“I don’t know what they were thinking,” Overeem tells “Inside MMA.” “Maybe they thought I was bluffing.”

Enjoy!

UFC veteran David Branch (UFC: 2-2) recently sat down with Fighters.com to talk about his history and the next step in his career (That video coming next month).  However, we could not let him go without asking for his thoughts and predictions about the biggest UFC event in history going down tomorrow in Toronto.  We got his take on GSP v. Shields and the other main card bouts.

Click through for the video.

UFC Lightweight Champion, Frankie Edgar, is deep into his training camp for the trilogy fight with Gray Maynard in May.  Part of that training includes tutelage from John Danaher, one of the best Jiu Jitsu coaches and strategists in the game based at Renzo Gracie‘s gym in New York City. Recently, Edgar took time to talk with Fighters.com about training with Danaher, fighting Gilbert Melendez in the future, his new T-shirt, Ricardo Almeida‘s retirement, and if he has decided the walk out music for his third consecutive title-fight defense.

Click through to watch the interview.

Click through to watch!

Rolles Gracie has the richest of MMA blood lines.  His Grandpa is Carlos Gracie Sr. the founder of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  His Dad, Rolls Gracie, is known as the most legendary Gracie Jiu Jitsu practitioner. Rolles Gracie, has trained all over the world, and now runs the Renzo Gracie school in Holmdel, NJ. Coming off a loss in the UFC to Joey Beltran, the biggest Gracie fighter, at 6’4″ 250lbs is prepped to start a new winning streak this Friday at UCC-4 in Morristown, NJ against Braden Bice.

Rolles Gracie sat down with Fighters.com this week to talk about his fight and thoughts on his famous family members.

Click through to watch.

Earlier this year, Fighters.com alerted you to the emergence of Chris Weidman, before he was signed by the UFC, as one to watch in MMA.  Now, we highlight a veteran of the sport who is in the midst of a career resurgence and may be one or two wins away from the big call up to UFC/Strikeforce.  New Jersey’s Chris Liguori is a fighter we have highlighted before on Fighters.com and tonight the Ring Of Combat Lightweight Champion looks for his fourth win in a row and sixth out of seven fights against M-1 Challenge veteran Mikhail Malyutin in Atlantic City.

As Liguori notes in this video interview, he believes he is on par, skill-wise, with the best in the world and ready for the move to the highest level.  He also remarks, in fun, about his day job … working on the railroad. Watch this video interview as he spars with his longtime training mate, Frankie Edgar.

Click through to watch video.

And if you are in Atlantic City tonight – Check out Liguori at Ring Of Combat!

In part 2 of our audio discussion with MMA nutrition specialist, Mike Dolce – founder of The Dolce Diet, we talk about a number of UFC fighters and their weight cut issues or lack there of, in the case of Frankie Edgar. Dolce takes you inside his work with welterweight Mike Pyle and his amazing weight cut and rehydration at UFC 128. He also comments on Anthony Johnson, who just defeated Dan Hardy, but has had trouble making weight in the past.   Interesting topic for MMA fans.

Click through to listen to part 2 with Mike Dolce.

Mike Dolce is the founder of the “The Dolce Diet,” a revolutionary diet and lifestyle program gaining fame in the world of MMA, yet also being utilized by everyday athletes and folks seeking better health. Dolce has gained a huge following due to his work helping such UFC stars as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Thiago Alves, Chael Sonnen, and Gray Maynard to effectively make weight while maintaining strength and stamina.

“The Dolce Diet” has been a lifelong passion for Mike Dolce, as he indicated in this edition of Fighters.com Radio.  Dolce takes us back to his youth, when he became interested in fitness and nutrition … then talks about common mistakes fighters are making today, the value of water, and his work with Thiago Alves.

In part 2, coming tomorrow, Dolce gives an inside look at the amazing weight cut and rehydration he guided Mike Pyle through at UFC 128 and his candid thoughts on the weight and career of Anthony Johnson.

Click through for Part 1 with Mike Dolce.

Fascinating!

Kris McCray was favored by many to win the Ultimate Fighter 11 final against Court McGee, yet fell short in the second round.  With a loss in his first official Octagon fight at UFC 122 to Carlos Rocha, McCray is now itching to get back in the win column against John Hathaway at UFC Fight Night 24, in Seattle this Saturday. McCray will be in good hands with UFC Lightweight Champion, Frankie Edgar, in his corner as he goes against Hathaway, a former hot commodity until his upset loss to Mike Pyle at UFC 120.

McCray took some time to sit down with Fighters.com recently to talk about his upcoming fight, thoughts on the UFC/Strikeforce deal, and the always hot-topic of foot stomps in the cage.

Click through to watch.

If the world of professional MMA journalists had a pound for pound ranking system similar to that of the fighters, Mike Chiappetta, from MMAFighting.com would certainly be in the top two or three on such a list. A quick review, reveals his MMA-Journo chops.

Chiappetta became the first writer to consistently cover mixed martial arts for a major media outlet website when he helped launch the sport’s coverage for NBCSports.com in 2006. He has written extensively on MMA for ESPN.com, NBCSports.com, and various magazines. He also hosts Spike’s popular “Inside the Ultimate Fighter” podcast, and has been an on-air analyst for multiple MMA television shows.

Chiappetta took some time out of his schedule, around watching his UConn Huskies cruise into the Sweet Sixteen, to talk with Fighters.com about many of the developing story-lines in MMA today.

Click through to watch.

Urijah Faber will be facing his first fight in the UFC tonight against Eddie Wineland.  For many, this would cause jitters, but Faber has been here before.  As a former WEC champ, he has played to packed arena crowds in his hometown of Sacramento.  Granted, the New York City scene is a different beast, but the California Kid took it all in stride this week when facing the Big Apple media about his UFC 128 battle.

Watch Faber at the UFC 128 press conference.

Jon Jones has basically been anointed the UFC “golden child” with a crush of positive press and his own reality show on Spike TV ahead of UFC 128 in Newark, NJ.  Can he perform to that level of hype on Saturday night, against Shogun Rua? That is the question, which will decide if he will rocket off to mega sports fame, or get knocked back down to merely a “talented young gun” with lots of potential.  Jones was in good form this week at the UFC 128 press conference taking all questions like a seasoned pro.

Watch Jones take on all questions.

Click through to watch.

Dana White, President of the UFC, took the stage at Radio City Music Hall on Wednesday to talk all things UFC 128 with the card’s top fighters by his side.  White focused on the Jones/Rua title fight, to the delight of the Big Apple crowd, which was allowed in for free.

Watch White answer questions and discuss why Jones and Rua should put on a great battle, Saturday night, at UFC 128 in Newark, NJ.

Ricardo Almeida wants to get back on the main card of UFC PPV events.  To do so, he must beat Mike Pyle on Saturday night at UFC 128 in Newark, NJ.  No easy task.  Pyle is fresh off his best performence in years, taking out the heralded John Hathaway.

How does Almeida spend his final days before a fight? What does he hate the most about his weight cut?  Click through to watch our interview from just two days ago after one of his final workouts at Renzo Gracie‘s gym in mid-town Manhattan.

Click through.

UFC Lightweight Champion, Frankie Edgar, has a huge trilogy fight with Gray Maynard looming in May. But first, he is helping a host of Team Almeida fighters prepare for their big night.  Edgar will be in the corner for Ricardo Almeida‘s fight at UFC 128 Saturday against Mike Pyle. Then, his close training partner, Chris Liguori, fights in Ring Of Combat on April 8th. While helping his buddies peak for their fights, he is ramping up his own camp for another title defense against Gray Maynard at UFC 130.

I spoke with Edgar yesterday on these topics and more.

Click through to watch the video.

In advance of a week that will be filled with serious MMA news concerning UFC 128 in the New York City area, here is a little MMA humor to get started, courtesy of former Welterweight Champion, Matt Serra. In a recent discussion with Fighters.com Radio, Serra was asked about his current weight.  In response, he veered off into comparing his waistline with his UFC boss Dana White’s figure and fellow fighters, Georges St. Pierre and Martin Kampmann‘s abdominal structure.  He also commented on how he would modify the very popular and successful MMA weight loss program, “The Dolce Diet.”

Serra also hints about his time-table for his next fight.

Fun stuff with Mr. Serra.  Click through to listen. (Beware of NC 17 language!)

Coming soon to Fighters.com, will be a full length feature on Pace about this move and his upcoming fight against Michael McDonald on the undercard of the Nogueira vs. Davis feature bout in Seattle, at the end of March.

But first, watch Pace himself instruct how to apply the now famous “Pace Choke.”

Click through to watch the video.

In a luxury suite high above the cage in the Prudential Center at the recent Strikeforce show featuring Antonio Silva Vs. Fedor Emelianenko in New Jersey, one the card’s fighters had his boss looking on intently with a vested interest.  It was not Scott Coker, the leader of Strikeforce who signs the checks, rather it was the weekday boss of John Cholish, who sheds his daytime suit and tie working as a New York City energy broker to transform, at night, into one of the most promising young lightweights in MMA.  Cholish shined on the undercard of the marquee heavyweight clash, taking out former UFC Ultimate Fighter standout, Marc Stevens.  He recently sat down with Fighters.com to talk Strikeforce, foot stomps, and the rising price of oil.

Click through to watch the video.

Click through to listen.

Former UFC Welterweight Champion, Matt Serra, breaks down BJ Penn v. Jon Fitch at UFC 127 from Australia this weekend.  He might surprise with his analysis and prediction.  Click through to listen to Serra’s thoughts on the headline fight.

Who needs a Matt Serra fix?  Always entertaining in front of the mic, Serra joined Fighters.com recently to talk about a range of issues from why he kept his fight against Chris Lytle at UFC 119 standing, to his UFC future and hopes to scrap at Madison Square Garden, to if his good buddy, Pete “Drago” Sell will be making a comeback … he also throws in a movie review and recomendation.  Serra is an avid movie buff.   This is a great MMA value if you have seven minutes for Serra!

Click through to listen to the audio interview with Matt Serra.

Chris Weidman (205lbs) is not yet known to the wider world of MMA … but that may change radically in 2011. Weidman is a former 2x All American wrestler from Hofstra who beat Ryan Bader and Phil Davis during his days on campus.  After college, Weidman joined up with Team Serra Longo and has rolled to four wins in the Ring Of Combat. Most impressive, however, was his run at the 2009 Abu Dhabi grappling tournament in Barcelona Spain where he beat Daniel Tabera, while competing well with Andre Galvao and Vinny Magalhaes in defeat.  This was after just eight months of Jiu Jitsu training. The Baldwin, Long Island native, who trains regularly with Gian Villante, (Strikeforce Heavyweight) will not be on the “up and comer” list much longer.

Story Update 4:40pm 2/10: Weidman has standing contract offers from Strikeforce and Bellator.  Both are pending review by Team Weidman.

Click through to watch the video.

Dana White took time recently to speak with Fighters.com and hit on some of the biggest topics in MMA. White reacts to the coming Strikeforce Heavyweight tournament, Randy Couture‘s pending return to the cage, and how Brock Lesnar will fare as a coach on the Ultimate Fighter reality show.  Good stuff from the boss, and he too thought Frankie Edgar was going to lose when he was rocked early in the first round against Gray Maynard.

Click through to watch the video.

Mike Straka, host of ‘Fighting Words with Mike Straka’ on HDNet, sat down with Fighters.com recently to review some pending topics in the UFC, Strikeforce and sport of MMA at large.  Straka has been a regular on the MMA beat for several years and was the creator and host of the former FoxNews.com MMA show – Fox Fight Game.   In this sit-down, he opines on the fate of Brock Lesnar as a coach on the Ultimate Fighter show, Mark Cuban’s passion for MMA, the potential for the UFC to create a 24hr cable channel and much more.

Click through to watch the video.

@john_moody

New York Assemblyman, Dean Murray, joined the chorus of voices supporting MMA to be legalized in the Empire State last week.  Murray, a Republican, could play a vital role in influencing the “un-educated” voters in Albany when it comes to a vote.  Murray believes, that it is simply a matter of presenting the upside of bringing MMA in New York, to counter all the negative stereotypes that have prevailed to date.  Take a look at this interview with the man that could play a vital role in bringing MMA to New York.

Lorenzo Fertitta and the UFC brass were in New York on Thursday stumping to bring MMA to the Empire state.  Still not sanctioned, New York is one of the final key elements in the UFC’s expansion strategy.  In this video interview, Fertitta discusses why New York is so importatant for the UFC.  Then, we pivot to discuss the two fights he wants to see happen this year.  For those fans pining to see GSP v. Anderson Silva you will be happy with Fertitta’s answer.

Click through to see the interview.

Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta, and Frankie Edgar set up shot in the Madison Square Garden today to push the message that MMA needs to be sanctioned in the New York.  I got all the video interviews with the principles and surrounding players. Stay tuned for exclusive video interviews with White, Fetitta, Edgar and others in the days ahead about this issue and other buring topics around the UFC.  Here is the the Q & A portion from today’s press conference featuring Dana White answering media questions.  Some great insight into what the UFC is facing in getting MMA legal in New York.

Long Island’s Gian Villante has taken a winding road to reach the highest levels of MMA, but his time has come. Just signed by Strikeforce to face Chad Griggs on February 12th at the Izod Center in New Jersey, Villante is a former star linebacker for Hofstra University and nearly made the cut in the New York Jets training camp.  After the NFL did not pan out, Villante quickly turned to his wrestling pedigree from high school and picked up MMA.  He has been training with another rising star, Chris Weidman, also a Long Island product.  Villante quickly won his fist six fights, mainly in the Ring Of Combat, and now stands at 7-1 with his big break onto the national stage with Strikeforce at hand.  I recently caught up him at a training session at Ray Longo’s gym on Long Island.  Click through to watch the video.

What do you think of his standup?

@john_moody

To prepare for UFC 125 here is your Chris Leben homework.  Watch Leben’s 2003 battle with Otto Olson in Seattle.  This type of affair has become indicative to how Leben fights.  Trouble early, then lookout!

Why can Anthony Pettis win tonight over WEC lightweight champ Benson Henderson?  Well, as his trainer Duke Roufus told us in his audio interview on Fighters.com yesterday, Pettis has the heart of a lion and a left head kick for the ages.  In this WEC 53 video prep segment, Pettis was only 5 weeks out of shoulder surgery, back in March 2008, when he fought Mike Lambrecht.  At the end of this video you can see Pettis’ hanging shoulder in pain.  But first, watch the amazing end to this bout.  If you want to jump to the finish go to the 4:35 mark in the video.  Stunning!

Click through to watch the video.

Click through for the audio interview.

Click through for the Fighters.com Radio interview with Duke Roufus.

Click through to watch the video interview with Nick Roach.

Click through to watch the video.

Click through to watch the video.

Stay tuned to Fighters.com for Part 2 of our video interview where we talk about Matt Hughes, Ricardo Almeida, and the upcoming Frankie Edgar v. Gray Maynard lightweight title fight.  Coming soon.

Click through to watch the video.

In this video, go behind the scenes with Serra at his new state of the art MMA facility on Long Isalnd and listen to his concerns about fighting the red-hot Lytle in his hometown of Indianapolis.  Click through to watch the video.

What do you think of Serra’s chances to beat Chris Lytle at UFC 119?  Will he win or lose?

twitter: @john_moody

Franklin will fight “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) in the main event at UFC 103 in Dallas Saturday, the third consecutive opponent whose name is as big as Franklin’s in MMA.