Anything MMA, except thumb wrestling

[Sebowski]

Thanks to TK for posting this in the wrestling thread, and to me for clicking on the wrestling thread today for no real reason like I do every copuple months.
This would have been cool. I have always loved Heyman. My license plate is actualy: "ECW ECW"

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...icle762131.ece
Our MMA correspondent at The Sun, Mark Gilbert, said you were trying to buy Strike Force at one point, is that true?

You kind of caught me off guard in asking the question, but it's 100% true.

I don't know whose names I'm supposed or not supposed to discuss, so I will skirt the issue of who else was involved by simply saying we formed a group of qualified, intelligent, motivated people last summer and had some meetings with Scott Coker about buying Strike Force and obviously keeping Coker intricately involved.

I think Strike Force was in a position to, if not challenge UFC, then be what ECW was in the 90s which is a very viable alternative brand.

I have a lot of admiration for what Scott Coker and his team have built in Northern California, and I like the name Strike Force. Good name for branding.

I like their presentation, I think they have some marketable fighters under contract, and we had a collective vision that I think could have really, really worked.

The negotiations stopped because one of the key people in our group ended up being someone we didn't want to get stuck with, because we realised in the negotiations that he was the wrong guy for the deal.

Scott Coker is a good man. I like him personally, love his organization, and think he deserves a lot of credit for what he's built.

[StillUnknown]

Yvel has power for days, if only his head was screwed on straight..................and if he had a ground game

lol



this has to be what death looks like lol

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Hard to take much away about Lashley after this. He did what he should. Maybe see him fight Yvel next? Antonio Silva? Probably get someone like Rodriguez next. Rothwell might be my pick.

Yvel just fought Barnett and KO'd Rizzo, he' still there in the top 20. Lashley has a long way to go to get to that level unless he gets the Lesnar treatment.

I don't think they'll give him the fighters you mentioned any time soon. If Guida can go the distance and almost snatch the fight with a sub, there's a big risk throwing Lashley to heavyweights with better finishing abilities.

If he's to get anybody with a bigger name, perhaps give him James Thompson or Brad Imes. He might be able to take Roy Nelson at this point. And just to throw it out there, I have a feeling he could be Andrei Arlovski's next opponent.

[StillUnknown]

http://mmajunkie.com/news/15341/repo...-on-aug-15.mma

Undefeated heavyweight prospect and multiple-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Roger Gracie (2-0) will soon make his Strikeforce debut according to a report from GracieMag.com.

The report states that Gracie will fight for the first time on American soil at the Aug. 15 "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg" event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Initial attempts by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) to reach Strikeforce officials for comment were unsuccessful.

GracieMag.com's report stated that an opponent for Gracie has not yet been determined, and it is unknown if the bout would take place on the evening's Showtime-televised main card or the unaired preliminary portion of the event.

Gracie made his professional MMA debut in 2006 with a first-round submission win over Ron Waterman under the BodogFIGHT banner. The 27-year-old then earned his second win with another first-round submission effort, this time over Yuki Kondo at World Victory Road's Sengoku Second Battle in May 2008.

this dude is one of the all-time greats in sport BJJ and submission wrestling

at the 2009 world championships, he had 9 fights and finished them all with chokes from the mount, which is just about unheard of

if he can take a punch, he should be able to go far. he'll sub anyone walking in MMA

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

[url]he should be able to go far. he'll sub anyone walking in MMA

Except maybe Nate Quarry.

[Sebowski]

Yvel just fought Barnett and KO'd Rizzo, he' still there in the top 20. Lashley has a long way to go to get to that level unless he gets the Lesnar treatment.

I don't think they'll give him the fighters you mentioned any time soon. If Guida can go the distance and almost snatch the fight with a sub, there's a big risk throwing Lashley to heavyweights with better finishing abilities.

If he's to get anybody with a bigger name, perhaps give him James Thompson or Brad Imes. He might be able to take Roy Nelson at this point. And just to throw it out there, I have a feeling he could be Andrei Arlovski's next opponent.

I don't think Yvel is more than a half tier above Lashley. Knocking out Rizzo doesn't mean what it used to. Just read that Yvel is taking Sylvia's spot on the Affliction show now to fight my boy Paul Buntello. That should be a good fight.
Thompson and Imes are good ideas.
Nelson is on TUF 10. Should win the thing.

I was impressed with the t-shirt guy last night. I'd like to see him fight again.

[#98QBKiller]

Josh Gross of SI.com did a "middle of the year awards article." Some pretty good stuff...I actually like SI's MMA section, I think they do a good job of covering the sport.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?eref=T1

A year's worth of action in six months time -- that is how the first half of 2009 felt for many mixed martial arts fans. With some of the most anticipated fights of the year looming large, now feels like the right time to pause for a breath.

Here's an early glance at the tops of 2009.
Best Male Fighter: Lyoto Machida

Machida is a clear favorite at the midway point. With two major wins in the bank -- over Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans -- and a potential third coming against Mauricio Rua in October, Machida's ledger might be too much for anyone to top this year.

His unique style and martial arts heritage make the 31-year-old Brazilian one of the most discussed fighters in the sport after his thrashing of Evans in May.

Runners-Up:

• Mike Thomas Brown
Brown is also 2-0 in the first six months of the year. Odds are, he'll get one more chance prove himself in 2009. If Brown can stop his next challenger, widely rumored to be the dangerous Jose Aldo, he'll have established himself as the clear-cut No. 1 featherweight in MMA.

• Fedor Emelianenko
Even if Emelianenko fights just twice in '09, wins over Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett, whom Fedor fights Aug. 1, could easily be enough for the Russian to stand alone as the sport's premiere competitor.

• Georges St. Pierre
A dominant win for St. Pierre over B.J. Penn kicked off this year's campaign. While allegations of improperly using Vaseline marred his victory against Penn, the No. 1 welterweight in MMA can reaffirm his status with a decisive win over Thiago Alves on July 11.

Of course, should any of the aforementioned fighters lose then a strong contingent of off-the-radar candidates might emerge. For now, Machida and the the rest of the quartet are clear frontrunners.

Best Female Fighter: Sarah Kaufman

Kaufman (10-0) has separated herself from the pack with three wins in three fights, but you can't make mention of fighter of the year honors on the female side without discussing Aug. 15's showdown between Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos. It doesn't take a genius to suggest the winner between those two stands a good chance of being MMA's top female fighter in '09. So let me suggest it.
Best Fight: Torres vs. Mizugaki -- WEC 40

It seems like every weekend a new fight video turns into a viral clip. Of the many entertaining and meaningful bouts that played out from January through June, Miguel Torres' unanimous-decision win over Takeya Mizugaki more than holds its own.

Hoping for a repeat of last year's honor when he and Yoshiro Maeda captured the award, WEC bantamweight champion Torres is joined this time by Mizugaki following a tremendous 135-pound title fight. Mizugaki wasn't expected to be a serious challenger, yet it was his determination against Torres' tenacity that makes this one special.

Runners-Up:

• Thierry Quenneville def. Doug Evans triangle/armbar 1:48 R2 -- XMMA 7
A contender for Round of the Year, Quenneville and Evans made for a tremendous battle.

• Mike Thomas Brown def. Urijah Faber II by unanimous decision -- WEC 41
This was a brutal contest in which Faber fought for more than 20 minutes with a busted right hand. He also dealt with a dislocated thumb on his left hand, all the while Brown pushed forward and never gave the former WEC champion an inch.

Worth Watching Again:

• Martin Kampmann def. Carlos Condit by split decision -- UFC Fight Night 18

• Jamie Varner def. Donald Cerrone by technical decision 1:58 R5 -- WEC 38

Best Round: Round 1, Cullum vs. Tokoro -- Dream 9

Because Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro played out with a 10-minute opening period, it has some inherent advantages over North America's more traditional five-minute variety. As it were, I'm inclined to name the opening round of the Dream featherweight tournament bout tops of the year thus far.

Runners-Up:

• Round 1: Thierry Quenneville vs. Doug Evans -- XMMA 7
Heck of a fight highlighted by a frantic opening round. Quenneville was on the ropes but recovered to win by submission in the middle of the fight.

• Round 1: Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida -- T.U.F. 9 Finale
Diego should be proud of his performance against Guida; He charged out off the opening bell and unleashed everything he had against the hard-nosed lightweight from Chicago. The fact that Guida could take it made this round a memorable one.

Best Submission: Imada's choke of Masvidal -- Bellator V

There has been no shortage of beautiful submissions to choose from, but Tony Imada made the strongest claim with his reverse standing inverted triangle over Jorge Masvidal. In a stunning come-from-behind finish, he put Masvidal down to advance to the finals of Bellator's lightweight tournament.

It'll take some sort of levitating submission -- one no one has seen before -- to trump Imada's leg choke. I'm not sure a Ryo Chonan-Anderson Silva-type sub would even be strong enough to best what Imada did to Masvidal.

Runners-Up:

• Demian Maia's triangle over Chael Sonnen -- UFC 95
Recognizing flawless Brazilian jiu-jitsu when we see it, Maia deserves serious consideration for his setup and finish of a perfect triangle choke against Sonnen.

• Ovince St. Preux catches Ombey Mobley in a calf-slicer --XFC 8
St. Preux found a slick pressure submission in his old Volunteer stomping grounds of Knoxville, Tenn.

Worth Watching Again:

• Marlon Sandro standing arm-triangle over Matt Jaggers --Sengoku 7

• Hatsu Hioki triangle/armbar combo over Chris Manuel -- Sengoku 7

Best Knockout: Fedor vs. Arlovski -- Affliction 2

The early consensus made Fedor Emelianenko's overhand right against Andrei Arlovski, timed perfectly as the former UFC champion leapt forward for a flying knee, the best knockout of '09. Because of the moment and fighters involved, it still stands -- though not by much as competition for knockout of the year was fierce in the first half.

Runners-Up:

• Lyoto Machida stops Rashad Evans -- UFC 98
A pristine performance from Machida culminated with a clean KO that rendered Evans useless against the cage. It took several well-placed attacks from the Brazilian to put away a then-undefeated champion.

• Yahir Reyes KO spinning backfist of Estevan Payan -- Bellator VI
We've seen spinning back fists and forearms and elbows. But few with such violence that the stopped a fighter in his tracks, lifted him off his feet and slammed hard to the canvas. That's exactly what Reyes accomplished against Payan in a beauty of finish.

Worth Watching Again:

• Ray Mercer drops Tim Sylvia -- Adrenaline MMA III

• Jose Aldo's double flying knee stuns Cub Swanson in eight seconds -- WEC 41

• Nick Pace violently ends Collin Tebo's night -- Bellator XI

Do you guys think the Fedor/Arlovski KO was better or the Machida/Evans one?

Tough call IMO. The Fedor KO was so sudden and unexpected, and Fedor was losing that round by most accounts.

Machida's KO of Evans was building up, he was winning the round and had already knocked Rashad down.

I think they're about equal. The looks of the guys on the receiving end were equally convincing. Rashad looked like a zombie but Arlovski looked dead.

[Slacky McSlackAss]

Going to Vegas for vacation next week, so I'm hoping to see a few UFC fighters there for UFC 100.

[#98QBKiller]

Going to Vegas for vacation next week, so I'm hoping to see a few UFC fighters there for UFC 100.

You should stop by Wanderlei or Randy's gyms and meet them.

[StillUnknown]

i'd give edge to Fedor on the strength of the fact that it was 1 single shot that did all the damage. Rashad was already partially rocked from the blitz Machida put on. we've seen KO's like Machida's before (although its certainly one of the most brutal)

Fedor landed something we might not see again for awhile

i think that writer nailed it on the mid-way awards

[#98QBKiller]

Fedor landed something we might not see again for awhile

Brett Rogers says otherwise.



JK, I know what you mean. Fedor's shot was pretty incredible.

[StillUnknown]

Brett Rogers says otherwise.



JK, I know what you mean. Fedor's shot was pretty incredible.

i wasn't necessarily speakin on AA's propensity for having his chin checked, i was saying it'll be a long time before we someone attempting a flying knee be flatlined by a well placed shot


actually now that i think about it, AA's chin may take something away from Fedor's KO. lol

[#98QBKiller]

Lol, I hate to say this but I'm wondering if Ray Mercer's destruction of Tim Sylvia takes anything away from Fedor, or does Fedor just do that to people that he beats?

[StillUnknown]

Lol, I hate to say this but I'm wondering if Ray Mercer's destruction of Tim Sylvia takes anything away from Fedor, or does Fedor just do that to people that he beats?

Timmay came into that at 310lbs, he disrespected the fight game, it brutalized him in return

every time i think about that Timmay fight, i damn near get offended. lol


i've seen some dumb fighters, but Timmay is on a different level of stupid

[StillUnknown]

http://mmajunkie.com/news/15351/ufc-...al-viewers.mma

The Ultimate Fighting Championship's worldwide television audience could expand significantly following today's announcement that the UFC has struck a TV deal with Inner Mongolia Television.

It's the UFC's first-ever TV deal in China.

Inner Mongolia Television, known as NMTV, is available in 80 million households with the potential to reach 240 million viewers throughout all provinces of China, according to today's announcement.

"Obviously, China is a huge market, and the Chinese understand the martial arts probably better than anyone else in the world," UFC President Dana White stated. "It's a no-brainer that UFC programming will be appreciated in China and will become a big hit for the NMTV network."

Beginning this month, NMTV will air up to 16 monthly hours of UFC-related programming, including "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series, "UFC Unleashed" highlights shows and "UFC All Access" fighter-profile programs. NMTV will also have the option to air recent UFC pay-per-view telecasts.

The programming airs in weekend timeslots.

Although NMTV, launched in 1969, is available throughout the country, it still reaches just a small portion of China's estimated 1.4 billion residents, many of whom don't have access to television programming.

With the latest broadcast deal, the UFC now has a television presence in more than 100 countries, and the company is the largest PPV content provider in the world.

good move to get programming in China