MMA News

Ask most people to name the number-one most polarizing figure in the sport of MMA, and I’m confident in saying that most people won’t name a fighter. While controversial fighters come and go, one man has stood at the forefront of so many controversies and scandals and sagas that it’s become expected of him. I am, of course, talking about UFC President Dana White. White’s foul-mouthed, take-no-prisoners, “us versus the world” approach to MMA helped transform the sport, and according to a recent interview, he's not going to change anytime soon. And if you don’t like him, you’re free to change the channel. ...

I’m back for another week of my blog. Thanks to everyone has been reading them. I appreciate the feedback! UFC 134 was over the weekend the card was great. Shogun showed that he’s back on the map and ready for the next step to get back towards a title shot. He beat Forrest Griffin which is a huge win. Forrest is a warrior and I felt bad for him. And how are you supposed to beat Anderson Silva? He’s so accurate and relaxed. He just showed again why he’s one of the best P4P fighters in the UFC. With Silva, I don’t think his approach to attacking can be taught. You can give a fighter the basics but he is who he is - his movement, his speed, and power – he is amazing. ...

What an interesting year it’s been for Strikeforce. As an MMA promotion, they’ve truly experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows. From entering 2011 bigger and better than ever to being bought by the UFC… what a wild ride it’s been. And of course, many fans and insiders have debated what allowed the UFC to maneuver in and purchase their biggest competitor. One notable sticking point has been the failures of Fedor Emelianenko, who Strikeforce signed to a massive (and massively expensive) deal and has since lost three fights in a row. In a recent interview, a notable former Strikeforce executive appears to share this sentiment. Here are all the details. ...

He’s not a history buff by any means. He doesn’t know when Jersey Shore will be on next or who’s America’s Next Top Model—but what Nam Phan, the Season Twelve semi-finalist of the “The Ultimate Fighter”, does know is about the Vietnamese culture. A proud Vietnamese-American, Phan is riddled with knowledge that even the most impressive fight nerd would be baffled by—or otherwise uninterested in. ...

Normally, most people’s only interactions with spies comes from thriller novels. But a recent rumor has gotten a lot of people amped up: according to Quinton Jackson, there is a spy in his camp that is secretly reporting information to Jon Jones, the man Jackson is scheduled to fight against for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. The reputation of Jones has taken several hits lately, and this one seems to be a knockout blow. But is it true? “Bones” claims that it’s all a stunt pulled by a fighter that only fights for money. Here are all the details. ...

Donald Cerrone has decided to “cowboy up” for the third time in six months after yesterday’s announcement that Sam Stout had backed out of a scheduled scrap with Dennis Siver in October due to undisclosed reasons. Cerrone is coming off back-to-back wins over Vagner Rocha in June and Charles Oliveira in August, the latter of which he earned “Knockout of the Night” honors in. Cerrone’s addition to the October 29 event was announced through the UFC’s website. ...

It’s that time once again: another major MMA event has come and gone, and it’s time for my unofficial “Best Performance of the Night” award. UFC 134 “Silva vs. Okami” featured some pretty awesome performances, with several of the UFC’s biggest Brazilian stars taking home major stoppage victories. But the most complete, dominant performance had to have been the main event. Here’s why Anderson Silva’s outright destruction of Yushin Okami took home “Best Performance of the Night”. ...

Hello and welcome to another new edition of “Best of the Rest”! I really enjoy taking the time to give my detailed thoughts on a show after watching it, but after the serious discussion and debate I’ll raise in topics like “Top 5 Best Moments” and “Best Performance of the Night”, I think it’d be nice to have a semi-serious, occasionally tongue-in-cheek topic where I give out some other “awards”. It’s all in good fun, although I’ll raise a serious point occasionally. So let’s dive right into this latest edition, now featuring UFC 134 “Silva vs. Okami”. ...

After a rough patch, losing three of four fights and being handed his walking papers from Zuffa, it appears Kendall Grove may have finally regained the form many came to expect from the Ultimate Fighter 3 winner after starting his UFC career with a trio of victories. Grove fought this past weekend under the newly reformed ProElite banner in the Aloha State and came away with an impressive submission over seasoned veteran Joe Riggs a little less than a minute into their match-up at the event. The finish came after “Da Spyder” lured Riggs into his web against the cage to prevent a takedown and locked in a standing Guillotine Choke as a result. The win improved Grove’s record to 13-9 and marked the first submission loss for Riggs in more than three years. ...

UFC 134 saw some pretty crazy finishes, and overall, it was a night that showcased the UFC’s Brazilian stars, as many top Brazilian athletes came away with huge wins. But which stars shined brightest, and what moments will fans be talking about in the following weeks? Here’s my take on the matter: my top 5 best moments of UFC 134. ...

UFC 134 was a very entertaining event marking the return of the UFC to Brazil for the first time in over a decade. Now once again it’s time to ask: what’s next? What does the future hold after both Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mauricio Rua brought their careers back from the brink, while Anderson Silva further cemented his legacy of greatness? Here’s my answer to just that: a new edition of my “What’s Next for the Winners and Losers” series of articles, now featuring UFC 134. ...

Another one went into the history books tonight, and for the first time in over a decade, the UFC hosted an event in Brazil, home to some of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. And in the main event, Anderson Silva solidified his stance as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time with a brilliant two-round destruction of Yushin Okami. In addition to that, most Brazilian fighters won big in what was an event well worth watching. Here are the full results as well as some early commentary on UFC 134 “Silva vs. Okami”. ...

Well, it now appears that I actually do not, in fact, have the worst timing ever. Originally, I felt as if I was on the wrong end of a good joke when it was announced that Cristiane Santos had re-signed with Strikeforce… one single day after I finally got around to writing an article on why I thought Santos leaving Strikeforce left a huge gap in both Strikeforce and women’s MMA in general. It appears that those reports were just a rumor, however, and now, almost three weeks later, it’s being announced once again that Santos has re-signed with Strikeforce. ...

In just a few hours, the UFC will hold its highly-anticipated “UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami” event, featuring Anderson Silva defending his UFC Middleweight Championship against Yushin Okami, the last man to technically defeat him. Also, Mauricio Rua looks to avenge his first loss in the UFC by rematching fellow former Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin. Still, some fans may be asking themselves: what are the best reasons to check out this card? Here’s my answer to just that: 5 reasons to watch “UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami”. ...

Today, the UFC will proudly present its long-awaited return to Brazil with UFC 134: “Silva vs. Okami”. I’ve already given my predictions on who will win the main Pay-Per-View fights, but since the “UFC Prelims LIVE” special is my new “dark horse favorite”, I always try to take the time to throw in my predictions for the preliminary card as well. And these prelims are definitely worth talking about, with big stars, crafty veterans, and can’t-miss prospects all scheduled to compete. So without further ado, here are my preliminary predictions for UFC 134. ...

We’re now only a day away from UFC 134 “Silva vs. Okami”, also known as “UFC: Rio”. In the main event, Anderson Silva defends his UFC Middleweight Championship against the last man that beat him: Japanese powerhouse Yushin Okami. The co-main event will also be an interesting match-up, as Mauricio Rua and Forrest Griffin lock horns for the second time. As is customary, here is my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), now featuring UFC 134. ...

Welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”, a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event. Everything from why you should watch, what you should expect in the co-main and main event, and even where and when you can find it on TV is all covered in detail. So let’s get right to it with today’s edition, featuring UFC 134 “Silva vs. Okami”. ...

And so it has come to pass: my special mini-series “A Closer Look At UFC 134” enters its third and final day with this, the seventh and final post. I’ve examined all the major fights in detail, and for those who want to catch up or have missed a few posts, here’s the traditional start-of-post recap. To see part 1, click here. Part 2 is available here, Part 3 is right here, and Part 4 is here. Finally, part 5 is here while part 6 is here. Now it’s time to examine the main event of UFC 134: a colossal Middleweight showdown against Yushin Okami and Anderson Silva for Silva’s long-held UFC Middleweight Championship. ...

Hello and welcome back to this, the final entry in the second day of posts covering UFC 134. My mini-series “A Closer Look At UFC 134” has gotten all the way up to the co-main event, but here’s the traditional recap for any of you that are coming in late and watch to catch up. To see part 1, click here. Part 2 is available here, Part 3 is right here, and Part 4 is here. Finally, part 5 is here. With all that said, it’s now time to take a look at the rematch of one of the most exciting moments in UFC history: it’s time to talk about Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio Rua 2. ...

My series “A Closer Look At UFC 134” continues with its in-depth coverage of all the major fights from the UFC’s latest mega-card, “UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami”. With the last entry we officially passed the half-way mark, now it’s time to focus on the three major match-ups that truly anchor this card. Here’s the latest recap for any of you who’ve missed out: To see part 1, click here. Part 2 is available here, Part 3 is right here, and Part 4 is here. Now it’s time to focus on a major Heavyweight showdown with serious title implications. It’s Brendan Schaub vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and this is “A Closer Look At UFC 134”. ...

This weekend Brendan Schaub will step into the Octagon at UFC 134 and face the biggest challenge of his young career. Not only will “The Hybrid” be taking on MMA legend (and former UFC champion) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but the 28-year old will do so in the Brazilian’s backyard with a crack at contendership potentially on the line as well. However, the extra pressure doesn’t appear to faze Schaub who remains upbeat about the situation based on his preparation for “Minotauro” and good-natured approach to life in general. ...

Hello and welcome back, it’s now time for the second full day of posts in my special mini-series “A Closer Look At UFC 134”. The first day of postings took a look at the entire preliminary card across both Facebook and Spike TV as well as the opening fight of the official UFC 134 Pay-Per-View. Here’s a quick recap: To see part 1, click here. Part 2 is available here, and Part 3 is right here. Now it’s time to dig ever-deeper into the Pay-Per-View card, this time focusing on a Lightweight bout between Ross Pearson and Edson Barboza. ...

Hello and welcome to the final entry in the first day of posts for “A Closer Look At UFC 134”. The previous two entries both focused on the UFC 134 undercard, covering the multitude of free fights fans will be treated to both on Facebook and on Spike TV. To see part 1, click here. Part 2 is available here. Now it’s time to get into the meat of the affair: five full articles that go ultra in-depth on all five UFC 134 Pay-Per-View bouts. Let’s start with a Light Heavyweight bout that pits Luiz Cane against Stanislav Nedkov. ...

With every new UFC super-card comes another entry into my special “A Closer Look” series, which takes many of the top fights of the card and examines them in-detail while also giving some pre-fight commentary. UFC 134 strikes particularly close to home for me since most of my favorite UFC fighters are Brazilians, and Brazilians fill this card since this marks the UFC’s return to Brazil. For the first part in the series, click here. Now it’s time to focus on the two free preliminary fights fans will get to see on Spike TV. ...

Former WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner will get his toughest test to date since parting ways with Zuffa early this year when he faces 31-14-1 Alonzo Martinez in the main event at Titan FC 20 in Kansas City. Martinez has eighteen submission wins under his belt and has found success is four straight fights, while three of Varner’s five total losses have come as the result of a tap-out. ...

This weekend, the UFC will host its “UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami” event in Brazil, the latest in a long line of super-cards. UFC 134 is even more important because it marks that UFC’s return to Brazil for the first time in over a decade. From top to bottom, the card is loaded with top Brazilian talent. So it’s my pleasure to bring back my “A Closer Look” series and examine many of the fights in detail. To start us off, let’s look at the five-fight card slated to air on the UFC’s Facebook page. ...

Dana White is a controversial man. He’s always been controversial, he’s always been one question away from launching into a profanity-filled tirade. That’s why virtually no one thought the UFC’s move to the Fox network and its sister networks FX and Fuel would do anything to curb Dana’s temper. In a recent interview, White went on quite an epic rant concerning two big boxing names: Bob Arum and Todd duBoef, Arum’s stepson. ...

When Georges St. Pierre regained the UFC Welterweight Championship in 2008, he did it with a dramatic second-round stoppage that many fans felt was one of his finest performances. Since then, Georges St. Pierre has fought all the best talent in the world and beaten them all… albeit by decision. In fact, the only stoppage win GSP has since Serra was a “corner stoppage” at the end of the fourth round against BJ Penn. As one would expect, many have criticized GSP and accused him of playing it safe. Recently, Cesar Gracie got a few jabs in as well, as he prepares his student Nick Diaz to tackle the UFC’s Welterweight kingpin. ...

Fans got a double dose of good news earlier today when Strikeforce announced their intent to show not only prelims from next month’s World Grand Prix Semifinals live on HDNet but weigh-ins as well. Even better, the format will also be in place later this year when the company’s heavyweight tournament concludes. ...

Ever since it was announced that the UFC would be returning to Brazil for the first time in over a decade, it’s been rumored that UFC legend Royce Gracie was in talks to enter the Octagon one final time. Gracie last competed in the UFC way back at UFC 60 in 2006, which was the first time he had competed in the UFC since UFC 5 way, way, way back in 1995. In a new interview, Gracie once again made his claim to have one last fight in the promotion that he and his family practically built from the ground up. But in an interesting twist, Gracie has admitted that he’d be willing to move on without a final UFC fight. Here are all the details. ...