
Photos: ��2011�Scott Jones Photography ? All Rights Reserved
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/0XrpHhxBOrg/
East Coast Urban Shred
The Eastern Boarders team delivers in this rail-heavy East Coast edit. If nothing else, check out Yale Cousino's scene-stealing two-trick part at about 1:54.
Eastern Boarderers 2011 from tanner on Vimeo.
See a Whole New Side of Maui with a Maui Snorkeling Cruise
No matter how beautiful the tropical scenery of Maui might be, the view below the water is as breathtaking as the view on dry land. One of the best ways to experience the underwater world of the Hawaiian tropics in on-board a Maui snorkeling cruise. There are many options available for a snorkel cruise in [...]
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Monday, May 30, 2011
Roxy Relax Mix Typed Hoody ? Lilac
Roxy Relax Mix Typed Hoody – Lilac The Roxy Relax Mix Typed Hoody is available in Lilac. 80% Cotton, 20% Polyester, Pull on, with printed logo design on front. Price �32.50 FREE UK DELIVERY AVAILABLE Category: Hoodies|X-treme Deals
Source: http://snowboardaction.net/roxy-relax-mix-typed-hoody-lilac/
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We've moved to a new address!
We're sorry (but excited) to announce that our "Surfing, Surf Art & Culture" blog has moved to Club Of The Waves! We've migrated our entire blog archive over there, so you can still find all our old posts and plenty of new ones too! Blogger has been very good to us since 2008, but it's time for us to move on…
The 'new' blog over on COTW has two options to view it in the traditional or "Classic" blog view, or the slightly different "Grid" blog view. See which you prefer…
www.clubofthewaves.com/blog/
Aloha.
The 'new' blog over on COTW has two options to view it in the traditional or "Classic" blog view, or the slightly different "Grid" blog view. See which you prefer…
www.clubofthewaves.com/blog/
Aloha.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cotw/~3/WFNRL0ViHuk/weve-moved-to-new-address.html
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Jake Shields' UFC 129 Workout with Tareq Azim - UFC 129
*** Watch Complete 1/2hr HD Episodes on http://www.MMAheat.com ***MMA H.E.A.T went to Xtreme Couture in Toronto to catch up with Jake Shields, 3 days before he challenges Georges St.Pierre for the UFC Welterweight belt. Jake works the pads with his head trainer Tareq Azim: and for the record, rounds 8-10 are seen here.Be sure to visit http://www.MMAheat.com for more interviews and archived episodes of our 1/2 hour TV show. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryantSource: http://mmalice.com/ufc-129/jake-shields-ufc-129-workout-with-tareq-azim-video_9a88ed4fb.html
PWA Slalom South Korea
The conditions here at Jinha Beach in South Korea are quite ok. We got wind on several days and so far almost 4 eliminations could have been finished. So far it�s one of my worst events, but two more days to go. Let�s hope for some more action. Some shots of Victor Couto and John [...]
Feeder from Familia
Familia (the South African one) has a new eight minute promo called Feeder with all kinds of rad skateboarding.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MostlySkateboarding/~3/pjIQt62lM2E/feeder-from-familia.html
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Surf Artist - Dominique Amendola
Introducing French artist (now living in India, which is a new location for COTW's artist base); Dominique Amendola. Dominique paints a vast array of subject matter, but her 'surf art' is particularly interesting and something 'new'… She takes famous paintings from great artists (e.g. Van Gogh) and gives them a surfing twist! She calls this the "Amadeus series" and she tells us there are more on the way, so watch this space…
www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/dominique-amendola.php
Artist's rendition of The Great Wave off Kanagawa
www.dominiqueamendola.com/collections/amadeus-series
www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/dominique-amendola.php
Artist's rendition of The Great Wave off Kanagawa
www.dominiqueamendola.com/collections/amadeus-series
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cotw/~3/1jiIZaJhAZE/surf-artist-dominique-amendola.html
Royce Gracie: - Royce Gracie
*** Watch Complete 1/2hr HD Episodes on http://www.MMAheat.com ***MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant catches up with the legendary fighter Royce Gracie at the UFC 129 press conference, and gets his thoughts on Randy Couture's fight with Lyoto Machida. Royce also answers the question of whether or not he'll be fighting when the UFC goes to Rio in August, 2011, and he lets us know what his secret for staying young and in top fighting shape is.Be sure to visit http://www.MMAheat.com for more interviews and archived episodes of our 1/2 hour TV show. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryantSource: http://mmalice.com/royce-gracie/royce-gracie-video_3038d2c21.html
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Velasquez talks opponents, competition and racing
CREST HILL, Ill. --UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is the person most affected by Brock Lesnar pulling out of his bout with Junior dos Santos, but he responded to the change of his potential future opponent with a shrug.
"I was surprised, but in any sport, it happens. People get hurt all the time. You have to expect that sometimes," Velasquez told Cagewriter.
It's a predicament that Velasquez understands. Still rehabbing from the shoulder injury that knocked him out of a planned bout with Junior dos Santos, Velasquez spoke with Cagewriter after teaching a seminar at Clay Guida's Gym in suburban Chicago.
Velasquez will fight the winner of the Shane Carwin, who stepped into fight Junior dos Santos at UFC 131. He said that he is open to fighting either fighter. He just wants a good opponent.
"No, to me, it's whoever the better fighter is. Now they're two guys with similar styles. With Brock, it was two different styles. Brock's a wrestler, Junior's a striker. Now both of these guys are heavy-handed, they hit hard, they're bigger guys. It's pretty much the same."
Like Lesnar, Velasquez had to make the hard decision to not fight. He mentioned the UFC's new plan to give fighters health insurance, and how that will make the decision easier for fighters.
"We always go into fights where we're not 100 percent. But now, we're OK. We don't have to worry about. Before, we had to think about it, should I just tough it out, what should I do. It's a big weight off our shoulders."
Velasquez's shoulder has improved, and he's been cleared to start some training, but not full out. At the seminar, he displayed techniques and corrected attendees -- who ranged from wrestlers in grade school to fighters looking for a pro bout -- but stayed conservative with his movements.
As he heals, Velasquez has plenty of other things to keep him occupied. He is getting married at the end of the month, and he engaged in some friendly competition with fellow fighters while in Las Vegas for the Fighters Summit. Velasquez headed out to Exotics Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Phil Davis, Urijah Faber, Jake Ellenberger, Eddie Wineland, Matt Mitrione and his collegiate teammate Ryan Bader. The fighters raced around the track, and Velasquez's competitive side came out.
"I was just trying to beat everyone. Me and Ryan Bader were driving, and I actually lapped him. He was in a Ferrari," Velasquez said. He drove a Nissan GT-R. "It's not the car, it's how you drive it. He was pretty upset about that."
He admits that he is incredibly competitive, and competes with everyone in his life. That includes his fiancee.
"I'm competitive with everybody. It doesn't matter. I'm competitive with everybody. With my fiancee, everybody. Everything. Every little game. I hate to lose."
That's not a bad trait for a UFC champion to have.
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What you need to know from this week on “The Ultimate Fighter”
If Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter" has been missing anything, it's a bit of that pizazz from Brock Lesnar's WWE days. The former WWE champ still hasn't gone back to his roots, but between Chris Cope's Ric Flair-like "wooos" and Junior dos Santos screaming "what" like he was watching "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Episode 9 felt like being at a wrestling event.
It also turned out to be about and looking past an opponent and weak excuses.
Cope is supposedly the weak link on the show, but he proved everyone wrong again by pulling the upset on Team dos Santos' No. 1 pick Shamar Bailey.
UFC president Dana White called it before the fight saying Bailey looked one-dimensional in his opening round win and was overlooking Cope. Cope wasn't exactly Mr. Aggressive, but he successfully defended against nine takedown attempts and gassed Bailey on his way to a surprising 20-18 win.
Dos Santos was shocked.
"That [decision] was terrible for me," dos Santos said. "I looked at Dana and said 'what?'"
Bailey was also in disbelief saying, "he fought well, but I don't know about that. You can't win backing up the whole time."
White seemed pleased that Cope got the decision and wasn't hearing Bailey's lame excuse during a one-on-one conversation shortly after the fight.
"I just want to let you know I took a risk," Bailey told White. "I wanted to show you I could bang and not just wrestle. I left it in the hands of the judges. I could've took the easy way out and just took him down."
White quickly pointed to Bailey that he did try to take Cope down throughout the fight and had zero success.
There was no controversy in quarterfinal fight No. 1. Knowing that Ramsey Nijem is a strong wrestler, Brock Lesnar worked with Clay Harvison on his takedown defense. Harvison was drilled hard on getting out of the clinch.
Practice didn't make perfect. He was taken down just 10 seconds into the fight. When he tried to get back up he left his back exposed. Nijem worked to get the hooks in, then flattened out Harvison before locking on a rear-naked choke. It was all over in 56 seconds.
Next week it looks like Tony Ferguson goes psycho in the TUF house. He also faces Ryan McGillivray while Zach Davis battles "Cold Steel" Chuck O'Neil.
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New 2HeadedHorse Web Site
I've recently jumped on board with Laban Pheidias and Ted Newsome over at 2HeadedHorse Productions. We enjoy producing television shows, music videos, commercials, short films, documentaries and feature films.
Source: http://theskateboardmag.com/blogs/danozone/2011/05/29/new-2headedhorse-web-site/
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First time climbing at Froggatt Edge
I’ve only just got chance to post about last week’s trip to Froggatt Edge. Friends tell me that a crisp spring morning is better for climbing grit but if you ask me sunshine is the way forward. I headed to Froggatt Edge (just south of Sheffield) with a few friends for my first ascents on [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rock-climbing-blog/~3/hOSsO_V8trg/philsheard
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Sunday, May 29, 2011
UFC 130 picks, Vegas-style: Will Hamill catch ‘Rampage’ sleeping at the wheel?
Which Quinton Jackson shows up at UFC 130 this weekend? Randy Couture is asking and so are the analysts with RawVegas.tv. Is Jackson just spouting off when he says he's not fired up to fight Matt Hamill or is he just trying to diffuse when folks push him to talk trash?
A less than in-shape Jackson didn't show well in fights against Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans. Larry Pepe from ProMMARadio.com and Damon Martin from MMAWeekly.com joined me on RawVegas to break down the main event.
UFC 130 betting odds (Courtesy Lagasse Stadium Las Vegas):
Matt Hamill (+240) vs. Quinton Jackson (-320) - Light heavyweight
Frank Mir (-120) vs. Roy Nelson (-110) - Heavyweight
Rick Story (+170) vs. Thiago Alves (-200) - Welterweight
Travis Browne (-115) vs. Stefan Struve (-115) - Heavyweight
Jorge Santiago (+110) vs. Brian Stann (-140) - Middleweight
Miguel Torres (-130) vs. Demetrious Johnson (Even) - Bantamweight
Tim Boetsch (+130) vs. Kendall Grove (-160) - Middleweight
Rafaello Oliveira (+280 ) vs. Gleison Tibau (-360) - Lightweight
Michael McDonald (-300) vs. Chris Cariaso (+220) - Bantamweight
Renan Barao (-330) vs. Cole Escovedo (+250) - Lightweight
You can watch UFC 130 right here on Yahoo! Sports
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Fighters give their take on Kobe vs. Pau
There's a delicate balance in the gym amongst training partners. Teammates in MMA are really no different than those in other sports. We've seen plenty of drama unfold in 2011 between for Jackson's MMA teammates Rashad Evans and Jon Jones, so when we brought up the Kobe Bryant vs. Pau Gasol rumors to several fighters, they had plenty to say.
If you're not an NBA fan, the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks. Lakers big man Gasol was underwhelming throughout the postseason and confirmed that he let problems off the court affect his play. Bill Plaschke from the L.A. Times:
"I have to learn from this," Gasol said. ''I have to learn that when something happens off the court, you have to keep it off the court."
He was referring to the report that he stopped talking to Bryant during the postseason because Bryant's wife, Vanessa, had contributed to the breakup of Gasol and his longtime girlfriend. Lakers fans will remember Karl Malone publicly accused Vanessa of interfering with his personal life in a similar fashion.
If the rumors are true, Kobe's reportedly had similar issues former teammates Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal.
Rashad Evans, Melvin Guillard and Anthony Johnson were all asked about how much dirt you're allowed to dish to your spouse about your teammates.
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Fitch says his fight against GSP could be most exciting option at 170
There's still no word on what's next for Georges St-Pierre. After he limped across the finish against Jake Shields, many folks have changed their minds about the UFC welterweight champ being invincible at 170 pounds.
Does that mean fans are more open to GSP-Jon Fitch II? Fitch sold the fight on this week's Inside MMA on HDNet (9 p.m. ET).
"You look at all the fights GSP's had, which fight has been the most exciting? Whether or not, you think I could beat him, which fight has been the most exciting fight?" Fitch asked Kenny Rice and company (0:179 mark). "And that's the fight I had with him. You're guaranteed to have an exciting fight with him. He can't hold me down, I can take his punch and I'm always gonna keep moving forward."
Fitch lost that one-sided fight at UFC 87 by a unanimous decision (50-43, 50-44, 50-44). Has he gotten better since then? Fitch's won five straight along with a draw versus B.J. Penn, but he hasn't exactly steamrolled people. Meanwhile, St-Pierre's become a very cerebral fighter and appears to gameplan for decision victories.
If GSP-Fitch II goes five rounds again it may spark another Wiki graffiti incident.
Is Fitch-GSP II the best option? If not, what is?
It looks like a good episode of Inside MMA with Rashad Evans, Mark Munoz, Daniel Cormier and Fitch. Evans appears to be the co-host. Hopefully, he can live up to standard set by Tito Ortiz a few weeks back. Tito struggled a little bit.
Tip via MMAMania
Rampage Jackson Post-Fight Press Conference Highlights
LAS VEGAS -- Watch below as Quinton "Rampage" Jackson holds court at the UFC 130 post-fight press conference. Jackson talked about his entrance song choice and much more. Also, Roy Nelson and Matt Hamill talk about coming out on the losing end of their fights.Watch the video below.
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/05/29/rampage-jackson-post-fight-press-conference-highlights/
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Shinya Aoki Submits Rich Clementi; Imanari, Tokoro Advance in Dream Bantamweight GP
Filed under: DREAM, Results, Japan
TOKYO, Japan -- DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki was essentially perfect at DREAM Fight for Japan at Saitama Super Arena on Sunday night, dominating UFC veteran Rich Clementi for twelve minutes before slapping on a face lock from back control for an easy submission victory in DREAM's first event of 2011.Also on the card for the leading Japanese promoter's return to action, Masakazu Imanari and Hideo Tokoro booked their tickets to the final of the Bantamweight Japan Grand Prix, although Tokoro's route to the final was definitely not without controversy, advancing through to the semifinals by an sickening blow to the groin of Yoshiro Maeda.
Full results below.
Shinya Aoki dominates Rich Clementi
As one would expect, Shinya Aoki wanted late replacement Rich Clementi on the mat in their non-title lightweight affair and without too much resistance, that is exactly what Aoki got. Within seconds of the opening bell, the DREAM lightweight ace closed the distance and secured the clinch leading into a single leg takedown into half guard. Clementi's attempts to escape from the bottom position or mount some offense only gave Aoki the space he needed to advance his position and after a failed kimura attempt from the American, Aoki had Clementi in back control.
With Clementi perhaps over-concerned about the possibility of a rear naked choke, Aoki was free to punch without fear of his opponent escaping and the DREAM ace landed what seemed like at least one hundred unanswered blows over the course of approximately four minutes. Clementi made no attempt to escape or offer more defense than simply shelling up, but was clearly telling referee Yuji Shimada not to stop the bout and advising his corner that Aoki "punches like a girl."
In a highly questionable decision, Shimada stood up the bout and yellow carded Clementi despite Aoki continuing to rain in fists from back control while the American made no attempt at all to escape or even move.
Round two was more of the same for Aoki as he again got the takedown with ease and found himself in back control. This time though, realizing that the referee wasn't going to stop the bout regardless of how many punches he landed, Aoki sought the submission more aggressively and was quickly rewarded with his second consecutive face lock submission victory.
Katsunori Kikuno employs new, although questionable style in victory over Daisuke Nakamura
At Katsunori Kikuno's open training session in the lead up to DREAM Fight for Japan, the karate stylist demonstrated a new style of striking that employed no guard and largely consisted of pressing forward with straight punches from the hip while taking unprotected punches to the face. Many in the press had taken Kikuno's demonstration as a simple nod to his traditional roots, but surprisingly this was the style he used in his decision victory over armbar king Daisuke Nakamura.
Kikuno gave no respect to Nakamura's punching power, freely taking punches to the face in order to throw his own. The change of style was also so radical that we did not see Kikuno's trademark hourglass stance or body kick, a blow that has brought him up the top echelon of the Japanese lightweight rankings in recent years. With Nakamura's chin proving solid and the Kiyoshi Tamura student scoring well on the feet, Kikuno resorted to takedowns and ground and pound for the majority of the latter half of the fight and comfortably earned the decision, despite his confusing tactics.
Caol Uno's experience leads him to victory over "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura
15-year veteran, Caol Uno was on the verge of retirement before his bout with artist/slugger "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura, but a masterful game plan convinced the former Shooto champ and two-time UFC title contender that perhaps is not the time to hang up the gloves.
Uno, lacking the strength to out-wrestle his much younger foe, drew Nishiura into scrambles from feigned takedowns and from there, was time and time again able to secure the back and came close to earning the rear naked choke submission victory. Nishiura, who consistently proves incredibly difficult to submit, was never able to land his wild uppercuts and hooks and so Uno easily earned the judges favor.
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue TKO's Deep Champion Koichiro Matsumoto
In what was billed as a battle of the regional promotions, former Shooto ace "Lion" Takeshi Inoue blitzed fellow striker and Deep champion Koichiro Matusmoto with a straight right, following it up with hammer fists to get his first DREAM victory and the win for Shooto.
Before the right hand, Matsumoto seemed to be taking the lead, moving much better around the ring from the outside and scoring better with his hands, but one punch from "Lion" was all it took to send his opponent crumbling to the canvas. Matsumoto was vocally protesting the stoppage post-fight, but given that he was curled up in the fetal position and making no attempt to move, the stoppage was good.
Joachim Hansen derails Mitsuhiro Ishida
Former DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen has not been overly impressive at featherweight, seemingly lacking power and often running out of gas early in a bout, but his victory over Mitsuhiro Ishida showed that he still can perform at this weight class, even if it is not ideal for him.
In a roll reversal, Ishida, who had been undefeated as a featherweight going into the bout, was surprisingly the better of the two on the feet, running circles around Hansen and dropping him with a straight left hand. Hansen was good enough to recover though and in another strange roll reversal actually landed a suplex on the wrestler among several takedowns he scored.
Despite his cardio failing him in the late in the bout, an armbar attempt from Hansen proved to be better than Ishida's striking and his own takedowns and the judges rendered a split decision in the Norwegian's favor.
Imanari and Tokoro move to finals of Bantamweight Japan Grand Prix
Hideo Tokoro's path to the bantamweight GP finals was controversial as he essentially won one bout by head butt and groin strike.
The highly entertaining grappler was superb in his defeat of Atsushi Yamamoto as he out-boxed and out grappled the Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto team-mate in their rematch, earning a split decision despite taking significant damage in his quarter-final fight.
In that quarterfinal bout, Yoshiro Maeda and Tokoro put on a wild haymaker fiesta, throwing defense out the window and swinging for fences, prompting Maeda to scream in enjoyment and pain. This incredible display was brought to an end though when Tokoro inadvertently delivered a head butt followed later by a sickening groin punch that badly crippled Maeda. Rather than having the bout declared a no-contest and having the judges decide the victor, Maeda continued fighting despite not being able to stand properly and his corner threw in the towel.
Deep bantamweight champion Masakazu Imanari's path to the GP final was more clear cut but was certainly less exciting.
In his quarterfinal bout, Imanari outpointed reigning ZST champ Keisuke Fujiwara in a frustrating match where Fujiwara was intent on defending but offered very inconsistent offense.
In the semifinal match between Imanari and WEC veteran Kenji Osawa though, the Deep champion showed why he is dubbed the "10th Degree in Footlocks" submitting Osawa with a heel hook in the second round to advance to the tournament finals.
DREAM "Fight for Japan" Results - May 29, 2011 at Saitama Super Arena, Japan
Bantamweight Grand Prix Semifinals:
Masakazu Imanari def. Kenji Osawa by Submission (Heel Hook) - Round 2, 0:58
Hideo Tokoro def. Atsushi Yamamoto by Split Decision
Shinya Aoki def. Rich Clementi by Submission (Face Lock) - Round 2, 2:17
Katsunori Kikuno def. Daisuke Nakamura by Unanimous Decision
Caol Uno def. Akiyo Nishiura by Unanimous Decision
Takeshi Inoue def. Koichiro Matsumoto by TKO (Punches) - Round 1, 6:51
Joachim Hansen def. Mitsuhiro Ishida by Split Decision
Bantamweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals:
Kenji Osawa def. Takafumi Otsuka by Split Decision
Masakazu Imanari def. Keisuke Fujiwara by Unanimous Decision
Hideo Tokoro def. Yoshiro Maeda TKO (Corner Stoppage) - Round 2, 0:43
Atsushi Yamamoto def. Yusaku Nakamura by TKO (Punches) - Round 1 8:43
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/05/29/shinya-aoki-submits-rich-clementi-imanari-tokoro-advance-in-dr/
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Tibau posts ninth UFC win by running over ‘The Tractor’ at UFC 130
LAS VEGAS - Nicknamed "The Tractor," Rafaello Oliveira is a big, strong lightweight. He met his match tonight against the beast of the division and got run off the road. Tibau floored Oliveira with a big left, brutalized him on the ground and finished the fight at 3:28 mark of the second round with a rear-naked choke in bout No. 3 of UFC 130 at the MGM Garden Arena.
"I think I proved tonight that I'm getting close to my peak," Tibau said. "I showed everyone that I can strike, that I can finish guys with jiu-jitsu and that my game is coming together. I'm becoming a more complete fighter every day and I know that I'm heading toward the top of this division. I love the UFC and I want to fight as much as possible so that I can keep rising in this division."
In the opening round, Oliveira held his own. Tibau's size advantage made no difference. In fact, he looked a little slow. When Tibau was able to close space in the second and move the fight near the cage, Oliveira got trapped in a bad spot. He ate a huge left and hit the deck. Tibau jumped on top and moved to mount. Oliveira decided to flip to his back where Tibau got the hooks in and tried to flatten out the fellow Brazilian. Oliveira made a big mistake by trying to rise off the canvas with Tibau on his back. That seemed to sap his energy and allowed Tibau to slap on the choke.
"I think he has some great combos and I didn't see his left hand coming," Oliveira said. "I took this fight on short notice, but there are really no excuses. I need to work on controlling my mind in fights and fighting like I know I can fight. I will be back in the UFC and I will make the necessary changes to my game."
Tibau's won two straight. He's still in search of a huge win to move into the top 10 at lightweight. The 27-year-old Brazilian is 9-5 with the promotion. His only losses have come against Nick Diaz, Jim Miller, Joe Stevenson, Melvin Guillard and Tyson Griffin.
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Kassia Meador
Kassia Meador is a professional surfer, model, artist and photographer in Oceanside, California. She creates unique and beautiful photo art by blowing up and mounting her photos on wooden frames, then painting on them with watercolours and coloured resins. She shoots exclusively with film and loves the polaroid transfer technique. We can’t really put it [...]
Source: http://www.clubofthewaves.com/blog/kassia-meador/
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Bellator 44: Chandler the latest Mizzou wrestling product to emerge
The transition from wrestler to mixed martial artist isn't an easy one. Once they start getting popped in the face, plenty of grapplers decide the sport isn't for them. Michael Chandler isn't one of those guys. He actually looked like he enjoyed taking a beating so he could dole one out.
The former Missouri wrestler took Patricky "Pitbull" Freire's best on Saturday using his grappling skills to slow the fight and win a unanimous decision, 29-27 on all cards, in the final of Bellator's Season 4 lightweight championship.
Chandler, 25, won $100,000 and gets an automatic title shot against Bellator 155-pound champion Eddie Alvarez.
He's the second straight fighter out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas to take home a 100k prize. Jay Hieron won the welterweight tourney last week at Bellator 43. Hieron will face Bellator welterweight champ Ben Askren in the fall. One has to wonder if Chandler's loyalties will be tested.
Chandler, Askren and Strikeforce welterweight prospect Tyron Woodley all wrestled for Missouri.
Chandler, a walk on, was a big success story for the Tigers. He was the Big 12 runner-up in 2008 and 2009, and became just the 16th Tiger to win 100 matches.
Askren and Woodley helped paved the way for Chandler in MMA. When he saw how Woodley's MMA career was developing, Chandler decided to jump in the cage with little training. After an easy win in his debut back Aug. of 2009, Chandler (8-0) began training full-time.
The card also featured two nasty standup wars. Alexander Shlemenko brutalized Brett Cooper in taking a unanimous decision.� Bellator middleweight champ Hector Lombard scores an awesome KO with a big right on the chin of Falaniko Vitale.
White suggests Sonnen has been punished too harshly
Chael Sonnen's career is in limbo. The confusion over how his testosterone replacement therapy was handled and reported, plus a positive test following his UFC 117 loss to Anderson Silva, has him facing an indefinite period on the sidelines. Dana White broke his silence on last week's California State Athletic Commission ruling and didn't sound pleased.
"I'm pretty bummed out about the Chael Sonnen thing and the way that the whole thing was handled. You know, this guy… I don't know if there's ever been a penalty laid down, I mean Tyson, I think when Tyson bit the ear, Tyson got a year. Um… it's pretty crazy," White told Heavy.com.
White says Sonnen's getting a raw deal.
"Um… listen, it's not that he'd have to retire, but right now was his opportunity. This kid had the opportunity to coach The Ultimate Fighter, he had the opportunity to get a big fight set up, should he win that fight… everybody knows what happened with Anderson Silva, this was a key moment in this kid's career and me, personally, you know, you've heard me say it for the last almost 11 years, we always support whatever the athletic commission says," White said. "This kid got, this kid got it stuck to him, man. He paid his dues in every way shape and forum and, uh… I think he's been treated a bit unfairly."
The CSAC denied Sonnen after his most recent attempt at regaining his license to fight. It was thought initially that Sonnen would be unable to re-apply until the summer of 2012. The CSAC admitted it misinterpreted a rule and now Sonnen can try again in late June.
Quotes via FightOpinion.com
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Welterweight Jake Ellenberger: UFC 129 Pre-fight Interview - UFC 129
*** Watch Complete 1/2hr HD Episodes on http://www.MMAheat.com ***MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant spends a few minutes with UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger after his photo shoot and scanning session with Round 5, and gets his thoughts on the UFC 129 fight he took against Canadian Sean Pierson on short notice. Jake talks about how the fight materialized, what shape he was in when he got the call and how he feels to be one of the American "bad guys" on a card that features several Canadians, and which will also be the first UFC show in Ontario. Jake also fills us in on his training partner Jason Brilz' preparation for his fight with Vladimir Matyushenko.Be sure to visit http://www.MMAheat.com for more interviews and archived episodes of our 1/2 hour TV show. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryantMountain Biking - Slope Style barefoot water skiing cliff diving free-diving jet skiing
Sesh Up Step-Up 2011 at Mt. Baker
The Wildcard Movies crew gets some sun on build day in the Baker backcountry, complete with the legendary grandma's step up and a number of beachwear backflips.
The Human Planet TV Series
Human Planet arrives on DVD and Blu-ray April 26, just two days following the broadcast conclusion. You can also catch Human Planet on the Discovery Channel April 17 and 24 at 8pm. To learn more about Human Planet you can visit the official website at HumanPlanetBlog.com or on the Human Planet Facebook page. function startGallery_65() [...]
Source: http://scubadivergirls.com/blog/?p=8719
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World Superbikes To Race In Russia From 2012
The importance of opening up new markets for motorcycle racing has been one of the biggest topics of conversation in both the World Superbike and MotoGP paddocks for the last couple of years. From racing's traditional base in Europe - and especially Southern Europe - both WSBK and MotoGP have been looking eastwards, both to Eastern Europe and Asia.
Russia has been one country that both series have been eyeing up with interest, given the potential size of the TV market there. But it is the World Superbike series which has been the first to break into the Russian market, with Infront Motor Sports today announcing that the company has today signed a deal with Yakhnich Motorsports to promote the WSBK series in Russia, as well as organize a Russian round of WSBK from 2012 onwards. The circuit is yet to be decided upon - the press release speaks merely of several circuits currently being assessed as to their suitability, before applying for FIM homologation.
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Mendes shows stones by taking Yahya fight and risking future date with Aldo
UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo won't be able to fight at UFC 133 in Philadelphia. The reasoning is still murky, but his opponent Chad Mendes isn't going to wait around.
The unbeaten featherweight says he wants to fight in early August, so MMAWeekly reports that Mendes is taking a fight against submission specialist Rani Yahya.
SBNation think it's a bad decision for Mendez to risk the Aldo title fight:
Why is Mendes, a hungry young fighter who's been telling anyone who will listen that his belief that he can beat Aldo is at a "10" on a scale of 1-10, so quick to give up on what should be every fighter's dream? In athletics, winning, especially winning championships, is intended to be the primary motivator. Across sports you hear plenty of platitudes about being the best. Mendes has that opportunity - the chance to write his name in the history books. Instead he's willing to fight anyone else rather than wait a month or two for his shot at glory.
The site takes a stab at the reason Mendes is fighting:
It's a baffling decision - until you look a little closer, delve into the weeds a little. The culprit? The UFC's notoriously stingy fighter pay. [...] It's unconscionable to pay a title contender like Mendes $19,000 to fight. Not only does it necessitate tough decisions like this, it also creates an unbalanced playing field. With that kind of money backing him, Mendes can barely afford a world class training camp and can forget about maintaining a reasonable standard of living. Chad Mendes, the top contender to the featherweight crown, is giving up on a chance to win the championship of the world - likely because of money issues.
Or he could be fighting to stay active and has no fear of Yahya. What do you think? Why isn't Mendes waiting for Aldo?
Part of the issue, could be the confusion on Aldo's injury. He's reportedly struggling with neck issues, but recently tweeted that he's fine.
"Let me be clear I'm not hurt again, I'm not hurt. I picked up a suspension (from) the Canadian commission and therefore should only return to training (after) 30 days this month. So once again, I'm not injured."
Mendes, a former college wrestler, has only 11 professional fights under his belt. The 26-year-old could certainly use the experience, but a loss could prove incredibly costly especially with the growing depth in the 145-pound decision.
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Husqvarna 900cc Street Bike in Sketches
The folks at MCN have had their finger on the Husqvarna street bike pulse lately, and today published sketches of the soon-to-be released BMW-derived 900cc Husqvarna street bike. Part street-naked, part supermotard, these sketches seem to suggest that the new Husky will stick somewhat to its dirt roosting roots. Despite the large displacement size, the street-going Husqvarna looks to be very minimalistic and svelte, though how much of that will translate over into the final ...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/XMbuvX8p7WI/
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Video stupidity: Chuck Liddell is smarter than a TMZ ‘journalist’
TMZ loves Chuck Liddell and he seems to like the gossip site. Liddell provided a comedic moment without even realizing he was in on a joke. Watch a TMZ staffer get blasted for not knowing the difference between "fornicating" and "defecating."
If you'd like to ask Liddell about dropping a deuce or anything else, you can find him this weekend at Miracle Mile behind Planet Hollywood.
"The Iceman" has a meet and greet at the Las Vegas Fight Shop inside the Miracle Mile. Just before UFC 130 goes down a few properties to the south on the Las Vegas strip, Liddell will be on the scene from Noon-2. Look for Cagewriter as well. We'll be lurking.
Liddell isn't the only fighter out and about this week. Carlos Condit, Kyle Noke and UFC Octagon girl Chandella will be at the LV Fight Shop's Fashion Show Mall location from Noon-2 on Friday.
On Saturday, Urijah Faber and Joe Benavidez are signing at a Cox Cable office in nearby Henderson.
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Where in the World is AO?
Yes, where in the world is AO anyway?� We know you’re out there having fabulous adventures, exploring this way and that, getting your minds blown and spreading the love….and we know you’re doing it all while wearing your hip and groovy AO swag.� It’s the social media age people–I know you want to show off!!!� [...]
Source: http://blog.aorafting.com/where-in-the-world-is-ao-2/
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Watercolors from Hawaii by Ron Croci
We're proud to announce an exclusive illustrated story by one of our favourite surf artists; Ron Croci… We were alarmed to hear that Ron nearly 'met his end', due to a serious (and sudden) illness on his recent vacation to Hawaii! But we're happy to say he came through it and has shared his story with us in a series of annotated watercolor paintings documenting his near death experience, the unusual effects of morphine and the beautiful Hawaiian islands he enjoyed and surfed up until falling ill…
www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-culture/hawaii-vacation-watercolors.php
www.roncroci.com
www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-culture/hawaii-vacation-watercolors.php
www.roncroci.com
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cotw/~3/nTRasQgs8IM/watercolors-from-hawaii-by-ron-croci.html
Eight Ways of Looking at UFC 130
Filed under: UFC
With UFC 130 just a day away, we look at what constitutes a main event, what becomes of former champs in both victory and defeat, and so much more.I. "Rampage" Jackson could be auditioning for a title shot, not just fighting for one. It's still unclear who will get the first crack at UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, but it's not hard to imagine that a Jackson victory on Saturday and an Evans loss (or even mediocre victory) in August could result in a Rampage-Bones title fight in the fall. But in order to effectively sell Jackson as legitimate competition for Jones, the UFC needs a convincing performance out of him here. If Jackson barely squeaks by Hamill (who Jones destroyed so thoroughly he ran out of legal strikes to hit him with) the way he barely squeaked by Machida, how many people are really going to be interested in seeing him fight the champ? Jackson can always sell a fight with his mouth - when he feels like it, anyway - but with three straight decisions under his belt, it'd be nice for him to show that he can still sell one with his fists, too.
II. Is Miguel Torres tired of fighting guys who come up to his nipples in the pre-fight staredown? At 5'9", Torres is practically the Stefan Struve of the bantamweight division. Demetrious Johnson will be the fourth straight opponent he's faced who hovers in the 5'3" range (Joe Benavidez is officially listed at 5'4", but then Shane Carwin is listed at 6'2", so go figure). Last time out Torres was content to hide behind his long jab and ride it all the way to the scorecards for an easy win. It wasn't his most popular effort, however, which makes you think that this time he may be tempted to mix it up more for the sake of the crowd. Against the speedy little "Mighty Mouse," that could be a dangerous, though perhaps necessary gamble. Torres has two straight wins under his belt. The third could be the charm, as long as it's not another snoozer.
III. With no more title fight at UFC 130, time for the UFC to make chicken salad out of chicken...well, you know. Let's face it, fans are being asked to pay main event prices for a show that's essentially all undercard. Don't get me wrong, there are still some exciting scraps lined up for Saturday. Jackson-Hamill? Nelson-Mir? Those fights both feature former champs, and both have future implications...probably. At the same time, neither can be confused for a true, honest to goodness, call-in-sick-to-your-own-wedding type of main event. For some fans, that's also going to mean it's not worth the fifty bucks to stay home on a holiday weekend Saturday night and watch it. The UFC has to expect that, but injuries happen, so what are you going to do? The answer, I suspect, is take this one on the chin and move on to Vancouver. Sometimes you eat the chicken salad, and sometimes, well, the chicken salad eats you. I think that's how the saying goes, anyway.
IV. If Frank Mir can't beat Roy Nelson, then what? Mir is a former heavyweight champ who poses serious problems for most of the big men on the UFC's roster, but he's also a train that may be running out of track. He's been beaten by both Lesnar and Carwin. He holds victories over also-rans like Kongo and faded legends like Cro Cop and Big Nog. If he can't beat "Big Country," he can pretty much forget about a heavyweight title shot any time soon. Mir just turned 32, so it's not as if he can afford to wait around in the division until the wind shifts again. It's strange to think that the situation might be so dire when he's coming off a knockout victory, but then again, how bright can Mir's future in the UFC really be if he loses on Saturday?
V. Rick Story is about to take a serious leap up in competition. The question is, is he ready for it? His five-fight win streak inside the Octagon is impressive, but who's the best welterweight he's beaten so far? Johny Hendricks? Brian Foster? No offense to those guys, but Alves is in an entirely different class. Two men can claim victories over "Pitbull" in the last half-decade: Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch. Alves is a solid little ball of muscle who's tough to takedown (unless you happen to be one of the two best takedown artists in all of MMA) and who can kick your legs into jelly if you stand with him. So how does Story - who is not a Fitch-level wrestler or an Alves-level kickboxer - win this fight? I have no idea, but it should be interesting to see what he comes up with.
VI. On paper, anyway, Matt Hamill is riding a five-fight win streak. Of course, that includes the DQ win over Jones, and even the popcorn venders in the cheap seats could tell he wasn't going to be celebrating that one at the after-party. Still, imagine he wrestles his way to a decision over Jackson. Imagine he's got six consecutive W's on the scoreboard. Imagine what it says about the real meaning of this fight that he still wouldn't even be in the conversation about potential title contenders at that point, and we all bloody well know it.
VII. What does an MMA heavyweight look like? From the corpulent, straight-outta-the-trailer-park look that Roy Nelson has cultivated, to the extremely tall, pale, and Dutch-as-he-wanna-be Stefan Struve, there's a range of heavyweight body types on display this weekend, with Frank Mir and Travis Browne hitting the points in between. Maybe somewhere in there is a look at the future of MMA heavyweights. Or maybe that's just what happens when a weight class spans sixty freaking pounds and a foot or so in height.
VIII. Just maybe, Brian Stann is the UFC's real American hero at middleweight, and right when it needs one. You look at the former Marine with the square jaw, the 'aw shucks' demeanor, and a fighting style that ensures someone will probably get his face broken, and you start to wonder if the UFC didn't order him straight from central casting. The guy is practically a walking cartoon character of a butt-kicking, Apple pie-eating boy next door. He is, in other words, a godsend for the UFC. Imagine the perfect pro wrestling-esque storyline the writes itself as soon you match Stann against someone like Michael Bisping. Stann salutes the flag while helping old ladies across the street. Bisping dons a soccer jersey and begins sneeringly referring to Stann as a 'colonial.' I'm telling you, that kind of theatre is so priceless, the fight is almost secondary. First though, Stann has to get past Santiago, which is where things could veer wildly off-script. The former Sengoku champ can still swat - just ask Kazuo Misaki. It's a tough draw, but if Stann pulls out the win, look for the big push to start the moment his hand gets raised in the Octagon.
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/05/27/eight-ways-of-looking-at-ufc-130/
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