UFC moves prelims to ION TV

The UFC and Spike have had a great relationship over the years. Has it changed?

Last night, MMAjunkie broke the story that the UFC 125 prelims will air on ION Television. Fans may also see three fights instead of the normal two.

Dana White indicated that he can't guarantee all three will make it to television.

"The prelims we do air, there's only supposed to be two. Time-wise, it's impossible to pull off three if they all go to the distance. I'm going to roll the dice on this thing," said White."

"Not only are we going to bring the prelims to the fans, but everybody has been hammering me for the Phil Baroni-Brad Tavares fight, so I'm going to do three fights. I'm going to give them that fight, too."

This is something the UFC president was hoping for.

"I always try to give the fans as much as I can give them," White said. "I love being able to give them free fights. That's always been my goal and my model with this thing since day one," said White."

"I grew up watching free fights in TV with boxing, and I loved it. I was a huge fan. I always try to give the fans as much as I can."

The Spike relationship produced 12 seasons of "The Ultimate Fighter," 34 free Ultimate Fight Night and TUF Finale cards, and the live prelims at several recent pay-per-view events. The promotion and network seemed to have run into a snag recently.

"We're going to talk to (ION) guys and see what's up," White said. "This might be a regular thing. Listen, it's a ballsy move to go on network with prelims, but the Ion guys are the real deal. We're going to see if we can make it happen with them."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-moves-prelims-to-ION-TV?urn=mma-300990

muay thai fights Texas A&M Aggies Arkansas Razorbacks Penn State Nittany Lions Alabama Crimson Tide Clemson Tigers

You tell us: Breakout fighter of the year

It's that time of year again, where the fans tell us what was the best in the past year.Vote in the poll, and we'll announce the winners on Dec. 30. All winners will get home-baked cookies. That's better than a trophy, right?

We start with breakout fighter of the year. This isn't necessarily the best fighter of the year; instead, this is the one who jumped onto your radar screen. This is the fighter who impressed you for the first time in 2010, and who you can't wait to see again in 2011.

Ben Askren -- Bellator: The wrestling Olympian became an MMA champ in 2010, first walking through Bellator's welterweight tournament to earn a shot at Lyman Good. He beat Good in a unanimous decision to win the Bellator title. 

Phil Davis -- UFC: "Mr. Wonderful" lived up to his nickname in 2010, winning four fights. He even brought a new submission to the MMA world, a modified Kimura that is heretofore know as the "Mr. Wonderful." What should frighten other UFC light heavyweights is that Davis still has plenty of potential and a thirst to grow.

Anthony Pettis -- WEC: A year ago, Pettis had just lost to Bart Palasewski in a split decision and was worried about winning his next fight so that he wouldn't be cut from the WEC. One year later, he's the final WEC lightweight champ and has a chance to win the UFC belt. Add to that a starring turn on MTV, wins over Danny Castillo, Alex Karalexis, Shane Roller and Ben Henderson, and a kick that got the world talking. It's been one heck of a year for "Showtime."

George Sotiropoulos -- UFC: What did the Australian "The Ultimate Fighter" alumnus do to get the MMA world's attention this year? Just get three wins, over Joe Lauzon, Kurt Pellegrino and Joe Stevenson. His seven-fight win streak is good enough to put him in the title contention discussion. 

Ovince St. Preux -- Strikeforce: The former football player for the University of Tennessee had quite a year: six fights, six wins. Three of those wins came for Strikeforce, over Benji Radach, Antwain Britt and Chris Hawk. He also scored a win over UFC vet Jason Day. St. Preux is not letting up in 2011 as he will take on Ron Humphrey on the January 7 Strikeforce Challengers card.

Now you tell us. Who is the breakout fighter of the year?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/You-tell-us-Breakout-fighter-of-the-year?urn=mma-298804

Arkansas Razorbacks Penn State Nittany Lions Alabama Crimson Tide Clemson Tigers Florida Gators Northwestern Wildcats

DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010" replay airs tonight on HDNet at 9 p.m. ET

A nearly daylong but hugely entertaining DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010" event is in the books.

And North American fans who missed the early-morning broadcast can watch a replay tonight.

HDNet, which initially aired the show live this morning at 4 a.m. ET (1 a.m. PT), airs a replay of the seven-hour tonight at 9 p.m. ET. "Inside MMA" precedes the event at a special time of 8 p.m. ET.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/S1CAQ5YRyRk/dream-dynamite-2010-replay-airs-tonight-on-hdnet-at-9-p-m-et.mma

Cleveland Browns Pittsburgh Steelers Chicago Bears Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings

'Soul of Fight' Videos, Part 1: Okuno vs. Chonan, Maeda vs. Kanehara, Nakamura vs. Enomoto

(Taisuke Okuno vs. Ryo Chonan. Fight starts at the 1:30 mark. Props: DJSexStyle via MiddleEasy)

Some highlights from today's stoppage-heavy Sengoku show. Above, Ryo Chonan gets put to bed in just 19 seconds. After the jump: The brief but ferocious slugfest between Yoshiro Maeda and Masanori Kanehara, which ended in an unfortunate early stoppage, and the welterweight GP final match between Keita Nakamura and Yasubey Enomoto.

read more

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/soul-fight-videos-part-1-okuno-vs-chonan-maeda-vs-kanehara

Arizona Wildcats Houston Cougars California Golden Bears Texas Longhorns Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals

Where would MMA be without Chuck Liddell?

Certain athletes can carry a sport to the next level. Was Chuck Liddell "that guy" for MMA and the UFC? 

Has MMA really arrived yet? Maybe. Maybe not. It is safe to say the sport might be still be struggling badly if it weren't for "The Iceman's" contributions in and out of the Octagon.

Liddell arrived on the scene at UFC 17 in 1998. He had the look, with the mohawk haircut and a scowl, plus a love of the standup game. If you think some fans complain now about the ground game, imagine trying to sell MMA back in 1998 to an audience that only wanted blood and guts, and was raised on watching boxers duke it out.

Liddell produced huge wins over Randy Couture at UFC 52 and 57. He also put an exclamation point on his war with Tito Ortiz by crushing him at UFC 66. That 2007 event was the first time the UFC passed the one million mark in pay-per-view buys on a single card.

There was a lot of work outside the cage that led to that moment.

Liddell, along with Dana White, basically went on a barnstorming media tour for three years.

My radio show in Las Vegas had Liddell on at least a half-dozen times.

The future champ signed autographs and made appearances all over the U.S., even if only a few dozen people showed up in the early going. But it was that grassroots effort, which Liddell took part in wholeheartedly, that laid the groundwork for what we see today. Now a "disappointing" UFC PPV draws 350,000 buys (numbers the company would have been thrilled with during the dark era) and the company is reportedly worth in excess of $1 billion.

The sport is also all over cable television. Remember the days when holding a UFC card outside of Las Vegas seemed like just a dream? In 2010, the promotion hit 18 different cities in six different countries.

Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar are given a lot of the credit, and rightly so, for saving the company in 2005 with their scrap at the first "The Ultimate Fighter Finale." Don't forget it was Liddell, along with Couture, who coached that first season. It was a reality show that the promotion and participants didn't even know would make it onto television. What if Liddell, who was becoming a big star at that point, had an inflated ego and said he didn't want to do it? What was the fallback plan?

In the cage, Liddell dominated the American MMA landscape in 2005-06. As his career was winding down, he became a crossover star on shows like "The Simpsons" and "Dancing With The Stars."

Liddell probably shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as other sports greats like Jack Dempsey, Bill Russell/Wilt Chamberlain, Dale Earnhardt, Johnny Unitas, Babe Ruth. But 25 years from now, he'll be looked upon fondly by those who'll remember the early days of MMA when it was an absolute zero on the sports landscape.

Throughout the day, we'll post some old interviews we did with Liddell from 2004-2009.

Aug. 2004 - Liddell talks about his fight at UFC 49.

Oct. of 2006 - Liddell and Matt Hughes before UFC 64.

Dec. 2006 -- While cutting weight joined us to talk about Tito fight before UFC 66

Sept. 2007 -- Before UFC 76 and after his loss to Quinton Jackson

Apr. 2009 - Liddell before his fight against Mauricio Rua at UFC 97.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Where-would-MMA-be-without-Chuck-Liddell-?urn=mma-301794

gracie inside mma joe riggs jon fitch ken shamrock learn to fight

GSP won't close the door on another Koscheck fight

He never wanted to hear about him again. That's what Georges St. Pierre said before his UFC 124 match against Josh Koscheck. After Koscheck, stood in front of him for 20-plus minutes with a broken orbital bone, St. Pierre admitted he may have to fight him again down the road.

"I've said in an interview before the fight, he's gonna be done and we're never going to fight each other again," St. Pierre said as he smiled during the UFC 124 postfight press conference.

"He's very tough and the performance he did tonight, he's a top welterweight. Maybe I talk too fast. Maybe in a few years, maybe he's going to come back." 

Don't scoff. It could happen.

Koscheck (15-5, 13-5 UFC) isn't going anywhere. His only losses in the UFC have come against St. Pierre (twice), Thiago Alves and two upsets at the hands of Paulo Thiago and Drew Fickett. The 33-year-old will be a mainstay in the UFC's top five at 170 pounds.

The question comes with St. Pierre and his willingness to eventually leave the division.

GSP said he weighs 190-192 between fights and that's not big enough to fight 185 pounds. He wants to get to 200 pounds before considering a fight with UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva. St. Pierre also said if he moves to 185, the switch will be permanent. He has no interest in bouncing between weight divisions.

If he doesn't move to middleweight or gets destroyed by Silva down the road, one has to wonder what the UFC will do if Koscheck is the No. 1 contender again around say, UFC 159.

Sounds like St. Pierre may not like Koscheck as person, but he knows that he's a necessary evil.   

"At the end of the night, it's only a fight," St. Pierre said of all prefight trash talk by Koscheck. "I need Josh Koscheck to do what I do for a living. If Josh Koscheck would not have been there tonight. I would not be able to make money and you guys would not have a good night of entertaining. We need good guy, we need bad guy. It's nothing personal at the end of the day, it's a business."

Koscheck may be a dick as Dana White calls him, but he is good for the sport. He also showed amazing heart, fighting with a broken orbital for 20-plus minutes.

What happens if Koscheck doesn't suffer the gruesome injury in the first round? What if he actually tried to use his wrestling and score some takedowns? Koscheck was the first guy in a long time that St. Pierre had trouble taking down and settling on the ground. If Koscheck rolls through Alves, B.J. Penn, Carlos Condit and Jake Shields, he won't deserve a third crack at GSP? We'll see.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/GSP-won-t-close-the-door-on-another-Koscheck-fig?urn=mma-295409

mma sports mma tv mma video mma videos mma vs muay thai fights

"Bruce Leroy" vs. Mackens Semerzier in the works for UFC Fight Night 24

"Bruce Leroy" will get his shot in the octagon.

MMAjunkie.com has learned from sources close to the organization that The Ultimate Fighter 12 cast member Alex "Bruce Leroy" Caceres is dropping to 145 pounds and faces WEC import Mackens Semerzier at UFC Fight Night 24.

Verbal agreements are in place for the contest, and contracts are expected to be finalized shortly.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/NFLDhbNMdjk/alex-caceres-vs-mackens-semerzier-in-the-works-for-ufc-fight-night-24.mma

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Buffalo Bills Dallas Cowboys Miami Dolphins New York Giants

Antonio Gates' Foot Injury Ends His Season

Filed under: Chargers, AFC West

San Diego Chargers' tight end Antonio Gates was officially ruled out of San Diego's season finale Sunday at Denver when the team on Thursday placed him on injured reserve because of lingering foot injuries.

Gates had missed five of the previous seven games with turf toe and a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. They were the first games the star tight end had missed due to injury in his career.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/30/antonio-gates-foot-injury-ends-his-season/

New York Jets New England Patriots Denver Broncos Arizona Cardinals Kansas City Chiefs San Francisco 49ers

Cowboys vs. Eagles Preview, Score and More

Filed under: Cowboys, Eagles, NFC East

These same teams squared off for the NFC East title in last year's finale in Dallas. The Cowboys won that day 24-0 and beat the Eagles 34-14 at home again the next week in the first round of the playoffs.

Those consecutive one-sided defeats helped prompt Philadelphia coach Andy Reid to trade quarterback Donovan McNabb, his 10-year starter, and replace him with the unproven Kevin Kolb. When Kolb was concussed in this year's opener, ex-Atlanta star/convicted felon Michael Vick took over and led the Eagles to their first division crown in four years while becoming the NFC's Pro Bowl starter and setting career highs in passing yards, passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns.

While the Eagles (10-5) have kept on keeping on, the Cowboys have collapsed. A 1-7 start cost coach Wade Phillips his job despite having won the NFC East in two of his three full seasons in Dallas. Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo was lost for the season with a broken collarbone in the fifth defeat.

Jon Kitna, a 38-year-old journeyman, has played much better than could have been expected in Romo's place but he strained an abdominal muscle in the last game and wasn't able to practice on Wednesday and Thursday. That makes it likely that second-year man Stephen McGee, who played well in his debut after Kitna was hurt against Arizona, will make his first start on Sunday for interim coach Jason Garrett (4-3), who might well need to win to keep the job in 2011.

The bigger problem for Dallas has been its defense, which surrendered the second-fewest points in 2009 but the second-most in 2010 despite a virtually intact lineup. The Cowboys have also plummeted from ninth in yards allowed in 2009 to 23rd this year. Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy burned Dallas for big plays of 91 and 56 yards in a 30-27 Eagles road victory three weeks ago.

With no incentive in this game since it will be the No. 3 seed and host a wild-card game next weekend win or lose Sunday, Philadelphia is expected to rest three of its ailing stars: Vick (thigh), Jackson (foot), who leads the NFL in yards per-catch, and cornerback Asante Samuel (knee), who leads the league in interceptions. Jason Avant and Joselio Hanson would start in place of Jackson and Samuel, respectively.

Who: Dallas Cowboys (5-10) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)

Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia.

When: Sunday, Jan. 2, 4:15 PM EST

TV Coverage: FOX

Players to Watch: McGee, RB Felix Jones, TE Jason Witten, WR Miles Austin, OLB DeMarcus Ware and CB Terence Newman for the Cowboys. Kolb, McCoy, WR Jeremy Maclin, DE Trent Cole, LB Jamar Chaney and CB Dimitri Patterson for the Eagles.

Line: Philadelphia by 7

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/30/cowboys-vs-eagles-preview-score-and-more/

Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Buffalo Bills

UFC and Strikeforce to have a belt-a-palooza to start off 2011

Clear your calendars, folks. 2011 starts out with a bang, as five different major championship belts will be on the line in the first quarter. 

Jan. 1 -- Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard: This fight is not only for the lightweight belt, but will also give Edgar a chance to avenge the one loss on his record. Not only that, but whoever wins has his next fight decided, as WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis will get a chance to unite the belts.

Jan. 29 -- Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Cyborg and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Robbie Lawler: Strikeforce will put two belts on the line at this San Jose event. Though we're not getting the hoped-for bout of Diaz vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller, the Jacare-Lawler match-up is a classic striker vs. grappler matchup. 

Feb. 5 -- Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort: By the time he gets in the Octagon, Belfort will have had a 16-month break from the Octagon. Silva will be coming back from his last-minute submission win over Chael Sonnen. 

Mar. 19 -- Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Rashad Evans: In Newark at UFC 128, Rua will test out the knee that's long been a problem while Evans will get a second shot at getting the light heavyweight belt.

It's also possible that Jose Aldo will get his first chance to fight in the UFC in the first quarter, as he expects to be fighting as soon as March. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-and-Strikeforce-to-have-a-belt-a-palooza-to-?urn=mma-299398

Marion Motley anderson silva best mma bj penn cage fighter cage fighters

UFC moves prelims to ION TV

The UFC and Spike have had a great relationship over the years. Has it changed?

Monday night, MMAjunkie broke the story that the UFC 125 prelims will air on ION Television. Fans may also see three fights instead of the normal two.

Dana White indicated that he can't guarantee all three will make it to television.

"The prelims we do air, there's only supposed to be two," White said. "Time-wise, it's impossible to pull off three if they all go to the distance. I'm going to roll the dice on this thing.

"Not only are we going to bring the prelims to the fans, but everybody has been hammering me for the Phil Baroni-Brad Tavares fight, so I'm going to do three fights. I'm going to give them that fight, too."

This is something the UFC president was hoping for.

"I always try to give the fans as much as I can give them," White said. "I love being able to give them free fights. That's always been my goal and my model with this thing since day one.

"I grew up watching free fights in TV with boxing, and I loved it. I was a huge fan. I always try to give the fans as much as I can."

The Spike relationship produced 12 seasons of "The Ultimate Fighter," 34 free Ultimate Fight Night and TUF Finale cards, and the live prelims at several recent pay-per-view events. The promotion and network seemed to have run into a snag recently.

"We're going to talk to [ION] and see what's up," White said. "This might be a regular thing.

"Listen, it's a ballsy move to go on network with prelims, but the Ion guys are the real deal. We're going to see if we can make it happen with them."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-moves-prelims-to-ION-TV?urn=mma-300990

matt hughes matt hughes fight mma mma boxing mma clothing mma fight

Mario Miranda vs. Aaron Simpson set for UFC Fight Night 24 in Seattle

Middleweights Aaron Simpson and Mario Miranda are set to square off at UFC Fight Night 24.

MMAjunkie.com today confirmed with sources close to the event that contracts have been signed for the bout, which was first reported by MMAWeekly.com.

Although not officially announced by the promotion, UFC Fight Night 24 takes place March 26 at Seattle's Key Arena.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/UW2d67Eqqmo/mario-miranda-vs-aaron-simpson-set-for-ufc-fight-night-24-in-seattle.mma

muay thai fights Texas A&M Aggies Arkansas Razorbacks Penn State Nittany Lions Alabama Crimson Tide Clemson Tigers

Dana White defends UFC's ION Television deal, says future plans uncertain

LAS VEGAS - While the UFC's recent announcement that preliminary bouts from this weekend's UFC 125 event would be broadcast on ION Television left many MMA fans scratching their head, UFC president Dana White said those same fans should be busy celebrating the deal.

"Every fan that wanted to see the prelims should be doing Diego Sanchez 'Yes Cartwheels' down the street right now," White said. "We got it on free TV."

Instead, White said he has received some questions and complaints regarding the upcoming broadcast. However, the UFC boss believes the situation is a win-win for all involved.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/lq2caquytxk/dana-white-defends-ufcs-ion-television-deal-says-future-plans-uncertain.mma

Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Reminder: "Countdown to UFC 125" debuts tonight on Spike TV, replays on Versus

As a reminder, the UFC's traditional event preview show returns tonight with the debut of "Countdown to UFC 125."

UFC 125, a pay-per-view event, takes place Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with a Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard lightweight title fight and Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann co-headliner.

The one-hour preview show debuts at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/N5vaDuoyers/reminder-countdown-to-ufc-125-debuts-tonight-on-spike-tv-replays-on-versus.mma

mma fighting mma fights mma girls mma gloves mma junkie mma knockout

Danario Alexander, Sam Bradford, Correlation, Causation, Etc.

Source: http://stlouis.sbnation.com/st-louis-rams/2010/12/28/1899190/danario-alexander-three-big-games

Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers

WEC 53 Weigh-In Video

by Michael David SmithAll the fighters participating on the WEC 53 card will step on the scale for the WEC 53 weigh-in Wednesday, and if you can't be there in Glendale, Ariz., you can watch the live stream right here at MMAFighting.com.

The card features two title fights: Lightweight champion Ben Henderson and challenger Anthony Pettis will have to make the 155-pound limit, and bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Scott Jorgensen will have to make the 135-pound limit.

Following the weigh-in, the UFC's Forrest Griffin will take part in a question-and-answer session with fans, which will also stream live.

The weigh-in starts at 7 PM ET and the video is below.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/15/wec-53-weigh-in-video/

Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Brendan Schaub gets Mirko Filipovic instead of Frank Mir at UFC 128

A sudden switch in opponents has installed Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in a main-card match with Brendan Schaub at UFC 128.

Sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com that verbal agreements are in place for the heavyweight contest and contracts are nearly finalized. "Fighters Only" first reported the pairing.

Although not officially announced by the promotion, UFC 128 takes place March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmajunkie/~3/fx0wiuzdwlI/brendan-schaub-gets-mirko-filipovic-instead-of-frank-mir-at-ufc-128.mma

Marion Motley anderson silva best mma bj penn cage fighter cage fighters