Chris Weidman: From parents? basement to network TV

CHICAGO -- Ten months ago, Chris Weidman was living in his parents' basement with his wife and daughter. After winning three straight fights in the UFC, he will challenge Demian Maia on the UFC's second show on network television.

At Wednesday's open workouts for UFC on Fox 2, Weidman said he has not had time to sit back and think about all he's accomplished in such a short time.

"I really haven't set back to think about it all in a 10-month period. It started getting tough. Any amount of money at that point was going to get me to come," Weidman said.

When he took the fight with Alessio Sakara last March, he was on the verge of signing with Bellator. He even had dinner reservations to celebrate the signing, but gave himself more time to consider the contract. Waiting opened the door for the UFC to sign him.

By July, he had a decision over Sakara and a submission of Jesse Bongfeldt, and a new home for his wife and now two-year-old daughter Cassidy.

Weidman's spot on the card this weekend was just as surprising. When Mark Munoz was injured last week, the UFC had to scramble to create a card that would make people tune in to Fox. Michael Bisping was given the spot against Chael Sonnen, leaving a hole on the card to fight Maia. Weidman, who beat Tom Lawlor in November, was called.

"At the time, I was surprised, because I thought I was going to fight April 22. But I had a funny feeling that something was going to end up happening.

The bout against Maia was too good to pass up, even on 10 days notice.

"At first it was that I'm not going to fight him this week. I'm going to fight him eventually. March, April. Once I talked to my coach and decided that, they came back and said he doesn't want to leave this card. I got so excited to fight Maia at that point, I didn't care where or when."

His first concern was weight. Weidman said he was around 217 lbs. last week. Though he says that his weight is fine now, he had to turn down the comfort food his wife was cooking.

"First thing was my weight. My wife was making sloppy joes, and I was like, 'No more sloppy joes for me!' I headed to the gym, ate a spoonful of peanut butter, and that's it for me."

Beating Maia, an accomplished grappler, would push Weidman ever closer to a title shot. Though fighters taking bouts on short notice are often in a no-lose situation, Weidman sees this bout as a must-win.

"I don't see it [as no-lose]. I see it as I have to win this fight. If I win this fight, it puts me on a list of contenders, and closer to getting that belt."

His intention is not to just fight for the UFC middleweight belt, but also to fight in his home state of New York. Currently, MMA is illegal in New York.

"My main goal is obviously to not only get the belt, but fight at Madison Square Garden in New York. It would be a dream come true. They have to legalize it, but at the right time so I can be fighting on it for the belt."

Weidman hopes the shows on Fox will help change perceptions on fighters.

"We're 100 percent athletes. Just turn on the TV and watch us. Come meet us. We're not those guys 10 years ago who were perceived as brutal. We're athletes. Good guys. Trying to make a living for our families."

Long Island's Weidman hopes to start New York on its winning ways. As a New York Giants fan, Weidman wants to see his team win the Super Bowl.

"I like Tom Brady, he's a pretty good guy, but we're coming after him."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/chris-weidman-parents-basement-network-tv-000322783.html

Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva breakdown their upcoming fight - Strikeforce

At the Strikeforce Heavyweight GP in Dallas, TC Inside MMA correspondent Ron Kruck caught up with Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva. The Reem spoke about his victory over Fabricio Werdum and the challange that lies ahead in Silva. Bigfoot spoke about how to do the impossible and beat Overeem

Source: http://mmalice.com/strikeforce/alistair-overeem-and-antonio-silva-breakdown-their-upcoming-fight-video_54151b1ca.html

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz

Georges St-Pierre: I?ve Never Wanted to Fight Anyone Like I Want to Fight Nick Diaz

Ahead of Saturday's UFC 143 event, where Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit will square off for the interim welterweight title, UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre spoke to the UFC about rooting for his rival Diaz so they can meet when he returns from knee surgery later this year.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27417/georges-st-pierre-ive-never-wanted-to-fight-anyone-like-i-want-to-fight-nick-diaz/

Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo 

Josh Neer chokes out Duane Ludwig at UFC on FX 1

Josh Neer is 2-0 in his fourth stint with the UFC as he choked Duane Ludwig unconscious in the first round of their bout at UFC on FX 1 at Nashville on Friday.

After the two clinched for the beginning of the first round, Duane Ludwig came in with several strikes that wobbled Neer, but then Neer answered back with jabs of his own. This patter continued to repeat until Ludwig tried for a takedown. Neer put in a deep guillotine. Ludwig raised his hand to tap, but was out before he even had the chance to tap. The bout was stopped at 3:04 of the first round.

Neer is 33-10 after this win. He has been in and out of the UFC, but has two straight stoppage wins since rejoining the promotion in October. Ludwig has been on a two-fight win streak, and now is 21-12.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/josh-neer-chokes-duane-ludwig-ufc-fx-1-031929463.html

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

With UFC on Fox 2 on deck, UFC on Fox 3 taking shape on same night as proposed Floyd Mayweather fight

The Fox/UFC deal is moving ahead full bore.

Heavy promotion for this weekend's second network TV card is underway, a cool new commercial with Jon Jones debuted over the weekend and last night, Dana White confirmed fights for the next MMA appearance on Fox.

That May date is interesting because it's the same night Floyd Mayweather is planning on fighting on pay-per-view in Las Vegas.

Mayweather got out of his 90-day jail sentence by saying he had a contracted fight for May 5. He has to fight that night or he violates the terms of his agreement. Mayweather is now due to check into the Clark County Detention Center on June 1.

Before anyone starts asking why the UFC is competing with a huge boxing PPV, the MMA card starts much earlier and ends before the Mayweather tilt would begin at roughly 11:30 p.m. ET. It serves as a great fight night for combat sports fans.

Miller gets to fight in his backyard in East Rutherford, N.J. He grew up in nearby Sparta.

From a contender standpoint Diaz, is an obvious choice. From a promotional standpoint, he presents a challenge. He's nowhere near as truculant as his brother Nick, but it's been established Nate isn't exactly fond doing tons of media work either. It should be interesting to follow how the 26-year-old handles some of the extra duties that come with fighting on network television.

The UFC's recent visits to the Garden State were at The Prudential Center. It appears nothing is currently scheduled at "The Rock" on on that Saturday night. It is a busy week though with Bruce Springsteen playing the arena on Tuesday and Friday night nouses The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The card will also include the UFC mini-tournament in the new 125-pound weight class. John Dodson will face Darren Uyenoyama.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-fox-2-days-away-ufc-fox-3-160100858.html

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz

?UFC on Fox 2?s? Mike Russow balances police work and fighting

CHICAGO -- As a rookie police officer, Mike Russow was assigned to work a Chicago Bulls game at the United Center in 2003. On Saturday, he will be back at the United Center. This time, instead of keeping the peace, he'll fight Jon Olav Einemo at "UFC on Fox 2."

While putting together a record of 14-1 with three wins in the UFC, Russow has kept his day job in the Chicago Police Department. Russow currently patrols the third district on the city's South Side. He is understandably hesitant to give specifics about the details of his daily work,  but said that he has been recognized as a fighter when on the job.

"I had someone who I was arresting for a warrant, and he saw the Chicago Sun-Times picture that day. He noticed," Russow said.

Though Russow can't use his Octagon-worthy moves on offenders, he says police work and fighting share a mental side.

"You have to be calm. There's a lot of situations with police work where it's scary. You're clearing a house, by yourself, it's dark, no lights, and you don't know if the offender is in there. It's just like in the cage."

His calm demeanor came in handy when Russow fought Todd Duffee at UFC 114.

"When I was fighting Todd Duffee, he was beating my ass. I stayed calm, hung in there, and got a lucky punch. I think that's how it helps. Being mentally tough."

He broke his left arm early in the bout, and was having trouble with his right arm. Still he knew he had to pull something out to get the win.

"It was like an effortless punch. The right technique, and the right time, and I hit him and he went down. I was coming off of elbow surgery, and I couldn't extend my right arm all the way. My left arm broke. I knew something was wrong. Right before that I thought, I got to do something."

After beating Duffee, Russow TKOed Jon Madsen. Those wins earned him a shot at Einemo, a highly decorated grappler. Because of Einemo's ground skills, Russow hopes to keep the fight standing.

"I've really worked a lot on my stand-up game. He's a world-class jiu jitsu guy, so even if I did get the takedown, I don't know if I want to play in his world. I'm more or less going to try and control him and keep it standing."

To prepare for this bout, Russow used up all of his vacation time and spent time just training. Most UFC-level fighters train full time, and Russow was appreciative of the chance to focus on MMA. He said he would love the chance to fight full time, but it's not a practical option.

"Right now I'm married and with a baby, a mortgage. I'm not in a position where I could train full time. I'm 35, and I can't take that chance. My dream would be to fight solely for the UFC."

Unlike UFC welterweight Sean Pierson, who was not allowed to join the Toronto Police Department because of his fight career, the CPD has been supportive of Russow.

"I've never had any problems. My bosses have been really supportive. I've been fortunate. They think it's a little nuts, but they support it."

Balancing the two careers is not easy. Since he works from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., his sleep and diet are both disrupted.

"Every time you go to a gas station, they try to give you something, take this, take that. Not that I do, but it makes it harder. And you get hungry anyways around 10 or 11. I wish I was in bed, but I'm stuck out there working."

But this Saturday, when his friends, family and fellow police officers fill the United Center with cheers, Russow will be living a dream. He'll be fighting in the Octagon in the city he patrols. It's a far cry from the days he had to sit outside the United Center, waiting for the Bulls game to end.

"Back then, I never would have imagined this."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-fox-2-mike-russow-balances-police-fighting-154723780.html

Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

UFC on Fox 2 Results: Sonnen Edges Bisping to Set Up Rematch with Anderson Silva

Chael Sonnen narrowly beat Michael Bisping by unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2 on Saturday night to set up an anticipated rematch with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27376/ufc-on-fox-2-results-sonnen-edges-bisping-to-set-up-rematch-with-anderson-silva/

Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè 

Rashad Evans says boo all you want, he likes it

This is a nice behind-the-scenes video blog following Rashad Evans. As always Evans drops some awesome lines. He talks about being a heel and that he wouldn't want it any other way (5:35 mark). Watch the end, the delivery is dynamite.

Evans faces Phil Davis in the main event of Saturday's UFC on Fox 2 card in Chicago.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/rashad-evans-says-boo-want-likes-223605991.html

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt AndersenÂ