UFC 139?s Three* Stars: Henderson, Rua, Silva and McDonald

UFC 139?s Three* Stars: Henderson, Rua, Silva and McDonald

More than a day has passed since UFC 139 ended, and it's still running through my mind. I watched the NFL all Sunday, and I still couldn't stop thinking about the Henderson/Rua main event, Wanderlei Silva's unlikely win, and every other great performance that helped create such a memorable event. Below are Cagewriter's Three Stars. Tell us yours in the comments or on Facebook.

No. 1 star -- Dan Henderson: His walkout shirt read "Hearts and minds overcome all," and it turned out to be an indicator of the kind of main event that would happen at UFC 139. Henderson came out hard and seemed close to finishing off Rua early on, but used every bit of heart to survive in the later rounds as Rua dominated. Henderson extended his win streak to four, earned a title shot of some sort, and a $70,000 bonus. Not too shabby for a 41-year-old.

UFC 139?s Three* Stars: Henderson, Rua, Silva and McDonaldNo. 1a star -- Mauricio "Shogun" Rua: The other half of Henderson's amazing fight deserves as much recognition as Henderson. He withstood punches that have knocked out Fedor Emelianenko, Rafael Cavalcante, and Michael Bisping. With his face bloody and swollen, Rua engineered a comeback that fell just shy of a win in the eyes of the judges.

No. 2 star -- Wanderlei Silva: A bit of magic abounds when Silva hits the cage looking like his vintage self. He showed why he has the nickname "The Axe Murderer" as he withstood Cung Le's kicks, and then earned the TKO in the second round. There is no guarantee that we will get to see much more of him in the Octagon as he has taken much punishment over his 15-year MMA career. Instead of worrying about what's next for him, let's just enjoy that his magic was present in San Jose on Saturday.

No. 3 star -- Michael McDonald: He's 20, he has unlimited potential, and he has another memorable win under his belt. McDonald's knockout left Alex Soto with a very short UFC debut, and earned McDonald a $70,000 Knockout of the Night bonus. That's a record of 14-1 for McDonald before he even becomes old enough to drink after his American fights.

*Yep, that's actually four stars.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-139-s-Three-Stars-Henderson-Rua-Silva-an?urn=mma-wp9840

Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander

Why actor Devon Sawa loves MMA

Why actor Devon Sawa loves MMADevon Sawa has been appearing in movies since 1993. His roles range from the mean boy Scott Wormer in "Now and Then" to the maniacal "Stan" in Eminem's epic music video to action hero Owen Elliot in the TV series "Nikita." He is also a huge MMA fan, and he talked to Cagewriter about how he feel for the sport.

Sawa started training in boxing and Muay Thai around six years ago, and was drawn in by the sport.

"I used to party a lot, and go to clubs a lot and do that whole thing, I just decided that I needed a different thing in life. I needed a change. I started boxing, and went to Thailand and tried Muay Thai. As I got into it, I started watching it. At first it was just UFC, and you know how it goes from there. All of a sudden I'm watching PRIDE, and waking up at 3 in the morning to watch DREAM, and it kind of snowballed."

He rarely misses fights since he rarely has to work on Saturday nights, though he's not happy about missing this weekend's boxing match because of a flight. Like many MMA fans, he has a hard time narrowing down his favorite fighters.

"I have to say GSP because I'm a Canadian. I'd love to see him go back to the old GSP but he's winning, and that's good. I'm a big Chael Sonnen fan. He's an exciting fighter to watch. I know he's got his thing, and he's a great promoter out of the Octagon, but when he's in there, he delivers. He makes it interesting, but he gets in the Octagon and he really does perform."

Like many MMA fans, he is still thinking about the five-round war between Dan Henderson and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

"My favorite fight right now is the Hendo fight, because it just happened and you're still feeling the buzz from it."

Sawa hasn't attend too many live fight events, but he did attend a card that is now infamous.

"I was at a Strikeforce show where I was right up front, and it was awesome. I was there for the Mayhem Miller brawl with the Diaz brothers. I was turning to leave, and all of a sudden there's an all-out brawl in the cage."

He is currently starring on the CW show "Nikita," and finds that his MMA training comes in handy both on the show and in pursuing other roles.

"I didn't start MMA so that it would go into my work, but it has. I do this show "Nikita," and it's action-based. I have an episode coming up where I do a little Muay Thai, and I've used jiu-jitsu in another episode. Those skills come in handy."

Next year, he will play the friend of an MMA fighter in "The Philly Kid," a movie Sawa describes as a Rocky-type, feel-good story. Training alongside fighters at Legends MMA, he knows what goes into fight preparation.

"I train just for hobby. You watch these guys, and they put so much into it. There's so much they do just to get there. And it's one-on-one. They show their skills, and I've got a lot of respect for those guys. It's the ultimate test. Whose better conditioned? Who has better skills? If it ends up on the ground, can you handle that?"

Watch Sawa on Friday nights in "Nikita" on the CW.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Why-actor-Devon-Sawa-loves-MMA?urn=mma-wp10090

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

Thailand sport climbing: can you help?

Since an old friend told me about his climbing trips to Thailand it’s been one of my boxes-to-tick. Climbing by the beach and then relaxing in the blue seas sounds too good to be true. I’m about to find out - I’ve decided to do it later this year… Photo kindly shared by HalonaCoast on Flickr I’m [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rock-climbing-blog/~3/38U5UCpl448/philsheard

Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida 

UFC 139 PPV opener: Bonnar steamrolls helpless Kingsbury on the ground

UFC 139 PPV opener: Bonnar steamrolls helpless Kingsbury on the ground

SAN JOSE, Calif. - It's rare for Stephan Bonnar to leave the Octagon with almost no damage on his face, but he did it tonight and picked up an easy win.

The brawler turned tactician tonight and grounded Kyle Kingsbury for close to 14 minutes on his way to an easy unanimous decision victory, 30-27, 30-27 and 30-25 on the scorecards.

Bonnar yelled "sorry" to the crowd to respond to some booing. Frankly, for a guy many fans thought was close to the end three fights ago, he didn't owe anyone an apology. He ran a ground clinic on Kingsbury.

"I'm not used to fans booing during my fights, but it's hard to get wins in here," Bonnar told UFC analyst Joe Rogan. "I had good control of the fight on the ground. I didn't want to risk it, go all out and make a mistake."

Bonnar's plan as always was to go the rock'em, sock'em route, but the takedowns were so easy he switched up his game plan.

The first round was unfolding as a slugfest as the fighters threw heavy shots at one another and it got even more heated along the cage in the clinch. But with 1:55 left, Kingsbury, trying to control Bonnar's head, was taken down. It was evident the former Arizona State defensive lineman was helpless on his back. Bonnar took him down again one minute into the second and 35 seconds into the third.

On the ground, he quickly moved to side control and rotated from side-to-side. He landed dozens of small punches, but never went for broke with a submission attempt. The crowd may have thought the fight lacked action, but Kingsbury's face showed a lot of damage.

"I was trying to submit him and he was defending well. So you have to take what you can get in here. Wins are hard to come by. Everyone is tough."

Bonnar (14-7, 8-5 UFC) appeared to be on his last legs when he lost at UFC 110, but he's now reeled off three straight wins.

"I just got my ass kicked in front of the hometown crowd. It sucks. I got a great camp, great coaches and great teammates," Kingsbury said. "I'll get back on top. I'm going to get right back into the gym and focus on fixing things that didn't go so well tonight."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-139-PPV-opener-Bonnar-steamrolls-helpless-K?urn=mma-wp9710

Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah 

With Satisfying Win, Michael Bisping Hopes He Taught 'Mayhem' Miller a Lesson

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Michael Bisping defeated Mayhem Miller at the TUF 14 finale.LAS VEGAS -- For all of one round, Saturday night's TUF 14 Finale main event was a competitive fight. Unfortunately for Jason "Mayhem" Miller, it was scheduled for five.

The MTV star and Ultimate Fighter coach managed to use his grappling skills to stymie Michael Bisping for most of the first frame, but late in the opening round he began to fade, and his decline only got worse as the fight wore on.

Bisping, meanwhile, got sharper and crisper with his striking as Miller got slower and sloppier, and the result was a mostly one-sided beatdown for the next two rounds that came to a merciful halt at 3:34 of round three.

After the event, Bisping brushed off suggestions that he'd only managed to stop Miller because of fatigue, saying "Any time I stop someone it's because they gas. I guarantee Jason didn't gas. I guarantee Jason could have gone five rounds."




As Bisping saw it, his win wasn't a result of Miller's fatigue so much as Miller's fatigue was a result of the punishment Bisping doled out over the course of the three rounds.

"This was a big opportunity for Jason. I guarantee he had the cardio to go five [rounds]," Bisping said. "Guess what? You might have cardio, but when someone's landing big body shots like I was, kneeing you in the stomach and punching you repeatedly in the face, your cardio gets affected. The best runners in the world, you kick the [expletive] out of them, they won't run quite as well."

Whatever the cause, Miller was running on fumes by the end of the second round. Bisping kept the strikes coming, bloodying Miller's face and following him around the cage, while all Miller could do in response was wing looping punches and dive for takedowns that got easier and easier for Bisping to avoid. Near the end of the second frame, Miller even put his hands at his sides and taunted Bisping as the Brit teed off on his face.

"I had Charles McCarthy do that back at UFC 83. He did the same thing. That's normally the sign of a man who hasn't got anything else to do. They're trying to get a bit of bravado because they can't fight back, so they'll just try and look tough while they're getting their asses kicked."

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The end came for Miller after a failed takedown attempt in round three left him turtled up and helpless to respond as Bisping hammered his head and body. When it became clear that Miller was incapable of fighting back, referee Steve Mazzagatti stepped in to stop it.

"This was a satisfying victory," Bisping said afterward. "Jason jumped on the bandwagon of that a) nobody likes me, and b) I'm not a very good fighter, and I don't deserve...all the rewards I've received for being a professional fighter all this time. He was quick to discredit me, that I was given hand-picked opponents and things like that. That doesn't sit well with me, and I find it very offensive. It was nice to go out there and teach him a lesson."

It was particularly satisfying to end the fight via TKO since Miller had criticized him for a lack of power, Bisping said, saying he had "pillow hands."

"For someone who has no punching power, I do believe the statistic is that seven out of eight of my last opponents have all gone to the hospital. While I'm sitting here doing this, he's probably in the back of an ambulance."

Miller was, in fact, taken to a hospital to get checked out, according to UFC officials. Bisping, however, showed little damage aside from a lump above his left eye that he said was the result of an accidental headbutt.

And while the UFC's announcement of a number one contender bout between Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz in January likely means that Bisping won't rocket up to the top of the division as a result of this one win, that's fine with him, he said -- as long as he gets a fight that help to keep moving in that direction.

"I class myself as one of the best in the world. I think I consistently prove that. I want to fight for the belt. I've been around the UFC a long time, and that's what I want to do. That's what all fighters want to do. Looks like Chael and Mark Munoz, they're going to fight for number one contender. Fair enough. In the meantime, I want to fight whoever it is that gets me closer to that belt."

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/12/04/with-satisfying-win-michael-bisping-hopes-he-taught-mayhem-mi/

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

UFC 139 postfight: Bonuses, company guys get wins and Faber could get Cruz plus TUF 15 coaching gig

UFC 139 postfight: Bonuses, company guys get wins and Faber could get Cruz plus TUF 15 coaching gigSAN JOSE, Calif. - It was refreshing to see three guys who've had a large part in helping to build mixed martial arts were big winners tonight at UFC 139. Urijah Faber, Stephan Bonnar and Wanderlei Silva all made it to the postfight press conference.

Faber picked up an extra $70,000 Submission of the Night while Silva's explosive tilt against Cung Le got one of the two Fight of Night awards handed out by UFC president Dana White. Dan Henderson and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua also got $70,000 for FON.

- The event drew 13,173 and a live gate of $1.268 million.

- Faber took out Brian Bowles less than six and half minutes to seal the deal on another title shot against UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz. White confirmed that Faber is getting Cruz next, but that the champ is sidelined for a while with his latest hand surgery.

"We've got some ideas we were getting together tonight and talking about," White said. "We've got to talk to Urijah and Cruz first. Cruz just had hand surgery, so he's out for a little bit, but we have an idea. We have a plan."

When Faber made the suggestion that he and Cruz could be the coaches for Season 15 of "Ultimate Fighter," White raised his eyebrows as if to confirm that the pair have been discussed as possible candidates.

- Speaking of champs on the mend, Anderson Silva is working through shoulder issues. When a Brazilian reporter pressed White on reports that the promotion is headed to Sao Paolo, Brazil next June, he seemed shocked and wondered aloud how the news leaked. White didn't confirm or deny the report. When asked a followup question during his media scrum following the presser, White said it's very possible Silva could be held out until June.

- It's official that the UFC on Fox 2 will be in Chicago. White said the show will be two hours long and feature four fights. He would not elaborate on any of the candidates to fill the four main card fights at the United Center.

- UFC 139 Knockout of the Night went to 20-year-old Michael McDonald, who devastated UFC newcomer Alex Soto in just 56 seconds.

It's been quite a year for McDonald. He's 3-0 in 2011. Tonight, he likely made $7,000 to show and $7,000 to win. UFC 139's payday totals $84,000 for McDonald. He made $12,00 at UFC 132 and also won a fight of the Night bonus at Ultimate Fight Night 24 in March good for a total payday of $70,000. The Modesto-native has earned $166,000 this year.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-139-postfight-Bonuses-company-guys-get-win?urn=mma-wp9821

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz

Michael Chandler pulls upset win over Eddie Alvarez at Bellator

Michael Chandler pulls upset win over Eddie Alvarez at BellatorWhile UFC 139 was on a break in San Jose, Bellator put on a fight of the year candidate that ended with a new lightweight champ. Michael Chandler submitted Eddie Alvarez in the fourth round to take Bellator's lightweight belt.

Chandler started swinging from the first second of the fight, wobbling Alvarez against the fence in the first 30 seconds. Though Alvarez survived, Chandler took the first two rounds by landing combination after combination. The back-and-forth of the fight didn't slow in the first two rounds, but it was Chandler who had the clear advantage.

Alvarez, who is widely considered a top-three lightweight, recovered in the third round. He pinned Chandler against the fence with unanswered punches several times.

In the fourth round, Chandler took over. He knocked Alvarez to the ground, followed up with ground and pound, moved to full mount, then took Alvarez's back in a rear-naked choke. Alvarez tapped at 3:06 in the fourth.

Alvarez had been the only lightweight champion in Bellator history. His last loss was in a heel hook to Shinya Aoki in 2008, and had rattled off seven wins since that loss. Chandler, who wrestled at the University of Missouri, is relatively inexperienced. He is 9-0 to Alvarez's 22-3.

But now, Chandler has proved that he is a force to be reckoned with, and Bellator gave MMA fans a fight to remember.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Michael-Chandler-pulls-upset-win-over-Eddie-Alva?urn=mma-wp9701

Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander

TUF 14 Finale Weigh-In Results: Bisping, Miller Set for Main Event

Michael Bisping failed to make weight in his first trip to the scale, but later weighed in successfully to make his headliner with rival coach Jason "Mayhem" Miller official for tomorrow's The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in Las Vegas.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/26814/the-ultimate-fighter-14-finale-weigh-in-results-and-video/

Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade 

John Dodson runs circles around TJ Dillashaw, takes ?The Ultimate Fighter? bantamweight crown

John Dodson runs circles around TJ Dillashaw, takes ?The Ultimate Fighter? bantamweight crownLAS VEGAS - John Dodson has too much energy to be contained in a cage.

After he knocked T.J. Dillashaw silly, Dodson backflipped off the Octagon, then danced and bounced off the walls.

The tiny bantamweight proved sized doesn't matter when countered with speed and technique at Saturday night's bantamweight finale of "The Ultimate Fighter." Dodson was impossible to hit over the first 90 seconds of the fight and when he drilled Dillashaw with a left to the side of the head he went into hyper-speed to get the finish at the 1:54 mark of the first.

The 5-foot-3 Dodson is the first 135-pound champ in the history of the "The Ultimate Fighter," which rolled out its first season featuring the little guys at bantamweight and featherweight. Dodson was already widely recognized as one of the best 125ers in the world, but he took a gamble in trying out for the field of bigger guys, and came out a huge winner.

"Words cannot describe how I feel right now. Thank you everybody," Dodson told UFC analyst Joe Rogan as much of the Las Vegas crowd at the Palms booed. "I don't care if you hate me, just watch me."

John Dodson runs circles around TJ Dillashaw, takes ?The Ultimate Fighter? bantamweight crown

Dodson emerged from the show as one of the big heels. He talked plenty of trash and even worse, a member of Team "Mayhem" Miller, he served as a spy for Team Michael Bisping.

Dillashaw, who trains out of Urijah Faber's Team Alpha Male in California, was a big favorite before the season started. There are some who believe he's just a tick behind veterans like Faber and another teammate Joe Benavidez, who are both ranked in the top six at bantamweight.

[ Related: More on 'TUF 14 Finale' ]

Dillashaw, a former elite college wrestler, came out in a low stance and tried to establish range with his jab. He looked incredibly slow against the lightning quick Dodson. Dillashaw threw a lazy shot when he got crushed by left punch/arm to the side of his head. He was stunned and stumbled for a second. That's all it took for Dodson to land a short left and drop him.

Dodson flew on top of him and got off three more hammerfists before ref Herb Dean jumped in to save Dillashaw. Dillashaw was going for a leg to try and get the fight under control when Dean stopped it. It may have been a little early to halt the action, but when Dillashaw rose to his feet he wobbled back to the cage.

John Dodson runs circles around TJ Dillashaw, takes ?The Ultimate Fighter? bantamweight crown

Update: Dodson scored the Knockout of the Night bonus good for $40,000.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/John-Dodson-runs-circles-around-TJ-Dillashaw-ta?urn=mma-wp10209

Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz