Paul Daley " I Feel The Fight Was Stopped Early With 3 Seconds Left In a Championship Fight" - Paul Daley

Fight Hub TV caught exclusively with Paul Daley right after his bout with Nick Diaz as he talks ti us about his thoughts on the fight, Jon McCarthy stopping the bout when he did and his plans for the future.

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

Hamill’s grandfather a key to his success

Living in the bubble of the MMA world, it's easy to forget how remarkable Matt Hamill is for being a deaf fighter. He's been in the UFC since 2006, so we're used to him overcoming odds, and usually treat him no differently than any other fighter. It turns out that we're not the only ones, as his grandfather did the same.

Those expectations from his grandfather helped propel Hamill to become an elite fighter, and led him to the main event of Saturday's UFC 130 against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson Josh Hendricks Ed Herman

UFC 129's Lyoto Machida On Randy Couture and Re-inventing - UFC 129

*** Watch Complete 1/2hr HD Episodes on http://www.MMAheat.com *** MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant spends a few minutes with former UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Lyoto Machida, right after his photo shoot and scanning session with Round 5. The Brazilian star tells us how he feels about having his own action figure, and then talks about his preparation for UFC 129, where he'll face Randy Couture. Lyoto gives his thoughts on Randy's legacy, what this fight means to him and what he did to make sure he's ready for such an important event. Be sure to visit http://www.MMAheat.com for more interviews and archived episodes of our 1/2 hour TV show. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryant

Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher

From Humble Athletic Beginnings, Rick Story an Unlikely UFC Contender

Filed under: UFC

The story of Rick Story is a testament to persistence. Unlike most fighters who make it into his division's top 10, he wasn't a superstar athlete right from the beginning. In fact, in Story's freshman year of wrestling at Pacific Lutheran University, he competed in 17 matches. And he lost all 17.

When he moved into the MMA world, Story promptly lost his first fight.

When he was signed into the UFC, he was defeated in his debut.

So how did Story get from there to here? How about some good, old-fashioned hard work? After an 0-17 season, most would be downright devastated. Many would simply quit. But not Story. By the time he was a senior, he was good enough to win 33 matches and make it to the national championship match in his weight class. Guess what? He lost.

That's a lot of losing for someone who is, quite obviously, a winner, because when it comes to his UFC career, Story has handled every challenge that's come his way since his opening defeat, a judges' decision at the hands of John Hathaway in June 2009.

At UFC 130, the 26-year-old southpaw earned the biggest win of his still young career, outworking former welterweight No. 1 contender Thiago Alves in a decision win. That's no small feat when you consider that over the last five years, here's the list of guys who have beaten Alves: Jon Fitch and Georges St-Pierre. That's it.

The outcome came as a surprise not only for the result itself (Alves had been more than a 2-to-1 favorite), but for the way it came about. Though Story has earned a reputation as a solid all-around fighter, most thought his wrestling would be the key to beating Alves, a Muay Thai stylist who loves to fire off his hands and kicks. Instead, Story stayed standing with Alves for 13:39 of the 15-minute match, and outstruck him by a 101-67 margin during that time, according to Compustrike.

As has become his custom, Story showed a nice variety of standing strikes to go with his ability to take an opponent down and grind him against the cage. The result was a decision by a trio of 29-28 scores.

Afterward, Story said that he is hoping to fight one of the two men to recently beat Alves, the aforementioned Fitch. The fight, though, seems unlikely given that Fitch just underwent shoulder surgery in early May and is likely to be out of action for several months. So what should Story do in the meantime?

Well, an attempt to raise his profile wouldn't be a bad idea, because while he doesn't have a credibility problem, he does have a visibility problem.

Even though he was in one of UFC 130's featured fights, the quiet kid from Washington probably didn't get the attention he deserved. While he was invited to open workouts during fight week, he was upstaged by the presence of main event participant Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and later essentially booted out of a question-and-answer session with the media when Jackson joined the fray.

At the post-fight press conference, Story received all of one single question. What's an upstart underdog have to do to get a little attention around here?

Well, some of the lack of awareness is his own doing. Just have a look at his Twitter page. Social media is a big focus for the UFC, and Story's avatar is a photo of him, but it cuts off at his neck, making him faceless.

If that isn't a symbol for a fighter toiling in anonymity, I don't know what is.

Winning, though, is the cure for a lot of problems. What usually follows is the athletic trifecta: increased pay, better opportunities and more exposure. On the heels of a six-fight win streak, all of those should be coming his way. But here's another thing that comes with winning: pressure. With bigger stakes come bigger risks.

Don't be surprised if Story continues to prove himself up to the task. Nothing is harder than digging your way out of a hole you made for yourself, and he's done that throughout his athletic career. Whatever you think of his game is OK. Just think something, anything about it. This is a kid who no longer deserves to be ignored.

It's easy to be good when things are always going good, but the kid who started collegiate wrestling losing 17 straight matches has repeatedly shown the ability to battle through adversity. That's an invaluable trait for a professional athlete, and it's not quite as common as you might expect at high levels of sports.

Story still has many questions to answer about his fight game as he moves into the highest echelon of his division. But one question about it has been answered for good. Despite his relative anonymity, and despite his rocky beginnings in athletics, Rick Story is a winner.

 

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Rashad Evans Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho

Was Mir’s performance lousy? White changes his tune

"Borderline embarrassing" were the words Dana White used to describe the Frank Mir-Roy Nelson fight at UFC 130. That was just moments after he watched a pair of 260-pounders lock horns and fight in closed space for most of the 15 minutes. Mir won the brawl via unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-2 and 30-26, but it�didn't win�over everyone in attendance.

"It was a sloppy heavyweight fight," White said. "I'm not happy about the performance from either one of them. I thought it was borderline embarrassing."

It was the second straight fight where White expressed disappointment in Mir's performance.

At UFC 119, Mir was denied a knockout bonus despite producing the only KO finish of the night against Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

"If they were earlier in the card, it would be one thing. But when you're in the co-main or the main event, that's when you take the most criticism," White said. "I don't like every time bashing Frank Mir, but what are you going to do?

"Frank Mir has been a two-time world champion. He's been around a long time. He's a super-talented guy. I expect more of him."

Mir wasn't at the postfight press conference. He was at the hospital having a broken jaw and possible fractured ribs tended to. Maybe that news changed White's mind a bit about the quality of the fight.

"I think I was a little harsh on Mir," White told MMAjunkie on Sunday. "He came into that fight with the perfect game plan, and he nailed Roy with some big shots. Mir dominated that fight from start to finish, and he deserves some credit for that."

That doesn't mean he's backing off his criticism of Nelson, who White suggested needs to get down in the 240-pound range.

"I thought Roy looked terrible tonight," White said. "I thought it was terrible. I thought it was embarrassing.� I have a meeting with him on Friday, and we'll see what happens."

Frankly, none of this "too fat" stuff should come as a surprise. The UFC has always worried about Nelson's slovenly appearance.

"Joe Silva was telling me to lose some weight and gain some muscle. He said I need the UFC look," Nelson told TAGG radio back in 2008.

Many fans freaked out at the time, but now it's clear that it's not a cosmetic thing. Nelson is a very skilled fighter, but he's hurting his chances to beat the best in the world by continuing to fight around 265 pounds. Should White go as far as giving Nelson an ultimatum?

Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie

Stann scores another spectacular finish by blasting Santiago at UFC 130

LAS VEGAS - Brian Stann dealt with an emotional spot beautifully in the opening fight of the UFC 130 pay-per-view. The Marine, fighting on Memorial Day weekend, took out an elite middleweight in Jorge Santiago, by showing off a versatile, powerful stand up attack. Stann floored Santiago with a right hook and landed five more shots on the ground before referee Herb Dean saved the Brazilian at 4:29 of the second round.

"It means so much to win today," Stann said, who received a Silver Star back in 2006 for his heroic efforts in Iraq. "There are people who aren't here anymore. They are the true heroes. I am here thanks to a lot of luck and I'm grateful to be fighting on the biggest stage on earth."

Stann's military is a main focus before every one of his fights. He's so humble that he actually apologized during the prefight press conference and again after the fight.

"The attention that's bestowed upon me is misdirected. It belongs to the active military personnel and those who lost their lives fighting for this country," said Stann.

Based on his success with Japan's Sengoku, Santiago rose into the middleweight top 10 of some MMA polls. But there was also a thought that he was a bit overrated. The sportsbook and betting public in Las Vegas agreed with that assessment. Stann was minus-140 favorite during the week and one-sided action pushed him to a -160 favorite. The way the fight played out, he probably should've been a 3-to-1 favorite.

Santiago had trouble getting into a rhythm on the feet and anytime he went near Stann in a clinch situation, he was overpowered.

On the feet, Stann (11-3, 5-1 UFC) was excellent with his leg kicks. He momentarily dropped Santiago on two occasion with those kicks, but the fight changing blows came with both fists. He landed a left hook with 1:45 left in the first and pounded away on top of Santiago for the rest of the round. In the second, Santiago still looked shaky on the feet and was slow. Stann caught him with a right hook on the side of his head and this time Santiago couldn't recover. Stann pounced and fired away from a standing position. The fifth punch he landed made Santiago go limp.

Chris Dolman Edson Drago  Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus 

Was Mir’s performance lousy? White changes his tune

"Borderline embarrassing" were the words Dana White used to describe the Frank Mir-Roy Nelson fight at UFC 130. That was just moments after he watched a pair of 260-pounders lock horns and fight in closed space for most of the 15 minutes. Mir won the brawl via unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-2 and 30-26, but it�didn't win�over everyone in attendance.

"It was a sloppy heavyweight fight," White said. "I'm not happy about the performance from either one of them. I thought it was borderline embarrassing."

It was the second straight fight where White expressed disappointment in Mir's performance.

At UFC 119, Mir was denied a knockout bonus despite producing the only KO finish of the night against Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

"If they were earlier in the card, it would be one thing. But when you're in the co-main or the main event, that's when you take the most criticism," White said. "I don't like every time bashing Frank Mir, but what are you going to do?

"Frank Mir has been a two-time world champion. He's been around a long time. He's a super-talented guy. I expect more of him."

Mir wasn't at the postfight press conference. He was at the hospital having a broken jaw and possible fractured ribs tended to. Maybe that news changed White's mind a bit about the quality of the fight.

"I think I was a little harsh on Mir," White told MMAjunkie on Sunday. "He came into that fight with the perfect game plan, and he nailed Roy with some big shots. Mir dominated that fight from start to finish, and he deserves some credit for that."

That doesn't mean he's backing off his criticism of Nelson, who White suggested needs to get down in the 240-pound range.

"I thought Roy looked terrible tonight," White said. "I thought it was terrible. I thought it was embarrassing.� I have a meeting with him on Friday, and we'll see what happens."

Frankly, none of this "too fat" stuff should come as a surprise. The UFC has always worried about Nelson's slovenly appearance.

"Joe Silva was telling me to lose some weight and gain some muscle. He said I need the UFC look," Nelson told TAGG radio back in 2008.

Many fans freaked out at the time, but now it's clear that it's not a cosmetic thing. Nelson is a very skilled fighter, but he's hurting his chances to beat the best in the world by continuing to fight around 265 pounds. Should White go as far as giving Nelson an ultimatum?

Ray Cooper  Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira  Patrick The Predator Côté  Randy The Natural Couture 

Mir, Rampage and more: Exclusive pictures from UFC 130

Take a closer look at UFC 130 through Tracy Lee's lens, with views of the Frank Mir and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's wins, Demetrious Johnson's controversial win, Travis Browne's knockout and more.

Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie Royce Gracie Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie

Michael Bisping, Mayhem Miller to Headline TUF 14 Finale Card

Filed under: UFC, News

LAS VEGAS - The UFC made its coaches for Season 14 of "The Ultimate Fighter" official on Friday. And after UFC 130, it was revealed they'll fight each other on the reality series' live finale card and not on a pay-per-view, as has become customary.

UFC president Dana White said after the post-fight press conference that Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller will headline the TUF 14 Finale, which is likely to take place in early December.

"What we're going to do this season of 'The Ultimate Fighter' is, the coaches will fight on the finale," White said. "It's what we were planning on doing anyway. We've done it before."

White said the decision was made for just the upcoming season of TUF and wouldn't necessarily apply to future seasons. For instance, if future coaches were going to fight for a title, it likely would not take place on a TUF Finale show. After Season 4 of the reality series, coaches BJ Penn and Jens Pulver fought on the finale.

White said the process of selecting the next coaches had plenty of bumps in the road, not the least of which was Chael Sonnen's current suspension by the California State Athletic Commission. Sonnen was rumored to coach against Bisping on the show, which will feature bantamweights and featherweights and will begin taping this summer.

"When we go through the process of making coaches, there are all these different guys we look at," White said. "People were talking about some of the lighter weight champions (as coaches), but a lot of things play factor in what happens - the Chael Sonnen incident, fights, schedules, injuries.

In the end, he settled on Bisping, who coached on Season 9 against Dan Henderson, and Miller, who signed with the UFC after leaving Strikeforce earlier this spring. Miller, the host of the "Bully Beatdown" program on MTV, is a famous talker - plenty outlandish and brash. But White said it wasn't just about making good television with wars of words between coaches.

"There's more that goes into it than just, 'Are these guys going to act goofy and talk to each other?'" White said. "I'm not really into the coaches acting goofy. It's going to happen with the (contestants) anyway."

Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter," with coaches Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos, finishes its broadcast run on Wednesday with the semifinals. On Saturday, the live finale takes place at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas. Lesnar and dos Santos were scheduled to headline UFC 131 on June 11, but Lesnar had to pull out with a relapse of diverticulitis. He had surgery to remove a portion of his colon on Friday, though doctors say he may be back fighting by January.

 

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Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley 

Watch UFC 130 prelims right here at Cagewriter

Do you want to watch Rafaello Oliveira vs. Gleison Tibau, Michael McDonald vs. Chris Cariaso, and Renan Barao vs. Cole Escovedo for free? Of course you do.

Good news. You can catch the first three fights from UFC 130 right here.

The first bouts start at 6:45 p.m. ET. Check them out here, followed by Tim Boetsch vs. Kendall Grove and Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson on Spike before the main card on pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET.

Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein

COTW wins international design award!

We're excited to announce that Club Of The Waves has been awarded as the "People's Champ" at the prestigious 2010 Pixel Awards in the Art category! The website was originally nominated for the award in November. During December a record breaking 35,000+ people (public) voted on their favorite nominees, so we're delighted COTW came out on top! And we'd like to say a huge thank you to all of our fans who voted for us! :)

The Pixel Awards are a cutting-edge, international website design award, annually honoring compelling sites that have shown excellence in web design and development.

Our Editor remarked: "We're so stoked on this nomination, and not just for us, but for the recognition it gets our incredibly talented and hard-working featured surf artists and photographers".

You can see all the nominees here.
Club Of The Waves is listed under the Art category!

Jesse Forbes Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca Rich Franklin Ian Freeman

CSAC votes 4-1 against Sonnen, indefinite suspension upheld

In an effort to regain his license to fight, Chael Sonnen testified today in front of the California State Athletic Commission in Los Angeles. He was asked questions about prior testimony in his positive steroid test case from UFC 117 and his recent real estate scam run-in with the feds in Oregon. Sonnen even mentioned the fact that he's been offered a slot on the UFC's reality show "The Ultimate Fighter," and said if even he wasn't licensed the commission is effectively retiring him.

Apparently, he couldn't do a thing to alter the commission's stance. The commission voted 4-1 in favor of keeping his license in suspended status.

With the help of ESPN.com's Josh Gross and MMAjunkie's Steven Marrocco, Cage Potato recapped some of the major moments of the hearing:

- Sonnen did his best to shift blame about his testosterone therapy statements, saying Matt Lindland informed him that he was cleared for TRT in Nevada and California. Sonnen admitted that he never had a conversation with the NSAC's Keith Kizer about it, and never intended to make it sound like he did.

- Kizer testified that he had a conversation with Matt Lindland in 2008 about a therapeutic use exemption, but Sonnen's name wasn't brought up specifically. Kizer pointed out a false statement in a previous declaration from Sonnen, in which he said that the NSAC told him not to declare testosterone injections in his pre-fight medical questionnaire.

- Sonnen became emotional while giving testimony about his fighting career. His eyes welled up as he discussed the opportunities he'd be missing out on if he wasn't re-licensed, including a "once in a lifetime" coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter, which could lead to a title shot if he beat his rival coach (Michael Bisping). "If I don't get my license today I'm effectively retired," Sonnen said. "That came from the boss, Dana White…I worked for this chance my whole life. I don't want to retire today."

On Twitter, Gross clarified what "indefinite" means.

So there's a chance Sonnen could get re-licensed elsewhere outside of California, but that doesn't mean his status would change in Nevada. Why is Nevada important? That's where TUF is taped.

Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, has said repeatedly that Sonnen needs a license to coach on TUF. Sonnen confirmed during the hearing that he was offered a coaching against Michael Bisping on TUF 14. Gross reported that Sonnen needs his license re-established by June 5 to be eligible.

Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez Keith Hackney Matt Hamill

UFC 130 Results Recap: Quinton ?Rampage? Jackson Overwhelms Matt Hamill

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson cruised to a unanimous decision over Matt Hamill in the pay-per-view main event of UFC 130 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

"Rampage" settled for 30-27 scores from the judges after he was unable to put Hamill away with powerful punches and knees before revealing a broken hand after the bout.

Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca

UFC 130 Results Recap: Quinton ?Rampage? Jackson Overwhelms Matt Hamill

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson cruised to a unanimous decision over Matt Hamill in the pay-per-view main event of UFC 130 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

"Rampage" settled for 30-27 scores from the judges after he was unable to put Hamill away with powerful punches and knees before revealing a broken hand after the bout.

Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin  Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan 

Browne scores highlight-reel KO at UFC 130

Travis Browne easily won the battle of super tall heavyweights, knocking out Stefan Struve at 4:11 in the first round at UFC 130 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Both fighters wanted to show off their kicks early in the round, as they exchanged, sometimes simultaneously, leg kick after leg kick. Struve was in control for much of the round, even slapping on a few submission attempts on Browne. But after Brown popped out of a choke and the fight returned to their feet, he took advantage of the standing position. In the final minute of the round, Browne threw a perfect Superman punch. Struve's head snapped back, and his body caught air before he hit the ground.

"That's what we train every day. That's pretty!" Brown said, while watching the knockout replay.

The knockout keeps Browne's undefeated record intact, as he now is 11-0-1, while Struve falls to 21-5.

Melvin Guillard Cody Guinn Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson

Protest Art from David Williams

We've just refreshed Australian artist; David Williams' profile on COTW with some new art, namely "protest art", against the way 'we' are treating the oceans, particularly sharks! The artist commented; "I'm scared for Sharks... 'We' are eating them to death, but mostly removing their fins & leaving the rest to make Shark Fin Soup... I'm just completing the last in a series of works, some of which will be up for silent auction to help raise funds for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society."

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/david-williams.php



David has also recently produced an Organic shirt; "Man Eating Shark", of which 50% of profits goes to S.S.C.S (contact the artist for full details)…



www.wildoats.com.au

Luiz Buscapé Firmino Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes

Tito Ortiz bails out accused suspect in murder-for-hire case

Las Vegas is buzzing about what sounds like a wacky real-life movie plot and now it's reached another level with the inclusion of UFC star Tito Ortiz.

Keith Harriman is facing 12 felony counts connected to a plot to have his 27-year-old son killed. He'd complained of not having the money to hire sufficient legal representation, so putting up the money to cover his $500,000 bond was out of the question. That was until Ortiz came into the picture.

The former UFC light heavyweight champ posted the necessary money on the down low, but because of Harriman's claims that he's indigent, a district judge forced him to reveal who posted the bail.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Ortiz and Harriman, 49, have a relationship through Harriman's brother.

Ortiz, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, apparently has a relationship with Keith Harriman's brother, Wayne Harriman, a used car dealer in Las Vegas.

According to published reports, Wayne Harriman helped bridge a rift between Ortiz and UFC chairman Dana White that led to a six-fight contract.

Ortiz has gotten himself involved in a wild story.

At a preliminary hearing in February, Dominick Harriman testified his father wanted him dead because he told insurance fraud investigators his father's $160,000 burglary loss claim was a scam to feed a crack cocaine addiction. Dominick Harriman also said his father was angry because he had slept with both his dad's ex-girlfriend and his ex-wife.

Dominick Harriman was shot at least nine times Aug. 27 at the used car dealership where he worked for his uncle, Wayne Harriman, at Nice Cars of Nevada, 3401 S. Decatur Blvd. The shooter has not been identified.

Ortiz spent a few days in Las Vegas last week around the UFC's Fighter Summit at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa.

Jorge Gurgel Andre Gusmao Alexander Gustafsson Jaime Gutierrez Dave Gomez

Eating baby food, abstinence and kicking butt, all part of what makes up phenom Michael McDonald

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.

Keith Hackney Matt Hamill Volk Han Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk

Lightweight division heating up with trash talk between Pettis and Maynard

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.

Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon

What you need to know from this week on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’

Last week, Chris Cope and Ramsey Nijem punched their tickets to the semifinals. Two more fights are on the docket for tonight, as well as the semifinals match-ups. Who will win the quarterfinals? What fighter crosses the line? What is Ramsey doing in that picture? Read on for spoilers and a recap.

Nice guy of the week: Chuck O'Neil plans to give half of his win bonus to Charlie Rader, who needs money to deal with legal problems surrounding his kid. He hasn't seen his son in more than a year. Rader said that he isn't going to take the cash, but O'Neil isn't taking no for an answer.

Rematch of the week: Davis beat O'Neil in their first bout, so they are fighting with good knowledge of each other.

Quarterfinal: Zach Davis (Team dos Santos) vs. Chuck O'Neil (Team Lesnar)

Round one: The two started by throwing every strike in the book at each other until Davis dives in for a takedown attempt. O'Neil defends it, while Davis throws knee after knee. Davis tries to drop to a single leg to get O'Neil to the ground, but O'Neil lands strike after strike on Davis' face that opens a cut under Davis' eye. O'Neil takes over in the final minute, aggressively landing punch after punch while Davis showed little defense. As the round ended, Davis' face was swollen and bleeding, and O'Neil looked fresh and ready for more.

Round two: O'Neil knocks Davis to the ground with a quick leg kick, but as soon as he's in Davis' guard, Lesnar order O'Neil to stand up. Back on their feet, Davis still seems desperate to bring the fight to the ground. No matter what he does, he can't get the fight to the ground. After referee Steve Mazzagatti breaks the two apart, O'Neil stays aggressive. Davis tries another takedown attempt that makes Lesnar say, "That's weak!" For once, I agree with Brock.

O'Neil takes the fight in two rounds, and thoroughly impressed Dana White.

More bad news of the day: The loss was only the first blow to Davis. He tore the retinas in both of his eyes, and now is told that he can't ever fight again. He is clearly heartbroken, mentioning that his career has to end just when it was getting good.

Quarterfinal: Ryan McGillivray (Team dos Santos) vs. Tony Ferguson (Team Lesnar)

Round one: Early in the round, Ferguson caught McGillivray with a uppercut and then added a straight right. McGillivray staggered backwards, and then fell to the ground. Ferguson jumped on top quickly, ending the fight and earning himself another $5,000 bonus for a stoppage.

With that, Lesnar has three semifinalists and dos Santos has one. The semifinal match-ups are:

Ramsey Nijem vs. Chris Cope

Chuck O'Neil vs. Tony Ferguson

The fights will air next Wednesday, and decide who will fight in the finale on June 4.

Hijinks of the week: With the quarterfinals finished, the fighters decide to celebrate. That involves tequila, Ramsey stripping on the pool table, and throwing water.� Apparently, throwing water doesn't sit well with Ferguson, because he tackled Charlie Rader into a coffee table after Rader poured water on Ferguson's head. It turned really ugly from there. Ferguson wouldn't shake Rader's hand, then brought Rader's child into the discussion, saying, "Hit me, don't hit your kid!"

Whoa. That's as over-the-line as it gets. Ferguson didn't let up, despite Rader handling himself as well as can be expected. Later, when the rest of the castmates try to get Ferguson to apologize, he again brings Rader's son into the conversation. Rader had to be held back by several fighters, and Ferguson has marked himself as an enemy to the whole house.

Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson

(Surreal) Surf Artist - John Coopwood

The second successive surf artist based in Costa Rica to be added to Club Of The Waves. This time John Coopwood, with a great portfolio mix of fine art, murals and surreal art. "Here is an artist who uses rich colors and various blends of dreams, reality, and a touch of Salsa Fresca to bring his subjects to life… His insane depth has allowed him to challenge his innermost self to bring forth pictures of mood, imagination and bold imagery". Enjoy…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/john-coopwood.php



www.coopwoodart.com

Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno

Mir and Nelson may be friends, but punching each other in the face is no problem

Before past fights, Frank Mir has engaged in some pretty nasty trash talking wars. This time it just doesn't feel right, but that doesn't mean Mir's fightplan is any different against Roy Nelson.

"If my wife we're to get in the ring with me, I would try to knock her head off and choke her unconscious. I would flip the switch instantly," Mir said with a smile. "Roy and I are friends before the fight. I like the guy a lot. But during the fight, it doesn't matter that we do or don't like each other beforehand. Trust me, Roy is going to try and knock my head off. I'm going to try and knock his head off. And if I can catch him in a choke, I want him to go to sleep. And I guarantee you he'd like to take arm off and put it on his mantle."

Check out Larry Pepe (ProMMARadio), Damon Martin (MMAWeekly) and myself picking the Mir-Nelson fight using the Las Vegas odds.

You can watch UFC 130 right here on Yahoo! Sports

Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca Rich Franklin

Vote for Club Of The Waves!

We're excited to announce that Club Of The Waves has been shortlisted as a nominee at the prestigious 2010 Pixel Awards in the Art category. The public can vote on their favourite nominee in each category, and we would love your vote!

You can see all the nominees here. Club Of The Waves is listed under the Art category! You can vote for the "People's Champ" every day through November 30th. Winners will be announced in December.

Vote for us in the ART category!


Background art above by Phil Roberts

www.pixelawards.com/nom_win_2010.php

Gerard Gordeau Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie

Video stupidity: Chuck Liddell is smarter than a TMZ ‘journalist’

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.

Royler Gracie Ryan Gracie Peter Graham Forrest Griffin Tyson Griffin

Tony Ferguson explains offensive TUF outburst

On Wednesday night's episode of "The Ultimate Fighter," Tony Ferguson crossed the line when in a drunken argument with castmate Charlie Rader. It started with Rader pouring water on Ferguson's head, and with the amount of alcohol and testosterone flying around, things went too far. Ferguson brought up Rader's custody problems with his son, saying, "Hit me, don't hit your son."

Ferguson discussed the incident in his post on the SB Nation MMA blog:

Why did I bring up Charlie's son? I have no idea, but I have a guess. My birth father wasn't there for me growing up. Somehow Charlie's situation mixed in with my adrenaline from fighting and the booze all worked together to bring up my own issues. I learned a lot about myself watching that on tape and how I felt about certain things in my life. I was under a lot of pressure, I was trying to bottle up frustration and it didn't work. Well, it worked for a while, but ultimately did not.

I said some things I shouldn't have said. I was in a weird place. I was having crazy dreams in that house. The entire experience took me out of my own independence and removed all of my release valves.

I really regret saying what I said to Charlie and we've talked about it since the incident. I've spoke to Clay Harvison and Chuck, too. We are in a better place now than we were that night.

In the post, Ferguson mentions that they started drinking immediately after the fights, and adrenaline was still pumping through his veins.

Every TUF castmate I've spoken to has mentioned how weird the experience is. They're in a house for six weeks with no television, books, visitors or privacy. They get to train, drink, and entertain each other. This is not to excuse Ferguson's behavior, but just to point out that this isn't a normal situation, and abnormal behavior comes out of it.

Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson

What you need to know from this week on “The Ultimate Fighter”

If Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter" has been missing anything, it's a bit of that pizazz from Brock Lesnar's WWE days. The former WWE champ still hasn't gone back to his roots, but between Chris Cope's Ric Flair-like "wooos" and Junior dos Santos screaming "what" like he was watching "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Episode 9 felt like being at a wrestling event.

It also turned out to be about and looking past an opponent and weak excuses.

Cope is supposedly the weak link on the show, but he proved everyone wrong again by pulling the upset on Team dos Santos' No. 1 pick Shamar Bailey.

UFC president Dana White called it before the fight saying Bailey looked one-dimensional in his opening round win and was overlooking Cope. Cope wasn't exactly Mr. Aggressive, but he successfully defended against nine takedown attempts and gassed Bailey on his way to a surprising 20-18 win.

Dos Santos was shocked.

"That [decision] was terrible for me," dos Santos said. "I looked at Dana and said 'what?'"

Bailey was also in disbelief saying, "he fought well, but I don't know about that. You can't win backing up the whole time."

White seemed pleased that Cope got the decision and wasn't hearing Bailey's lame excuse during a one-on-one conversation shortly after the fight.

"I just want to let you know I took a risk," Bailey told White. "I wanted to show you I could bang and not just wrestle. I left it in the hands of the judges. I could've took the easy way out and just took him down."

White quickly pointed to Bailey that he did try to take Cope down throughout the fight and had zero success.

There was no controversy in quarterfinal fight No. 1. Knowing that Ramsey Nijem is a strong wrestler, Brock Lesnar worked with Clay Harvison on his takedown defense. Harvison was drilled hard on getting out of the clinch.

Practice didn't make perfect. He was taken down just 10 seconds into the fight. When he tried to get back up he left his back exposed. Nijem worked to get the hooks in, then flattened out Harvison before locking on a rear-naked choke. It was all over in 56 seconds.

Next week it looks like Tony Ferguson goes psycho in the TUF house. He also faces Ryan McGillivray while Zach Davis battles "Cold Steel" Chuck O'Neil.

Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon

UFC 130 Live Blog: Rampage Jackson vs. Matt Hamill Updates

Filed under: UFC

LAS VEGAS -- This is the UFC 130 live blog for Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Matt Hamill, the main event of tonight's pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Jackson (31-8, 6-2 UFC) is coming off a split decision win over fellow former light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida at UFC 123 in November. Hamill (10-2, 9-2 UFC) has won five straight - including a controversial disqualification win over current champion Jon Jones in December 2009.

A win by Jackson could put him next in line to face Jones for the 205-pound title later this fall.

The live blog is below.

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More: UFC 130 Results

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Round 1: They meet in the middle for instructions. They touch gloves. The MGM Grand reports Rampage closed as a -250 favorite to Hamill's +200 underdog. Hamill kicks first. Rampage stays outside. Hamill throws a high kick. Hamill shoots 30 seconds in, but Rampage defends well and throws a combo to push him back. Rampage now in the center. Straight left jab from Hamill misses. High kick from Hamill misses. Rampage stalks, then lands a tight right uppercut. Right kick from Hamill is checked by Rampage, and Hamill fakes a teep to try and keep some distance. Right-left from Hamill, then a kick that Rampage tries to counter off of. Rampage nearly lands a big uppercut. Two rights from Hamill are followed by two frights from Rampage. Hamill then shoots again, but Rampage defends it with a knee to the body. Hamill goes low for a takedown, but it's again not there. Rampage opens up a little with a right-left-right combo. Left jab from Hamill pushes Rampage back, and he misses a follow-up right. Hamill again has nothing in the form of a takedown, and Rampage gets a little offense on the break. With 25 seconds left, he has Hamill possibly hurt and backing up. Rampage seemed to control things a little more and the late flurry helped give him a 10-9 round on our card.

Round 2: High kick from Hamill opens things up, but Rampage has none of it and counters with enough to back Hamill up. Another sort-of shot from Hamill does nothing but lead to a clinch, and Rampage pushes him against the fence. Rampage throws a knee that lands to the body. Then another as he defends Hamill's desire for a takedown. Another awkward-looking shot from Hamill leads to more Rampage offense, and he nearly lands a huge knee to the chin. They tie up briefly, then break. The crowd grows quite restless on a night that has seen just one submission and two knockouts. They dance and feint and paw jabs for a minute with little real activity. Hamill goes in again for a takedown, but Rampage again defends. A right-left-right from Rampage is the best offense of the fight so far, but Hamill doesn't go down. Rampage follows with a big shot to the body as time winds down in the frame. MMA Fighting gives the second to Rampage, 10-9.

Round 3: Quick start with a left from Rampage. Hamill has to believe he needs to finish the fight to get a victory. He shoots, but again Rampage defends on his feet. The two trade knees and tie up. Again, the crowd grows restless. Rampage throws a left that Hamill blocks, but lands a right to the body. Hamill then ties things up on the fence as the crowd again boos. Halfway through the round, they break. Hamill misses a jab. But Rampage lands a nice left that seems to wobble Hamill for a moment. Hamill seems tired. He thinks he catches a low blow, but Herb Dean doesn't give him the stop. The crowd really boos now as Hamill throws a lazy punch. Rampage ties him up along the cage now with a minute left. They trade positions. Not much happening until Rampage throws a small late flurry, but it doesn't put Hamill down. Hamill takes a knee, and a great big beer comes flying to the cage, landing on the photographers. It's another 10-9 round for Rampage, and MMA Fighting gives him the fight 30-27.

Result: Rampage Jackson def. Matt Hamill, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Kit Cope  Wesley Cabbage Correira  Patrick The Predator Côté  Randy The Natural Couture  Dan Cramer

Eating baby food, abstinence and kicking butt, all part of what makes up phenom Michael McDonald

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.

Rich Franklin Ian Freeman Don Frye Tony Fryklund Kazuyuki Fujita

Happy Holidays from COTW

As 2010 draws to a close and we settle in for the festive season with family and friends, all of us at Club Of The Waves would like to wish you all the best, a Happy New Year and good vibes for 2011. Aloha :)

Tony DeSouza  Edwin Dewees  Nick Diaz  Tadhg Steamfist Dixon Joe Doerksen 

MMA takes another step in N.Y. by passing again in the State Senate

MMA made strides again yesterday in New York as another bill passed through the state's senate. The N.Y. Senate voted 42-18 in favor of Bill S1707A and now it's head to the N.Y. State Assembly where it's consistently stalled in recent years.

Assemblyman Bob Reilly, D-Colonie, has led the charge in the past. The assembly session ends on June 20 with just 12 days of actual working time remaining.

It should be noted that the senate vote in favor of MMA in New York was stronger this time. In June of 2010, it only passed 32-26.

Sen. Joe Griffo, R-Rome, introduced S1707A yesterday.

"We made an attempt in the budget and it was taken out as the final agreement was put together," Griffo told the Albany Times-Union. "It's a good idea because the sport exists. It's a recognized sport, and it would generate economic activity and income for the state of New York, and allow New York State athletes to compete in their home state."

UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta was pleased with the outcome.

"It's time to bring the fastest growing sport in the world to New York. With every passing month, our sport gets more and more popular around the country and in New York," Fertitta said in a release. "We want to thank the State Senate, and we're confident that when Assembly members take an objective look at our safety record, our popularity with their constituents, and the economic benefits and jobs we would bring to the State, they will take the same action and UFC fans will finally be able to see live UFC events in their home state."

The UFC has bolstered its efforts recently in New York by holding two press conferences at Madison Square Garden and sending fighters to Albany on several occasions in 2011. UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones pitched in yesterday. New York is just one of six remaining states that don't allow MMA.

Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga

Royce Gracie Talks Gracie Influence on UFC and MMA Growth - Royce Gracie

UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie talks about the influence of he and his family have had on the UFC and MMA in general heading into UFC 129 in Toronto. Get more MMA and UFC news at the World's top MMA News website http://www.mmaweekly.com.

Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch

Eating baby food, abstinence and kicking butt, all part of what makes up phenom Michael McDonald

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.

Urijah Faber Wagnney Fabiano Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson Paulo Filho Mirko Cro Cop Filipović

Georges St. Pierre on Jake Shields, UFC Undisputed + His Round 5 Action Figure - UFC 129

*** Watch Complete 1/2hr HD Episodes on http://www.MMAheat.com ***MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant spends a few minutes with UFC Welterweight Champ Georges St. Pierre, right after his photo shoot and scanning session with Round 5. Georges talks about having his own action figure, and also admits to us the one thing in this world he's not good at: video games. The conversation turns to his title defense against Jake Shields at UFC 129, and Georges lets us know what this fight means to him and how he prepared for his biggest challenge. The champ also tells us about his workout DVD set "Rush Fit," and whether or not it's possible to actually complete it.Be sure to visit http://www.MMAheat.com for more interviews and archived episodes of our 1/2 hour TV show. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryant

José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez

UFC 130 battle of the beef: Mir carves up Nelson

LAS VEGAS - Frank Mir did all he could to finish Roy Nelson, but "Big Country" refused to go out. Unfortunately Nelson's heart can't make up for his lack of conditioning and he was mauled in a one-sided fight against the former UFC heavyweight champ. In a physical, long fight Mir posted a unanimous decision victory, 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26, over Nelson in the co-main event of UFC 130 at the MGM Grand Arena.

Mir (15-5, 13-5 UFC) won his second straight fight, but probably didn't do enough to move himself back in the title chase. By playing the role of punching bag and possessing solid defensive work on the ground, Nelson makes it tough for anyone to look good.

"How many times did I knee him in the face," Mir asked UFC analyst Joe Rogan during the postfight conversation in the cage. "What's with that guy's chin?"

Nelson (15-6, 2-2 UFC) fought at a solid pace for about three minutes and then started breathing heavily in the middle of the first round. Mir decided to wear him down by clinching along the cage. He made good use of the thai clinch (hands around the neck of the opposing fighter) by landing knees to the body and some big shots to the head. Nelson's a top level grappler and jiu-jitsu practitioner, but he was so exhausted in the second and third rounds that Mir was able to dump him to the ground five times. Mir used relatively slow and simplistic single and double-leg takedowns to get Nelson down. After grinding it out with Nelson, Mir was somewhat satisfied by the win.

"Wrestling was my main focus in this camp and I think it worked out well for me tonight," Mir said. "I'd rate my performance as a seven (out of 10). I expected to win the grappling aspect. It went even better than I had a planned. I felt like I was able to win in every aspect of the fight. Roy is really tough and I'm glad to leave here with the win."

The calls for the 6-foot Nelson to get in better shape or go down to 205 pounds are probably going to go unheard. Big Country is stubborn and knows that even in less than stellar shape, he can compete with most heavyweights in the No. 5-15 range.

"I trained with too many smaller guys for this camp and I paid for it tonight," Nelson said. "His wrestling was something I wasn't expecting and I just got tired. I'm looking forward to getting my gym time back so that I can work on getting bigger and stronger."

If Nelson adds "slimmer" to than plan, he'll benefit immensely. At a blubbery 260, he'll probably never break through to elite status.

The UFC's heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez is sidelined until the fall with a shoulder injury. In two weeks at UFC 131, Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin clash for the next title shot. After that, the division is wide open. Mir is certainly in the mix but probably has to post another win to lock up a shot.

Earlier in the night, UFC president Dana White announced that Brock Lesnar, another former champ, elected to undergo surgery in an effort to rid himself of diverticulitis. White said that Lesnar had 12 inches of his colon removed during a surgical procedure on Friday. The hope is that Lesnar can return in early 2012.

Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata He Peng David Heath

Georges St. Pierre on Jake Shields, UFC Undisputed + His Round 5 Action Figure - UFC 129

*** Watch Complete 1/2hr HD Episodes on http://www.MMAheat.com ***MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant spends a few minutes with UFC Welterweight Champ Georges St. Pierre, right after his photo shoot and scanning session with Round 5. Georges talks about having his own action figure, and also admits to us the one thing in this world he's not good at: video games. The conversation turns to his title defense against Jake Shields at UFC 129, and Georges lets us know what this fight means to him and how he prepared for his biggest challenge. The champ also tells us about his workout DVD set "Rush Fit," and whether or not it's possible to actually complete it.Be sure to visit http://www.MMAheat.com for more interviews and archived episodes of our 1/2 hour TV show. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryant

Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus  Todd Duffee  Marvin Eastman  Stav Crazy Bear Economou 

Local Hero Peggy Oki

We're thrilled to hear that Peggy Oki has been named as a "Local Hero" by the Santa Barbara Independent (scroll halfway down the page to see Peggy!).

Peggy has more than earned this honor with her inspiring & enduring support for protecting cetaceans and ocean life, through her Origami Whales Project… An international campaign, aimed at getting the message across to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), to put a stop to the slaughter of whales and the cruelty of commercial whaling in Japan, Norway and Iceland.


Photo: Peggy Oki. Photo by Matt Dayka

You may remember Peggy Oki as the only female member of the legendary Zephyr Skate Team (a.k.a. Z-Boys of Dogtown)…



www.peggy-oki.com

Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall Daiki DJ taiki Hata

Shinya Aoki - Post Fight - Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley - SHOWTIME Sports - Shinya Aoki

The submission artist, Shinya Aoki, talks about his 93 second win over Lyle Beerbohm and his concerns for Japan.

Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George Kultar Gill

Surf Artist - Marc Christian Kunze

We love these paintings by our latest featured ocean artist; Marc Christian Kunze from Santa Cruz, California. Take a look, We're sure you'll love them too? Let us know what you think… 

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/marc-christian-kunze.php 



http://wavepaintings.weebly.com

Karn Grigorian

UFC 130: Frank Mir Dominates Roy Nelson

Filed under: UFC

In a one-sided beatdown that showed the difference between a Top 10 heavyweight and a second-tier heavyweight, Frank Mir easily defeated Roy Nelson by unanimous decision at UFC 130.

The fight was never close, with Mir dominating the early going in the stand-up and then cruising to an easy victory on the ground late. It wasn't much of an effort for Nelson, who was completely outclassed. The judges scored it 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26 for Mir.

"I'm feeling great," Mir said. "How many times did I hit him in the face? What's up with that guy's chin?"

The first round showed Mir at his best, repeatedly using a Thai clinch to knee Nelson, and then executing a beautiful throw to put Nelson on his back in the final minute of the first round.

Early in the second Mir went for a single-leg takedown and got it, again putting Nelson on his back and ending up in his half guard. Mir wasn't able to do much to Nelson on the ground, but it was clear he could put Nelson there whenever he wanted.

In the third the fight started to get dull, as Mir continued to show that he could control Nelson any way he wanted to. In improving his professional MMA record to 16-5, Mir put on a one-sided beatdown, and he could be getting close to heavyweight title contention again.

As for Nelson, who falls to 14-6, it was an ugly performance for a fighter who needs to take his conditioning seriously and step up his game. Nelson is a popular and well-liked fighter, but he hasn't won a fight in 14 months. He's not in Mir's league.

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Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett  Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell 

MMA takes another step in N.Y. by passing again in the State Senate

MMA made strides again yesterday in New York as another bill passed through the state's senate. The N.Y. Senate voted 42-18 in favor of Bill S1707A and now it's head to the N.Y. State Assembly where it's consistently stalled in recent years.

Assemblyman Bob Reilly, D-Colonie, has led the charge in the past. The assembly session ends on June 20 with just 12 days of actual working time remaining.

It should be noted that the senate vote in favor of MMA in New York was stronger this time. In June of 2010, it only passed 32-26.

Sen. Joe Griffo, R-Rome, introduced S1707A yesterday.

"We made an attempt in the budget and it was taken out as the final agreement was put together," Griffo told the Albany Times-Union. "It's a good idea because the sport exists. It's a recognized sport, and it would generate economic activity and income for the state of New York, and allow New York State athletes to compete in their home state."

UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta was pleased with the outcome.

"It's time to bring the fastest growing sport in the world to New York. With every passing month, our sport gets more and more popular around the country and in New York," Fertitta said in a release. "We want to thank the State Senate, and we're confident that when Assembly members take an objective look at our safety record, our popularity with their constituents, and the economic benefits and jobs we would bring to the State, they will take the same action and UFC fans will finally be able to see live UFC events in their home state."

The UFC has bolstered its efforts recently in New York by holding two press conferences at Madison Square Garden and sending fighters to Albany on several occasions in 2011. UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones pitched in yesterday. New York is just one of six remaining states that don't allow MMA.

Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney  Ebenezer Fontes Braga

MMA Marketplace: ‘Rampage’ is a doll

With a career that spans 12 years, two major fighting promotions and "The A-Team," Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has earned a legion of fans and a legion of dolls. Seriously, you can start a doll army with the amount of molded plastic that has been devoted to Rampage.

Through eBay, you can purchase any of four Rampage dolls. A UFC Micro Figure (sold with Wanderlei Silva) for $5.99, a Round 5 Limited Edition figurine for just under $35, a PRIDE that's being auctioned, and a tall, skinny Jakks Rampage for $24.95. With this many Jackson dolls in one place, you can face them off for an all-time pound-for-pound leader (among Jackson dolls.)

Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good Gary Goodridge Gerard Gordeau