Torres recently rebounded from back-to-back losses with a dominant win over Charlie Valencia. Prior to that he had lost his title to Brian Bowles and then lost the follow-up fight to Joseph Benavidez. Similarly, Banuelos recently reversed his fortunes as he followed up a loss to Scott Jorgensen with a win over Chad George on the same WEC 51 card where Torres found himself back on the winning track.

Both men are known as action fighters and both are more than capable of delivering fight of the night type stuff every time they enter the cage. This fight is a perfect example of how the UFC will use the lighter weight fighters to flesh out their cards. This card is filled with UFC stars but also will benefit from the excitement of the WEC fighters. The days of seeing bad fights between fledgling low-tier fighters make broadcasts are likely a thing of the past.

Careful:  Miguel Torres is voted one of the top ten pound for pound MMA fighters.  I welcome the former WEC Fighter and hope he does well.

The 6′ 0″ 185 pound fighter has a very powerful and impressive ground game. This gives him an advantage over Sonnen in this match up, should the bout get to the ground. Marquardt is a very solid ground fighter from on his back and could submit Sonnen.

Marquardt is a three-time Champion of the middleweight division in the Pancrase Champion, and possesses a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. Nearly half of his MMA wins have come by submission.

On the other side of the ring, Sonnen was a former college National Champion wrestler, All-American, and was even an alternate on the United States Olympic wrestling team. Despite his impressive wrestling credentials, Sonnen would would still be better served keeping the fight from the ground as long as possible. Marquadt would nullify any attempt that Sonnen tries to submit.

Sonnen has the advantage in striking, and would hold the upper hand in the fight if he is able to execute a game plan that keeps the fight to a striking battle. His last few losses have come by way of submission, and Sonnen will be weary of that. Sonnen won his last outing against Yushin Okami.

Both of these fighters are nearing a title shot against current holder Anderson Silva and a win will move them one step closer.

This middleweight clash on paper seems to be relatively even, but sports books such as Bodog are favoring Marquadt heavily. Currently, Marquadt is installed as a -525 favorite to defeat Sonnen according to the MMA Betting lines at Bodog sports book. Sonnen assumes the underdog role, and is currently set at +325 in this match up.

The fight can be seen live on Saturday, February 6th from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Ls Vegas. It. will be broadcast on Pay-Per-View.

After Brock Lesnar’s act with Frank Mir it is apparent that there are a handful of MMA fans that would enjoy somebody humble the BIG OAF.  With little class and tact, the former wrestler/entertainer from the WWE failed to display sportsmanlike conduct towards Frank Mir.  Although the drama Big Brock brought to the octagon, he is a spectacular athlete.  The only work he needs (at least in my opinion) is a big hefty spoonful of “shut-Juice”  So who will bring him his dose of “shut-up”???  I think we all know who will be the man to humble Brock Lesnar….

The man to submit the Big OAF will be Shane Carwin.  The man has class, he has a good home and good ol fashioned parents to seemed to groom their boys into hard working, persevering men.  Tough and rugged Shane will bring the class, conduct and sportsmanship that the UFCis all about.  There is no such thing as an “entourage” with Shane.  His drive and work ethic in and out of the cage speak volumes of his integrity and heart.  Spoiled Brock needs some tough love that will come from big brother Shane Carwin.

I think many MMA fans are holding back in anticipation for UFC 106.  It will be bittersweet to see Carwin serve Lesnar what he needs most…  A big glass of “shut-up juice” and some “humble pie”

Let’s get it on!

The final blow was a devastating left hook that flattened Evans. His 205-pound body collapsed faster than the last few grains of a sand in a timer.

“I tried all my life to be a champion, and I’m very, very happy,” Machida said. “And now, I’m going to keep this belt for a long time. And to everyone, if you have a dream in your life, go ahead, it’s possible.”"

Machida’s unorthodox style kept Evans (18-1-1) at bay the entire fight. Machida (15-0) landed big left kicks in the first and second rounds, helping to keep Evans at bay. Machida connected on a left leg kick to the body, followed by a left hand that dropped Evans to the ground toward the end of the first round. Machida pounced on Evans and landed a few shots before the champion got back to his feet.

“A little dizzy,” Evans said when asked by Joe Rogan how he was feeling after the fight. “This is the first time ever being on the other side. You gotta take it how you give it, just smiling and knowing that every time you get a chance to come out here, you get a chance to prove yourself. So, maybe next time I’ll do better.”

Since its inception, MMA has remarkably developed into a global spectacle. Nearly 9.6 million players have some how participated in the sport since the beginning.

Its popularity continues to proliferate thereby making it the third place overall “Most Popular Extreme Sport in the World” list. This is based on the statistical reports of the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association International in 2005.

Along with its growing popularity are the various tactics that every player must learn in order to dominate the octagon. This is so important because, by nature, paintball is a conglomeration of strategy, techniques, skills, and ability to stimulate the mind to think fast and accurate.

In spite of the many tactics that the experts create in order to help fighters win, the sneak attack approach remains the most reliable method in obtaining victory over the opponents. This is because the object of the “sneak attack tactic” is to hit the opponent furtively and sneakily.

To those who want to know how this particular ploy can be executed, here is a list of some tips:

1. Be cool:

With this kind of tactic, your basic goal is to hit the other player without letting him know that you are even in the area. Once you have spotted your spot to thump, do not immediately reveal your notion; try to relax a little and make your opponent guess your next move.

2. Wait for the perfect timing:

The idea here is to wait for your opponent to come into your reach; because if you try to move without precision and reach, you might as well come out in the open and tell your opponent to ground pound you.

3. Fire at will:

If in case your opponent was able to sense your next move, do not hesitate to start throwin’ down. You will have better chance of aiming at and hitting your target because you were the first one to break the ice.

Sneak attack works best for people who think before they act. The bottom line of this approach is to aim more accurately in order to make your reach without letting the other person know what is coming.

IRVING — Troubled Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones was in a physical confrontation with his bodyguards at a Dallas hotel Tuesday evening, according to multiple sources.

Police were called to the scene, but no charge was filed, and neither the hotel nor the Cowboys would comment.

“I don’t have any comment,” said Jones’ agent, Worrick Robinson, who is based in Nashville. “I don’t have any knowledge that anything happened. I’ve done my due diligence and I’m not satisfied that anything happened with Adam Jones. I know there are rumors. I haven’t put any stock into any of these rumors except they are just rumors.”

Robinson said he did talk to Jones.

“I’m not going to comment on our conversation,” he said. “I don’t believe anything occurred.”

KTVT/Channel 11 first reported the story, and sources confirmed it to the Star-Telegram.

Any type of off-the-field news involving Jones is exactly what the Cowboys were trying to avoid when they recently told him to keep a low profile. On Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended Jones for the entire 2007 season and then reinstated him in August, dropped by Valley Ranch for a visit.

Pacman In the RIng

Jones was attending a party at the Joule Hotel in Dallas on Tuesday evening, according to sources. Among the other patrons were several Cowboys players as well as rap star Ludacris and Academy Award-nominated actor Mark Wahlberg, who are both in the area filming a movie.

Adam Jones and his bodyguards got into a fight that resulted in a broken mirror in a bathroom, according to the sources. This was the second time in the past couple of weeks Jones and a bodyguard had gotten into a fight, a source said.

“We have no comment on the report,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday night.

This is the latest in a long line of off-the-field incidents for Jones. He has been arrested six times and involved in a dozen incidents that required police involvement since 2005. Some of his offenses include possession of marijuana, speeding, public intoxication and disorderly conduct. By MAC ENGEL and CLARENCE E. HILL Jr. http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/962464.html

Way to go “Pacman” Now you can join the UFC!

Forrest Griffin returns to action defending his belt against Rashad Evans and Wanderlei Silva goes for three in a row against former 205lb champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

The news was confirmed by UFC President Dana White to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.

The fights will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and with those three match-ups along with a solid undercard including Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister, which was first reported on MMAWeekly.com earlier this week, the UFC is looking at one of their most stacked cards this year.

White told Iole that he wanted to “stack” the end year show and with three huge match-ups, including two title fights, the UFC has done exactly that.

Nogueira and Mir were already expected to meet after their stint as coaches on this season’s version of the “Ultimate Fighter”, but the new bouts announced bring a powerful punch to the card.

Forrest Griffin’s meteoric rise up the light heavyweight division began with his run to win the “Ultimate Fighter” season 1 and culminated with his 5 round win over former champion, Quinton Jackson, in July.

As for Rashad Evans, the “Ultimate Fighter” season 2 winner, he cemented himself in the top contender spot after a devastating knockout of Chuck Liddell in early September.

Griffin Vs. Shotgun UFC 76

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will also return for the first time since losing his title and going through a very tumultuous summer which included him leaving former trainer, Juanito Ibarra, and his arrest in California after a hit and run chase with local police.

This will be the third time for Jackson to take a shot at former Pride champion, Wanderlei Silva, who defeated Rampage both previous times in dominant fashion while the two fighters were mainstays in the now defunct Pride Fighting Championships.

The event will take place on Dec 27 in Las Vegas, NV.

KATIE STRANG.caitlin.strang@newsday.com
October 5, 2008

Pain and injuries are a byproduct of fighting for a living, and some competitors would rather lose consciousness or suffer a serious injury than tap out.

Professional mixed martial artists like Matt Serra often have an intimate relationship with pain. The mere mention of the word can elicit a smile from a fighter, who will then rattle off a long list of his injuries while pointing out the accompanying scars.

In Serra’s case, it’s more than a scar. It’s a right biceps that is about half the size of his left biceps, a reminder of one ill-fated punch thrown six years ago.

Serra, of East Meadow, was dehydrated from cutting weight down to 155 pounds for the first time and had been sparring in preparation for his fight against Kelly Dullanty, when a blow caused his bicep to unravel and shoot up into his upper arm.

“I was getting lit up a little bit and I was trying to get this guy away from me,” Serra said, “so I hit him with a wide right and it just snapped up. It rolled right up.”

A doctor told Serra he’d lose some strength in that arm but the issue was more cosmetic than anything. Surgery could’ve repaired the problem, but Serra would’ve had to withdraw from his fight. To him, that wasn’t an option.

“The biggest thing is I didn’t want to get out of that fight,” Serra said, “and good thing I didn’t, because I ended up choking the guy out in the first round.”

Being able to withstand the pain is often as important as inflicting it on an opponent. In a sport that tests one fighter’s will against another’s, the unwillingness to flinch is often a fighter’s best weapon.

“If you can’t take pain, you ain’t gonna last,” Pete “Drago” Sell said. “You gotta take your bumps and bruises along the way.”

Sell, from Bay Shore, is a former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter reality television show and has suffered serious injuries to his knee, back, and shoulder, the latter keeping him from fighting for more than a year.

The worst part for Sell wasn’t the 20 weeks of rehab the injury required, but the lengthy period without a fight.

“The biggest thing when you lose a fight is that you wanna get back in there and redeem yourself,” Sell said.

During his recovery period, Sell was forced to hit the heavy bag one-handed while watching others spar at the gym. To sit idle instead of avenging his last loss was possibly more painful than the injury itself.

For most fighters, their ferocious desire to compete and win prevails over fears and concerns about what gruesome injuries await.

New Hyde Park native and former TUF competitor Luke Cummo, who has battled through some daunting chokeholds in recent fights, said survival instincts can carry him through a fight.

“At first you get that panic because you can’t breathe, and the worse you panic, the worse it feels. The suffocating feeling is what makes you wanna tap,” Cummo said. “I came to the realization that if I passed out it would happen. I’d rather have that happen than tap out.”

That feeling is common among fighters when they enter the cage. They’re looking for a way to dominate, not for a way out.

“I don’t want to say ‘uncle.’ I don’t wanna tap out,” said Serra, who never has submitted in his lengthy career. “I don’t wanna bow down to anybody.”

& MMA Fighter

The “Mormon farm boy” from Afton, Wyoming, “miracle on the mat.” His gold-medal victory in the Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling is called the greatest upset in Olympic wrestling history.

On the 31st December, 2004 Rulon Gardner fought Hidehiko Yoshida in a mixed martial arts bout for the Pride Fighting Championships at an event named PRIDE Shockwave 2004. Yoshida, in addition to being an MMA fighter, was a former Olympic gold medallist in judo.

Gardner won the bout via unanimous decision.

Aside from his Olympic medals, his achievements include:

U.S. Champion in 1995, 1997, and 2001

Rulon Gardner Ultimate Fighter

James E. Sullivan Award for amateur athlete of the year, 2001
Gold medal, World Wrestling Championships, 2001
Jesse Owens Award, 2001
United States Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year, 2001
ESPY award for U.S. Male Olympic athlete of the year, 2001
Pan American Games champion, 1998
World Cup Champion, 1996

Down… SSSeeet… Hut Hut HIKE!  —–  WAAAA WAAAA WHAAAAA!

My predictions?  Tito will get fat and so will Jenna as they will probably be hanging out for a few years loosing their shape and abilities.  Tito will be fat and lazy and rusty on his game and Jenna will just be fat… It’s mean but true…

So they are having twins… Scroll down to see what Tito & Jenna Jameson’s twins will look like…
 

Papa Tito

Jenna Jameson Mom

Yes everyone, I can officially confirm that Tito and I are expecting twins! I had my second ultrasound today and was greeted by two big healthy babies with pounding hearts. I can’t even express the extreme serenity that came over me once I saw my children inside me. It has been my dream to have children for an exremely long time, and I truly feel like finally… the time is right and god has blessed me. I have never felt more like a woman, or more alive.

Tito is happier than I have ever seen him, it is so fulfilling to see him so proud. He looked me in the eye today after our doctors appointmet and said “I’m the luckiest man on earth… thank you for having my babies”. I cried. ~Jenna Jameson

Ortiz Jameson Twin

Jenna Jameson Twin

Two sports that vie for the same audience, two sports that vow to be the ultimate test of a fighter have begun to merge. Coming soon to a ring or cage near you, boxing and mixed martial arts on the same card. And how long is it before we see a boxer in his prime against a mixed martial artist in his prime competing in a sanctioned fight?

It was announced today by Oscar De La Hoya that his promotional company — Golden Boy — has formed a “strategic, multi-level partnership” with Affliction Clothing. And, oh yeah, Affliction promotes MMA fights.

Affliction, which makes t-shirts that are popular in both the boxing and MMA world, has already promoted one successful MMA card. Its second show, however, scheduled for October 11, has been canceled partly due to a lack of ticket sales.

What follows is the press release sent out by Golden Boy. But the most important thing you need to know is the line that states: “Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Entertainment will promote events that will feature both first class boxing matches as well as top notch MMA bouts on the same cards with the inaugural event planned for 2009.”

Here is the release:

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (September 13, 2008) – Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Clothing today announced a strategic, multi-level partnership between the two companies that will bring the popular Affliction-brand to the world of boxing and entertainment.

“We have been talking to Affliction over the past several months to figure out a partnership that will take advantage of the expertise of both of our companies,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “We have found the solution and are extremely excited about starting this partnership immediately.”

“Golden Boy Promotions is the top boxing promoter in the world and we look forward to working with them on future projects,” said Tom Atencio, Vice President, Affliction. “With our companies working together, it gives Affliction another vehicle to deliver our products to our core customers, as well as utilizing Golden Boy’s promotional expertise to further our efforts in Mixed Martial Arts.”

The partnership includes:

* For major Golden Boy Promotions fights, Affliction will create a signature Affliction shirt sold on-site and at retail outlets nationwide.

* Affliction will become the official apparel licensee for the Golden Boy Enterprises-owned Ring Magazine, and will adorn t-shirts and other apparel with the iconic Ring logo and classic Ring Magazine covers.

* Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Entertainment will promote events that will feature both first class boxing matches as well as top notch MMA bouts on the same cards with the inaugural event planned for 2009.

Now, when I first began to compete, my supplementary training was primarily weight training and long slow distance running. In terms of strength development I scoffed at anything else other than weight training.

However when sparring with friends and training partners, while initially strong, I soon found myself running out of steam. Eventually, I had to admit, my physical training (while providing aesthetic benefits) was not functional for the goals I had.

When I fought in competition in the earlier days I relied too much on strength and this led to technically superior fighters often using this against me. Essentially, due to my supplementary training, I was gifting fighter’s victory over me!

I began to look into other training and fitness methods from old time fighters and wrestlers, along with more contemporary training protocols.

The result?

Out went the longer slow distance style training along with the weight training the way I had been doing it and in came bodyweight exercises along with deep breathing exercises. As I began to train using my own bodyweight more, and using it as a unit and not isolating little muscles here and there, I noticed my strength endurance go up noticeably!

This is vital when training to compete in a competition format. I also developed a better awareness of my breathing that allowed me to loose tension when I gained a decent controlling position against my opponent. Instead of wasting energy in these positions I conserved it while letting my opponent use his energy trying to escape.

I found that working my body in this more holistic fashion allowed me to condense my workouts into quick, brutal, sessions that closer reflected the chaos of a real time fight than did my previous training methods.

When I first began I could barely do fifty body weight squats in a row, but that repetitive use of strength is often what is required in a tournament format. I worked my way up to doing, at one time, five hundred in a row in about fifteen to sixteen minutes (I don’t suggest you do this or that it is necessary, it is just I am an extremist!).

Combining squats, push-ups of different varieties, bridge work, hill sprints (a favourite of collegiate wrestlers in America) and many other exercises done in sequence with little rest in-between all served to really improve my competitive fitness.

Also, due to the nature of the training, using as it does the whole body with a keen focus on the breath, I found that my RHR (resting heart rate) dropped down to the low forties! (A normal adults should be around sixty to eighty).

OK, what lesson can be learnt from my experiences?

Well, first of all, I have to say that such training won’t make you technically better. However, it will often allow you to push your opponent beyond his physical thresholds while you remain within yours.

First, train your Ju Jutsu.

Secondly, add in relevant physical fitness and health training.

Allow this training to reflect the full-bodied activity that fighting actually is.

Don’t make the same mistakes I did!
NOTE: This article is not meant to be a knock on weight training. I teach weight lifting as part of my job. It certainly does have benefits and has helped many people. However, never ignore the power and functional strength you can create using your bodyweight from all angles and positions. The crossover to competing is substantial

About the author:
Tim Webb is a fitness instructor, Ju Jutsu instructor, and competitor. His site www.JuJutsu-Training.comprovides articles, techniques, and recommends products that will supercharge your mental strength and martial technique!

Rampage Gets Teeth Kicked in.

I could take him! Rampage is just a big ol’ brute that likes to dance around in the octagon. So how would I beat him? Well the bigger they are the harder they fall. I can’t pinch, poke eyes, kick’em in the nutts right? So I have to play by the rules.

First things first. Rampage will throw his glove up as will i to confirm the cage fight. Thousands will be cheering for Rampage to kick my arse but this is how I see it…

The second we touch gloves I will jump right on him wrapping my twig-like body over his face. The big guy will want to pull me off but he fails to realize that I have ninja skillz and can alude his force. So there I am riding on rampages face giving him a high dose of my armpit’s Toco Bell “B-O”

Naturally he will pile drive me to the floor only to have his face smashed as I pounce to the floor with my cat like reflex… “How does the floor taste? Rampage?” I ask. Knowing this will just piss him off more it’s time for me to run circles around him. God only knows that at this point I am screwed!!!

So now what? I have Rampage Pissed of in the Cage and I’m juse a wee little pip-squeek! Move left, Duck right and S-P-L-A-T! My Muey Thai Elbow punch hits him right on the ear. A little blood never hurt any one. Dad always said “he who draws blood is the winner”

So did I win? Nope not yet! But I thought I did. I begin to celebrate my victory in the UFC but Rampage as dirty as he is takes advantage of my back side, just like he’s learning about in jail right now. Funny thing is I’m still just a boney little fart and as Rampage takes me down I some how manage to turn to face him as we fall. Crunch, Pop and Tear! Well I did it. Rampage just so happens to give my boney knee a kiss and now I have bashed his teeth in. Not with a Kick, Jab, KO or Ground and Pound but by sheer luck and Now I can celebrate.

Faber with two titles

At WEC 25: McCullough vs. Cope on January 20, 2007, Faber defended his WEC Featherweight title for the first time since winning it ten months prior, defeating Joe Pearson by submission(strikes) at 2:31 of the first round. At WEC 26: Condit vs. Alessio on March 24, 2007, he successfully defended his title for a second time by defeating Dominic Cruz by guillotine choke at 1:38 of round 1.

At WEC 28: WrekCage on June 3, 2007, Faber defeated Chance Farrar by rear naked choke at 3:19 of the first round. In his postfight interview, Faber called out K-1 HERO’S 2005 middleweight (154 lb) tournament champion Norifumi Yamamoto, though this fight has yet to take place. After this match, Faber took a six month break between fights, the longest of his career. He came back at WEC 31: Faber vs. Curran on December 12, 2007, defeating Jeff Curran by guillotine choke at 4:34 of the second round. Also on this card was the WEC debut of Jens Pulver, who was moving back down to featherweight from lightweight. Pulver and Faber both commented in their postfight interviews that they wanted to fight each other, and the match was signed for June 1, 2008 at WEC 34: Faber vs. Pulver. Faber and Pulver fought a constant back-and-forth battle, but neither man was able to finish the other and the fight went the full five rounds, the first time in Faber’s WEC career that one of his fights had gone the distance. The judges scored the bout a unanimous decision for Faber, 50-45, 50-44 and 50-44. This fight also marked both the first time that one of Pulver’s fights at featherweight had gone to decision, and the first time Pulver had been defeated at that weight class.

Faber will return to the Ring September 10th against Mike Brown

BJ Penn UFC Fighter

The crowning achievement of Penn’s career came in 2004 at UFC 46. Penn jumped up in weight classes to challenge the five-time defending UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes to fill a title contention slot in a division where Hughes had already defeated all the available opposition. Heavily favored to win, Hughes lost the fight four minutes into the first round by rear naked choke after giving up his back with only 23 seconds left in the round.

Anderson Silva UFC Fighter

PRIDE Fighting Championships and Cage Rage
In 2002, Silva began fighting in PRIDE. In his first fight with the promotion, he stopped Alex Steibling with a cut resulting from a high kick. In his next match, he won via decision against the “Diet Butcher” Alexander Otsuka. At PRIDE 25, Silva faced former UFC welterweight champion Carlos Newton. Newton tried to shoot in on Silva, but was hit with a flying knee. Newton collapsed and Silva finished the fight with strikes, winning by technical knockout.

At PRIDE 26, Silva faced Daiju Takase. Considering his record at the time – with only four wins to seven losses – most predicted that Takase would not win. Surprisingly, Takase submitted Silva with a triangle choke late in the first round.

Don’t get me wrong Silva is not on steriods.  I am refering him as a great fighter using steriods as an expression.  Just thought I’d clear that up first.

On February 3, 2007, Silva defeated The Ultimate Fighter 4 winner Travis Lutter by submission in the second round via triangle choke at UFC 67. What was to be Silva’s first title defense since defeating Franklin in October 2006 was quickly changed to a non-title bout following Lutter’s unsuccessful attempt to make the 185 pound weight limit for the title contest.

Silva successfully defended his title against Nate Marquardt on July 7, 2007 in Sacramento, California on the UFC 73 card, winning by TKO at 4:50 in the first round.

On October 20, 2007 at UFC 77, Silva defeated Franklin in a rematch by TKO in the 2nd round. The fight was in Franklin’s home town of Cincinnati, Ohio and took place at the U.S. Bank Arena

Silva defended his UFC Middleweight Championship against Pride FC Welterweight champion Dan Henderson at UFC 82 on March 1, 2008 in a title unification bout, winning by submission via rear naked choke in the second round.

Silva is undefeated in the UFC, having won all of his fights in two rounds or less.

Emelianenko’s team consists of grappling coach Voronov, boxing coach Michkov, Muay Thai coach Ruslan Nagnibeda, doctor, masseur and psychologist Oleg Neustroev, his training partners, including Roman Zentsov, and, until June 2006, his brother Aleksander.

In 2005 Emelianenko started paying special attention to improving his kicking technique. He trained Muay Thai with kickboxer Ernesto Hoost in Netherlands, and added a Muay Thai coach, Ruslan Nagnibeda, “Seikin-do” league 78 kg title holder from 1998 to 2002 (33-3-1) and a former Tula State University Muay Thai instructor, to his team. Recently, Emelianenko has expressed interest in training young athletes.

In November 2007, Emelianenko competed once again in the World Combat Sambo Championships, which brought together 780 representatives from 45 countries. When his opponent in the quarterfinals failed to show up, he received a bye to the semifinals, where he submitted a Bulgarian fighter with a choke in 40 seconds. The other finalist declined to compete, defaulting victory to Emelianenko.

Tito Ortiz

Jacob Christopher “Tito” Ortiz

(born January 23, 1975) is a Mexican American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter from Huntington Beach, California. As the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003,Ortiz emerged as one of the sport’s biggest stars, becoming the biggest pay-per-view draw of 2006 and appearing on the covers of various magazines.Ortiz is the CEO of the Punishment Athletics clothing and mixed martial arts equipment line.

UFC
Ortiz’s mixed martial arts debut was at UFC 13 in 1997. Still in college, Ortiz competed as an amateur for no prize money or contracts. He beat Wes Albittron in an alternate bout by referee stoppage at 0:31 of the first round. He was selected to face Guy Mezger in the Lightweight final after Enson Inoune could not continue due to injury. Ortiz lost the fight at 2:00 in the first round by submisson. After returning with TKO victories over Jeremy Screeton at West Coast NHB Championships 1, and Jerry Bohlander at UFC 18, Tito avenged his loss to Mezger at UFC 19 by TKO in round 1.

In 1999 Ortiz fought Frank Shamrock for the UFC middleweight (205 lb) title at UFC 22, losing via submission due to strikes. Following the victory, Shamrock retired and vacated the championship. The middleweight division was then renamed the light heavyweight division and Ortiz was chosen, along with Wanderlei Silva, as a top contender.
UFC champion
Ortiz defeated Wanderlei Silva for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 25 via unanimous decision. He went on to defend the belt a record five times in the following three years, defeating Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko and Lion’s Den head Ken Shamrock.

At UFC 44, after a near year-long layoff from the sport, Ortiz fought the new interim light heavyweight champion Randy Couture, who had defeated Chuck Liddell for the interim title at UFC 43 in September 2003. Couture defeated Ortiz via unanimous decision. The loss ended Ortiz’s near three and a half year title reign, which is still the longest light heavyweight championship reign since the title’s inception in 1997.

Following his loss to Couture, Ortiz faced Chuck Liddell at UFC 47, losing by second round knockout. After six months off, Ortiz returned and took a unanimous decision victory over newcomer Patrick Côté at UFC 50, and a split decision over Vitor Belfort at UFC 51.

In February 2005, Ortiz took time away from the UFC and was offered deals with several promotions, including PRIDE Fighting Championships and the Don King-backed World Fighting Alliance, but none came to fruition. Ortiz opted to try his hand at professional wrestling, signing with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a guest referee.

St. Pierre’s pro debut was against Ivan Menjivar and ended in a first round TKO win. St. Pierre went on to win his next three fights before making his TKO debut against Pete Spratt at TKO 14 (November 29, 2003). St. Pierre defeated Spratt with a rear naked choke in the first round.

St. Pierre made his Octagon debut at UFC 46 where he defeated Karo Parisyan by decision. His next fight with the UFC was against Jay Hieron at UFC 48. St. Pierre defeated Hieron via TKO (strikes) in only 1:42.

Hughes (L) St Pierre (R)

Following his second straight win in the UFC, he faced Matt Hughes at UFC 50 for the welterweight title. Despite a competitive performance, St. Pierre tapped out to an armbar with only 1 second remaining in the first round.

Matt Hughes

Hughes agreed to be head coach again for the The Ultimate Fighter 6, alongside former UFC World welterweight champion, Matt Serra. Despite the fact that after the preliminary round, Team Hughes’ record was 2-6, both Mac Danzig and Tommy Speer of Team Hughes made it to the finals.

Hughes’ successful career in the UFC may be reaching an end however. At the end of UFC 79 he hinted at it possibly being his last time in the cage citing his family and a focus on a second book. However a bout was confirmed for UFC 85 against Thiago Alves, which Hughes lost by TKO. Immediately after the Alves fight, Hughes stated that he has “one last fight” left, and that he wants to fight Matt Serra.

Hughes has competed in the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, in which he held a record of 2-2. This consists of wins over Ricardo Almeida and Jiu-Jitsu legend Jeremy Horn, and losses to fellow UFC fighters Jeff Monson and Tito Ortiz.

Matt went to college at Southwestern Illinois College, a two-year college located in Belleville, Illinois before transferring to Lincoln College, in Lincoln, Illinois and then on to Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. His freshman and sophomore years, he made the NJCAA All-American Team, and his final two years he was listed on the NCAA Division I All-American Teams.

Brock Lesnar Makin’ the Catch

Before gaining prominence in WWE, Lesnar was an accomplished amateur wrestler, and won the 2000 NCAA wrestling championship. In WWE, Lesnar was the 2002 King of the Ring, and won the 2003 Royal Rumble. He is also a three-time WWE Champion, and is the second youngest WWE Champion in history.

After leaving WWE in 2004, Lesnar pursued a career in the NFL. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, before being cut from the team for no-showing at practices due to injuries.

Who the hell is this guy? Oh, Well Let’s check out his skillz. This fight was in a hanger on a military installation. The slug fest is an anuall event and local fighters including Marines, Mixed Martial Artists, and cocky kids that want to get decked in the face participate. Here is the Flyer –> operation-slugfest

*YELLOW TRUNKS* KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE* Biloxi,MS*

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3uhlzyx-Zs[/youtube]

]]> http://fightstrike.com/2008/08/kcb-in-military-slug-fest-lovin-the-hanger-fights/feed/ 6 http://fightstrike.com/2008/08/antonio-nogueira-ufc-fighter-on-the-rise/ http://fightstrike.com/2008/08/antonio-nogueira-ufc-fighter-on-the-rise/#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:36:14 +0000 admin http://fightstrike.com/?p=22

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Weight Class: Heavyweight 205 lbs-265 lbs
MMA Record: 31-4-1
Fighter Height: 6′ 1″ (185 cm)
Fighter Weight: 240 lbs. (109 kg)

Antonio Style:  Submission and Wrestling in the morning, and weight training and stand-up in the evening.

Nogueira is officially the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion. But the reality is that it’s undisputed. Even if he didn’t hold a title, he still would be considered far and away the best fighter in the division. He’s 2-0 since joining the UFC with strong wins over Heath Herring and Tim Sylvia. Before fighting in the States, he was a PRIDE heavyweight champion and has career wins over fighters such as Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Cro Cop, Ricco Rodriguez, Mark Coleman, Dan Henderson and Semmy Schilt. Few fighters can hold a candle to Nogueira’s reputation, and I don’t see how anyone could argue that he’s not the No. 1 heavyweight in UFC.  -Sportsline.com