MMA Live

Fantasy TUF 9: Episode 9

As episode 9 opens Dan Henderson tells Team US that welterweight (Team Roy's) Jason Pierce has been pulled from the show due to injury. (Team Roxanne's) Frank Lester, missing teeth, bruised face and all, wants a shot at redemption, and Dana White gives it to him.

(Team Roy's) David Faulkner vs. (Team Roxanne's) Frank Lester
There is not a whole lot of action in the first round, but Faulkner won the round. As the second round begins Faulkner is obviously gassed and Lester is able to pick him apart with shots from the thai clinch. As the round ends both coaches tell there fighter to be ready for a third round. Dana White announces that the fight is a draw and will go to a third round. Faulkner is too tired to continue and is unable to answer the bell. With the win, Frank Lester is the last fighter to move on to the Semi-Finals.

-(Team Roxanne's) Frank Lester def. (Team Roy's) David Faulkner via TKO (exhaustion) - Round 2, 5:00 for 9pts.
-Team Alli & Mike, Team Dan, Team Maria, Team Roy, and Team Steve each receive 1pt for having Dan Henderson as their coach.

TUF 10: Team Rampage vs Team Rashad

Former UFC light heavyweight champions Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans will oppose one another as coaches on Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series. Spike TV officials made the announcement on Thursday.

The season, which will feature 16 heavyweights, will premiere on Spike TV on Sept. 16. Shooting on Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter” will commence in June and will cover the customary six weeks. “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale will be held on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas.

UPDATE: According to Sergio Non of USA Today, Jackson and Evans will fight in the traditional season-ending coach-vs.-coach fight sometime in December. Although Jackson was promised the first shot at Lyoto Machida's belt, which he won from Evans this past weekend at UFC 98, Machida will make his first title defense against an opponent to be named shortly. According to White, Jackson said his desire to coach against Evans was stronger than his desire to fight immediately for the title.

Gina Carano Video

UFC 98: Wrap Up

Lyoto Machida celebrates after knocking out Rashad Evans for the UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 98 on Saturday.

According to UFC President Dana White, the show, highlighted by Lyoto Machida's title victory over ex-light-heavyweight champ Rashad Evans, drew 12,606 spectators for a respectable $3.4 million gate.

Here are the official results of UFC 98:
-Lyoto Machida def. Rashad Evans via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 3:57
-Matt Hughes def. Matt Serra via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
-Drew McFedries def. Xavier Foupa-Pokam via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 0:37
-Chael Sonnen def. Dan Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
-Frankie Edgar def. Sean Sherk via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
-Brock Larson def. Mike Pyle via submission (arm-triangle choke) - Round 1, 3:06
-Kyle Bradley def. Phillipe Nover via TKO (strikes) Round 1, 1:03
-Krzysztof Soszynski def. Andre Gusmao via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 3:17
-Yoshiyuki Yoshida def. Brandon Wolff via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 2:24
-George Roop def. Dave Kaplan via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 30-27)

Fight Night Bonus ($60,000)
-Knockout of the Night - Lyoto Machida ($60,000)
-Submission of the Night - Brock Larson($60,000)
-Fight of the Night - Matt Hughes and Matt Sera ($60,000 each)

Salaries
-Lyoto Machida: $200,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus and $60,000 KO bonus)
def. Rashad Evans: $200,000
-Matt Hughes: $200,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus and $60,000 FotN bonus)
def. Matt Serra: $135,000 (includes $60,000 FotN bonus)
-Drew McFedries: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
def. Xavier Foupa-Pokam: $6,000
-Chael Sonnen: $50,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
def. Dan Miller: $15,000
-Frankie Edgar: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. Sean Sherk: $40,000

-Brock Larson: $102,000 (includes $21,000 win bonus and $60,000 Sub bonus)
def. Mike Pyle: $15,000
-Tim Hague: $10,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus)
def. Pat Barry: $7,000
-Kyle Bradley: $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus)
def. Phillipe Nover: $10,000
-Krzysztof Soszynski: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Andre Gusmao: $5,000
-Yoshiyuki Yoshida: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Brandon Wolff: $3,000
-George Roop: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. David Kaplan: $8,000

Now, the usual disclaimer: The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a fighter's income. They also do not include any other PPV, "locker room" or special bonuses the UFC oftentimes pays.

Fantasy TUF 9: Episode 8

-Episode 8 recap

-(Team Tommy's) Jason Dent def. (Team Jen's) Jeff Lawson via submission (anaconda choke) in Round 2 for 9pts.
-Team Alli & Mike, Team Dan, Team Maria, Team Roy, and Team Steve each receive 1pt for having Dan Henderson as their coach.

(Team Roy's) Jason Pierce drops out due to injury. So next week's fight will be (Team Roy's) David Faulkner vs Jason Pierce's replacement for the final Semi-Final spot.

UFC 98: Evans vs Machida

UFC 98 is this Saturday night on PPV. It features UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans (13-0-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) vs Lyoto Machida (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). This will be the first title defense for Evans since he won the belt after defeating Forrest Griffin in December. Evans was the winner of the 2nd season of The Ultimate Fighter and has wins over Tito Ortiz, Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell, and Michael Bisping. Machida has wins over B.J. Penn, Rich Franklin, Stephan Bonnar, Tito Ortiz, and Thiago Silva. Machida's karate style has yet to be solved by one of his opponents. This will be the first time in UFC history that a title fight will be decided by two undefeated fighters.
The nights co-main event features the long over due grudge match between the coaches of the 7th season of The Ultimate Fighter as former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra (9-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) faces former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes (42-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC). This fight was supposed to go down at UFC 79, but injuries to both fighters postponed the fight. This will be Sera's first fight since losing the title to GSP in April of 2008. Hughes has lost his last two fights when he was defeated by GSP and Thiago Alves. These two fighters truly dislike each other so that may make for a great fight.

Here are the point values and betting lines from the Venetian:

(22pts) Rashad Evans (+160) v. (18pts) Lyoto Machida (-190)
(12pts) Matt Serra (+210) v. (7pts) Matt Hughes (-270)
(5pts) Drew McFedries (-115) v. (5pts) Xavier Foupa-Pokam (-115)
(5pts) Chael Sonnen (+140) v. (4pts) Dan Miller (-170)
(5pts) Frank Edgar (+180) v. (3pts) Sean Sherk (-220)
(2pts) Chris Wilson (+150) v. (1pt) Brock Larson (-180)
(2pts) Tim Hague (+220) v. (1pt) Pat Barry (-300)
(3pts) Kyle Bradley (+300) v. (1pt) Phillipe Nover (-400)
(1pt) Andre Gusmao (+120) v. (1pt) Krzysztof Soszynski (-150)
(3pts) Brandon Wolff (+300) v. (1pt) Hidehiko Yoshida (-400)
(1pt) David Kaplan (-105) v. (1pt) George Roop (-125)

-the full fight card
-Machida discusses his unique style
-Evans talks about the changes he has made in preparation for his first title defense

Mirko Cro Cop is coming back to the UFC

PRIDE and K-1 superstar Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (24-6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) says he is making his return to the UFC following a 20-month hiatus from the sport's biggest organization.

The press release from Filipovic's official website:

PRESS RELEASE: Cro Cop Back In UFC

These days the boys from Cro Cop team are training in full force. After a long break and highly demanding recovery process, Mirko Cro Cop is ready to fight in MMA again.

All problems with injuries are history and Cro Cop is very optimistic to start another chapter in his career: "I feel great, the recovery process is going well and we train at high intensity now. I never had such a strong desire to prove myself and I'll climb up again, or die trying."

Mirko's next fight is set for June 13th in Germany, which means that he's back in the UFC, a place that he didn't have his best moments: "I decided to fight in the UFC again, because of the stronger competition in the heavyweight division. My next opponent will be Mustapha Al-Turk. I didn't do well in my first three appearances - I wasn't myself. By returning to the cage I want to prove that I can still fight at highest level, no matter when or where," claims Cro Cop.

UFC 99 will be Cro Cop's first fight this year with the possibility of three fights coming by years end. "It's hard to talk about concrete plans, but I would really like to fight at least three times this year. I wish to fight against quality opponents and to fight my way up to a title shot but for now, I'll focus only on my next fight and after that we'll see what's going to be on the menu next," says Cro Cop. Although the UFC 99 card looks stacked, it seems that the UFC officials can see the benefits of hiring a top European fighter for their first ever UFC show in Germany.

"I want to say thank you Mr. Dana White for your interest and for an invitation back to the UFC. I owe you a lot from our first deal, and I'll make it up to you," promises Cro Cop.

All news related to Mirko Cro Cop's career are posted on Mirko's official MMA-ID profile on http://www.mma-id.com/CROCOP and Mirko's official homepage http://www.mirko-crocop.com.

Yours truly,
The CROCOP Team

MMA Live: Episode 53

Fantasy TUF 9: Episode 7

This week's episode features Ross Pearson vs Richie Whitson. But first, it is time for the coach's challenge. This season the two coaches attempt to play tennis. Coaches once again have $10,000 cash on the line, while the winning team members will earn $1,500 each. Dan Henderson wins 6-2. Michael Bisping's take on the loss: "I lost a tennis match, but who cares. You can stick your tennis up your ass. I'll see you on July 11. We'll do it like men."

-Team Alli & Mike, Team Dan, Team Maria, Team Roy, and Team Steve each receive 5pts for having Dan Henderson as their coach for winning the coach's challenge.

As for the fight, Whitson opens with a low kick, then a high kick, though both are checked. The two clinch, and Whitson forces Pearson to the cage. A few shots find their way inside before Whitson backs away. Pearson charges in on the restart, and slams Whitson to the floor. Whitson stands right back up, and eventually works free of Pearson. The Brit immediately charges forward with a series of strikes before taking Whitson again to the mat. Whitson tries to lock in a gullotine, but Pearson shakes free. With Whitson on his knees, Pearson delivers a clear illegal knee to the head. Referee Herb Dean immediately halts the action and deducts one point from Pearson. Luckily for the Team U.K. fighter, Whitson declares himself fit to continue. On the restart, both fighters engage on the feet. Both score, but Whitson misses with a high kick and Pearson closes the distance. Pearson takes Whitson to the floor for the third time, though the American immediately stands again. The two break, and a fourth slam moves the action again to the canvas. This time Pearson moves quickly to Whitson's back before he can stand. Pearson works quickly for the rear-naked choke, but transitions beautifully to an arm bar when Whitson defends. Unprepared and with his arm extended, Whitson taps with 1:21 remaining.
Team U.K. is ecstatic and now holds a 4-2 lead.
The preview for next week shows Team U.S. again sagging in morale, while Pierce and Faulkner will be forced to battle through their injuries.

-(Team Jon's) Ross Pearson def. (Team Maria's) Richie Whitson via submission (arm-bar) in Round 1 for 10pts.
-Team CJ, Team Jen, Team Jon, Team Roxanne, and Team Tommy each receive 1pt for having Michael Bisping as their coach.

Gina Carano in the Maxim Hot 100

Here is more proof that MMA is becoming mainstream. Gina Carano ranked in #16 in this year's Maxim Hot 100. She actually ranked between Britney Spears at #17 and Katy Perry at #15. You can't get much more mainstream than that.

Gina went from bruisingly hot MMA fighter chick to bona fide TV star last year as “Crush” on American Gladiators. The undefeated ass-kicker returns to the cage later this year.

UFC 98: Hughes vs Serra Promo (kinda)

MMA Live: Episode 52

Fantasy TUF 9: Episode 6

MMA. Where spitting up your teeth happens.

Martin Stapleton vs. Cameron Dollar will be the first fight of the night. Dollar does not look happy about the match-up, and says that he got himself into this situation, and he is going to get himself back out. That isn't exactly the same confident trash he's been spewing thus far.
Cameron starts with sloppy stand-up, including a kick that nearly gets him taken down. Seconds later, Martin does drive a double leg, pushing Cameron into the cage, and eventually taking him down. Cameron gets Stapleton's back and tries for a rear naked choke. When that doesn't work, he stays on Stapleton's back and throws punches until he gets another shot at a rear naked choke. This time, it works. Dollar is the winner, mostly because he listened to his coaches. After the win, Henderson said that the look on Bisping's face was as shocked as he expected it to be.

We head directly into the next fight announcement, with Team USA in control. Hendo says that it will be Frank Lester vs. James Wilks . Lester really doesn't like Wilks. Damarques Johnson doesn't help in settling down Lester, as he offers $100 for every tooth that Lester knocks out of Wilks' mouth.
About a minute and a half into the fight, Lester knocks Wilks down, but then nearly gets caught in an ankle lock, and then ends up on his back with Wilks having side control. They finally end back up on their feet, where Wilks connects on some wicked knees. They clinch, and both land knees.
Between rounds, when Steve Mazzagatti calls the fighters back to the center of the cage, Lester doesn't come right back. Bisping goes crazy, yelling, "If he can't fight, he can't fight!"
It turns out that Lester's tooth has been knocked out and is stuck in his mouthguard. Mazzagatti gives Lester's corner time to work on the mouth guard, and both Bisping and Wilks are pissed. Finally, the tooth is extracted, and Mazzagatti says to put the tooth on ice. Is he a dentist on the side? Does he plan on reattaching a tooth?
Lester fights much more tentatively as the second round starts. Wilks lands a few kicks, some knees while in the clinch, and a few punches. Lester's nose is bleeding badly, and Wilks has full control of Lester. Wilks gets side control and executes a perfect armbar, which makes Lester submit verbally.
Later, we find out that it's all of Lester's four front teeth that were knocked out. They were fake teeth, but nonetheless, wow. One knee knocked out all four teeth. As the episode ends, Lester spits into the garbage and says, "Oh, there's a tooth!"

-(Team Tommy's) Cameron Dollar def. (Team CJ's) Martin Stapleton via submission (rear naked choke) in Round 1 for 10pts.
--Team Alli & Mike, Team Dan, Team Maria, Team Roy, and Team Steve each receive 1pt for having Dan Henderson as their coach.

-(Team Jon's) James Wilks def. (Team Roxanne's) Frank Lester via submission (arm bar) in Round 2 for 9pts.
--Team CJ, Team Jen, Team Jon, Team Roxanne, and Team Tommy each receive 1pt for having Michael Bisping as their coach.


-Episode Recap