Edson Barboza posts ?KO of the Year? finish of Terry Etim at UFC 142

Edson Barboza was cruising towards a solid victory, but that wasn't enough. The Brazilian decided to try a spectacular spinning heel kick (some called it a wheel kick) and Terry Etim's face was the unfortunate recipient.

Etim went down in a heap, his right arm stuck in the air. The Brazilian scored the third-round finish at the 2:02 mark to record his fourth victory in the UFC in the opener of the pay-per-view portion of UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro.

What a way to kick off the PPV show at HSBC in Barboza's homeland. The fight was actually starting to get a little stale. Barboza used his low kicks to settle into a good scoring groove, but he didn't look like he was going to try for the kill.

The kick was perfectly executed and Etim never saw it coming. UFC analyst Joe Rogan said it was the first spinning heel kick knockout in the history of the UFC.

"When you fight in Brazil, it's unlike fighting in any other place in the world. In a fight, you try things and hope they work. Tonight, it (the kick) worked. It's something I've practiced a lot and I finally was able to land it hard," Barboza said.

Barboza (10-0) is a perfect 4-0 in the UFC while Etim (15-4, 6-4 UFC) has lost 2-of-3.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/barboza-sets-pace-ko-finish-etim-ufc-142-035657571.html

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

Why is ?Cyborg? talking trash and doing so with fake pictures of Gina Carano?

After a positive steroid test, it's probably best to slink off into the shadows for a while.

Apparently, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos doesn't realize the damage her positive test did to her reputation. The last thing fans want to hear from an alleged "cheater" is her dumping on someone who's currently in the mix, licensed and clean.

Cyborg went down that path and did so in the oddest fashion. Santos decided to lash out at Ronda Rousey. Rousey, a former Olympian and current 135- and 145-pound contender, has buried Cyborg over her positive test. You feel bad for Cyborg? Some will say, tough luck it comes with the territory.

Along with a postfight photo of Gina Carano, Cyborg responded Wednesday by tweeting "next victim ... Ronda" in Portuguese.

One problem, the Carano photo taken after Cyborg beat her up appears to be severely Photoshopped.

Some sharp fans and Rousey noticed the photo had been altered, and called her some nasty names on Twitter.

Maybe this is an innocent mistake and Cyborg thought she really beat up Carano that badly. Either way, the fact the she's talking trash less than a month after shaming the sport and female fighters is inexcusable.

Tip via Bloody Elbow

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/why-cyborg-talking-trash-doing-fake-pictures-gina-000030358.html

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UFC 142 vlog: Dana White tells Vitor Belfort about Anthony Johnson?s situation

Dana White's latest vlog does a nice a job of showing behind-the-scenes coverage of how the Anthony Johnson weigh-in miss went down.

Vitor Belfort arrives at the arena (2:45 mark) and is blown away by the fact that Johnson wasn't going to make weight. He explains that his cut was tough. As he thinks about what to do, Belfort begins to intensely chew on a towel full of ice to get a little water into his system.

White gives him the option of not making weight either, but then he wouldn't get 20 percent of Johnson's purse. His nutrition coach Mike Dolce is brought into help make a decision and says Vitor is going to be professional and do his part.

Later in the video, Johnson is informed on stage that he has to weigh in again on Saturday and be under 205 pounds. The exchange between White and the fighter is cordial.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-142-vlog-dana-white-tells-vitor-belfort-205523480.html

Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander

Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage Slated for UFC 145 in Atlanta

Sengoku veteran Maximo Blanco will move to the UFC featherweight division after a single Strikeforce fight and is expected to make his 145-pound debut against The Ultimate Fighter 14's Marcus Brimage at UFC 145 on April 21 in Atlanta.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27275/maximo-blanco-vs-marcus-brimage-slated-for-ufc-145-in-atlanta/

Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida 

Sonnen vs. Bisping is for title shot, but Chael says Silva will never fight him

Dana White released his first video blog for the card on FX today. One interesting scene includes the UFC president dealing with the withdrawal of Mark Munoz from the UFC on Fox 2 card. White is getting ready to release news of the new Chael Sonnen-Michael Bising fight and says the winner will get a title shot against the currently sidelined UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva.

White must know something Sonnen doesn't because the outspoken contender sounds pretty sure he'll never face Silva.

"I'm not going to fight Anderson either way. They can say whatever they want. Anderson is never going to do that fight," Sonnen told "The MMA Insiders" show last week on Las Vegas' ESPN1100/98.9 FM. "I hope he's healthy and has a good life, but I'm not buying into this mythical world that Anderson is going to some day sign a contract to fight me."

During today's UFC on Fox 2 conference call, Sonnen reiterated his theory and said Silva turned down the fight to their boss' face.

"He even said no to (UFC executive) Lorenzo Fertitta's face. Face-to-face, not over the phone ? Lorenzo brought him out, sat him down, and said, 'This is the fight we want.' And Anderson said no," said Sonnen.

Sonnen knows management isn't pleased and questions the severity of Silva's back and shoulder injuries.

"They're not happy about it. The message to Anderson was this ' Chael is the opponent for you. You can fight him or you can't fight nobody. He elected to fight nobody,'" said Sonnen. "Dan Henderson said it perfectly, if the right opponent comes up, all of Anderson's injuries will go away."

Silva's next opponent will be known next Saturday night. A date and location is completely up in the air until Silva announces when he can officially return.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/sonnen-vs-bisping-title-shot-chael-says-silva-231128840.html

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UFC on FX 1?s Three Stars: Jim Miller, Jorge Rivera and Nick Denis

The UFC's first event on FX may as well have been nickname, "Guys who need to win the get their career back on track." However, that's a bit wordy. Instead, fighters like Pat Barry and Jim Miller, who were in need of a win got back on their feet. Here are Cagewriter's Three Stars. Tell us yours in the comments or on Facebook.

No. 1 star -- Jim Miller: After losing the Ben Henderson in August, Miller needed a win to remain among the stacked lightweight division's best. He easily picked it up, choking out Melvin Guillard in just two minutes. It won him an extra $45,000 for Submission of the Night.

No. 2 star -- Jorge Rivera: Every fighter wants to leave the game on his own terms. Rivera was one of the lucky few who got to do that, winning by TKO in the second round over Eric Schaefer hours after announcing his retirement. He finished his 11-year career with 20 wins, nine losses, and a cadre of fans who admired Rivera's never say die attitude in the cage.

No. 3 star -- Nick Denis: Thankfully, the UFC replayed Denis' ballet of elbow violence after the main card, allowing fans without Fuel or Fox Deportes (a viable option for fans without Fuel) to see Denis knock out Joseph Sandoval with short elbows in just 22 seconds in the winner's UFC debut. "The Ninja of Love" walked away with an extra $45,000 for Knockout of the Night.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-fx-1-three-stars-jim-miller-jorge-140205469.html

Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio

Why is ?Cyborg? talking trash and doing so with fake pictures of Gina Carano?

After a positive steroid test, it's probably best to slink off into the shadows for a while.

Apparently, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos doesn't realize the damage her positive test did to her reputation. The last thing fans want to hear from an alleged "cheater" is her dumping on someone who's currently in the mix, licensed and clean.

Cyborg went down that path and did so in the oddest fashion. Santos decided to lash out at Ronda Rousey. Rousey, a former Olympian and current 135- and 145-pound contender, has buried Cyborg over her positive test. You feel bad for Cyborg? Some will say, tough luck it comes with the territory.

Along with a postfight photo of Gina Carano, Cyborg responded Wednesday by tweeting "next victim ... Ronda" in Portuguese.

One problem, the Carano photo taken after Cyborg beat her up appears to be severely Photoshopped.

Some sharp fans and Rousey noticed the photo had been altered, and called her some nasty names on Twitter.

Maybe this is an innocent mistake and Cyborg thought she really beat up Carano that badly. Either way, the fact the she's talking trash less than a month after shaming the sport and female fighters is inexcusable.

Tip via Bloody Elbow

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/why-cyborg-talking-trash-doing-fake-pictures-gina-000030358.html

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