Monday, December 31, 2012

Mike Goldberg Out of UFC 155, No Set Date for his Return

With 2012 mercifully coming to an end, you had to imagine that at least one more fighter would be taken off of the year's final card due to the great injury curse. Sure enough, at the last possible second a key member of UFC 155 has been removed from the card, causing the organization to scramble to find an adequate replacement. Okay, he's not a fighter - and he's not even a casualty of the injury curse - but damn it, this year has been brutal for last-second withdrawals. Veteran announcer Mike Goldberg will not be calling the fights tonight at UFC 155. Originally, his absence from tonight's event was attributed to an illness, but it turns out that this isn't quite the case. Via MMAJunkie: UFC President Dana White on Friday confirmed the change to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) but could not offer specifics into the situation or when Goldberg is expected to return to his post. "He's taking time off and is not working this weekend," White said. "I don't know when he will be back.

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/mike-goldberg-out-of-ufc-155-no-set-date-for-his-return/

Rich Franklin Ian Freeman Don Frye Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita

Cain should get this new tattoo to go with his idiotic brown pride tattoo

Image: http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a395/coreyallen626/brownerpride_zps2e1cbccc.jpg

People keep talking like hes gonna beat Junior when the truth is he doesnt even deserve to be there and...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79788-Cain-should-get-this-new-tattoo-to-go-with-his-idiotic-brown-pride-tattoo&goto=newpost

Robert Berry David Bielkheden Michael Bisping  Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan

Mirko Cro Cop earns quick submission win in return to MMA

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/12/31/3820942/mirko-cro-cop-earns-quick-submission-win-in-return-to-mma

Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson

Video: Watch Melvin Manhoef knockout Denis Kang via crushing knee to the body at DREAM 18

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2012/12/31/3821380/video-watch-melvin-manoef-knockout-denis-kang-knee-dream-18-mma

Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez Keith Hackney Matt Hamill Volk Han

Five Champions To Be Crowned At SFL 13: Night of Champions

Super Fight League wraps up 2012 with a blockbuster event which will crown the promotion’s first five champions. One the line will be the men’s welterweight, lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight titles, as well as, the women’s flyweight title. SFL 13: Night of Champions takes place on Friday, December 14th from Mumbai, India. The action will [...]

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/sfl/five-champions-to-be-crowned-at-sfl-13-night-of-champions-60546/

Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet

The Techniques of MMA

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Source: http://www.ufcrundown.com/blog/the-techniques-of-mma/

Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira  Patrick The Predator Côté  Randy The Natural Couture  Dan Cramer

Five questions that will be answered by UFC 155

The UFC's end-of-the-year cards are usually stacked. Despite injuries, UFC 155 is no different. It features intriguing bouts that will answer some burning questions.

Did a knee injury hold back Cain Velasquez the first time he fought Junior dos Santos? When the two first met up last November, Velasquez reportedly had a badly injured knee. He was knocked out in 64 seconds. This time a (seemingly) healthy Velasquez will get to show if he deserves the heavyweight belt.

Has Chris Leben returned to form, for really real this time? Since Leben was on the original "Ultimate Fighter," he has been a man who wrestled with his demons. Most recently, those demons took the form of a banned pain killer which resulted in a one-year suspension from the UFC. Against Derek Brunson, Leben can show he's again the man who knocked out Wanderlei Silva.

Can Tim Boetsch be the next guy to challenge Anderson Silva? Though his original bout with Chris Weidman was called off because of an injury to Weidman, Boetsch still has another opportunity to show he can beat up opponents. He wants a chance to beat up Silva,* and this bout with Costa Phillippou is an opportunity for Boetsch's fighting to shine.

Or should Alan Belcher be the man to take on Silva? It's been more than three years since Belcher lost a fight. His last four fights have been stoppage wins. An impressive win over Yushin Okami could put him in line to fight for the middleweight belt.*

Is Todd Duffee still the knockout artist who once graced the octagon? Back in 2009, Duffee knocked out Tim Hague in a mere seven seconds. After that, the hype train was running behind him full steam. It was derailed when Mike Russow came back to knock Duffee out in the third round of their bout. Duffee was cut from the UFC, and is getting another shot at the octagon on Saturday. He'll fight Philip De Fries on the Facebook preliminaries, and get a chance to show if he can still knock people out very quickly.

*Assuming the next middleweight belt is based on competitiveness and earning a title shot by fighting, not by calling opponents out. Considering what has happened recently in the UFC welterweight and light heavyweight divisions, there are no guarantees.
Related MMA video from Yahoo! Sports

Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
Slideshow: Sports tweets of the year
After intentional injury admission, Lomas Brown loses ground in NFL lawsuit
Avery Johnson got fired, but Deron Williams is sinking the Nets
Y! Finance: Mark Zuckerberg's sister up in arms when someone tweets her Facebook photo

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/five-questions-answered-ufc-155-221719074--mma.html

Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez Keith Hackney Matt Hamill Volk Han

DREAM 18 / GLORY 4 results and LIVE MMA / Kickboxing tournament coverage from Japan TONIGHT (Dec. 31)!

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2012/12/30/3816092/dream-18-results-online-live-coverage-glory-kickboxing-tournament-japan-mma

Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen  Chris Dolman

Top 10 of 12: No. 5 GSP returns

MMA Payout’s No. 5 story of 2012 is the return of Georges St. Pierre.  After an 18 month absence, GSP returned to the UFC and defeated Carlos Condit to unify the UFC welterweight title. After receiving news of the PPV buys, Dana White indicated at the UFC on Fox 5 press conference that GSP “delivered” [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Payout/~3/oWxbxmMtVNo/

Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper  Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira 

Claudia Gadelha Injured, Bec Hyatt Now Meets Carla Esparza for Strawweight Belt at Invicta 4

An injury to Claudia Gadelha has forced her from her upcoming Invicta Fighting Championships strawweight title fight against Carla Esparza.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Claudia-Gadelha-Injured-Bec-Hyatt-Now-Meets-Carla-Esparza-for-Strawweight-Belt-at-Invicta-4-48615

Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Ronda Rousey: ‘I try to have as much sex as possible before I fight’

UFC/Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey appeared on Jim Rome's show on Wednesday. What does the champion use as her training secret? Does she have high-level training methods not available to amateur athletes and workout warriors?

Nope. She likes to have as much sex as possible before fights. Though Mick advised Rocky that women weaken the legs, Rousey believes it has the opposite effect on women.

"For girls it raises your testosterone, so I try to have as much sex as possible before I fight actually. Not with like everybody, I don't put out like a Craigslist ads or anything, but if I got a steady I'm going to be like, 'Yo, fight time's coming up,'" Rousey said.

She is not the first athlete to claim sex has benefits on the field of play. Elias Figueroa, a Chilean soccer player, said his coach advised him to have sex before important games. Argentinian soccer players were advised they could have sex during the World Cup, as long as it was with a regular partner and not accompanied by champagne.

There is little medical evidence that says sex has an effect, positive or negative, on an athletic performance.

"It certainly doesn't fatigue you in any particular way. So if we actually test your strength or your endurance the day after you've had sex, there's no effect," said Ian Shrier, a sport-medicine physician at the Jewish General Hospital at McGill University.

But if there is an exception, it's in combat sports like MMA. Maria Cristina Rodriguez Gutierrez, the director of sports medicine at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, told CNN that sex can reduce aggression.

"For combat athletes like fighters or boxers, having sex before an important fight can reduce the aggressiveness and make them passive," although effects vary from person to person.

It clearly works for Rousey, who has steamrolled every opponent she has faced on her way to the championship and a 6-0 record. She's won every fight with a first-round submission, and she recently was named the first woman in the UFC. Though her opponent and the date for her first UFC fight are currently unknown, UFC president Dana White said her bout will be a main event on a pay-per-view.

Rousey is also a two-time Olympian, and she won a bronze medal for judo in 2008. It was a fight before the Beijing Olympics that made her think she could be successful in the cage.

"Yes. I got in a fight with a couple of guys at the end of 2007 in a movie theater. It was four couples so four guys and one girl tried to get into it. And I had two friends with me. But I was only really handling two guys by myself. They sued me for assault because it didn't really go too well for them. I guess if you lose a fight in Santa Monica the next option is to sue. Everyone in the theater was cheering for me. I was thinking I might have a future in this. It was before the whole MMA thing."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ronda-rousey-try-much-sex-possible-fight-171940850--mma.html

Kazuyuki Fujita Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan

Bellator Season 8 on Spike TV – Promo Video

Check out the new promo video for Bellator MMA which will be making the move to Spike TV in January 2013. The new year also kicks off the Season 8 tournaments which will be competed in 5 divisions: featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight.

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/bellator-news/bellator-season-8-on-spike-tv-promo-video-60578/

Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez

Why Dont they Broadcast AHL games?

With no NHL why not have AHL games more often. TSN or CBC could show then. They are all full of NHL stars now anyway.

This is kind of a Canadian thread.

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79745-Why-Dont-they-Broadcast-AHL-games&goto=newpost

Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle

Five questions that will be answered by UFC 155

The UFC's end-of-the-year cards are usually stacked. Despite injuries, UFC 155 is no different. It features intriguing bouts that will answer some burning questions.

Did a knee injury hold back Cain Velasquez the first time he fought Junior dos Santos? When the two first met up last November, Velasquez reportedly had a badly injured knee. He was knocked out in 64 seconds. This time a (seemingly) healthy Velasquez will get to show if he deserves the heavyweight belt.

Has Chris Leben returned to form, for really real this time? Since Leben was on the original "Ultimate Fighter," he has been a man who wrestled with his demons. Most recently, those demons took the form of a banned pain killer which resulted in a one-year suspension from the UFC. Against Derek Brunson, Leben can show he's again the man who knocked out Wanderlei Silva.

Can Tim Boetsch be the next guy to challenge Anderson Silva? Though his original bout with Chris Weidman was called off because of an injury to Weidman, Boetsch still has another opportunity to show he can beat up opponents. He wants a chance to beat up Silva,* and this bout with Costa Phillippou is an opportunity for Boetsch's fighting to shine.

Or should Alan Belcher be the man to take on Silva? It's been more than three years since Belcher lost a fight. His last four fights have been stoppage wins. An impressive win over Yushin Okami could put him in line to fight for the middleweight belt.*

Is Todd Duffee still the knockout artist who once graced the octagon? Back in 2009, Duffee knocked out Tim Hague in a mere seven seconds. After that, the hype train was running behind him full steam. It was derailed when Mike Russow came back to knock Duffee out in the third round of their bout. Duffee was cut from the UFC, and is getting another shot at the octagon on Saturday. He'll fight Philip De Fries on the Facebook preliminaries, and get a chance to show if he can still knock people out very quickly.

*Assuming the next middleweight belt is based on competitiveness and earning a title shot by fighting, not by calling opponents out. Considering what has happened recently in the UFC welterweight and light heavyweight divisions, there are no guarantees.
Related MMA video from Yahoo! Sports

Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
Slideshow: Sports tweets of the year
After intentional injury admission, Lomas Brown loses ground in NFL lawsuit
Avery Johnson got fired, but Deron Williams is sinking the Nets
Y! Finance: Mark Zuckerberg's sister up in arms when someone tweets her Facebook photo

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/five-questions-answered-ufc-155-221719074--mma.html

Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes

Fueled by Renewed Focus and Faith, Leonard Garcia Expects Bounce-Back Effort at UFC 155

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Nearly every morning during his most recent camp, Leonard Garcia began his day by reading passages from the Bible aloud in his room at the ranch he shares with UFC lightweight contender Donald Cerrone.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Fueled-by-Renewed-Focus-and-Faith-Leonard-Garcia-Expects-BounceBack-Effort-at-UFC-155-48583

Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia

Happy new years!

I'm not sure if I'm gonna be here at new years, so I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy new year!

I may not be the most active...

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/mma-forum-lounge/108107-happy-new-years.html

Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett  David Baron  Phil Baroni

Veteran Trevor Prangley Tech Decisions Tony Lopez for KOTC Gold at ‘Vigilante’

HIGHLAND, Calif. -- Despite scintillating knockouts, upsets and not a single bout that saw the final bell, King of the Cage’s live television debut on MavTV ended with a whimper, leaving the masses at the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino -- and likely home audiences -- craving more.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Veteran-Trevor-Prangley-Tech-Decisions-Tony-Lopez-for-KOTC-Gold-at-Vigilante-48507

Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo  Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai  Mac Danzig 

Cain Velasquez gets revenge, looks near-invincible in thorough beatdown of Junior dos Santos (Yahoo! Sports)

Velasquez didn't leave any doubt as to who's the best heavyweight in the world. Now the question is: Can anybody stop him?

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/mma/SIG=14nbl77vd/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/mma--cain-velasquez-gets-his-revenge--appears-near-invincible-in-thorough-beatdown-of-junior-dos-santos-085034731.html

Joe Doerksen  Chris Dolman Edson Drago  Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte

Top 10 of 12: No. 5 GSP returns

MMA Payout’s No. 5 story of 2012 is the return of Georges St. Pierre.  After an 18 month absence, GSP returned to the UFC and defeated Carlos Condit to unify the UFC welterweight title. After receiving news of the PPV buys, Dana White indicated at the UFC on Fox 5 press conference that GSP “delivered” [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Payout/~3/oWxbxmMtVNo/

David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson Josh Hendricks Ed Herman

Heads Up: Stop By CagePotato at 4 p.m. EST For a Live Video of the UFC 155 Press Conference

(It was around roughly the fourth punch to Velasquez's dome that Big John began to question the validity of Junior's CPR certificate.) Today at 4 p.m. EST, the UFC 155 press conference will kick off live from Las Vegas, Nevada. It will no doubt feature Junior dos Santos doing his typical "Baby Huey trapped in the body of Jason Voorhees" nice guy routine and Cain Velasquez repeatedly stating that "Yes, I will in fact bring a different gameplan into this fight, so for the love of God, stop asking me this question" while Dana White tries to comment on how great of a fight this is without dropping fourteen consecutive f-bombs in the process. All in all, it should be pretty entertaining as far as press conferences go, so join us after the jump to catch all the action (or lack thereof) starting at 4 p.m. EST.

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/heads-up-stop-by-cagepotato-at-4-p-m-est-for-a-live-video-of-the-ufc-155-press-conference/

Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski  Ricardo Arona  Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Bellator’s Spike TV debut set for Thursday, January 17th

The Bellator Fighting Championships announced that their debut on Spike TV will take place on Thursday, January 17th with Bellator 85. The event will take place from The University of California’s Bren Center in Irvine, California. Bellator 85 will feature two championship fights. Featherweight champion Pat Curran will put his title on the line against [...]

Source: http://www.mmainterplay.com/bellator-news/bellators-spike-tv-debut-set-for-thursday-january-17th-60549/

Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet

Dana White: If He Ran Bellator, He’d Do Everything to Try and Make It Look Like the UFC Too

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/2260/dana-white-if-he-ran-bellator-hed-do-everything-to-try-and-make-it-look-like-the-ufc-too

Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan Marcelo Brito  Rob Broughton 

Strikeforce confirms January card will be its last

From the second Ronda Rousey's UFC bout with Liz Carmouche was announced, Strikeforce's end was rumored. The promotion has been teetering since having to cancel two cards in a row in September and November. Now, the Zuffa-owned, Showtime-backed promotion has confirmed that their January show will be their last.

“Since 2009, Showtime has been a great partner and we appreciate its support of Strikeforce and our athletes,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said via the promotion's website. “For our final event, we’ve loaded the card with some outstanding fights. This is going to be a memorable night for the sport of mixed martial arts.”

The event takes place Jan. 12 in Oklahoma City, and will feature:

Nate Marquardt vs. Tarec Saffiedine
Daniel Cormier vs. Dion Staring
Josh Barnett vs. Nandor Guelmino
Gegard Mousasi vs. Mike Kyle
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Ed Herman
Pat Healy vs. to be determined
Roger Gracie vs. Anthony Smith
Tim Kennedy vs. Trevor Smith
KJ Noons vs. Ryan Couture
Jorge Gurgel vs. Adriano Martin
Estevan Payan vs. Michael Bravo

It's a fun card for the finale to a promotion that has provided memorable moments but was plagued with inconsistency.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/strikeforce-confirms-january-card-last-022952137--mma.html

Keith Hackney Matt Hamill Volk Han Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk

Alessio Sakara planning appeal of DQ loss

Saturday's UFC 154 bout between Alessio Sakara and Patrick Cote ended in controversy as Sakara was disqualified by referee Dan Miragliotta for throwing illegal blows to the back of Cote's head. UFC president Dana White said Miragliotta did a "horrible job" because he allowed Cote to take too many hits and called the fight a DQ and not a no contest. However, Miragliotta told Yahoo! Sports on Saturday that the commission in Montreal told him the fight had to end in a disqualification, not a no contest.

Miragliotta also explained what constitutes an illegal blow to MMA Junkie:

"Even though most of your hand is hitting the back of the head, if your pinkie knuckle is hitting him in the ear, it's a legal shot," said Miragliotta. "Maybe that's what people don't understand. They said, 'Oh, it's the back of the head.' It is the back of the head, but it's hitting him in the ear.

But Sakara's manager denies that Miragliotta warned Sakara, as Miragliotta said he did. He also says he didn't see the blows to the back of the head. Luckily, we have the magic of photography to see.

This one, from Yahoo! Sports photographer Tracy Lee, shows Sakara's hand brushing Cote's ear.

This angle shows a clear blow to the back of the head, though. Shot from above the top of the cage, there is no impediment in showing where Sakara was hitting Cote. Sakara's camp is planning to appeal the ruling. Meanwhile, White already said a rematch between the two will happen.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/alessio-sakara-planning-appeal-dq-loss-190105957--mma.html

Ralek Gracie Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie

Dana White UFC 155 vlog day 1

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/2256/dana-white-ufc-155-vlog-day-1

Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George

Benson Henderson teaches you how to give your opponent a sad face (VIDEO)

UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will fight Nate Diaz on Fox on Saturday, but before his bout, he showed off some of his signature moves. Henderson's favorite thing during a fight is to give his opponent "a sad face."

Diaz is generally sporting a mean mug during fights. Will Henderson be able to turn it into a sad face? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/benson-henderson-teaches-opponent-sad-face-video-144201086--mma.html

Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie Peter Graham Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin

Wolfgang Janssen lands Flying Reverse Triangle @ HAVOC FC 12.14.12 [video]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr_jPJe7__U

His opponent is Aaron Armstrong

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79749-Wolfgang-Janssen-lands-Flying-Reverse-Triangle-HAVOC-FC-12-14-12-video&goto=newpost

Peter Graham Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin Karn Grigorian Karen Grigoryan

Dana White UFC 155 vlog day 1

Source: http://mmasportsreport.com/2256/dana-white-ufc-155-vlog-day-1

Ryan Bader  Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett  David Baron 

Basic Gears for MMA Training

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Source: http://www.ufcrundown.com/blog/basic-gears-for-mma-training/

Keith Hackney Matt Hamill Volk Han Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk

Friday, December 28, 2012

Martial Arts Movies and the MMA

So.... 80’s martial arts movies, like Bloodsport and Enter the Dragon were big influences on some MMA fighters like Kenny Florian!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC9n2wEz2F0

What's YOUR...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79744-Martial-Arts-Movies-and-the-MMA&goto=newpost

Renzo Gracie Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie

UFC 155 fight card: Junior dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez 2 preview

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2012/12/28/3811612/ufc-155-fight-card-junior-dos-santos-vs-cain-velasquez-2-preview

Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes

UFC 155 weigh-in video

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/12/28/3806920/ufc-155-weigh-in-video

Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana 

Nate Diaz’s middle finger gesture during fight rattled Fox broadcast, but not Benson Henderson

During Benson Henderson's win over Nate Diaz at UFC on Fox 5, the Fox broadcast repeatedly cut away to a shot of the empty octagon. Was it a technical difficulty? Did someone on Fox's broadcast truck hit the wrong button?

No. Diaz threw up the middle finger at his opponent, and the network cut away instead of risking a fine from the Federal Communications Commission.

This isn't the first time Diaz has caused a stir on network television. After a Strikeforce fight in 2010 on CBS, Diaz, his brother Nick and their teammates got into a postfight melee when Jason "Mayhem" Miller jumped into the cage after a Jake Shields win.

Diaz is known for using trash talk and throwing up the middle finger during fights. He famously locked in a triangle choke with his legs on Kurt Pellegrino and put up both fingers as he finished the submission. Henderson knew this and prepared for Diaz's game.

"It's something I actually had a little bit of a hard time with, but once my training partners got together, they all started talking crap to me in the middle of sparring and I'd get angry," Henderson said on Fuel TV's postfight show. "They helped control it and I did a pretty good job of being very focused and not letting that affect my emotional state in the middle of the fight."

Fantasy football advice on Yahoo! Sports:

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/nate-diaz-middle-finger-gesture-during-fight-rattled-161511051--mma.html

Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie

UFC 155 predictions, preview and analysis

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2012/12/28/1930944/ufc-155-predictions-preview-analysis-dos-santos-velasquez-mma

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen 

UFC 156 poster

Image: http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/148610_404262359649821_1341195413_n.jpg

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/108034-ufc-156-poster.html

Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero

Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice latest addition to UFC 157

http://www.mmamania.com/2012/12/20/1908530/dennis-bermudez-vs-matt-grice-ufc-157-anaheim-mma

UFC matchmaker Joe Silva isn't taking any days off this holiday season as yet another UFC 157 match-up...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79765-Dennis-Bermudez-vs-Matt-Grice-latest-addition-to-UFC-157&goto=newpost

Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno

Former UFC fighter loses his house to fire on Thanksgiving

Former UFC fighter Dennis Hallman lost his home to a fire on Thanksgiving. The lightweight who has been fighting since 1996 shared the sad news on his Facebook page.

Sad thanks giving for me and my family. My house burned down early this AM. Thank God no one was hurt and I have that to be thankful for. Something like this makes my recent direction change all the harder...the one person that could make me feel okay about everything is no longer here. When God wants you to have a fresh start sometimes he really wants to make his point clear.

He and his family were unhurt, but a report on a fire at Hallman's address said it amounts to more than $180,000 in damage. The first floor was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene.

[Also: GSP returns to MMA rankings]

It's been a rough stretch for the 36-year-old fighter. He blew weight for his UFC on FX 5 bout with Thiago Tavares. The bout was canceled after Hallman said he was not fit to fight and dealing with personal issues. He was then cut from the UFC.

Thank you, Fighter's Only.

Road to Saturday from Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
Cards third baseman David Freese avoids deer, hits tree
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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/former-ufc-fighter-loses-house-fire-thanksgiving-161521834--mma.html

Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett  Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell 

Benson Henderson teaches you how to give your opponent a sad face (VIDEO)

UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will fight Nate Diaz on Fox on Saturday, but before his bout, he showed off some of his signature moves. Henderson's favorite thing during a fight is to give his opponent "a sad face."

Diaz is generally sporting a mean mug during fights. Will Henderson be able to turn it into a sad face? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/benson-henderson-teaches-opponent-sad-face-video-144201086--mma.html

Marvin Eastman  Stav Crazy Bear Economou  Yves Edwards  Justin Eilers  Jon Olav Einemo

Paul Daley Out of Bellator’s Season 8 Welterweight Tournament

Hard-hitting Brit Paul Daley has been removed from the Bellator Fighting Championships’ Season 8 welterweight tournament.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Paul-Daley-Out-of-Bellators-Season-8-Welterweight-Tournament-48577

Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade 

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Strikeforce’s Bobby Green Makes Octagon Debut against Jacob Volkmann at UFC 156

Bobby Green is the latest Strikeforce talent to transition to the UFC.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Strikeforces-Bobby-Green-Makes-Octagon-Debut-against-Jacob-Volkmann-at-UFC-156-48591

Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper  Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira 

Dana White says UFC title shot likely for Gilbert Melendez; reflects on Strikeforce

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/2012/12/27/3809568/dana-white-says-ufc-title-shot-likely-for-gilbert-melendez-reflects

Luiz Cane  Dos Caras Jr   Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin 

UFC ‘The Ultimate Fighter 16’ Finale Drug Test Results: All Fighters Cleared by NAC

All fighters who competed at “The Ultimate Fighter 16” Finale were tested for drugs and steroids, and all fighters came back clean, according to the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/UFC-The-Ultimate-Fighter-16-Finale-Drug-Test-Results-All-Fighters-Cleared-by-NAC-48543

Justin Eilers  Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko

Andrei Arlovski, Mike Hayes Cleared for Heavyweight Showdown at ‘Battle of Moscow 9’

MOSCOW -- Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski tipped the scales at 241 pounds Saturday.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Andrei-Arlovski-Mike-Hayes-Cleared-for-Heavyweight-Showdown-at-Battle-of-Moscow-9-48277

Junie Browning Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett  Murilo Bustamante 

‘The Ultimate Fighter 16’ Finale Prelims: Mike Pyle Knee Sinks James Head

Former World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion Mike Pyle channeled his inner Anderson Silva, as he sank James Head with a beautiful second-round knee from the Thai plum and follow-up punches at “The Ultimate Fighter 16” Finale on Saturday at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/The-Ultimate-Fighter-16-Finale-Prelims-Mike-Pyle-Knee-Sinks-James-Head-48295

Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo 

Melvin Guillard: Jamie Varner’s Pre-Fight Illness Due to Fear, Nerves

Jamie Varner was by all accounts ill before the Nevada Athletic Commission cancelled his bout Saturday against Melvin Guillard at “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 16 finale.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Melvin-Guillard-Jamie-Varners-PreFight-Illness-Due-to-Fear-Nerves-48411

Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau

UFC 155 Results: ‘Dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2’ Play-by-Play & Updates

Sherdog.com will report from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at approximately 6:35 p.m. ET/3:35 p.m. PT with play-by-play and live results of UFC 155, which is headlined by a heavyweight title fight pitting champion Junior dos Santos against challenger Cain Velasquez.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/UFC-155-Results-Dos-Santos-vs-Velasquez-2-PlaybyPlay-Updates-48565

Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar

Lavar Johnson-Brendan Schaub, Michael Chiesa-Anton Kuivanen Added to UFC 157 Bill

It appears Lavar Johnson and Brendan Schaub will square off after all.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Lavar-JohnsonBrendan-Schaub-Michael-ChiesaAnton-Kuivanen-Added-to-UFC-157-Bill-48455

Mike Brown  Junie Browning Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett 

Best Quality MMA Gear

ShareThis

Source: http://www.ufcrundown.com/blog/best-quality-mma-gear/

Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

And Now He’s Fired: Bellator Cuts Ties with Former Bantamweight Champion Zach Makovsky

"Wait...a ham sandwich walked into a bar? How is that even possible?" New years often mean new beginnings. For Bellator, this means cutting ties with former bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky. Makovsky took to his Twitter account yesterday to confirm his release, tweeting "Honestly shocked but thank you for the opportunity @BellatorMMA @BjornRebney." A former D1 wrestler for Drexel University, Zach "Fun Size" Makovsky was the face of Bellator's bantamweight division since the beginning, becoming the inaugural bantamweight champion at Bellator 32 with a unanimous decision victory over Ed West. A pair of non-title fights saw him knock out Chad Robichaux and choke out Ryan Roberts, improving his Bellator record to a flawless 6-0, and the future was wide open for Fun Size.

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/and-now-hes-fired-bellator-cuts-ties-with-former-bantamweight-champion-zach-makovsky/

Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian

Uncle Mac's fuck you ballad to the westboro baptist church

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziRMehYY7TE

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79751-Uncle-Mac-s-fuck-you-ballad-to-the-westboro-baptist-church&goto=newpost

Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

LOLz of the Day: Pat Barry Teaches Us How to Properly Deal With Racism

I grew up in a town that was and still is 99% Caucasian. For whatever reason, I used to tan incredibly easy when I was growing up, to the point that if I held the refrigerator door open for too long, my face would look like Enrique Iglesias' ass. And because I was apparently one of the only people in town whose skin possessed melanin, I was often the butt of jokes involving milkmen sleeping with my mother, my ability to jump more than four inches off the ground, and so on and so forth. I'm not looking for sympathy, but suffice it to say, I've had to deal with more misguided racism in my day than the average white guy and often had no clue how to deal with it. Which brings us to Pat Barry, who some of you might not know is half black. If that revelation shatters your entire perception of Barry as a human being, then you are likely the garbage-ass hooley hoo floor turd known as "Jake," who recently sent the above message to Barry on Youtube. What starts off as a simple statement of newfound understanding quickly takes a left turn to Deliveranceville, 'Murica when this "Jake" starts dropping racial slurs like they were his cousins underpants at the family kegger-orgy, all the while assessing Barry's skills as a fighter in an effort to, I don't know, maintain his credibility as an MMA fan? As if to say, "You BETTER BELIEVE that if I didn't have all of this hate in my heart, I'd be hosting MMA Live." In either case, Barry actually chose to respond to the troll and more or less laid out a gameplan for how to deal with racism that combines equal parts CAPS LOCK HAL and Richard Pryor to hilarious effect. A photo of his response is after the jump. 

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/lolz-of-the-day-pat-barry-teaches-us-how-to-properly-deal-with-racism/

Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade 

DREAM 18/GLORY 4 New Year's Eve event to air on CBS Sports Network

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/12/26/3804492/dream-18-glory-4-new-years-eve-event-to-air-on-cbs-sports-network

Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes

Derek Brunson meets Chris Leben on two weeks' notice at UFC 155

http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/12/18/3782822/former-strikeforce-fighter-derek-brunson-meets-chris-leben-on-two

All's well that end's for Derek Brunson.

Months after he was pulled off "The...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79752-Derek-Brunson-meets-Chris-Leben-on-two-weeks-notice-at-UFC-155&goto=newpost

Ray Cooper  Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira  Patrick The Predator Côté  Randy The Natural Couture 

Jake Ellenberger Asked for Fight Against Johny Hendricks at UFC 158

Jake Ellenberger wanted to fight Johny Hendricks, and he’ll get the opportunity March 16 at UFC 158.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jake-Ellenberger-Asked-for-Fight-Against-Johny-Hendricks-at-UFC-158-48495

Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau  Rich No Love Clementi 

UFC 157: Sam Stout vs. Caros Fodor booked

http://www.mmamania.com/2012/12/21/3793556/ufc-157-sam-stout-vs-caros-fodor-booked-for-feb-23-in-anaheim

Another "UFC vs. Strikeforce" bout has been booked for an upcoming card, as lightweight Sam...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79769-UFC-157-Sam-Stout-vs-Caros-Fodor-booked&goto=newpost

Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau 

Check out highlights from Georges St-Pierre’s UFC 154 win

After a 19-month layoff, Georges St-Pierre held onto the UFC welterweight belt with a win over Carlos Condit, who kept the fight interesting with a knockdown of St-Pierre. Watch the full fight highlights. Did you expect the fight to go differently? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/check-highlights-georges-st-pierre-ufc-154-win-135045438--mma.html

Luiz Cane  Dos Caras Jr   Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin 

Former UFC fighter loses his house to fire on Thanksgiving

Former UFC fighter Dennis Hallman lost his home to a fire on Thanksgiving. The lightweight who has been fighting since 1996 shared the sad news on his Facebook page.

Sad thanks giving for me and my family. My house burned down early this AM. Thank God no one was hurt and I have that to be thankful for. Something like this makes my recent direction change all the harder...the one person that could make me feel okay about everything is no longer here. When God wants you to have a fresh start sometimes he really wants to make his point clear.

He and his family were unhurt, but a report on a fire at Hallman's address said it amounts to more than $180,000 in damage. The first floor was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene.

[Also: GSP returns to MMA rankings]

It's been a rough stretch for the 36-year-old fighter. He blew weight for his UFC on FX 5 bout with Thiago Tavares. The bout was canceled after Hallman said he was not fit to fight and dealing with personal issues. He was then cut from the UFC.

Thank you, Fighter's Only.

Road to Saturday from Yahoo! Sports:

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/former-ufc-fighter-loses-house-fire-thanksgiving-161521834--mma.html

Josh Hendricks Ed Herman Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Tank Abbott

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

MMAmania.com would like to wish you a Merry Christmas via Invicta FC 4's Paige VanZant

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2012/12/25/3801820/invicta-fc-4-preliminary-card-fighter-paige-vanzant-merry-christmas-mma

Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson

Lavar Johnson-Brendan Schaub, Michael Chiesa-Anton Kuivanen Added to UFC 157 Bill

It appears Lavar Johnson and Brendan Schaub will square off after all.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Lavar-JohnsonBrendan-Schaub-Michael-ChiesaAnton-Kuivanen-Added-to-UFC-157-Bill-48455

Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace

This Rustam Khabilov though..

http://youtu.be/5Yrk5G6M9R0

Image: http://i.minus.com/ib1n3JKeOFpVE2.gif

This motherfucker must train with Zangief! He threw Vinc Pitchel right back to hell, like a boss

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79738-This-Rustam-Khabilov-though&goto=newpost

Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana 

As Strikeforce Career Comes to a Close, Isaac Vallie-Flagg Hopes for Octagon Debut in 2013

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Isaac Vallie-Flagg is hardly the authority on verbal warfare. He won’t make headlines for his out-of-the-cage antics. He has never asked anyone to, “Let me bang, bro.”

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/As-Strikeforce-Career-Comes-to-a-Close-Isaac-VallieFlagg-Hopes-for-Octagon-Debut-in-2013-48407

Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus  Todd Duffee  Marvin Eastman 

Forrest Griffin Tweets Pic Of Knee After Surgery

Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin tweeted this beauty of a post-surgery knee photo. “This is what you get for christmas when your naughty” says Griffin. Forrest Griffin had to pull out of his UFC 155 bout with Phil Davis three weeks ago with a torn MCL and strained ACL.

Source: http://www.mmatko.com/forrest-griffin-tweets-pic-of-knee-after-surgery/

Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin  Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison 

Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit

Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit fight the best and most beautiful knockout punches was the impression for you

s8JHsNmksnY

Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/mma-fighting-techniques-videos/107984-nick-diaz-vs-carlos-condit.html

Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca Rich Franklin

Ouch

On Dec. 3, “Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 competitor Ray Elbe endured an injury most males wouldn’t wish upon their worst enemy.

While having sexual intercourse with his girlfriend, the fighter with...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79743-Ouch&goto=newpost

Robert Berry David Bielkheden Michael Bisping  Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan

Johny Hendricks, Ivan Menjivar and John Makdessi headline UFC 154′s Three Stars

Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit provided a main event thriller at UFC 154 on Saturday night. What other bright stars stood out?

No. 1 star -- Johny Hendricks: Everyone knows that Hendricks is a fantastic wrestler. He has the credentials and the skills. What he showed on Saturday was that he has knockout power by taking out Martin Kampmann with a single punch. Hendricks' last three fights include two knockouts in less than a minute, and a decision win over Josh Koscheck. Now, he has his sights set on the UFC welterweight belt.

No. 2 star -- Ivan Menjivar: People, just don't let your arm roam free around bantamweight Ivan Menjivar. Just don't do it. If you do, he will deftly slap an arm bar on you like he did on Azamat Gashimov, and your arm will not feel great for a long time.

No. 3 -- John Makdessi: Sam Stout went into this bout as the considerable favorite, but Makdessi took away Stout's advantage with a neverending jab. This win stopped a losing skid for Makdessi, and likely saved his job.

Who were your three stars? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/johny-hendricks-ivan-menjivar-john-makdessi-headline-ufc-162820206--mma.html

Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo  Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai  Mac Danzig 

Chad Mendes vs. Manny Gamburyan possible for UFC 157

http://www.mmamania.com/2012/12/20/3787484/chad-mendes-vs-manny-gamburyan-ufc-157-anaheim-mma

Former UFC featherweight No. 1 contender Chad Mendes will make a quick turnaround after his knockout...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79762-Chad-Mendes-vs-Manny-Gamburyan-possible-for-UFC-157&goto=newpost

Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher

Patrick Cote takes controversial disqualification win over Alessio Sakara at UFC 154

Patrick Cote won via disqualification over Alessio Sakara at UFC 154 in a bout that will likely bring up questions of when a fight should be called a disqualification versus a no contest.

In the first round of the final preliminary bout in Montreal on Saturday night, Sakara knocked Cote down with sharp elbows. Cote fell to the ground and grabbed a single leg. Sakara rained down hammerfists, with several landing in the prohibited area in the back of the head. Cote went limp and the fight was stopped at 1:26.

Referee Dan Miragliotta consulted with the judges and Montreal athletic commission officials before the final decision was read. The crowd in Montreal booed relentlessly, only stopping to cheer when Canadian Cote's face was shown on the screen.

But they would soon be cheering as the fight was announced as a disqualification win for Cote. Miragliotta explained to Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole that he warned Sakara twice to stop throwing the illegal hits. UFC vice president of regulatory affairs said Miragliotta consulted a replay and Montreal officials to call the fight a disqualification, which he is allowed to do by Montreal's rules.

It was a perfect use of instant replay, which is not used widely in MMA. But the question remains on if it should have been a disqualification, which is counted as a loss against Sakara's record, or a no contest, which isn't a win or a loss.

Fantasy football advice on Yahoo! Sports:

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/patrick-cote-takes-controversial-disqualification-win-over-alessio-032109563--mma.html

Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans

Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, whatever works in whatever land you hang your hat.


Hell even you Killemall you annoying bastard.

Crunch the mma forum rules, thanks for all your efforts.
...

Source: http://ninjashoes.net/forum/showthread.php?79779-Merry-Christmas&goto=newpost

Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger 

UK fighter tries to fake a glove tap, gets knocked out (VIDEO)

At Absolute Adrenaline Platinum in Dorset, England, Adam Fyfe tried to pull the old-fake-a-glove-tap-and-go-in-for-the-knockout shtick. It didn't work. His opponent Alex Thorne recognized it, then came back to knock Fyfe out in 29 seconds.

Fyfe was never taught the old adage that cheaters never win, and winners never cheat.

By the way, eight days after Fyfe was knocked out here, he made his pro debut and was knocked out in less than a minute. The UK regularly hosts the UFC and will do so again in February for an event at Wembley Stadium. It has several burgeoning smaller promotions, but it looks like their regulation leaves much to be desired.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/uk-fighter-tries-fake-glove-tap-gets-knocked-145338474--mma.html

Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander

Dana White praises openly gay Liz Carmouche: ‘It takes a brave person’

When Liz Carmouche steps into the octagon to fight Ronda Rousey for the UFC women's bantamweight belt, it will be a historic moment. Not only will UFC 157 feature the first UFC women's fight, it will also be the first time an openly gay fighter will fight in the UFC.

UFC president Dana White praised Carmouche, an ex-Marine, for coming out.

"There's a lot of gay athletes out there and athletes and actresses. It takes a brave person to come out and admit it because they're always afraid of what its going to do to their career or how people are going to treat them afterwards. I love what she did."

White came under fire in 2010 when he used a gay slur on one of his video blogs. He later apologized. When talking about Carmouche, he addressed his own reputation and shared his thoughts on same-sex marriage.

"I know I have the big ‘homophobe' persona and people think I'm some homophobe. I'm the furthest thing from it. I think it's ridiculous it's 2013 and the government tells two people they can't marry each other. Who is the government to tell two people who say they love each other they can't be married? It's ridiculous."

Though it's not quite 2013, it's encouraging to hear White say not only that he supports Carmouche and same-sex marriage but that he hopes other fighters find the courage to come out, too.

Among the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA, there are no active and openly gay players. Retired athletes, like basketball player John Amaechi and football player Wade Davis, have come out after they stopped playing.

However, athletes like Carmouche show that the tide is turning and athletes are more comfortable with not hiding their sexuality. Openly gay athletes like diver Matthew Mitcham and Natasha Kai have competed in the Olympics. More and more athletes are speaking out in favor of LGBTQ rights.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/dana-white-praises-openly-gay-liz-carmouche-takes-154220757--mma.html

Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper  Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira 

Wanderlei Silva Video Blog 1 For Brian Stann Fight – Talks About Days In PRIDE FC

Wanderlei Silva Video Blog 1 For Brian Stann Fight – Talks About Days In PRIDE FC.

Source: http://www.mmatko.com/wanderlei-silva-video-blog-1-for-brian-stann-fight-talks-about-days-in-pride-fc/

Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia

Benson Henderson and the case of the missing toothpick

Immediately after UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson was declared the winner of his UFC on Fox 5 bout with Nate Diaz, UFC commentator Joe Rogan asked about a toothpick. Henderson is known for having a toothpick hanging from his mouth outside the cage -- it's been in his mouth every time I've interviewed him -- but he wouldn't fight with a toothpick in his mouth, right? Henderson was elusive and wouldn't really answer Rogan's question.

He wasn't any more forthcoming in the post-fight press conference.

"I cannot confirm or deny that," Henderson said. "I normally do, yeah. I have it in through practices, and when I spar, when I fight. It's a bad habit, but whatever. I've gotten away with it so far."

[Related: Benson Henderson leaves little doubt in win over Nate Diaz | Photos]

At least he admits that it's a bad habit. It's not illegal, but it is a bad idea. Fighting with a small piece of wood in your mouth opens the door for all kinds of silly injuries. The broken arms and head contusions we're used to in MMA will look like scrapes and bruises if we see a toothpick lodge itself in Henderson or his opponent.

But maybe it won't ever bother him. When Michael Jordan played basketball, he always had a piece of gum in his mouth. He would chomp, chomp, chomp when at the free-throw line, when bringing the ball up the court, or when trash-talking his opponent. I always was convinced he would choke when going for the ball, but it didn't happen. Hopefully, Henderson's toothpick will be just a nasty habit, and not a nasty injury we can never forget.

Outside the Game from Yahoo! Sports:

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/benson-henderson-case-missing-toothpick-233142178--mma.html

Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao  Josh Barnett  David Baron  Phil Baroni