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UFC 126 Silva vs Belfort: Main Event Analysis Featuring Will Ribeiro

2011-02-01T00:07:37.000Z

UFC 126 is currently scheduled to take place on February 5, 2011 (this weekend, in case you don’t own a calendar) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Main Event will feature none other than Vitor “the Phenom” Belfort (MMA record 19-8) competing against the current Middleweight Champion, Anderson “the Spider” Silva (MMA record 27-4).

The Challenger

Born in Brazil, Belfort received his black belt in jiu-jitsu under Carlson Gracie and currently trains with Xtreme Couture. He has always been a popular fan favourite, which began after he made his MMA debut at the age of 19, when he fought against Jon Hess, destroying him in just 0:12 seconds of the first round by KO.

More recently, Belfort has won his last five fights, but hasn’t actually been inside of the cage since he last fought Rich Franklin on Sept 19, 2009.

Will “ring rust” become a factor?

We’ll soon find out.

Belfort was originally scheduled to compete against Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship on January 2, 2010 at UFC 108, but due to injuries sustained by Silva, the fight had to be postponed until February 6, 2010 at UFC 109, and April 10, 2010 at UFC 112, respectively. However, both fights were cancelled because of a surgery for Silva and an injury suffered by Belfort.

Needless to say, fight fans have been waiting quite a while for this match-up.

The Champion

Also born in Brazil, Silva is the current UFC Middleweight Champion, as well as, the promotion's longest reigning champion. Silva holds the longest active winning streak in the UFC, and the record for the longest winning streak in UFC history (13).

Silva’s Manager recently went on record to state that he would “like to see Anderson retire, going undefeated in the UFC.”

The perfect jinx leading into what many feel will be Silva’s toughest test yet.

On August 7, 2010, Silva fought Chael Sonnen for the UFC Middleweight Title at UFC 117 and was completely dominated by the much hungrier, Sonnen. Luckily, Silva was able to lock in a triangle armbar submission in the concluding moments of the fifth and final round, robbing Sonnen of the victory.

This turned out to be just as well, because subsequent to that fight, Sonnen tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PED's) by the California State Athletic Commission and lost any possibility for a rematch.

The Analysis

For today’s analysis, I thought that it would be great to bring in the expertise of one of the most elite strikers in the history of MMA—former WEC Bantamweight fighter, Will Ribeiro.

Despite being badly injured in a terrible motorcycle accident over two years ago, which left Will partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, he still works as an Ambassador to the sport of mixed martial arts by providing his expertise as a coach and ringside judge at various local events in Brazil.

You won’t find a bigger fan of MMA, and as luck would have it, Will also happens to know both Belfort and Silva personally, giving fans the ultimate inside perspective on these two warriors.

James Ryan: Who do you think will win the fight between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort?

Will Ribeiro: In my opinion, they are both great athletes. It is going to be a great fight, but whoever is the best prepared is going to take it.

Anderson Silva has the greatest chance to win because he is in a good fighting rhythm. He is gonna keep striking and moving out.

Vitor hasn't fought in a long time, but he has a triumph, which is his heavy hand and great boxing skills. He has the chance to knockout Anderson, but if it goes past the first round he might get tired due to the lack of rhythm. Anderson is better physically prepared to fight through the five rounds.

Like I said, this has everything to be a great fight, and whoever is the most prepared will be the champion, remembering also, that being prepared is being the best administrator of the fight that one will win.

JR: Would you say that Vitor has the best chance to beat Anderson Silva before anyone else in the Middleweight Division?

WR: Surely, Vitor is a very experienced fighter. He has blood in his eyes and a great disposition. He is well prepared physically, and no one can beat him because he has a heavy hand.

JR: Off topic for a second—what do you think of Anderson fighting GSP?

WR: Anderson vs. GSP would be a great fight to see—two big top athletes, who are true showmen. It would be very interesting if that happens in the UFC, but it would be a gamble for Dana White.

I'd love to see this beautiful struggle.

JR: Thanks Will. Your insight is excellent. How are things going otherwise?

WR: I am feeling better with thanks to all of my new friends who support me and encourage me. A big hug from Brazil to all my friends and fans.

To learn more about Will Ribeiro, please join his Facebook page.

Say no to Prejudice and Exclusion Wheelchair to the State of Rio de Janeiro, Will Ribeiro Referee Side Event tip and Boxing Instructor. Private lessons in Grajaú: Connect and contrast: 7889-7776. Will Ribeiro Boxing Champion and MMA

This is my UFC Main Event Analysis. If you don’t like it...well...actually...I hope you liked it, cause this is my only one. But you can still visit my blog at www.mrjamesryan.com

Thank you

And a HUGE thank you to my very good friend, Luciana Bragança Vieira. (translations)

Nick Diaz and "Jacare" Souza Retain Titles On Amazing Night Of Strikeforce Bouts In San Jose

2011-01-30T21:30:00.000Z

Strikeforce has done it again. Saturday night saw a talented group of Strikeforce athletes simply light up the cage with one impressive performance followed by another. The event was topped off with two title fights, but every tilt on tap was top shelf.

In the opener Roger Gracie brought what he described as waves of his family pushing him forward as he squared off with dangerous veteran Trevor Prangley. Prangley is fresh off a dominating performance over UFC exile Keith Jardine.

Prangley’s experience toppling the once perennial UFC LHW standout was not enough to offset a century of Gracie Jiu Jitsu honed into a spear tip known as Roger Gracie. Watching Gracie fight and looking at his four submission wins in four fights sends memories flooding back of the glory days of the family name.

Simply put, when Roger steps into the cage, everyone in the room knows exactly what he wants to do and it’s up to one man to stop him. Last night Prangley was that man and like many years ago, even with the cards tipped he was unable to stop what he knew was coming.

Gracie has been working closely with UFC WW champion Georges St. Pierre and if he continues to do so it is compelling to think what he can accomplish. Congratulations to him on his rear naked choke victory.

Herschel Walker returned to the cage Saturday night for his second MMA fight ever, but watching him compete it is hard to believe hes only graced professional MMA only twice with no amateur bouts behind him.

Simply put, the man is a superior athlete hands down. He shined like sports fans are accustomed to seeing him doing, only this time he shined in a sport that is alien to him. Many were not surprised to see him light up the grid iron as he did, but to see him transition to MMA as comfortably as he has really is quite a surprise.

This sport it insanely difficult for young athletes in their prime, this man is in his late forty's and makes it look easy. That much was apparent when he dominated Scott Carson stopping him by TKO in the first round. It was really quite impressive on so many levels, one really has to wonder how far he can go.

He told fight fans he intends to be a great fighter, go ahead doubt the man, I dare you.

Then in the first of two title bouts BJJ ace Ronaldo Souza put his strap on the line against lethal striker Robbie Lawler. Lawler is coming off a downright scary knockout win over Matt Lindland and “Jacare” is coming off an all out war with Tim Kennedy.

Both fighters had a lot of momentum coming into this bout but it was the champion “Jacare” Souza who was destined to shine. Lawler did what he could with the opportunities he was offered but they were few and far between as the champ smothered striking exchanges and kept the fight in his realm, the mat.

It took three rounds for him to find his opening but Souza submitted Lawler in the third by rear naked choke. Lawler as always was tough and downright game but like so many times before it seemed like only a matter of time before the inevitable would come to pass.

Souza really is an elite MW in this game and showed it one more time defending his Strikeforce title.

And then finally in the main event, like fight fans had not had enough world class MMA to send them into Sunday, Nick Diaz hooked ‘em up with Evangelista Santos. And they hooked ‘em up with a vengeance. It was MMA at its finest, no question.

“Cyborg” as Santos is known entered the fight like he had no knowledge what so ever of the scrappy reputation of his opponent the champ Nick Diaz. Santos attacked Diaz’s leg like it had insulted his mother.

So many times fighters have been outright removed from their game plans by something like a tenacious leg kick attack and Santos looked like he was well onto proving once again why the leg kick is a subtle yet lethal MMA weapon.

In vicious exchanges the two welterweights tore into each other and as the fight went on it became apparent that the striking of Diaz was getting the better of Santos, regardless of Santos tenderizing the champ’s lead leg.

Santos proved to be a true warrior, as his reputation indicated he would be, and he never turned away from the superior striking of Diaz, pressing forward and looking for an opening of his own.

That opening never came.

For all his unorthodox striking prowess, Diaz is a Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt with a wizardry on the ground that is rarely seen.

Late in the second round Santos got it in his mind that if banging with Diaz was not working that perhaps taking him down might be a sound alternative. Perhaps in the heat of the moment that seemed like a great idea but from the outside looking in it was a bit of a head scratcher.

Shortly after taking Diaz down everyone saw exactly why it was ill advised as Diaz wrapped Santos up like a straight jacket and slapped a nasty arm bar on the number one contender ending the championship tilt with ten seconds to spare in the second.

It was a world class display of the finest this sport has to offer by fighters who left it all in the cage for fight fans tuning in and sitting cage side.

To the victor go the spoils but all the athletes competing in San Jose Saturday night showed well and proved their worth to this community. Hurtsbad.com tips the hat and says thank you to to them all for their performances.

Both winners and losers came together to forge a very impressive night of fights.

UFC Fight For The Troops A Moving Display Of The Worth Of MMA In The Community

2011-01-23T17:13:14.000Z

For a sport so brutal as mixed martial arts, for a sport that still struggles to prove its worth and value to main stream society, events like UFC Fight For The Troops really display the integral quality that MMA represents.

Sure it is a sport that showcases violent exchanges of heart, skill, and determination between competitors. Sure two athletes engage in hand to hand combat inside of a chain link cage. Sometimes there is blood, and it’s a rough and tumble game.

While those aspects of the sport may not appeal to everyone who lays eyes on it, those are limited examples regarding what this sport is really made up of, to the core, at the foundation.

Money is always the key, but when enough money is made, then character and perception alter paths as much as anything. And when we talk about MMA from a moral standpoint, once the violent nature is understood from a historical aspect, then the character of the sport and its components will shine true.

What the UFC and their fighters did with the Fight For The Troops event held in Fort Hood Texas Saturday night was one of the finest displays of character this sport can offer.

An event like this speaks volumes as to what type of people are involved in this sport, and what tremendous good can be done when a bunch of scrappers and a promotion get their heads together for a great cause.

That cause is to give a small handful of soldiers the night off so they can watch some great scraps, and to raise money for those who served so selflessly in our name.

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund supports the both severely injured veterans and their families as they transition to life back at home. Often these brave soldiers endure injuries that change their lives forever.

Weaved in and out of some amazing displays of mixed martial arts action were the testimonials of veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury, which is a focus of The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

To see and hear about the impact these soldier’s sacrifices have had on their and their families lives was deeply moving and extremely eye opening. All those participating in the event, from the announcers to the competitors were obviously moved and emotional playing their parts in this powerful event.

Simply put UFC Fight For The Troops was an amazing example of just how great this sport can be. Not just in the show itself, but in the human element it displayed and the feeling of unity those involved felt as the card unfolded.

One second the camera was on an extremely emotional Pat Barry as he gave a victory speech, holding up the dog tags of his father he lost as a child, sharing his story with the troops. The next second the camera was on crying soldiers in the stands who were obviously moved by his story and his triumph that night.

The whole thing just left you with your jaw dropped and wanting to step up and do what you could to be a part of it. And in that the UFC played their role perfectly. They brought together a seamless and powerful production to shed light on an amazing cause.

Then formulated a stunning night of fights, brought together some important people, entertained some active duty troops, and raised some much needed money for a most deserving group of people.

Any narrow minded individuals who find themselves opposing this sport over some self righteous moral boundary might do well to take a look at the UFC Fight For The Troops event and ask themselves if they really know this sport. Do they really know the people that make it up?

This event is only one example of efforts like it. Randy Couture does so much for our soldiers, regional events like the World Fighting Federation give back to the soldiers in their community, the good coming out of this barbaric bloodsport is quite astonishing if one knows where to look.

There are a lot of people in this world who need a leg up, and in many cases across the globe MMA is stepping up and giving back to the community. The examples are countless.

It is truly encouraging to think where this sport will be as time moves on and this sport continues to weave itself into the fabric of society. Once those qualities, ones that are often overlooked, are injected back into the community, perceptions will change.

And then MMA will finally get the credit it is due. And if the UFC can raise four million dollars as the leader of an unaccepted and frowned upon bloodsport, imagine what it can do with a little open minded acceptance.

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2011-01-20T04:47:23.000Z

SORRY I HAVEN'T BEEN ON IN A WHILE! I'VE BEEN TOTALLY SWAMPED! AAAHHHHHH!!!

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UFC Fighter Daniel “Ninja” Roberts: Facing the Fears of Fatherhood

2011-01-18T21:30:00.000Z

“The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs.”—Joan Didion

Anyone who is a parent can attest to the fact that it’s a job in this life that never seems to get any easier.

Raising a child is the single most important responsibility that any person can take on.

The moment that your child comes into this world, is the exact same moment that you realize that nothing will ever be the same again. Suddenly, your life will have a whole new meaning with a refreshed sense of priorities.

There’s nothing that you wouldn’t do to protect or help your child.

Having a child can make anyone a better person—or at least, it should. Unfortunately, not all men (or even women) are up for the challenge.

Recently, UFC fighter, Daniel “Ninja” Roberts had a major revelation in his life.

A baby girl.

Please enjoy this very personal and special interview.

James Ryan: Hi Daniel. How you been?

Daniel Roberts: Really good thanks.

James Ryan: First off…congratulations on winning your last three fights in the UFC. That’s a pretty amazing accomplishment actually.

You really seem to be hitting your stride right now, which is awesome. I’ve watched you on TV the last couple of times and it’s been pretty exciting to see you up there.

I’m sure it’s been exciting for you too.

Daniel Roberts: Definitely, thank you.

James Ryan: So we know how your fighting career is going. It seems to be coming along very well. But now, you’ve got this new part to your life.

You’re a father now.

Daniel Roberts: Yes, I am. I recently found out about a week before my last fight that I had a daughter.

James Ryan: Wow. So you didn’t know that you had a daughter before that?

Daniel Roberts: Well, not exactly.

I had an ex-girlfriend, and I did know that she was pregnant, and I just…

You know…I wasn’t really ready for a kid, so I kinda just…I got into a big argument with her and I suggested that she not have it.

James Ryan: Right.

Daniel Roberts: But then I just told her not to ever contact me any more.

I was kinda thinking that maybe I did have a child, but I honestly didn’t know for sure until about a week before my last fight.

James Ryan: Well, you seem to have embraced this new role of being a father pretty quickly.

A few weeks ago you had no idea. Now it seems to be the biggest part of your life.

What’s changed with you personally?

Daniel Roberts: I mean, she’s just so adorable. And man, I’d do anything for her. She’s so cute. I just fell in love with her once I saw her.

And I think that there are a lot of men out there who have gone through similar situations as mine, you know?

I don’t know, I mean, maybe there are a lot of men that are ready to be a father, but I definitely know that there are a lot of men out there that are scared. And once they know that they’re having a kid, they start freaking out and stuff—cause I was.

I was just…I don’t know…kinda immature about the situation. But I realized, and I learned from it. Now I want to be a positive role model to other men that might go through similar situations.

So that’s why I wrote a letter to my daughter.

James Ryan: A letter? Well, that sounds awesome. That’s really good.

So ultimately, you were experiencing something that I think all new fathers might go through.

I went through it myself, where it was kinda this unexpected thing. And it’s like “wow, am I ready for this?”

You sorta have this vision of your life and how you see it now and where you think it’s gonna go, and you don’t think that there’s any room for this kid in the mix, but then once you see the child, your whole attitude changes.

Daniel Roberts: Ya, it does. It really does.

James Ryan: Now your priorities change, right?

So what’s the best advice that you could give to “would-be” fathers out there that are worried about having a child?

Daniel Roberts: That it’s normal to be scared. It’s normal to think that you would be unprepared.

You’re gonna be okay and you’re gonna be fine. That’s the advice I would like to give.

It’s natural to be scared and sometimes when you’re scared and afraid, you make bad decisions like I did.

But the best thing that you can do for your child is to be there for them.

So, that’s what I’m gonna do.

James Ryan: That’s a great message, Daniel. Very well said. I’m really proud of you for showing the courage to be a better man.

Thank you very much for sharing this very personal side to your life.

Daniel Roberts: Thanks a lot, man.

And please enjoy the letter that I have written especially for my daughter. It’s my honour to be able to share it with everyone.

A LETTER 2 MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER

To my beautiful daughter Gabrielle,

Words can hardly express how I feel about you but I’ll try. Your daddy loves you so much more then you can imagine, please know that you will be well taken care of and I promise that I will raise you up right and do everything I possibly can to prepare you for your voyage in life. You’re my little princess and you’re the exact description of adorable.

God has a significant and extraordinary plan for your life and you’re here on this earth to achieve so many incredible things. I love you more than anything in the whole world and I’ll do anything for you. I’m extremely glad that your mother is such a wonderful and caring woman. I know she will raise you up right to be a sweet little lady. You won’t understand your parents all the time and you might even be upset at us occasionally, just know we love you and want what’s best for you.

My life changed dramatically when I first knew you existed; you come first now and everything else comes second. You’re truly a wonderful and miraculous gift from God. You’re so cute and when I see you, it brings me joy and happiness. No matter how down I’m feeling, the very sight of you, makes me smile.

Your daddy’s sunshine, seeing you brightens up my day. It’s such an amazing experience just to gaze into your beautiful eyes. Know that life can be rough from time to time and things aren’t always going to go your way; just know that God has his own special way of preparing us for the journey that lies ahead.

My first instincts were to suggest to your mother not to have you. I had a lot of things going on at the time. I was very upset at momma and told her to never contact me again. Sometimes people can make bad decisions when they are unprepared and afraid. Your daddy made some mistakes earlier in his life, however, I learn from them.

I can assure you that I will be in your life from now on. I’ll be here for you whenever you need me, to hold your hand through the journey of life. And I’ll be the greatest dad in the world. Without hesitation I will risk my life to protect you. Always know that you’re safe when you’re around daddy. I will provide for you whatever you need. I know you will make some mistakes in life but I want you to learn from them.

I have a successful career; I’m an inventor and have accomplished so many things. Yet still I always felt an empty void in my life. I still would find myself wondering from time to time, what’s my God given purpose in this world? I now know.

My purpose is to be there for you, to teach you, to adore you, to show you right from wrong, to set an example for other men that might go through similar situations. To help them and to let them know that a great deal of men are afraid and think they’re not ready to be a father. To tell them that it will be alright and let them know they will grow to be courageous and well prepared as time goes on. To tell men that children truly need there daddy’s. And most importantly, show them how to be a responsible and loving father.

I want to thank you sweetie for helping daddy find his purpose in life. Never let anyone mistreat or disrespect you. Be strong; don’t let people bring you down. Keep good company and positive people around you. Be allergic to failure and addicted to success. When you set a goal, be determined, persistent and focused until you achieve it. Be loving, thoughtful, considerate and helpful to others.

I want you to know that you mean the world to me. Please remember to think before you act and always put God first.

With so much love, your daddy,

Daniel Roberts

www.ninjaroberts.com

Daniel is currently scheduled to fight Claude Patrick (Canadian) at UFC 129 on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Best of luck, Daniel!

www.mrjamesryan.com

www.carriedoutfightgear.com

Hurtsbad UFC 125 Preview: Fankie Edgar Lays Title On The Line Against Only Man To Ever Beat Him Gray Maynard

2010-12-29T21:10:07.000Z

This Saturday January 1st 2011, the UFC lightweight champion Frankie “The Answer” Edgar looks to defend his title for the second time. Having already established himself as the greatest LW fighter in the UFC, his journey and his struggles to remain as such are just beginning.

While many would consider his first title defense against the man he took the belt from, B.J. Penn, to be his most difficult possible test, this next match may prove his toughest ever.

The man he will square off with, Gray “The Bully” Maynard, just so happens to be the only man ever to deliver a loss to the current UFC LW title holder Edgar. And make no mistake, Maynard believes he can and intends to hand Edgar the second loss of his career.

Both fighters possess unique styles and are absolutely surgical at executing their game plans.

Edgar (13-1) is a master of movement combining defense and offense in a flurry of blinding speed that proves almost impossible to time or calculate. His style is not unlike that of UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz in that he never tires, never stops moving, and never stops dictating where the fight will take place. Edgar is a true puzzle, one that may have no solution, or no answer if you will.

On the other hand, Maynard (10-0) is an grinding stopper. A fighter who finds a way to slow the pace of the fight and force his will on his opponents. He is a man who will stand and bang but knows what works for him and usually gives a clinic in wrestling based MMA to his victims. He has a Randy Couture like ability to smother his opponents on the way to certain victory. Training the majority of his MMA career under the Hall of Famer may have something to do with that.

Both men have contrasting styles and again are aces at forcing the hand of their opponents. While they have met before and Maynard won a unanimous decision in a three round fight, everything is different now, both in the lightweight division, and for these individual fighters.

Edgar has passed by Maynard on his way to becoming the champ of the division. Many felt Maynard should have been first in line but as the cards were dealt Maynard was left with more to prove as Edgar fast tracked his way to the man many felt was the greatest lightweight in the world if not ever in “The Prodigy” Penn.

Well for the time being Edgar has chased Penn from the division and Maynard has finally earned that coveted title shot many felt he had already earned long ago. Now it’s time to see the two mix it up and determine who will emerge a champion in the second tilt of their extremely impressive careers. Only this time fans may be treated to a five round battle instead of the three round original fight.

One very interesting underlying storyline is if Maynard falls to the current champ Edgar, does it set up a trilogy scenario between the two? It certainly is a possibility knowing that even a loss will not abolish Maynard from the top of the food chain in the LW division.

Either way, look for these two warriors to give the fight fans their absolute all as they desperately look to impose their game plans, their styles, and their will on one another in the main event Saturday night.

And who ever wins gets to welcome the very impressive and new crowned WEC LW champ Anthony Pettis to the UFC in a title unification bout between two of the deepest LW divisions in the sport. And just between you and Hurtsbad.com, Pettis is not coming to play nice, but that's an article for another day.

As for the rest of UFC 125 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in the fight capital of the world, there are plenty of bouts to get excited about. The preliminary card on Spike TV welcomes a few duos into the living rooms of fight fans for free.

Phil Baroni will meet former TUF competitor Brad Tavares in a fight that should include some fireworks. Also in a featherweight bout Josh Grispi will meet Dustin Poirier, giving UFC fans their first taste of of lower weight divisions. Then in a fight that is sure to deliver Marcus Davis will touch gloves with Jeremy Stephens.

Davis vs. Stephens may not be the sexiest match up on the card but it represents solid match making that pits two aggressive and capable fighters against each other. It may not be a headliner but it’s damn sure a crowd pleaser.

Speaking of crowd pleasers, the one fight that is sure to deliver and get fans standing on their feet, a can’t miss type of fight will be the PPV portion opener between Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi.

If Guida were ever in a boring fight it would cause a paradox in the time space continuum, and when you mix that with the devastating knockout power of Gomi all a fight fan can say is lets get it on. Guida never fights slow or tentative and never ever disappoints. Gomi is fresh off of starching the world class and impossible to finish Tyson Griffin.

These two could easily put on fight of the night.

They will be followed by the always exciting Nate Diaz as he looks to continue his welterweight quest against Dong Hyun Kim. Both man have a long ladder to climb in this deep division and will set their sights across that cage Saturday as they look to take the next step.

In another compelling match up between two rebounding but vicious light heavyweight Muay Thai strikers, Brandon Vera hooks ‘em up with Thiago Silva. Suffice to say the take downs in this fight will be minimal and the leather and shin bones will be flying with extremely ill intentions.

Both warriors are one strike type stoppers with all the ability in the world. One of these poor fellas is going to sleep and the other will probably get knockout of the night.

As far as knockouts go, another potential for filthy fisticuffs comes when Chris Lebin meets Brian Stann in the co-main event. Simply put, two strong wills, two strong chins, four heavy hands, enough said. Don't blink or you might miss something nasty on this one.

Top all that off with the title fight between Edgar and Maynard and this amounts to quite an exciting fight card to kick off the new year. It could prove a tough act to follow if the cards are dealt in reality as they are read on paper.

Check it out fight fan, it shouldn't disappoint.

Ben Henderson And Dominick Cruz To Defend Titles At Home In AZ For Final WEC Event

2010-12-16T23:31:06.000Z

The World Extreme Cagefighting’s final event, WEC 53, is a bitter sweet event for the world of MMA. It signifies the end of what has amounted to one of the premier fighting leagues in the world, but also marks a great step forward for the competitors as they join the ranks of the UFC.

Arizona fight fans fought hard to bring the WEC to their state winning the “Hometown Takedown” contest voting Phoenix to the top of a list of various potential venues for this final WEC event.

With two WEC champions who have deep Arizona roots ruling their respective divisions, it was only fitting that the chips fell as they did. For WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson, and bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, nothing is more motivating than competing as WEC champs for the first time in front of their home crowd.

This event marks the first and only chance they will ever have to do so as WEC champions and surely they will make the most of the opportunity.

Overall the event is bitter sweet due to the fact that fight fans are losing a staple of the MMA community as the WEC is taken under the wing of the UFC. Fans are losing what has amounted to one of the premier fighting organizations in the sport which over the years has showcased some of the greatest fighters in the world.

And the best thing about the WEC is with all the quality it had to offer, it was free.

Now all the fighters that fans have grown to follow closely like Henderson, Cruz, Urijah Faber, and Jose Aldo will now come with a high price tag if fans are to continue to watch their careers unfold. While that may sting in the pocket book, it is good to know they will finally take their place where they belong under the banner of the pinnacle of the sport, the UFC, and they will be recognized with all that comes along with that brand.

It is quite an honor to fight fans in the desert to have earned the opportunity to see their homegrown champions Henderson and Cruz compete at home one time before they move on to become UFC competitors.

Training out of the MMA Lab, Ben “Smooth” Henderson is a class act who represents his camp, and the Arizona MMA community with the true appeal of a world champion. Always a man of respect, always a game competitor, always dangerous, Henderson is one of a kind.

His fights have been amazing to watch and he has more than a tall order as he takes on Anthony Pettis in front of his home crowd in his final WEC title defense. Henderson’s championship pedigree has shown an ability to snatch victory wherever it is presented but he specializes in the submission.

Eight of his twelve wins have been earned in such a a fashion. His finest performance though was a decision win over perennial contender Donald Cerrone to earn both the interim WEC LW title, fight of the night, and Sherdog’s fight of the year honors.

His next challenge, Pettis, is an unorthodox and dangerous opponent for any LW fighter and surely he covets the opportunity to win this title and the opportunity to unify it with the UFC LW title as the next step in his career. Pettis is a fighter able to end fights via submission or strikes and Henderson will have to be extremely careful when he hooks ‘em up with this rising star.

Both combatants are more than capable of achieving a win tonight and moving on to attempt becoming a unified UFC champion, but regardless of who seizes that opportunity, tonight marks the first step of that journey. A journey that will prove quite compelling as it unfolds for both the fighters and their fans.

Another Arizona bred champion Dominick “The Dominater” Cruz is looking to put on a show for his local fans. A brilliant game planner, Cruz has climbed his way to the pinnacle of the WEC after suffering only one loss to “The California Kid” Urijah Faber.

Dom as his friends know him, is a humble yet confident champion who takes great pride in his style and approach as he leads the bantamweight division. True to his nickname he has absolutely dominated since making the move to 135 pounds. Including two masterful performances against the highly touted Faber protege Joseph Benavidez.

Simply put, Dom Cruz combined with his wrestling and striking pedigree and an ability to implement seamless game plans is quite an imposing champion. A true master who holds his belt tightly in his grasp.

Looking to wrench it free and claim it for his own is another extremely capable competitor in Scott Jorgensen. A very underrated fighter, Jorgensen is looking to make his presence felt across the division. Making his mark against Cruz would be a huge step in the right direction.

Yet as Benavidez could easily tell him, he is in for a long night against the champ even if a victory is at hand.

Nothing short of Jorgensen’s “A game” will do when he mixes it up with the champ Cruz. And if he brings it, he has the ability to grind out a win over his opponent, but again that order is an uphill battle, there are no two ways about it.

Becoming the first ever UFC BW champion has an extremely nice ring to it and should prove quite the motivation for both these world class fighters. And that fight fans means you and I are in for a treat either way it goes.

No matter what happens, this is the type of grand finale event that will prove quite a swan song for the WEC. For a long time they have put on some of the greatest MMA events fight fans can remember, and that stands against all MMA organizations.

Even for the UFC and Strikeforce, the WEC has many times proven to be an extremely tough act to follow, and much of that credit is due to the athletes that left it all in the cage for the sport and its fans.

With two final title fights on the menu, and sprinkling in names like Shalarus, Palaszewski, Cerrone, Roller, and Varner, this will be a memorable grand finale to what has amounted to an amazing run for the WEC.

Tonight the athletes who have been chosen to represent this world class promotion one final time as it humbly bows out of the picture, these fighters signify the perfect ingredients to showcase exactly what the MMA community will be missing when that final bell rings.

The bittersweet symphony that will be played tonight signifies the MMA world saying good bye to an old friend, and welcoming these world class components into the ranks of the best organization in the sport, and quite frankly, it puts them exactly where they belong.

To the fighters, welcome to the top, and the the WEC, thank you and goodbye.

Did Randy Couture Announce His Retirement from MMA on Facebook?

2010-12-15T04:00:00.000Z

More than anything, I really hope that I’m not jumping the gun here.

Or worse, jumping to conclusions based on the following message announced on Randy Couture’s Facebook wall about an hour ago (Dec. 14, 9pm ET).

“Appreciate everyone commenting on my fights. I didn't get the memo that they were being shown :) I think I'm at the end of it! It's time to move on and focus on all the other amazing things going on in my life! It's time. Thanks R”

It would appear that “the Natural” has finally decided to hang up his gloves for good in order to pursue other aspirations in his life.

And I think that’s great.

Therefore, as a farewell tribute, I would like to take a moment to tell you about some of the things that I truly respect the most about Mr. Couture.

For starters, Couture gave (and continues to give) everything of himself into this sport. Without a doubt, you will not find a greater ambassador to the culture of Mixed Martial Arts (let alone the UFC) than this man right here.

He is (not “was”) the epitome of a Champion, and of how a Champion should carry themselves both inside and outside of the cage.

In today’s modern era of what is becoming “sports entertainment,” where some athletes feel compelled to create fake personas in the hopes that their personal villainization will sell more pay-per-views (think Josh Koscheck), Couture has always conducted himself in a respectful and honourable way.

Couture always “kept it real.”

What’s not to love about that?

That level of behaviour is to be eternally commended and I sincerely hope that a lot of young fighters can learn from Couture and take that part away with them when they think about what it means to be a true Champion.

I would consider Couture to be an ideal role-model for all young and aspiring mixed martial artists (or athletes in general) around the world.

As a father and youth football coach, I see a lot of good in Randy, and I sincerely appreciate his efforts to help younger fighters by acting as a coach and as a mentor.

The world needs more leaders like Randy Couture.

For me personally, I would have loved to have seen Couture fight one last time (bring on Machida, eh Randy?! LOL).

Not that it wasn’t completely satisfying to see Couture absolutely dismantle and embarrass the obnoxiously over-confident James Toney this past summer in Boston—because it was.

Then again, if it were up to me, Couture would never retire, but I know that is both selfish and unrealistic.

It saddens me a bit to think that we are losing one of the greatest fighters (and personalities) that our sport has ever seen, but if I honestly reflect on my points mentioned above, I can certainly come to terms with Couture’s retirement much more easily because I know that he will always be a part of this sport in many other significant ways.

There’s a lot about MMA that I don’t like, but the pros always seem to outweigh the cons.

Couture has always been a big part of that.

Thanks for everything Randy and on behalf of your fans, we wish you all the best in wherever life takes you.

You’ve earned it.

Cheers.

This is my article. If you don’t like it...I have others. Please check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Carried Out Fight Gear was founded in 2009 by a group of fighters who realized that the true essence of a Warrior was being lost by some people giving up. The Carried Out mindset of “One Way Out – Carried Out!” signifies that a fighter will never ever surrender and fight to the very end, leaving everything he/she has in the ring, on the mat or in the cage!

One Way Out…Carried Out!!!!!

Hurtsbad UFC 124 Conference Call Notes: "I Am The Best Georges St. Pierre I Have Ever Been"

2010-12-10T21:29:06.000Z

The face of the UFC is set to compete in his seventh straight title match Saturday December 11th at UFC 124. In his own backyard of Montreal Quebec, UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre is ready to dominate his division yet again.

At least that is his take on what both fight fans and his opponent Josh Koscheck are in for during the main event this coming weekend. GSP’s confidence is extremely high as was apparent during this weeks UFC 124 media conference call.

Hurtsbad.com was anxiously listening in as the man known as “Rush” and the number one contender to his throne, “Kos”, shared their perception on their preparation and predictions regarding a rematch of their first meeting three years ago.

Many prestigious MMA journalists were on the call and some interesting points were brought up. Hurtsbad.com is happy to share some of the more telling aspects of a great discussion between the UFC WW champ, his opponent, and the media.

One of the first things brought up was if it would be a challenge for St. Pierre to avoid letting Koscheck's relentless antics effect him come fight night.

St. Pierre had this to say, “What Josh said about me motivated me for the training leading up to the fight, but now the training is done. Whatever he has said, whatever he has done, everything will go out the window Saturday night.”

Both fighters were asked how the show motivated them for the fight. Koscheck stated he needs no motivation to want to “kick St. Pierre’s ass”. The champ on the other hand did find inspiration during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter.

“The fact that Josh was very arrogant with me will not effect my fight, it effects my preparation coming into the fight. I have prepared myself like I never prepared myself before. I am the best Georges St. Pierre I have ever been. I'm sharper everywhere, I have been working on a lot of different things for this fight and I can’t wait to show it to the public.”

St. Pierre was asked about how important strategy was going into this fight. Always one to implement truly masterful game plans, GSP offered the answer of a great champion.

“It’s very important. I have been working on a lot of different things. The main thing I’ve been doing is working on a lot of punching power with Freddie Roach. With the mechanics, a lot of stuff I was doing was wrong that he corrected.”

St. Pierre went into detail of how his transition towards becoming more of a finisher has become paramount in his training.

“In the first fight with Josh, when I was striking with him I was boxing to set up my takedowns. This time when I strike with him it will be also to knock him out. Roger Gracie came in and helped me a lot. Roger Gracie is a specialist at finishing his opponents when he takes a guys back. I have been working a lot on that.”

The champ also added, “If I get an opportunity for the finish I will be able to finish him a lot better this time. Because I have been putting a lot of energy on the punching power and the finish.”

For a talent like St. Pierre to be working with a boxing legend like Freddie Roach is really quite a big deal and he was asked about how it has been to turn his hands over to a world class boxing trainer like Roach.

“It’s great, I have the best guys from both worlds, the striking and the ground. I think Freddie helped me a lot because for a few months I have been working with him and he has changed a lot of stuff in my mechanics. Before I knew him I thought I knew boxing but I found out that I didn't. He corrected a lot of stuff for me and I feel a lot more confident.”

Roach is always one to make bold predictions for his fighters before they compete. He is quoted as saying GSP will secure a second round knockout come fight night. The champ is known as a more humble competitor and was asked if he minds that type of prediction at his expense.

“I don't mind, I’ve been sparring a lot with his professional boxers, some of his guys are world champions. I'm very ready for this fight, I’ve had the best training camp of my life ever for this fight. I can’t wait.”

It is worth noting that Koscheck took issue with this comment and added that Roach can’t teach GSP how to strengthen his chin, which is where he intends to hit him and also boasted that his mom predicts a second round knockout as well.

It was noted that St. Pierre wanted to finish Dan Hardy in his previous title defense yet was unable to do so regardless of more than one opportunity. He was ask if he feels added pressure to finish Koscheck to appease his fans.

“The main thing I’ve been working on for this fight is pushing my finishes. To increase my knockout power and my finishes, that has been my main focus. I try to be an exciting fighter for the fans.”

In closing the champ was asked if he sees any holes in Koscheck’s game where he can take advantage since their first fight. He voiced an opinion he has been very vocal about regarding using his strengths based on his opponents style. He was also sure to state he sees “Kos” as a new fighter today compared to three years ago.

“He’s a completely different fighter than he was back then. He’s a very strong wrestler with a good wrestling base. There is three things that I'm good at. Fighting guys that trash talk, I'm a specialist at fighting guys that come from a strong wrestling base, and especially the rematch.”

He went on to close with this statement.

“I’m very good at adapting myself to any kind of fighting style, that's my specialty. Josh has those three components. He trash talks a lot, he has a very strong wrestling background with good stand up but mainly a wrestling base, and it’s a rematch. It’s the best match up for me, and I can’t wait, I’m very excited.”

Well Georges you are not the only one who is very excited for this weekends main event. It is quite a compelling match up between two extremely talented and capable welterweights.

For the champ in particular it is yet one more opportunity to solidify that which he has already attained, perennial greatness. Already considered a top of the food chain pound for pound fighter, GSP has merely scratched the surface of his potential.

To hear him tell it, we have yet to see the best GSP we have ever known which is quite astonishing considering his accomplishments thus far. In the sport of MMA twenty or fifty years down the road this man will be revered like a Ruth, a Gretzky, an Earnhardt, or a Pele.

You and I fight fans should count ourselves fortunate that his greatness will be forged in our lifetime, before our eyes, this Saturday night. Take advantage and do yourself a favor, drink it in.

Hurtsbad UFC 124 Conference Call Notes: Josh Koscheck's Mom Predicts Second Round Knockout

2010-12-09T23:00:00.000Z

UFC 124 is peaking over the horizon and the rematch between pound for pound standout Georges St. Pierre and his latest nemesis Josh Koscheck is finally here. Saturday December 11th fight fans will get to see two of the sports most dynamic welterweights collide for the UFC title.

It is a title heavily coveted by perennial UFC bad boy Josh Koscheck, and one he strongly believes he will take home to display along side teammate Cain Velasquez’s UFC heavyweight strap.

Hurtsbad.com recently sat in on the UFC 124 conference call between the champ and number one contender for what was a very informative and compelling line of questions and answers between two amazing fighters and some of the best journalists in the business.

The questions were not delivered by Hurtsbad, but the answers are public and worth noting for fight fans looking on.

One of the first questions posed to “Kos” was if it was a goal of his during The Ultimate Fighter to frustrate the champ, St. Pierre, to gain an advantage leading up to fight night.

Koscheck’s answer was not what fans may expect. “No not at all. I think that the show needed entertainment value, nothing more than that.”

Leading into the fight, Koscheck was asked what he expects from the champ and how he is preparing for the fight.

He answered as any potential champion might.

“I have been preparing for everything. Georges is a great athlete, and I think he brings a lot of athletic ability to the table when it comes to a fight and I have to be prepared to fight everywhere. That is what I have prepared for.”

There has been a layer of criticism regarding some of Koscheck’s previous performances as far as his style and the perception it may be “boring” to the casual fan. His win over Paul Daley was cited by one reporter as he asked Koscheck’s opinion on the perception.

Koscheck was clearly not enthused by the question or insinuation that he may be a less than exciting fighter and offered this response.

“I don't know. I just know the fight is Saturday night and I'm looking forward to this fight. I don't take any of this for granted. The Ultimate Fighter is a T.V. show to showcase young people. To be entertaining you have to do certain things. The big picture is this Saturday December 11th me and Georges St. Pierre get to fight and settle this thing. I'm super excited about the opportunity.”

In their first meeting, St. Pierre essentially beat Koschck at his own game, wrestling. He was asked how that fight effected his preparation for this championship match.

“I think three years ago my primary focus wasn't becoming a complete mixed martial artist and putting things together. I underestimated the fact that Georges had the ability to put his wrestling with his mixed martial arts.”

He went on to say, “I think that's going to be a different case this time. I think a couple years ago I learned a valuable lesson. You don't get second chances in life very often, and this is the second chance I have to get a crack at Georges St. Pierre. I’ve prepared very well for this and I believe that I'm going to be the champion on Saturday night.”

He was asked if he specifically stepped up his wrestling in particular or if his training has been similar to other camps this time out.

“Training has been very similar. I’ve brought a lot of good people in to wrestle. Obviously, because I know that Georges has done the same. We have Olympians in our gym coaching us, a lot of good wrestlers came through the gym this training camp.”

Koscheck added, “Obviously it’s a big part of the sport, and it’s a big part of the reason I lost the first fight. I’ve got to be smart and put myself around the right people to prepare for the victory and I did that this training camp. I'm looking forward to this, I can not wait.”

Both athletes were asked if their time on The Ultimate Fighter posed more motivation for their match with one another, for Koscheck that certainly was not the case.

“Whether I did it or not my motivation is always to win. I don't need somebody to get under my skin to train hard. I don't need that type of motivation. I'm always motivated to train and I love to fight.”

He went on to say, “One of the things I always say is that I'm never truly happy unless I'm in the Octagon. You know, that's why I love to fight so much. I believe that I don't need any motivation from Georges to want to kick his ass.”

The champ has been working on his boxing technique with world renowned Freddie Roach who predicts a second round knockout for St. Pierre. One reporter brought that up to Georges and “Kos” was quick to add his two cents on both the training and the prediction, offering one of his own.

“Regarding the question you asked George. Working with Freddie Roach is all good and all but Freddie Roach can’t strengthen your chin and that's where I'm going to hit George and knock him out on Saturday.”

“Also my mom predicts a second round left hook knockout too.”

On the surface it is perceived that Koscheck plays the perfect villain. When one looks deeper it is apparent that he knows his role and is getting in where he fits in and playing his role as best he can. He was asked what motivates him to embrace the “anti GSP” personality.

His answer was spot on but he also pointed to his fan base to offset the negative perception many assume follows him like a rain cloud.

“It’s about money for me man. I'm here to win fights and make money just like everybody else. It’s a living. This is my job. It’s funny, you have all these people that say I'm this and I'm that, but it’s funny to see all these people that come up to me when I'm out in public that want my autograph and my picture so I don't get it.”

He points to the armchair warrior as the driving force behind the negative tone but believes his star attracts him plenty of positive reaction amongst fans.

“There must be a lot of people that get out there on those Internet forums and read the dumb stuff but it seems like every time I'm in the airport or every time I go out to eat, it’s kind of odd that if I'm the heel and I'm the most hated guy, that you see all these people coming up to me wanting autographs and pictures.”

He was asked if he felt the sport needed villains and he answered quite frankly.

“You got to think about this, you have Georges St. Pierre's image that he tries to keep squeaky clean and he does a good job of it. Then you have me who doesn't really care what people think of him. That's why people are going to tune in on Saturday, because they want to see Georges St. Pierre kick my ass because I'm the bad guy, so called.

He added his take on how that helps the sport, the organization, and the competitors.

“So it’s a great event for the end of the year for the UFC and for mixed martial arts. It’s going to be a monster event and there is a lot of questions about this fight with me and Georges St. Pierre. We're gong to see a lot of those questions answered on Saturday night.”

Koshcheck posed a question of his own. “Is St. Pierre going to be another so called ‘boring Greg Jackson fighter’ and just try to take me down or is Georges St. Pierre going to have the balls to stand there and go toe to toe with me? We will see.”

Yes we will, yes we will.

As mentioned before Koscheck’s American Kickboxing Academy teammate Cain Velasquez recently brought home a UFC HW strap. When asked how important that is to the AKA family, and how it motivates Koscheck he had a tremendous answer.

“Training with Cain, he has come up through the ranks at the same time with me. It’s kind of funny, when me and Cain actually lived together coming up through his ranks it was a long journey for him. His hard work and dedication to the sport paid off and I think it’s going to be awesome for our gym, our management, it’s going to be awesome for everybody to have a second champion at our gym. Saturday night we are going to get that.”

“We spent a lot of time together coming up and it’s like a brotherhood at AKA.”

If Koscheck indeed does become a UFC WW champ there is one obstacle that many people are curious about. What happens when dear friend and long time AKA brother Jon Fitch comes knocking for a title shot.

“Kos” has zero interest in fighting his good friend Mr. Fitch, period.

“We will deal with that when it happens. I’ll never fight Jon Fitch lets just put it that way. I’ll move up a weight class or cut my leg off and move down a weight class.”

Looking back at their first fight Koscheck was asked if he sees any points in the champs game where he can monopolise.

“I definitely know how Georges St. Pierre wants to fight. Regardless of who hes working with and what he brings to the table, his game plan is obviously to use his speed and get inside and try to take me down.”

In closing he added, “If that's the case then I believe I'm going to have to obviously be ready for that. I just plan on coming to fight. I'm not trying to give away my whole game plan, Georges just best be ready for a fight that's all I can say.”

While Koscheck may not be the favorite of the odds makers or even many fans leading into Saturday’s fight one thing can not be denied by any of them. The man knows this business, he knows this game, and has a world of talent to implement his style and approach as he continues to strive to make his mark on MMA.

That much was painfully obvious as he candidly shared his take on his place in this sport, and his upcoming match with one of the greatest fighters this sport has ever known.

To be quite frank, he doesn't seem the slightest bit phased by the reputation of his opponent, much like his teammate Cain Velasquez wasn't leading into his fight with Brock Lesnar.

If we learned anything from that fight it was two things, never ever believe in a fight on paper, and never ever doubt those boys training out of AKA.

Paul Bradley Discusses his Upcoming Fight at CFX/Extreme Challenge 170

2010-12-09T20:30:00.000Z

“This guy is as good as ANY of the 170-pound fighters in all of MMA. Paul Bradley is a Beast, a Warrior, and most of all, a Survivor. For starters, Paul was asked to leave the TUF Season 7 show, but not until after he had already turned down a really great job offer just to be on the show in order to chase his dream of making it to the MMA big leagues. And more recently, Paul was also cut from Strikeforce after a WIN! Yes, a WIN—CRAZY!!!

“Many people with the wrong mindset would have simply quit, or 'tapped out' (ugly words) after being cut by one big MMA Organization—never mind, two of them. But not Paul "the Gentleman" Bradley. He does not surrender—EVER.

“It’s just not how he rolls because Paul keeps fighting on like all good Americans do. They fight for what is right, and don't back down—EVER!!!!!!! Please support this warrior who is an inspiration to many because he keeps on coming no matter who or what tries to take him down or stand in his way!”—Carried Out Fight Gear

Indeed, truer words were never spoken.

Training out of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, Paul Bradley is a role-model to many young fighters who dream of one day fighting professionally in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

Not because he has become a household name by fighting out of the largest MMA organization in the world (yes, I’m talking about the UFC), but because despite having an excellent record of 14-2, he has been privileged to compete for multiple national organizations, such as Strikeforce, Shark Fights, King of the Cage, Ultimate Cage Fighting Challenge, Ring of Combat, The Ultimate Fighter Season 7, and now he can add CFX/Extreme Challenge 170 to that growing list of impressive accomplishments.

His ultimate goal?

Simple—to be the best—any way possible.

Please enjoy my fourth interview with Paul.

James Ryan: Hey Paul, how have you been?

Paul Bradley: Hey James, I’ve been doing very well. How about yourself?

James Ryan: Super fantastic amazing!! [Laughs]

Paul Bradley: [Laughs] That’s good.

James Ryan: Thanks again for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with me about your upcoming fight.

Paul Bradley: My pleasure.

James Ryan: Sweet, so how’s the training been going?

Paul Bradley: It’s been going good. Really busy though. I’ve been selling a tonne of tickets and just trying to get things in order. But I hope that I don’t ever have to fight for ticket sales again—let’s put it that way. [Laughs]

James Ryan: So what’s the arrangement with that? I had noticed that you were quite active on Facebook trying to sell tickets to this event. Is there a direct tie-in with the ticket sales and how much you get paid for this fight?

Paul Bradley: Well, the thing is, I haven’t fought in Minneapolis, and I’m originally from Iowa, so I have a lot of friends and family coming up to support me. A lot of people from where I work at LA Fitness are coming out as well, and just a tonne of people that I know are coming out to watch. It was either take this fight for ticket sales or—my manager is helping to put this event on too, so that was another plus obviously—I wanted to help him out with the big show. But it was either take this fight or wait until possibly February again for Shark Fights, so I decided to take this fight.

James Ryan: Right, makes sense. So tell me about your upcoming fight. Who’s it with? What’s going on? Who are you fighting? Where are you fighting? That sort of thing.

Paul Bradley: I’m fighting in the CFX/Extreme Challenge 170, which is scheduled for this Saturday, December 11, at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.

My opponent is Ted Worthington. He’s out of Des Moines, Iowa. He’s a bit of a journeyman with a record of 29-28, but the guy has fought some really tough people. He’s gone to a lot of decisions with a lot of tough fighters.

We’re going to meet at a catch-weight of 175, which is nice, but he’s tough and has pretty good hands. I just have to be smart. He’s got a good uppercut and a good right hand—I’ve studied a lot of tape on him. I’m just looking to go in there to get a ‘W’ and stay active obviously.

James Ryan: So was that the biggest motivation in taking this fight—just to keep fighting and staying active?

Paul Bradley: Ya, I definitely want to stay active. While I’m healthy, I would like to get a little string of wins together, and build from there.

I’m keeping the UFC in mind too, but I think that I would like to enter the UFC with a record of 18-2, which is something that I definitely would like to accomplish before I make it. Or even 20-2.

James Ryan: And right now you’re at 14-2, correct?

Paul Bradley: Yes, that’s correct. With this fight, I could be at 15, and after that, I would only need three more wins to get to 18, which would turn out just perfect if I end up signing a three fight deal with Shark Fights in the New Year. We haven’t talked specifically about what the contract would offer, but they’ve already kinda mentioned that they would pay me more for three fights with them, then the UFC would.

James Ryan: Well, that’s alright then.

Paul Bradley: Ya, I don’t know. I’m gonna have to sit down with Monty after this fight, but obviously I would say that I just need to focus on the task at hand, and get this win first.

James Ryan: Definitely. Hey Paul, maybe you can help to answer a question for me. It’s something that’s been on my mind.

Paul Bradley: Shoot.

James Ryan: Lately, it seems that the UFC has been cutting a lot of talent, and in some cases, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, at least not from the perspective of the fans. Look at Gerald Harris—and I don’t know all of the ins and outs, but he had three great performances, and then after one not-so-great performance—out he goes.

And when that happened, I thought, ‘what kind of a message is that sending out to the younger guys that are actually trying to make it into the UFC?’

Is it discouraging to see something like that happening? Or do you think that it’s isolated and that it has more to do directly with Gerald and nothing else?

As someone who has goals of fighting some day in the UFC, what do you make of these types of situations?

Paul Bradley: You know, to be dead honest, I want to think that there’s more to it than just cutting the guy after a poor performance, but I’m not sure there is.

So, what it makes me think is that I might possibly be in a better position to just sign with Shark Fights—makes me think twice about the UFC, like maybe Shark Fights is the way to go as far as job stability and stuff, because honestly, this is a job and we need to make money and support ourselves. And here you have Gerald Harris, who was 3-1 in the UFC, including two knock-outs of the night, and he’s just gone!

It’s just...I don’t know man, I find it pretty odd. I guess I understand that he put on a bad performance, yes, but at the same time, there’s been plenty of other people who have put on a bad performance—granted Anderson Silva didn’t lose, but at the same time, he put on a much worse performance than that—in two title fights!

James Ryan: Well, that’s true. How about that fight in Abu Dhabi? That was terrible.

Paul Bradley: Precisely.

James Ryan: How about that same night that Gerald got cut? That fight between Matt Hughes and BJ Penn—you can’t tell me that Matt Hughes performed better than Gerald Harris that night. But he’s definitely not going anywhere, right?

Paul Bradley: No way. It’s like I said, you gotta think about it too I guess—Matt Brown is 0-3 and they’re not cutting him. Tyson Griffin lost his last three also. Granted, I don’t think a guy like Tyson should be cut, because the guys that he has lost to are top guys and you know, he just lost to one of my teammates recently, but the guys that he has lost to are at the top and are very good. Plus, he’s always been in exciting fights.

But then you have Matt Brown who can’t get out of a submission to save his life, and yet because he’ll stand and bang and get knocked out or knock someone out, he stays on the UFC’s roster.

I don’t know...I guess exciting fights are what they want and I guess they’re willing to cut you if you have just one bad one.

James Ryan: So how does that change the motivation for people in wanting to actually become a part of the UFC?

I think up until now, people have looked at the UFC and have thought that they are the end-all, be-all and that’s where they would want to end up with their careers. But if you see that they’re not being very loyal to their fighters, then to me, it would almost seem that it would make people second guess whether or not that’s what they really want to do.

Whether it’s the biggest show in the world or not, so what? If you are willing to sacrifice everything in your life to get there and then in a flash it’s gone—well then what good was that sacrifice?

Paul Bradley: Ya, don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen Dana do a lot of great things. Like this last fight with Nam Phan—giving him the win bonus in that fight. If you do him a favour, he’ll do you a favour.

I don’t know, sometimes like with the Gerald Harris incident, I get a little thrown back by it. I guess I don’t understand it—I understand he put on a crappy fight, don’t get me wrong, but at the same time, there’s been worse fights out there and the guy has gotten two knockout of the night bonuses and finished the other guy too, which probably should have been knockout of the night also, but I don’t know...

James Ryan: Well, maybe it was a good wake-up call for him? I read a recent interview with Gerald and he basically said, ‘ya, Dana sent me home. Luckily he didn’t say that I was done with the UFC, he just said to go home and think about your performance’ and he said that he had, and that he agreed with Dana that it was a terrible performance, and that he’s never going to let it happen again.

I suppose if Dana were the head coach of a football team, he would have done exactly the right thing. Basically, he benched him, right?

Paul Bradley: Right.

James Ryan: And then Dana reserves the option to call him back out ‘onto the field’ so to speak. So, I guess in that sense, Dana might just be trying to motivate these guys to perform and when they don’t, maybe cutting them is a badly needed wake-up call.

So, maybe it’s good not to read too much into it.

Paul Bradley: For sure, for sure.

James Ryan: So, is your fight this weekend going to be available for viewing on the internet or TV?

Paul Bradley: Unfortunately, I don’t think that they have anything lined up as far as viewing, but it’s gonna be a big local event. Us fighters are selling a tonne of the tickets. They’re actually doing a smart business model with this promotion. Last time that they had a big show, they paid the fighters way too much and then pretty much sacrificed their profits, but this time, they’re actually being pretty smart about it. Selling the tickets has been a lot of work and a bit of a pain in the ass, but at the same time, they’re doing it right because then this way, it’s not money out of their own pocket.

James Ryan: So what’s the idea? If you don’t sell any tickets, you don’t get paid? But if you sell lots, then you’re good?

Paul Bradley: The way it’s set up is that if I don’t sell any tickets, then I’m not going to make any money. Thankfully it’s going well though. [Laughs]

James Ryan: [Laughs] Well, that’s good.

So pretend that I’m a local fan and that this is a show that I should go to. Why is it worth my time? Why is it worth my money—especially right before Christmas?

Paul Bradley: Well, definitely the biggest draw right now is that we have four UFC veterans on the card, including former UFC champions, Tim “the Maine-iac” Silva and Jens Pulver. Also, other UFC veterans like Tommy Speer, Travis Wiuff, and myself, even though I don’t really consider myself to be a UFC vet.

And to be honest, we don’t get a lot of big shows around here, so this is a chance to go out and see some really good fights, to see some really good fighters right here in your hometown, and it’s probably the biggest show that we’ve had in this area since UFC 87.

The quality is good , you’re going to see a bunch of good fights, and you’re also helping support the local fighters like myself to make some money, because when it’s all said and done, this is our job and this is how we feed ourselves and pay for our families.

James Ryan: Do you know why there was a decision to put it on the same night as the biggest and final UFC event of the year? That’s some pretty tough competition that you’re going up against.

Paul Bradley: Ya, the big thing is too, we are starting the show at 6:30. The after party is at the Ugly Mug which is right here in Minneapolis. They’ll be showing the fights, so the plan is to have the event over by the time that the UFC fights come on.

James Ryan: Well, that’s perfect then! I was thinking that if I lived there and I was really into MMA and the UFC, then I probably wouldn’t want to miss one for the other. It’s great to support local events, but as a fan, I definitely want to watch GSP vs. Koscheck this weekend also.

But with it set up like this, it could be a great whole day for MMA fans. They could go to a live local event and then go out after to watch the UFC fights—perfect! Sounds like an amazing day actually.

Where can people buy the tickets?

Paul Bradley: Well, right now, tickets can be purchased directly through the event organizer, but like I said—I would advise people to try and buy them through a fighter. That’s the way to go, because then you’re actually helping the fighter out.

And you’re still getting the same ticket at the same price—you’re just getting it through a fighter instead and helping him.

James Ryan: Before we wrap up, is there anyone that you would like to thank?

Paul Bradley: I would really like to thank my sponsors who stepped up to the plate for this fight. Like I said, not a whole lot of recognition or TV for it, but I definitely have to help the people that are helping me when I take fights like this.

BAMF Fight Gear—they’re a big company out in California. Clinch Gear of course, who have always been behind me. Punch Drunk Gamer, who is a big company for fighters. Then I have Max Muscle out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

And last but not least, Carried Out Fight Gear.

And I really appreciate you James, for writing these articles and helping to get my name out there. You’ve definitely gone above and beyond in helping me out.

James Ryan: It’s my pleasure, Paul. Anything to help out the future Champ. [Laughs] Best of luck this weekend.

Paul Bradley: Thanks again.

This is my interview. If you don’t like it…I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Carried Out Fight Gear was founded in 2009 by a group of fighters who realized that the true essence of a Warrior was being lost by some people giving up. The Carried Out mindset of “One Way Out – Carried Out!” signifies that a fighter will never ever surrender and fight to the very end, leaving everything he/she has in the ring, on the mat or in the cage!

One Way Out…Carried Out!!!!!

Strikeforce St. Louis Delivers Devastating Finishes Over And Over Again

2010-12-06T22:25:16.000Z

B.J. Penn must have been proud if he took the time to watch Strikeforce’s recent event in St. Louis. He seems to have started a trend across MMA with his recent brutal knockout victory over Matt Hughes.

Strikeforce fighters apparently took note and put on a devastating display of weapons of mass destruction for fight fans across the globe. The shock and awe of the entire event was utterly undeniable.

The finishes were brought with authority, and those fortunate enough to have tuned in were treated to a wonderful evening of mixed martial arts action.

On the main card, only one fight went the distance, and quite honestly even that one should have been stopped in the first round. It was a battle between Benji Radach and Ovince St. Preux.

Calling it a battle may be an overstatement as it was more of a lesson given by St. Preux to Radach on why it may be a bad idea to move up in weight and take fights on short notice.

Showing tremendous heart, Radach hung in and endured a lopsided decision win against him by his opponent. While he had his moments worth noting in a few brief exchanges, it was St. Preux who dominated and delivered the beating.

For the entire second half of the first round St. Preux held Radach’s back and brutalized him with strikes. The third man in the cage would have heard no complaints from anyone looking on if he had stepped in and called the fight before the round came to an end.

Unfortunately for Radach he did not stop the fight and the beating commenced for two more rounds. It was an unfortunate circumstance that really was quickly forgotten as the night went on.

And what helped fight fans move on was another great display of heart and perseverance by Mike Kyle as he took on a considerably larger heavyweight Antonio Silva. Kyle also took this fight on short notice and moved up in weight to face the man adequately nicknamed “Big Foot”.

Kyle showed great striking skills dropping Silva early in the first round and maintaining control throughout the round as he continued to punish the big man with ground and pound. Somewhere in the exchange he injured his hand and his pace clearly slowed.

In the second Silva demonstrated why he is considered a top heavyweight in the world taking Kyle to the ground and unleashing a fury of strikes eventually ending the fight by TKO. Silva was very humble and clearly appreciative of his opponents performance, a man he outweighed by 40 pounds at the weigh ins.

Both men showed a great deal of respect and class after the match came to an end, and that fight fans is something the sport can never have enough of amongst its competitors.

That TKO started a domino effect that absolutely stunned everyone looking on over, and over, and over again.

Robbie Lawler and Matt Lindland were up next and they got to work quickly with high power striking exchanges early in their match. The hands never stopped flying until Lawler dropped Lindland with a viscous combo that started with a beautiful uppercut that dropped the MMA veteran.

When Lindland went down he did what he could to attempt to recover but Lawler wasted no time jumping into his guard and ending his night with a final strike that put Lindland out cold. Also showing great class and sportsmanship, Lawler could have followed his attack up with further strikes but recognized immediately that it was unnecessary.

It was yet another example of just how dangerous “The Ruthless One”, Robbie Lawler truly is.

Then fight fans were treated to one of the best “on paper” match ups they could ask for between Scott Smith and Paul Daley. Both fellas are well known for their concrete hands, and willingness to go to war with one thing in mind, knocking their opponents lights out.

“Semtex” Daley found himself at the better end of their exchanges dropping Smith early by landing the cleaner shots. True to his name, Daley eventually stopped Smith dead in his tracks with a series of left hands. One of which exploded right on Smith’s jaw instantly putting him away and dropping him flat on the mat.

Daley reminded fight fans exactly why he is as cocky as he is, with another devastating display of knockout power.

It was not just the young guys who showed up to bang either. Two storied veterans of the game, Renato Sobral and Dan Henderson were showcased in the main event in a rematch up that has been ten years in the making.

Sobral passed on a title shot so he could have a shot at redemption against a man who defeated him a decade ago in Pride. It has been said to be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

Well fight fans, “Babalu” got what he asked for, and when you find yourself at the business end of “Hendo’s” right hand it’s enough to make one think twice about their Christmas wish list.

Henderson hurt Sobral and while standing over him in the corner of the cage he brought the pain, landing “H-Bombs” that turned out Sobral’s lights.

Dan Henderson showed that even the old timers can still get it done as the 40 year old MMA vet dressed up a great night of fights with a cherry neatly placed on top of a very impressive Strikeforce sundae.

Strikeforce showed once again that while they may not be the top dog in the realm of mixed martial arts promotions, that they are damn sure a heavy hitter and one of the top contenders in the business.

That has a lot to do with a hungry and capable stable of fighters that have elevated their organization to become one of the best in the world. And the best part is, it didn’t cost 40 bucks to find that little fact out Saturday night.

Patrick Cummins Discusses Strikeforce Debut and Fighter Exchange Program

2010-12-03T16:26:29.000Z

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”—Miriam Beard

Patrick Cummins is a former 2x NCAA wrestler from Penn State, who is currently scheduled to make his Strikeforce debut this upcoming Saturday, December 4, at the Scottrade Center in St Louis, Missouri.

The Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II undercard bouts will also feature four protégées from the Strikeforce Fighter Exchange Program.

The Fighter Exchange Program is intended to be a tie-in to the Career Mode of the EA Sports MMA game, and features multimedia documentation of four young prospects (Bettega, Cummins, Martytniuok, Phillips) traveling, learning, and training with four established veterans (Jacare Souza, Jason Miller, Gegard Mousasi, Luke Rockhold).

All of these matches will be streamed live this Saturday at Sherdog.com.

Cummins will be stepping into the cage for the first time in his career, as he takes on the unbeaten local Light Heavyweight, Terrell Brown.

Please enjoy my interview with this remarkable up-and-comer:

James Ryan: Hey Pat, how are you?

Pat Cummins: I’m doing good James, how’s it going with you?

James Ryan: I’m great! Thank you very much for agreeing to speak with me. I know that you’re only a couple of days away from your first ever MMA fight, so I really appreciate you taking the time for this.

Pat Cummins: Ya, no problem at all. I actually just made it into St. Louis today.

James Ryan: Oh, is that right? So what do you know about your opponent?

Pat Cummins: I’m fighting a guy by the name of Terrell Brown. I don’t think that he’s a very well known guy just yet. He’s only had a couple of fights so far. I think he’s 2-0, but he hasn’t been around too much.

I’m pretty excited.

James Ryan: Right on.

Pat Cummins: This morning on the flight coming out—I don’t know—I couldn’t really understand why I wasn’t more pumped up. You know? I mean, my fight is coming up, but once we landed here and started to talk to some guys that we knew, then I was like—okay, now it’s hitting me. Now I’m pumped. [Laughs]

James Ryan: [Laughs] And you say you just got in today?

Pat Cummins: Ya, we just got in today.

James Ryan: Right on! So, this is your first fight with Strikeforce, but it’s also your MMA debut, correct?

Pat Cummins: Yes, this is my first fight, period.

James Ryan: So with your wrestling background, has this always been the direction that you thought that you would be going in? Or is this just something more recent that you had decided to concentrate on?

Pat Cummins: Ya, it’s always been a thought of mine. Just watching it, I always thought that I could get in there. Some guys that I know that are good wrestlers, some of them say ‘oh man, I don’t know. I don’t really want to get punched in the face.’

James Ryan: [Laughs]

Pat Cummins: ‘I think that I could do well, but I don’t know if I want to take it that far.’

But I just always thought that I could get in there and do that. I feel like I’m a pretty good fit for it. So, it was just finding the right people to hook up with and fortunately I had a really good friend, King Mo—I had travelled with him a lot, worked out with him a lot, so we became pretty good friends, and once he started doing it, he was saying ‘hey you gotta come out here, you’d be perfect for this!’

It took some convincing, but finally I was like ‘okay, I’m ready. Let’s go!’

James Ryan: Cool, right on! So what do you know about your opponent as far as how you might match-up with him? Do you feel that your style as a wrestler will give you the advantage?

Pat Cummins: Ya, I definitely think so. I think he’s more—he’s got a little wrestling background, but I think he has more of a jiu-jitsu and kickboxing kind of style. From what I’ve seen, his wrestling isn’t really solid, so I feel like no matter what, I can always fall back on that.

James Ryan: Right.

Pat Cummins: That’s a nice feeling to have. [Laughs]

James Ryan: I’ll bet. [Laughs] So, other than the wrestling, what other fighting disciplines have you trained in?

Pat Cummins: Well, I just went on a trip to Brazil with Strikeforce called the Fighter Exchange Program. I don’t know if you’ve seen it?

James Ryan: Well, I heard something about that and I wanted to ask you about it.

Pat Cummins: Ya, so aside from that, I really have no other background other than wrestling. I’ve been working on some boxing here and there, and training with some guys with that, but no real other background at all. I just kinda jumped into Brazil and [Laughs] you know—without really—I mean, I know just some of the basics of jiu-jitsu, but I’ve never really trained it, and I just basically jumped right in and started rolling with the best guys. That was my crash course. It was pretty awesome. [Laughs]

James Ryan: Right on, that sounds cool. And actually, right before I called you, I started checking out your profile on Facebook and I was flipping through some of the pictures from your trip. I saw you and Mayhem Miller rock climbing in Brazil, which looked pretty amazing.

What was that experience like? What’s it like down in Rio de Janeiro?

Pat Cummins: Man, it’s one of the greatest places that I have ever been. It was Jason, Ryan Parsons, and me, and we all stayed for eight days. All of us at the end—we all looked around at each other and everybody had the saddest face on, ya know? It was like ‘we don’t want to leave, it’s so great!’

It was amazing! It had everything that I’m into. I’m a real outdoorsy kinda guy, and I like to go out and find new adventures. It had everything. We went hang-gliding, rock climbing—it was just amazing.

And then we visited just about every major gym in Rio, and that was even more amazing. We met Pedro Rizzo, Jose Aldo—just about every major Brazilian fighter was there.

James Ryan: Wow, what an experience. That sounds pretty unreal. Where did you stay while you were down there?

Pat Cummins: We stayed right in the Sheraton Barra, which is supposedly in the nicest and most touristy part of Rio. We had a guy that works with us, Marcelo Alonso, and he was like our official connection. He got us into every gym. He took us around and he wrote stories about us the whole way through. We were able to see everything. We went into the city. We went to some Samba places at night. We definitely got the full cultural experience. It was amazing. [Laughs]

We all loved it. All of us looked at each other at the end of the trip and said ‘we are coming back here for sure’ and maybe sooner than later.

James Ryan: Man, I am so jealous. It sounds so amazing!

So what is the premise of the Fighter Exchange Program? How does it work?

Pat Cummins: Basically, they asked four pretty well-known fighters to take on an up-and-comer and train with him by going on a training trip. It was about two weeks of training and then about a month after that, the plan was that we would all be fighting on Strikeforce.

Out of all of the guys though, I think I got the better deal out of it because I got to go to Brazil.

Plus, I had just been to Japan a couple of weeks earlier with Jason, so my first couple months of MMA have been pretty insane. [Laughs]

James Ryan: So even though this is your very first fight with Strikeforce, it sounds like you’ve already been involved with them for some time training with Miller and King Mo. Is that basically how you got a foot in the door? You’ve gotten to know these guys by being around in various training camps?

Pat Cummins: Ya, basically. I think it’s just a case of ‘stand next to the famous guy’ and put my face out there, ya know?

James Ryan: [Laughs]

Pat Cummins: And of course, my manager Ryan Parsons—he’s connected everywhere in MMA. He also manages Jason and King Mo.

Before Strikeforce, I was actually supposed to be going to Russia for a wrestling trip—kinda my good-bye to wrestling in what would be my final tournament.

So anyway, I was headed to Colorado Springs to do a little training camp for a week before heading off to Russia, but as soon as I stepped off the plane in Colorado Springs, Ryan called me and said ‘hey man, I’ve got some great news,’ and then he told me about this whole great opportunity with Strikeforce, but he said that the catch was that I couldn’t go to Russia. I figured that I would trade Russia for Brazil any day, so it worked out great.

James Ryan: And where are you guys all training out of right now?

Pat Cummins: We train mostly by bouncing back and fourth between Reign in Orange County, which is Mark Munoz’s gym, and then we go to King’s with Rafael Cordero.

We have a bunch of good guys that we are around all the time, so I feel pretty fortunate. Everyone has been pretty amazing by helping me out. Being the new guy just starting out—I’m just taking things slow and everyone has been really helpful.

It’s a great atmosphere.

James Ryan: One last question...Real Pro Wrestling Championship. What was that?

Pat Cummins: [Laughs] Ummmm...how do you know about that?

James Ryan: [Laughs] Oh, I have my sources...

Pat Cummins: Real Pro Wrestling was a thing that they put together, trying to hype up—it was probably just before MMA really started exploding, so they wanted to take amateur wrestling and put it in the spotlight.

They got it on TV and they modified the rules a bit so that free-style and Greco guys could all wrestle each other. That way, we could all compete together. They had a big stage set up with an elevated mat, and basically, if you went out of bounds, you would fall down about 10-feet into a pit.

James Ryan: [Laughs] A pit?

Pat Cummins: Ya, they tried to make it look as cool as they possibly could. They put it on for a season and did it with a kind of tournament style, so it was like an eight man bracket. I ended up winning the tournament.

James Ryan: Nice.

Pat Cummins: They never did do a second season though, which was a shame because wrestling is such a great sport. But unless you’re a wrestling fan and you’ve grown up around wrestling, it’s kinda hard to follow.

It’s not really all that exciting. With MMA however, pretty much anyone can turn the TV on and get excited by what’s going on.

James Ryan: Wrestling seems like such a chess match though.

Pat Cummins: Ya, I agree. Especially with the more elite guys. You’re constantly running into the same guys, over and over again, and then it really becomes a chess match because everybody knows exactly what the other person is going to do, and it’s basically a coin flip at that level.

For me, being new to MMA and having a strong wrestling base, I think that will carry me pretty far. I’m excited every single day that I train. Every day I come in and I’m working on something new that I hadn’t worked on before.

I’m constantly working and I have all of these new goals. In wrestling, it was repetition, repetition, repetition. There’s only so many moves that you can hit, especially guys at a higher level. They all have a handful of moves that they do, and they do them really well. That’s pretty much it.

James Ryan: So it sounds like you’re definitely enjoying the variety that comes through training MMA.

Pat Cummins: Oh ya, I’m having a lot of fun right now. I’m just so excited and having such a great time.

James Ryan: Awesome.

Well thanks again for your time, Pat. I really enjoyed hearing your perspectives on the sport. Is there anyone out there that you would like to thank or say hello to?

Pat Cummins: There is. I have a real special one actually. My dad, who has been my biggest fan through everything—he’s just recently been in ICU for almost two weeks. He had a blood clot in his intestine. He had a heart attack a few months ago and that’s apparently one of the potential after effects. So, I came home and spent a lot of time with him.

He wanted to be at my first fight more than anything, and it sucks that he can’t come. I’d love to have him there but at the same time, I’m really grateful that he’s doing really well now and he’s coming back around. Just as of yesterday, he was moved from the ICU, so he’s doing much better. I think probably in a couple more days the hospital nurses are gonna get sick of him and send him home so that’s good news.

James Ryan: [Laughs] Well, that is good news. Right on. Glad to hear that.

Pat Cummins: Ya, so he’s my big thanks.

James Ryan: That’s terrific, Pat. Thank you very much and I wish you all the best this weekend.

Pat Cummins: Thanks James.

This is my interview. If you don’t like it…I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Carried Out Fight Gear was founded in 2009 by a group of fighters who realized that the true essence of a Warrior was being lost by some people giving up. The Carried Out mindset of “One Way Out – Carried Out!” signifies that a fighter will never ever surrender and fight to the very end, leaving everything he/she has in the ring, on the mat or in the cage!

One Way Out…Carried Out!!!!!

Tara LaRosa vs. Takayo Hashi on Tonight

2010-11-24T18:30:00.000Z

Arguably the toughest female fighter in the world, Tara LaRosa will be fighting Takayo Hashi tonight in a five-round title fight for DaMMAge Fight League in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

LaRosa was originally scheduled to fight Irish sensation Aisling Daly, but Daly could not get the fight cleared by Bellator Fighting Championships. Although LaRosa recently lost a controversial split decision to Roxanne Modafferi, she holds an incredible record of 18-2 and notable wins over Shayna Baszler, Alexis Davis, Sally Krumdiack, Hitomi Akano, Amanda Buckner and many other stellar fighters. The majority of these fights took place at 135 lbs., which is about her natural weight of 125. LaRosa has an amazing ground game with slick submissions and is both technical and powerful. She is well-rounded and can hold her own in all ranges.

Takayo Hashi's most recent fight was a title shot against former Strikeforce bantamweight champ Sarah Kaufman 8 months ago. She drew criticism for a lackluster performance, but MMA enthusiasts predict that this fight versus LaRosa will be much different. Hashi is no slouch, and has notable wins over Hitomi Akano and Amanda Buckner. She is primarily known for her ground game and all of her wins are by submission or decision.

To watch what will undoubtedly be an epic five-round battle, order the fights at GoFightLive for $9.99.

Holiday shopping? Get 10% off MMA gear at Elite MMA. Just enter the coupon code "emsave" at checkout. And check out MMA HQ for one great MMA deal a day.

Hurtsbad UFC 123 Recap: B.J. Penn Fight Fans...OMFG...That's It!

2010-11-21T20:54:13.000Z

UFC 123 went exactly as fight fans expected. It was an event riddled with explosive match ups that let the judges off the hook on multiple occasions. Fights were being finished left and right by a variety of outcomes. The ones that didn't end early were wars.

Like a spark plug, the Spike TV portion of the card ignited the evening with a war between Aaron Simpson and Mark Munoz. We are talking all out aggression mixed with world class talent on both parts.

These two middle weights absolutely set it off with three rounds of fast paced MMA. Munoz emerged with the decision but the fans were the true winners after this tilt.

And the hits just kept on coming as Brian foster submitted Matt brown with a filthy guillotine choke midway through the second round of their fight.

Then Karo Parysian made his return to the octagon against MMA veteran Dennis Hallman. Hallman did not welcome Karo home nicely stopping him early by TKO. While Karo disagreed with the stoppage, it was an impressive win for Hallman over a respected veteran.

And those, fight fans, were just the prelims on spike.

The main card had a tough act to follow and the athletes really stepped up. It started when George Sotiropoulos stopped Joe Lauzon in the second round with an impressive Kimura. Another impressive win for Sotiropoulos that makes fight fans wonder how far he will take this amazing momentum of his as he climbs the lightweight ladder.

Phil Davis followed that up by inventing new submission moves while on the fly. He stopped Tim Boetsch with a modified Kimura now known as the “Mr Wonderful”. Extremely impressive as always was Davis.

How long is it going to take before they lock this guy in the cage with Jon Jones?

Then it was time for the right hand heard around the world. Not one to be upstaged, B.J. Penn knocked Matt Hughes out cold in just 21 seconds, trumping all the previous performances of the evening.

That's right fight fans, you read it right, 21 seconds, just absolutely unreal. Jaws across the MMA community were all laying on the floor. Some still haven't been picked up yet.

Quite honestly Penn had the historic “eye of the tiger”. There was a look in his eyes that fight fans haven't seen in what seems like an eternity. He reminded everybody that he is a force in this sport, and that weight is just a number.

Finally in the main event Quinton “Rampage” Jackson earned a razor thin split decision over Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. It was a very difficult fight to call watching it a second time. One can only imagine what was going through both the fighter’s and the judges minds thirty seconds after it was over.

It was “Rampage’s” aggression that more than likely swayed the judges in his favor. It was a very tactical fight between two lethal former light heavyweight champions. In a fight many thought may end early, they showed great respect for each other's strengths.

And we almost got to see a patented “Rampage” slam but Machida was wise enough to avoid it mid slam by releasing a submission hold attempt that simply put him in the blast zone. Oh well, maybe next time kids.

Rampage was very humble in victory offering Machida an immediate rematch. Overall it was an amazing night of MMA that wont soon be forgotten by the fight fans.

A true classic, all the competitors should be extremely proud.

Hurtsbad UFC 123 Conference Call Notes: B.J. Penn & Matt Hughes Discuss Their Rubber Match

2010-11-18T22:36:39.000Z

In what has amounted to an extremely compelling fight card, UFC 123 has really stirred up a lot of attention leading into the fights this coming weekend. As four proud former champions prepare to get it on, fight fans are salivating over what is in store Saturday night.

This recent Veteren’s Day all four of the co-main and main event fighters took some time to join various journalists on the UFC 123 conference call. Hurtsbad.com was honored to be in attendance.

Many great questions were asked of the main event competitors Rampage Jackson and Lyoto Machida as well as the co-main event athletes B.J. Penn and Matt Hughes. The back and forth between Penn and Hughes in particular was very eye opening as to the respect and appreciation they truly have for one another.

Hurtsbad is proud to share some of the insight and answers they provided to MMA media throughout the conference call. While the questions were not posed by the staff of Hurtsbad, the answers are considered public and compelling enough to share.

The first question was to Penn regarding his move up to welterweight following two consecutive losses to current lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Penn was clear to say his sights are still trained on his former LW title but is looking to bounce back against a strong opponent in Hughes.

“I was kind of bummed out on my way home after the fight. I didn't really get banged up or bruised up too much so I just jumped back in the gym on Monday and started training and thinking about getting the lightweight belt back.”

“Dana tried to put a fight together with a few guys and I guess that fell through. Then Dana offered me the fight with Matt. He said Matt has some obligations but he will set those aside to put together another great fight with you.”

“I was really excited, this is a great opportunity for me to get back on track against a great opponent. “

When asked if he planned on competing long term at welterweight where he has also been crowned champion in the past Penn had this to say.

“I think if I feel good and everything goes well, maybe I’ll fight a few more fights here. You know whatever, 155, 170, a lot of people are doing it, I'm not the only guy. I don't think that's out of the question.”

After his impressive victory over Ricardo Almeida Hughes had hinted that after two fights in one year he may be looking at some much deserved time off and was asked if this fight in particular was what pulled him back for his third bout of 2010.

“B.J. is exactly right, I did have a lot of obligations on the line, but one more paycheck this year will really make my wife happy. I was able to hold off on all the obligations. B.J. and I are I think a lot alike in that we are split one and one and we finally get to have the third match, the rubber match.”

Hughes added, “We have both wanted it and we finally get to get it. So we are both happy with that, we are both competitive guys.”

Hughes was asked if he puts much stock in the first two fights in which they split one and one. Being that they were quite some time ago, does Hughes take anything away from their first two meetings. The former WW champ answered quite humbly.

“B.J. beat me so easy the first time, and the second match was really a tough match for both of us. He was whooping me early in the fight and I ended up finishing late in the fight. So there is a lot to be said with this last match.”

Matt Hughes has really turned a corner since his loss to Thiago Alves. Winning three consecutive fights in impressive fashion he was asked what has changed for him.

“In the past I’ve been fighting and taking a long time off and then fighting again. This year has been good for me because I have really stayed on track the whole time. I never really got out of shape. It’s been really good for my body just to stay in shape.”

Hughes went on to say, “I don't spar every week if I don't have a fight coming up, or do heavy training. I’m 37 years old, I’m one of the older guys out there so I have to slow it down with the training a little bit. I have to train more smart than train hard.”

Hughes explained how taking pressure off his shoulders has helped him enjoy his time in the cage lately.

“I’ve felt real good, and I’m going out there and having a good time. I'm having a lot of fun. I’ve tried cut all the pressure away. I’m not going out there trying not to lose, I’m actually going out there and trying to win and have a good time.”

As for Penn, a man who dominated the LW division for so long, this move to WW is a completely different direction for him. When asked if he has made any significant changes to his training styles since his losses to Edgar he had this to say.

“I haven't done anything drastic. I’ve just been training. I brought in some good sparring partners for this fight to push me. I feel good, I haven't been fatigued, I feel like it was just yesterday that I was fighting as a welterweight. But nothing drastic, just preparing for the legend, preparing for Matt.”

When asked if a fight with Matt Hughes posed any added motivation he sounded happy to have the opportunity to round out the trilogy.

“Coming off two losses I probably would have accepted anyone Dana offered me. In offering Matt, he offered me a gift. I always hoped me and Matt would do it again.”

Speaking of coming off two losses, Penn was asked what he thought went wrong in his fights with Edgar. While he joked at first he showed the true heart of the type of champion he was by offering praise for the man who defeated him as opposed to making excuses and deflecting the question.

“I think what went wrong was that I didn't win those fights. I really don't have much to say about that. All I can really say is step back and say that Edgar did a great job and he is the champion right now. I want to get back to the top of the lightweight division and I want to be the champion again.”

He added, “As far as changing my camp, I started to train harder. I started running again, doing road work, and trying to push my different energy systems and do a lot of things. But that's not the only reason why the fight went the way it did.”

“You have to improve at everything with your boxing, and your take downs, and your wrestling. It is what it is.”

As for Hughes, he does find inspiration in the third fight with B.J., for him he sees a lot at stake when he and Penn hook them up to finally settle the score.

“There would be some added motivation here. The way I see it is if I lose this fight with B.J. it’s like losing three fights. But if I win this fight, it’s like winning three fights. It’s the final of the trilogy so there is a lot on the line. Three fights are on the line for this fifteen minutes that B.J. and I are going to do battle.”

Hughes sees this as a real test for him at this point in his career. He really sounds excited about this fight for both he and Penn.

“B.J. has fought nothing but the best. I mean look at his last fight with G.S.P. He has always done well no matter what weight class he is at, so this is a great fight for me. I think it’s a great fight for B.J. too. I am not Frankie Edgar, I don't move around like Frankie Edgar. So I’m sure B.J. is really liking this fight style wise because I’m a lot different than his last opponent.”

Matt did have to put some personal obligations aside to take this fight but explained the motivation he finds in the match up itself was far too compelling to pass up.

“I definitely was going to take a break. I’ve spent the whole year fighting. I was away from my family so I wanted to spend some family time and this fall is hunting time so I was wanting to hunt as well.”

“But when Dana comes with the name B.J. I kind of felt like I had to take the fight. He and I are one and one and we have to see who can win this last match. It’s a big fight for me and I can postpone everything else and worry about B.J.”

Penn is one of the most polarizing figures in the sport. There is no middle ground with “The Prodigy”, most either love him or hate him. But as good as he truly is, bandwagon fans are just part of the deal.

It’s always easy to root for a winner, but having lost two in a row Penn was asked if he felt like his fans were sticking with him. Not one to put too much stock in the issue he explained appreciation for the fans but also explained he doesn’t lose too much sleep over it.

“My fans have definitely been trying to keep me up and keep me going. It’s definitely about the fans, they support this sport. But I don't sit there worrying about if I lose am I going to lose all my fans. Whatever true fans you got, they will stick by you. That's nothing to worry about.”

In closing Penn talked about the motivation he and his peers find in the competition. This card features four world class proud former UFC champions. To hear Penn tell it, after reaching the heights they have that nothing else compares.

“I think once you have been where me, Lyoto, Rampage, and Matt have been a lot of other stuff it just seems boring. This is the only thing that keeps me feeling like I have something to live for. As soon as Dana sent me that text and said ‘do you want to take a fight with Matt Hughes?’ I got chicken skin all over my body and I was like I’ve got a reason to live for a couple more months. I think fighters are just used to that adrenaline.”

Well Mr. Penn, you weren't the only one who got chicken skin when they heard about this match up. There is an army of long time MMA fans that are fully aware of the first two fights between you and Matt.

The fight provides them all one more glimpse into what happens when true MMA legends collide. When two of the most revered champions this sport has ever seen mix it up, no matter what the outcome is everyone is a winner.

On behalf of the staff at Hurtsbad, thank you to both B.J. Penn and Matt Hughes for allowing us some insight into the upcoming tilt at UFC 123. Also thank you to the UFC for both bringing this conference call together and allowing Hurtsbad a seat at the table with four amazing former champions.

Now lets hook ‘em up and get it on!

Hurtsbad's UFC 123 Conference Call Notes: Rampage Jackson Talks Machida, Training, & Family

2010-11-17T23:22:32.000Z

UFC 123 is upon mixed martial arts fans and the fighters alike. In an extremely compelling co-main and main event four former world champions will square off as they take the next steps in their careers.

Matt Hughes and B.J. Penn will do battle one more time to solidify their trilogy in MMA history. While there are not titles or even contender status on the line, make no mistake this fight is one for the ages.

Following their welterweight tilt two of the worlds top light heavyweights will hook them up and one of them will take one step closer to a shot at regaining their title. With two contrasting styles Lyoto Machida will square off with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

This is a fight that brings with it many questions and both of these world class fighters are looking to provide the answers to both their fans and themselves as they look to rebound from losses and regain their championship form.

It is with great honor that Hurtsbad.com sat in on the UFC 123 conference call this past Veteran’s day. A proud day for the UFC as they announced their next Fight For The Troops slated for January of 2011.

While the questions asked were not delivered by Hurtsbad it is the pleasure of their staff to share some of the answers offered by a legend in this sport such as a man who really needs only one name, “Rampage”.

Great questions were posed to “Page” by some of the most esteemed MMA journalists in the world, and as always he did not disappoint with his answers. Known for his candor, Jackson provided some great insight into his past, present, and future in the game of MMA.

The floor was opened to “Rampage” with an inquiry about what has changed for him since his loss to Rashad Evans in a very high profile match up in May.

“A lot of things have been different. I have been more focused and had a lot of time to train. If you take a long time off not training your body is going to go into shock when you go into a hard camp. This time my body is doing good, and this time I'm more prepared.”

Jackson has been training at the home of Michael Bisping The Wolfs Lair for some time. He was asked why the decision was made to train back in the states for this fight with “The Dragon”.

“I just bought a new house and decided to train right here at my house. I have been traveling a lot and doing movies. Right after the fight with Rashad I went on tour. I just wanted to train and see my family and see my kids. This way I get to see them a couple times a week.”

When asked if being near his family has helped him in preparation for the fight Jackson gave an amazing response that any father can appreciate.

“It helps the kids out. It’s not always about me, it’s about my kids, they miss me. Sometimes when you spend a lot of time away from your kids they get used to not seeing you. I just want to be close to my kids.”

In the past “Rampage” has been very direct regarding his opinions of his opponent’s fighting style. Calling it boring in the past, he was asked if he views it differently now that he is matched up with the Karate master. He was quick to answer.

“Why would I change because I'm matched up with him, why would I change the way I like his fighting style.”

Seeing Machida’s style as boring he was asked if he was worried he might feel pressure to keep the fight exciting or force the action.

“I'm not really worried about anything. I’ve trained really hard for this fight in all aspects. The fight is going to go the way it’s going to go and I'm not going to worry. I'm going to fight my fight and not worry about anything Machida does.”

Obviously disappointed about his loss to Rashad, Jackson was asked if all the hype of the A-Team movie, and the build up before his fight with “Suga” were a distraction or a problem for him. As it would turn out something unseen in the public eye proved problematic.

“I perform well under pressure. I know the exact reason why I lost that fight. I knew the day I lost that fight before I even stepped into the cage. The day I lost that fight was a couple weeks before it even started. It had nothing to do with the movie tour or anything.”

When asked to elaborate on the issue, he played his cards close to the vest, but he did offer an general explanation of why he fought through undisclosed adversity.

“I would like to keep it personal but sometimes we fight even though we shouldn't. Sometimes we should back out of a fight. But that fight was so delayed and so well promoted that I felt like I owed it to my fans to fight no matter what the outcome was. So I fought.”

And his fans definitely appreciate his perseverance, it exemplifies the type of man and fighter he really is.

Getting back to his take on Machida’s style he was asked if he had trouble self motivating for a guy that does not impress him. This is where he not only addressed the question but elaborated on exactly why he is not impressed as well as explaining his theory of what it takes to be a fighter.

“I’m always prepared for a fight, it’s just how excited I am about fighting a person or not. I’d rather fight people who are going to throw like me and stand and bang like me. That’s a true warrior.”

“Rampage” went into detail.

“A true fighter is like how B.J. Penn and Matt Hughes fight. I like watching guys like that fight. Those other guys, I’m not a fan of them at all. I just feel like I have a fighting spirit, a true warrior spirit.”

“Up in the Octagon you fight, not like boxing where guys go in there to outpoint each other and go for decisions. We are MMA fighters, we are the best athletes in the world and I just feel like I hate to see our sport change into boxing where people aren't even fighting anymore.”

He surely is not alone in that aspect. Just recently Don Frye explained the vast difference between going into a fight not to lose or going into a fight to win. For legends like Don and Quinton from the old school, that is is how this game was made. And surely they would prefer to see their craft stay true to its roots and not watered down by over analyzing everything.

It is a fight after all.

In closing “Rampage” added a little humor with a serious tone regarding a question inquiring what threats he sees Machida posing for him.

“I think that's a bad question to ask a person like me. I would never even say that. I wouldn't even tell my momma the answer to that question.”

In other words, next question!

Overall it was quite a treat to listen in as this great former champion shared his take on various aspects of his career and of course his upcoming fight with another former champion Lyoto Machida.

There is no telling which way this fight will go, but at least fight fans have the ammo they need to look into the thoughts of a true warrior as he prepares for battle against a dangerous foe.

Thank you to Quinton Jackson and the UFC for allowing Hurtsbad.com the unique opportunity to listen in as this man allowed us all a glimpse into the mind of one of the greatest light heavyweights the sport has known.

Hurtsbad Exclusive: Don "The Predator" Frye Talks Knitting, Baking, And Kicking Ass On Veteran's Day

2010-11-17T00:24:45.000Z

Truly one of the most amazing legends to pioneer the great sport of mixed martial arts, Don Frye is as unique as he is bad ass. Never one to pull a punch and always shooting from the hip he may be one of the most unpredictable icons the sport has ever known.

That goes both in and out of the cage and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Always a true patriot and proud American Frye was kind enough to take some time away from unloading four tons of alfalfa on his ranch to talk to Hurtsbad.com about the fight game and more importantly the Veteran’s Day holiday.

The staff at Hurtsbad knew Don was the man for the job of addressing our nation’s veterans after hearing his tribute to the armed forces during a recent Shark Fights events on September 11th.

This is what he said during the tribute. “Liberty and freedom is not free, nor cheap, nor easy. It is paid for by the blood sweat and tears of young men and women. What we owe our armed forces can never be repaid. All we can offer is a simple thank you.”

When asked to follow that statement up Frye shared this perspective with Hurtsbad.

“If it wasn't for the men and women in uniform we would all be speaking Chinese or Russian right now. You can’t say enough to thank them, everyone who died for it or is walking around crippled for it. You're just speechless because there is nothing you can say to give back to them that equals what they have sacrificed for us.”

Well said by a man who is by far and away one of the greatest patriots you could ever meet. Not only a great patriot but an amazing athlete with a history in the fight game that is unrivaled in many ways Don shared his take reflecting back at his days competing in the Pride Fighting Championships.

He and the staff at Hurtsbad agreed that something has been missing since that organization was dissolved.

“They were always great, they treated all the fighters first class. I enjoyed fighting over there a lot better, I think the rules are better. No elbows, because when you have the elbows it’s easy for a guy to get somebody down and hit them with an elbow and cause a cut.”

“A lot of these people that's their game plan. They want to finish a fight, not on technique or ability, but on a fluke like a cut. That's real simple to end a fight that way.”

Frye went on to add, “Also the yellow cards, those yellow cards are brilliant because there is no stalling. You watch and listen to the fans here in the U.S., they're pretty god damn impatient. They have every right to be when they are paying their hard earned money.”

“They expect these guys to get in there and tear it up. Sometimes you get these guys in there who are worried about their hair and being on T.V., they're not interested in fighting. They're not in there to win, they’re in there to not lose. There is a hell of a difference.”

Those are definitely strong arguments within the sport today. There truly are different breeds of fighter. Sadly there are far more of the lay and pray variety rising as the Wanderlei Silvas of the game are a dying breed.

Speaking of legendary warriors of the game, Don is without a doubt one of the true fore fathers of the UFC. In his UFC career Frye went 10-1 winning three titles. In comparison Mark Coleman a UFC Hall of Famer went 6-3 in his early UFC career also earning three titles. Coleman is 7-5 overall for the UFC.

Many fight fans and analysts alike are flabbergasted if not outright appalled that Frye’s name has not graced a UFC Hall of Fame trophy. Comparing his career to Coleman one has to imagine the logic is rooted in “the new math”. While both are impressive in their own respect, it’s truly a shame that politics have prevented Frye’s UFC legacy to be overshadowed.

When asked to share his take Don was surprisingly humble. “You know, I don't really give that any consideration. That's none of my business and it’s not my decision. It’s in greater hands than mine lets just put it that way.”

While he will not share his deepest thoughts on his candidacy for the UFC HOF, one subject Don didn't shy away from at all was his take on the UFC heavyweight division. While the staff at Hurtsbad don't share his views it was quite a journey listening to his perspective on some of of the division’s top stars.

Don started with one of the icons of today’s world of MMA. “We have all had to watch Brock Lesnar fart around. That guy is an embarrassment.”

He was clear to say he thinks Lesnar has been brought along with kid gloves. “God damn, you get to hand pick his opponents for him for awhile then someone who is half way decent athlete comes along and hits him once and he pisses his pants and runs. If he wasn't in a cage he would still be running.”

Frye was of course referring to UFC HW Champ Cain Velasquez as that “half way decent athlete”. But make no mistake even though they both hailed from the ASU wrestling program Don is not a fan of the champ.

“I’d never seen him fight until he fought that jackass Brock. He doesn't impress me, you could have sent a cheerleader in there to slap Brock around he’s so afraid of getting hit.”

“The thing is now we've got a 240 pound world heavyweight champion so now we are going to have to suffer through another Randy Couture comeback tour. We don't want to suffer through it again but I’ll bet one thousand dollars Randy can whoop Cain’s ass. Randy can handle anybody that's 240 pounds.”

Frye concluded his assault on the UFC HW division by saying, “He handled Brock who was 280 at the time. The thing is Randy can’t throw a punch through a wet paper bag, that's why he didn't hurt Brock but he can out wrestle Cain all night long.”

Don held the fastest KO record for the UFC for over a decade with it standing at eight seconds. Todd Duffee recently broke the record setting it at seven seconds. When asked if he heard he had this to say.

“Good for him! How long was that thing around, about fourteen years? It’s about time somebody stepped up to the plate.”

He was sure to point out that it was not the fastest ever, recalling a four second KO at K-1 Five. “I remember when I was over there in Japan fighting on a card with Kid Yamamoto. The bell rang and he went flying across the ring and hit the guy with a flying knee and about knocked the guy out of the ring, it was beautiful.”

Yes it was!

Don may have a shot or two of venom for today’s stars but when asked if any of today’s fighters stood out to him he offered great praise for a few of the modern warriors competing here and now.

“Oh yeah, Mike Brown and Urijah Faber, those two boys get after it. Also Gilbert Melendez, that old boy shows up to fight. He gets in there and mugs somebody.”

Being credited as one of the true cross trained pioneers of the early years of MMA as a boxer, Judo player, and wrestler Frye appreciates the talents of a Faber or a Georges St. Pierre. It pleases him to see how far his early theories have come.

“I'm glad it's the evolution of the sport. Otherwise we would all be suffering through Keith Hackney vs. that big Sumo player. It';s supposed to evolve, lets face it if you compare the UFC to NASCAR I was one of the moonshine runners and I'm god damn proud of it.”

“That's the evolution of the sport, if you don't advance you get killed.”

His own evolution has been paved with the blood, sweat, and tears that can only come through true war with great challenges. While many would take credit on their own, Frye appreciates those who helped him find those wars that made his career as legendary as it was.

“I’ve been lucky, every one of my opponents have been tough. Great opponents make great fights. Nobody I fought was a coward just in there for a paycheck and looking for the door. So I’ve been very lucky to have great opponents every time.”

When asked who the toughest opponent was Frye recalled a list of intimidating fighters.

“That bastard Ken Shamrock, I'm still limping around from that. Tank Abbott knocked me around, I'm still dizzy from that. I had Amaury Bitette, I had Mark Colemen, Takayama. You just can’t pin down one fight.”

He added, “All I know is that Ken Shamrock and I both left something in the ring that night. And neither one of us have been the same since. I don't know if he will admit it but I’ll admit it.”

To become a legend usually an athlete is taken under the wing of a mentor who shapes and molds their talents and abilities, both physically and mentally. For Don that mentor was a man who commands respect, the legendary Judoka Steve Owen a seventh degree black belt.

Frye spoke with deep respect when asked about Owen’s influence on his career.

“Hell, I don't know if he influenced my career, he made my career. We all joke around, not to his face but behind his back, we all call him the evil Yoda. He knows how to break your arm and choke you out seven ways to Sunday.”

“The guy is just phenomenal, a true master. The guy knows more moves than you could ever think of. I would put him up there with the Gracies and Gene LeBell.”

This master planted the roots that grew a legend in the sport of MMA. But don't tell Don that he is a mixed martial artist. He finds the term to be a watered down version of a sport that he helped build.

Don prefers to see it another way. “A guy in Texas came up to me and told me ‘Frye you're not mixed martial arts, you're no holds barred’, and I said you're god damn right partner.”

After having the distinct honor of spending some time speaking with the legend known as “The Predator” this writer would have to agree 100%. In Japan they nicknamed him “Otoku Juku” meaning the man amongst men.

Frye is extremely proud of that handle, and anyone that knows anything about him knows he earned it. He walks it, he talks it, and right or wrong he lives it with pride. A true alpha male with a world class ability that set the tone for a world class sport to take flight and reach for the stars.

UFC Fight For the Troops Official

2010-11-11T19:04:06.000Z

The UFC will be holding a Fight for the Troops on January 22nd in Fort Hood, Texas, according to a press release issued by Spike TV. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a non-profit organization serving severely wounded military personnel and veterans, as well as families of military personnel lost in performance of their duty.

The main card will feature battles between Kenny Florian and Evan Dunham, and will feature Mike Swick, Matt Mitrione, Melvin Guillard and DaMarques Johnson.

Here are the official matchups:

Melvin Guillard vs. Yves Edwards
DaMarques Johnson vs. Mike Guymon
Mike Swick vs. David Mitchell
Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague
Ken Florian vs. Evan Dunham

Although not all preliminary cards have been officially announced, here are the rumored bouts:

Pat Barry vs. Joey Beltran

Mark Hominick vs. George Roop

Chan Sung Jung vs. Rani Yahya

Williamy Freire vs. Waylon Lowe

Amilcar Alves vs. Charlie Brenneman

The last UFC: Fight for the Troops (aka UFC Fight Night 16) took place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayettevill, North Carolina on December 10, 2008. It raised $4 million dollars for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Get 15% off Everlast MMA Gear at Elite MMA with the coupon code everlastmma.

Exclusive Interview with Jonny “Bones” Jones at Raging Wolf X

2010-11-09T23:46:19.000Z

UFC Light Heavyweight fighter, Jonny “Bones” Jones was live in attendance, along with his good friend and training partner, “Suga” Rashad Evans, at Raging Wolf X: Mayhem in the Mist (the Series) on Saturday November 6, which featured some really great local talent from the greater New York and Ontario areas.

The fights were being held at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel, which is 100-percent owned by the Senaca Nation of Indians, thus by-passing the fact that MMA is still not legally permitted throughout other parts of New York State.

Jones initially trained with Team BombSquad out of Cortland, New York before briefly training with the Tristar Gym in Montreal, Canada. More recently however, Jones has been training out of Jackson's Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I previously had the honour of speaking with his Coach, DJ Jones.

“Bones” was described by UFC President Dana White as being one of the Top 8 Light Heavyweight fighters in the world, and he is currently scheduled to face the undefeated Ultimate Fighter winner, Ryan Bader, on February 5, 2011 at UFC 126.

This is my interview. Enjoy.

James Ryan: [Waiting for Jon to finish signing autographs for the fans. I feel that this takes priority over speaking with the media.]

Hey Jon, are you ready for me?

Jon Jones: For sure.

[Jon picks up the air horn from the cageside table and lets it blast]

Oh, that’s a keeper! [Laughs] That’s a keeper—I’m keeping this.

[Jon stuffs the air horn in his front pocket]

James Ryan: [Laughs] Nice.

So Jon, what did you think of the fights tonight?

Jon Jones: I thought that the whole night of fights was absolutely amazing. The talent keeps getting better, the show speaks for itself, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.

James Ryan: And speaking of which, how did you get to be a part of it?

Jon Jones: Well, I started working out with a guy named Stonehorse at the beginning of my career. He was my muay thai coach—a native American guy. Through working out with him, he started taking me to different reservations and I started to get to understand the people and a little bit more of the native culture. I just became a part of their family.

And I guess JC realized that I was a good guy and he must have thought that I would be good for his promotion to have around. I almost feel as though I’m the face when it comes to making appearances. I’m always here.

James Ryan: Is that right?

Jon Jones: Ya, I think I’ve already been to two of these, so ya, it’s awesome. I love just being a part of it. I have a lot of pride in it.

James Ryan: Well, I knew that you were from the area, so I figured that’s why you were involved, but then when I heard that they had others here like Royce Gracie, I thought—maybe it’s just through general networking?

Do you need special permission from the UFC to make these types of appearances?

Jon Jones: No, not at all. The UFC actually encourages us to go out and try to be the best possible representatives for this sport that we can be. They want us to go out and market ourselves and get our names out there. They don’t care. Those guys are...well you know...they don’t really have much competition.

James Ryan: They don’t?

Jon Jones: Not really.

James Ryan: [Laughs]

Jon Jones: I don’t think so. I mean this show—I don’t see why a year from now, it can’t be like the next Bellator. This show is really growing fast. It has the financial backing, it has the right marketing, and it has the venue. Now we just need to search for an even higher quality of fighters and this show can be amazing.

It’s already getting there. This is only the tenth fight and they’ve got some real bad asses coming through this show. If we really emphasize getting some more of those really tough guys that are out there—some of those guys who just got released by the UFC, some of those guys who just got kicked out of the WEC, that’s what’s gonna make this show the next Bellator or the next WEC.

It’s just right around the corner.

James Ryan: Right on! This was my first time out to this show and I thought that it was very well done. I definitely enjoyed it.

So I’m curious Jon, is Coach DJ as crazy as she sounds? [Laughs]

Jon Jones: Oh she’s crazy, but you gotta love her. She’s just so real. No matter who’s around, or what’s going on, she’s just always herself. She’s also a crazy, wonderful person.

James Ryan: That’s awesome, Jon. Thanks very much. It was really nice meeting you.

Jon Jones: Same here, James. Thanks.

Additionally, Jay Adams from Fight Zone TV was in attendance for video play-by-play and ring announcing during the event. He managed to interview both Rashad Evans and Jon Jones during the intermission (stealing most of my own interview questions—bastard!).

Here are some of the quotes from Jones during that interview:

On fighting Ryan Bader on Feb. 5, 2011 at UFC 126:
“He’s a really tough guy. He’s never lost a fight before, so I’ll be the first to let him know how that feels.”

On comparing Bader’s conditioning to his own:
“He definitely gasses. I think the reason why I don’t is because I’m really tall and lean. My body is built for athletic speed and agility. Bader has that true power, but he gasses out really fast. That’s something that I’m looking to exploit.”

On his game plan:
“As far as game plan, I plan on mixing it up and wherever the fight goes, I’m excited about it.”

On Raging Wolf:
“This show has come such a long way. It’s only going up, so I’m glad to be a part of it.”

To read the play-by-play and fight results from the entire event, please click here.

This is my interview. If you don’t like it...I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Carried Out Fight Gear was founded in 2009 by a group of fighters who realized that the true essence of a Warrior was being lost by some people giving up. The Carried Out mindset of “One Way Out...Carried Out!” signifies that a fighter will never ever surrender and fight to the very end, leaving everything he/she has in the ring, on the mat or in the cage!

One Way Out…Carried Out!!!!!

Happy Birthday MMA: Tuff-N-Uff Celebrates With Women's 145lb Tournament Opener

2010-11-09T19:14:06.000Z

When it comes to amateur MMA in the fight capital of the world, with Tuff-N-Uff Amateur Fighting Championships, the hits just keep on coming.

Friday November 12th represents the 17th anniversary of MMA being introduced to the public as the Ultimate Fighting Championships held their inaugural event in Denver Colorado.

Now 17 years later the sport has come full circle as the potential rooted deep in the competition has paved the way for an amateur organization like TNU to flourish and thrive in the community of mixed martial arts.

What once was a single organization and a handful of warriors has become a community of promotions, fight camps, and athletes. At the center of it all is TNU and their efforts to strengthen the sport of tomorrow by allowing amateurs to cut their teeth today.

Fresh off of a spectacular event on October 22nd, Barry Meyer and his staff have coordinated yet another impressive fight card. A fight card that showcases some of the sport’s most promising talent.

As the organization likes to put it, the talent competing under their banner represents the future stars of MMA. If you have ever had the pleasure of taking in one of their events, you know exactly what they mean.

This time out, Masters Hall of Famer Barry Meyer and his brother Jeff have coordinated the opening round of an eight way female tournament with the prize being their first ever 145 pound ladies title.

The queen of this tournament will be put to the ultimate test if the opening field is any indication of how this tournament will go. Four extremely promising talents have been brought together to open this highly anticipated tournament.

Autumn Richardson is a Team Quest product and a TNU veteran who has put on quite a show for Vegas fight fans in the past. She is looking to square off with a dangerous Judoka and Olympic silver medalist Ronda Rousey.

Richardson carries with her more experience but should expect nothing but a world class fight from her opponent, a competitor who has been tested on the biggest stage in the world in Rousey.

The other two ladies set to open the tournament are also dangerous and more than capable of shaking this competition up.

One of the top 145 prospects across women’s MMA is 19 year old and undefeated Taylor Stratford. She will be looking to put her stamp on the competition as she looks to improve to 6-0 as an amateur fighter.

Across the TNU ring from her will be the Team Quest trained Shauna Dugger. Dugger may be making her amateur debut but those in the know warn not to underestimate her ability to make waves across this tournament.

All four ladies represent the opening round of a tournament scheduled to wrap up in February. It is promising to think that all of these competitors could very well be the next wave of females to accept the torch as women’s MMA continues to build steam and press on earning the credibility if fully deserves.

To think back to the first public MMA event live on pay per view, it seems like just yesterday that this sport was for men only. Now so many years later the always exciting tournament format lives on but now females are the ones competing.

The sport has come a long way in a short period of time. One gets very excited to think where it will be ten years from now. Especially with the fighters and their teams having a platform like TNU to hone their craft.

While the ladies may be poised to steal the show they are not the only warriors set to wrap their hands and go to battle.

Prospects from the lairs of two of the sports ultimate legends will collide as Xtreme Couture prospect Zach Conley sets his sights on Wand Fight Team’s Matt Dahlkemper. Both men carry winning records and the support of two of the best fight teams in the world.

These camps take a lot of pride in their performances and the competition is extremely stiff when they square off. It is of course friendly competition amongst two teams that carry deep respect for each other but it is the nature of the beast that drives them.

Having your hand raised after competition with such a respected opponent tells a fighter and a camp that they truly earned it, that all their hard work was enough to topple even the most quality of adversaries.

While one of these men will emerge victorious, it is the fans looking on who truly win as they are allowed a glimpse into the future of this sport. TNU provides that unique view of what prospects training under the stars of today may look like when they become the stars of tomorrow.

And these fights represent only a fraction of a fight card that as always guarantees to impress. Even if you can’t catch the event live in Vegas at the gorgeous Mardi Gras Ballroom of the Orleans Hotel and Casino, you can always catch it live on Go Fight Live for a modest charge.

It is truly amazing how accessible MMA has become. What once was a spectacle has become commonplace thriving with competition. What once was seen as barbaric has slowly become accepted as world class. No where is that more apparent than at a TNU event.

Barry Meyer had this to say about how far the sport has come and how proud he is to play his role in its progression.

"It's amazing to see how for mixed martial arts has progressed in just 17 years," Meyer said. "I remember watching the first UFC live on pay-per-view, and I knew immediately that I had to be involved in the sport.”

"For mixed martial arts to now be attracting Olympic veterans at the amateur level just 17 years later shows how wonderful this sport is and how bright the future can be."

Mr. Meyer, that has a lot to do with people like you. The efforts of you and your brother Jeff, your staff and all your competitors are the ingredients to progress this sport towards even a brighter future.

The MMA community applauds you.

Raging Wolf X: Major Announcements by Rashad Evans and Jon ‘Bones’ Jones

2010-11-07T22:15:40.000Z

The following results are being brought to you live from cageside at the Raging Wolf X: Mayhem in the Mist (the Series), which featured some really great local talent from the greater New York and Ontario areas. Toss in a few extra fighters from Maine and Florida, and this suddenly became a very major MMA event for New York State.

The fights were being held at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel, which is 100% owned by the Senaca Nation of Indians, thus by-passing the fact that MMA is still not legally permitted throughout other parts of New York State.

It was a night filled with great fights, special appearances by UFC fighters “Suga” Rashad Evans and Jonny “Bones” Jones, and a title defense by the amazing Bantamweight Women’s Champion, Alexis Davis.

Evans and Jones were in attendance to show their support for the event, as both of these Superstars have very strong roots in the area. They also made some interesting announcements throughout the evening.

Let’s begin.

Fight One: 145-lbs
Sabino “Scarface” Scarpone (MMA record 1-0)
vs.
Frank “Knuckles” Scalzo (MMA record 1-0)

Rd 1: Scarpone fires out right away with some very good uppercuts, but Scalzo does a great job of neutralizing Scarpone up against the cage. Scalzo locks in a guillotine choke, but can’t seem to finish. He then picks Scarpone up and slams him down to the mat. Nice.

Rd 2: Scalzo connects with a spinning back fist and locks in a standing guillotine choke, while pressing Scarpone up against the cage. After the failed submission attempt, Scarpone takes down Scalzo and both engage in a bit of ground and pound throughout the majority of the round.

Rd 3: Scarpone fires out some nasty leg kicks, but Scalzo answers right back with a connecting superman punch. This knocks Scarpone down and Scalzo immediately follows, eventually locking in another guillotine choke off of his back. Once again, Scalzo loses the submission attempt, but goes for the arm bar. The round finishes off with some pretty uneventful ground and pound by Scalzo.

My Score: 30-27 Scalzo
Judges Scores: 29-29, 30-27, 30-27 Scarpone by Unanimous Decision

The crowd goes insane by the judges decision! Scalzo was definitely robbed. Luckily the judges later admitted that they had the names mixed up and Scalzo was officially presented with the win during the Intermission. Honest mistake.

How one judge scored the fight 29-29 in three rounds of action however, I’ll never know.

Fight Two: 185-lbs
Eddie “Chaos” Weiser (MMA record 3-1)
vs.
Kevin Ayers (MMA record 3-1)

Rd 1: Weiser starts with a low kick and a failed takedown attempt, so instead, he picks Ayers up and slams him down to the mat. Both engage in a bit of dirty wrestling with no real submission attempts or secured positions. Weiser then jumps to full mount and rains down with some excellent ground and pound on Ayers. The ref jumps in to stop the fight.

Good call by the ref, although Ayers seems upset by the premature stoppage. It wasn’t. There was absolutely no attempt by Ayers to protect himself. Absorbing a couple dozen shots to the head is not considered intelligent defence.

Weiser by TKO in Rd 1

Fight Three: 185-lbs
Patrick “Ireland’s Own” Gorman (MMA record 2-2)
vs.
Jesse Hall (MMA record 0-3)

Rd 1: Hall refuses to touch gloves and immediately pins Gorman up against the cage. Gorman scores the takedown and gains top control, and a bit of ground and pound before both men manage to get back to their feet. One minute into the fight and Hall is already breathing very heavy. Gorman gets another takedown but falls straight into a guillotine choke. Hall is squeezing hard and Gorman’s head is turning a deep purple. Hall loosens his grip enough to allow Gorman the opportunity to land a few extra punches.

Rd 2: Gorman has a mouse under his left eye that seems to be bothering him. Gorman shoots in on Hall and presses him against the cage. Gorman secures top control and starts with the ground and pound action. Hall gives his back and Gorman sinks in a rear naked choke, but can’t hold it. Hall reverses and lands a lot of connecting ground and pound shots on Gorman who was definitely saved by the bell. Gorman can barely stand back up to go to his corner.

Rd 3: Hall throws some low kicks but Gorman takes him down, gaining top control. Very little action, so the ref stands them both up. Hall pulls Gorman back on top of him. There’s a lot of scrambling, but no one is in any real danger. Hall lands a few good shots before the round ends.

My Score: 29-28 Hall
Judges Scores: 30-27, 29-28, 29-27 Gorman by Split Decision

Fight Four: 170-lbs
Chris “Hospital” Robinson (MMA record 3-1)
vs.
Alan “the German Buzzsaw” Hoelzel (MMA record 0-1)

Rd 1: Robinson comes out swinging but Hoelzel pins him up against the cage and lands some good knees. Hoelzel takes Robinson’s back and attempts a d’arce choke. Robinson spins out and gains top position, landing some ground and pound strikes with little behind them. Hoelzel throws punches from his back before kicking Robinson off.

Rd 2: Robinson shoots in and pins Hoelzel against the cage. Robinson lifts and slams Hoelzel who then doesn’t take advantage of Robinson’s exposed neck. Robinson attempts a d’arce choke, but can’t lock it in. Hoelzel reverses and starts with the ground and pound before Robinson locks in a very tight triangle choke.

Robinson by Submission in Rd 2

Fight Five: 135-lbs
Daniel “Black Mamba” St Just (MMA record 3-0)
vs.
Zach Lange (MMA record 4-1)

Rd 1: St Just connects with a few good shots but ends up on his back. They reposition and Lange finds himself in St Just’s guard. Lange lands a few body shots. Despite the limited amount of action on the ground, Lange finishes the round with some strong ground and pound.

Rd 2: Lange shoots into St Just’s guard again and pins him up against the cage. Limited action throughout this round. St Just is incapable of doing anything from his back and Lange is doing just barely enough to win the round.

Rd 3: Lange kicks low and shoots a single leg takedown on St Just. St Just holds Lange down on the mat but essentially does nothing. St Just stands back up, but Lange shoots in with another single leg takedown. Lange finishes with two failed kimura attempts and a bit of ground and pound.

My Score: 30-27 Lange
Judges Scores: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 Lange by Unanimous Decision

Intermission and Points of Interest

I love how Raging Wolf refers to their cage as the “Wolf-tagon.”

Between Rashad Evans and Jon Jones, the line-ups for autographs were huge. These guys didn’t get a break from the fans all night, but neither of them stopped smiling and they once never stopped posing for pictures. They are both great guys who obviously care a lot about this sport and their fans.

I made some exciting new friends tonight. Details will be available soon. Don’t worry—you’ll be jealous. :)

It’s 8:15 and someone has already puked all over the men’s washroom. Party on, Wayne! Party on, Garth!

Jay Adams from Fight Zone TV is in attendance for video play-by-play and ring announcing. He also interviewed Rashad Evans and Jon Jones during the intermission (stealing most of my own interview questions—bastard!).

Lucky for me, Jon Jones remembered the interview that I did with his Coach, DJ Jones from Jackson’s.

Jonny “Bones” Jones Intermission Quotes

On fighting Ryan Bader on February 5, 2011 at UFC 126:
“He’s a really tough guy. He’s never lost a fight before, so I’ll be the first to let him know how that feels.”

On comparing Bader’s conditioning to his own:
“He definitely gases. I think the reason why I don’t is because I’m really tall and lean. My body is built for athletic speed and agility. Bader has that true power, but he gases out really fast. That’s something that I’m looking to exploit.”

On his gameplan:
“As far as gameplan, I plan on mixing it up and wherever the fight goes, I’m excited about it.”

On Raging Wolf:
“This show has come such a long way. It’s only going up, so I’m glad to be a part of it.”

“Suga” Rashad Evans Intermission Quotes

On fighting Mauricio “Shogun” Rua next year after he recovers from his knee surgery:
“I don’t know when I’m gonna fight him. They said maybe in May, but it could be longer. I don’t know if I should just fight somebody else, but at the same time, I can’t really give up the chance to fight for the belt.”

On fighting Lyoto Machida again for an Interim Title and redeeming his only loss:
“Oh ya, that’s something that I would definitely entertain.”

The announcer then called it a “brutal” loss and Rashed swiped the microphone out of his hand and said “Alright! That’s enough!” It was all done in fun, of course.

On his “brutal” loss to Machida:
“It was a brutal loss, but I definitely learned a lesson though.”

On fighting his friend, Jonny “Bones” Jones:
“There’s never been any pressure by the UFC for this fight. Dana has said that Jon needs a couple more fights, but he’s definitely going to be one of the top guys in the weight class.”

Jon Jones enters the cage during Rashad’s response and grabs the microphone away from him:
“Rashad Evans is the best of all time!” he yells. The crowd loves it.

On fighting his training partners:
“When you train with someone in MMA, you’ve really got to leave yourself vulnerable in order to get the best out of each other. You develop a close relationship with the guys you train with.”

On a possible rematch with “Rampage” Jackson:
“I’ll fight Rampage right now! I knew after the first time that I fought him that I would probably get the chance to fight him again. There’s only so many guys at the top level, and we’re very close to each other competition-wise. My first goal though is to get the belt back.”

On staying fight ready while he waits for Rua:
“Luckily I have a lot of teammates that have a lot of fights coming up. I’ll be going to train with Georges St Pierre in a couple weeks as he prepares for Josh Koscheck, and I’m probably going to help Jon get ready for Bader, so my training partners should always be able to keep me fight ready.”

Fight Six: 155-lbs
Matt “the Cat” Dimarcantonio (MMA record 6-1)
vs.
Kevin “Black Irish” Cummings (MMA record 3-0)

Rd 1: Cummings starts off with a few leg kicks, and then catches a leg kick by Dimarcantonio resulting in a takedown. They scramble quickly back up to their feet and Dimarcantonio slams Cummings to the mat. They get back up again and fight for control against the cage until Dimarcantonio slams Cummings down to the mat—again. Cummings fails at a kimura attempt, they stand up, and Dimarcantonio slams Cummings for a fourth time. Dimarcantonio mounts Cummings and starts throwing the ground and pound action, eventually taking Cummings’ back before the round ends.

Rd 2: The two fighters trade jabs, and then Dimarcantonio goes for broke and connects with several powerful shots as he chases Cummings across the cage. Dimarcantonio continues to press hard, looking for that single leg takedown. Cummings locks in a guillotine choke, but loses it. He then goes for the kimura, but loses that too. The ref stands them up and Dimarcantonio takes Cummings down again along the side of the cage.

Rd 3: Dimarcantonio has been the most impressive fighter so far tonight, but can he finish? Cummings shoots, both fighters bounce off of the cage, roll, and Cummings ends up standing in top position. Dimarcantonio tries for the single leg takedown, but Cummings locks in a deep tight triangle choke. Dimarcantonio responds by attempting his own submission—it’s a double triangle submission attempt! Holy crap! Cummings releases and goes straight into ground and pound. Dimarcantonio picks Cummings up and slams him on his head. This results in a very tight choke by Cummings, but Dimarcantonio gives the ref a big thumbs up before slipping out and regaining top position.

My Score: 29-28 Dimarcantonio and my pick for Fight of the Night
Judges Scores: 30-27, 29-28, 30-27 Dimarcantonio by Unanimous Decision

Congrats to the young Canadian!

Fight Seven: 155-lbs
Antonio “the Rabid Wolverine” Smith (MMA record 0-2)
vs.
Jason Bauman (MMA record 2-0)

Rd 1: Smith starts off with two bad shoot attempts and then presses Bauman against the cage. Smith scores the takedown, and gets full top mount position. Bauman attempts to stand back up, but Smith puts the hooks in, regains top position and throws multiple shots to Bauman’s head. Ref warns Smith about punches to the back of the head and Smith continues to maintain control without inflicting any real damage.

Rd 2: Smith shoots and presses Bauman against the cage and then sinks in a guillotine choke. He can’t finish Smith and gives up top position. Lots of wasted time before Smith finally lands a few big ground and pound shots.

Rd 3: Smith presses Bauman against the cage. Bauman attempts a guillotine choke but it’s not working. Smith lands a few body shots before taking Bauman’s back. Bauman is unable to defend the head shots and Smith eventually goes for the rear naked choke. No luck though.

My Score: 30-27 Smith
Judges Scores: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 Smith by Unanimous Decision

Fight Eight: 170-lbs
Thomas Egan (MMA record 4-2)
vs.
Eric “Atomic” Attard (MMA record 2-0)

Rd 1: Attard throws a few good head kicks but doesn’t connect with any. Egan then catches one of Attard’s low kicks, lands a good shot and presses into top position. Attard lands a kick from the bottom, but Egan continues to press Attard against the cage. The moron behind me yells “No sex!” Have another beer dummy. Egan fails an armbar attempt before he catches another one of Attard’s kicks and takes his back with some ground and pound to end the round.

Rd 2: Egan lands a few good punches. Attard is now bleeding from the nose and starts swinging wildly with punches. Egan presses the action and surprises everyone with a big time body slam. Egan gets the takedown and rains punches to Attard’s head and face until the ref jumps in to stop the fight.

Egan by TKO in Rd 2

Fight Nine: 145-lbs
Matt “Tsunami” McCook (MMA record 7-3)
vs.
John Franchi (MMA record 5-3)

Rd 1: Franchi starts off throwing shots and then flips McCook with a hip throw resulting in the takedown. McCook goes for the kimura, but Franchi maintains side control. Franchi gets McCook’s back and sinks in a rear naked choke. He loses it, sink it again, loses it again, sinks it again, and yes—Franchi loses it again. Good submission defence by McCook. McCook gains top control and lands some nasty elbows to finish the round.

Rd 2: Great exchange of shots, but Franchi takes McCook to the ground. Lots of hugging. McCook does a good job of keeping Franchi in his guard as he strikes upwards with elbows. Lots of movement and short punches being landed. Franchi looks content to “Lay n Pray” his way to victory. More great shots by McCook from the bottom. Franchi answers.

Rd 3: Both fighters bow to each other out of respect. Nice to see. Big punches from both fighters. McCook throws a kick at the exact same time that Franchi shoots in for a single leg takedown. McCook gets Franchi in a triangle choke and lands a lot of punches to Franchi’s face, which is now completely covered in blood. Franchi’s nose is clearly busted wide open. Franchi attempts to pick up McCook and slam him, but McCook isn’t letting go. Franchi finally slips out and locks in a guillotine choke. It doesn’t hold however, as McCook transitions to top position in Franchi’s guard. Franchi goes for the armbar, but McCook gets out. Franchi then locks in a very tight triangle choke and the bell sounds before McCook can tap. Wow!

My Score: 28-27 McCook
Judges Scores: 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 Franchi by Split Decision

It was very close, but I would have to disagree with the judges. McCook inflicted a lot more damage from his back than Franchi did from the top.

Fight Ten: 135-lbs Women’s Bantamweight Championship
Tonya Evinger (MMA record 8-4)
vs.
Alexis Davis (MMA record 8-4) Champion

Before the fight started, the Ring Announcer messed up the challengers name by giving her the Champions last name “Tonya Davis.” Evinger was understandably less than impressed. Davis seemed somewhat apologetic for the error.

Rd 1: Davis starts with a few legs shots. Evinger answers back with some good punches. They trade back and fourth, feeling each other out. There’s a flurry of strikes by both fighters and Evinger pins Davis against the cage. Davis takes Evinger down, has her back and sinks in the rear naked choke. It’s over! If you blinked—you missed it.

Great performance by the Champion, Alexis Davis out of Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.

Davis by Submission in Rd 1

Congratulations to all of the fighters. They all definitely put on a great show for the fans. For more information on Raging Wolf Promotions and upcoming events, please visit their website at www.ragingwolf.com

www.mrjamesryan.com

Carried Out Fight Gear was founded in 2009 by a group of fighters who realized that the true essence of a Warrior was being lost by some people giving up. The Carried Out mindset of “One Way Out – Carried Out!” signifies that a fighter will never ever surrender and fight to the very end, leaving everything he/she has in the ring, on the mat or in the cage!

One Way Out…Carried Out!!!!!

Coach's Corner - Commitment: Have It and Keep it!

2010-11-05T04:56:40.000Z

COMMITMENT, Do you know what it means? Do you have it? When you make a commitment, do you keep it? Can you set a goal and keep it with no excuses? This post is aimed at everyone. Fighters, Coaches, Trainers, Managers, and Promoters. EVERYONE.

When you commit yourself to being a fighter, know going in what that means. It means you will push yourself beyond your limitations. It means buckets of pain, discomfort, and sweat. It means always pushing yourself to the next level in your conditioning and training. It means not eating the things you want, and eating the things you might not like. It means killing yourself doing your cardio and watching your weight. It means doing what your coaches and trainers tell you to do. And when you commit to a fight, don't come up with lame excuses at the last minute. If you don't want to be a fighter, don't waste your time and your coach's time.

If you commit yourself to being a Coach or Trainer, you make a commitment to help someone exceed their limitations to become the best he or she has ever been. That means you will do the same. You will pass on the lessons you have learned in your training. You will continue studying and researching techniques, fitness, and nutrition to help your athletes reach their full potential. The health and safety of your fighters should be first and foremost in your mind. When I tell my guys that they're going to hate me, they know that I am going to push them beyond what they think they can do, and I will not let them quit. They might resent me for the session, but they thank me later, especially after a tournament or a fight.

If you commit to acting as a Manager, realize what that means. It means taking the time to know the people you represent. Knowing their records and weight classes. Knowing their level of training and commitment. Contacting promoters and finding fights for them. Scouting their opponents. Knowing their records, skill levels, and strengths. Making sure the promoter is not trying to use your fighters to pad someone's record by mismatching your fighter against someone with far more experience.

Lastly, if you commit to being a Promoter, be ethical and professional. When you contact a manager or coach and ask if he has fighters for an event, know that you are setting a lot of wheels in motion. When you get names, weights, and records, set up fair fights with fighters of the same records and skill sets. Be honest and be expediant. Remember, from the first second contact is made, the fighter's life goes into overdrive. It's called Training Camp. Training intensity levels escalate. The battle to get to fighting weight begins. Keep in close contact with managers and coaches. Don't call them 5 days before a fight and tell them that they don't have an opponent and won't be fighting. By this time they've been going through hell for 6 to 8 weeks. Let them know within 10 days of initial contact whether they will be fighting or not. The quickest way to get me to not return your calls is to pull that stunt a couple of times.

So there it is. My definition of commitment in a nutshell. Remember, no matter what level you are on, Fighter, Coach/Trainer, Manager, or Promoter, there's always more than just your personal reputation on the line. It's the reputations of everyone involved. The Fighters reputations reflect on coaches and gyms. The Coaches reputations reflect on their gyms and fighters. The Managers reputations reflect on their agencies and the people they represent. And the Promoters reputations reflect on the quality of the events they hold and the businesses they run. Consider that when you are ready to make your COMMITMENT.

UFC Veteran Jorge Rivera: Everybody Wants to Be a Champion

2010-11-03T16:03:51.000Z

“Jorge Rivera doesn't just sing the hits. He shoots on them, gets full mount and pummels them into works of art.”—Ranger Up Presents: Jorge Rivera, Acapella Apocalypse

UFC Veteran, Jorge “El Conquistador” Rivera is currently scheduled to fight against Alessio “Legionarius” Sakara in the co-main event of UFC 122 on Saturday November 13, at Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.

This is a middle-weight match-up that you won’t want to miss, as it definitely has all the potential to be the biggest fight of the night.

Please enjoy my interview.

James Ryan: How are you, Jorge?

Jorge Rivera: I’m great man, how are you?

James Ryan: I’m also great.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today. I know that you’re only a bit more than a week away from flying out to Germany for your big fight against Alessio Sakara at UFC 122, so I imagine that you must be pretty busy.

So Jorge, are you ready for this? [Laughs]

Jorge Rivera: I’m ready to go whenever you’re ready.

James Ryan: Sweet. So, where are you training out of right now?

Jorge Rivera: Currently, I’m training out of Peter Welch’s F-15 Gym and Tim Burrill Jiu-Jitsu in North Providence. And these guys are the best—hands down, the best in the area.

James Ryan: Cool. As mentioned, you’ll be fighting next weekend at UFC 122 against Alessio Sakara. I noticed that on paper, you both share many surprising similarities.

For example, you’re MMA record is 18-7—Sakara’s is 15-7. You both possess great boxing skills. You’re both riding a three fight win streak, and you both share an identical record of 4-1 in your last five fights.

Jorge Rivera: Pretty cool, huh?

James Ryan: Definitely cool, but I have to wonder—where do these similarities end? What do you feel are the advantages that you have over Sakara coming into this fight?

Jorge Rivera: I think I’m just grittier and I can grind it out better than he can. And I think I hit harder than he does. I think you’re right though—on paper we both match up really well. We both hit hard, and we both like to strike.

Honestly man, I just think that it’s a really good match-up.

James Ryan: That’s awesome. It certainly sounds that way.

You’ve been around the UFC for some time. I’ve watched many of your fights, and you definitely seem to be on the up side of your career, which is pretty amazing for a guy who is 38-years old.

I’m 37 and I honestly really look up to you. You’re in there, you’re banging and you’re doing pretty awesome.

Where are you going to go from here? Where do you think a win puts you in terms of the middleweight division?

Jorge Rivera: Honestly, I just want to keep winning. It is what it is. I’m not gonna look past this gentleman. I just want to fight, focus on him, beat him, and let things take care of themselves.

As long as I keep winning, I’m gonna keep moving up, and eventually I’m gonna get what I want.

Everybody wants to be a champion. I want a shot at the title and then I’ll take it from there. After every fight, I want to assess where I’m at, how I feel about it, and move forward.

I personally think that so long as I keep fighting and keep winning, I will advance. Every win advances you further and further up the chain. Those are my plans—that’s my goal.

James Ryan: Excellent.

By the way, I’m friends with Angel Rafael Cordero Candelaria from Puerto Rico—I think you know him?

Jorge Rivera: Yup—good guy.

James Ryan: For sure. Both of us are writers for Bleacher Report, as well as, El Octagono.

So anyway, I didn’t actually tell him that I was going to be interviewing you today and then earlier on Facebook, I noticed by coincidence that he posted this new video of you singing all of the popular hits from the 80s and early-90s. [Laughs]

Jorge Rivera: [Laughs] How’d you like that?

James Ryan: Oh, I loved it! That video is hilarious. [Laughs] I thought that was really great.

Jorge Rivera: [Laughs]

James Ryan: So what inspired that video? How did you guys even come up with that idea?

Jorge Rivera: Actually, it was my sponsor, Ranger Up. They asked me if I was willing to do it, and I was like ‘sure man, let’s roll with it.’

And those guys—they’re very, very witty—very smart guys. They always have different ideas for me and I just roll with the punches—just having a good time with it.

James Ryan: That’s cool. You definitely did pretty well with it. I mean, it’s a long video. [Laughs] You end up singing a lot of songs. [Laughs]

Jorge Rivera: [Laughs] They cut some of them, they cut some of them! [Laughs] It was like a four hour shoot, where I sang about 100 songs. [Laughs]

James Ryan: [Laughs] How did you know all of the words?

Jorge Rivera: [Laughs] I don’t know man, ya know, to be honest with you, I just love music. I have an eclectic taste in music. I love everything from soft rock to heavy metal, and everything in between. I don’t know—it’s one of those things where we all have a gift for something, and I guess mine is remembering words. [Laughs]

James Ryan: [Laughs] Right on.

I think it’s always cool when I meet a guy who fights for a living, and he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Well done!

James Ryan: Your loss against Terry Martin at UFC 67...that must have been pretty tough considering he broke your jaw in that fight.

Jorge Rivera: Ya.

James Ryan: Then, in your next fight against Kendall Grove at UFC 80, you responded by finishing him off in the first round. I’m curious to know if that loss to Martin was in your head at all, or were you just able to move past it and not think about it?

Jorge Rivera: I’d be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t affected by it. I was very scared to get hit in the jaw again. When I walked into that cage with Kendall—that was definitely in the back of my mind.

But once the fight started and the punches started throwing—me personally—I let it all go. I felt like I just had to get in there and do my job.

This is what I do. If I’m afraid to do what I do, then I have no business being in there anymore. A lot of it becomes psychological. You have to possess the right mentality. You can’t allow it to eat at you. You just gotta forget about it and go out there and do what you gotta do.

James Ryan: So at the time when you broke your jaw, had you contemplated retirement?

Jorge Rivera: Absolutely!

When my jaw was broken, I looked like the elephant man. It was all swollen and disgusting. I had to fly home with a broken jaw. It took two days to finally get it operated on. The pain was excruciating. I was in so much pain, it was ridiculous.

I’ll never forget that.

Terry Martin—thank you very much. You helped me to get things back in-line and re-focused. Mentally—I became stronger.

I went into that fight thinking that I was going to walk right through him. He had a hard time making the weight—I made the weight easily. I was in great shape for that fight. When I say I was in great shape—I was in great shape for that fight.

I hit him with that first low kick. The second one, I was gonna throw it low, but half-way through the kick, I decided that I wanted to throw it high, and it came out like shit. He just grabbed my leg and laid me out.

James Ryan: Yikes.

Jorge Rivera: I remember waking up afterwards, and seeing everybody in the cage—I had no idea that I got knocked out. I was like ‘what are you guys doing in the cage?’ and they were like ‘buddy, the fights over.‘

‘What are you talking about?’ I asked, and the corner-man confirmed that I got knocked out. It was weird. That was the first time that I had ever been knocked unconscious.

James Ryan: Wow, what an experience. Obviously that’s changed you a lot as a fighter.

Jorge Rivera: Definitely.

James Ryan: Dana White still calls Anderson Silva the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, despite the fact that he was owned by Chael Sonnen for almost five full rounds.

Considering that Silva is the champion of your division and the two of you had previously fought, what is your take on Dana’s claim?

Jorge Rivera: I feel the same way. I still think Silva’s the best in the world—absolutely. The man hasn’t lost a fight in six years. That’s unbelievable.

He fought that fight with Sonnen hurt, he never made any excuses for it, he came out and he did his job, and he still finished the guy who was whooping his ass. You gotta take your hat off to the Champ—the Champ’s the man.

In order to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man and no one has been able to beat him in six years. So it’s hard to argue any other way. He might have an off night here or there, but he’s still the man.

And it’s not like he’s fighting chumps. And he finishes these people. He doesn’t just beat them—he finishes them.

James Ryan: Well when you put it like that, it’s pretty tough to disagree.

Would you like to give any special thanks?

Jorge Rivera: I definitely want to thank Ranger Up, and I would like to thank Alchemist Management and Lex McMahon. Give a big shout out to Lex on my behalf please.

James Ryan: You got it. Thanks very much, Jorge. I appreciate your time. And best of luck next weekend.

Jorge Rivera: I appreciate it. Thank you.

This is my interview. If you don’t like it...I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Carried Out Fight Gear was founded in 2009 by a group of fighters who realized that the true essence of a Warrior was being lost by some people giving up. The Carried Out mindset of “One Way Out – Carried Out!” signifies that a fighter will never ever surrender and fight to the very end, leaving everything he/she has in the ring, on the mat or in the cage!

One Way Out…Carried Out!!!!!

Roy Nelson Discusses Shane Carwin, Steroids and Being Pulled From UFC 125

2010-11-01T00:51:33.000Z

“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.”—Robert Kiyosaki

This past week saw the much anticipated New Year’s Day bout between Roy “Big Country” Nelson and Shane Carwin dissolve before our very eyes, due to Carwin suffering from a back injury that will apparently require surgery. Instead of finding a replacement fighter for Nelson, the UFC made the unusual decision to simply pull Nelson from the card all together.

Needless to say, that after rushing through his knee rehabilitation in order to “step up” and help the UFC, Nelson was a bit more than disappointed to find out that he would no longer be fighting at UFC 125.

Nelson is the former International Fight League Heavyweight Champion, winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights (beating the highly popular Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson in the process), and is known primarily as a submissions specialist and ground technician, having studied and received his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the legendary tutelage of Renzo Gracie.

This is my second interview with Roy.

Pleas enjoy.

James Ryan: Hey Roy, how’s it going?

Roy Nelson: I’m doing good, James. How about yourself?

James Ryan: I’m great! Thanks for taking the time to speak with me again—especially with everything that’s been going on this past week.

Roy Nelson: No problem, my pleasure.

James Ryan: So Roy, despite the loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 117, you still put on a great performance in that fight, taking dos Santos to the distance for the very first time ever in his career.

Dos Santos is known for his powerful striking, as is Shane Carwin, who you were scheduled to face on New Year’s Day at UFC 125.

What were you able to take away from that fight against dos Santos, and how would those lessons have helped you against the bigger Carwin?

Roy Nelson: The lesson I learned was that you have to be the guy who punches the other guy in the face more.

James Ryan: [Laughs] That makes sense. So then, how disappointed are you that you won't be getting the opportunity to punch Shane Carwin in the face any time soon?

Roy Nelson: I’m very disappointed because I was pushed by the UFC to speed up my knee recovery and I just want to show something for the hard work that I have done so far.

James Ryan: It’s obviously very disappointing for you not to be able to fight Carwin, but it has to be an even bigger disappointment that you've been removed from the card all together.

Was this decision based more on the UFC not being able to find anyone else to fight you, or not being able to find anyone else worthy enough for what was likely a number one contender match?

Roy Nelson: I honestly have no idea. You would probably need to ask Dana White or Joe Silva that question.

James Ryan: They never told you? Wow.

So then, when can the fans expect to see you in the cage again? Any indication on what might be next for you?

Roy Nelson: Again, I have no idea. You’d have to talk to Dana or Joe or even Ariel Helwani—he knows everything.

James Ryan: In the early days of the UFC, Royce Gracie proved without any question or doubt that a smaller, more skilled fighter could beat a much bigger, stronger opponent.

You have a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Renzo Gracie and yet many fight fans were quick to give Carwin the advantage in your upcoming bout, strictly because of his size.

Do you ever feel that you are being underestimated?

Roy Nelson: I don't think that I am ever underestimated. I just think that fight fans are usually surprised when a fat guy can be as good as I am.

James Ryan: [Laughs] It’s all about the big muscles, Roy.

And speaking of which—a few weeks back, I was fortunate enough to represent El Octagono during the UFC 121 Conference Call, which included Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez.

One of the journalists asked both of them about whether or not they felt that steroids were becoming more of a problem in the UFC. Lesnar remained silent, while Velasquez basically chuckled and said ‘no comment.’

Why are so many athletes apprehensive to discuss this issue? Do you think that the problem gets blown out of proportion by the media?

Roy Nelson: Again, this would be a better question for Dana, Lorenzo or the State Athletic Commission, because fans and fighters obviously don't really care. If they did, they would demand something to be done about it.

The media knows who does steroids, but they are afraid to say. It’s a ‘chicken and the egg’ type of question. At the end of the day, it’s all about money, and then problems. That’s a Biggie quote.

This could be a question for Ariel Helwani or anyone else in the media that doesn't push the subject for the types of answers that offer anything but a lip service.

James Ryan: Interesting point.

Again, thinking back to a legend like Royce Gracie—do you believe that steroids actually give a fighter a significant advantage once they step inside of the Octagon? The argument by some is that steroids don’t help someone to become a better fighter.

Roy Nelson: Yes, Performance Enhancing Drugs will give you a physical advantage over your opponent. But don't ask me. Ask athletes like Carl Lewis and other Olympians who know about using these types of drugs.

James Ryan: Have you yourself, ever been tempted or even offered to try steroids?

Roy Nelson: Sure. People have commented on changing the way that I look with the stuff, but as the new manly Richard Simmons, I say "no to drugs, and yes to loving myself."

This is another PSA from Roy "Big Country" Nelson.

James Ryan: [Laughs] Nice.

So, how surprised were you when Brock Lesnar submitted Shane Carwin at UFC 116 via arm triangle choke? Were you more impressed with Brock, or less impressed with Shane?

Roy Nelson: Shane was tired, so that’s why Brock won.

I was impressed with both in that fight—Shane kicked Brock’s ass in the first round, and Brock made Shane quit in the second.

James Ryan: Shane Carwin has been linked to the purchase of steroids and yet, he has never tested positive for any banned substances throughout his fighting career. Even though he is innocent until proven guilty, do you find it at all strange that there has been very little discussion on the topic by the media, by the fans, or by Mr. Carwin himself?

Are we, as a tight community of fans, all just hoping that if we stay quiet enough, the problem will just magically disappear?

Roy Nelson: For me, I don't know if Shane did them or not. This is a question that only he could tell you.

The problem however, simply goes away if people stop asking about it. So, it really depends on the media and the fans.

James Ryan: Agreed. One last question about steroids...

Steroids are an epidemic—not just in professional sports, but at the high school levels as well. How can we as a society justify testing for steroids at a professional level and then condemning any athletes found guilty, if we are simply going to ignore what amateur athletes are doing to get to that level in the first place?

What do you think can be done to deter steroid use amongst younger athletes?

Roy Nelson: To deter young athletes, just ban them from their chances of ever making it to the professional organization that they want to play for, whether it’s the NFL, the MLB, the NBA or the UFC.

I think that would definitely work, but it will never happen.

James Ryan: I like the idea of accountability though, even at a young age.

Are there any sponsors that you would like to thank, or any special message that you would like to give?

Roy Nelson: Please ask the fans to visit ROYNELSON.com and follow me on twitter at roynelsonmma. And stay tuned to the upcoming Roy "Big Country" Nelson PSA's.

James Ryan: [Laughs] Will do. Thanks again, Roy.

Roy Nelson: You’re welcome, James.

This is my interview. If you don’t like it...I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Carried Out Fight Gear was founded in 2009 by a group of fighters who realized that the true essence of a Warrior was being lost by some people giving up. The Carried Out mindset of “One Way Out – Carried Out!” signifies that a fighter will never ever surrender and fight to the very end, leaving everything he/she has in the ring, on the mat or in the cage!

One Way Out…Carried Out!!!!!

Bellator's 115-Lb. Women's Finals Tournament Fight

2010-10-27T20:33:09.000Z

The anticipation is almost over as the stage is set for Bellator's women's MMA finale. Megumi Fujii will be facing Zoila Frausto at Bellator 34 in Hollywood, Florida on Thursday night.

Widely regarded as the best female pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Japan's Megumi Fujii is one fight away from holding Bellator's junior flyweight women's title. Fujii's last fight in the tournament was an impressive submission win against Lisa Ward at Bellator 31 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Fujii holds a record of 22-0, with 18 wins by submission. A black belt in both judo and Brazilian jiu jitsu, Fujii is known for her lightening quick armbars, her humility and an amazing fighting spirit.

Fujii's opponent, Zoila Frausto, has dropped in weight from 135 to 115 to enter the tournament--and it shows. Her last couple of fights have been a bit lackluster, and she made it to the finals only after somehow walking away with a decision win after getting beat up by American Top Team's Jessica Aguilar for three rounds at Bellator 31.

Look for Frausto to try to use her push kick and her hands to try and fail to end the fight by knockout. Fujii, on the other hand, will likely work some Judo throws to take the fight to the ground, using her speed and skill to work a submission before Frausto, who has a very limited ground game, tries to stand.

Also fighting Thursday night, Hector Lombard (26-2-1) will be fighting Alexander Shlemenko (29-3) for the middleweight title, and in two special feature fights Mike Bernhard (8-2) faces Dragan Tesanovic (7-0) and Tony Lopez (19-4) faces Raphael Davis (9-1).

Check out Elite MMA's Christmas in October sale! 25% off everything, including focus mitts, gloves, rashguards, grappling dummies, mouth guards, punching bags and more.

Brock Lesnar: The Sad Truth Behind His Cowardly Instincts

2010-10-26T23:30:00.000Z

So, there I was, drinking a Creemore Springs Premium Lager (seeing as how Bud Light won’t pay me nothin’) and chowing down on a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in honour of Cain Velasquez’s amazing victory over Brock Lesnar this past weekend at UFC 121, thus becoming the new UFC heavyweight champion.

And that’s when I realized the sad truth behind my initial concerns with regards to Lesnar.

When I was a young boy growing up in the 1980’s landscape of Ontario, Canada, I fell in love with a little sport called “hockey.”

Maybe you’ve heard of it?

Truth be told—I never actually played hockey on anything more than a backyard ice rink with the neighbourhood kids, but I sure loved to watch it on the television, and at the local sports arena.

I especially enjoyed the fighting.

Who wouldn’t?

After all, how many other sports out there could boldly claim that they actually condoned and encouraged fist fighting between its athletes?

Not very many.

In fact, one of the greatest and most influential hockey fights from that era ended up being between two fearless heavyweights named John Kordic (Montreal Canadians) and Jay Miller (Boston Bruins).

I had witnessed many hockey fights up to that point in my youth, but these warriors left a permanent impression on me that still lasts to this day—never give up, and never back down.

Imagine, two very large men standing toe-to-toe, relentlessly trading bare-knuckle punches square into the other man’s face for what seemed like an eternity of punishment.

Punch after punch after punch—these men were both violent and fearless.

It was awesome!

But not all hockey fights ended up that way.

No-Sir-Ree-Bob.

Some men felt so intimidated and over-matched by their adversary, that they actually curled up on the ice in a fetal position—head tucked between their knees, with their arms covered up over their head and face area.

Sound familiar?

They called this defensive strategy—the “Turtle” and it was (and is) a sacrilege to the great sport of hockey, and to the fighting culture that I grew up with.

There’s nothing to respect about the “Turtle,” because it ultimately demonstrates a man’s true character—his cowardice.

I have always been a Brock Lesnar supporter and I have the articles to prove it (I wouldn’t go so far as the call myself a “fan” though), but I have to admit—that all changed the moment that Lesnar displayed his horrific defensive skills against Shane Carwin at UFC 116.

It was during that fight when I realized that Lesnar just wasn’t the fighter that I had initially given him the credit for being.

I had sincerely hoped that when Lesnar ran away and cringed in fear against the side of the cage against Carwin, that it was a completely isolated incident.

Velasquez then proved otherwise, and I was forced to admit my own state of denial.

It would be difficult for anyone to be successful in combat sports without proper defensive skills, but with Lesnar, the issue appears to be much greater than that.

The problem isn’t just with Lesnar’s inexperience or his inability to counter back at his opponents while he’s being attacked.

The problem lies in his instincts—his reaction to getting hit.

Lesnar simply couldn’t run and hide fast enough, and that, fight fans, is completely unacceptable behaviour from a man claiming to be the “Baddest Man on the Planet.”

Incredibly, the “Viking Warrior” isn’t the unstoppable Dungeons & Dragons fantasy character that we all imagined him to be.

Instead, he’s just an over-sized athlete who doesn’t like to get punched in the face.

[This ain’t the WWE!]

Sorry, but Lesnar doesn’t deserve to be the UFC Champion and looking back on what we now know about him—he likely never did.

I imagine that Lesnar will still have a pretty decent MMA career in front of him, but unfortunately, while he’s resolved to bullying the gatekeepers with his size, speed, and strength—the real fighters will be duking it out Kordic-Miller style in the centre of the cage.

Think—Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos.

Now that’s gonna be an epic fight!

Sorry Brock, but I won’t miss your arrogance, your awkward fighting style, your telegraphed takedown attempts, your “unnaturally” large muscles, your constant need to refer to yourself in the third person, or the media’s ridiculous fascination with you.

Hey Brock! Why don’t you and the media do us all a favour and get a frickin’ room already?!

Personally—I’m all Brock’d out.

Go Leafs!

These are my opinions. If you don’t like them...I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Tuff-N-Uff Amateur Fighting Championships Crowns Eddie Jackson As New MW King

2010-10-26T00:30:00.000Z

With mixed martial arts boring full steam ahead and simply taking the world by storm it has become more abundantly accessible than ever. It seems as though MMA is just about everywhere these days.

At the highest levels of the sport promotions broadcast their events across pay per view streams, major television networks, just about anywhere they can find a niche. They provide a great opportunity for fight fans to take in the greatest athletes in the sport on a regular basis.

Yet even with all the mainstream coverage of the pinnacle of the sport, it is simply amazing to watch the growth of regional MMA as it digs its roots deeper and deeper into the community.

The Cain Velasquez’s and Jose Aldo’s of the world weren't born champions, they were made.

Forged in the fires of regional promotions and smaller venues across the globe, fighters cut their teeth and prepare for the next level.

The UFC and WEC become the quest, the final point of a long hard fought journey that started many years ago under some banner that most may have never heard of.

With that said, fans are starting to realize that their local amateur or regional promotion is akin to college sports, where tomorrow’s stars are on display today. It is an exciting aspect to an already compelling sport.

The point here is that today, for tomorrows stars of MMA, crucial, career altering steps are being taken towards their aspirations for reaching the top of the sport. Where those steps are taken is very important for the fighter to gauge their talent and learn the ins and outs of this business.

Hands down, without a doubt, if there were one amateur organization for a fighter to test their talents, and showcase their skills, in the most demanding and competitive environment they could find, Tuff-N-Uff Amateur Fighting Championships is that organization.

The rigid competition, and outstanding match making was on display yet again this past Friday night at the Orleans Hotel and Casino as the staff at TNU brought together another amazing night of fights.

Across a fight card totalling thirteen fights, the impressive performances were countless, and sadly not all can be addressed in one event recap. Suffice to say that it was simply as advertised, a memorable night of world class amateur MMA by fighters trained at some of the greatest camps in the world.

Before the event kicked off there was a matter of deep respect that had to be paid to a young man who recently passed away after a hard fought battle against brain cancer. Tuff-N-Uff honored the late Dylan Wood by toning the ring bell with a ten count before commencing with the event.

Young Dylan was a beloved asset to the entire Vegas MMA community and he was and is held with the highest regard as a true warrior who inspired through his battle with a foe who was playing with a stacked deck.

Many vital components to the Vegas MMA community ranging from TNU, Xtreme Couture, It Ain't Chemo, and many fighters stood strong behind this young man, and when he passed it touched them all deep to their core. The ten count was a moving aspect to a memorable evening.

This young man and his struggle will never be forgotten amongst those whos lives he touched during his fight. On behalf of Hurtsbad.com, rest easy little man, we are thinking about you.

It was in his honor that this event was set off, and the fighters could not have done his memory more justice than they did when they laid it all on the line for those looking on.

One duo in particular really went to war, trading dominant position and angles only to trade off and regain supremacy time and time again. A true back and forth nail biter was fought between Rick Borden of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu and Lee Henry Lilly of Striking Unlimited.

These warriors really put on a hell of a show and the crowd was insane watching them mix it up. Borden was on the business end of of some dominating striking but threw a nasty Judo throw to put Lilly down and threaten to submit him, only to see Lilly turn it around on the ground.

In the third Lilly really reigned supreme with crisp and heavy striking that swayed the fight in his favor. With a dangerous right hand that had found a nice home on Borden’s chin Lilly solidified his victory and won a split decision for his camp Striking Unlimited.

In the first round between freestyle fighter Kenny Gray and Guillaume Fricheteau of Wand Fight Team fans were treated to a fast paced first round stoppage that showed Gray attempt to escape a vicious triangle with a powerful slam of his opponent.

Yet Gray only found himself in deeper waters as he tapped to a deep triangle choke by the Wanderlei Silva prospect Fricheteau. It was a gorgeous escape attempt trumped by a filthy triangle choke from which there was no escape. It was both men’s MMA debut.

In the most explosive display of striking all night long Tolin Garcia lived up to the name of his camp Striking Unlimited as he destroyed Shane Franklin of Battlegroundz with a right hook followed up by some academic ground and pound.

Simply put when Garcia landed that right hook this fight was over. And a great display of sportsmanship as “The Hawk” as Garcia is known checked in on his downed opponent and they hugged and exchanged well wishes.

Trace Gray of 10th Planet had a right hand of his own for James Lanham of Xtreme Couture getting the TKO with a vicious right and a side of ground and pound ending their fight in the first.

In what was a family affair, Rudy Morales of Knuckle Up won a decision over Carlo Fudolig of Striking Unlimited/Cobra Kai. Other than the fight itself what really stood out was Morales’ son standing ring side watching with glowing pride as his father went to war, it was quite a sight to say the least. His entire family was wearing the pride of Morales’ win on their sleeve.

In the co-main event former Playboy Model Latasha Marzolla was unfortunately injured early in her fight with Nikki Rae Lowe. In the opening exchange Marzolla and Lowe went down and Marzolla unfortunately dislocated her elbow.

It was counter climactic to a fight many fans in attendance were really looking forward to between two very game and talented female mixed martial artists. What is most important to remember above anticipation for a fight is fighter safety.

On a side note one thing worth noting was the walk out song for Nikki Rae Lowe. As she made her way to the ring three Choctaw Cherokee gentlemen performed a war chant complete with drums and tom tom’s. This MMA reporter has never seen or heard anything like it and will not soon forget it.

In the main event fight fans got their money’s worth as Eddie Jackson of Legends MMA took on Joey Angelo of Tapout Training Center for the TNU 170 pound title.

These two just threw hands with reckless abandon as they pounded on one another over and over again. The heavy shots were many, their chins and hearts were on full display. There was not one ounce of give as they relentlessly pursued that cherished MW strap.

At one point Jackson rocked Angelo only to be taken down immediately and then recover and absorb punishment of his own. That exchange was indicative of what these two warriors brought to the table for fight fans looking on.

Both fighters were very dangerous, and extremely well matched for this title. Both guys are bangers and love to mix it up and that is exactly what they did. They threw punches like there was no tomorrow and the fans loved it.

In what amounted to open war in the Tuff-N-Uff ring Eddie Jackson emerged victorious over a very game Joey Angelo by unanimous decision to take the title home to Legends MMA in Hollywood CA.

I'm no matchmaker but the staff at Tuff-N-Uff would serve their fans well to rematch these cats right away, the fight was that good.

All the fights were top shelf and explosive as mentioned before. No one that knows the reputation of this organization or the stable of fighters they pull from expected anything less. For those that don't know this organization, well now you know.

Check them out at Tuff-N-Uff.net or at Go Fight Live for more information on the premier amateur fighting organization in the world.

Aaron Brooks: 10-Year Old Guinness World Record Holder Training for MMA

2010-10-22T16:00:00.000Z

Some of you may remember a young wrestler by the name of Aaron Brooks who currently lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, from an interview that I did a few months back.

What’s that?!

You’re not sure?

Well then, you had better pay very close attention because the entire world of MMA is about to get “put on notice.”

Aaron is a seven-time national wrestling champion, who has more than 345 amateur wins to his name. All of this was accomplished by the age of nine.

Not impressed yet?

Well, Aaron also set the Guinness world bench press record back in June for boys his age and weight. He now holds the record at 99.21 pounds, which is more than 22 pounds greater than the previously set record, which was 77 pounds.

As a result, Aaron has qualified to represent the United States in the World Championships this upcoming November—however, he will not be competing due to his rigorous wrestling schedule.

Now consider this...

According to Aaron’s father, John Brooks, Aaron has now decided to take up the study of jiu-jitsu and has been getting ready for his very first competition scheduled for Saturday, October 23rd.

Oh, and there’s more...

This is my third interview with John Brooks.

Please enjoy.

James Ryan: Hey John, how have you been?

John Brooks: I’m good. Just sitting here with Aaron. How are you?

James Ryan: I’m great! Been busy though.

John Brooks: Ya, same here. Football has really been consuming us right now. Aaron’s learning that team sports are a lot different than individual sports. [Laughs]

James Ryan: [Laughs] Very true. So he’s liking football, is he?

John Brooks: Oh ya, he loves it.

James Ryan: So how’s the jiu-jitsu training going?

John Brooks: It’s going great! Aaron just rolled with a 125 pound, 15-year old last night at practice. This kid has about nine months of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experience and a few years of wrestling experience and Aaron submitted him every time!

He’s looking good!

James Ryan: Awesome!

So what’s happening with the jiu-jitsu tournament this weekend? Was there a change in the venue?

John Brooks: I’m not sure what happened with that—they ended up cancelling the whole thing for some reason.

Landover was the Grappler’s Quest and that was the same day—the 23rd, so instead, it ended up being the Ultimate Grappler Challenge in Pennsylvania, which is fine because that was the original tournament that I had looked at anyway.

At first, I didn’t know about the Landover one—the club that the boys are training at—the Tactical Combat Academy, was gonna do that one, so they offered to sponsor Aaron and to help with his training. The boys really love it there.

We also have a lot of stuff planned for wrestling and we have a pretty busy schedule coming up, but we’re going to do that one up in Pennsylvania instead, and that’s cool.

So Aaron will still get to do some submission and wrestling training and get a chance to test his skills a little bit. I’m sure it will be different against jiu-jitsu guys, you know? They have a different approach than the wrestlers.

It should be fun. Aaron has been having a good time training. He got to work out in the cage the other day and they taught him a whole bunch of new stuff.

James Ryan: So, what is the expectation here? Will there be a lot of disappointment if he doesn’t come out with a victory this weekend?

That would seem like a lot of pressure at his age, right?

John Brooks: I don’t think he has a lot of pressure on him. I think everybody expects him to win because he always wins stuff, but I really have no idea what to expect with the jiu-jitsu because I’ve never been to any of these competitions.

His trainer, Josh Hummer, says that Aaron’s grappling ability should transfer over to jiu-jitsu pretty well, and this guy has trained a lot of MMA fighters.

Josh has pictures of Tito Ortiz and a bunch of other guys that he has trained on his website, but I don’t know how often he has trained with these guys. He seems like he is very qualified.

He worked with Aaron as a wrestler, as if he was a 25-year old wrestler, teaching Aaron how to counter things and how to tell when someone is attacking him with a submission attempt. Mostly working on things with his strength and teaching him what to do if he does get caught in a bad position.

James Ryan: So what was the motivation to get Aaron into jiu-jitsu?

Aaron has been doing very well with the wrestling—why not just stick with that? Why do the jiu-jitsu?

John Brooks: Aaron has said that his dream is to become an ultimate fighter, a UFC fighter, so the sooner we can show him how to grapple with all the different styles—the sooner he can learn sambo, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—the sooner he can learn that stuff, the better he can get at it.

If he can go through the belt systems and maybe get to be a blue or a purple belt even before high school, he will be that much better when he does decide to do it—he will be that much more well-rounded.

And a lot of different styles seem to translate over to the wrestling as well. Some of the throws, counters, and rolls—I think that they will enhance his wrestling. Moving forward, I think that Aaron will have a huge advantage over anyone who is just training in only one certain style, because Aaron will have a lot of different options to pull from.

James Ryan: For sure, I definitely agree with that. As a fighter, it’s important to be as well-rounded as possible.

Sounds like Aaron is going to be in a beautiful position when he gets older. Sky’s the limit.

John Brooks: As long as he keeps working at it. Aaron is a sponge though. He picks up stuff so fast.

Josh Hummer is a Mario Yamasaki disciple too, so that’s pretty cool.

James Ryan: Right on, that is cool.

We have a lot in common, John—in the sense that we are both fathers of young sons who excel in their sports.

Question—do you ever worry about concussions?

John Brooks: I do worry about it with football at a young age.

I told Aaron that he could play football now, but after 6th grade when the kids are 200-plus pounds, he might want to give that up.

He started out playing tailback this year, but as soon as the other kids became good at it, I moved him to wingback. That way, he only had to carry the ball once or twice—mostly now, he blocks.

He also plays linebacker because of his reaction time and tackling ability, but he really just plays football just for fun.

Running the ball is always dangerous and I have no motivation to hand the football over and have him run, especially when I have three or four other kids that run just as fast as him.

Aaron’s older brother, Isaiah, plays football as well.

James Ryan: All great points.

I actually read a rather disturbing article recently on MMeh Fighter, which really analyzed the long-term problems associated with concussions. It really made me think.

There seems to be this misconception out there that getting knocked out in MMA isn’t as bad as the constant pounding that a fighter might receive in boxing, but the truth is that it’s all bad—it’s just different.

Anyway, if you get the chance, you should really read the article. It’s good.

John Brooks: Well recently, there was one boy, I think he was an Ivey league player, he committed suicide, and they did an autopsy on his brain and he had that concussion syndrome. That brought on a depression. And he never had any major concussions, but blow after blow after blow over the years had finally taken an effect on him.

James Ryan: I hate stories like that.

John Brooks: Most definitely.

So James, would you like to talk with Aaron?

James Ryan: Aaron? Definitely, put him on the phone.

Aaron Brooks: Hello?

James Ryan: Hey buddy, how are you?

Aaron Brooks: Good.

James Ryan: That’s good.

Are you excited about entering into your first jiu-jitsu tournament?

Aaron Brooks: Ya.

James Ryan: So what do you like most about jiu-jitsu so far?

Aaron Brooks: Choking people out.

James Ryan: [Laughs] Is that right? You pretty good at that?

Aaron Brooks: Ya.

James Ryan: That’s cool. So who’s your favourite UFC fighter?

Aaron Brooks: GSP.

James Ryan: I think your dad told me before that you like Josh Koscheck as well, is that right?

Aaron Brooks: Kinda, he likes Josh Koscheck.

James Ryan: [Laughs] Oh, I see. So who do you think is going to win the fight between those two guys?

Aaron Brooks: GSP.

James Ryan: Is that because he’s Canadian?

Aaron Brooks: Ummm...

James Ryan: [Laughs] I’m kidding.

Did you know that I coach football?

Aaron Brooks: You do?

James Ryan: Ya. I saw the pictures the other day of you and your brother in your football uniforms. Lookin’ good.

So, what positions do you like to play?

Aaron Brooks: Running Back and Middle Linebacker.

James Ryan: My son Jacob plays those exact same positions. He loves the hitting and tackling the most though. Are you the same way?

Aaron Brooks: Ya.

James Ryan: So other than sports, what do you like to do for fun?

Aaron Brooks: I like to ride my bike and play games.

James Ryan: That’s cool. When I was a kid, we used to play a game called “kill the man with the ball.” My son tells me that now it’s called “kill the carrier.” Do you play anything like that?

Aaron Brooks: Ya.

James Ryan: Cool, what other games do you like to play?

Aaron Brooks: I like to play man hunt and I like to play with air soft.

James Ryan: Air soft? Like the guns?

Aaron Brooks: Ya.

James Ryan: That sounds like fun.

Aaron Brooks: Ya.

James Ryan: Well listen pal, I won’t take up any more of your time. I know you’re probably eager to get back to cleaning up your toys, right? [Laughs]

More than anything, I just wanted to finally say hello and I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me. Best of luck at the tournament this weekend and I hope that you do really well.

Aaron Brooks: Thank you.

James Ryan: Hey, no problem buddy. Let me talk to your dad real quick, okay?

Aaron Brooks: Okay.

James Ryan: Take care.

John Brooks: Hey James.

James Ryan: Hey John. That’s a really great kid that you’ve got there. Great job.

Thanks for letting me talk to him.

So John, what would you like people to know about your son?

John Brooks: I think that the one thing that I would like for people to know is that the coaches that Aaron has had for the grappling and MMA—the main thing that they point out about him is his demeanour. Aaron is very coachable.

Most of them want to coach him. They want to work with him because he focuses, pays attention and he listens. He’s like a sponge. He picks things up so quickly.

I think you could teach him any martial art and he would pick it up really quickly. I don’t know why, he just seems to get stuff so quick. I watch this man teach him all of these jiu-jitsu things and chokes and ways to set them up, and he executes them perfectly.

James Ryan: You just described a coach’s dream [Laugh].

John Brooks: Oh ya. And that’s the feedback that I get all the time. So that’s what I would like people to know about him, is that he’s amazing to coach.

James Ryan: Wow, that’s awesome John.

John Brooks: Ya, I’m pretty proud.

James Ryan: Best of luck this weekend.

John Brooks: Thanks, Coach.

This is my interview. If you don’t like it…I have others. Check them out at www.coachjamesryan.com

Carried Out Fight Gear was founded in 2009 by a group of Ex-fighters who realized that the true essence of a warrior was being lost by some people giving up. The Carried Out mindset of “One Way Out—Carried Out” signifies that a fighter will never surrender, and will fight to the very end. Leaving everything he/she has in the ring, on the mat, or in the cage.

ONE WAY OUT…CARRIED OUT!

Tuff-N-Uff Returns To The Orleans Hotel And Casino For A Stacked Fight Card October 22nd

2010-10-21T16:41:03.000Z

If you spend enough time in the business of MMA you are sure to come across a few people who have had dealings with a certain duo in the industry of amateur mixed martial arts. That duo are brothers Barry and Jeff Meyer.

To take that a step further, if you have had dealings with Barry, a Masters Hall of Famer, or Jeff a guy who is just as cool as the other side of your pillow, then you have had the distinct pleasure of dealing with two of the best guys in the business.

Ask a guy like John Fitch, or a little lady named Gina Carano, they can tell you all about the world class organization the Meyer brothers are running called Tuff-N-Uff Amateur Fighting Championships.

If you wont take their word for it, ask a Randy Couture, a Dan Henderson, or a Wanderlei Silva, they too will vouch for the nature and quality of events put on by the staff at TNU. Quite simply, anyone who knows a damn thing about MMA will describe them as the premier amateur show in not only the country but perhaps the world.

Their efforts in the community are probably the only thing that outclasses their efforts in the fight realm. Bottom line is that they are the cream of the crop, honing and shaping young fighters both male and female to take the torch when the time is right and carry this sport into the future.

With that being said it is time for yet another installment of TNU Amateur Fighting Championships this Friday night at the beautiful Orleans Hotel and Casino. Slated to take place in the intimate Mardi Gras ballroom, Barry and Jeff have brought together 26 competitors to hook ‘em up for Vegas fight fans.

Those 26 competitors represent some of the most elite camps this sport has ever seen. When you get fighters competing out of Xtreme Couture, Wand Fight Team, Team Quest, Legends MMA, and 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu one thing is certain, they are elite trained warriors.

Combining those elite trained warriors in hand to hand combat competition is a win win for the the fans looking on, and the fighters themselves. For the fan, they take a glimpse into the future of what tomorrow holds. For the fighter they know they are cutting their teeth against the best amateurs the sport has to offer, raising their experience in the process.

In particular this card has a few bells and whistles to add to the allure of what is already a compelling event. The first of which is a 170 pound title fight between Eddie Jackson and Joey Angelo.

These are two scrappy individuals both looking to bring the vacant TNU title home with them Friday night. Angelo in particular is an east coast guy who has made a home for himself at the Tapout Training Center in Las Vegas.

Angelo has been boxing since a young age and is evolving his game daily to become a complete fighter. His Muay Thai is on point and his grappling is coming along and he should make a great competitor for a very tough Eddie Jackson.

Jackson a Legends MMA prodigy is a TNU regular who has been impressive in his past performances. Jackson is a guy who prefers to stand and bang making him a very fan friendly fighter. With his love for striking and Angelo having a striking background, look for this one to set it off come fight night.

Also in the main event two ladies are going to lay it all on the line for fight fans looking on. Latasha Marzola will square off with Nikki Rae Lowe to cap off a stellar fight card.

These gals will compete at 125 pounds and look to take the next step in their MMA careers. In what is sure to be an exciting match up fight fans will see two promising female mixed martial artists display their skills as they compete in the main event.

Marzolla in particular has shown herself to be a vicious striker with a relentless attack.

There are not many promotions that will showcase a women’s MMA bout as their main event, but that in itself speaks volumes as to how far the TNU staff will go to support all their fighters. Their support of females in this sport is second to none.

Gender aside, all amateur fighters looking to hone their skills as they look to the future of their careers and this sport could not find a better home to compete.

People will tell you that the amateurs that compete for TNU are often sharper at their craft than some of the professionals found scattered across the country side in various regional promotions. That is in no way shape for form a stretch or an exaggeration.

Check out these fights people, and if you can’t find your way to the Mardi Gras Ballroom at the Orleans Hotel and Casino, check out Go Fight Live where the event will be streamed live for a very modest fee.

Either way one thing is certain, you will not be disappointed The fighters are world class, the promotion is top shelf, and the fights always impress.

You couldn't spend better money supporting this sport because you are directly supporting the future of MMA. You are supporting the platform for the stars of tomorrow to take their next step into the future world of mixed martial arts.

After watching a TNU event there is no denying, the future is bright indeed.