Who scored that fight 29-28 for Tyson Griffin? UFC 115 – 6/12 Vancouver, British Columbia (GM Place)
By Zach Arnold | June 12, 2010
Dark matches
- Welterweights: Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox
- Welterweights: Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
- Welterweights: James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
- Middleweights: David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda
Spike TV matches
- Lightweights: Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
- Lightweights: Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
Main card
- Welterweights: Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
- Heavyweights: Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel
- Welterweights: Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
- Heavyweights: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry
- Light Heavyweights: Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
Topics: All Topics, Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 42 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Kevin Iole compares Chuck Liddell in 2010 to Muhammad Ali in 1980 vs. Larry Holmes
By Zach Arnold | June 11, 2010
Kevin Iole & Steve Cofield of Yahoo Sports talked about the upcoming Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin fight at UFC 115 and during the conversation, Kevin made a comparison of tomorrow’s bout to the infamous Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes 1980 bout which was completely one-sided. ESPN recently did a 30for30 documentary on the lead-up and aftermath of the fight, which some of our site commenters recently referenced to. This was the fight that Thomas Hauser referred to as the night when Ali screamed in pain.
Here’s the transcript of the Yahoo Sports team conversation.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 7 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
HDNet discussions with Ken Shamrock and Dennis Hallman
By Zach Arnold | June 11, 2010
The one with Ken Shamrock seems… I don’t know… not surprising.
The deal with Dennis Hallman claiming that 50% of MMA fighters use steroids… how does that exactly advance the issue here on cleaning up the sport?
Here’s what Josh Gross had to say about HDNet’s coverage tonight on steroids:
Steroid/HGH/PED use is a problem in MMA, as all sports. Kudos to Inside MMA for trying to tackle the issue. Door is open for many questions.
The problem is that HDNet is not a big enough platform to make a difference. If I can’t get the channel, a lot of people can’t. (If anyone has audio cuts from tonight’s HDNet MMA shows, please let me know. I’ve tried to directly get some multimedia from people who work for them and have gotten nowhere with it. If I have audio, I can transcribe quotes.)
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Tito Ortiz: I want to come back to fight in the UFC before the end of 2010
By Zach Arnold | June 11, 2010
“I guess all the pressure’s on Chuck. He has to win in a good fashion.”
That’s how Tito Ortiz summarized his weekend’s UFC 115 main event between Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin, stating that he wants to fight Chuck Liddell no matter what and he hopes that Chuck doesn’t retire. He made these comments on UFC’s Ultimate Fighter podcast show.
“I think we should still fight just because of the [expletive] that he’s been saying. Saying that I’m afraid of him, that I’m a [expletive] and this and that. Go [expletive] yourself, man. Are you kidding me? Has he ever defended the world title longer than me? No. Has any Light Heavyweight ever defended the title longer than me? No. I’m only 35 years old, man. I’ll be back in that cage again and I’ll be dominating. When I fought Forrest Griffin, I won that fight. Everybody knows I won that fight. When I fought Rashad Evans, I grabbed the fence — my bad. I still won the fight. Against (Lyoto) Machida, yeah he beat me in the first two rounds. Third round, I almost submitted him. I’m not a jiu-jitsu guy. I just need to be at 100% when I fight. You know and that’s what it’s about. When I get back in that cage and I’m jumping around and it’s time to kill someone, the guy in front me I feel sorry for and I hope that it’s Chuck Liddell.”
Tito thinks a third match between the two would have as much demand in 2010 as it would have a few years back.
“I’ll think it’ll be a huge fight as it was the first and second time. I think there’s no history that anybody has like me and Chuck Liddell has. It’s just one of those things, you know, paybacks are a [expletive] and when they come around, it’s time.”
Believe it or not, he feels that he could come back as soon as November to fight. I’m not sure if we should be holding out breath here, but he says what he says.
“I’m hoping by October-November, either one of those two months I’m hoping and I just got to make sure that I heal right. Like I say, I’m only 35. I got to make sure to take care of myself right now, get healthy, and be able to be in a gym six days a week doing the wrestling again and that’s what it comes down to. I was dominating people when I wrestled and I got out of wrestling because I wanted to be a stand-up guy because I wanted to knock people out and make people happy. But if the wheel’s not broke, why fix it?”
Here is the transcript of some of the quotes from the Ultimate Fighter iTunes show, including what the healing process has been like so far for surgery. One thing that I won’t quote directly but should mention is that Tito Ortiz claims that after his doctor told him to get the surgery, UFC sent him to their own doctor and the UFC doctor said that only physical therapy was needed but that he had a 50/50 shot of fighting and there was a risk of paralysis. So, he went ahead with the surgery.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Dana White: I’d handle the Tito/TUF situation on Twitter exactly the same way again and ‘don’t ask me [expletive] about The Ultimate Fighter. I can’t tell you. I will lie to you’
By Zach Arnold | June 11, 2010
In light of some of the Twitter issues lately, Dana said after the presser that he will not be censoring any UFC fighter on Twitter.
So, now we have an official statement from the UFC President in which he’s taking a somewhat libertarian approach to the whole issue of fighters saying stupid remarks on Twitter. I’m sure he has his reasons for it — once he starts censoring fighters, then people will complain about UFC becoming ‘too corporate.’ By the same token, it also allows UFC to absolve themselves of taking any responsibility for the dumb remarks fighters say online. After all, fighters are ‘independent contractors’ and not ’employees’… but ask Marcus Davis about that after he made the AIDS remark to Dan Hardy in March.
Probably the biggest factor in UFC’s ‘hands off’ policy is that the company doesn’t want to be everyone’s personal babysitter and spend time on things of that nature.
That’s the set-up for this interview transcript with Dana White talking about The Ultimate Fighter, coming back to Vancouver, and why he decided to give Chuck Liddell a second chance. I love how the phrase ‘lifestyle changes’ is used as such a generality.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH DANA WHITE’S INTERVIEW WITH MMAFIGHTING.COM.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC President Dana White’s revealing response on the issue of drug testing in MMA
By Zach Arnold | June 10, 2010
If you haven’t read Brett Okamoto’s piece in The Las Vegas, go read it. Brett does a good job of covering MMA for the newspaper. One of the issues touched upon with the media at the pre-fight press conference was Josh Koscheck asking for Olympic style-drug testing for his upcoming fight against Georges St. Pierre. Both men said that they would agree to that kind of drug testing program.
We already know what Dana White’s long-time stance has been on drug testing in MMA. “The Government tests the fighters” or “leave it to the athletic commissions.” Fine, that’s what I would expect from your average, run-of-the-mill fight promoter to say. (Like Scott Coker.)
Check out what White said on the matter…
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 23 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Kevin Iole: UFC is pricing out the more grass roots, average MMA fans
By Zach Arnold | June 10, 2010
The Yahoo Sports team addresses an issue that is a flaw in the casino-based model of site fees and having most of the big fights happening in Las Vegas, which is that you tend to get more of a boxing crowd than an MMA crowd. I give them credit for discussing this topic.
In truth, it’s the casinos that are pricing out the fans at these UFC shows in Las Vegas since UFC takes a site fee. But there’s certainly a difference in audiences between the LV crowds and crowds at MMA shows in other cities.
STEVE COFIELD: “You know, another impression out of [UFC 114] was the crowd reaction in Vegas and we’ve talked about the boxing crowds vs. the UFC crowds but I do think in Vegas the UFC crowds are starting to creep a little closer to the boxing crowds where they’re impatient, they want rock ’em sock ’em, they’re not really the hardcore even avid fans and they kind of don’t get it but that’s what comes with the territory as tickets get in higher demand and you raise the prices.”
KEVIN IOLE: “Well, the tickets are higher-priced in Vegas always, so I think that’s number one that you know you’re not getting the grass roots fan that’s coming into buy those tickets. At Yankee Stadiums they had tickets for $50 for the Cotto/Foreman fight. Certainly the rest of the [UFC 114] card was a good card, a good solid card and not the greatest card that I ever saw by any stretch of the imagination but it was a fun card and a lot of good fights. And I think if you forget the main event, you know you walk away with a good impression. If you would had those cheap tickets, I think you would have had the more grass roots, average MMA fan in there as opposed to somebody who is out because they’re a casino customer.”
STEVE COFIELD: “There’s really nothing you can do to control the type of crowd that’s in there. I know Dana White was very vocal about how impatient they were and they’re basically booing everything, but again it comes with the territory if you’re going to do gates of $3.5M, $4M, $4.5M, you’re going to have a different type of fan in there.”
KEVIN IOLE: “Absolutely. And that, you know when you’re paying that kind of ticket price you know generally you’re not just a walk-up, run-of-the-mill guy. There’s not a lot of walk-up people paying $350 down per ticket. You know you imagine if you want to take your kid to the event and you go to Mandalay Bay and the tickets are $350 to see Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin fight, you know there’s not going to be too many you know dealers and just average working people you know people who drive a truck for a living, you know walking in factory workers, they’re not going to be paying those kind of prices. They’re going to be buying the fight on PPV so the people that are going to be in the Mandalay Bay or the MGM at the PPV fights here are going to be a more well-heeled crowd but maybe a crowd that’s not as in tune with MMA.”
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Report: UFC Light Heavyweight champion Mauricio Shogun having knee surgery
By Zach Arnold | June 10, 2010
Was Franklin McNeil right about Mauricio Shogun having a big knee injury going into the UFC 113 fight? Franklin was mercilessly ridiculed by MMA writers and online fans for what he said on the MMA Live show, especially from this guy.
Remember when Franklin McNeil on ESPN’s MMA Live show said before the UFC 113 fight that Mauricio Shogun had a knee injury? Shogun would go on to obliterate Lyoto Machida, only for news to come out shortly thereafter that Shogun had an appendectomy and was not exactly in the best condition to fight in.
Well, now there’s discussion that Shogun is having knee surgery and isn’t talking about whether or not the knee injury was suffered before the UFC 113 fight.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Eddie Alvarez did not seem to agree with the judges’ decision for the Pat Curran/Toby Imada Bellator fight
By Zach Arnold | June 10, 2010
I realize he was being honest to interviewer Jimmy Smith, but the way it came off was more or less like burying the judges’ decision that Pat Curran won the fight. Curran beat Toby Imada by split decision on Thursday night and afterwards, Smith asked Eddie Alvarez for his thoughts on Curran winning. You had to see the demeanor of Alvarez, but he stalled for a second and went into a generic response:
“It was a tough fight, it could’ve gone either way,” Alvarez said. “That’s what happens when you leave it to the judges. I’m impressed and looking forward to fighting him.”
For some reason, Eddie didn’t seem that enthusiastic about what happened. Imada, of course, was upset with the split decision. Smith, in post-fight commentary, said that he scored the fight 29-28 for Imada.
I’ll say this about Bellator’s tournament format — no one would have expected Pat Curran to beat Roger Huerta and Toby Imada unless you’re one of Pat’s relatives or friends or training partners. Congratulations go out to him for being a tough, gritty fighter.
Topics: Bellator, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Talk Radio: Should the UFC have booked the rematch between Kimbo Slice & Seth Petruzelli?
By Zach Arnold | June 10, 2010
From Pro MMA’s 100th radio show earlier in the week. It’s an awful question to ask and I’ll give you a quick answer to it — NO.
Don’t get me wrong — if Gary Shaw was still in MMA, he would have already booked that rematch long ago. But the UFC has no need for a gimmick match like that and they don’t need to book a match with all the controversy that was involved regarding the stand-up scandal and what Seth Petruzelli said on the radio regarding what he was supposedly approached with doing before the fight.
Heck, I don’t understand why the UFC brought back The Smoothie King to begin with.
Even more surprising than the idea of Kimbo Slice vs. Seth Petruzelli II is the idea that Kimbo was somehow sabotaged by the UFC. (Yes, that argument is brought up in the audio transcript here.)
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Talk Radio: Fedor really shouldn’t be at the top of pound-for-pound lists
By Zach Arnold | June 10, 2010
From Pro MMA’s 100th show earlier this week, Larry Pepe had a debate with Jesee Holland of MMAMania.com who made the absurd charge that people are ranking Ray Mercer in MMA rankings lists.
Nevertheless, they stumbled into a debate about pound-for-pound lists and who should be on them and how someone makes a determination as to who goes in what rankings slot.
We know what Dana White thinks about Fedor Emelianenko and who he has in his pound-for-pound list:
“Yeah, I would say Anderson (Silva)…. Georges (St. Pierre)…. I’d have to put BJ (Penn) in there… BJ is definitely in the Top 5. Frankie Edgar and (Jose) Aldo. I’d make those guys probably the top five pound-for-pound.”
A key question in the discussion about Fedor in pound-for-pound lists — is he ranked high because he’s still the best or is he ranked high because it’s kind of a “career lifetime” award?
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 42 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Talk Radio: Rating Chael Sonnen’s chances versus Anderson Silva and how a Silva/GSP fight in UFC would be different
By Zach Arnold | June 10, 2010
From Jordan Breen’s radio show on Tuesday, a caller asked him to talk about the best trash talkers in MMA and of course Chael Sonnen’s name got mentioned. The conversation also shifted to MMA’s worst trash talkers.
Then the conversation turned towards what kind of chance Sonnen has for winning his upcoming fight against Anderson Silva either by a finish or by points as opposed to losing but looking respectable in the process.
Afterwards, the discussion moved into how different an Anderson Silva/Georges St. Pierre fight would look in comparison to the upcoming Silva/Sonnen battle.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 28 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Tim Leidecker’s MMA picture of the day
By Zach Arnold | June 10, 2010
‘Troublemaker’ Tim Leidecker is posting random photos on his Facebook account. I scaled it down a bit, so click ‘view image’ on your browser and get the close-up.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |