Tickets for the recently announced "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson" event go on sale this week.
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Ohio State players, coaches and administrators remained silent a day after Jim Tressel announced his resignation as head coach. "The deals that I did for Ohio State student-athletes were no different than any of the other 10,000-plus deals that I've done for all my other customers," Aaron Kniffin said in the statement. "... OSU student-athletes weren't given any enticements to buy the car at my dealership. At no time did memorabilia come into play when it came time to negotiate a deal or buy a car. I was never given any memorabilia from a student-athlete in exchange for a car deal."
I had a conversation this morning with a buddy who said he thinks the heavy sanctions would scare a lot of these candidates away from pursuing the OSU job. I disagree. Even if the sanctions are along the lines of what USC got -- loss of several scholarships and a multiyear postseason ban -- I still believe a lot of big names will be attracted to the position.
Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/42654/the-mood-in-columbus-the-day-after
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The lightweight division is the deepest in the world, but it's lacked sizzle until recently. A division loaded with super-talented, but nice, polite dudes doesn't always sell with the casual fan. UFC 125 served as a prime example when the promotion had a tougher time selling tickets to the Frank Edgar-Gray Maynard fight. The fans made a mistake because it turned out to be a candidate for 2011 Fight of the Year.
In a way, you couldn't blame fan, because Edgar and Maynard didn't generate a ton of heat before the fight. Now, because the division is so crowded at the top, it looks like the days of mutual respect and glove tapping won't be as prevalent.
Anthony Pettis isn't happy with Gray Maynard and didn't hold back during a recent conversation with the Las Vegas Sun.
Last month, Maynard suggested Pettis is a product of overhype.
"I mean, who has he fought? I've been in the trenches this whole time fighting the toughest guys. He throws one kick and then he's the greatest in the world? Let's look at who he's fought. Ben Henderson is the best name," Maynard said referencing Pettis' "Showtime Kick" near the end of his win over Henderson. That kick made Sportscenter's Top 10 Plays of the Year.
Maynard respects a lot of his co-horts at lightweight, but has questions about Pettis.
[...] But for me, guys like Miller, Melendez and all of these guys who have been on the [expletive] grind, fighting the best competition for the past few years… that's what I look at," Maynard told MMAFA.tv. "Who have you fought? I don't care about how good you looked when you fought a scrub. That doesn't matter. If a guy isn't good then you're not supposed to look good. And for me, [Pettis] has fought one good guy in Ben, and he isn't proven yet. He's tough as hell, but we'll see."
Pettis fired back saying Maynard needed to get himself more attention and was just spouting off.
"He needs to get his face in the media somehow," Pettis told the Las Vegas Sun. "Gray is the No. 1 contender, but no one talks about him. He doesn't get a lot of press. I think he's trying to figure out a way to get people to talk about him. If he has to use my name to do that, he has to do what he has to do."
Pettis also said he thought that Maynard lost the fight against Edgar at UFC 125. After a big first round, Maynard allowed Edgar to creep back into the fight and pull out a draw.
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Kevin Iole and Dave Meltzer give their reaction to what went down with Chael Sonnen in front of the California State Athletic Commission.
Update this afternoon from MMAWeekly:
The commission has now finalized Sonnen's timeline as to when he would be able to re-apply for a license in the state. According to the California State Athletic Commission, Sonnen's suspension will run through his current license expires on June 29, 2011.
Folllowing the expiration of his license, Sonnen will not be able to re-apply for a new license in the state until at least May 18, 2012. At that time, Sonnne can re-apply for a license in the state of California, but there are still no guarantees he will be approved.
Looks like Sonnen and UFC will be faced with the choice of snubbing California and heading elsewhere or the fighter will be sidelined until the middle of 2012. The extension of the penalty is similar to what California did to Antonio Margarito. We're not comparing what Margarito was caught doing (loading his handwraps with a plaster-like substance) to Sonnen's offense, but the state left the fighter with no recourse and no way to make a living. Frankly, that's a ridiculous penalty in this case.
Update: The CSAC was "confused" and now Sonnen is eligible to re-apply this year.
"Upon reviewing the May 18, 2011 decision of the commission, an error in the applicability of Rule 399 was made," stated a release issued today by the commission. "The rule states that, 'Any applicant who has been denied an application for a license may not file a similar application until one year from the date of the last previous denial by the commission. Any application filed within the one year period may be denied without the necessity of a hearing. Anyone who has had his license revoked may not petition for reinstatement or apply for a new license until one year after the date of such revocation. Any petition for reinstatement filed within the one year period may be denied without the necessity of a hearing.'
"Since the commission did not revoke or deny Mr. Sonnen's license, the rule does not apply."
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Randy Couture is breaking down UFC fights for Affliction. In this video, he likes the stronger wrestler in the Quinton "Rampage" Jackson-Matt Hamill fight. Couture respects Rampage's punching power, but the ground work of Hamill is enough to make him pick the upset.
Jackson is coming off a narrow win over Lyoto Machida while Hamill is fresh off beating up Tito Ortiz. Everyone's old pal Tom Atencio "goes out on a limb" and chooses Jackson. Rampage is a minus-260 favorite.
UFC 130 betting odds (remaining fights posted later):
Quinton Jackson (-320) vs. Matt Hamill (+260)
Roy Nelson (-115) vs. Frank Mir (-115)
Brian Stann (-140) vs. Jorge Santiago (+110)
Thiago Alves (-220) vs. Rick Story (+180)
You can watch UFC 130 right here on Yahoo! Sports
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A 20-year-old shouldn't be able to walk into the UFC and compete, but that's exactly what Michael McDonald is doing. A few seconds of watching him fight and you understand why he's so advanced for his age. Speaking to him gives you an even better indicator.
With the help of RawVegas.tv, we hunted down McDonald in Las Vegas. He's a very poised, grounded kid. McDonald is spiritual and admitted that he doesn't drink or party, and he's abstinent.
McDonald faces UFC newcomer Chris Cariaso on the undercard of UFC 130. The fighters have a history with Cariaso taking out a McDonald teammate in a past fight. It was a frustrating night for McDonald who worked the corner. He wants to exact a bit of revenge for his buddy. McDonald is a huge minus-300 favorite over Cariaso.
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UFC 130 weigh-in (Courtesy MMAjunkie):
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook.com)
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Starting on Saturday night, the MMA world will give fans six major events in six weeks before it takes a short summer break. Which fights will convince you to stay inside as the summer heats up?
Demetrious Johnson vs. Miguel Torres, UFC 130: I'll admit, I'm less than enthused about UFC 130. After injuries pulled Gray Maynard's championship rematch with Frankie Edgar, the card lost some luster, but I've also found that the cards I wasn't excited about have blown me away. This fight is exactly one of the bouts that will get me to change my mind. Though Torres has shown a more cautious style recently, he'll have to solve the problem of� Johnson's wrestling. For Johnson, it's another chance to move up the UFC's bantamweight ladder against the former champion.
Clay Guida vs. Anthony Pettis, "The Ultimate Fighter" Finale: Pettis was promised a UFC title shot after winning the WEC strap, but those plans were put to the side when Maynard and Edgar fought to a draw. Now, he can take out his frustration with waiting on Clay Guida, who is just as eager to make Pettis feel unwelcome in the UFC.
Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman, UFC 131: Einemo's debut in the UFC is sure to turn heads. He can win on his feet, as a 6-foot-6 fighter who trains with the famed Golden Glory camp in Holland, or on the ground, as he won an ADCC submission wrestling world championship. His MMA career is limited, but it will be fun to see how he can put it all together in the Octagon this June.
Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes, UFC 131: The interesting part of this fight will come at weigh-ins, to see how Florian can handle the cut down to 145 lbs. after fighting at lightweight for years. Once he actually gets to the Octagon, Florian will face a tough test in Nunes, who is on a three-fight winning streak.
Gina Carano vs. Sarah D'Alelio, Strikeforce: The last time we saw Carano fight, she was being beat on by Strikeforce women's champ Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos. She's spent time working on her movie career. How will nearly two years of ring rust affect her?
Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo, UFC on Versus 4: One word comes to mind with this match-up: OWWWWW. Both fighters are capable of throwing painful, KO kicks. It will be interesting to see how the two defend each other, and how the massive height difference will come into play.
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Carlos Condit, UFC 132: I wish I had a well-thought-out reason why I'm so excited for this fight, but it's just that these two are capable of knocking people out. Hard. Kim hasn't had a KO win since UFC 84, but Condit has won his last two fights with a knockout and a TKO. I can't imagine this fight will go for three, full rounds.
These are the fights that are fight on my list. Which ones are you excited for? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.
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LAS VEGAS - Michael McDonald is still in the growing stages of his MMA career. It showed tonight as he struggled to deal with the pace and kicks coming from Chris Cariaso. McDonald, 20, won the fight via split decision, 29-28, 29-28 and 27-30, but Cariaso gave the 3-to-1 favorite a difficult time.
"Chris kicks really hard and his chin is really solid," McDonald said. "Usually when I hit people that hard, they go to sleep. Fortunately, I felt like I executed very well and was able to handle him in all aspects of the fight.� I've got to let this win sink in a bit. I really want to eat some ice cream, get some rest and think about what's next."
McDonald (13-1) looked ultra-confident before the decision was read, but the nerves kicked in when the first judge gave the fight to Cariaso. The 30-27 for Cariaso wasn't outrageous. He pushed the pace throughout and landed more shots. McDonald knew what was coming and may have game-planned a little too much around counterstriking. He landed some solid shots but never really rocked Cariaso (11-3, 1-1 UFC).
In the opening fight, Renan Barao made a successful debut against veteran Cole Escovedo. Barao (26-1) was fighting for the first time in the UFc after a move over the Zuffa's smaller promotion the WEC. Barao was far from dominant, but his takedowns slowed the pace of the fight and nullified any striking advantage Escovedo (17-7) brought to the cage.
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Examining the most crucial event in the history of every team in the division. Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/29099/flash-points-franchise-turning-events
MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter and MMA insider John Morgan is a guest on today's official UFC 130 pre-event show, "Fight Day."
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LAS VEGAS - A trilogy fight between welterweights Roger Bowling and Bobby Voelker will headline Strikeforce Challengers 17 on July 22.
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Josh Barnett is outspoken and brash. It rubs a lot of people the wrong way. That included Dana White. Say what you want about Barnett, but he's not stupid, so when Zuffa purchased Strikeforce, the former UFC heavyweight champ swallowed his pride and finally worked to bury the hatchet with MMA's leading man.
That and just about everything else about Barnett seems to bother fellow heavyweight Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.
"[...] when [Barnett] sees Fedor, [UFC President] Dana White or [UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo] Fertitta, he runs to them and stays by their side all the time. He makes me sick. He's the classic kiss-ass, a rude man …" [Silva told Sherdog]. "I really want to face Barnett and I've already said I consider him a filthy person, even though he is a great fighter, and that I'll beat him up and close both of his eyes."
Silva suggested Barnett is rude and snooty when it comes to Brazilian fighters.
"I've been fighting since 2004 and have never had any issues with another athlete, even the most stuck-up," explained Silva. "Friendship, for me, is everything, but Josh is a weird guy, a guy who doesn't greet you when you enter the elevator, doesn't even say 'good morning.' It's how he treats Brazilian fighters especially. It's the same thing with [Barnett and] Werdum."
Barnett faces Brett Rogers on June 18 in Dallas. With a win over Fedor Emelianenko, Silva advances to the semifinals of the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix. Silva is awaiting the winner of Alistair Overeem and Werdum on that same card.
Tip via Larry Brown Sports
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Las Vegas' premiere amateur MMA promotion returns this weekend, and a featherweight grudge match is occupying the title slot.
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MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter and MMA insider John Morgan is a guest on today's official UFC 130 pre-event show, "Fight Day."
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TMZ loves Chuck Liddell and he seems to like the gossip site. Liddell provided a comedic moment without even realizing he was in on a joke. Watch a TMZ staffer get blasted for not knowing the difference between "fornicating" and "defecating."
If you'd like to ask Liddell about dropping a deuce or anything else, you can find him this weekend at Miracle Mile behind Planet Hollywood.
"The Iceman" has a meet and greet at the Las Vegas Fight Shop inside the Miracle Mile. Just before UFC 130 goes down a few properties to the south on the Las Vegas strip, Liddell will be on the scene from Noon-2. Look for Cagewriter as well. We'll be lurking.
Liddell isn't the only fighter out and about this week. Carlos Condit, Kyle Noke and UFC Octagon girl Chandella will be at the LV Fight Shop's Fashion Show Mall location from Noon-2 on Friday.
On Saturday, Urijah Faber and Joe Benavidez are signing at a Cox Cable office in nearby Henderson.
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There's a delicate balance in the gym amongst training partners. Teammates in MMA are really no different than those in other sports. We've seen plenty of drama unfold in 2011 between for Jackson's MMA teammates Rashad Evans and Jon Jones, so when we brought up the Kobe Bryant vs. Pau Gasol rumors to several fighters, they had plenty to say.
If you're not an NBA fan, the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks. Lakers big man Gasol was underwhelming throughout the postseason and confirmed that he let problems off the court affect his play. Bill Plaschke from the L.A. Times:
"I have to learn from this," Gasol said. ''I have to learn that when something happens off the court, you have to keep it off the court."
He was referring to the report that he stopped talking to Bryant during the postseason because Bryant's wife, Vanessa, had contributed to the breakup of Gasol and his longtime girlfriend. Lakers fans will remember Karl Malone publicly accused Vanessa of interfering with his personal life in a similar fashion.
If the rumors are true, Kobe's reportedly had similar issues former teammates Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal.
Rashad Evans, Melvin Guillard and Anthony Johnson were all asked about how much dirt you're allowed to dish to your spouse about your teammates.
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DREAM, PRIDE and K-1 veteran Zelg Galesic is the latest addition to Bellator Fighting Championships' season-five middleweight tournament.
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CREST HILL, Ill. --UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is the person most affected by Brock Lesnar pulling out of his bout with Junior dos Santos, but he responded to the change of his potential future opponent with a shrug.
"I was surprised, but in any sport, it happens. People get hurt all the time. You have to expect that sometimes," Velasquez told Cagewriter.
It's a predicament that Velasquez understands. Still rehabbing from the shoulder injury that knocked him out of a planned bout with Junior dos Santos, Velasquez spoke with Cagewriter after teaching a seminar at Clay Guida's Gym in suburban Chicago.
Velasquez will fight the winner of the Shane Carwin, who stepped into fight Junior dos Santos at UFC 131. He said that he is open to fighting either fighter. He just wants a good opponent.
"No, to me, it's whoever the better fighter is. Now they're two guys with similar styles. With Brock, it was two different styles. Brock's a wrestler, Junior's a striker. Now both of these guys are heavy-handed, they hit hard, they're bigger guys. It's pretty much the same."
Like Lesnar, Velasquez had to make the hard decision to not fight. He mentioned the UFC's new plan to give fighters health insurance, and how that will make the decision easier for fighters.
"We always go into fights where we're not 100 percent. But now, we're OK. We don't have to worry about. Before, we had to think about it, should I just tough it out, what should I do. It's a big weight off our shoulders."
Velasquez's shoulder has improved, and he's been cleared to start some training, but not full out. At the seminar, he displayed techniques and corrected attendees -- who ranged from wrestlers in grade school to fighters looking for a pro bout -- but stayed conservative with his movements.
As he heals, Velasquez has plenty of other things to keep him occupied. He is getting married at the end of the month, and he engaged in some friendly competition with fellow fighters while in Las Vegas for the Fighters Summit. Velasquez headed out to Exotics Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Phil Davis, Urijah Faber, Jake Ellenberger, Eddie Wineland, Matt Mitrione and his collegiate teammate Ryan Bader. The fighters raced around the track, and Velasquez's competitive side came out.
"I was just trying to beat everyone. Me and Ryan Bader were driving, and I actually lapped him. He was in a Ferrari," Velasquez said. He drove a Nissan GT-R. "It's not the car, it's how you drive it. He was pretty upset about that."
He admits that he is incredibly competitive, and competes with everyone in his life. That includes his fiancee.
"I'm competitive with everybody. It doesn't matter. I'm competitive with everybody. With my fiancee, everybody. Everything. Every little game. I hate to lose."
That's not a bad trait for a UFC champion to have.
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