TUF Season 6 Semi Final Fights tonight on Spike

The semi-finalists for the season 6 of The Ultimate Fighter will air on Spike tonight at 10pm Eastern. The 2 fights will be Matt Arroyo vs Mac Danzig and George Sotiropoulos vs Tommy Speer. If I recall the preview of this weeks episode hinted that one of those fighters wouldn't be able to compete. Possibly Tommy Speer's cuts prevent him from fighting? Hard to say. We'll have to see.

I think George might be the sleeper here. He seems to have kept kind of a low profile on the show so who knows what he's really got. I don't really care as long as Mac Danzig gets his ass kicked. I know he's a decent fighter but what a fucking douche bag. Even I want to hit him in the face.

UFC: Ultimate FIghter 6 Finale FIght Card

The season finale for UFC's reality show "The Ultimate Fighter" will air on Saturday Dec. 8th on Spike TV live from The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada at 9 PM Eastern Time.

The fight card is as follows:

Main Event:
Clay Guida (22-8) vs. Roger Huerta (19-1)

Undercard:
170 lbs.: TUF 6 Finalist #1 vs. TUF 6 Finalist #2
170 lbs.: Ben Saunders (4-0-2) vs. Dan Barrera (0-0)
170 lbs.: Jared Rollins (5-3) vs. John “War Machine” Koppenhaver (4-1)
170 lbs.: Troy “Rude Boy” Mandaloniz (2-1) vs. Richie Hightower (7-1)
170 lbs.: Roman Mitichyan (3-1) vs. Dorian Price (7-2)
170 lbs.: Paul Georgieff (5-1) vs. Jonathan Goulet (19-9)

BodogFight New Jersey on ION TV

The fifth season of BodogFight will kick off on ION TV on Tues. August 21st.

The episode was taped at BodogFight's first event in the US which took place in Trenton, NJ on July 14th.

You can catch BodogFight : New Jersey on ION every Tuesday at 11 pm Eastern.

Here's the card:

• heavyweight: Mark Burch vs. Yoshiki Takahashi
• 145 lbs: David Love vs. Eben Oroz
• 155 lbs: Jorge Masvidalvs. Yves Edwards
• 185 lbs: Chael Sonnen vs. Amar Suloev
• heavyweight: Branden Lee Hinkle vs. Roman Zentsov
• 155 lbs: Nick Agallar vs. James "Binky" Jones
• 135 lbs: Blair Tugman vs. Dan Hawley
• 185 lbs: Trevor Prangley vs. Yuki Kondo
• 135 lbs: Tara LaRosa vs. Kelly Kobold
• 170 lbs: Eddie Alvarez vs. Matt Lee

MMA videos part 1

OK so I'm browsing Youtube looking for some MMA fight videos to share on my blog and I'm thinking blood, brutal knockouts, big slams... then I came across the MMA girls, Joanne and Lauren.

Not exactly the kind of knockouts I was looking for, but hey, it works for me :)

So basically these cuties started out on Myspace and Youtube and have been increasing popularity for a while. They make videos demonstrating MMA techniques and making fight predictions.

Cute girls + MMA = well I'm not very good at math but it seems like a pretty good combo to me. So I figure I'll post a few of their Youtube vids here since they seem to be so popular.

You can also check out more of the MMA girls at their site.

And here's one of their videos, MMA Girls Lesson #1

Wanderlei Sliva signs with the UFC

We finally get to see Wanderlei Silva's return to the octagon.

Silva said that he has been looking forward to coming to the UFC and competing for the belt at 205 pounds for a long time. This adds even more depth to one of the most exciting weight classes in the UFC, along with greats like Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson and Dan Henderson.

The date and opponent for Wanderlei Silva's fist fight back in the UFC has yet to be announced. You can bet your ass we'll keep you posted.

As excited as I am about this, I don't think I'm quite as excited as Dana White, who looks like he just scored a hot date for the prom or something in the pics an videos over at UFC.com.

Silva's last fight was in PRIDE against champion Dan Henderson back in February, so I would expect to his first fight take place pretty soon.

UFC 75 - Championship fight on Spike TV

UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion will air on Spike TV. This is a milestone for a couple of reasons. For one, it is the first title fight to be aired on Spike. Secondly it is the first unification title fight since the UFC's acquisition of PRIDE FC.

The light heavyweight (205 lbs.) title bout will be between UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and PRIDE FC light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson.

This is the kind of fight MMA fans have been waiting for for a long time, to determine who is the top 205 pounder in both organizations.

The fight will be in London at the O2 Arena and will air on Spike on Sept. 8th at 9:00pm Eastern Time.

Also on the card:
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Cheick Kongo (Heavyweight) and
Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill (Light Heavyweight)

Royce Gracie suspended for steroid use

The one year suspension that Royce Gracie received from the California State Athletic Commission is now official.

He tested positive or anabolic steroids in June after a fight. His time frame to appeal the suspension and $2,500 fine has run out so they will stand.

Renato "Babalu" Sobral arrested

UFC contract fighter Renato "Babalu" Sobral was arrested on Saturday, July 14th on charges of battery and trespassing.

There was an altercation between Sobral and a bouncer at a party. According to witnesses there was no physical altercation but "Babalu" may have spit at the bouncer.

Sobral was a guest at WEC IV on Friday night. He was released from Hillsboro County (Florida) jail after posting bond.

UFC 74: Respect

UFC 74 will take place on Saturday, August 25th at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Randy Couture will defend his heavyweight title against Gabe Gonzaga, who knocked out Cro Cop to get his title shot.

The only other fight that has been announced so far is a welterweight match between Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck. You can keep up with the latest news over at UFC.com or at the official UFC 74 web site.

WEC on Versus

Starting in June Versus will be airing live WEC fights and highlight shows. Here is the current schedule:

• 6-3-07 8:00pm-9:00pm WEC highlights
• 6-3-07 9:00pm-11:00pm World Extreme Cagefighting
• 6-6-07 9:00pm-10:00pm WEC Highlights
• 6-13-07 9:00pm-10:00pm WEC Highlights
• 8-5-07 8:00pm-9:00pm WEC Highlights
• 8-5-07 9:00pm-11:00pm World Extreme Cagefighting
• 8-8-07 9:00pm-10:00pm WEC Highlights
• 8-15-07 9:00pm-10:00pm WEC Highlights
• 9-5-07 9:00pm-11:00pm World Extreme Cagefighting
  

IFL Fighter Jeremy Williams has died

The IFL has confirmed that Jeremy Williams has died. This press release was issued on May 6:

NEW YORK - The International Fight League, the world's first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Southern California Condors middleweight Jeremy Williams, 27, of Laguna Niguel, Calif. The Orange County, Calif., Sheriff's Department - Coroner Division confirmed that Williams died Saturday and that an autopsy will be performed to determine cause of death.

"This is a very sad day for the Williams family, Jeremy's teammates and all of the Mixed Martial Arts community," IFL Co-founder and Commissioner Kurt Otto said. "Jeremy was a tremendous competitor and teammate, as well as being a very strong person who lifted the spirits of everyone around him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jeremy's wife, Lauren, their young daughter and the rest of his family, as well as his coaches Marco Ruas and Debi Purcell and all his teammates. Everyone at the IFL, as well as the entire MMA community, will do everything we can to support them in their hour of need."

Williams owned a professional record of 7-2 and was undefeated in his first two IFL fights, last competing at the Forum in Los Angeles on March 17, when he defeated the Tokyo Sabres' Kazuhiro Hamanaka. One of the rising stars of the first-year league, Williams was going to miss the Condors' next matchup at the Sears Centre in Chicago on May 19, due to a recent recurrence of a sternum injury.

Memorial details will be announced as they become available.

The ongoing debate: boxing vs. mixed martial arts

Sympatico MSN
by Scott Carefoot

"Will boxing have to cede its place on the stage to other fighting forms, like mixed martial arts? Mixed martial arts is entertaining. The kind of skill level you saw in the ring tonight - there's nothing in mixed martial arts which is within light years of what Mayweather and de la Hoya are able to do with their hands."
– HBO boxing commentator Jim Lampley

Lampley gave that unsolicited opinion on mixed martial arts at the end of last Saturday's Super Welterwight boxing title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar de la Hoya, which Mayweather won by decision. For the most part, it was a 12-round snoozefest as Mayweather's admittedly superb defensive skill prevented de la Hoya from landing any significant shots, while Mayweather's lack of power meant that his punches inflicted minimal damage on The Golden Boy's mug. Looking at their faces after 36 minutes of this supposed fight, I couldn't tell if they'd been in a boxing ring or at a health spa.

Full Story >>

Liddell, White have it covered

From
BostonHerald.com

By Herald staff
Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - Updated: 09:35 PM EST

The smiling face of Chuck Liddell, holding his son, Cade, beams from the cover of the upcoming ESPN The Magazine. The UFC coverboy is being profiled by writer Allison Glock in the May 21 issue.
Back in Vegas, Dana White is smiling too.
“I went to the fight that night,” said White, the UFC president, referring to last Saturday night’s Oscar de la Hoya-Floyd Mayweather match, “and I tell you this: Inside the arena, there was no energy whatsoever.
“On my way out of the arena, people were screaming at me, ‘The UFC rules!’”
The so-called “Fight to save boxing” has come and gone and it definitely scored big at the box office and in pay-per-view sales. People attended it and viewed it because of De la Hoya, Mayweather and the HBO 24/7 show that promoted their matchup so compellingly.

Full story >>

UFC on HBO

Apparently it's a done deal (we think). The UFC should hit HBO some time this summer.
Here's the story from ivansblog.com:

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Mixed Martial Arts--- UFC Reaches Deal with HBO, According to UFC
Originally Published on MMAWeekly

The UFC has reached a deal to air live events on HBO, according to statements made by UFC president Dana White during a teleconference prior to UFC 70.

White said that the UFC will be putting on live events for HBO and that the first UFC event on HBO will air this summer. When asked by a reporter if the HBO deal is "signed, sealed, and delivered," White said, "Yes." When asked if the deal should be reported as official, White said, "Yeah. We will be on HBO this summer."

White also spoke of struggling to sign the HBO deal in the past tense, as he said, "We would have never signed a deal if we weren't comfortable with it."

However, at a post-UFC 70 press conference, White said that a deal between the UFC and HBO has not yet been signed.

White said during the pre-UFC 70 teleconference that the UFC broadcasts on HBO will have an HBO production team and HBO announcers, so UFC announcers Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan will not be doing commentary on the UFC's HBO events. White said that he doesn't know who will be on the HBO announcing team for UFC events, but when asked if Jim Lampley would be on the team, White said, "Hell no."

White inferred that the HBO events will be higher in stature than the Spike TV events but still lower in stature than the pay-per-view events. As an example, White said that you could expect to see the winners from future seasons of The Ultimate Fighter have their first post-TUF fights on HBO after they win the TUF competition, whereas the UFC Fight Night events would be the home for all of the fighters who are on TUF and get UFC contracts even though they didn't win the TUF competition.

As another example, White said that you can expect to see Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fight on HBO, and he added that Nogueira "will fight one of the top guys right off the bat." White said that fans can expect to see top-quality fights whether any given UFC event is on HBO, Spike TV, or pay-per-view.

White said that the UFC's June 16th event in Belfast, Northern Ireland will not be the HBO debut show, as he said that the June 16th show will be "on Spike TV or pay-per-view." The UFC web site previously said that the June 16th would be on Spike TV in the United States.

The statements made by White would seem to end a period of more than one year wherein the UFC and HBO were close to a deal but had not reached a deal. White has said consistently over the past year that the UFC would be on HBO "very soon," dating back to an April 2006 radio interview on 1140 KHTK in Sacramento, California.

Acclaimed boxing writer Thomas Hauser wrote in an article on the Seconds Out web site in January 2007 that HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg had "opposed the UFC deal as vigorously as possible" and was doing "everything in his power not to televise mixed martial arts." In the same article, former HBO Sports president Seth Abraham actually compared MMA to "naked boxing" and said that MMA would tarnish HBO's boxing heritage

In an unprecedented move, HBO Chairman and CEO Chris Albrecht veto'd HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg and insisted that HBO would air MMA programming at some point, leaving Greenburg only to negotiate the details of such a deal. According to Hauser, this move "represented a marked shift in HBO's corporate culture... in the past, an HBO chief executive officer would not have ordered sports programming over the objection of the sports department."

Left only to come to terms on the details, some of the key disagreements between Zuffa and HBO Sports were whose production crew will film the event, whose announcers will commentate on the event, and how those announcers will go about commentating on the event.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently summarized the dispute as follows: "HBO wants full control of the product, and to use its crew and its announcers and cover it like a network broadcast team would cover a major sporting event. UFC doesn't want to give up its control of the product, wants its own crew to film it, and wants to use its own announcers, who are closer to pro wrestling announcers whose role is to build up the product as opposed to providing detached, objective commentary."

With those issues resolved, there were no remaining obstacles standing in the way of a deal between the UFC and HBO.

Mixed Martial Arts Blog is Back!

After a long hiatus the MMA blog is back and will be updating regularly again. Sorry for the off time. Some good stuff is going on in the MMA world so stay tuned!

‘Rampage’ comes to the UFC

By Thomas Gerbasi

What’s in a nickname? Well, if you go by the moniker ‘Rampage’, you’d better not lay and pray, jab and grab, or practice any other less than scintillating technique in search of victory in the mixed martial arts arena. Luckily, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson has only one speed in competition and life, and it’s all out.

“The fans should expect a good show – win, lose or draw,” said Jackson, the outstanding light heavyweight contender who will make his long-awaited UFC debut on February 3rd against Marvin Eastman. “They’re gonna see the best show they’ve ever seen in their life, before I even get to the cage.”

He’s not kidding. From the first interview to the final bell, Jackson has always made it a point to entertain. Whether it’s with his self-effacing and sometimes outrageous humor outside the Octagon or with his trademark slams inside of it, this is a fighter who doesn’t let the fight come to him – he’s going after it. He’s not looking to calmly take you down with technical brilliance, he wants to pick you up and put you through the mat; he’s not looking to jab his way to victory, he wants to punch a hole in you.

That’s entertainment.

Full story >>

UFC 68 in Ohio

UFC 68: THE UPRISING

TIM SYLVIA - RICH FRANKLIN - MATT HUGHES

SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2007
LIVE FROM NATIONWIDE ARENA IN COLUMBUS

Tickets Go on Sale Tuesday, Jan. 9

Las Vegas – A star-studded lineup comes to Ohio featuring current UFC® Heavyweight Champion Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia along with Rich “Ace” Franklin and Matt Hughes – two former UFC champions who are hot on the championship trail and loaded with a vengeance. The Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization presents UFC 68: THE UPRISING live from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio Saturday, March 3.

Full story>>

Georges St. Pierre injured

From UFC.com:

LAS VEGAS – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization today announced UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre has been forced to withdraw from the Feb. 3rd UFC 67: ALL OR NOTHING card due to a knee injury suffered during training for his first title defense against Matt Serra. The rest of the card, which includes the UFC Middleweight title bout between Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Travis Lutter, as well as the UFC debuts of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Marvin Eastman and Mirko Cro Cop vs. Eddie Sanchez remain intact.

Full story>>

UFC 66: Liddell keeps belt, Ortiz concedes

From ufcfightnews.com:

Having climbed back up the ranks after losing his title in 2003, former light heavyweight champion Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz was, undoubtedly in as good of shape as he could ever hope to be in his long-awaited rematch with Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell last night before a sold-out crowd at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas.

It still wasn’t good enough.

Full Story >>

UFC 66 Results

Better late than never. I hope everybody had a great time during the holidays and enjoyed some great fights on PPV.

In case you missed UFC 66 (shame on you) the highlight of the evening was Chuck Liddel defeating Tito Ortiz in the third round.

The run down of all the fights is as follows:

• Kieth Jardine vs. Forrest Griffin - Jardine wins
• Arlovski vs. Cruz - Arlovski wins
• Leben vs. MacDonald - Macdonald wins
• Bisping vs. Schafer - Bisping wins
• Alves vs. DeSouza - Alves wins
• Gonzaga vs. Marrero - Gonzaga wins
• Okami vs. Singer - Okami wins
• Wellish vs. Perosh - Wellish wins