The more you climb, the better you?ll climb

I have had a few days away from climbing - in fact, my last session was 3 weekends ago at Froggatt - and so I got back to the gym this week. My local gym has an auto-belay setup so I was able to do some indoor routes without company. And I struggled! Struggled to get [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rock-climbing-blog/~3/m7EzE0aQ8xw/philsheard

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

Dana White calls out Internet hackers, they respond by releasing his alleged personal info

CHICAGO -- The war is on between the UFC and Internet hackers.

On Sunday, UFC.com was re-routed several times to the website UGnazi. The site's organizers, who White called terrorists several times during the "UFC on Fox 2" press conference, said the hacking of UFC.com is a result of the company's support of SOPA and PIPA. The wide-ranging bills are aimed at stopping online piracy.

White lashed out at the hackers.

Update: White dug in deeper during a conversation with The Score's Mauro Ranallo (13:30 mark).

"Keep hacking our site, do it again. Do it tonight," said White. "These guys look like terrorists now and a bill that was about to die, is about to come back."

The hacker taking credit for the UFC hit, @joshthgod, went a different route after the challenge, posting White's personal info, including a Social Security number, a list of residential addresses, a vehicle identification number and a personal phone number.

That followed a tweet that said White is now the target.

"@danawhite We don't want your site anymore. We are going after YOU! Follow me for tonights exciting events! #ufc #sopa #acta #pipa,"

[Related: Why SOPA, PIPA aren't answer to MMA's piracy problem]

White said the hackers are only hurting their own cause by alerting politicians that there's a serious issue. He's willing to risk his own safety to stop the online pilfering.

"Is SOPA the perfect bill? No, it's not. The only thing that we're focused on is piracy. Piracy is stealing. If you walk into a store and you steal a gold watch, it's the same as stealing a pay-per-view. I don't care what your twisted, demented idea of stealing is," White said. "These kids who grew up on the Internet never had to pay for anything, so they don't think that you should have to."

White closed by saying he's not afraid of the Internet, it's where cowards live.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/dana-white-calls-internet-hackers-respond-releasing-personal-142312772.html

Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo 

Jorge Rivera goes out a winner in retirement fight at UFC on FX 1

He doesn't rank up there with the likes of Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, but Jorge Rivera certainly did his part as one of the building blocks for the UFC.

A long-time card filler since 2003, Rivera announced earlier in the day that he was retiring following his fight tonight. He seized the opportunity to shine in his final trip to the Octagon by wearing down and eventually punching out Eric Schafer at the 1:31 mark of the second round of the final fight on the FUEL TV portion of the UFC on FX 1 card.

"I want to thank Zuffa. I want to thank Dana White, the Fertitta brothers, Burt Watson, whose voice I'm going to miss dearly in the back," Rivera told UFC play-by-play announcer Jon Anik.

Rivera then turned his attention to thanking his family and training partners. That's when he got a bit emotional.

It was nice to see the near 40-year-old make it to the cage tonight for his 15th career fight with the promotion. He nearly retired back in 2009 after the tragic passing of his daughter Jessica.

Rivera (19-9) turned pro back in 2001. He finishes with an 8-7 record in the UFC. He rose near the top of the division facing former UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin at UFC 50. He also lost to current contender Michael Bisping. He had to overcome some rough times in his personal life when Jessica, 17, passed away after a fatal reaction to birth control medication.

"I'm grateful I fought here in front of a lot of people. It's been a real nice trip. It's been real good to me," said Rivera.

Rivera's seen the sport come a long way. In 2003, UFC pay-per-views had trouble eclipsing 50,000 buys. Tonight, between FUEL TV and FX, all 11 fights are being televised to a nationwide audience.

The victory was typical Rivera. He never panics in the cage, so even when he was getting dominated in the grappling game, Rivera stayed composed in the first round. Schafer, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, had top control for much of the opening round, but never threatened with a submission.

Schafer (12-7-2, 3-6 UFC) is a new entry to the middleweight division. His stamina was an issue in his UFC debut fight at 185 pounds against Aaron Simpson and it happened again tonight.

"He's a strong guy. I was watching him in the back. He had a real tough [weight] cut, so I knew the longer the fight would go, he would have a harder time. And I could feel him breathing harder and harder," said Rivera.

Rivera escaped one final takedown attempt with 4:10 left in the second. With Schafer on his hands and knees, Rivera stunned him with a right uppercut. He eventually faded to the cage where he ate 23 unanswered shots. After several requests from referee Herb Dean to defend himself, Schafer didn't respond and the fight was stopped.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/jorge-rivera-goes-winner-retirement-fight-ufc-fx-020509572.html

Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo 

Quinton Jackson reacts to positive steroid test from ?King Mo?

It was just two weeks ago that Muhammed Lawal was calling Quinton Jackson washed up and a B-level actor.

Jackson didn't say too much since, but he did sit down for an interview yesterday which happened to be perfectly timed with the news released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that "King Mo" tested positive for an anabolic steroid following his Strikeforce fight.

"I feel that any fighter who has to use steroids to go in the cage and fight somebody is not a true fighter somebody just blatantly taking anabolical steroids to get in the cage is a sad case," said Jackson.

Jackson said Lawal's recent woes are to be expected.

"He talk a big game and calling people bums, it's just karma. Look at him. He's a very cocky individual," said Jackson.

Lawal tested positive for Drostanolone, but denied using any illegal substances.

Jackson shows a good sense of humor later in the interview over the fact that King Mo was mocking on his role in the "A-Team."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/quinton-jackson-reacts-positive-test-steriod-king-mo-195005342.html

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen 

UFC on FOX 2: By the Odds

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Chael SonnenThe UFC returns to network TV on Saturday night with an interesting lineup that more than one current champ will no doubt want to keep a close eye on. But with all this last-minute match-up shuffling taking place, surely there must be some intriguing adjustments on the betting odds front for the UFC on FOX 2. All that's left is to find out where the deals are...and where they aren't.

Rashad Evans (-210) vs. Phil Davis (+170)

The line on this fight started out a little closer to even -- Evans at -160 and Davis at +135 sounds about right to me -- but soon spread out, leaving us to ask the question: does Evans really deserve to be a 2-1 favorite over a former NCAA champion wrestler who's unbeaten in his MMA career? Really?

As you can probably tell by now, I'm leaning toward no. It's not that I don't think Evans deserves to be the favorite. He's been in this sport longer, knows the tricks of the trade a little better, and is more comfortable in the big fights than the relatively unpolished and still largely one-dimensional Davis. Coming from a wrestling background himself, Evans probably has a good sense of what Davis doesn't even know he doesn't know yet (if that makes any sense at all), and that might be the edge that matters in a close fight. Still, 2-1 over a guy who would most likely beat him in a straight wrestling match? That's hard to swallow. Evans can't rely on wrestling ability or sheer athleticism against a guy like Davis. He'll have to be the smarter, more experienced fighter, and he'll also have to hope that Davis' long layoff will take its toll in the late rounds. Those are all distinct possibilities, but by no means guarantees.
My pick: I hate to sound like a Facebook relationship status here, but it's complicated. If you could have jumped on Evans when he was at -160, I'd tell you to take that. If you feel like waiting to see if Davis creeps up closer to +200, I'd applaud your patience. In other words, I like Evans to win, but these odds aren't worth the risk in a fight this close.




Chael Sonnen (-400) vs. Michael Bisping (+300)

Here's a fight where the line has actually come down a bit from a slightly absurd start when it was first announced. Simply put, oddsmakers seem to think that there's no clear path to victory for Bisping, and I tend to agree. He lacks the knockout power to truly put the fear into Sonnen on the feet, and he's not exactly a submissions artist off his back. Neither is he a high-caliber wrestler with the chops to shut down Sonnen's takedowns and use his hit-and-run tactics to wear the self-proclaimed middleweight champion down. So what's a well-rounded Brit to do? I'm not sure I know the answer, and I doubt that Bisping does either.
My pick: Sonnen. The line makes this a parlay pick all the way, but it's as close to a lock as you'll find on this card.

Chris Weidman (-150) vs. Demian Maia (+120)

Okay oddsmakers, here's where I have to call shenanigans. If Weidman had signed to fight Maia six weeks ago, maybe then I could understand this line. If he'd had all that time to study film and work on countering Maia's style of jiu-jitsu in the gym, then fine, maybe I'd agree that he deserves to be a small favorite. But that's not what happened. Weidman took this fight -- easily the biggest fight of his life and against the most accomplished opponent he's ever faced -- on less than two weeks' notice. He's going from facing the Tom Lawlors and Jesse Bongfeldts of the MMA world to fighting a guy who has perhaps the most dangerous submissions game in the division, and he's doing it with no real training camp to speak of. You take a fight like this on short notice, your big concern is getting your weight right and showing up looking reasonably ready to fight. You're basically saying that you think you could beat Maia if he walked in unannounced to your gym one day and issued a kung fu movie-esque challenge right on the spot. And -- who knows? -- maybe Weidman really is that good. All I know for sure is that we haven't seen it yet, at least not against any opponent of Maia's caliber.
My pick: Maia. His edge in both experience and preparation makes him an underdog I can't pass up.

Quick picks:

- John Olav Einemo (+120) over Mike Russow (-150). Yes, Russow is a tough guy and a local favorite, but I think he's a tad too slow for Einemo.

- George Roop (+115) over Cub Swanson (-145). Roop is slightly better than his recent record indicates, while Swanson still has a lot of holes in his game.

The 'For Entertainment Purposes Only' Parlay:
Sonnen + Maia + Evan Dunham (-400) + Joey Beltran (-225).

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/01/26/ufc-on-fox-2-by-the-odds/

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

Dana White Open to Nate Marquardt, Not Anthony Johnson

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CHICAGO -- UFC President Dana White confirmed on Thursday that Anthony Johnson has been released from the UFC and won't be welcome back until he can prove that he has put his weight problems behind him. But White wasn't quite so adamant that another fighter he released, Nate Marquardt, wouldn't be welcome to return to the Octagon.

With Johnson, White said missing weight by 11 pounds at UFC 142 made it clear that he doesn't belong in the UFC. White also specifically ruled out the possibility of Johnson fighting for Strikeforce, and said that Johnson needs to go to another promotion, make weight and win fights before the UFC would consider giving him another chance.



"He needs to go fight somewhere else, get some wins, come in on weight," White said of Johnson. "He needs to prove to me that he can be a professional, show up on weight and do the things he needs to do. If he does, we can talk."

When asked about Marquardt, however, White sounded open to the possibility that he could re-sign with the UFC. Marquardt last fought at UFC 128 in March, defeating Dan Miller, but was cut by the UFC after his testosterone replacement therapy resulted in a high testosterone count, causing the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission to cancel his fight. White was furious at the time, but several months later he sounds willing to forgive and forget.

"I don't dislike Nate," White said. "I like Nate very much. We'll see what happens."

Marquardt and Johnson were originally scheduled to fight each other in the main event of the UFC on Versus card in August, before Johnson pulled out with an injury and before Marquardt ran into his trouble with the Pennsylvania Commission. Both fighters are now free agents, which means that if another promotion wants to sign them, it could book a fight worthy of being a UFC main event.

But if one of those free agents signs with the UFC this year, it sounds like it's going to be Marquardt. White may eventually forgive and forget with Johnson, but that won't happen any time soon.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/01/26/dana-white-open-to-nate-marquardt-not-anthony-johnson/

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio