Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader headed for 'UFC on FOX 4' in Los Angeles

Las Vegas, Nevada (1.31.09) - Referee Yves Lavigne separates Lyoto Machida from a temporarily unconscious Thiago Silva at the 4:59 marker during the 1st round of their co-main event at 'UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn II'

The city of angels.The venue - the world famous Staples Center. The fight, a clash between former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (17-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and TUF season 8 victor Ryan "Darth" Bader (14-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) has been added to the August 4th card. The news came over the wire late Monday via iG.

Coming off a violent loss last winter via the standing guillotine of current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, you can still make the argument that Machida remains the most dangerous striker in the 205 division. Arizona State University alum Ryan Bader finds himself only two months removed from the biggest victory of his young mixed martial arts career, looking to put himself right back into title contention this August in Los Angeles. "Darth" bullied his way to a unanimous decision victory over Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 144, cementing himself once again one of the top ten fighters in his weight class.

This fight joins the recently announced middleweight battle between Brian Stann and former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard on the main card of UFC on FOX 4. A lightweight affair between Joe Lauzon and Terry Etim will also be featured somewhere on upper portion of this card.

TUF Live Video: Ronda Rousey teaches 'Team Cruz' judo throwing techniques

You can catch 'TUF Live: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber' every Friday night at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT on FX.

Their Violent Past: Nate Diaz exposes Marcus Davis in Boston

photo via - kelvinmaphoto

In anticipation of UFC on FOX 3: Diaz vs. Miller fight week. it can't be a bad idea to relive one of the only bright spots of what will historically be looked back upon as one of the few less than stellar UFC pay per view events. Of course the event was UFC 118, which took place in Marcus Davis' backyard of Boston, Massachusetts. Not only would the fight earn each competitor a fight of the night bonus check, it would set the record for most combined significant strikes in a three round fight - 531 total (328 for Diaz, 203 for Davis).

Diaz of course would continue to make a name for himself on sites like FightMetric and CompuStrike by utilizing his precision boxing against Donald Cerrone at UFC 141. But for now, enjoy the full Diaz vs. Davis fight from 'UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn II'.

UFC 118: Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis Fight Video

Video: UFC on FOX 3: 'The Nate Diaz Story'

This video via ufcnatediaz chronicles the younger Diaz brother following in the footsteps of his big brother Nick, only to earn himself the TUF Season 5 title. This Saturday Nate will headline the UFC on FOX 3 show in a 155 scrap against Jim Miller. A win for Nate puts him in line for a title shot later this year against the winner of Henderson vs. Edgar 2.

UFC on FX 4: "The Bully" vs. "The Carpenter" Event Poster

UFC on FX: Maynard vs Guida
Friday, June 22
Atlantic City, NJ
Revel Casino

Main Card (FX)

• Lightweight Main Event (Scheduled for 5 Rounds): Gray Maynard (10-1-1) vs. Clay Guida (29-12)

• Lightweight bout: Sam Stout (17-7-1) vs. Spencer Fisher (24-8)

• Welterweight bout: Brian Ebersole (49-14-1) vs. TJ Waldburger (15-6)

• Bantamweight bout: Ross Pearson (13-5) vs. Cub Swanson (16-5)

Preliminary Card 

• Welterweight bout: Rick Story (13-5) vs. Rich Attonito (10-5)

• Featherweight bout: Hatsu Hioki (26-4-2) vs. Ricardo Lamas (11-2)

• Welterweight bout: Matthew Riddle (6-3) vs. Luis Ramos (19-7)

• Featherweight bout: Jimmy Hettes (10-0) vs. Steven Siler (20-9)

• Middleweight bout: Nick Catone (9-2) vs. Chris Camozzi (16-5)

• Welterweight bout: Dan Miller (13-6) vs. Ricardo Funch (8-3)

• Bantamweight bout: Edwin Figueroa (9-1) vs. Ken Stone (10-3)

• Lightweight bout: Ramsey Nijem (5-2) vs. C.J. Keith (8-0)

The Weekend in Violence 3 Stars: Invicta FC Edition

photo via Esther Lin for Invicta Fights 

 

Leslie Smith (pictured left) and Kaitlin Young (right) put on a show for Kansas City fight fans during this past weekend's inaugural Invicta FC event worthy of early 2012 fight of the year consideration

It's always fun when a new promotion make its debut. Afterwards we get to nitpick. We can make fun of their corny new slogan, laugh about how shallow their roster is, and talk about how Bob Sapp should hang it up. Aside from Bellator there really hasn't been a promotion in recent years with feeling, a promotion that has meant something. I know we are only one show deep into Invicta but it's hard not get excited as a fan of the sport and a supporter of the athletes involved to see that there really is no ceiling here.

Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp has been vocal about how weight classes need to be established in WMMA. That'll happen in time with Invicta. Also of major importance is that this going down in the United States. There are some reputable all women's fight shows in Japan but there is no way for fans in North America to see these shows. Invicta also solves that. I try to find the negatives and all I see are positives, a lot of them. The commentary team of Ranallo, Lawal, Kedzie with a side of Tate for example - all positives. The personality, heart and fight of every single girl that performed on this card - positive. The star power of headliner Marloes Coenen - positive. Taking after the UFC and handing out bonuses like things for outstanding use of social media - positive (which fighter doesn't want to be part of an organization that utilizes bonuses?). With 100K watching the live stream on invictafc.com this past Saturday not you can only imagine what the future holds. The talent is already in place and more will come, in droves. So we've already established that Invicta had an extremely strong first show. Now it's time to talk about the violence.

1. Leslie Smith & Kaitlin Young (tie)

It has to be pretty disheartening to drop five straight fights after winning three in one night (one of them being a head kick KO of Miesha Tate). That's the situation Circle Pines, Minnesota born Kaitlin Young found herself in just one year ago. So what happens when a talented fighter like Young drops below .500? You go the Mark Hunt route - you just keep fighting. Two TKO victories later and you find yourself competing for the all women's Invicta FC debut card against fellow bantamweight Leslie Smith. You both get your hands raised together and take home an extra $1,500 for putting on the fight of the night in a fight that will forever be remembered as one that put Invicta on the map.

The way Leslie Smith goes to the body it's impossible to mistake her for anything other than a student of the great Caesar Gracie. Combine that with Young's muay thai skill and you have a recipe for a beautiful disaster. In a perfect world both of these fighters would be awarded a win after the performance they put on Saturday night but at the end of the day, a split draw, and hopefully a rematch at Invicta FC 2 or 3 will have to do.
 

PaperViolence (4/22 - 4/28/12)

Taking a look at the past week in fight announcements, rumors, and signings in MMA.

• Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard (pictured) has vacated his belt and signed with the UFC. Lombard is unbeaten in his last 25 fights and has wasted no time calling out current UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. While Lombard will not get Silva for his UFC Debut its likely that he will get a top 10 opponent. Brian Stann would be the perfect gentleman to welcome Mr. Lombard onto the big stage.

• We knew UFC Featherweight Champ Jose Aldo would be defending his belt at either UFC 147 or 149. We just didn't know which of the two PPV cards he would land on and who his opponent would be. Now we know that Aldo will remain on UFC 149 in Calgary. The Scotiabank Saddledome will be the venue where Eric "New Breed" Koch will attempt to stop Aldo's 14 fight win streak.

• A Heavyweight clash between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cheick Kongo has been announced for the UFC's upcoming Alberta debut. This will be Nogueira's first fight since having his arm broken in Toronto by current #1 contender Frank Mir last December. Standing across from him will be a fighter in Kongo who's unbeaten streak of four was ended this past February by "Super Samoan" Mark Hunt. This fight will take place on the Pay Per View portion of UFC 149: Aldo vs. Koch.

• UFC 150 now has a date, and a headliner. Current Lightweight champion Benson Henderson and former three time defending champ Frankie "King of the Rematch" Edgar will do battle at high altitude for the promotions second visit to Denver, Colorado in under a year. Match ups between Yushin Okami and Luiz Cane at 185 lbs and Dennis Hallman vs. Thiago Tavares at 155 have been linked to this card which is currently scheduled for August 11th.

• Welterweight Jay Hieron has been released by Bellator. He will fight this summer for Legacy FC but is not exclusive to this promotion.  After a close split decision defeat to current BFC Champion Ben Askren, Hieron requested an immediate rematch. Bellator stuck to it's guns, as they always do, and told Hieron he could enter the next season's Welterweight tournament for a shot at Ariel Helwani's favorite champion. Hieron is not a big fan of the Bellator tournament format, hence why he isn't employed by them anymore. His dreams of fighting for the UFC again will not likely come to fruition if he doesn't impress at Legacy FC in July. There is always the outside chance of "The Thoroughbred" being called in as a late replacement should a 170 lb fighter on the roster become scratched on an upcoming summer card.

• Top ranked middleweights Mark Munoz and Chris Weidman will headline UFC on Fuel . The fight is scheduled for 5 Rounds and will take place on Wednesday July 11th inside of the Sharktank in San Jose. Also exchanging leather on this card will be light heavyweights Brandon Vera and James He Tuna. A lightweight scrap between Anthony Njokuani and Paul Taylor has recently been added to the card as well.

• Although his track record tells us otherwise, Hatsu Hioki has said that he's not ready for his title shot against Jose Aldo. Instead he'll be fighting Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX 4 on June 22nd.

• It was announced late last night during the Invicta FC One fight card that Shayna "The Queen of Spades" Baszler and undefeated USA Olympic wrestling standout Sara McMann will headline the promotions next show. Invicta FC Two will take place on July 28th.

photo - Bellator

sources - (the internet, humans, and common knowledge)

Invicta FC One 'Coenen vs. Ruyssen II' Live Results

After the initial stare down, Marloes Coenen (left) and Romy Ruyssen (right) turned their bodies toward the press as instructed for more photo ops. However, these two refused to stare into each others eyeballs unlike the ten pairs before them. Ruyssen will be looking to avenge the lone loss on her record which came via a rear naked choke held by the same fighter she will face tonight. A win for Ruyssen catapults her up the female ranks and leads to a potential trilogy fight down the road. A win for Coenen cements her as one of the all time greats.

You can find the full results for the very first Invicta FC fight card after the break. Better yet, do yourself a favor and check out the live stream over at INVICTAFC. This event will begin tonight at 8 PM EST. Keep it locked here for plenty more Invicta FC coverage as the night, weekend, month, and years go on.

photo via - Esther Lin (@allelbows) for Invicta FC (@InvictaFights)

Video: Getting to know the cast of Invicta FC One

This video gives us plenty of background on some of the fighters competing in Kansas City tonight. It comes by way of allelbows and @ekc. These two always put it down no matter what mixed martial arts event they happen to be covering.

You can catch Invicta FC One: Coenen vs. Ruyssen II tonight at 8 PM EST over at invictafc.com

Invicta FC One weigh-in results

You can check out the live weigh-ins for the inaugural Invicta Fighting Championships event by clicking the link below at 6 PM EST today (4/27).

Invicta FC 1 Weigh-In Link

Make sure to visit that same link tomorrow night at 8 PM EST, where you will find Invicta FC One live and free from inside of the Municipal Hall in Kansas City. Full weigh-in results can also be found below.

• Main Event: Marloes Coenen (146) vs. Romy Ruyssen (150.4)*

• Jessica Penne (105.6) vs. Lisa Ellis (106.2)

• Liz Carmouche (134.2) vs. Ashleigh Curry (137.2)

• Kaitlin Young (135.4) vs. Leslie Smith (135)

• Sarah D' Alelio (135.2) vs. Vanessa Mariscal (136)

• Sally Krumdiack (113.6) vs. Sarah Schneider (115.6)

• Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (105.4) vs. Amy Davis (105.6)

• Michele Gutierrez (125) vs. Sarah Maloy (125.4)

• Randi Miller (149.8)* vs. Mollie Ahlers-Estes (145)

• Ashley Cummins (115) vs. Sofia Bagherdai (120.6)*

• Cassie Rodish (105.2) vs. Meghan Wright (103.6)

* - Fighter will be penalized to the tune of 25% of their fight purse if they do not make weight on second attempt

Jon Jones' younger brother Chandler selected 21st overall in the NFL Draft

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones met some pretty good sparring partners at a very young age. His older brother Arthur Jones was drafted in the 5th Round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Just moments ago inside of New York City's Radio City Music Hall, the youngest brother of the three, Chandler (pictured above wearing his brothers belt), was selected 21st overall by the 3-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots. Chandler Jones is a highly touted DE out of Syracuse who will be a great addition to the Kraft family's franchise.

Here's what Mike Mayock had to say about the 2011 All-Big East 1st Team selection - .."Better than any of the defensive ends...two years from now he's going to be 280 lbs. and one mean son-of-a-bitch."

As of now Chandler stands 6'5 (the tallest of the Jones bros.) and weighs in at 265. Congrats to a very tight knit family on another very special day.

photo via - @chanjones99

'UFC on FX 3: Johnson vs. McCall' Event Poster, Updated Fight Card

The votes are in and there will be no recount. The 2012 UFC Harley-Davidson hometown throwdown will take place inside of Sunrise, Florida's BankAtlantic Center on June 8th.

On a later winter day in Sydney, Australia mixed martial arts fans were treated to one of the most exciting, and controversial fights of 2012 so far. Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson and Ian "Uncle Creepy" McCall mixed it up for three full rounds with a split decision victory being awarded to Johnson after the final horn sounded. It was later revealed that due to a judges scoring error the fight had actually been scored as a majority draw - which would've meant a sudden victory round had the correct result been handed to Mr. Buffer at the proper time. So that means instead of one more round of action between these two scrappy Flyweights, we may just get three (or even four) more. The winner of this fight will be awarded the opportunity of be called the first UFC Flyweight Champion in the promotion's history. Waiting in the wings will be the very patient Joseph Benavidez.

You can find the complete card for 'UFC on FX 3: Johnson vs. McCall' as it stands today after the break.

'UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir' NicktheFace Event Trailer

Why do mma websites always post event trailers made by NickTheFace2 ? Because his works are the best in the biz. Take the 'dos Santos vs. Mir' one above for example. It uses the "my opponent broke my hero's arm and now he will pay" angle. Dos Santos may not admit that he wants to avenge Big Nog's brutal loss. He's just that classy of a guy. But make no mistake, on May 26th in Vegas, Frank Mir will be facing a UFC Heavyweight Champion with some focused anger. A UFC Heavyweight Champion who is capable of some very, very bad things.

Gina Carano in negotiations for 'Fast & Furious 6' role alongside "The Rock"

Stop me if you've heard this one. Vin Diesel, Tyrese, Paul Walker, Gina Carano and The Rock walk into a bar. Things get a bit heated and only one of these stars emerge conscious. Who is it? The correct answer would likely be EliteXC and Strikeforce Mixed Martial Arts standout Gina Carano.

Carano is coming off her first major role, earning top billing over such accomplished actors like Michael Douglas, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor and Michael Fassbender in the Steven Soderbergh picture 'Haywire'. While the film didn't exactly cash in - earning just $19 mil domestic, and over $30 mil worldwide, it introduced Hollywood to a new action star of the highest repute. Carano's was lights out as femme fatale Mallory Kane, a black-ops freelancer who takes revenge upon her former employers after being double crossed.

It certainly was good enough for Carano, who just celebrated her 30th birthday this April, to begin talks with the extremely successful Universal Pictures 'Fast and Furious' franchise. Last year we saw WWE legend Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson arrive in the form of U.S. DSS Special Agent Luke Hobbs', adding even more muscle and plenty of one-liners to "Fast Five", the latest entry of the franchise that has already amassed over a billion dollars worldwide to date. It's been rumored that Carano will be a member of Hobbs' team, making her the ass kicking good girl of the film, a role that is built for the Texas bred "Conviction".

Director Justin Lin will once again be at the helm for the next entry of the 'Fast and Furious' franchise which will hit the big screen during the Spring/Summer of 2013.

source - hollywoodreporter

'UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II' Event Poster, Updated Fight Card

UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II

July 7th, 2012

Las Vegas, Nevada

MGM Grand Garden Arena

Main Card (PPV)

• Middleweight Championship bout: Anderson Silva (C) (31-4) vs. Chael Sonnen (27-11-1)

• Bantamweight Championship bout: Dominick Cruz (C) (19-1) vs. Urijah Faber (26-5)

• Light Heavyweight bout: Tito Ortiz (16-10-1) vs. Forrest Griffin (18-7)

• Middleweight bout: Rich Franklin (28-6) vs. Cung Le (7-2)

• Middleweight bout: Michael Bisping (22-4) vs. Tim Boetsch (15-4)

Preliminary Card (FX / Facebook)

• Welterweight bout: Demian Maia (15-4) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (15-1-1)

• Bantamweight bout: Renan Barao (28-1) vs. Ivan Menjivar (24-8)

• Lightweight bout: Melvin Guillard (29-10-2) vs. Fabricio Camoes (14-6-1)

• Middleweight bout: Constantinos Philippou (10-2) vs. Riki Fukada (18-5)

• Lightweight bout: Gleison Tibau (25-7) vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (17-0)

UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen 2 bullet points from today's press conference in Brazil

So, Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen is still on contrary to some of the interesting rumors that have been floating around over the past week or so. It's just going to be happening in Las Vegas instead of Brazil. This due to United Nations conference that makes it impossible for the UFC to do their dream soccer stadium show.

UFC 147 will remain in Brazil (just not in the monster soccer stadium) and will likely be headlined by Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo - who was previously linked to UFC 149 in Calgary. Silva vs. Sonnen 2 will headline the promotions annual July 4th weekend show on July 7th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cruz vs. Faber 3 will be demoted to co-headliner status on which may now be the most stacked card in the history of MMA.

Join us after the break for some quick bullet points on everything that was brought to the surface during the ultra informative UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen 2 press conference that took place today in Rio de Janerio, Brazil. You can also watch the replay of today's presser in full right here.

The fully updated UFC 146 heavyweight bonanza

The UFC brass just couldn't wait 3 more days for the Alistair Overeem saga to come to a close. Can you really blame them though? Just a little over a month out from their next Pay Per View, it was time to make a bold decision. Frank Mir has been given the opportunity to become a three-time UFC heavyweight champion, and rightfully so. 

After failing a random drug test at the UFC 146 Brazil, Alistair Overeem (the former #1 contender for dos Santos) likely won't be fighting inside of the Octagon anytime soon. So where does that leave Cain Velasquez? The former champion was scheduled to face off against Frank Mir in a #1 contenders bout on the annual Memorial Day weekend card. Hey, how about Roy Nelson? He was scheduled to fight the man who stepped in to fight replace Mir, right? No worries. You can find the fully updated UFC 146 Pay Per View and Preliminary card after the break.

Live Feed: This UFC press conference from RIO should answer plenty of questions

This has to be one of the most intriguing press conferences of all time. Plenty of rumors swirling around that involve multiple summer cards for the UFC may or may not be explained at 10 PM EST tomorrow in Brazil. Expect to see the usual suspects - Dana White, Chael Sonnen, Ed Soares and possibly Anderson Silva in attendance for a presser that will give every MMA media outlet plenty to talk about for the rest of the week. You can watch it right here or on YouTube.

The Weekend in Violence 3 Stars: Eddie Alvarez leads the pack

1. Eddie Alvarez (@EdAlvarezFight)

"Revenge is like the sweetest joy next to getting pussy" - Tupac Shakur (Hail Mary)

Just like that, the rematch between Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki is in the can. Credit to Aoki, he lasted a good 30 seconds longer than Alvarez did in their first meeting. The "Tobikan Judan" heel hooked Alvarez in under two minutes in their first meeting. It took Alvarez only 2:14 to TKO Aoki this past Friday night inside of Ohio's I-X Center. Being around Alvarez for brief moments at a time during fight week you could see the fire, the focus, and the fury in the former Bellator Lightweight champion. The beating he put on his opponent was so brutal that Aoki's corner was forced to throw in the white towel for their fighter, a motion that was completely either ignored or unseen by referee Jerry Krzys.

Now that Alvarez has avenged the Aoki blemish on his record he becomes the most sought after free agent in all of MMA present day. If Alvarez isn't granted his rematch against Michael Chandler or given the payday he deserves from Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney it could be the UFC or even a title shot against Gilbert Melendez under the Strikeforce banner. Why go through a Bellator tournament if you could be granted an immediate title shot or #1 contenders match from Zuffa? The money has to be right for Alvarez and his family for him to remain in Bellator. Bellator needs Alvarez more than he needs Bellator. The promotion is still young and Eddie has the most recognizable face (and fists) on the current roster.

2. Michael McDonald (@MaydayMcDonald)

21 years old. 4 UFC fights in just over a year. His last two coming via 1st Round finish. The latest over arguably the greatest Bantamweight of all time. The hype is real. Modesto, California's own Michael McDonald has been on a terror, annihilating anyone and everyone in his path, boasting an impressive 15-1 record as the youngest fighter in the UFC. He even avenged the lone loss on his resume, knocking out Cole Escovedo during the summer of 2010. It'll be the quick knockout of Miguel Torres at UFC 145 in Georgia Saturday night that will be remembered as the win that put McDonald over the top. I have a strange feeling the "Mayday" train will not be stopping there though. Jon Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history at the age of 23 last March. Michael McDonald has to be only one more win away from a chance at the Bantamweight strap himself. Watch out Dominick Cruz.

3. Ben Rothwell (@RothwellFighter)

"Big" Ben Rothwell  made a monster statement Saturday night by dropping Brendan "The Hybrid" Schaub in just over a minute. This KO of the night performance catapults a veteran in Rothwell (who had a rocky start to his UFC career) right back into the mix. Physique wise Rothwell looked incredible Saturday night, sporting just a muffing top rather than his usual half Nelson (belly not quite as big as Roy's). With the all Heavyweight UFC 146 card needing one more fighter due to the Overeem fiasco, Uncle Ben would be a great choice to step in against Roy Nelson, giving Nelson a shot to avenge the split decision loss he suffered to Rothwell back in their IFL days. Huge, huge win for Rothwell! Watch him make Brendan Schaub reach for the stars after knocking him unconscious in the video below after the break.

UFC 145: ' Jones vs. Evans' Post Fight Press Conference Video, Fighter Bonuses

An extra $65K was awarded to each of the following fighters for their refusal underachieve during tonight's fights inside of Atlanta's Philips Arena

Fight of the Night: Eddie Yagin vs. Mark Hominick

Knockout of the Night: Ben Rothwell

Submission of the Night: Travis Browne

UFC 145 Results: Does Jon Jones and "Greatness" belong in the same sentence?

Greatness. It's been the one word that's been thrown around leading up to tonight's UFC Light Heavyweight title fight in Atlanta, Georgia. It's been the word that the company has attached to their relentless campaign in promoting this "grudge match". It's also a word that should NOT be thrown around lightly. So does a 24 year old Champion named Jon Jones who has only held said title for just over a year deserve to be put up on this pedestal? 

UFC 145 Results: Travis "Hapa" Browne just keeps on winning

 It's getting awful tough not to call Travis Browne a top 10 Heavyweight these days. While the Heavyweight division may always be the shallowest divison of the bunch , Browne continues to string together victory after victory over whomever is put in front of him.

His latest, an arm triangle finish over Strikeforce import Chad "The Gravedigger" Griggs, showed off the complete game of Browne. Browne looked light on his feet for a Heavyweight, landing an impressive flying double knee before ultimately finishing his opponent early on in the 1st Round. Even Chael Sonnen may have to change his tune about Mr. Browne if he keeps this up.



Final Result: Travis Browne (13-0-1) defeats Chad Griggs (11-2) via arm triangle choke (Round 1, 2:29)

UFC 145: 'Jones vs. Evans' Live Quick Results

Main Card (PPV)

• Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Jon Jones (C) (16-1) defeats Rashad Evans (17-2-1) via UD (49-46 x 2, 50-45)

• Rory MacDonald (13-1) defeats Che Mills (14-5) via TKO (Round 2, 2:20)

• Ben Rothwell (32-8) defeats Brendan Schaub (8-3) via KO (Round 1, 1:10)

• Michael McDonald (15-1) defeats Miguel Torres (40-5) via KO (Round 1, 3:18)

• Eddie Yagin (16-5-1) defeats Mark Hominick (20-11) via (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

• Mark Bocek (11-4) defeats John Alessio (34-15) via UD (30-27 x 2, 29-28)

Preliminary Card (FX)

• Travis Browne (13-0-1) defeats Chad Griggs (11-2) via arm triangle choke (Round 1, 2:29)

• Matt Brown (14-11) defeats Stephen Thompson (6-1) via UD (30-27, 29-27, 30-27)

• Anthony Njokuani (15-6) defeats John Makdessi (9-2) via UD (30-27 x 3)

• Mac Danzig (21-9-1) defeats Efrain Escudero (18-5) via UD (30-27 x 2, 29-28)

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

• Chris Clements (11-4) defeats Keith Wisniewski (28-14-1) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

• Marcus Brimage (5-1) defeats Maximo Blanco (8-4-1) via SD (28-29, 30-27, 29-28) <

Bellator 66: 'Alvarez vs. Aoki II' highlights

via - BellatorMMA

UFC Primetime: 'Jones vs. Evans' Episode 3

Episode 1

Episode 2

Bellator 66 Moment in Violence: Spang's come from behind KO

Ohio mma royalty Brian "The Predator" Rogers was using his opponent as a virtual punching bag for the better part of 2 rounds. The I-X Center stood behind their man, in anticipation of another one of those trademark BRog flying knee finishes that just seemed inevitable. Instead it would be a nasty counter left from the "Sweet Swede" that would turn the lights out on Rogers just long enough for referee Jerry Poe to step in and call the fight.

Spang now advances to the Season 6 Middleweight finals as a 9 seed ( he was a late replacement for the injured Bruno Santos) to face off against Maiquel Falcao for a shot at $100K and Hector Lombard's title next season. That is of course if Lombard is still fighting under the Bellator banner.

Keep it locked here for plenty more post fight Bellator 66 coverage including my thoughts on everything Eddie Alvarez - his revenge on Aoki and what could be next for him - and a preview of the upcoming Lightweight final between Weedman and Hawn.

'Bellator 66: Alvarez vs. Aoki II' Quick Results

It's Friday night again and that can only mean one thing - Bellator Fight Night. Below we will give you the results of each fight on tonight's card. Plain and simple. We'll be churning out result articles as the event happens and of course you can always follow me over @HankBooth for some live commentary from inside of the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

How to watch:

The undercard begins at 7 PM/4 PT ET in Atlantic City, New Jersey tonight, and airs live and free on spike.com

The action continues on MTV2 and EPIX HD at 8 ET/5PT (As well as spike.com if you enjoy the feed)

Then it's back to spike.com exclusively at around 10 PM ET/7 PT

Preliminary Card (spike.com)

• Lightweight bout: Julian Lane (4-0) defeats Joe Heiland (6-2-1) via guillotine (Round 1, 2:49)

• Bantamweight bout (5 Round Fight): Frank Caraballo (9-4) defeats Donny Walker (15-9) via KO (flying knee) (Round 4, 2:25) Caraballo becomes the Unified NAAFS Featherweight Champion

• Light Heavyweight bout: Attila Vegh (25-4-2) defeats Dan Spohn (6-2) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

• Light Heavyweight bout: John Hawk (7-4) defeats Marcus Vanttinen (21-4) via SD (27-30, 29-28 x 2)

 Main Card (MTV2/spike.com)

• Lightweight tournament semi-final: Brent Weedman (21-7-1) defeats Thiago Michel (10-3) via SD (28-29, 29-28 x 2)

• Lightweight tournament semi-final: Rick Hawn (13-1) defeats Lloyd Woodard (12-2) via TKO (punches) (Round 2, 0:10)

• Middleweight tournament semi-final: Maiquel Falcao (30-4) defeats Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (16-2) via UD (29-28 x 3)

• Middleweight tournament semi-final: Andreas Spang (8-1) defeats Brian Rogers (9-4) via KO (punches) (Round 2, 3:34)

• Lightweight Main Event: Eddie Alvarez (23-3) defeats Shinya Aoki (30-6) via TKO (punches) (Round 1, 2:14)

Post Main Card (spike.com)

• 131 lb. Catchweight bout: Jessica Eye (7-1) defeats Anita Rodriguez (5-3) via (30-27 x 3)

UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans weigh-in staredown photo

via - @danawhite

You can find a cute little video of Jones and Evans talking during a little downtime between interviews after the jump.

Video: 'Bellator 66: Alvarez vs. Aoki II' media open workout video highlights

Video footage - Hank Booth/Alex Smith
Editor - Alex Smith

Bellator 66: Alvarez vs. Aoki II coverage

Live Stream: Chael Sonnen UFC Fight Club Q & A

West Linn, Oregon's own American Gangster will begin sounding off at 2 PM EST time in Atlanta, Georgia just before the UFC 145 fighters hit the scales. Watch it here or over at ufc.com.

'UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans' Live Weigh In Stream

Expect the first fighter to tip the scale right around 4 PM EST.

UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans coverage

Kountermove has the fantasy mma world on lockdown

The recent growth of fantasy MMA is a positive development overall for MMA as a sport. Fantasy MMA promotes a deeper understanding of the sport in general and creates emotional ties between fans and fighters that otherwise would not exist. Websites such as MMA Victorm FFFL, MMAPlayground, MyFantasyMMA and Kountermove are on their way to making fantasy MMA an intergral part of the fan experience just as fantasy football and basketball are today.

Kountermove, the MMA fantasy industry's leader in terms of registered players, cash prizes and product is not a "pick 'em" style game or betting simulation, but rather a strategy game that uses actual fight output data, such as strikes landed and takedowns, to determine winners.

Players use a $25,000 artificial salary cap to draft 5 fighters from the card before each event begins. Each fighter has a salary designated by Kountermove -- salaries range from $3,000 to $8,000. The winners are determined on how the fight plays out rather than simply a fight's outcome (pick 'em format). Kountermove calculates a fighter's fantasy score based on the number of strikes, takedowns, submissions, dominant positions, and rounds won. Scoring data from the fights flows into the site in near real-time, so players can monitor their teams as the event happens. The data used in calculating a fighter's score is provided by the UFC's official stats provider, FightMetric.

The site was started with the idea that MMA in general must market "up and coming" fighters to become a truly mainstream sport. "There are many great fighters out there that no one knows about because so much of marketing in MMA is geared toward top fighters" said Aaron Ard, co-founder of Kountermove.com, "we wanted to create a game that would create interest and engagement in preliminary fights as well as the headliners." Statistics are bearing this out; over 85% of Kountermove players teams have at least one fighter competing on the preliminary card. No Kountermove player has won a major tournament without a preliminary card fighter on their team.

In Kountermove, Randy Couture saw that same phenomenon and opportunity as he did as coach on season one of 'The Ultimate Fighter'. "The great thing about 'The Ultimate Fighter' is that it drives fan interest to lesser-known fighters," Couture explains. "I got involved in Kountermove for that reason."

Kountermove's early metrics seem to indicate real potential for fantasy MMA in general -- it's membership is over 5,000 players since launching last November. They have paid out more than $65,000 in cash prizes thus far with prize pools steadily increasing to keep up with demand. The 'strategy' format of the games and the cash prize payouts seem to be the big draws of the site.

So as fight season really picks up again with UFC 145 this weekend, check out one or two of these fantasy MMA sites -- MMA Victor, FFFL, MMAPlayground, MyFantasyMMA, or Kountermove. You'll enjoy the events that much more. Good luck!

UFC 145 preview: Evans, Jones and all that is inbetween.

It’s finally a PPV fight week!! While UFC 144 and the overthrowing of Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar by Benson Henderson may seem like a distant memory, we now refocus on a new set of PPV battles including a title fight and be sure, the wait certainly has been worth it!!

The main event brings us one of the better rivalries known in present UFC history, a battle of the ex-training partners in Jon Jones (15-1) and Rashad Evans (17-1-1). We all know the back story and be sure that if the falling out didn’t happen then we wouldn’t get this rivalry, the ‘Blackzilians’ training camp and the awesome promos leading up to this event.

While the words ‘invincible’ and ‘GOAT’ get thrown around with Jones’ name, we must remember a very similar turn of events back at UFC 88, where the then underdog Evans finally met “The Iceman” Liddell in the Octagon and produced a KO that not only was awarded knockout of the night, but also knockout of the year (2008).

Given that the UFC 88 event was the last time the promotion visited Atlanta, the similarities are too much of a coincidence to overlook Evans. Yes, Jones is going into his third title defence; however a look to Evans impressive resume will show a much more experienced fighter with a fantastic record for the seven years that he has enjoyed in the promotion.

Lightning can strike twice and in this case, we may see Evans crowned Light-Heavyweight champion on Saturday night.

Throw in black belts in BJJ and Gaidojutsu as well as being a Division 1 NCAA wrestler and you have possibly the toughest competitor that Jones has yet to face.

For the co-main event we see Canadian Rory MacDonald (12-1) take on Che Mills (14-4 1 NC)), a British fighter who put on one very impressive debut performance in Birmingham, England for UFC 138 knocking out TUF alum Chris Cope in 40 seconds of the first round.

For MacDonald, this will be his fifth showing in the promotion; however his performance already has people comparing him to fellow Canadian and teammate Georges St. Pierre. Whether this discussion is premature or not, a look to his record shows some wins over some big names in the division, however it is the loss against Carlos Condit that stands out.

MacDonald was looking to take the fight against Condit in rounds 1 and 2 until the now interim champion came back in the third, to win via TKO due to strikes within seconds of the final bell. It was a gutsy performance by the Canadian, who received the backing of the local crowd who thought the stoppage was early. Had the fight gone the distance, we could have seen an incredibly different Welterweight division.

While we can’t discount Mills, MacDonald has the experience, and longer Octagon time, which surely favours him in the fight. Expect this one to look dangerous early with MacDonald getting the win via TKO.

The remainder of the card sees Brendan Schaub (8-2) back fighting since his loss to Big Nog at UFC 134 in Brazil, against Ben Rothwell (31-8) who has had an off again/on again experience, currently sitting at 1-2 in the UFC; Miguel Torres (40-4) going up against Michael McDonald (14-1), Mark Hominick (20-10) hoping to come back from two losses against Eddie Yagin (15-5-1) and the battle for Canada with fellow countrymen going head to head in Mark Bocek (10-4) and John Alessio (34-14).

Video: Jon Jones KO's Rastafarian sparring partner with one punch

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has been well known for ending opponents with his razor sharp elbows and deadly submissions. In this video we are treated to the one punch power of the UFC sponsored wunderkind. Tune in Saturday night to see if "Bones" can expose what he has described as a weak chin that rests on the face of his challenger Rashad Evans.

UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans coverage

Bellator 66 weigh in results, Alvarez vs. Aoki II Video

via:  ifi

Full weigh in results after the break.

Jason Ellis visits 'The Howard Stern Show' to promote his new book

Once again, the two greatest radio personalities have been put in the same room together. The Howard Stern Show studios in New York, NY this past Wednesday captured some great live audio and video of 'The Future' being interviewed  by 'The King of All Media' in an effort to put the debut book by Ellis, aptly titled "I'm Awesome", on the top of the NY Times bestseller list.

The debut book from the current of host of 'The Jason Ellis Show' on SirusXM Faction 41 (3 PM ET - 7PM ET) is now available for purchase wherever books are sold. Catch the full audio for his latest interview with Howard after the break.

Bellator 66 media open workout photo gallery for 'Alvarez vs. Aoki II'

The StrongStyle Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness Center in Independence, Ohio was the setting for yesterdays Bellator 66 media open workouts.

On hand from tomorrow nights stacked card in Cleveland were two of the best Lightweights in the world today - Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki (pictured). Also working out and taking questions from the media were local legends Jessica Eye and Brian Rogers along with Lloyd Woodard, Vyacheslav Vasilevsky and of course Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

A History of Violence Mixed Martial Arts was present, capturing photos and video footage of the athletes who will be competing Friday night, on what many are calling the most stacked fight card of 2012 thus far. You'll find a handful of the photos we captured in full entry.

UFC Primetime: 'Jones vs. Evans' Episode 2

After the jump you'll find the 2nd episode of the 8th entry in the UFC Primetime series.

You can catch the 3rd and final episode this Friday at 11 PM ET on FX, one night before we find out who the best Light Heavyweight in the world truly is.

UFC Primetime 'Jones vs. Evans' Episode 1

UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans coverage

UFC on FX 4: "The Bully" vs. "The Carpenter" Poster, Updated Fight Card

Press release via ufc.com -  

The UFC returns to New Jersey for a showdown between lightweight contenders as Gray Maynard faces off against Clay Guida! Plus, Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher complete their trilogy in the Octagon in a rubber match between these two lightweight sluggers. UFC on FX - Friday, June 22 - Live at the Revel in Atlantic City, New Jersey - UFC Fight Club presale starts Wednesday, April 18 at 10am ET, join today for first access to tickets

UFC on FX: Maynard vs Guida
Friday, June 22
Atlantic City, NJ
Revel

Main Card (FX)

• Lightweight Main Event (Scheduled for 5 Rounds): Gray Maynard (10-1-1) vs. Clay Guida (29-12)

• Lightweight bout: Sam Stout (17-7-1) vs. Spencer Fisher (24-8)

• Welterweight bout: Brian Ebersole (49-14-1) vs. TJ Waldburger (15-6)

• Bantamweight bout: Ross Pearson (13-5) vs. Cub Swanson (16-5)

Preliminary Card (Fuel TV/Facebook)

• Welterweight bout: Rick Story (13-5) vs. Rich Attonito (10-5)

• Middleweight bout: Nick Catone (9-2) vs. Chris Camozzi (16-5)

• Welterweight bout: Dan Miller (13-6) vs. Ricardo Funch (8-3)

• Welterweight bout: Matthew Riddle (6-3) vs. Luis Ramos (19-7)

• Featherweight bout: Jimmy Hettes (10-0) vs. Steven Siler (20-9)

• Bantamweight bout: Edwin Figueroa (9-1) vs. Ken Stone (10-3)

• Lightweight bout: Ramsey Nijem (5-2) vs. C.J. Keith (8-0)

Ticket details after the break:

Video: Jason Ellis would "destroy" Robin Quivers

via - HOWARDTV

We'll have todays full Ellis on Stern interview on the site sometime sooner rather than later. For now enjoy this clip.

'UFC on Fuel TV 3' Promo - Poirier prepares for Korean Zombie by training against zombies

UFC on Fuel TV 3: Zombie vs. Poirier

The WWE Raw Report

There seem to be enough pro wrestling fans out there to make writing a weekly article feasible so here we go with the first ever Raw Report.  Raw aired from the O2 Arena in lovely London, England.  This won’t be a play by play type rundown of the show, but rather a listing of the good, bad and downright shameful events that make WWE so damn fantastic. 

The Hat Trick – 3 Best RAW Segments this week.

Let’s just be honest, Chris Jericho is as magical a performer as there’s been in the recent history of the WWE.  I rank him among the best overall talents in terms of in ring ability, mic skills, and abilty to carry an angle.  He’s a middle class-man’s Shawn Michaels.  His current program with CM Punk has been entertaining.  Monday night was no different.  He showed video footage of the straight-edge superstar walking in and out of a pub, all the while looking around nervously and guilty.  It’s a great developing angle, and it should end with Chris Jericho taking the World Title at Extreme Rules.  CM Punk doesn’t need the built to be in the best program and losing the belt now, and then getting it back at Summerslam would be one helluva ride between the two. 

The Weekend in Violence 3 Stars: Siyar "The Great" leads the pack

Here are your 3 stars for this past "Weekend in Violence".

1. Siyar Bahadurzada

You know that shadowboxing/mean close up shot footage we get to see of fighters? The kind when the UFC either doesn't have any previous decent footage of said fighter(s) or they don't have or care to get the rights? Siyar Bahadurzada only needed 42 seconds of work to give the folks at his new company plenty of material to work with. If we can watch Rashad KO Liddell and Sean Salmon from a dozen different angles on any given promo, we can surely watch Siyar's annihilation of Paulo Thiago every which way for years to come. New Siyar promo - Cut of Siyar walking into the cage. Siyar standing against the cage ready for war. Siyar lands an uppercut on his opponent walking backwards. Shots of his opponent faceplanting and Siyar standing over him with his arms raised from every possible angle.

Welcome to the UFC Siyar Bahadurzada. Thank you for making all of us who repeatedly told our friends that your debut would be must see TV look awesome.

Dana White ends ‘Rally for Hunt’ in Sweden

At the UFC Sweden post-fight presser on Saturday, UFC President Dana White wasn’t prepared to discuss Alistair Overeem’s upcoming date with the NSAC due to his high testosterone reading from the surprise drug test taken at the UFC 146 press conference, but was more than happy to put to bed talk of Australian-based fighter Mark Hunt taking the championship contention spot against Junior Dos Santos if required.

“They can keep rallying, it ain’t going to happen” Dana mentions of the 10,000 strong fan base getting behind the ‘Super Samoan’ flooding twitter timelines with the request to #rallyforhunt. Dana then announces that if Hunt gets past Struve, then he will have to fight at least one of the top five guys in the division before getting the shot; “You don’t just jump right into the title shot”.

Hunt is riding on his win over Cheick Kongo at UFC 144 in Japan, and has been the cause of many crazy requests to Dana, including requesting to fight on the following week’s UFC on fx event held in Sydney, in which the president also denied.

For Hunt, he certainly has had an up-and-down rollercoaster ride of an MMA career, with an overall record of 8-7 and is currently sitting 3-1 in the UFC. His only recent loss was from a nasty arm bar from ex-UFC fighter Sean “Big Sexy” McCorkle at UFC 119 in September 2010.

Fans of Hunt could certainly point out that previous Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was only 1-1 in the promotion before he was granted his title shot against Randy Couture back in 2008. That said, the division was completely different to what we are seeing now, there are at least 4-5 guys who are genuine title threats.

With most of these contenders tied up in fights at the same event, it leads to a very precarious position for the promotion. To pull out Frank Mir for the title shot will then require someone to fill the space left against Cain Velasquez, and may require a switcheroo of the entire division. There has even been talk about Dan Henderson accepting the title fight, if offered.

Unfortunately for Hunt fans, their dream may be over in the short term; for the rest of us, we will have to keep speculating until April 24^th and the NSAC hearing.

UFC on Fuel TV 2: 'Gustafsson vs. Silva' Full Event Results

Main Card (Fuel TV)

• Light Heavyweight Main Event: Alexander Gustafsson (14-1) defeats Thiago Silva (14-3) via UD (30-27 x 2, 29-28)

• Middleweight bout: Brian Stann (12-4) defeats Alessio Sakara (15-9) via KO (punches) (Round 1, 2:26)

• Welterweight bout: Siyar Bahadurzada (21-4) defeats Paulo Thiago (14-4) via KO (punch) (Round 1, 0:42)

• Featherweight bout: Dennis Siver (20-8) defeats Diego Nunes (17-3) via UD (29-28 x 3)

• Welterweight bout: John Maguire (18-3) defeats DaMarques Johnson (15-10) via armbar submission (Round 2, 4:40)

• Bantamweight bout: Brad Pickett (21-6) defeats Damacio Page (15-7) via RNC (Round 2, 4:05)

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

• Welterweight bout: James Head (8-2) defeats Papy Abedi (8-2) via RNC (Round 1, 4:33)

• Light Heavyweight bout: Cyrille Diabate (18-8-1) defeats Tom DeBlass (7-1) via UD (29-28 x 3)

• Middleweight bout: Francis Carmont (18-7) defeats Magnus Cedenblad (10-4) via RNC (Round 2, 1:42)

• Lightweight bout: Reza Madadi (12-2) defeats Yoislandy Izquierdo (6-1) via guillotine choke (Round 2, 1:28)

• Welterweight bout: Simeon Thoresen (17-2) defeats Besam Yousef (6-1) via RNC (Round 2, 2:36)

• Feathweight bout: Jason Young (9-5) defeats Eric Wisely (19-8) via UD (30-28, 29-28 x 2)


$50K bonuses were awarded to the following fighters:

Knockout of the Night: Siyar Bahadurzada 

Submission of the Night: John Maguire

Fight of the Night: Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page

GIF: The Brian Stann "All American" Hand of Doom

The Co-Main event of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Swedish debut saw the decorated American Captain in Stann pitted against the talented Italian boxer in Sakara.

Sakara looked to be holding his own in a whirlwind of an exchange early in the 1st Round. It didn't take long for Stann to utilize a mini muay thai clinic on the face of Sakara, dropping him to the ground where he would soon end both fighters time on the clock. As you can see by the GIF provided via - mmamania/@smoogymma - Stann knocks out Sakara with a left hand of doom in his (Sakara's) open guard. This is one of those things that you do not. I repeat do not see often. Stann then landed another left (not for good measure, Stann backed off and basically called his own fight like a gentleman) on the face of his opponent - who would wake up a second after in a very defensive manner.

You can find highlights in video form of the UFC on Fuel TV 2: Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara bout in the full entry.

'Bellator 65: Makovsky vs. Dantas' Quick Results

How to watch:

The undercard begins at 7 PM/4 PT ET in Atlantic City, New Jersey tonight, and airs live and free on spike.com

The action continues on MTV2 and EPIX HD at 8 ET/5PT (As well as spike.com if you enjoy the feed)

Then it's back to spike.com exclusively at around 10 PM ET/7 PT

Main Card:

• Bantamweight Championship: Eduardo Dantas chokes Zach Makovsky out cold via arm triangle (Round 2, 3:26).  Eduardo Dantas is your new Bellator Bantamweight World Champion.

• Featherweight tournament semi-final: Daniel Straus defeats Mike Corey via UD (30-27, 29- 28 x 2)

• Bantamweight tournament quarter-final: Luis Nogueira defeats Alexis Vila via UD (29-28 x 3)

• Bantamweight tournament quarter-final: Marcos Galvao defeats Ed West via UD (30-27 x 3)

Preliminary results after the break.

'UFC on Fuel TV 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva' Weigh-in Video / Results

The weigh-in begins at the 14:24 marker. 

Main Card (Fuel TV)

• Light Heavyweight Main Event: Alexander Gustafsson (205) vs. Thiago Silva (205)

• Middleweight bout: Brian Stann (185) vs. Alessio Sakara (186)

• Welterweight bout: Paulo Thiago (170) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (170)

• Featherweight bout: Dennis Siver (147.5)* vs. Diego Nunes (146)

• Welterweight bout: DaMarques Johnson (171) vs. John Maguire (170)

• Bantamweight bout: Brad Pickett (136) vs. Damacio Page (135)

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

• Welterweight bout: Papy Abedi (171) vs. James Head (170)

• Light Heavyweight bout: Cyrille Diabate (206) vs. Tom DeBlass (205)

• Middleweight bout: Francis Carmont (186) vs. Magnus Cedenblad (185)

• Lightweight bout: Reza Madadi (155) vs. Yoislandy Izquierdo (155)

• Welterweight bout: Simeon Thoresen (170) vs. Besam Yousef (170)

• Feathweight bout: Jason Young (145) vs. Eric Wisely (145)

* Siver, who will make his Featherweight debut in Sweden tomorrow, lost the one pound needed (he weighed in at 147 on his second attempt after removing his shorts) in the hour required.

Cheick Kongo, Tito Ortiz & Jake Shields instruct some Swedish beauties on their ground game

Future UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz is joined by French striker Cheick Kongo and AJJ mastermind Jake Shields in this very instructional video for males and females alike. The three UFC company men made the trip to Sweden along to do work and enjoy the UFC on Fuel TV 2 festivities.

via - mmaheat

Breaking Bellator – Episode 65 Preview

Wow, it’s good to be back writing about one of (if not) my favorite MMA promotions out there.  If you caught Breaking Bellator 61, you know what this is about.  It’s an attempt to steal some of the luster of one of (if not) the best shows on TV and use it here to break down an event.  So sit tight, because when I bust out the whole, “if not” thing twice in the heading, you know it’s on. 

Bellator will continue to deliver outstanding fights this Friday night as the Bantamweight Title will be on the line as champion Zach Makovsky puts his title on the line against Eduardo Dantas and his 13-2 record.  That’s not all of course, as Bellator will also be dropping the opening round of their bantamweight tourney as well as a featherweight semifinal.  Let’s take a closer look. 

Luis Nogueira vs. Alexis Vila

With a combined record of 23-3, these two guys aren’t slouches and they will be looking to move into the semifinals as the bantamweight tournament.  Alexis Vila is one of the scariest looking men I’ve ever seen who weighed in under a buck-forty.  He looks every part a cage fighter and brings an 11-1 record into this fight.  He is coming off of a loss to Eduardo Dantas, having lost a decision to him last November.  His primary strength is his standup and for proof of that look no further than his highlight reel KO of Joe Warren last year. 

'Bellator 65: Makovsky vs. Dantas' Live Weigh-in Video

After two successful non-title defenses Zach "Fun Size" Makovsky will be putting the Bellator Bantamweight strap on the line tomorrow night in Atlantic City, New Jersey. His opponent, Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament victor Eduardo Dantas, has earned the right to fight for the belt and would love nothing more than to return to Nova Uniao with a new accessory.

Before Makovsky and Dantas exchange pleasantries inside of the cage you'll find a handful of tournament fights and qualifiers from the Bantamweight division up to Welterweight. Check back here for full fight night results and don't hesitate to tune into spike.com starting at  7 PM ET/4 PM PT, with the Main Card airing at 8 PM ET/ 6PM PT on MTV2 and EPIX HD. Spike.com will also air the Main Card and will continue to for the remainder of Season 6.

For the live Bellator 65: Makovsky vs. Dantas weigh-in stream at 5 PM ET, and full results join us after the break.

'UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans' Hate Me Now Promo

This slick promo from the UFC does a great job of explaining the back story between Jones and Evans in the minute allotted without overdoing it for the casual fan. Great job, great track choice.

UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans coverage

A History of Violence MMA April 2012 Rankings

Who will get the next crack at the best Featherweight in the world on July 21st in Alberta, and is anyone even really worthy?

The only considerable amount of movement this month came from the 135 and 145'ers (listed below) due to some Season 6 Bellator tournament violence this past March. Expect plenty of movement come next months rankings update which will take place a day or two after UFC on FOX 3: Diaz vs. Miller.


Featherweight (4/9/12)

1. Jose Aldo (pictured) (21-1) (1)

2. Hatsu Hioki (26-4-2) (2)

3. Pat Curran (17-4) (↑4)

4. Chad Mendes (11-1) (↓3)

5. Dustin Poirier (12-1) (5)

6. Chan Sung Jung (12-3) (6)

7. Marlon Sandro (22-3) (↑9)

8. Kenny Florian (14-6) (↓7)

9. Diego Nunes (17-2) (↓8)

10. Erik Koch (13-1) (10)

11. Patricio Freire (17-1) (11)

12. Bart Palaszewski (36-15) (12)

13. Tatsuya Kawajiri (31-7-2) (↑15)

14. Mark Hominick (20-10) (14)

15. Dennis Siver (19-8) (↑NR)

cusp (Alcantara, Straus, Oliveira, Griffin)

You can find the rest of the rankings by weight class after the break or as always right here.