idioticace96: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Anderson Silva toys with another top fighter, destroys Yushin Okami at UFC 134

If you stand with the most dynamic striker in the world, your fate is inevitable.

Anderson Silva lulled Yushin Okami to sleep early in the second, then floored him with a right hook and pounded him out from there.

Silva cruised in retaining his UFC middleweight title with a TKO victory at the 2:04 mark of the second round in the main event of UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro.

The win was especially huge for Silva (31-4, 14-0 UFC) as the UFC returned to Brazil for the first time since 1998. The crowd in Rio chanted Silva's name throughout the fight and roared when he finished it.

The victory pushes Silva's UFC win streak to an amazing 14 straight. It also avenges his only loss in the last six years. Okami beat Silva back in 2006 via disqualification.

Silva was incredibly dominant in the striking department. According to FightMetric, he landed 52-of-71 shots (73 percent). In the finishing round, he had a 30-4 advantage.

Before the fight, Okami's strengths seemed to give him a shot at pulling a monumental upset (Silva was a minus-550 favorite). The Japanese fighter is big for the weight class and other fighters rave about his strength in the clinch. Silva never let him get into a rhythm and broke him mentally in the first round.

After following Silva around for the first two minutes of the first round, Okami (32-6, 10-3 UFC) worked the clinch for almost two minutes. Silva never wilted and looked plenty strong enough to deal with the ground-and-pound specialist. Once the fighters separated, the end of the first provided a preview of things to come.

Silva closed the round by landing a nasty head kick. Okami stumbled backwards and ate a knee as the horn sounded.

When Silva came out for the second, he meant business. He charged forward throwing punches and kicks from different angles. After a minute of that, he backed up and basically put his hands at his side, daring Okami to hit him. Okami took the bait. Instead of charging forward and attempting a takedown, Okami threw some sloppy punches. He was a sitting duck.

Just 36 seconds into the round, Silva, who switched between conventional and his more natural southpaw stance, landed a hard jab with the right and down went Okami. Silva backed up and let Okami stand up. Silva repeated the pattern and less than a minute later, he put a lot more mustard on a right hook. Okami fell to his back and his arms went to the side.

It was over. Silva, the world's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, jumped on top and threw 25-plus unanswered shots. Okami did nothing aside from cover up. Referee Herb Dean had to save him.

Ricardo Arona Noboru Asahi Marcus Aurelio Mikhail Avetisyan

Tensions easing, Overeem could be back soon

The UFC wanted to send a message and it appears it worked. That's a great thing for fight fans concerning the dismissal of Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem.

Overeem could be on his way back to Strikeforce or welcomed into the UFC.

"We're talking to Overeem. When everything fell apart, you guys heard me come out and say, 'We can't do business with these guys the way these guys want to do business,' meaning his management. Well they've changed their opinions on how they can do business with us, so now we can," Dana White told 790 the Ticket in Miami (1:54:00 mark).

Zuffa's issue was with Golden Glory. The management group was asking all fighter checks to be sent its way and then it would pay the fighters. Zuffa refused to do it and Overeem, his brother Valentijn, Marloes Coenen and Jon Olav Einemo were released from their Zuffa deals. Fight fans were also facing the possibility of seeing another GG fighter Sergei Kharitonov, win the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix only to be cut following the tourney.

Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai Mac Danzig Karen Darabedyan

UFC 134?s Three Stars: Silva, Nogueira and Silva

With a crowd that was loud and chanting from the very first fight to an exciting slate of fights, the UFC's trip to Rio delivered. But which stars loomed as large as the Christ the Redeemer statue?

No. 1 star -- Anderson Silva: My brother sent me a text message after the Silva KO that said, "Silva is Jordan/Gretzky-esque." As much as it pains me to agree with him, my brother is completely correct. Both Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky were constantly taking your breath away, as they completed feats that seemed superhuman while making it look easy. Those head feints that come from the core? The effortless striking that still busted up Yushin Okami's face? Rank those with Jordan's fadeaway jumper or Gretzky's slapshot, and appreciate that we get to witness greatness every time Silva steps into the Octagon.

[Video: See Anderson Silva dominate Yushin Okami]

No. 2 star -- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: The 35-year-old with 40 fights under his belt showed that he still has plenty left in the tank. He started by using a strong chin and good defense as he avoided Brendan�Schaub's power shots. Then, he landed a few power shots of his own, knocking out a younger, faster Schaub, causing the fans in Rio to go absolutely insane. I doubt the celebration has yet ceased.

No. 3 star -- Erick Silva: Lost among the hubbub of the main card was a beautiful KO by Silva, an up-and-coming star from Nogueira's gym in Rio. He started his UFC career with a 0:40 knockout, and then celebrated with a Matrix-esque backflip off the cage. That kind of striking will make fight fans clamor for what's next.

Who were your Three Stars? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.

Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono Gabriel Gonzaga Lyman Good

Machida: A fight with Davis would be a ?classic match-up of styles?

Our friends at Yahoo! Sports Brazil caught up with Lyoto Machida over the weekend and his coach Jorge Guimares. They found out that Machida is very close to signing a fight with Phil Davis, which Machida sees as a good match-up.

"It would be a classic match-up between styles. (Phil) Davis is a natural born wrestler. I would have to adjust some aspects in my game to face it as an equal. But this ability to change and learn has always been one of my strongest characteristics. There will be no problem," said the fighter.

Machida has faced, and beaten, fighters with strong wrestling backgrounds in the past. His striking is powerful enough to have overcome the wrestling strength of both Rashad Evans and Randy Couture. Do you think it's enough to take out an undefeated rising star like Davis? Or is Davis ready to beat Machida? Tell us your thoughts in the comments or on Facebook.

Dean Amasinger Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen Alex Andrade

Tompkins died of a heart attack, funeral arrangements and memorial fund set

The mixed martial arts world is still reeling from the shocking passing of trainer Shawn Tompkins.

An autopsy revealed that the 37-year-old died from a heart attack in his sleep while staying at a friend's house in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on Sunday.

"Shawn's family had a history of heart disease," said Tompkins' manager Gary Ibarra of Athletic Management & Representation Group (AMR) told the London Free Press. "Shawn had an enlarged heart and blocked arteries. No one had any idea. It really doesn't matter how much you exercise and what kind of shape you are in. That's why everyone is in such shock."

Tompkins was married to Sam Stout's sister Emilie. Stout, a UFC fighter, worked with Tompkins for years.

"I don't know what to say," Stout said. "It's not supposed to be happen to a healthy 37-year-old person. Who would think he had to get checked out for that?"

Tompkins worked out of Adrenaline Training Centre in London, Ontario and TapouT Training Center in Las Vegas, NV with Stout, Mark Hominick, Chris Horodecki and Ronnie Mann. The former head coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Tompkins also cornered fighters like Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Jay Hieron, Forrest Griffin, Mark Coleman and Gray Maynard.

Cage Potato reports that a memorial fund has been set up.

[...] The Shawn Tompkins Memorial Fund, which is currently accepting contributions to assist Emilie with funeral and burial costs.

"Shawn was more than a client," Ibarra stated via press release. "His passion and vision for MMA was infectious, evident by how he could motivate his fighters to become better athletes and people.On behalf of AMR Group's athletes and staff, we extend our deepest sympathies to Emilie, Sam and Shawn's entire family. His spirit will live on in our hearts."

To contribute to Tompkins' memorial fund, send an email to TeamTompkins@ShogunMMA.com. Details of the memorial service will be announced in the coming days at�AMRGroup.tv.

The funeral service at West Park Church in London is Friday at 1 p.m.

Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans

Facepalms of the week: ?Mayhem? and Bellator prospect arrested

It's been a while since Cagewriter has awarded the facepalm of the week award, but it's time to give it out for two fighters who were arrested recently.

The first one goes to Jason "Mayhem" Miller, the fighter who also hosts "Bully Beatdown" and will be featured as a coach on the upcoming season of "The Ultimate Fighter." TMZ reports that he was arrested in North Carolina for false imprisonment and simple assault after he reportedly put his sister in a headlock and wouldn't let her leave a party.

The second, heartbreaking facepalm goes out to Rasul Mirzaev, a Russian fighter who was expected to make his American debut in Bellator this fall. He was reportedly arrested and charged in the death of a student in Moscow. Mirzaev allegedly was in a verbal altercation with the student and threw a single punch, which knocked the student out. He died four days later, and Mirzaev faces up to 15 years in jail.

In both cases, fighters used their physical skills outside of the cage against people who weren't equipped to defend themselves. A facepalm isn't strong enough to show disgust in these cases.

Dos Caras Jr Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro Shane The Engineer Carwin

Forward Roll: UFC 134 Edition

Filed under: UFC

Anderson Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira both won their fights at UFC 134.

Anderson Silva returned home to Brazil in what was essentially a coronation, riding a wave of euphoric fans to another rout, this time smashing the durable Japanese fighter Yushin Okami. We are still no closer to answering the question that Joe Rogan asked so many fights ago: Who can stop that man?

Silva's next move is anyone's guess. UFC president Dana White says that fighting on the UFC's FOX debut is not happening, so apparently headlining a second mega-show is not in the cards for the long-reigning champion.

So who might be next for Silva? We take a look at the possibilities for him and several other of the UFC 134 participants in this edition of The Forward Roll.

Anderson Silva
Silva should be the main eventer of the FOX show. It's a spot he's earned, if he wants it. It would allow the UFC to showcase their best talent, and give fans the value of seeing him for free. Unless UFC executives changes their mind, that's not going to happen, so it's virtually a lock that he will face the winner of October's Brian Stann vs. Chael Sonnen bout. Either fight is easily sellable, but a Sonnen rematch would draw massive interest.

Prediction: Silva faces the Sonnen-Stann winner in February 2012.

Yushin Okami
Okami joins a long list of fighters who fell to Silva in title bouts, yet only one -- Rich Franklin -- was able to earn a rematch. It's a long, hard road back to the top for Okami, who took the long path to a title shot in the first place.

After waiting since last November to fight, Okami needs to get back to action quickly. So ideally, he needs to be matched up with a relatively well respected fighter, preferably coming off a loss.

Prediction: Okami faces Wanderlei Silva in December.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Rebounding from his March title loss, Rua looked spectacular in pounding his way through Forrest Griffin. The result continued Rua's bumpy ride in the UFC; he's 4-3 overall since joining the promotion.

That said, Rua's fights are always exciting, and given his highlight reel, he's easily promotable. Needing less than two minutes to earn victory, Rua can turn around quickly and get back into the rotation. I'd slot him into a bigtime fight in short order.

Prediction: Rua faces Dan Henderson in November's UFC on FOX debut.

Forrest Griffin
Griffin's two-fight win streak was halted with a quickness by Rua. Prior to the event, he sounded disillusioned about the fight game, and the result isn't likely to help matters. We also know that Forrest had other matters on his mind: his wife was nearing the end of her pregnancy as he flew to Rio to face Shogun.

Griffin deserves a nice break from the grind as he settles into fatherhood, and hopefully that gives him the time to reignite his fire to train and compete.

Prediction: Griffin returns in the spring against a fighter on the verge of top 10 status, someone like Alexander Gustafsson.

Edson Barboza
Barboza's striking is beautiful to watch, yet he often seems content to hang back and counter rather than attack on his own terms. He is good enough to make that work against most mid-tier competition, but as he moves up the rankings and faces more wily foes, that could lead to trouble.

If I'm the UFC, I put him back in the cage against someone who's going to force him to fight in many different areas.

Prediction: Barboza faces Cole Miller.

Ross Pearson
The British fighter still shows promise. He's a fierce competitor, has crisp boxing and comes to scrap. It wasn't enough against Barboza in a close call, but he shouldn't face much of a downward move after putting up a game performance on enemy territory.

Prediction: Thiago Tavares has won two of three; Pearson has won three out of four. That matchup sounds about right.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Nogueira's win over Brendan Schaub might have been the night's emotional high in Rio. Nog came in as a sizable underdog, after a long layoff, and after admitting he had rushed his return to fight in Brazil for the first time.

The relative lack depth near the top of the heavyweight division should allow Nog to take a bit more time off now and let some other fights shake out. But for those who still have questions about Nog's continuing ability to take a big shot, there is probably a big puncher on the other side of his break.

Prediction: Next spring, Nogueira faces the winner of October's Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione fight.

Brendan Schaub
What a crazy game MMA is. Schaub was riding high, on top of the world as he made his way to Rio for UFC 134. No one would have ever predicted what was to happen next. The fact that Nogueira beat him was no huge shocker, but that he would knock Schaub out came as a stunner. Nogueira had only two knockouts in his entire, storied career prior to that, and has last one had come over six years ago.

While Schaub had dreams of a title shot, instead, it's back to the end of the line for the 28-year-old.

Prediction: Schaub eventually fights the loser of September's Travis Browne vs. Rob Broughton match.

Rousimar Palhares
In victory or defeat, Palhares remains one of MMA's most head-scratching talents. He backed off a sure TKO at UFC 134 to begin a premature celebration, then nearly got knocked out when the fight restarted.

Given his predisposition for unpredictability, who knows what to expect from Palhares in the future? But the man can still fight, so he deserves a big matchup.

Prediction: Palhares fights the winner of November's Mark Munoz vs. Chris Leben fight.

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John Alessio Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida Eddie Alvarez

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Former trainer to Randy Couture and Vitor Belfort, Shawn Tompkins passes away at 37

The UFC put on one of its most exciting fight cards of the year with UFC on Versus 5 tonight in Milwaukee, but the event was overshadowed by the sad news that renowned mixed martial arts trainer Shawn Tompkins passed away earlier on Sunday. Tompkins was just 37.

Multiple fighters confirmed the passing and the UFC made an announcement concerning Tompkins' death during the live show on Versus.

The reaction from fighters has slowly begun to trickle out:

MMA fighter John Gunderson today told MMAjunkie.com that Tompkins "didn't wake up," but he was still unclear on the details surrounding his passing.

A native of Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada, Tompkins spent many of his recent years in Las Vegas as the head coach at Xtreme Couture. He worked with former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Randy Couture. In recent years, Tompkins also worked the corner of fighters like Wanderlei Silva, Forrest Griffin and Vitor Belfort.

In 2009, Tompkins left Xtreme Couture to move his team just a few miles away in Las Vegas to the TapouT Training Center. He was currently working with UFC fighters Mark Hominick, Chris Horodecki and Sam Stout. Tompkins was married to Stout's sister Emilie.

Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans Urijah Faber

Cerrone get his wish for quick fight with Siver match up at UFC 137

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone is as hot as a pistol right now. After his quick win over Charles Oliveira two weeks ago at UFC on Versus 5, he told Joe Silva he's waiting for the phone call. Even if there was opening for UFC 135 just six weeks, he'd take the fight.

"I want the Denver card coming up very soon. Hopefully nobody get hurt, but then I hope somebody gets hurt," joked Cerrone. "I told [UFC matchmaker] Joe [Silva], I'm the guy to call. I'll fight anybody, anywhere. I have to back that up."

Well, it won't be that soon, but Cerrone is now booked to take on Denis Siver in late October.

Siver's original opponent Sam Stout had to back out of the fight. There's no official word on the reason, but it makes sense to think that Stout is out because of the recent passing of his brother-in-law and trainer Shawn Tompkins.

Tompkins passed away on Aug. 14. He died in his sleep from a heart attack. The 37-year-old, who worked out of Las Vegas and Canada, was laid to rest on Aug. 19. Stout, 27, is riding a nice streak with two straight wins and 4-of-5.

Now it's Cerrone turn to step in with Siver, who's also been on fire. The Russian fighting out of Germany has won four straight including an upset over Sotiropoulos. Stylistically, this is a dream for fight fans. Cerrone loves to bang it out and Siver, is a very good one-trick pony with an excellent stand-up game.

This is a another statement fight for Cerrone, who was one of the big stars in the WEC, but always had that cloud of doubt hanging over him. How good were WEC lightweights? We get more answers at UFC 137.

Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner

Pat Curran wants to take next big step at Bellator 48

The world of mixed martial arts is searching for featherweights who can compete with Jose Aldo. On his way to a 9-0 record with Zuffa's fight promotions, the UFC champion has destroyed everything in his path. Kenny Florian is up next, but after that who knows?

With a win tomorrow at Bellator 48 in Uncasville, Ct., Pat Curran or Marlon Sandro could be in the discussion.� Curran (15-4) and Sandro (19-2) battle for the Bellator Featherweight tourney title, $100,000 to the winner and a guaranteed shot at the Bellator 145-pound champ Joe Warren.

Sandro, a huge free agent signing from Sengoku in Japan, entered as the tourney favorite.

"He's a very tough fighter and explosive," Curran told the Chicago Sun-Times. "He puts on a very high pace. I definitely I have to be up to par for this. He's one of the top featherweights in the world and definitely trains with some of the top featherweights in the world."

With two impressive wins and a history of success in these tournament formats, Curran has made this brawl into a tough one to call.

"The tournaments are so close together they kind of remind me of wrestling tournaments in a way," Curran said. "You just constantly staying in shape, in the gym 24/7 and you're just focusing on one fight after the next. I like having these fights closer together. You can knock them out, then you can take a little bit of time off to relax and just get right back at it again."

Curran, 24, was a high school wrestler in Florida. In 2007, he re-located to the Chicago area to train with his cousin Jeff, a former WEC champion.

Curran is on a great run and the recent drop to the 145-pound weight class has only helped. It's not as if he was a slouch at 155 pounds. He beat Roger Huerta and Toby Imada on his way to a 2010 Bellator lightweight tourney title and followed that up by giving Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez one of his toughest fights in years.

If Sandro wins and ever gets to the UFC, it sets up an interesting quandary because he's a trainer partner with Aldo. Sandro is a slight favorite tomorrow night at minus-120, while Curran is minus-110.

Tomorrow's card is also highlighted by a heavyweight clash between two-time NCAA Div. 1 heavyweight wrestling champ Cole Konrad and UFC/Strikeforce veteran Paul Buentello. Former UFC heavyweight king Ricco Rodriguez will take on Kimbo Slice-killer Seth Petruzelli.

Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes Xavier Foupa Pokam Hermes Franca

Barboza picks apart Pearson for win at UFC 134

Edson Barboza was simply too long and fast for Ross Pearson tonight at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro. The 5-foot-11 Barboza stayed on the move for 15 minutes and picked his shots on the way to a split decision victory 29-28 on the two cards and 28-29 on the other.

Pearson did well to survive against a guy who's looked spectacular at times in previous fights. Barboza's best weapon are his kicks. Pearson decided to push forward and close space for most of the night. His face showed the affect.

By the end of the fight, he had a good size hematoma over his left eye and a cut above his right eye. When there was space, Barboza (9-0, 3-0 UFC) did his biggest damage with some nifty spinning kicks.

Pearson, the champ from Season 9 of "The Ultimate Fighter," is now 5-2 in his official UFC fights. He looked a little beefier than normal for this one. Pearson's lack of speed made him an easy target for Barboza.

The judges were split on the fight. the number may back up the judge who chose Pearson. According to FightMetric, the Brit actually outlanded Barboza 60-55. Who landed the more significant, powerful shots? That can be debated. Check the fighter's faces at the close of the fight. Barboza wasn't showing much damage.

Ba Te er Ryan Bader Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao

Watercolors from Hawaii by Ron Croci

We're proud to announce an exclusive illustrated story by one of our favourite surf artists; Ron Croci… We were alarmed to hear that Ron nearly 'met his end', due to a serious (and sudden) illness on his recent vacation to Hawaii! But we're happy to say he came through it and has shared his story with us in a series of annotated watercolor paintings documenting his near death experience, the unusual effects of morphine and the beautiful Hawaiian islands he enjoyed and surfed up until falling ill…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-culture/hawaii-vacation-watercolors.php

www.roncroci.com

Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie

Surf Artist - Michael Ahearne

Introducing British surf artist Michael Ahearne, inspired by the Devon coastline, his paintings are a great mix of traditional and modern techniques in oils, acrylics, watercolours and gouache. Check it out…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/michael-ahearne.php

Surf Art by Michael Ahearne

www.surfartgallery.co.uk

Michael Bisping Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku

Monday, August 29, 2011

Surf Artist - Michael Ahearne

www.surfartgallery.co.uk

Tiki Ghosn Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes

Brazilian crowd set a high bar for every UFC crowd hereafter

In most post-fight press conferences, UFC president Dana White compliments the crowd and the city that they've just visited. It's a smart business move to lavish praise on every city the UFC visits, whether they have packed the place or not. Even if the UFC never returns, White does want that city's inhabitants to continue watching fights.

But when he called the crowd in Rio de Janeiro the best crowd he's ever been around, it was not empty rhetoric. Even through my television, it was clear that the fans in Brazil would make UFC 134 unlike any event the UFC has ever produced.

It started with the very first fight. Usually, the preliminary fights take place in a half-filled stadium, with only the fighters' loved ones truly invested in the bout. There were no Brazilians in the opening bout, but the crowd still went nuts for Ian Loveland vs. Yves Jabouin. They even chanted the name of a popular soccer player who happened to be black, like Jabouin.

The chanting never stopped. Yahoo! Sports Brazil's Fernando Zanchetta gave us insight on some of the chants that popped up over the course of the evening, which spanned from the beautiful to the profane.

The chants included, "I am Brazilian, with great pride, with love" (sou brasileiro, com muito orgulho, com muito amor) which really makes "U-S-A, U-S-A" pale in comparison. Next, was, "Uh, will die, uh, gonna die!" Zanchetta said that this is used to frighten foreigners. Finally, they had a special one for Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's win. "Ih, [expletive that rhymes with ducked]... Minotauro appeared'��(ih, fodeu... Minotauro apareceu)."

Paulo Thiago's appearance also set the crowd into a frenzy, and deservedly so. In addition to being a fighter, Thiago is a member of BOPE, Brazil's version of special forces. Much as Tim Kennedy and Brian Stann are cheered in the U.S. for serving the country, Thiago is revered there. The crowd chanted "skull" in Portugese, which is BOPE's symbol.

But the crowd hit their apex during the main card, when three Brazilian stars won with KOs. Nogueira's win put them into a beer-throwing frenzy that continued with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Anderson Silva's wins.

What should U.S. crowds learn from this? We can step it up a notch. Chants, cheers, arena-shaking yells -- let's learn from our Brazilian friends. Everything except the beer-throwing. There's no good reason in the world to waste a perfectly good beer.

Randy The Natural Couture Dan Cramer Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz

FOX deal with the UFC announced tomorrow? Report says GSP, Evans and Edgar all headed to L.A.

All signs point to something big going down in Los Angeles tomorrow. FOX has announced a major press conference set for 1 p.m. PT in Los Angeles. Is FOX revealing a new deal with the UFC?

Sports Business Journal broke a story on Tuesday stating FOX� won the sweepstakes to lock up the UFC for the next 7-8 years.

UFC president Dana White is already in Los Angeles and MMAWeekly reports that some of the promotion's biggest stars are heading to the Golden State as well:

[...] names including UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and current top light heavyweight contender Rashad Evans.

If you're a longtime fan of mixed martial arts, the potential deal that would place the UFC on several FOX-owned channels, has to get the juices flowing. The sport has come a long way.

Bloody Elbow is covering the potential deal from every angle.-

- Will the UFC's decision-making be altered?

- What could FOX deal do for the future of MMA?

Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero Rashad Evans Urijah Faber

Banner night for WEC studs: Cerrone is ready to go in six weeks in Denver

Well, that answers those questions. Anyone who still had doubts about how good some of lightweights were in World Extreme Cagefighting, can stop wondering. Yes, former WEC stars Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson are right there with some of the best 155ers in the world.

The lightweights with Zuffa's smaller promoter always had to deal with the questions about why they weren't with the big boys in the UFC. When Zuffa folded the WEC into the UFC back in December, the fighters got a chance to control their own destiny. So far it's been a good run for most of the WEC veterans in the UFC and it continued last night as Henderson crushed Jim Miller and Cerrone was lights out against super prospect Charles Oliveira.

Cerrone (18-3, 3-0 UFC) won so quickly, he said he's ready to go in his home state of Colorado when the UFC lands there on Sept. 24.

Back to his WEC days, Cerrone has always been very self-critical following fights, even the wins. For once, he said he attacked like he wanted to.

"This is finally the first one that I actually [expletive] and bit. In training, I go hard. I get in a fight and I just ... I don't know," said Cerrone, who's an impressive 5-1 in his last six fights. "I think I kind of changed my training a little bit. I kind of warmed up a little bit differently. I think we're finally getting it. We're figuring out the secret recipe on how to get 'Cowboy' going."

Currently, there's only one lightweight fight scheduled for UFC 124 in Denver and that's Nate Diaz against Takanori Gomi. A week earlier in New Orleans, Shamar Bailey faces Evan Dunham.

Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes

UFC sounds ready to welcome back Henderson with possible fight at FOX/UFC debut

Dan Henderson's recent run has surprised many. When he left the UFC at the age of 39 to sign a deal with rival Strikeforce, there's was little chance he'd ever return to the bigger promotion. Never say never.

Hendo has put together an impressive win streak, is without a contract and the UFC is looking for a mega-fight to put on FOX. Henderson, now 41, may be in the right place at the right time. Reading this interview with Brazil's Tatame, UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta is sounds excited for a Henderson return:

What do you expect from UFC on FOX's first edition [Nov. 12]? Do you already have a main event set?

We don't have a main event set yet, we'll find out probably after this Saturday, these fights in Rio, then we'll set a main event. But it'll be something big. It'll be a big fight.

We reported this Monday that Anderson Silva could put his middleweight title on the line against Dan Henderson, one he beats Yushin Okami?

I would love to do that. Anderson just needs a win.

Silva defends his UFC middleweight title this weekend against Yushin Okami in Brazil at UFC 134.

Henderson is coming off three straight devastating Strikeforce wins over Fedor Emelianenko, Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante. The Fedor fight was at heavyweight while the Feijao/Babalu bouts were at 205 pounds.

Henderson is a small light heavyweight and it appears Zuffa would love to see him back in the mix at 185 pounds. Henderson (28-8, 5-2 UFC) fought Silva at UFC 82 on 2008. The former Greco-Roman Olympic wrestler dominated Silva in the first round, then strayed from his gameplan in the second and was choked out by the champ.

He Peng David Heath Delson Heleno Dan Henderson

ProElite Results: Arlovski vs. Lopez

Filed under: Fighting, Results

MMA Fighting has ProElite results of Andrei Arlovski vs. Ray Lopez, Kendall Grove vs. Joe Riggs and the rest of the Aug. 27 card from the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

This ProElite 1 card relaunches the ProElite promotion purchased this year by the Stratus Media Group. Besides the aforementioned matchups, the event will also feature the MMA debut of Reagan Penn, the brother of B.J.

Check out ProElite results below. The main card starts at 1 a.m. ET.

Main Card
Kendall Grove def. Joe Riggs via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 0:59
Andrei Arlovski def. Ray Lopez via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 2:43
Reagan Penn def. Paul Gardiner via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 1:10
Mark Ellis def. Jake Heun via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 2:29
Sarah McMann def. Raquel Pa'aluhi via submission (armlock) - Round 3, 2:53
Drew McFedries def. Garrett Olson via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 4:04

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Andre Amade Dean Amasinger Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen

Anderson Silva's Win Proves He's the Best, UFC Prez Says, So Now What?

Filed under: UFC

RIO DE JANEIRO -- As far as UFC president Dana White is concerned, there hasn't been any doubt about where Anderson Silva stands for some time now. But after Saturday night's destruction of Yushin Okami at UFC 134, White said, it should no longer even be a question.

"One thing I want to make clear, and I've been saying this for a long time, this guy is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world," White said of Silva. "There's no debate. You're out of your mind if you don't think this guy is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. People will say, 'Oh, he needs to be challenged.' The [185-pound] division has a ton of great fighters. The reality is, this guy is so good, he makes it look like it's not."

Former foe Forrest Griffin had a more succinct way of putting it when discussing who Silva should face next: "I say he fights two guys."

More Coverage: UFC 134 Results | Latest UFC 134 News

Fighting in front of his countrymen for the first time in his UFC career, the middleweight champion easily dispatched Okami in the second round, and seemed as if he might have even been drawing the fight out to get it to last that long. From the opening minutes of the bout, Okami wasn't much more than target practice for Silva, who eventually dropped him with a punch combo and then finished the woozy challenger with a barrage of strikes on the ground.

For Silva, who had watched the first UFC event in Brazil in 1998, it was a dream come true, he said, and one that would have seemed improbable at best back in the days of the UFC's first foray into South America.

"At that time I practiced other martial arts," Silva said via an interpreter. "I didn't even consider doing mixed martial arts. It was awesome to be able to fight here in Brazil, in front of Brazilian people."

Of course, at this point every Silva fight concludes the same way, and that's with questions about when he might face UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre.

As is typical, Silva didn't do much more than make silly faces as potential opponents were mentioned at the post-fight press conference, saying once again that, ideally, he'd like to face his clone in his next fight.

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Until the scientific community can make that dream a reality, however, it sounds like White has some other ideas.

"I think there's a couple other fights out there for him at 185 [pounds]," the UFC president said of Silva before admitting that both GSP and the middleweight champ are "getting into a position here where that fight's going to make sense."

If it does materialize soon, the biggest problem, according to White, might be finding the right venue to host the dream fight.

"I honestly believe, there's a couple more fights for Anderson and Georges, and if they both win, I honestly don't know if there's a stadium big enough for that fight."

As for Okami, his future is less certain. The loss against Silva tosses him back into the middle of the UFC's middleweight pack, but that doesn't mean White is ready to take back any of the praise he lavished on him in the lead-up to this bout.

"Yushin Okami -- I said it before the fight and I'll say it again after the fight -- he's one of the best 185-pound fighters in the world and he's the best fighter to come out of Japan," White said in response to a question about whether the UFC would keep Okami on the roster.

But once again, it was Griffin who put things in terms everyone could understand.

"There's a long list of guys who get beat up by Anderson," he said. "If you fire them all, you're not going to have anybody left."

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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Barboza picks apart Pearson for win at UFC 134

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Benavidez wins UFC on Versus 5 decision

MILWAUKEE -- Joe Benavidez didn't use any "Joe-Jitsu," but still took out Eddie Wineland in a decision at UFC on Versus 5 on Sunday evening. He took all three rounds, winning 30-27 on all three judges cards.

The two exchanged kicks for most of the first round, but Benavidez got the better of the striking combinations, bloodying Wineland's nose and opening a cut on his head with a right hook. Wineland came out with powerful punches early in the second, with Benavidez answering with leg kicks.

During one of Wineland's striking combinations, he appeared to poke Benavidez in the eye. Benavidez tried to stop the fight, but the referee didn't see the poke, and Wineland was able to take advantage and land several strikes.

But Benavidez recovered quickly while blood continued to leak from Wineland's nose. He was able to shake off Benavidez's takedown attempts, but not able to create more offense in the second round.

Benavidez brought on the fireworks in the second round, knocking Wineland into the fence before following up with a flying knee. They turned out to be more flash than substance, as Wineland survived both, but it sure was pretty.

After the bout, Benavidez was happy that he got to show off different aspects of his game.

"I definitely thought the leg kicks were working.� I'm a well-rounded fighter and feel I am better on the ground.� I go out there and fight as hard as I can every second.� I have so much respect for every fighter out there, and don't know who I would like to fight next.�� Really, I want to fight everyone before it's all said and done."

The difference in this bout was that Wineland, known as a strong striker, was tentative on his feet. Benavidez appeared to implement a game plan exactly as he planned.

This is Wineland's second straight loss to a Team Alpha Male fighter, as he dropped a decision to Urijah Faber in March.

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UFC 131 Weigh In Highlight: Dos Santos vs Carwin - UFC 131

Watch these two monsters of the Octagon square off tomorrow night at UFC 131 .

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Dana White Looks Back at UFC 134, Calls Rio Crowd Greatest in UFC History

Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, Videos

RIO DE JANEIRO -- MMA Fighting spoke to UFC president Dana White following Saturday night's UFC 134 event about the enthusiastic Rio crowd, Anderson Silva's performance against Yushin Okami, what's next for Silva, Forrest Griffin's loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira turning back the clock tonight and a few strange referee moments that occurred.

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UFC 134 Results for Spike TV Prelims: Palhares Earns Odd Win Over Miller, Tavares Crushes Fisher

UFC 134 continued on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a pair of preliminary bouts on Spike TV, including one of the strangest moments in MMA history when Rousimar Palhares incorrectly assumed he had finished Dan Miller in the opening round.

Palhares would go on to survive a knockdown and earn a dominant unanimous decision over Miller, while the second fight saw Thiago Tavares smother Spencer Fisher before scoring a second-round TKO.

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Mark Munoz Still Sees Major Holes in Demian Maia's Striking - UFC 131

Mark Munoz Still Sees Major Holes in Demian Maia's Striking Video by UFC 131

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JZ Cavalcante Post Fight vs Wilcox Wants to Return to Action Soon - JZ Cavalcante

JZ Cavalcante Post Fight vs Wilcox Wants to Return to Action Soon Video by JZ Cavalcante

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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Former UFC heavyweights Rodriguez, Gormley, McCorkle and Sylvia post mixed results

If you think the UFC and Strikeforce have trouble finding heavyweight depth beyond their top 10, imagine what it's like around the rest of the world. This weekend's smaller promotion fight slate gives us a good read.

Tim Sylvia, Chase Gormley, Ricco Rodriguez and Sean McCorkle were all in action. They didn't fight world beaters and the group still barely managed a split.

Rodriguez got a wake up call at Bellator 48. A UFC heavyweight champ way back in 2002, the 229-pound Rodriguez still needs to make the final cut to 205. He was overwhelmed and overpowered by Seth Petruzelli. Petruzelli, another UFC vet and an "The Ultimate Fighter" alum, shredded Rodriguez on the feet. The 34-year-old looked gassed towards the end of the first, ate a few kicks and then charged right into an overhand right. He went down like a ton of bricks and Petruzelli, a true light heavyweight, dropped a couple of hammer fists to finish the fight. Petruzelli posted win No. 14 of his career at the 4:21 mark of the first.

It was even worse for Gormley, who lost at a local Las Vegas show, Superior Cage Combat. The 6-foot-3, 275 pounder fought someone named Beau Tribolet. Tribolet (7-1) was called in on two days notice and knocked Gormley silly in less than three minutes. Gormley (7-4) was 0-2 with the UFC losing to Stefan Struve (UFC 104) and Brendan Schaub (UFC on Versus 1). Tribolet, a former power lifter, is a police officer in Tucson, Az.

In Illinois, Sylvia, the UFC heavyweight champ on two occasions, smashed Patrick Barrentine. Barrentine (9-6) hadn't fought in two years. Sylvia (28-7) has won 5-of-6, but is still trying to erase the memory of three one-sided losses in the last three years against Fedor Emelianenko, Ray Mercer and Abe Wagner.

McCorkle's fight may have been the oddest of the bunch. McCorkle (12-2) defeated Alex Rozman, who has a 3-13 record. McCorkle was 1-2 with the UFC. He was released after a loss to Christian Morecraft.

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Cyrille Diabate vs. Anthony Perosh Added to UFC 138 Fight Card

A light heavyweight bout between France's Cyrille Diabate and Australia's Anthony Perosh is one of the final additions to the UFC 138 fight card, which is headlined by a five-round middleweight fight between Chris Leben and Mark Munoz on November 5 in Birmingham, England.

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Demian Maia Prepares for UFC 131 - UFC 131

Demian Maia's journey to Vancouver starts in his home country of Brazil. Take a quick glimpse into his life as he prepares to face Mark Munoz at UFC 131

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Tompkins died of a heart attack, funeral arrangements and memorial fund set

The mixed martial arts world is still reeling from the shocking passing of trainer Shawn Tompkins.

An autopsy revealed that the 37-year-old died from a heart attack in his sleep while staying at a friend's house in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on Sunday.

"Shawn's family had a history of heart disease," said Tompkins' manager Gary Ibarra of Athletic Management & Representation Group (AMR) told the London Free Press. "Shawn had an enlarged heart and blocked arteries. No one had any idea. It really doesn't matter how much you exercise and what kind of shape you are in. That's why everyone is in such shock."

Tompkins was married to Sam Stout's sister Emilie. Stout, a UFC fighter, worked with Tompkins for years.

"I don't know what to say," Stout said. "It's not supposed to be happen to a healthy 37-year-old person. Who would think he had to get checked out for that?"

Cage Potato reports that a memorial fund has been set up.

[...] The Shawn Tompkins Memorial Fund, which is currently accepting contributions to assist Emilie with funeral and burial costs.

"Shawn was more than a client," Ibarra stated via press release. "His passion and vision for MMA was infectious, evident by how he could motivate his fighters to become better athletes and people.On behalf of AMR Group's athletes and staff, we extend our deepest sympathies to Emilie, Sam and Shawn's entire family. His spirit will live on in our hearts."

To contribute to Tompkins' memorial fund, send an email to TeamTompkins@ShogunMMA.com. Details of the memorial service will be announced in the coming days at�AMRGroup.tv.

The funeral service at West Park Church in London is Friday at 1 p.m.

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Kimbo Slice returns to action tonight as a boxer

The last time we saw legendary street fighter Kimbo Slice he was wincing in pain after taking a bevy of leg kicks from Matt Mitrione. The UFC decided to cut bait and release Kimbo after UFC 113. It's been 15 months since the 37-year-old has seen any sanctioned fight action. Tonight, he climbs back in there, but it's in a ring not a cage.

The fighter who cut his teeth on the streets is ready to strap on the big gloves.

"I'm ready to go baby, my blood is boiling," Slice told the Miami Herald. "I was born to fight and [mess] people up."

Kimbo faces James Wade (0-1) at Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla. He makes his pro boxing debut in a four-rounder. Kimbo is the main event on seven-fight card. Surprisingly, Showtime Super Six participant Allen Green is also on the docket on the undercard.

Slice has high hopes for his boxing career. A 235-pounder, Kimbo says the heavyweight division needs an action fighter.

"The problem with heavyweights now is they don't have that fighting mentality," Slice said. "I am a nonstop fighter. My thing is nonstop aggression. When you fight me, two things are going to happen ? I'm going to knock you out or you're going to knock me out."

Former UFC fighter Charles McCarthy mans the mic for this solid sitdown with Kimbo. Part two is here.

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Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva breakdown their upcoming fight - Strikeforce

At the Strikeforce Heavyweight GP in Dallas, TC Inside MMA correspondent Ron Kruck caught up with Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva. The Reem spoke about his victory over Fabricio Werdum and the challange that lies ahead in Silva. Bigfoot spoke about how to do the impossible and beat Overeem

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Friday, August 26, 2011

UFC on Versus 5?s Three Stars: Henderson, Lytle and Cerrone

The fighters delivered on the UFC's first trip to the Dairy State, giving exciting performances from the top to the bottom of the card. That made the task of picking out just three stars even tough. Cagewriter's picks are below. Tell us yours in the comments or on Facebook.

No. 1 star -- Ben Henderson: After losing the WEC belt to Anthony Pettis, the enduring image of "Smooth" was getting kicked in the face. He used that loss as fuel, first beating Mark Bocek at UFC 129, and then aggressively taking out Jim Miller on Sunday night. According to CompuStrike, Henderson outstruck Miller 148-26 and was 7-for-7 on takedown attempts.

No. 2 star -- Chris Lytle: Few athletes and even fewer fighters get to retire on a win. After 54 fights, 20 with the UFC, Lytle earned that honor with one last Fight of the Night performance, topped off with a Submission of the Night choke. Now, he'll have an extra $130,000 and a Harley-Davidson to help with his retirement.

No. 3 star -- Donald Cerrone: Before the UFC and WEC merger, "Cowboy" felt like the kid brother of the UFC's lightweight division, not quite getting the respect of his UFC brethren. After landing 24 power strikes to Charles Oliveira's four and TKOing the Brazilian in the first round, Cerrone joked that the little brothers had exacted their revenge.

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UFC sounds ready to welcome back Henderson with possible fight at FOX/UFC debut

What do you expect from UFC on FOX's first edition [Nov. 12]? Do you already have a main event set?

We don't have a main event set yet, we'll find out probably after this Saturday, these fights in Rio, then we'll set a main event. But it'll be something big. It'll be a big fight.

We reported this Monday that Anderson Silva could put his middleweight title on the line against Dan Henderson, one he beats Yushin Okami?

I would love to do that. Anderson just needs a win.

Silva defends his UFC middleweight title this weekend against Yushin Okami in Brazil at UFC 134.

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UFC on Versus 5: Miller finishes with nifty one-arm guillotine, Markes and Hettes also win

Cole Miller is a promoter's dream. The kid has the verbal skills, a nasty streak in the cage and killer instinct. He just needs to be a little more consistent to move into the top 10 at lightweight.

Consistency wasn't an issue tonight as he wore down T.J. O'Brien and patiently stalked him before landing a big left hook. The dazed O'Brien eventually found himself stuck in a guillotine choke and tapped at 2:38 of the second round at UFC on Versus 5 in Milwaukee, Wi.

"I'm glad I dropped him with the left. I think I might have broke my right in the first round. I'm just glad to get rid of him one way or the other. I get that [submission] a lot from that position [in practice]."

Miller (18-5, 7-3 UFC) showed a well-rounded game by using his boxing to set up the finish. O'Brien got off to a quick start with leg kicks and had Miller backing up for most of the first round. The 6-foot-1 Miller usually possesses a huge height and reach advantage at 155, but O'Brien's 6-2 frame gave him a little trouble. Things changed when Miller landed a big shot with 1:20 left in the first. O'Brien stopped coming forward.

In the second, Miller pushed the pace and landed the nasty left hook with 3:22 left. O'Brien slowly fell to his back where Miller refused to jump into his guard and unloaded 20-plus kicks to his legs and rear-end. When O'Brien (16-5, 0-2 UFC) sat up and shot forward to grab Miller's legs. Miller thwarted the takedown attempt and O'Brien stayed there too long. O'Brien's neck was there for the taking.

Miller locked on a guillotine choke in combination with a body lock. He only had his left arm under the chin of O'Brien, but the torque of his legs was too much for O'Brien to hold out any longer.

"All and all, I'm pretty happy with the victory. I've been working hard on my striking for several years. I was surprised that my hook dropped him like it did. I caught him on the chin just right," said Miller.

"Bruce Leroy" loses again, Hettes shows off dynamic ground game in UFC debut

Alex Cacares still hasn't been able to back up all that talk from Season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter."

The fighter who nicknamed himself "Bruce Leroy" showed off some solid defensive skills, but Jimy Hettes wouldn't stop for a second and eventually used his slick grappling to win via guillotine choke at 3:12 of the second round.

Cacares (5-4, 0-2 UFC) came out to the cage dancing and sporting a big afro equipped nicely with a pick. He was smooth, but once the fight started the 24-year-old Hettes was the king of smooth.

The kid was non-stop with his submission attempts, scrambling and transitions. He was waiting for one mistake and Cacares finally made it in the middle of the second round.

Hettes (9-0, 1-0 UFC) was working hip control and when the fight got back to the feet, Cacares allowed the Pennsylvanian to get his arm right under his chin. Hettes jumped on his back and dumped him to the ground. Cacares was helpless and gave little resistance before tapping.

"I know I signed with the UFC, but I didn't know when I was going to fight, so I kept training and got a call from Sean Shelby and took the opportunity," said Hettes.

Hettes was called 11 days ago to fill in for the injured Leonard Garcia.

"When I was out there I got tired of listening to my coaches, corner-men and boxing coaches yell at me, so I just went forward and put all the of the chips on the table.� Now I'm going to train until I can't stand up anymore," said Hettes.

Hettes has won all nine of his fights by submission.

Markes manhandles Vemola

Karlos Vemola is a powerful light heavyweight. The massive Czech dropped down to 205 pounds after toiling as a heavyweight at 227. There's no way he expected to get overpowered by a kid making his first appearance in the UFC, but that's exactly what Ronny Markes did on his way to a unanimous decision victory, 30-27 on all three scorecards.

Possessing powerful shoulders and a huge back, Markes decided to go right at Vemola's strength with the clinch game. It worked. He outwrestled a six-time Czech national champ and scored eight takedowns in all. In the first, Vemola got himself back to his feet on four occasions and on each occasion was dropped back down just seconds later.

Markes (12-1, 1-0 UFC) has now won five straight, including a recent win over former WEC middleweight champ Paulo Filho. It was just the third time Markes gone the distance.

After missing with some huge shots on the feet and struggling so much to fend off Markes' shots on the ground, Vemola (8-2, 1-2 UFC) was gassed by the final round.

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Kazushi Sakuraba Returns to Meet Nova Uniao's Yan Cabral at DREAM.17

Filed under: DREAM, News, Japan

DREAM's first large-scale event for for the year got it's tenth bout on Thursday afternoon as MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba has signed to fight DREAM newcomer and Nova Uniao submission ace Yan Cabral at DREAM.17 on Sept. 24 at Saitama Super Arena, Tokyo, Japan.

Sakuraba has not competed since his heavily cauliflowered ear was partially torn off in his Dec. 31, 2010 bout with DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis. The gruesome ear injury continued a run of losses for Sakuraba; the "Gracie Hunter" also falling to the much less experienced Ralek Gracie and suffering a submission loss to Jason "Mayhem" Miller.

Yan Cabral, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who first trained with Carlson Gracie before joining the highly respected Nova Uniao camp, comes into the bout with a perfect 9-0 record with every victory coming by way of submission. Cabral is particularly adept at the arm-triangle choke -- a submission that has brought him victory on four occasions and also gave Kazushi Sakuraba the only submission losses of his career.

DREAM.17 - September 24, 2011 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Shinya Aoki vs. "Razor" Rob McCullough
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Yan Cabral
Satoru Kitaoka vs. Willamy "Chiquerim" Freire
Caol Uno vs. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Joachim Hansen
Gerald Harris vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura

Bantamweight World GP Opening Round
Hideo Tokoro vs. Antonio Banuelos
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Takafumi Otsuka
Masakazu Imanari vs. Abel Cullum
Yusup Saadulaev vs. Rodolfo Marques Diniz

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Hamman overwhelms Dollaway at UFC on Versus 5

MILWAUKEE -- In his first bout at middleweight, Jared Hamman showed that he was quite comfortable, TKOing CB Dollaway in the second round at UFC on Versus 5 on Sunday night.

Dollaway looked strong early in the fight. He worked an arm triangle in the first, but was unsuccessful, and when he took Hamman's back later in the round, Hamman shook Dollaway off and was able to get full mount. Dollaway snuck out, and the two then traded strikes from their feet. Dollaway wobbled Hamman, and followed up with strikes on the ground, but couldn't stop the fight before the round ended.

Hamman took control in the second round, owning Dollaway in striking. He pinned Dollaway against the cage, and then when Dollaway tried for a takedown, Hamman used it as an opportunity to do some old fashioned ground and pound. Dollaway emerged once, but Hamman took him back to the ground and finished the bout with a bevy of right hands. Referee Herb Dean stopped the bout at 3:38 in the second round.

"First round was rough.� Second round, I just went for it.� He got me once standing and that phased me," Hamman said after the fight. "I came out and gave it 100%.� I love to fight, even when the crowd is cheering for the other guy I get pumped.� I just really enjoy it.� I don't know who I want to fight next.� I don't like the guys that just sit back and don't put anything into it? I enjoy fighting."

Hamman was much less successful at light heavyweight, but clearly has found a home in the middleweight division. This win gives him a 13-3 record. Dollaway has now dropped his second fight in a row. He lost to Mark Munoz in March.

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Dana White Talks UFC 134 Storylines, First FOX Event

Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, Videos

RIO DE JANEIRO -- MMA Fighting spoke to UFC president Dana White on Thursday about putting on his first event in Brazil, Anderson Silva's growing popularity in his home country, the main event for the UFC's first FOX telecast, Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera's health going into Saturday night and much more.

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