MMA Thread

[Cr122]

Rod Mar for ESPN.com
Get some! Jon Madsen, right, feasted on a steady dose of Mike Rossow's punches.

Mike Russow passed one more rung on the heavyweight ladder.

The Pride Fighting Championships veteran defeated previously unbeaten "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 10 quarterfinalist Jon Madsen on a second-round doctor's stoppage. Referee Anthony Hamlett called a halt to the heavyweight bout between Rounds 2 and 3 on the advice of the cageside physician, who deemed Madsen unable to continue due to considerable swelling around his left eye.

The two heavyweights stalemated in the first round, as they traded sporadic power punches and worked mostly from the clinch, much to the chagrin of those in attendance. Russow rushed in behind an uppercut to start round two and transitioned to Madsen's back from a standing position. When they separated, the extent of the damage to Madsen's eye became apparent. Russow later snatched a takedown and threatened with a guillotine choke. By the end of the second period, Madsen's eye was swollen shut, and it was over.

The 34-year-old Russow, who works full-time as a patrol officer in the Chicago Police Department, has rattled off 10 consecutive victories since submitting to a Sergei Kharitonov armbar at Pride 33 "Second Coming" four years ago.

 

[Cr122]

Rod Mar for ESPN.com
Mackens Semerzier's ground game proved the difference against Alex Caceres.

WEC veteran Mackens Semerzier submitted "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 12 alum Alex Caceres with a first-round rear-naked choke, as he brought a decisive end to their featherweight matchup. Semerzier finished it 3 minutes, 18 seconds into Round 1.

Semerzier capitalized on recklessness and mounted the colorful Miami, Fla.-based fighter on the third of three takedowns, transitioned to Caceres' back and went to work with punches. He seized further control with a body triangle and caught Caceres in the choke as he postured up from the bottom. The tapout followed, as Semerzier snapped a three-fight winning streak in style

 

[Cr122]

Rod Mar for ESPN.com
John Hathaway, top, kept Kris McCray on his back and away from obtaining his first Octagon win.

Talented British import John Hathaway captured a split decision from "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 11 finalist Kris McCray in a preliminary welterweight battle. Two of the three judges scored it in Hathaway's favor by matching 29-28 counts. A third cast a dissenting 29-28 scorecard for McCray.

The two 170-pound prospects traded takedowns throughout their competitive 15-minute scrap, but it was Hathaway who put the more meaningful offense together. The once-beaten London Shootfighters standout attacked McCray with a foot lock in the first round and followed with an attempted triangle choke and armbar in the second. Hathaway also landed the cleaner punches during the stand-up exchanges and fought effectively in the clinch.

Hathaway, 22, closed strong with two late takedowns, ground-and-pound and a flurry of targeted strikes on McCray, who remains winless in three Octagon appearances.

 

[Cr122]

Rod Mar for ESPN.com
Let's go for a ride: Michael McDonald dictated things against Edwin Figueroa.

Former Tachi Palace Fights bantamweight champion Michael McDonald passed a formidable test in his promotional debut and swept the scorecards from previously unbeaten Edwin Figueroa in a preliminary duel at 135 pounds. All three cageside judges scored it for the 20-year-old McDonald by identical 30-27 counts.

McDonald, one of the sport's top prospects, wobbled Figueroa with a two-punch combination in the first round and nearly finished him twice in the second, first with a rear-naked choke and then with a triangle. He built his lead with crisp striking, well-timed takedowns and brilliant mat work.

Figueroa mounted a last-ditch assault in Round 3, but McDonald survived his encounter with a knee and a two-punch combination from the Texas-based bantamweight. A fast-rising Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, McDonald will carry a five-fight winning streak into his next appearance.

 

[Cr122]

Rod Mar for ESPN.com
Christian Morecraft, top, kept Sean McCorkle out of his element before taking him out of the fight.

Christian Morecraft choked Sean McCorkle unconscious with a standing guillotine choke in the second round, as he notched his first win inside the Octagon. McCorkle passed into unconsciousness and fell to the mat 4 minutes, 10 seconds into Round 2 of a preliminary encounter featuring two of the promotion's biggest heavyweights.

The monstrous 6-foot-8, 265-pound Morecraft outmuscled, outworked and punished his 6-foot-7, 266-pound foe throughout much of the bout. On bottom, he swept into McCorkle's guard with an attempted kneebar in the first round and battered him with strikes from above. One of them, an elbow, knocked out McCorkle's mouthpiece. Morecraft spent the final half minute of the round grinding away at his opponent.

McCorkle's situation did not improve. Morecraft met him with a series of uppercuts at the outset of Round 2 and put him back on the ground, where he stepped up his assault and set up the finish. After a low blow from Morecraft brought about a brief pause in the action, McCorkle swooped in for an attempted double-leg takedown, only to find himself trapped in the vice-like grip of the Morecraft guillotine. He blacked out soon after.

 

[Cr122]

Rod Mar for ESPN.com
Johny Hendricks needed 95 seconds to take care of business against Anthony Waldburger.

The once-beaten Johny Hendricks bounced back from his first professional MMA defeat, as he stopped Anthony Waldburger on first-round punches in a welterweight dark match. The end came 95 seconds into Round 1.

Hendricks, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion (2005-06) at Oklahoma State University, sprawled and stuffed an attempted takedown from Waldburger and then landed a clean left hand that sent the 22-year-old Texan face-first to the canvas. Referee Mario Yamasaki intervened, and though Waldburger protested, it was clear he was badly hurt

 

[Cr122]

Rod Mar for ESPN.com
Aaron Simpson ended his two-fight skid by taking it to Aaron Simpson

Two-time collegiate All-American wrestler Aaron Simpson dominated Mario Miranda in the clinch, secured multiple takedowns and cruised to a unanimous decision in a preliminary middleweight matchup. All three cageside judges sided with Simpson: 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27.

Miranda never kept separation between himself and his opponent. Simpson utilized a variety of takedowns -- trips, single legs, double legs and slams -- and struck effectively enough on the ground to maintain a clear-cut advantage in the 15-minute affair.

The victory snapped a two-fight losing streak for the 36-year-old Arizonan, who entered the cage on the heels of back-to-back defeats to Chris Leben and Mark Munoz. A Matt Hume protégé, Miranda fell to 1-3 in the UFC.

 

[Cr122]

Rod Mar for ESPN.com
Nick Lentz stayed undefeated by forcing Waylon Lowe to tap out to a choke.

Minnesota Martial Arts Academy representative Nik Lentz remained unbeaten in six Octagon appearances, as he submitted Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Waylon Lowe with a third-round guillotine choke in a lightweight dark match. Lowe, who appeared to take Round 1 and 2, met his demise 2 minutes, 24 seconds into the third.

Lowe controlled the first 10 minutes of the match with crisp counterstriking and timely takedowns. However, Lentz timed Lowe's final shot, locked him in the guillotine and coaxed the tapout. The 26-year-old Minnesotan has quietly compiled a 12-0-2 record in his last 14 appearances.


Brian Knapp is a contributor to Sherdog.com.

 

[Bonecrusher#31]

--SHERDOG

I keep seeing Bones hate. Not entirely sure why other than people love to derail hype. Fact: Bones is the most exciting prospect, 83% of his fights have ended with a finish and 80% of those with strikes.

He is 6'4 and has a huge frame, he's bigger than some heavyweights.

He has the reach, speed, strength, (eg. pure athleticism), to evolve into an elite MMA artist.

I see him dominating most strikers with his wrestling and most grapplers with his dynamic striking. Much like Cain but more devastating and explosive.

 

[Bonecrusher#31]

I am confident that Jon Bones Jones will be the Pound 4 Pound #1 fighter by 2013. He will win the LHW title and make a run at HW. He is getting bigger and soon, like Overeem, his physical potential will be reached. The only place he can go is up...and before everyone boards the bandwagon (when he beats Bader) this is and has been my prediction since I first watched Bones against Bonnar.

Here's to the future...

I love the name lol

 

[Cr122]

lol

 

[Bob Sacamano]

It's barely OK to actually participate in an MMA fight, but to watch it is extremely, ****ing phaggoty.

 

[Cr122]

Updated: April 7, 2011, 7:32 PM ET
Sources: B.J. Penn pulls out of UFC 132

By Josh Gross
ESPN.com

Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn will not fight at UFC 132.

A source close to the situation told ESPN.com that Penn's decision stems from an injury that could require rehabilitation.

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The 32-year-old Hawaiian was originally scheduled to fight Jon Fitch in a rematch of a February draw in Sydney, Australia. However last week it was reported that Fitch (23-3-1) would not fight on July 2 because of a shoulder injury suffered while training for the title eliminator rematch.

Penn (16-7-2) returned to competition at 170 pounds last November with an opening-round knockout of Matt Hughes. The move up in weight was prompted by consecutive decision losses to current UFC lightweight campion Frankie Edgar.

Fitch-Penn was set to co-headline UFC 132 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. A UFC bantamweight championship fight between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber now has top billing.

Josh Gross covers mixed martial arts for ESPN.com.

 

[Cr122]

Volkmann campaigning for Octagon return
APR 16 1:02 PM ET
By Franklin McNeil

Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Jacob Volkmann has found other ways to keep active while waiting for a call from the UFC.


The last time Jacob Volkmann stepped inside a cage, he was handing Antonio McKee his first loss in nearly eight years.

Volkman didn’t get much attention for his in-cage accomplishments, however. It’s what he did afterward defeating McKee by split decision on Jan. 1 at UFC 125 that put Volkmann in the national spotlight.

The lightweight, who operates a Chiropractic office in White Bear Lake, Minn., used a postfight interview to express his unfavorable opinion of President Barack Obama’s medical insurance bill.

These days, Volkmann (12-2-0) isn’t discussing the President’s health-care agenda; his business continues to operate smoothly. He is more concerned with getting back in the Octagon.

“I don’t have a fight scheduled,” Volkmann told ESPN.com. “I was supposed to find out this week, but my manager never called me. I should find out, hopefully, by next week. At 155, it’s so hard to get a fight because there are so many fighters. [The waiting] doesn’t bother me too much, because everybody is going through the same thing.”

When he learns the name of his next UFC opponent, Volkmann will be more than ready take him on. He has been staying in fighting shape by competing in another form of physical combat.

A former three-time All-America wrestler at the University of Minnesota, Volkmann competed in the Senior Greco-Roman wrestling trials last week at the U.S. Open in Cleveland. Volkmann was hoping to earn a spot at the World Team Trials. He came up short, but isn’t disappointed, as there were many positives to take away from the event.

“I did OK,” Volkmann said. “I was one win away from placing. I’m just trying to keep the butterflies going and keep my weight down.”

Being able to stay in top physical condition, while fine-tuning his wrestling skills, has bolstered Volkmann's eagerness to compete in the cage soon. He’s also taken time to improve his stand-up.

When Volkmann steps in the Octagon again, fans can expect to see a more refined fighter -- on the ground and standing. He wants people to leave the bout discussing his fighting skills, not his position on President Obama’s political agenda.

 

[Cr122]

‘Bigfoot’ Wants Barnett in Strikeforce GP, Has Harsh Words for Lesnar
Monday, May 16, 2011
by Gleidson Venga (gvenga@sherdog.com)

Antonio Silva (above) was recently critical of Josh Barnett and Brock Lesnar. | Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com


Since pummeling Fedor Emelianenko into near-retirement in February, Antonio Silva has faced a marathon of interviews, photo shoots and other business outside of the cage. But the only question the 6-foot-4 Brazilian wants answered is who he will face in the semifinals of Strikeforce’s 2011 heavyweight grand prix: close friend Fabricio Werdum or reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.

During a recent trip to Los Angeles, amidst a slew of media appearances, Silva found time to visit Werdum at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, Calif. While there, “Bigfoot” made the decision neither to train with Werdum, nor his friend and admired coach Rafael Cordeiro.

“I didn’t bring training gear with me to L.A., and I didn’t think it would be good for me and Werdum in terms of media,” Silva told Sherdog.com. “Like it or not, Werdum, I’m sure of it, will face me in the semifinals. I’m sure the guys there wouldn’t be opposed to it, but I decided not to train. I just went to see the gym, see friends like [Werdum], master Rafael Cordeiro, Andre “Dida” [Amado]. Everyone received me very well and I made sure I praised Cordeiro for his time, for the facilities he’s built for the fighters.”

Regardless of the opponent, a tough fight awaits Silva in the next round of the loaded tournament. However, Silva has already set his sights on a finals matchup with a fighter from the other side of the bracket: onetime UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett. According to Silva, the “Babyfaced Assassin” has been hostile in private, particularly to Brazilians, while publicly displaying his sweet side to the celebrities of the MMA world.

“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.

“But 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 …” added Silva. “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’s acidic quotes continued when asked his opinion of former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar, who last week withdrew from his June 11 bout with Junior dos Santos due to a second flare-up of diverticulitis.

“I don’t want to judge anyone and I really wish it’s not a big health problem for [Lesnar], but I have some doubts,” Silva said. “That big guy doesn’t like being punched. In his last fights, he was put in the fetal position by Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez, which is humiliating for a fighter. I think he pulled out of the fight against ‘Cigano,’ who is a real heavy puncher and a real tough opponent for someone who doesn’t like being punched.”

While Silva hopes to join the likes of Lesnar and Velasquez in the Octagon someday, for now, his eye is on winning the Strikeforce tournament.

“No doubt, it’s a dream not only for me, but for every athlete, to fight in the UFC,” he affirmed, “but it’s something I’m planning for the future only. I believe the Strikeforce tournament champion will face the UFC champion. That’s what people have been talking about. I hope it comes true, but that fight wouldn’t be until next year. I hope I can get both belts. It would be a dream come true. Everyone wants to know who the best fighter in the world is and they’ll have that chance in the future. If I win both belts, you can be sure I’ll spend at least two months just drinking coconut water and driving Jet Skis in Paraiba with my family.”

Colin Foster contributed to this report.

 

[Cr122]

Henderson: Fedor Fight Makes the Most Sense
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
by Sherdog.com Staff

Dan Henderson (above) has wanted to fight Fedor Emelianenko for years. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com


Dan Henderson is not a heavyweight, but he thinks a matchup against one of the best heavyweight fighters of all time would be his best career move at this point.

Henderson is expected to fight Fedor Emelianenko on a July 30 Strikeforce card in Chicago, according to ESPN.com. In his most recent bout, Henderson won the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship by stopping Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante in March. From Henderson’s vantage, he doesn’t have an immediate challenger for the belt he now wears.

Gegard Mousasi drew with Keith Jardine in April in a fight that could have created a contender. Mike Kyle has been injured and unable to bounce back from a heavyweight loss to Antonio Silva. In Henderson’s view, Fedor is the best option.

“I think that fight, as far as in Strikeforce, it’s the one that makes the most sense right now,” Henderson said during an April 27 “Savage Dog Show” interview on the Sherdog Radio Network. “It’s a big fight. All the fans want to see it.”

The matchup will be the last bout on Henderson’s current deal with Strikeforce. He signed with the promotion after leaving the Zuffa-owned UFC, and of course recently Zuffa purchased Strikeforce as well.

“I was in the dark, as a lot of other people were too,” Henderson said of the sale. “I was probably just waking up and had a few texts already from people that had heard the news in the morning. My first thought was to call bulls--t on it, but it was what it was. Like I said, I didn’t know how to react and what that was going to do for me and I still don’t really until I start negotiating a new contract.”

Henderson acknowledged that after hearing about the sale he contacted UFC President Dana White.

“I might have just texted him saying, ‘Couldn’t leave me alone? Had to go and buy Strikeforce too?’ Something like that,” Henderson said. “I’ve never been on bad terms with him. It was all about business, and I had a better offer. That’s what it came down to. I’ve always appreciated what they’ve done for me and the sport. I do have mixed feelings about them buying Strikeforce. It could be a good thing for me, but not so sure how good it is for the sport.”

Henderson has traded shots with White in the past, but the fighter emphasized it was in good fun. Other moves, like the UFC not exactly welcoming Henderson’s Clinch Gear clothing company as a sponsor after he’d left, were just business in Henderson’s opinion.

“I know that Dana’s Dana, and he’s going to sell fights no matter how he does it and talk whatever s--t he’s going to talk when things don’t go his way,” Henderson said. “I never took anything personally and I’ve never said anything bad about them other than maybe he’s a little bit chubby and it looks like he got a boob job recently.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 2:03:45).

 

[Cr122]

Pettis hits back at 'jealous' Maynard over scrub comment
ESPN staff
May 17, 2011

Anthony Pettis beat Ben Henderson in his last outing © Getty Images


Anthony Pettis has responded to Gray Maynard's claim that he is yet to fight anybody in his MMA career, labelling the UFC lightweight division's No. 1 contender "jealous".

Right now, Maynard is where Pettis wants to be, top of the queue for a crack at 155lb champion Frankie Edgar. Maynard had been set for a title challenge at UFC 130, only for injuries to wipe him and Edgar off the card.

Pettis can ensure he is first in line to face the winner of Edgar v Maynard, by beating Clay Guida at the TUF 13 Finale. However, Maynard has questioned whether Pettis deserves such a promotion after just one UFC fight, insisting the former WEC champion has not fought anybody compared to UFC veterans such as Jim Miller.

"Let's look at who he's fought," Maynard said recently. "Ben Henderson is the best name. And I don't mind fighting him; I don't care if I win the belt and then I have to take him on.

"But for me, guys like Miller, [Gilbert] Melendez and all of these guys who have been on the f***ing grind, fighting the best competition for the past few years… that's what I look at.

"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."

Pettis, who's UFC debut is eagerly anticipated following his Showtime kick against Ben Henderson, responded by accusing Maynard of jealousy.

"I feel bad for all the guys in the WEC, he's downgrading all the WEC fighters who are doing very well in the UFC," Pettis told Heavy.com.

"I feel like he might be a little jealous of my levels of success so fast. I'm probably the most popular UFC fighter that hasn't fought in the UFC yet."