UFC 150 gallery: Benson Henderson keeps his belt, Donald Cerrone dominates and more

Check out pictures by Tracy Lee from UFC 150. Benson Henderson's close win over Frankie Edgar, Donald Cerrone's short, but thrilling, bout with Melvin Guillard and more are chronicled.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-150-gallery-benson-henderson-keeps-belt-donald-214928007--mma.html

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen 

House Of Vans Coat Drive

This Saturday, December 17th is the second annual House Of Vans Coat Drive from 1-6PM at the House Of Vans in Brooklyn. There will be a best trick contest for cash and sneakers and live performances from DJ PF Cuttin and McRad. Admission to the event is a new or slightly used coat to be donated to NYCares. be sure to RSVP here.

Source: http://theskateboardmag.com/blogs/templeton-elliott/2011/12/16/house-of-vans-coat-drive/

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

UFC on FOX 4 Preview: The Undercard Breakdown

Thanks to years of research, countless probability models and a complex set of algorithms, I have developed a system that can predict the winner of an MMA bout with a stunning fifteen-percent level of accuracy.  I know, I know, it's a breakthrough that will most certainly make me rich.  But until the oddsmakers in Las Vegas make me an offer that I find acceptable, you all get to benefit from this nigh-infallible prognosticative method.  First up on the fortune telling schedule: the UFC on FOX 4 undercard!

  • Cole Miller vs. Nam Phan ? American Top Team featherweight mean-mugger Miller had a rough time against "The Ultimate Fighter ? Season 14" exponent Steven Siler back in March, but he's still a skilled and dangerous jiu-jitsu specialist capable of using his lanky limbs to tie people in knots.  TUF 12 veteran Phan, on the other hand, may be a jiu-jitsu black belt, but as we saw in his bout against Jimy Hettes at UFC 141, the Vietnamese warrior is very open to getting dominated on the ground.  The only gray area here is whether or not Miller can get Phan down.  If he can, expect Phan to survive to the final bell but lose via clear-cut decision.

 

  • Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado ?Light-heavyweight Davis is to wrestling what Steven Seagal is to yellow-tinted sunglasses ? which is to say, Davis is a bad, bad dude who can control almost anyone.   Prado is making his Octagon debut at UFC on FOX 4, and though he trains with the Nogueira brothers and is supposedly some kind of ace striker, he's going to get handled by the Division I All-American wrestler in a big way.  Takedowns, pins, tech falls ? Davis is going to do it all, and earn the unanimous decision win in the process.

 

  • Josh Grispi vs. Rani Yahya ? Two years ago, New Englander Grispi was one of the most promising up-and-coming featherweights in the WEC, and it seemed as if he was destined to battle champ Jose Aldo for the UFC's 145-pound division belt.  But the hype train got derailed in a big way ? first by Louisiana-based fighter Dustin Poirier's knuckle sandwiches at UFC 125, then by George Roop's body-blow KO at the TUF 13 Finale.  Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and 2007 grappling champ Yahya isn't that dangerous on the feet, just on the ground, so Grispi just might have the skills to get the "W".  This one is also going to decision, with Grispi taking it by virtue of being on top more than being on the bottom.

 

  • Phil De Fries vs. Oli Thompson ? In his UFC debut back at UFC on Fuel TV: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger", Brit heavyweight De Fries got chewed up and spit out in a mere 43 seconds against Stipe Miocic.  However,Brit strongman Thompson faired only slightly better against Shawn Jordan at UFC on FX: "Alves vs. Kampmann", getting TKO'd in the second round, so the question here is who can pull it together more effectively for their second UFC appearance.  My algorithms are telling me it's going to be De Fries via TKO, but really, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. 

 

  • Manny Gamburyan vs. Michihiro Omigawa ? Omigawa hails from Japan, sports a pretty decent judo background, and racked up some decent wins fighting in organizations like DEEP and Sengoku.  Unfortunately, in six UFC appearances he has won a grand total of once.  Yes, he's tough as nails and extremely hard to finish, but he lacks that special quality (which we'll simply call "ability to win").  Armenian fireplug Gamburyan is cut from a similar cloth; after taking second place in the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter, he's fought in the UFC seven times and tasted victory twice.  He, too, is tough and lacks ability to win, but he's also been plagued by injuries.  For that, I see Omigawa winning either by decision or by Gamburyan's limbs inadvertently falling off and him not being able to continue.

 

  • John Moraga vs. Ulysses Gomez ? Hey, it's two Octagon newcomers, making their UFC debut in a bout that will be broadcast on either Facebook, MySpace, Friendster or maybe even LinkedIn.  Who knows.  Either way, both men have worked their way up the regional circuits ? Moraga through Arizona's Rage in the Cage and Gomez through California's Tachi Palace Fights.  Because Octagon jitters are going to be hanging over these men like an oppressive fog of lethargy, my algorithms are literally shrugging at me.  I guess I'll pick Gomez, but that's solely because I think I'd have more fun checking out a TPF show than a RITC show.  Arizona's got a problem with ants, you know.  They're everywhere.

 

Who you trying to get crazy with, ese?  Don't you know I'm loco?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-fox-4-preview-undercard-breakdown-195725630--mma.html

Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo 

Nick Diaz, Anderson Silva, Travis Browne and Invicta FC: The Morning News Roundup ? 7.27.12

Howdy. I'm Jim Genia. You might recognize me from such great literary works as "I, Armbar" and "Tito Ortiz's Head: Friend or Foe?" While Maggie Hendricks is covering some sort of athletic event called the "Olympics", I'll be filling in here at Cagewriter.  Yes, it's a temp job, but please think of me as that really cool substitute teacher you had in high school, the one who said nothing when you disrupted class and set fire to the lab, yet did not hesitate to plant drugs in your locker and call the police.  Heh.  Anyway, here's some news to start your day:

  • Cesar Gracie, coach to the ultra-talented UFC top welterweight contender Nick Diaz, tweeted that there will be an announcement on Graciefighter regarding Diaz's career today at 4:00 p.m. (PST).  If you'll recall, Nick Diaz... yeesh.  The big question mark these past few months has been whether Diaz has truly retired or if he'll get in the cage once more.  Therefore, we can expect Gracie's announcement to be one of the following: "Nick Diaz is not going to fight again", "Nick Diaz is going to fight again", and "Can someone tell Nick Diaz to call home?  No one's heard from him in a while and everyone's pretty worried about him."  Stay tuned!

 

  • According to ESPN, UFC middleweight champ and untouchable superstar Anderson Silva wants to fight UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre next.

Of much more interest to Silva are the blockbuster fights that can earn him big money as he nears the end of his career. St-Pierre v Silva undoubtedly would make the biggest Pay-Per-View in UFC history, but while Guimaraes says Silva wants the fight, he admits it has not been offered.

Of course Silva would like St. Pierre in a big-money superfight next.  Who would you rather fight?  A welterweight champ whose knee could explode at any time, or UFC light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones, who sports an eleven-foot reach and has murdered everyone put in front of him?  Silva is no dummy.

  • Just yesterday Travis Browne was sad.  Ben Rothwell, who was to be his opponent at next week's UFC on FOX 4, fell prey to the injury bug, and Browne was without a dance partner.  He was subsequently booted from the card.  But it's a new day, and with this new day comes the news (courtesy of the good folks at MMAJunkie) that Browne will now headline UFC on FX 5 in October, facing off against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.  Hooray!  If you'll recall, Browne is big and dangerous and beats people silly - and being big and dangerous and beating people silly is good for main events.

 

  • There may be no offerings from the UFC, Strikeforce or Bellator this weekend, but that doesn't mean there isn't a way to get your MMA fix.  Invicta Fighting Championships, the all-female MMA promotion, will be having their second installment in Kansas City, KS, and the event will be broadcast for free on their website.  Here's a video promo courtesy of MMAFighting.  There are some extremely skilled and capable female MMA fighters out there, and a bunch of them are on Saturday night's card.

That's all for now.  Now excuse me while I go plant drugs in your locker.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/morning-news-roundup-7-27-12-140334867--mma.html

Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama 

Wanderlei Silva, Sarah Kaufman, Tyrone Mims: The Morning News Roundup ? 8.13.12

One fighter should be riding off into the sunset, one fighter has the biggest fight of her career coming up, and one fighter was taken from us too soon.  It's a mixed bag of news in today's roundup, so come, grab your cup of joe (or java, or mud, or whatever it is you coffee drinkers imbibe) and join me.  I brought bagels!

  • UFC president Dana White says that Wanderlei Silva ? the legendary Brazilian fighter and PRIDE FC champ ? will fight again.  Hooray? I guess?  Look, I love the "Axe Murderer" as much as the next guy, and watching some of his old fights is akin to watching a snuff film where the participants wear four-ounce gloves and fight shorts.  But it's an undeniable fact that the man has gotten old and is nowhere near the killer he once was.  Remember what happened when he fought Quinton Jackson?  Or Chris Leben?  I don't want to see something like that again.  Do you?  I say give him an executive position in the UFC's Brazil office and let him smile and shake hands and stuff.

 

  • Female bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey is headlining a Strikeforce this weekend, and of course you're going to be inundated with all sorts of things pertaining to her (she is the "new" face of women's MMA, after all).  So, for the sake of balance and yin and yang and whatnot, here's some Sarah Kaufman stuff.  She is challenging Rousey for her belt, you know.

 

  • As I hinted at yesterday, a fighter died at an amateur MMA event in South Carolina on Saturday night.  His name was Tyrone Mims.  This was Mims' first fight, and it was fully-sanctioned and under the auspices of South Carolina State Athletic Commission.  The cause of death won't be known until an autopsy is performed (one is scheduled), but according to onsite accounts, it didn't appear as if Mims took an inordinate amount of damage in his bout, which has led to speculation that a pre-existing condition could've been a contributing factor.  What sort of medical screening do amateur fighters go through?  It varies by state ? in New York or South Dakota, a person can step into the cage after signing a waiver and maybe getting a quick look-over by a doctor, while in South Carolina you need the standard bloodwork done (HIV, Hepatitis B and C), an eye exam and the thumbs-up from a physician.  Regardless of what pre-fight screening Mims went through, though, it's still a tragedy that he lost his life.  He stepped into the cage and took part in a sport we all love; let's honor him by never forgetting and by striving to make our sport better.

 

That's all for now.  Today's the last day of my temp gig here at Cagewriter, but you can expect at least one more post from me, so you can post your parting insults there.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/wanderlei-silva-sarah-kaufman-tyrone-mims-morning-news-141054233--mma.html

Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah 

ESPN?s ?MMA Live? Looks at UFC 150 and UFC 151

ESPN's "MMA Live" produced an extra feature following UFC 150 this past Saturday night in Denver, Colorado. Hosts Todd Grisham and Brent Okamoto take a look back at the UFC 150 main event and look forward to UFC 151 on September 1.

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/29877/espns-mma-live-looks-at-ufc-150-and-ufc-151/

Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida 

Daniel Cormier gets Frank Mir for his final Strikeforce fight

Daniel Cormier has his final Strikeforce opponent, and its a UFC heavyweight. According to USA Today, former champion Frank Mir will fight Cormier, the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix champ, in a yet-to-be announced Strikeforce event in October or November. The fight will air on Showtime.

Mir's manager tweeted, "@thefrankmir just asked me to tweet for him "that he's very excited about this opportunity and is very grateful to the @ufc for making this fight happen."

Mir last fought at UFC 146, where he was knocked out by Junior dos Santos in the second round of a championship bout. Before the loss to JDS, Mir had wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Roy Nelson and Mirko Filipovic.

The match-up is an interesting one for Mir to take, as he has had difficulty with wrestlers in the past. Of the three losses in his last 10 fights, two came to fighters with significant wrestling backgrounds. Cormier is a two-time Olympic wrestler.

He was the surprise winner of the grand prix that started with Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem as the favorites. He beat Antonio Silva and Josh Barnett on the way to the championship. His record now stands at 10-0. After this bout, Cormier is expected to join the UFC, like every other heavyweight on the Strikeforce roster.

Who will take this bout? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/daniel-cormier-gets-frank-mir-final-strikeforce-fight-125450289--mma.html

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

Frank Mir, the Strikeforce Crossover, and Who Should Be Next

Former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir has done us all a great service by agreeing to meet Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix winner Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce cage this fall.  After all, the other opponents rumored to have been under consideration ? Tim Sylvia, Josh Barnett (again), KJ Noons sitting on Ryan Couture's shoulders ? weren't really options at all, and who else is there on the Strikeforce roster to challenge Cormier?  The answer is no one, and with Mir shucking the bonds of the UFC for a one-time-only crossover bout, we get to have a match-up that's compelling on paper and will likely be very fun to watch. 

However, the move doesn't address the other glaring holes that need to be filled in the roster of the House That Scott Coker Built.  Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez has beaten everyone that matters in his division, middleweight champ Luke Rockhold is without a worthy foe, and gosh darn it, you can only spread Keith Jardine so thin.  So who else should the UFC send over to fill Strikeforce's ranks?  Sure, the dough and exposure is nowhere near as great compared to what you get for fighting in the Octagon, but look at Nate Marquardt.  The ex-UFC welterweight waltzed in, put up a heck of a fight against Tyron Woodley, and is now the owner of a shiny new belt.  For the fighters, there is certainly value in crossing over.  Here, then, is a list of fighters on the UFC roster who could be prime candidates for taking the Strikeforce fieldtrip.  It is by no means complete ? please, feel free to add to them in the comments.  And if you disagree with my suggestions? picture me sad.  So very sad.

 

  • Evan Dunham ? At one time, the word on the street was that the brass wanted B.J. Penn to take on Melendez in Strikeforce.  But Penn is too much of a viable pay-per-view commodity, and it would've been senseless to waste him on the subscription-based channel Showtime.  Evan Dunham, though, is another story entirely.  The jiu-jitsu specialist had a pretty good win streak going before he was outpointed by Sean Sherk at UFC 119 and smashed by Melvin Guillard at UFC: Fight for the Troops 2, and his well-rounded skills could conceivably give Melendez fits no matter where the fight goes.

 

  • Clay Guida ? Fast, frenetic, and fun when he wants to be (i.e., when he's not running away for five rounds), Clay Guida could definitely make Melendez miserable in the cage.  Besides, what's left for him in the UFC?  It would take Ben Henderson, Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz all slipping on banana peels and breaking their legs before Guida could come close to tasting championship glory.

  • Gray Maynard ? As a former "wrestling man-blanket" turned "dangerous slugger", Gray Maynard could stuff Melendez's takedowns, squash his jiu-jitsu, and hit "El Nino" so hard his pet parrot dies.  Also, what else is the UFC going to do with Maynard?  If Edgar reclaims the lightweight championship from Henderson, watching Maynard and Edgar go at it once more is about as palatable as a plate of dirt. 

 

  • Thiago Alves ? Once upon a time, Thiago Alves was in contention for the UFC welterweight title.  Those days are gone now, but that doesn't mean that Alves isn't skilled and dangerous enough to make waves among Strikeforce's welterweights.  Maybe, maybe Woodley could hold Alves down for three rounds.  Maybe not, though, and Alves is just capable enough to beat him and beat Marquardt and take the belt.

 

  • Jon Fitch ? UFC welterweight king Georges St. Pierre mauled him, Johny Hendricks KO'd him, and he drew with Penn.  However, other than that, Jon Fitch's run in the Octagon has been flawless.  Boring, but flawless.  Do you think Marquardt can prevent Fitch from hugging him to death?  I don't.  And I'd wager that once Fitch stepped into the cage to face Woodley, the two would stare at each other for a full fifteen minutes, unsure of what to do.

 

  • Chris Leben ? UFC middleweight stud Chris Leben is good for about two or three fights a year before his annual steroid suspension forces him to sit on the sidelines, so why not let him do those bouts in Strikeforce?  In terms of skill set, he's got enough grappling to keep Rockhold from really hurting him.  As for his striking? yeah, no way could Rockhold eat one of those concrete fists and survive.

 

  • Vladimir Matyushenko ? Look, it's not like any of the Strikeforce light-heavyweights can hold onto the belt for any length of time, but it's boring watching the same three guys fight for it over and over again.  Put Vladimir Matyushenko in there against Mike Kyle, Gegard Mousasi and Rafael Cavalcante and let's see where it goes. 

 

Jim Genia gets his tweet on here.  Giddyup.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/frank-mir-strikeforce-crossover-next-191308784--mma.html

Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio

The LeBron James of MMA to Get One Last Shot at Glory

When he debuted in the Octagon back in October, 2005, he held chambered in each deadly, decapitating head-kick all the potential in the world.  And it seemed like that potential was being realized with a pair of wins by KO, a submission via guillotine, and a quick and violent mauling of Frank Mir.  But Brandon Vera was a Cleveland Cavalier then, stuck banging his head against a ceiling that would forever prevent him from basking in the warm glow of an NBA championship victory party at Dwyane Wade's sprawling crib.  Then came the announcement that Vera would be headlining UFC on FOX 4 opposite Brazilian hitman Mauricio "Shogun" Rua ? and today's shocker from Dana White, that the winner of the bout gets to face UFC champ Jon Jones next ? and it's as if "The Truth" has turned his back on his beloved home state and beaten a path to Miami.  It's as if Brandon Vera is the MMA equivalent of LeBron James, eschewing Ohio for the Heat, and going where he could very well find that glory that has thus far eluded him.  Well, you know what?  Y'all needs to chill.

The truth about the Truth is that his losses in the cage have come at the hands of top guys (more or less), and they came with "circumstances".  Against former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia, Vera broke his hand in the first round; against jiu-jitsu master Fabricio Werdum, the stoppage was controversial; against UFC legend Randy Couture, it was a slow death via hugging.  Vera has only truly been smashed by one fighter, UFC light-heavyweight king Jones, and at this point, you aren't anyone in the 205-pound weight class until you've been smashed by Jon Jones. 

Even Shogun has been destroyed by the reigning champ ? and when it comes down to it, who else is left for Jones to face?  Plus, the Brazilian stud, though legendary himself for all he's accomplished in both the UFC and in PRIDE FC, has been injured and rebuilt so many times, there's a high probability he could literally fall to pieces if Jones ? or even Vera ? hits him wrong.

So Vera gets his chance, about as worthy and capable as the rest on the UFC's roster.  Just, please, don't begrudge the LeBron James of MMA his shot glory.  Wouldn't you rather live in Miami instead of Ohio?

Follow Jim Genia here for more crazy.  Or don't.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/lebron-james-mma-one-last-shot-glory-220436958--mma.html

Daniel Acacio Bernard Ackah  Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert AldanaÂ