UFC 132: Cruz Vs Faber Preview
UFC 132: Cruz vs Faber
UFC 132 has lined up a great card that shouldn’t be missed, which includes a title fight. The UFC Bantamweight championship will be defended for the very first time since Dominick Cruz was awarded the belt after his win against Scott Jorgensen at the very last WEC event. On top of that, Cruz will be facing off against a familiar foe, and the last person to beat him in Urijah Faber, for his first UFC title defense.
The first time Cruz and Faber squared off was in the heavier Featherweight division where Faber easily dispatched of Cruz by submission in the 1st round to retain the Featherweight championship. Since that loss, the 17-1 Cruz dropped a weight class and has been undefeated ever since going 8-0 along with 2 WEC Bantamweight title defences. Faber, on the other hand, has been on a bit of a rollercoaster, going 4-3 since losing his WEC Featherweight title; however, he is also 2-0 in the Bantamweight division. This fight will be a huge test for both fighters, with both looking for a bit of redemption. It doesn’t hurt when both fighters completely dislike each other either. On that note, look for Cruz to control this one from start to finish for the decision win.
Also on the card is a hungry Chris Leben up against MMA veteran Wanderlei Silva in what is sure to be a strong candidate for fight of the night and knockout of the night. These two fighters are natural born strikers that absolutely love to put on a show. This can only mean one thing: this fight will almost certainly not go to the ground and one of these two guys will get KO’d. Predicting a winner for this fight is a toss-up, but this coin is leaning more towards a healthier Leben that does not want to drop to 0-2.
Tito Ortiz also makes a return to the Octagon after injuries sidelined him for a fight against Antônio Rogério Nogueira. After going winless in his last 5 fights, Ortiz is in do or die situation — he wins, he lives to fight another day, he loses, his career in the UFC is over. Ortiz doesn’t have a walk in the park either, going up against top 10 light heavyweight fighter and elite wrestler, Ryan Bader. Bader is coming off a submission loss to UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and prior to that loss Bader was 11-0 with notable wins over Antônio Rogério Nogueira and Keith Jardine. Ortiz is a veteran of MMA and one of the icons and poster boys of the UFC, but he will have his hands full with Bader, and his lack of evolution as a fighter is going to ensure he walks away from this one as the loser.
A welterweight bout between Carlos Condit and Dong Hyun Kim pits two emerging welterweight contenders against each other to bring one of these prospects one step closer to a title shot. Condit is on a three fight win streak that saw him dispatch of the former number one contender Dan Hardy in incredible fashion. While Kim grinded out his 3 fight win streak, he is still a welterweight contender that is quickly climbing up the ranks. This fight has a lot on the line for both fighters, but look for Kim to grind out another decision victory.
A lightweight bout between Dennis Siver and Matt Wiman rounds out the main card. Siver is coming off a huge win over George Sotiropolis and has all the confidence in the world while riding a 3 fight win streak. Wiman is also on a 3 fight win streak and has an advantage over Siver when it comes to the ground. However, Siver will continue his win streak against Wiman and will most definitely jump into the mix of top contenders for the UFC’s lightweight title.
Do you agree with our picks or do you think the fights will go in a different direction? Let us know in the comments, either way UFC 132 is going to be one exciting card.
Mike Swick Vs The Monkey
Mike Swick Fights A Monkey
The Monkey would make a pretty interesting and unique nickname in MMA, but in this case, the monkey is actually, a monkey. That’s right, UFC fighter, Mike Swick fights a monkey… ok, ok so he doesn’t exactly fight the monkey, but he does train with one. See for yourself, and let us know what you think about it in the comments.
Former UFC Ring Girls: Edith Labelle
Edith Labelle
Edith Labelle was once part of the talented line-up of UFC ring girls, but following an altercation around the time of UFC 100, Edith was fired without any explanation. Life after the UFC for Labelle wasn’t very far away from what she was known for: modelling. Then again, who can complain about something like that? This video proves why Edith Labelle is still on the minds of many fight fans, well, any heterosexual guy for that matter.
Strikeforce Heavyweights Do Not Impress
Overeem Beats Werdum
This past weekend, the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament resumed with Brett Rogers, Josh Barnett, Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum squaring off to determine who would advance to the next leg of the competition. Unfortunately, after the fights took place it seems the Heavyweights did a great job at dissuading fight fans to continue watching the tournament.
Josh Barnet and Brett Rogers did a phenomenal job at simply lying on the matt doing much of nothing, before Barnett submitted Rogers early in the 2nd round.
The main event between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum was equally as unexciting with Werdum dropping to the floor every chance he got. The main event could actually have been good and could have ended the night on a great note, if not for Overeem being overly cautious (or gassed, whichever you prefer) and not finishing Werdum. Overeem had ample opportunity to end Werdum anywhere from mid second round to the end of the fight, but for some reason he looked like he forgot how to fight.
If it weren’t for Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva’s mauling of Fedor Emelianenko, and Sergei Kharitonov’s KO win over Andrei Arlovski, this tournament would likely hold very little interest to fans of MMA. With the performances over this past weekend, it is looking more than likely that ‘Big Foot’ Silva will run away with this tournament. With that being said, who do you think will win the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix?
HDNet To Air Live Coverage Of The Strikeforce Weigh-Ins & Undercard
Overeem vs Werdum
HDNet will feature three hours of LIVE coverage of the “ Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament: Overeem vs. Werdum” weigh-ins and undercard this weekend.
Coverage begins at a special time tomorrow, Friday at 6:00 p.m. ET with “Inside MMA” broadcasting LIVE from the weigh-ins at Victory Plaza in Dallas. Kenny and Bas will be joined by Herschel Walker and Guy Mezger to breakdown the fight card and Ron Kruck will interview the fighters as they step off the scale. “Inside MMA” will air an encore presentation of this special live event in its regularly scheduled time slot at 9:00 p.m. ET.
On Saturday night, June 18, HDNet will broadcast “HDNet Fights: Strikeforce Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament: Overeem vs. Werdum Undercard” LIVE at 8:00 p.m. ET. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello will be joined by “El Guapo” Bas Rutten to call the action. The featured bouts include JZ Cavalcante (15-3-1-1) vs. Justin Wilcox (11-3) and Conor Heun (8-4) vs. Magno Almeida (9-1).
“HDNet is excited to present LIVE coverage of this weekend’s Strikeforce weigh-ins and undercard,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “We are in the middle of a 13 week stretch of exclusive, premiere MMA action, demonstrating that HDNet is truly ‘Your Home for MMA.’”
Also, don’t miss the premiere of “HDNet Fights: United Glory World Series Final” Friday night at 10:00 p.m. ET.
UFC Returns To Brazil
UFC Rio
The UFC returns to the birthplace of mixed martial arts, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday, Aug. 27, as one of the country’s most recognizable superstars defends his title against the division’s nearly unstoppable number one contender. Live from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba’s Anderson “The Spider” Silva puts the middleweight title on the line when he meets Japanese star Yushin Okami, the only man to hold a victory over Silva in the last five years.
“Anderson Silva is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” said UFC President Dana White. “He has won 14 straight and hasn’t lost since January 2006, when he lost a controversial fight against none other than Yushin Okami. Okami is the number two middleweight in the world and a powerhouse in that division. He is the winningest Japanese fighter in UFC history and also the only guy to have beaten the greatest fighter in the world in the last seven years. He wants to do it again, but this time, in Anderson’s home country and win the UFC middleweight title. If he does, he will be the first ever Japanese champion.”
An explosive co-main event features the rematch between former light heavyweight champions Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Forrest Griffin, while unbeaten Brazilian lightweight Edson Barboza looks for his ninth professional victory when he battles British bomber Ross Pearson. UFC’s first event in Brazil since 1998 will also feature a pivotal heavyweight collision pitting former champion and Brazilian legend Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira against the surging Brendan Schaub. In addition, Sao Paulo’s Luiz Cane collides with unbeaten Bulgarian Stanislav Nedkov in a surefire slugfest.
Tickets for UFC 134: SILVA vs. OKAMI go on sale on Friday, June 17 at 11:30pm PT and are priced at R$1,600, R$1,000, R$450, and R$275. Tickets are available online at INGRESSO.com.
UFC 134: SILVA vs. OKAMI will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.
Ranked as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and one of the greatest of all time, Anderson Silva (fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) has won 14 straight fights and has defended the middleweight crown a record eight times. On Aug. 27, “The Spider” gets a chance to avenge a controversial disqualification loss he suffered to Yushin Okami in 2006. Owning wins over the likes of Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort, the 36-year-old is looking forward to adding Okami’s name to his legendary resume.
“This is a great opportunity for me to fight in Brazil, close to my home and my family,” Silva, who boasts a 28-4 record,” said. “It’s a great opportunity for Yushin and the fans in Japan after all they have been through this year. To see one of their top fighters fighting for the title makes this a special event.”
A winner of six out of his last seven fights, Japanese middleweight star Yushin Okami (fighting out of Kanagawa, Japan) has emerged as the division’s top contender thanks to his tremendous strength and overwhelming power. With wins over Jason MacDonald, Nate Marquardt and Mark Munoz, the six-foot-two powerhouse has set out to become the first Japanese champion in the history of the UFC.
“I understand Anderson has a lot of emotion (fighting in Brazil),” Okami, who has compiled a record of 27-5, said. “This time it will be in his home country, so I will see him fully focused, at his most dangerous, and in the best shape ever when I step in to the Octagon.”
“But no matter what, I have to try to smash him with all of my speed, strength and skills,” Okami continued. “The last time we fought, I felt the pressure of his striking, so I have been sharpening up my striking skills, and though he is the best opponent I have faced, he is the man I have to beat to become the UFC middleweight champion.”
Silva isn’t the only superstar looking to avenge a loss on Aug. 27. Former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) returns to the Octagon in Rio de Janeiro to battle Forrest Griffin (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.), a former 205-pound champion who defeated him in 2007. Known for his fierce Muay Thai skills and devastating power, the 29-year-old Rua (19-5) holds wins over Hall of Famers Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell, and was the first man to ever knock out Lyoto Machida. He’ll need to be on point to upend Griffin, who won the first season ofThe Ultimate Fighter and is best known for wins over Stephan Bonnar, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin.
The stock of lightweight striker Edson Barboza (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is soaring thanks to two impressive wins in the UFC. Unbeaten at 8-0, the 25-year-old returns to his hometown this summer to meet The Ultimate Fighter season nine winner Ross Pearson (fighting out of Sunderland, England). Boasting wins in four out of his last five fights, the 26-year-old Pearson plans to spoil Barboza’s homecoming in August and prove that he truly is “The Real Deal.”
Mixed martial arts legend Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira (fighting out of Bahia, Brazil) returns to his native Brazil with hopes of displaying the tenacity that helped him win both UFC and PRIDE titles in his illustrious career. The 35-year-old nicknamed “Big Nog” starts that quest back to the championship when he meets red-hot heavyweight prospect Brendan Schaub (fighting out of Denver, Colo.). A 28-year-old former NFL player, Schaub (9-1) has won four straight fights in the Octagon. The toughest test of his young career awaits the heavy-handed fighter nicknamed “The Hybrid” at HSBC Arena when he meets Nogueira (32-6-1, 1NC) in hostile territory.
Knockout artist Luiz Cane (fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) finished Eliot Marshall in his last fight in March and expects nothing less when he battles unbeaten Stanislav Nedkov (fighting out of Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria) in light heavyweight action. Thus, it should come as no surprise that the bout between Cane (12-3-1) and Nedkov (11-0) is an early sleeper for Fight of the Night.
Ultimate Fantasy: Arianny Celeste
Arianny Celeste
One thing about Arianny Celeste is very clear; she is potentially the ultimate fantasy for many men and this video from Bud Light proves it. For the casual fans out there here’s a video of a Peruvian Necktie Submission in action.
Strikeforce Challengers Debuts At The Palms Casino In Las Vegas
Strikeforce Challengers
In 2010, Bobby Voelker and Roger Bowling engaged in two of the most exciting contests of the year, splitting victories and leaving fans craving a third fight to settle the score. On July 22, the wait will come to an end as STRIKEFORCE Challengers presents the rubber match at the Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
If that wasn’t enough, STRIKEFORCE Challengers also features Sarah Kaufman taking on Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche in a women’s welterweight matchup, a heavyweight contest between Lavar “Big” Johnson and Devin Cole, as well as a 185-pound bout between Adlan Amagov and Ronald “The Choir Boy” Stallings, and one yet to be announced bout that will air on Showtime.
The event will mark STRIKEFORCE’s debut at the Palms and the organization expects to put on several events at the fight-friendly venue throughout 2011.
“The rubber match between Voelker and Bowling will not only settle the score between the two, but it will also help determine another rising contender in the welterweight division,” STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker said. “This event on July 22 is loaded with potentially explosive fights and we’re excited to kick off our relationship with the Palms with such a great card.”
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE Challengers are on sale now and are priced at $150, $85 and $50. Tickets will be available at the Pearl box office, online atticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Ticket prices do not include service charges.
STRIKEFORCE Challengers is presented by Rockstar Energy Drink.
Kansas City’s Bobby Voelker (23-8) has proven that defeating him is no easy task, as he’s shown by winning three of his last four, including the last fight with Bowling in October. This July he’ll have his sights set on Cincinnati’s Roger Bowling (9-1), who earned his nickname “Relentless” thanks to scoring seven of his nine professional victories by way of stoppage. Fresh off a win over Josh Thornsburg in March, the 28-year-old now turns his attention to winning the trilogy.
Former welterweight champ Sarah Kaufman (13-1) returns for a pivotal fight that could determine the division’s next title challenger. With her only career loss coming to Marloes Coenen last year, the 25-year-old Canadian Kaufman is a tremendous finisher with 10 of her 13 wins coming by way of knockout. Former U.S. Marine Liz Carmouche (5-1) steps back into the cage for the first time since battling STRIKEFORCE women’s welterweight champion Coenen in an exciting bout last March. The aggressive striker, who currently trains in San Diego, Calif., meets Kaufman in what should be an explosive 135-pound women’s bout.
Lavar Johnson (15-4), having lost only once since August of 2008, holds wins over the likes of Shane del Rosario and Virgil Swicker. He looks to spark a run up the heavyweight ladder when he meets Team Quest product Devin Cole (18-9-1), in what will surely be an explosive matchup. Cole, a wrestling standout who won a national championship with Southern Oregon University, is 5-2 in his last seven bouts.
Since losing his first and only bout, Russian Adlan Amagov (7-1-1) has gone unbeaten in his last eight fights. On July 22, he debuts in STRIKEFORCE and looks to continue his impressive run. Currently riding a two-fight win streak, Ron Stallings (9-3) has made quick work of his opponents. With all of his wins coming by either by KO or submission, expect fireworks from the Temple Hills, Md. product in this bout.
UFC 131 Preview And Predictions
UFC 131: Dos Santos vs Carwin
My first attempt at predicting the fights for UFC 130 did not go as well as I had hoped. After stunning those watching UFC 130 with me by predicting the winner of the first bout on the main event by KO, I spent the rest of the night feeling sheepish and listening to endless teasing as my last four picks looked completely ridiculous.
UFC 130 was the only thing more disappointing then my picks that night. The card as a whole was underwhelming, even in the eyes of UFC President Dana White. Even more disappointing than the overall card was the performance of Roy Nelson. As a fan of Big Country, I thought he was evolving in all aspects of his fight game. Nelson has since claimed to have been suffering from walking pneumonia, which would certainly hinder ones performance, but surely he was not suffering from pneumonia through the duration of his camp. I thought Big Country was talented and willing to work hard enough to overcome his love for food. As Dana White said after the fight, the fat thing was funny for a time, but it is not funny anymore.
UFC 131, like 130, has changed its main event. The card is more promising than 130 though, and the main event seems like a sure hit amongst fans that want to see a knockout.
Vagner Rocha vs Donald Cerrone
Rocha is not well known outside of his adopted home of Florida. He is a fighter with tremendous BJJ and is looking to make the most of his opportunity to join the big leagues. Since 2008 Cowboy Cerrone has gone 7-3. What makes Cerrone unique during that stretch is his six fight of the nights during that ten fight span. Cerrone was 4-2 in fight of the nights, but all three of his losses came in championship bouts.
While it is hard to say who wins, with Cerrone involved the fight is sure to be exciting. I expect Cerrone to try and keep this fight standing and use his Muay Thai to put away Rocha.
Damian Maia vs Mark Munoz
Damian Maia has four submission of the night honours in the UFC, and if you erase the embarrassing fight between Maia and Anderson Silva, Maia has only lost once since joining the UFC.
Mark Munoz has a decorated wrestling background and is 5-2 since coming to the UFC. Munoz has gained a lot of steam during his recent win streak, but I expect Maia to dominate this potentially ground heavy fight with yet another exciting submission.
Dave Herman vs Jon Olav Einemo
Hard to say much about either newcomer to the UFC, but Herman has been the busier fighter while Einemo has not fought since 2006. Herman is also almost ten years younger, which makes him my pick in this battle of newcomers.
Kenny Florian vs Diego Nunes
This fight is Kenny Florian’s first at Featherweight, and according to Dana White, a win will get Florian a shot at Jose Aldo’s belt. Since joining the UFC/ WEC Nunes has gone 5-1 with all of his fights going the distance. The X factor in this fight will be Florian’s weight cut; if he has a healthy cut and comes into the fight 100%, Florian should have no problem taking home the victory. If 145 pounds is too small for his 5’10” frame, Nunes should be able to grind out another decision victory.
Junior Dos Santos vs Shane Carwin
The main event of the fight card between Dos Santos and Carwin looks very promising. There are two things that are almost certain when it comes to this fight; it will not go the distance, and it will not end via submission. Two of the heaviest hands in the Heavyweight division should result in a boxing match with four ounce gloves. Neither fighter has had their chins tested yet in their careers, but it is almost certain that both will be taking heavy shots in this bout.
Both fighters’ records in the UFC are amazing; all four of Carwin’s UFC victories have come in the first round by KO. The only time Carwin has had to go past the first round he gassed and could not stop Brock Lesnar from getting on top of him, despite owning Lesnar through the entire first round.
JDS has won all six of his fights in the UFC, four by KO and another by verbal submission after his heavy hands broke Mirko Cro-Cop’s orbital bone. The only person he was not able to finish was Roy Nelson, whom no one has yet to be able to finish.
In what might be both the fight of the night and knockout of the night, look for Cigano to continue winning and finish Carwin to set him up for a title shot against Cain Velasquez.
Camp Carwin’s Here We Go
Shane Carwin Training
Shane Carwin is 5 days away from his number 1 contender fight against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 131 and he’s looking better than ever. Carwin has transformed himself into a lean and powerful fighting machine with unmatched determination to ensure he beats Dos Santos. Here’s the rest of Carwin’s video series showcasing his training over the past few weeks.
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
