Mixed Martial Arts

Fan-favorite light heavyweight Quinton Jackson may compete as a professional Mixed Martial Artist but the 33-year old UFC star is quick to distance himself from the label based on his mental approach to the sport. While his peers continually look for competitive advantages by studying countless hours of tape and refining their abilities in every available discipline, Jackson prefers to maintain the same approach he has since his younger years in Memphis. “I never claimed to be a martial artist or a guy who is good at everything. I’m a street fighter,” said Jackson in an interview with the UFC promoting his bout this weekend at UFC 144 against Ryan Bader. “There’s a lot of things I don’t care about – I don’t care to know what my opponent is doing, I don’t care to know his skills and stuff like that – cause I’m a brawler. In a street fight you walk up to the guy and you start fighting. You’ve got no tape on this guy.” ...

Strikeforce light heavyweight Muhammed Lawal has faced some stiff opposition in his career as both a Mixed Martial Artist and collegiate wrestler but none of those fights compare to the one he fought a few weeks ago inside a hospital. Lawal, who intentionally kept his situation on the down-low, found himself in the midst of a serious medical situation due to a staph infection. While the 31-year old former champion had dealt with staph infection before, this particular case involved a knee he had recently undergone an operation on. ...

The latest in a series of video blogs from UFC President Dana White has followed the lead of his previous entries by providing a “behind the scenes" glimpse at what goes on during an event. In his first submission for this weekend’s show in Japan, White takes a look back at the fallout from UFC 143 including a solid portion of time in the locker-room of Nick Diaz moments after his controversial loss to Carlos Condit and impromptu retirement from MMA. “He didn’t have nothing on those kicks. I’ve felt leg kicks before. Those were no leg kicks,” said Diaz, later admitting he could have possibly lost the third or fourth round but felt confident he’d earned the first, second, and fifth frames. ...

Strikeforce’s March 3 event took another hit after it was revealed earlier today surging middleweight prospect Derek Brunson had been pulled from the lineup after an inability to pass a set of required medicals. Though no specifics were given on his condition it was revealed the injury was minimal in nature. Though the card recently lost a co-headlining clash between Mike Kyle-Gegard Mousasi, CEO Scott Coker explained the organization is seeking a replacement for Brunson meaning they’re hopeful his opponent, Ronaldo Souza, will still compete at the show. ...

She may not turn 30 for a few more months but Gina Carano is unquestionably one of the true pioneers of women’s MMA. Though she only fought eight times professionally, the beautiful brawler brought a level of attention onto her gender’s contributions to the sport that paved the way for the March 3 main event between Strikeforce bantamweight champ Miesha Tate and undefeated contender Ronda Rousey. Carano recently offered up her opinion on the upcoming bout, expressing both her interest in the outcome as well as a desire to attend the match-up live. ...

Though it may be with a heavy heart, it appears renowned coach Greg Jackson will indeed be in the corner of light heavyweight champion Jon Jones when “Bones” faces Rashad Evans. Previously Jackson had stated he would only assist Jones with training for the April bout rather than work the fight from cage-side based on his past professional relationship with Evans. Jones confirmed Jackson’s decision on Twitter over the weekend, adding he felt, "Fortunate to have him." ...

If fans in Japan weren’t already aware that the UFC was headed to their region for UFC 144 they certainly are now thanks to a well-produced promotional preview of the February 25 event recalling some of the nation’s classic monster-oriented Sci-Fi films. Showing a giant Octagon descending on the city of Saitama, where the event takes place, the message is simple. In the words of Bruce Buffer, “It’s tiiiiiiiiiiime!” ...

Up until last weekend Geje Eustaquio was not one of the better known fighters in the Philippines and did not enjoy the same sort of reputation or recognition as his Team Lakay teammates Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario, Kevin Belingon, or Roy Docyogen. However he opened a lot of people’s eyes to the sort of depth of talent coach Mark Sangiao has at his disposal in Baguio by putting on a virtuoso performance to defeat BJJ world champion Alex Silva by Unanimous Decision at ONE FC 2 in Jakarta. Eustaquio survived multiple submission attempts by the slick submission specialist and, after Silva took his back at the end of round one, appeared close to tapping. However, in an interview with Fighters.com he claims that he was always comfortable. ...

It appears colorful middleweight Jason Miller has been booked to face TUF veteran CB Dollaway on Memorial Day Weekend as part of the lineup for UFC 146. The fight is arguably a “must win” situation for both, each coming off recent losses with Miller’s involving a particularly poor performance against Michael Bisping at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. The UFC confirmed the bout this weekend. ...

The rumored rematch between submission savant Shinya Aoki and former Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez appears to finally have a destination and date after months of speculation on when or whether it would take place at all. The two lightweights originally met on New Year’s Eve in 2008 where the “Tobikan Judan” tapped Alvarez out with a Heel Hook in the opening minutes of their bout. ...

When Quinton Jackson steps into the Octagon at UFC 144 he’ll do so in front of a Japanese audience almost six years to the day since he last entertained a crowd in the fight-friendly nation. While that bout may have involved a forgettable outpointing of Dong Sik Yoon, this time around “Rampage” has designs on a highlight reel knockout win to leave a favorable impression on the fans who cheered him on during his formative years in the sport. Jackson, who understands it will also likely be the final time he competes in Japan, shared his expectations with the world in a recent online enty where he discussed opponent Ryan Bader as well as why the fight is so personal to him. ...

There aren’t many fighters out there flashing a bigger smile than the one UFC welterweight Johny Hendricks currently has splashed across his face. A 12-1 wrestler with knockout power, Hendricks is coming off the biggest win of his career in knocking out Jon Fitch and has another huge test ahead of him in the form of facing Josh Koscheck at UFC on FOX 3 he’s eagerly awaiting. Hendricks spoke about the upcoming fight with Koscheck where the enthusiastic 28-year old expressed his thoughts on the opportunity, saying, “I’m so excited. As soon as they told me…I was coyote huntin…I couldn’t even coyote hunt and I love hunting. I was so excited I was like, ‘Hey guys, I’ve gotta go home and start watching film, doing stuff for that.’ Man, I can’t wait!” ...

A pair of Ultimate Fighter 14 alumni has been added to the UFC on FOX 3 lineup, joining fellow cast-mates John Dodson and Louis Gaudinot on the May 5 event. According to the UFC, featherweight finalist Dennis Bermudez will battle submission specialist Pablo Garza in hopes of avoiding a second consecutive loss inside the Octagon, while Johnny Bedford looks to improve his record to 2-0 in the UFC with Nick Denis standing in his way. ...

When UFC lightweight Benson Henderson steps into the Octagon at UFC 144 he has designs on making history with his performance. Not only is Henderson aiming at becoming the first WEC alumnus to win a linear UFC title but being the first man to finish 155-pound champion Frankie Edgar in the process. Henderson opened up on his intentions in a recent interview with the UFC promoting the February 25 event where he explained, “I don’t care about winning rounds. I want to win the fight. I want to end the fight. That’s what I do. I fight to end the fight.” ...

After suffering a Split Decision loss to Ronny Markes earlier this week at UFC on Fuel 1 it appears Aaron Simpson is considering a drop down to 170 pounds to take advantage of his size rather than suffer as a smaller opponent. The 37-year old grappler leveled his Brazilian adversary in their bout but struggled to slip out of the larger Markes’ grasp in the clinch. ...

With this year’s Wrestlemania only a few months away WWE has already started planting seeds for next year’s epic event, as the organization landed in East Rutherford, New Jersey earlier this week to announce MetLife Stadium will play host to Wrestlemania 29. The venue plays home to the NFL’s New York Jets and Superbowl Champion New York Giants with a seating capacity of 80,000+. Adding to the monumental nature of WWE’s announcement was that of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s expected participation. ...

Strikeforce bantamweight champ Miesha Tate has no doubts that she is a fighter, though not simply because she draws a paycheck as a professional Mixed Martial Artist. Tate has weathered numerous storms inside the cage, coming out on top in twelve of her fourteen fights. However, she isn’t so sure about the heart of her upcoming opponent, unbeaten Olympic judoka Ronda Rousey. Tate questioned Rousey’s fortitude in a recent blog entry where she made it clear she plans to test “Rowdy” Ronda’s will when they meet on March 3 in Columbus, Ohio. ...

Everything was going well for Sean Loeffler. Minutes away from making his UFC debut, the owner of a six-fight winning streak was going through his final warm-ups and started loosening up with tuck jumps when he heard an awful sound. “My foot got caught in a crack in the warm-up mat, and it rolled over and snapped in half." said Loeffler in apress release on the unfortunate situation. "The whole locker room heard it pop." ...

Even though it’s been a year since the falling out between former teammates, current rivals, Jon Jones and Rashad Evans it appears Greg Jackson is living up to his word and won’t be in the champ’s corner when he defends his title against Evans in Atlanta this spring. Evans was under Jackson’s tutelage when “Bones” first joined the team and split from the group in New Mexico as a result of his issue with Jones. “I don’t expect him to be in my corner,” said Jones earlier today during a press conference promoting the event. ...

If you were among the countless fans frothing at the bit for another round in last night’s exciting UFC on Fuel headliner between Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger you might have more in common with a certain UFC executive than you think. According to Dana White, he too was let down by the bout’s premature ending after it climaxed with Sanchez’s late surge. “We blew it. It should’ve been a five-round fight,” the visibly disappointed UFC President explained in an interview on the post-event show. ...

Last night UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger had the type of evening fighters dream about. Headlining his first event against as apt an adversary as can be found floating around the division, Ellenberger not only put on an incredible performance but did so in front of his hometown fans in the same building where he walked the stage to receive his high school diploma. The 26-year old Ellenberger held on to earn a convincing decision win after a late surge by Sanchez nearly derailed his hopes of having his hand raised. Were that not enough, Ellenberger received a little post-victory icing on his already sweet cake when it was announced his collective work with Diego Sanchez netted Fight of the Night honors. The distinction earned each an additional $50,000 on top of their regularly contracted rates. ...

Two of the welterweight division’s hottest stars will meet tonight inside the Octagon in the main event at UFC on Fuel: Ellenberger vs. Sanchez, the UFC’s first live show on the FOX-affiliated network, as Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez looks to enter the contendership discussion by beating 26-5 Jake Ellenberger. Ellenberger has won his last five fights including a 53 second knockout of Jake Shields in September. Other featured figts include Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes and Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman. ...

The road Diego Sanchez traveled to get to Jake Ellenberger has been an excitement-filled path featuring some of the most memorable showings in UFC history. In honor of his journey to stardom, the first network fans ever caught glimpse of Sanchez on is airing a number of his highlights in the form of Spike TV’s UFC Unleashed marathon (capped off by the Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale where Sanchez collided with Clay Guida in a Fight of the Year contender). Other fights scheduled to be shown include Sanchez’s victories over David Bielkheden and Paulo Thiago. ...

One of the most anticipated female fights in a few years is only a few weeks away from going down and now the pairing has an appropriately awesome preview. Set for March 3, Strikeforce bantamweight champ Miesha Tate is set to put her belt on the line against unbeaten and outspoken Olympian Ronda Rousey in main event action of a card also featuring stars like Paul Daley, Ronaldo Souza, KJ Noons, and Josh Thomson. In the preview both women are shown dolled up in evening gowns before informing unknowing fans, “It’s not just looks that can kill,” before showing highlights from some both fighters. ...

When John Albert steps into the Octagon tonight against Ivan Menjivar as the first fight on the main card at UFC on Fuel 1, it will be the culmination of a road paved with successes, adversity, and even a few injuries along the way. Seattle-area native Albert was a 6-1 veteran of the Pacific Northwest fight scene when he fought his way into the Ultimate Fighter Season 14 house.  After losing a close decision to eventual winner John Dodson in the quarterfinals, underdog Albert entered the finale against Dustin Pague where he silenced his critics by winning in under 90 seconds. In an interview with Fighters.com, Albert recalled how the Dodson fight helped him prepare for adversity as well as spoke out on a few other subjects. ...

Welterweights Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger have more in common than simply the fact they’ll be standing in the same Octagon tomorrow night in headlining action at UFC on Fuel 1. Rather, both Sanchez and Ellenberger have not only shown themselves to be extremely difficult to finish but tend to end opponents’ evenings more often than not when it comes to scoring a victory. All told, Sanchez has earned stoppages in 15 of his 23 total wins while Ellenberger has put away 22 of 26. Meanwhile, each has only fallen a single time outside of scorecards with Sanchez’s being cut-based and Ellenberger’s a submission from more than four years ago. ...

Embattled MMA promotion Strikeforce suffered another cruel blow this week when it was revealed a light heavyweight co-headliner featuring former champ Gegard Mousasi mixing it up with heavy-handed Mike Kyle had been scrapped from a March 3 Strikeforce event. Kyle was apparently injured while training for the fight and unable to compete. The timing of his withdrawal apparently resulted in the organization determining a suitable replacement could not be found before the show. ...

If you have been called a "Palooka," you know the term isn't a kindly one.  Essentially a term for an underdog or a scrub, the word is better known in boxing circles.  The name "Joe Palooka" traces its roots back to the early 1930s, where it was a popular serial strip and adapted later into twelve full length feature films.  With the exception of a few sparse comments in film and TV here and there, the name and series have largely been forgotten. Enter Joe Antonacci. The boxing announcer with an artistic vision has revived the Palooka franchise with an eye for the MMA market, and was kind enough to send Fighters.com copies of the first two issues for review. ...

Two of the UFC’s most talented middleweights – Alan Belcher/Rousimar Palhares – have agreed to mix it up on May 15 in New Jersey as part of the main card at UFC on FOX 3, an addition completing the quartet of clashes scheduled to air on the network’s airwaves. UFC President Dana White confirmed the bout earlier today via Twitter. ...

Typically the only look the public gets at a UFC fighter’s preparation for an upcoming bout comes on one of the organization’s Countdown or Primetime shows. However, when it comes to Joe Lauzon’s training for a fight with Anthony Pettis later this month “J-Lau” himself is pulling back the curtain, even capturing the UFC’s production crew in the process. Lauzon recently released a “behind the scenes” video featuring his work on an upcoming Countdown special attached to UFC 144 as well as a first-person view of his sparring sessions thanks to a helmet-cam concept. ...