Bruce Buffer: 360 ‘could very well happen at UFC 100′
Props: UFC.com
Quoteworthy:
“I turned 52 in May and as far as I’m concerned, the way I work in the Octagon — whether it’s a Buffer 180 or 360, which could very well happen at UFC 100 — I can do this well into my sixties. I’ll be doing this as long as they’ll have me. No matter what I do in life, I always give one hundred and fifty percent. Some of my moves are a little pushy on the knees or the hips but like I always say, the show must go on.”
UFC 100 is a monumental event indeed. Can the veteran voice of the Octagon pull off mixed martial arts’ equivalent of the triple lindy or will he fall flat on his face? Tune in on July 11 and find out for yourselves, Maniacs …
Yoshihiro Akiyama Interview Before UFC 100
Yoshihiro Akiyama Interview Before UFC 100
[See post to watch Flash video]
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Thiago Alves Interview Before UFC 100
Thiago Alves Interview Before UFC 100
[See post to watch Flash video]
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Countdown to UFC 100 : Spike Preview
Countdown to UFC 100 : Spike Preview
[See post to watch Flash video]
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UFC 101 videos: BJ Penn has a message for Kenny Florian
Check out the conclusion after the jump.
Minnesota MAA’s Greg Nelson happy in background as Brock Lesnar moves to UFC’s forefront
As the athletes of the UFC continue to gain attention, so, too, do the teams that help them prepare for each bout.While most hardcore fans can run off a quick list of the best trainers and academies in the sport, Minnesota Martial Arts Academy Head Instructor and Owner Greg Nelson's name doesn't always come directly to mind.
And though UFC stalwarts Brock Lesnar, Sean Sherk and Brock Larson, among others, call the academy home, Nelson doesn't mind staying in the background.
‘Spider’ Man: An MMAmania.com interview exclusive with Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva needs no introduction. He is arguably the best mixed martial arts fighter on the planet.
With a record-breaking nine consecutive UFC wins to his credit (and counting), he has been as dominant as any fighter in the history of the sport during his reign.
Recently however, his showings against Patrick Cote and Thales Leites have been the subject of criticism from fans, media and even the UFC management.
In both match-ups, Silva appeared content being cautious, counter striking and staying mistake free.
As a result of his less-than-spectacular performances, the UFC has paired him up against a guy who likes nothing better than to get in your face and force you to engage.
That man is former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin who will take on Silva in the main event at UFC 101 on August 8.
It will be the second trip to the light heavyweight division for Silva.
“The Spider” took some time out of his busy UFC 101 preparations to answer a few questions regarding his recent fights, Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin and his uncertain future in MMA.
Check it out:
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): I want to go back to UFC 97 for a second. A lot of people including Dana White were critical of your fight against Thales Leites. Dana went as far as to say he was “embarrassed” by your performance. What goes through your head when you hear Dana say something like that after one of your fights?
Anderson Silva: Of course I want to please the fans and Dana White. I feel I did my job right. I want to focus on my next fight and on training harder for now.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Did the Leites fight go like you had anticipated? Were you satisfied with your performance?
Anderson Silva: I followed the game plan that I had trained. It’s not always possible to please all the fans, but I know that I did my job right.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Some critics out there feel like you may lack motivation or that you have lost your killer instinct at this juncture in his career. How do you respond to those claims?
Anderson Silva: I haven’t lost my motivation. I am still very motivated to put on great fights and keep my belt.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): You’re a long time champion, undefeated in the UFC, and a big name in the sport. Do you feel any burden to be cautious or defensive in the octagon because you know you have a lot to lose at this point?
Anderson Silva: Being the champion has added a lot of responsibilities, but that is part of the job.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Recently, Wanderlei Silva has been vocal about you in the media saying you’re “too cocky” and that “war is declared” against you. Is there bad blood between you two that needs to be resolved?
Anderson Silva: Anyone can say whatever they want to say, it doesn’t affect me. I am still training as always.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Your next fight will be against Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 at 205 pounds. This will be your second fight at this weight. How is the 205-pound Anderson Silva different from the 185-pound version?
Anderson Silva: I feel comfortable fighting at the 205 pound division, but I still want to focus on defending my belt at 185 pounds.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Where is your UFC 101 camp taking place at?
Anderson Silva: I have been training in Rio (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) with my team.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Who are some of the fighters and coaches you will be working with during camp to help you prepare?
Anderson Silva: Rafael “Feijao,” the Nogueira brothers, Andre Galvao, among others.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): What do you feel is Griffin’s biggest weakness?
Anderson Silva: Forrest Griffin is a tough fighter with a lot of heart but like everyone he has his weak spots. It’s going to be a great fight.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): How do you see this fight playing out in your head and what is your official prediction for the fight?
Anderson Silva: I don’t know. I can’t predict it. We will have to wait until August 8.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Your teammate Lyoto Machida earned his belt with an incredible performance against Rashad Evans at UFC 98. What were your thoughts on his performance?
Anderson Silva: Lyoto is an incredible fighter and we are all very proud of him. This is really the Machida Karate era. I believe he will keep the light heavyweight belt for a long time.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Are you officially done fighting at 205 for good (after the Griffin fight) now that Machida has the belt?
Anderson Silva: I don’t know what will happen in the future. My main focus is to defend my 185 pound title. Lyoto and I are friends and I feel that he really deserves the belt. I have no intention in fighting for the 205 pound title.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Who at 185 pounds in the UFC would you still like to fight or is there anyone outside the UFC you’ve seen from a distance and always wanted to fight?
Anderson Silva: I would love to fight my clone one day.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): If Georges St. Pierre beats Thiago Alves at UFC 100 and you are able to defeat Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 would you be open to challenging St. Pierre? Does that fight interest you at all?
Anderson Silva: I train to fight the best but it is up to Dana White and the UFC to decide that.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): Do you still plan on retiring when your contract is fulfilled, likely in 2010 around your 35th birthday?
Anderson Silva: I don’t know yet what will happen. I haven’t made any definite plans.
Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com ): If you do retire is it still your desire to get back into boxing and subsequently pursue a match-up with Roy Jones Jr.?
Anderson Silva: It is a dream of mine but I don’t know what will happen.
Derek Bolender is a staff writer for InsideFights.com. He is also syndicated at FoxSports.com and CNNSI.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter and on Facebook. Look for future articles from him on MMAmania.com.
Shark Fights to hold free event on July 18 to repay fans for recent cancellation
Amarillo, TX. - July 3, 2009 - Shark Fight Promotions, a Texas based mixed martial arts fight Promotion Company, recently announced that they will be hosting a free mixed martial arts event on July 18th in Amarillo Texas at Gamboa’s Outdoor Event Center.
The popular Texas fight promoter was recently forced to cancel their Shark Fight 5 - Outdoor Bash and Brawl event, due to unpredictable weather. The promoter felt that the best way to make it up to the fans would be to re-schedule the event and give away the tickets. The Shark Fight event on July 18th will be a free admission show.
Jim Larson, President of Shark Fight Promotions, had this to say “Despite the bad weather, thousands of loyal fans came out to our Shark Fight 5 event to show their support. Unfortunately, we were forced to cancel the fights due to the rain.
We didn’t want to just reschedule the event; we wanted to find a way to make up for the cancellation. In light of that, Shark Fight Executives unanimously agreed to host a free event for the fans, and the rest is history. To the best of my knowledge no promoter has ever put on a free MMA event. ”
Shark Fight Promotions appropriately named the free event “Shark Fight 5.5 - Nothing to Lose”. Many of the fighters that were on the official Shark Fight 5 card will return to fight on July 18th.
The event will also feature Shark Fight Promotions first Featherweight Title bout. Douglas Frey (5-1-0) will face Doug Evans (9-4-0) for the coveted Shark Fight Featherweight belt. The full Shark Fight 5.5 official fight card will be announced soon.
Although no admission will be charged for the “Shark Fight 5.5 - Nothing to Lose” MMA event, fans are encouraged to get their tickets in advance. Tickets will be available at the Shark Fights store in Amarillo’s Westgate Mall, beginning on July 6th.
On July 18th, the Gamboa Outdoor Event Center will open at 6:00 pm and fights will begin at 8:00 pm. In addition to free admission, Shark Fights will provide the first 2,000 seats at the outdoor venue. Fans that purchased tickets to the cancelled Shark Fight 5 event are entitled to a full refund. For more information please all 806-322-1072 or visit www.sharkfights.com.
UFC vets Douglas Evans, Nissen Osterneck headline free event for Shark Fight
Forced to deal with the cancellation of an outdoor event on June 27 due
to inclement weather, the Texas-based organization Shark Fight is
making it up to MMA fans in a big way.The promotion is hosting the aptly named "Shark Fight 5.5: Nothing to Lose" on July 18 in Amarillo, Texas, and is offering free admission to all attendees.
UFC veteran Douglas Evans (6-5) will meet Doug Frey (5-1) in the evening's main event for Shark Fight's vacant featherweight title, while fellow UFC veteran Nissen Osterneck (5-2) is also scheduled to appear.
‘Rush’ to judgement: St. Pierre picks Florian over Penn in fighting and in life
Props: MMAWeekly
Quoteworthy:
“I’ve trained with him two times and he looked really sharp. I put my money on him against B.J. Penn. Kenny Florian is a great training partner, and is going to be a great champion, and he’s also a greater person and human being (than B.J. Penn).”
Current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre picks Kenny Florian as the new lightweight champion on August 8 when “KenFlo” battles current 155-pound Kingpin BJ Penn at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA. “Rush” apparently hasn’t warmed up to “The Prodigy” as a person (must be all that grease-related stuff) and as such, picks Florian as the better fighter — and human being. Can’t we all just get along? I guess not, or there would be no reason for this sport in the first place.