Gray Maynard is ready to take over as the #1 contender in the UFC Lightweight division
By Zach Arnold | August 27, 2010
This interview from MMAFighting.com is one where Gray is very, very relaxed or at least in thought when trying to answer the questions. The comments section on Youtube to this video is horrible — cracks about Gray stammering and that he’s a dope and that he should get into a rap battle with James Toney. Remind me never to read Youtube comments to videos ever again.
As for the fight on Saturday night between Florian and Maynard, I think Florian wins a close decision but I am under no illusions if Maynard manhandles him with power for three rounds. I’m disappointed that UFC didn’t put more PR energy behind this fight, especially given that it’s on Florian’s home turf and it’s a really important fight for the Lightweight division. I’m looking forward to watching the fight and seeing both men try to implement their game plans into action.
Transcript of the interview available in full-page mode.
Continue reading this article here…
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Randy Couture’s rebuttal to those who say that James Toney ‘has a puncher’s chance’ at UFC 118
By Zach Arnold | August 27, 2010
In this interview with MMAFighting.com, Randy is pretty much in his usual mode. He’s a lot more confident about winning this fight than other fights, for sure, and it shows here. I know that a couple of MMA writers have been discussing the idea that because Randy isn’t a trash talker that he has somehow hurt the hype for this fight or at least ‘hasn’t carried his weight.’ As our readers have noted, the people who always pay to see Randy will pay to see him again and there really isn’t a dramatic variation in that viewership number.
Transcript of the interview available in full-page mode.
Continue reading this article here…
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Women — Independent World MMA Rankings (August 27, 2010)
By Zach Arnold | August 26, 2010
From the office of the Independent World MMA Rankings
The August 2010 Women’s Independent World MMA Rankings have been released. These rankings are independent of any single MMA media outlet or sanctioning body, and are published on multiple MMA web sites, as well as www.IndependentWorldMMARankings.com.
The members of the voting panel for the Women’s Independent World MMA Rankings are, in alphabetical order: Nicholas Bailey (MMA Ratings); Jim Genia (Full Contact Fighter and MMA Journalist Blog); Yael Grauer (MMA HQ); Jesse Holland (MMA Mania); Robert Joyner (Freelance); Zac Robinson (Sports by the Numbers MMA); Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse); Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion); and Ivan Trembow (Freelance).
Note: Gina Carano, Lena Ovchynnikova, and Emily Thompson are temporarily ineligible to be ranked, due to the fact that they have not fought in over 12 full months.
Note: Carina Damm has regained her eligibility to be ranked because she has fulfilled the terms of her 2008 California State Athletic Commission steroids suspension by paying her fine. Given that she has recent fights in both the bantamweight and flyweight divisions, she is eligible to be ranked in both of those weight classes.
August 2010 Women’s Independent World MMA Rankings
Ballots collected on August 24, 2010
Featherweight Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)
1. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (10-1)
2. Marloes Coenen (17-4)
3. Yuko “Hiroko” Yamanaka (9-1-1)
4. Cindy Dandois (4-0)
5. Shana Olsen (4-0)
6. Amanda Nunes (5-1)
7. Jamie Seaton (2-1)
8. Hitomi Akano (16-8)
9. Ediane Gomes (5-1)
10. Yoko Takahashi (14-11-3)
Bantamweight Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)
1. Sarah Kaufman (12-0)
2. Roxanne Modafferi (15-6)
3. Tara LaRosa (18-2)
4. Miesha Tate (11-2)
5. Hitomi Akano (16-8)
6. Shayna Baszler (12-6)
7. Takayo Hashi (12-2)
8. Jennifer Tate (6-1)
9. Julie Kedzie (14-8)
10. Vanessa Porto (10-4)
Flyweight Rankings (116 to 125 lbs.)
1. Tara LaRosa (18-2)
2. Aisling Daly (9-0)
3. Rosi Sexton (10-2)
4. Zoila Frausto (8-1)
5. Rin Nakai (7-0)
6. Megumi Fujii (21-0)
7. Sally Krumdiack (8-3)
8. Monica Lovato (5-1)
9. Jeri Sitzes (3-1)
10. Carina Damm (15-4)
Junior Flyweight Rankings (106 to 115 lbs.)
1. Megumi Fujii (21-0)
2. Yuka Tsuji (22-2)
3. Lisa Ward (13-5)
4. Mei “V Hajime” Yamaguchi (6-2)
5. Jessica Aguilar (9-3)
6. Zoila Frausto (8-1)
7. Kyoko Takabayashi (11-4)
8. Jessica Pene (7-1)
9. Angela Magana (8-4)
10. Emi Fujino (8-4)
The Women’s Independent World MMA Rankings are tabulated and published on a monthly basis, with fighters receiving ten points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, and so on.
The rankings are based purely on the votes of the members of the voting panel, with nobody’s vote counting more than anybody else’s vote, and no computerized voting.
The voters are instructed to vote primarily based on fighters’ actual accomplishments in the cage/ring (the quality of opposition that they’ve actually beaten), not based on a broad, subjective perception of which fighters would theoretically win hypothetical match-ups.
Inactivity: Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months are not eligible to be ranked, and will regain their eligibility the next time they fight.
Disciplinary Suspensions: Fighters who are currently serving disciplinary suspensions, or who have been denied a license for drug test or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to be ranked.
Changing Weight Classes: When a fighter announces that she is leaving one weight class in order to fight in another weight class, the fighter is not eligible to be ranked in the new weight class until her first fight in the new weight class has taken place.
Catch Weight Fights: When fights are contested at weights that are in between the limits of the various weight classes, they are considered to be in the higher weight class. The weight limits for each weight class are listed at the top of the rankings for each weight class.
Special thanks to Eric Kamander, Joshua Stein, and Yael Grauer for their invaluable help with this project, and special thanks to Garrett Bailey for designing our logo.
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 7 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Gary Shaw says some ‘big news’ is coming; Kimbo Slice now in boxing
By Zach Arnold | August 26, 2010
Watch the video at FighthubTV and go grab their RSS feed and subscribe to it, while you’re at it. For an 80 second interview, this is quite the deal:
INTERVIEWER: “Gary, in previous interviews that I’ve had with you, you’ve rumored, not rumored but speculated that you might come back to MMA multiple times. Do you still have a desire to? Are you going to come back to MMA?”
GARY SHAW: “Don’t know right now, really busy in boxing. I have a lot of really big fights, so what I might do is cross-over and go to MMA and pluck a couple of their fighters and put them in a boxing ring.”
INTERVIEWER: “Now, uh, the obvious… the first thought that comes to mind when you say that is someone that you’ve worked with before in the MMA arena, Kimbo. Are you going to grab Kimbo and bring him into boxing?”
GARY SHAW: “You said it, I didn’t. Look for some big news coming up pretty soon.”
INTERVIEWER: “Now, who else are you thinking of getting from MMA besides Kimbo?”
GARY SHAW: “No one.”
INTERVIEWER: “No one. You’re just interested in Kimbo?”
GARY SHAW: “I mean, there’s some real good fighters with real good hands. If I could get the right guy that I believed in like I still believe in Kimbo, I’ll cross them over.”
Why do the names Din Thomas, KJ Noons, and Nick Diaz come to mind? Noons and Diaz would make since and both are under the Showtime umbrella, so I’m sure Shaw could get Showtime to make it worth enough for Scott Coker to agree. As for Thomas, he could use the pay day after what happened with his canceled fight against Ricardo Mayorga for Shine Fights.
—
ESPN New York reports that Kimbo Slice is now a Heavyweight in boxing. And he’s back to his first gimmick, the one he used under Gary Shaw.
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Dana White says he’s been straight-up honest about the way he’s promoted Toney/Couture at UFC 118
By Zach Arnold | August 26, 2010
Yet another entertaining interview at MMAFighting.com, but it is long so if you do watch it you’ll need to dedicate some time to it. A couple of takeaways from it obviously will include the fact that he forgot what happened to Nate Marquardt and had no idea why Gabe Ruediger is back in the UFC.
The part that those in the media who have been writing about Shane Carwin situation should focus on is his comment towards the end of the interview where he tries to defend Shane by saying that he’s passed all of his required athletic commission drug tests.
Transcript available in full-page mode.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 6 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Kenny Florian says UFC 118 fight against Gray Maynard is toughest career fight
By Zach Arnold | August 26, 2010
A very intriguing interview with Kenny Florian on MMAFighting.com, where he talks about fighting Takanori Gomi with the staph infection. (Should the North Carolina commission have allowed him to fight, even if he dominated?) Also, he makes his case for why he deserves a Lightweight title shot if he beats Gray Maynard.
Transcript available in full-page mode.
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Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
BJ Penn really loves James Toney and admits first Edgar fight was a bad fight for him
By Zach Arnold | August 25, 2010
If you thought Ariel Helwani’s interview with Mayhem Miller was classic, this interview with BJ Penn ranks right up there but for many different reasons. At the start of the interview, Penn asks Ariel Helwani if he really dislikes him and Ariel has to reassure him that he likes him, which ends up with a handshake and a man hug. From there, Penn is like a kid at Christmas talking about being in Boston. Just like the Mayhem interview, read the transcript first and then watch the video.
One thing very notable during the interview is how frayed the relationship is between Penn and Dana White.
Transcript available in full-page mode.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
Canadian Medical Association passes resolution recommending MMA ban
By Zach Arnold | August 25, 2010
The Province: Doctors vote for ban on MMA matches
In short, Dr. Gordon Mackie pushed for a resolution and he ended up with 84% of the doctors at their convention in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to sign onto it. This news comes on the heels of a report of the New Democratic Party asking for an investigation into the last two years of lobbying amongst pro-MMA activists to determine if any illegal activity occurred.
Kevin Misener of 680 News in Toronto posted the following moments ago:
Canadian Medical Assoc wants ban on Mixed Martial Arts in Canada, UFC Canada tells 680 News MMA no more risky than football or hockey.
This should serve as a reminder of the many challenges yet to come for MMA in Canada. The Fight Lawyer (Justin Klein) has some thoughts on today’s news.
I will transcript this video later on, but it’s a 13-minute interview between John Pollock of The Fight Network and Tom Wright, UFC Canada boss. Certainly a timely interview now.
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
About that CBC Radio “Mixed Martial Arts moms” segment…
By Zach Arnold | August 25, 2010
Late last night, on both Twitter and FB there was a link to a CBC Radio piece called “Mixed Martial Arts moms” for a show called “This is That.” The radio segment airs on CBC Radio 1 and claims to be a segment about 6 and 7 year olds training and fighting MMA-style fights weekly at a community center.
As you might guess, it’s a parody written and narrated by comedian Peter Oldring but done in a deadpan manner (i.e. Onion style) that’s meant to make fun of hockey moms and people who think that MMA is good for society. The target of the segment is the UFC and any parent who’s a fan of it.
Because of the deadpan serious tone it’s delivered in, there’s been confusion out there online about this being a real story. (Which is a feature, not a bug for This is That.) The reason that there’s confusion is because the segment is so horribly unfunny that you would have thought it came from Saturday Night Live.
Transcript of the radio segment can be read in full-page mode.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
MMA Symposium in Boston this Thursday
By Zach Arnold | August 25, 2010
Press Release
August 24, 2010 (Boston, MA.): The MMA Symposium Boston is very happy to announce that Jillian’s of Boston has come on board as a premiere sponsor and will be the NEW venue for the MMA Symposium Boston! The new address is:
Jillian’s Boston, 145 Ipswich Street (Corner of Ipswich & Lansdowne St.), Boston, MA 02215
The Jillian’s Boston property is a 70,000 square ft food & entertainment complex which includes Tequila Rain Night Club and Lucky Strike Bowling Lanes. Jillian’s is conveniently located less than a mile from the Hynes Convention Center (UFC Fan Expo) and right off the Kenmore Square (Green Line) Subway Stop at the corner of historic Fenway Park.
If you’re in town and don’t have tickets to UFC 118, Jillian’s Boston has you covered! Jillian’s will be showing UFC 118 live on Saturday August 28th on its many plasma screen tvs and its quadruple high definition video wall. Don’t wait, reserve a private table or booth for your group now.
Make Jillian’s Boston your official Sports Bar, Club, Meeting and Hangout place for your Boston visit. For more information visit: http://www.JilliansBoston.com or call (617) 437-0300.
ActionFight, Inc. presents the first ever MMA Symposium and Networking event. The MMA symposium is an opportunity to discuss some of the most important issues in Mixed Martial Arts today including:
- MMA Sanctioning
- MMA’s Global Expansion
- MMA Judging
This is also your opportunity to meet and network with other industry professionals including members of the Media, MMA Managers/Agents, PR and Marketing Agencies, Promoters and more!
The event is FREE to attend (limited space) and will begin with an hour long networking opportunity for all attendees including complimentary Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, a Symposium featuring some of the top experts in the industry (see guest panel speakers below) followed by a Question and Answer session for the panel speakers. At the conclusion of the event there is also an option to visit a local Boston bar for continued networking.
Date: Thursday, August 26th 2010 (Day before the UFC Fan Expo)
Time: 6:30PM-9:00PM
Location: Jillian’s Boston
145 Ipswich Street (Corner of Ipswich & Lansdowne St.)
Boston, MA 02215
Jillian’s Boston is located at the corner of Ipswich & Lansdowne St. near Fenway Park right off the Kenmore Square Subway Stop less than a mile from the Hynes Convention Center (UFC Fan Expo)
For more information, contact Sal Carrillo at [email protected] or 408-561-3699.
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Transcript of Mayhem Miller’s ‘don’t be scared, homie’ challenge to Nick Diaz; Update: Diaz/Noons II booked
By Zach Arnold | August 24, 2010
A classic interview that the transcript cannot do justice, so read the transcript and watch the video. 53,000 views in one day for a non-UFC MMA-related video is off-the-charts.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, StrikeForce, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Did UFC do enough to make the sale for UFC 118?
By Zach Arnold | August 24, 2010
I’m mostly referring to their Countdown show last night, but perhaps you might be interested in the question on a broader basis.
Will MMA fans take James Toney seriously enough to pay for his UFC 118 fight?
As I pointed out in the MMA Memories article this morning, the Edgar/Penn II fight is secondary in marketing compared to the ‘boxing vs. UFC’ fight with James Toney vs. Randy Couture.
The idea behind promoting the fight is simple. James Toney is legitimately insane, made a name for himself in boxing, and Randy Couture is one of the most popular cross-over figures the UFC has. He’s coming off of filming the movie The Expendables, he’s “Captain America,” and it’s two 40-somethings who are well-known symbols from their respective sports who will fight each other to prove… something. What that something is, nobody is sure of. The major Achilles’ heel in promoting this fight involves two steps:
1) Does the general public think that Toney has any chance of pulling off the upset?
2) Can Toney get the public to hate him enough to want to pay to see him get his ass kicked or will they be amused by his antics but not moved enough to pay to watch him fight?
After watching last night’s Countdown show, I feel like UFC has done a remarkable job in promoting Toney to the best of their abilities but that they may not be able to sell enough people on him being a serious threat. Which means, did they convince enough people that Toney will get his ass kicked and that everyone will have fun watching it? I think the answer is a resounding ‘yes.’
Toney’s Trainer Respects Couture, but Expects ‘Knockout in the First’
Watching the glee on the faces of Randy Couture and Ron Frazier (Xtreme Couture) was like watching someone who has a secret and that secret is bad news that they are going to deliver to a person they either really hate or are amused by. I laughed when the narrator on the Countdown show said, “James Toney has already won the war of words.” It would help if we understood half of what he saying. Thanks to UFC’s various jump cuts and subtitles (along with closed captioning), you could understand what he was saying.
“There’s nothing he can do that can stop me from kicking his ass. I promise you. … How do I feel about fighting a 47-year old man? I hope he gets SSI. It’s time for him to collect it. … I’m in a real man’s sport. … “Ain’t nothing stopping me. Can’t nobody in MMA or UFC or anybody else can beat me. You know that. … I’m coming to knock every single y’all’s block off your shoulders.”
UFC tried their best to push the angle that Toney was receiving legitimate MMA training from Trevor Sherman.
“We have a plan for Randy and that plan is to unleash James. And that’s it. We’re just going to put some skills in his tool belt that he can use that he can use and make him a little more effective. But, make no mistake, that will be James Toney that fights Randy Couture, not some concoction that we’ve put together in the gym.”
Both Couture and Frazier took absolute delight in the fact that they are facing Toney.
“If anybody came off the streets with six months experience in this gym looking for a fight, we call that being green-lighted. That means everybody gets to take their turn beating him up. [Toney] can say whatever he wants to say. It’s not going to bother Randy Couture. He’ll settle it once they get into that Octagon and they lock that cage door.”
Couture has, for months, admitted that it’s a freak show fight and he’s happy to oblige.
“Now we finally get to see two top flight guys from the two different sports and answer some questions for a lot of people. The hardcore fans, the boxing, they’re all going to come together to watch this fight. James or any other boxers that think they’re just going to walk in there with their boxing tools and be terribly effective are sorely mistaken.”
“It’s tough when you go to a construction site with one tool,” exclaimed Frazier. “When you have a screwdriver and it calls for a hammer, you got problems.”
John Arthur, Toney’s manager, put it this way: “It’s the crossroad. It’s like, who’s going to be the best? Who’s going to be there?”
What’s been amusing is how many people in boxing have been predicting Couture destroying Toney and shaking their heads at the fight happening, while many MMA fighters are predicting Couture winning and seeming thrilled at the prospects of seeing it happen.
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Strikeforce, Texas, drug testing, and some oddities; Mo out a year
By Zach Arnold | August 24, 2010
Update (8/24): King Mo reportedly needs ACL & PCL surgery. Nine months? If he rushes back, yes, but recovery time usually takes longer both physically and mentally to fully heal. To add salt to the wound, Rampage Jackson has another gay-friendly message for everyone about Mo.
Adding to the events of last night’s show is this Middle Easy report with screen captures showing KJ Noons and King Mo getting… something… squirted into their mouths by corner men.
- Brent Brookhouse: Major MMA promotions need to stay from Texas until athletic commission gets their act together
- MMA Fighting: In Defeat, King Mo displays grit worthy of a champion
- Dave Walsh: Strikeforce Houston – take things one event at a time
Which leads us to this MMA Junkie report stating that Texas’s athletic commission did no drug testing at last night’s Strikeforce event in Houston at the Toyota Center. This should come as no shock to anyone who has followed UFC’s past in the state (and the fact that reporters struggled to get basic info like salary figures after an event took place in the state). What makes this angle interesting is that Strikeforce didn’t do any basic drug testing on their own. Now, why do I mention that? Because this same issue popped up last May for their St. Louis event. Scott Coker admitted that Strikeforce would do basic urine drug testing of some fighters (mainly, Alistair Overeem) because of media pressure and interest as to whether or not he was on steroids. Did the promotion know that Texas wouldn’t drug test fighters and if so, why didn’t they feel any pressure to do their own drug testing for this show when they felt the need to do it for the St. Louis event? I don’t put the blame on Strikeforce for the Texas commission’s inactivity, but they certainly opened the door for some criticism with their actions on the St. Louis show when drug testing was an issue in question.
And yet, with all of that said, no one blinks an eye about the drug testing issue when Bellator runs shows in the state.
Related posts:
- Scott Coker on Bobby Lashley: “Some soul-searching to do” and “the true test happened tonight”
- Strikeforce’s weekend in Houston at the Toyota Center
Topics: Media, MMA, StrikeForce, Zach Arnold | 20 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |