Rockhold takes Strikeforce middleweight belt with win over Souza

CINCINNATI --  Luke Rockhold became the new Strikeforce middleweight champ with a tight decision win over Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza at Strikeforce on Saturday night. In a bout that saw Rockhold outstrike Souza 145-63, the judges saw the fight 50-45, 48-47 for Rockhold.

Souza took Rockhold down early in the first round, but then had trouble maneuvering him. Rockhold worked to his knees, where was able to land punches, then get to his feet. Jacare took him right back down, but they worked back up again, and Rockhold was able to break free. Jacare took advantage, and stalked Rockhold down with kicks. Rockhold responded with a dazzling array of strikes, including three straight punches as Souza held Rockhold's leg.

Rockhold started the second round off well, showing a spinning back kick, but was wobbled by Souza twice. They continued to go back and forth, both landing powerful strikes, until Rockhold took over the round in the final seconds.

Early in the third round, Rockhold landed  a shot to Jacare's groin, halting the fight. When it was restarted, Jacare avoided Rockhold's strikes to get a takedown. Rockhold slipped back to his feet and pressured Jacare around the cage.

Blood dripped from Rockhold's face by the fourth round, but he did not slow down. He continued to stalk Jacare around until the Brazilian forced the fight into the cage. Jacare tried to turn their clinch into a takedown, but Rockhold slipped out. He returned to the clinch and landed damaging knees to Jacare's face.

Rockhold started well in the fifth and final round, but couldn't maintain his pace of landing strikes and pressuring Jacare around the cage, as Jacare managed a takedown halfway through the round. Still, Rockhold returned to his feet, withstood a front kick to the face, and landed more punches and kicks as the fight hit its final minute.

Rockhold, a product of the well-known American Kickboxing Academy, came up through Strikeforce's Challengers series before getting bigger shots. That system is in place just so that fighters aren't hurried along, and they did a good job with Rockhold, who is now their champ at just 26 yars old. .

But like with other Strikeforce championships, the future is vague. Though middleweight is one of their deeper divisions, it's not clear what will happen next. The young man can now just savor his victory before worrying about what's next.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Rockhold-takes-Strikeforce-middleweight-belt-wit?urn=mma-wp6759

Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo 

?Big? John McCarthy talks about officiating, MMA history and his new book

MMA referee John McCarthy never expected to write a book about his life, but he also never expected that his own story would be woven in so closely with the sport of MMA.

"The truth is, I was originally talked into it by Loretta [Hunt, the book's co-author]. The reasons she gave me were valid," McCarthy told Cagewriter. "It wasn't so much about me, it was about the history of MMA and the way things actually happened. There's a lot of people out there that are fans of MMA, but have been fans since "The Ultimate Fighter" was on TV. A lot of them think that's where it started, and there's a long history before that. It's not that many years, but it's a long history with the people that have done a lot to put themselves out to try to help the sport."

That story was written into "Let's Get It On," a tome that follows McCarthy's life from a police officer in Los Angeles to one of MMA's best known referees. McCarthy's applause during pre-fight introductions often rivals that of fighters. He is still surprised by the attention.

"I joke and say, 'People recognize me because I have an ugly face and it's burned into their memory.' I'm very appreciative to people who have paid attention to the work I've done and who will give me a moment of applause. That's super-nice. It makes me feel good, but I try to tell all referees that our job is not to be popular. Our job is not to have people like us. Our job is to look out for the safety of a fighter. Sometimes you're going to do things that will make you not popular based on what you have to do for the safety of the fighter."

A well-known referee is unique to combat sports, as officials in other sports try to stay inconspicuous. In MMA, referees are one of three people in the cage, and have to be involved in ending fights. Fading into the background isn't an option, but McCarthy doesn't mind that as long as officials do their job correctly.

"It's very hard to have an official in MMA or boxing to not be noticed. It's not what people notice, but it's how the person conducts the bout, and when they actually decide to bring themselves into the action, and when they don't, that's going to determine how much someone is going to notice the referee in MMA. At times, that's something a referee has no control of, and other times it's something he has no control of. It really is dependent on the fighters."

McCarthy thinks that officiating in MMA is in a good place, but needs to be consistent across the sport.

"Officiating today, as a whole, is much better than it was 10 years ago. The sport has evolved and many of the officials have evolved with it. It still needs to continue to improve and evolve with the sport. The consistency is what we need to have from show to show, so that the fighters, fans, everyone becomes accustomed to it, no matter the show."

McCarthy's jobs of police work and officiating both revolve around keeping order. He says that a sense of right and wrong were clear to him from an early age.

"I was brought up with a serious sense of what is right and what is wrong, and sometimes, what's right goes against the rules, and sometimes what's right is with the rules. Common sense has everything to do with law enforcement, if you're going to be good at it, and it has everything to do with a referee, in any sport. You have to look at something, understand the spirit of the law, and dispense it in a fair fashion."

"Let's Get It On" is available at bookstores everywhere.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/-Big-John-McCarthy-talks-about-officiating-MMA?urn=mma-wp6668

Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah 

?Big? John McCarthy talks about officiating, MMA history and his new book

MMA referee John McCarthy never expected to write a book about his life, but he also never expected that his own story would be woven in so closely with the sport of MMA.

"The truth is, I was originally talked into it by Loretta [Hunt, the book's co-author]. The reasons she gave me were valid," McCarthy told Cagewriter. "It wasn't so much about me, it was about the history of MMA and the way things actually happened. There's a lot of people out there that are fans of MMA, but have been fans since "The Ultimate Fighter" was on TV. A lot of them think that's where it started, and there's a long history before that. It's not that many years, but it's a long history with the people that have done a lot to put themselves out to try to help the sport."

That story was written into "Let's Get It On," a tome that follows McCarthy's life from a police officer in Los Angeles to one of MMA's best known referees. McCarthy's applause during pre-fight introductions often rivals that of fighters. He is still surprised by the attention.

"I joke and say, 'People recognize me because I have an ugly face and it's burned into their memory.' I'm very appreciative to people who have paid attention to the work I've done and who will give me a moment of applause. That's super-nice. It makes me feel good, but I try to tell all referees that our job is not to be popular. Our job is not to have people like us. Our job is to look out for the safety of a fighter. Sometimes you're going to do things that will make you not popular based on what you have to do for the safety of the fighter."

A well-known referee is unique to combat sports, as officials in other sports try to stay inconspicuous. In MMA, referees are one of three people in the cage, and have to be involved in ending fights. Fading into the background isn't an option, but McCarthy doesn't mind that as long as officials do their job correctly.

"It's very hard to have an official in MMA or boxing to not be noticed. It's not what people notice, but it's how the person conducts the bout, and when they actually decide to bring themselves into the action, and when they don't, that's going to determine how much someone is going to notice the referee in MMA. At times, that's something a referee has no control of, and other times it's something he has no control of. It really is dependent on the fighters."

McCarthy thinks that officiating in MMA is in a good place, but needs to be consistent across the sport.

"Officiating today, as a whole, is much better than it was 10 years ago. The sport has evolved and many of the officials have evolved with it. It still needs to continue to improve and evolve with the sport. The consistency is what we need to have from show to show, so that the fighters, fans, everyone becomes accustomed to it, no matter the show."

McCarthy's jobs of police work and officiating both revolve around keeping order. He says that a sense of right and wrong were clear to him from an early age.

"I was brought up with a serious sense of what is right and what is wrong, and sometimes, what's right goes against the rules, and sometimes what's right is with the rules. Common sense has everything to do with law enforcement, if you're going to be good at it, and it has everything to do with a referee, in any sport. You have to look at something, understand the spirit of the law, and dispense it in a fair fashion."

"Let's Get It On" is available at bookstores everywhere.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/-8216-Big-8217-John-McCarthy-talks-about-offi?urn=mma-wp6668

José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez

Hughes goes old school, training with Penn and Miletich for next week?s fight

Hughes goes old school, training with Penn and Miletich for next week?s fight

Only in mixed martial arts, right? Unless we're talking Rocky III, when Balboa and Apollo Creed worked together, it's bizarre to see fighters working together just months after one knocks the other one silly in a fight. But that's exactly what Matt Hughes is doing by training with B.J. Penn, the guy who beat him less than 11 months ago.

"I brought in a couple of special guests ? B.J. Penn and Pat Miletich. Being around such great fighters and coaches is humbling, No. 1; and No. 2, it was a great learning environment because we all learned off each other," Hughes wrote in ESPN.com blog.

Hughes said he also worked with Jeremy Horn, Matt Pena and DaMarques Johnson. In advance of his UFC 135 fight next week against Josh Koscheck, the experience was eye opening.

"All I had to do was show up, not do anything on the mat, and I was gonna sit there and learn. If I wanted to, I could have charged admission and people would have loved to just sit there, watch and soak it in," said Hughes.

Publicly, Penn and Hughes seemed to have a pretty heated relationship until the last few years. Hughes pointed out that Penn's appearance in his latest camp was actually paying back a favor. Just weeks after he was laid out by Penn at UFC 123, Hughes actually traveled to Hawaii to work takedown defense for the Hawaiian's fight against Jon Fitch in February.

Miletich, a former UFC champion from 1998-2000, hadn't worked with Hughes since 2007. Hughes left Miletich Fighting Systems in Iowa to open his own training center, but fighter and coach stayed on good terms since the split.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Hughes-goes-old-school-training-with-Penn-and-M?urn=mma-wp6901

Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade 

White shoots down Lesnar retirement rumors

During today's UFC on Fox fight announcement teleconference, Dana White took a minute to address a Lesnar retirement story that made the rounds this morning on the MMA blogosphere.

"That's ridiculous. That's so far from the truth it's not even funny. The guy's a 100 percent. The guy's working up on farm in Canada all summer long," White said. "He's a 100 percent. His surgery went great. He's a 100 percent. He's getting back into training here in the next couple of weeks."

The MMACorner reported that Lesnar's career could be over:

However, multiple sources close to his camp tell a different story about the former champion's condition.  According to the sources, more than one doctor has informed Lesnar that he should no longer compete in the sport due to the stress that training and fighting puts on his body.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/White-shoots-down-Lesnar-retirement-rumors?urn=mma-wp6547

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen 

?Warrior? almost looks like MMA?s ?Rocky?

Is it possible mixed martial arts may have its first really good movie? It's only a trailer, but I have to admit the extended trailer in theaters looked damn good as well.

The storyline is a bit cheesy with two brothers fighting at the end of the movie, but "Warrior" looks like it has potential. The nationwide debut comes this Friday.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/-8216-Warrior-8217-almost-looks-like-MMA-821?urn=mma-wp6568

Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger 

Reinforce the Octagon: Lesnar vs. Overeem set for Dec. 30

Dana White's Twitter confirmed a fight that MMA fans have clamored for. Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem, who reportedly signed a UFC contract Tuesday, will take on former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar on Dec. 30.

This announcement puts many rumors to bed. First, Lesnar's battles with diverticulitis are not as dire as rumored if he can agree to a fight in December. It also confirms that Overeem, who was cut from Strikeforce because he refused a Strikeforce fight set for this weekend, is headed for the UFC. There was also rumors that the UFC would put together an event in Dubai for New Year's Eve, but a Vegas event the day before puts that into doubt.

Overeem talked about the fight to the Los Angeles Times:

"Brock is a big name, a dangerous guy, and this is a dream matchup," Overeem told The Times on Tuesday, just after signing a standard UFC fight contract in the office of Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta. "Brock's a big guy, an exciting wrestler with his takedowns.

"I want to see this fight myself. Overall, I'm a different fighter. A striker, athletic, big. These are going to be two big trucks going at it on a collision course."

He articulated the exact reasons why MMA fans should be excited for this fight. Both fighters are enormous and muscle-bound, but they don't have the same strengths. Lesnar is a better wrestler, while Overeem can hit like a freight train. (I assume, having never been hit by Overeem or a freight train.)

[Related: Overeem excited about big matchup with Lesnar]

Lesnar lost his belt to Cain Velasquez, a smaller, faster fighter who could defend Lesnar's takedowns. He hasn't fought since that bout, which took place last October, and had surgery shortly afterward due to a flareup of diverticulitis. Overeem's last fight was a bizarre decision win over Fabricio Werdum in June.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Reinforce-the-Octagon-Lesnar-vs-Overeem-set-fo?urn=mma-wp6588

Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio

Edwards, Peralta and Waldburger early winners at UFN 25

Edwards, Peralta and Waldburger early winners at UFN 25

Justin Edwards, Robert Peralta and T.J. Waldburger started off Ultimate Fight Night 25 with wins. Waldburger's submission was the most memorable of the early fights taking place in New Orleans on Saturday night.

Edwards ekes out decision

Jorge Lopez, a protege of Wanderlei Silva's started the fight with a big takedown, leaving him open for  Edwards to squeeze in for a guillotine. Edwards could not hold on, and the fight returned to stand-up.

Edwards had an easy time taking down Lopez, but couldn't always hold on to his position. Edwards took  Lopez's back near the end of the second and used that position to land several big hooks, but again, Lopez was able to reverse out of the position.

Lopez took over in the third round, taking Edwards down and smothering him with strikes. He also showed off great jiu-jitsu, but it was not enough. Edwards won by decision, 29-28 on all three cards.

Peralta wins with leg kicks

Robert Peralta, making his UFC debut, won the first round with a takedown and several punishing leg kicks, the same move that Edson Barboza used to beat Mike Lullo in his last fight. Peralta was able to stuff Lullo's takedown attempts and turn it into clinch work in the second round. Lullo returned several of his kicks but they weren't as damaging as Peralta's.

Lullo improved as the fight went on, but still had trouble overcoming Peralta's kicks and takedown defense. Lullo finally got him down near the end of the third round. He took Peralta's back, but couldn't finish the fight.  The judges called it 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 for Peralta.

Waldburger shows submission magic

T.J. Waldburger started the fight with fireworks, throwing a flying knee, then following Stumpf to the ground to damage him with strikes, then work him with jiu-jitsu. Stumpf, who took the fight on short notice, was able to get out and meet Waldburger with his own knee, but then Waldburger was able to get another takedown. From there, he put on a jiu-jitsu clinic, starting with an armbar before transitioning into a triangle choke. Stumpf tapped at 3:52.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Edwards-Peralta-and-Waldburger-early-winners-at?urn=mma-wp6961

Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji AnjoÂ