The UFC Blog

Gleison Tibau and Melvin Guillard are two of the more densely muscled fighters in the 155 division. In a posedown, it’s tough to say who wins. In a fight, Gleison should have won but the  judges saw it otherwise, awarding Melvin a split decision victory. For some unknown reason, announcer Bruce Buffer didn’t read the scores, just as he did in most of the main card fights in Germany at UFC 99. Tibau dominated the third round and did enough damage in round two to earn the decision in my eyes. Some media members around me had the fight 30-27 for Gleison, I had it 29-28. In any case, I have no real explanation as to how anyone could give the decision to Melvin. To his credit, he was able to survive spending a significant amount time on the ground with Tibau, a BJJ black belt, and not get submitted which has been his achilles heal throughout his UFC career. Maybe I’m just not someone who thinks that getting up after youv’e been taken down should count heavier than the takedown itself. Two judges apparently thought otherwise.

Brad Blackburn was awarded a split decision victory over UFC newcomer Edgar Garcia. The crowd booed so loudly that you could barely hear the post fight interview with Joe Rogan. It was a tremendous fight and could be in the running for the Fight of the Night depending on what happens later tonight. Overall, I thought Edgar landed the bigger blows and controlled the fight as it went on. Late in the third round he landed a huge left on the button that floored Brad that I thought would seal the deal with the judges. I had him winning the fight 29-28 with Brad winning the first and Edgar taking rounds two and three. But, every round was so close that I can see why we ended up with a split. For Blackburn, this marks his third win in three fights in the UFC. He has crisp stand up and may get a name opponent next time out. And based on tonight’s performance  there is no question that you’ll see Edgar back in the Octagon.

And we still haven’t made it out of the first round. Tomasz Drwal was just too much everywhere for Mike Ciesnolevic standing and on the feet. Drwal took the overmatched MFS product down at will on five different occasions, which was surprising given that Mike was the bigger fighter and has a strong wrestling pedigree. When Mike went for a takedown toward the end of the first round, Tomasz caught him with a perfect knee that sent him to the canvas. Smelling that the end was near, Drwal dished out about 10 seconds of ground and pound until referee Herb Dean had seen enough and mercifully stopped the fight at 4:48. Drwal moves to 2-1 in the UFC with his only loss coming at the hands of then undefeated Thiago Silva.  

Frank Lester became the first fighter in TUF history to score a victory after being given a second chance to fight after a loss in the house. He did so with solid stand up, an iron heart and the benefit of his opponent’s gag reflex. None of those factors helped the overmatched Lester against Nick Osipczak. Nick landed a left hook that staggered Lester late in the round. Frank went for a takedown, Nick sprawled, got a hold of Frank’s neck and transitioned to a fight-ending rear naked choke that gave the talented UK fighter his first win in the Octagon.

As if the recession wasn’t bad enough, Jason "Dynamite" Dent submitted Cameron Dollar by Anaconda choke at 4:36 of the first round. Dollar dominated the standup for the entire first round, mixing head and body strikes that seemed to get to his nemesis in the house. But that’s MMA…you can be dominating and all it takes is one wrong move and you quickly go from hunter to prey. After losses to Gleison Tibau and Roger Huerta in his first stint in the UFC, Dent now has his first UFC win on his record.

Just got back from the weigh ins for the TUF 9 Finale at the Palms Hotel here in Vegas. This is my third TUF Finale and I can honestly say there was more fan intensity at this one than the others I attended…combined. Maybe it’s the whole US vs. UK vibe but I was there an hour before the fighters actually hit the scale and there were times when a US fighter, Marques Johnson, for example, stood up and the roped off crowd went bananas. Of the UK fighters, Ross Pearson seemed to have the largest contingent at the event. Michael Bisping was not received too well by the crowd and there were repeated chants of "USA" that broke out periodically throughout the event.

The most popular fighter based on crowd response was Diego Sanchez. As usual, he worked himself into a frenzy and if he and Clay Guida got any closer in the face off they’d need a marriage license from the nearest drive through Vegas wedding chapel. Everyone made weight with the exception of Mike Ciesnolevicz who came in at 208 and couldn’t make it down to the 206 limit (the weight class is 205 but the fighters are allowed to be one pound over in non-title fights.) The two pound gaff will cost him 20% of his purse, which gets forfeited over to his opponent, Tomasz Drwal.

Here are the official weigh in results for tonight’s event.

155 lbs.: Diego Sanchez (156) vs. Clay Guida (155)
170 lbs.: DeMarques Johnson (170) vs. James Wilks (171)
155 lbs.: Ross Pearson (156) vs. Andre Winner (155)
170 lbs.: Chris Lytle (170) vs. Kevin Burns (171)
155 lbs.: Joe Stevenson (155) vs. Nate Diaz (156)
155 lbs.: Melvin Guillard (155) vs. Gleison Tibau (155)
155 lbs.: Brad Blackburn (170) vs. Edgar Garcia (171)
205 lbs.: Mike Ciesnolevicz (208) vs. Tomasz Drwal (205)*
170 lbs.: Frank Lester (170) vs. Nick Osipczak (170)
155 lbs.: Jason Dent (155) vs. Cameron Dollar (154)

Don’t miss it, this is an amazing card for free TV. Chris Lytle vs. Kevin Burns has Fight of the Night written all over it, Stevenson vs. Diaz highlights two very dangerous fighters coming in off a loss (or losses in Joe’s case) and the Diego vs. Clay fight is a must see. Two guys with ridiculous cardio in a fight that will have serious title implications regardless of the winner…and both fighters are well aware of it.

The event airs live and free on Spike TV on Saturday, June 20th, at 9PM in your local time zone. Check local listings…it will air at 9PM EST on the East Coast and will air delayed at 9PM PST in the West. If you missed any of the action this season, you can check out the whole season starting with episode one at 9AM.

I had the chance to do the behind-the-scenes video for this photo shoot and it was bad ass. Nate has some impressive strength and jumping skills. Check out the new cover below, it turned out sweet. You can see video and photos from behind-the-scenes on MuscleandFitness.com.

Pick up a copy to see Nate’s full work out. The issue is in stores now.

Don’t Miss An All New Episode of The Ultimate Fighter® Tonight At 10pm ET/PT On Spike

There are only 2 episodes left so don’t miss it tonight.

EVANS AND JACKSON TO COACH SEASON 10 OF “THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER”

New York, NY, May 28, 2009 – Former UFC light heavyweight champions “Suga” Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will serve as coaches for Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter” premiering Wednesday, September 16 at 10:00pm, it was announced May 28 by Dana White, UFC President. This season will showcase 16 heavyweights, the first time this weight class has been featured on “The Ultimate Fighter” since Evans himself was a cast member on Season 2.

In May 2005, Evans stepped into the UFC training facility as an unknown novice in the heavyweight division for Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Four years later, the former UFC light heavyweight champion and winner of Season 2 returns to Las Vegas to serve as coach for a new crop of aspiring heavyweights. This season marks the second time the charismatic Jackson has served as a coach for “The Ultimate Fighter” as he opposed Forrest Griffin for Season 7 last April.

“The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” will feature the two fan favorites coaching the best up and coming mixed martial artists in the heavyweight division. Two finalists will square off in a live finale on December 5 in Las Vegas with the winner being declared “The Ultimate Fighter®” and netting a six figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, the premier mixed martial arts organization in the world.

Production on “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” begins in Las Vegas in early June and will last six weeks. The series will once again be hosted by UFC President Dana White.

“The tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter is going to be the most highly anticipated one in years, and with two of the greatest pound for pound fighters in the world today, both of which have personalities as large as their skill-sets, it promises to deliver,” said White.

A native of Niagara Falls, NY, “Suga” Rashad Evans was an all state wrestler in high school before moving on to Michigan State University, where he competed in the 174 lbs weight class. Shortly after graduating, Evans burst onto the mixed martial arts scene by capturing the heavyweight title on Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He has since dropped down to the light heavyweight division, and, under the tutelage of Greg Jackson, compiled a stellar record in the UFC against some of the top competition in the world, including wins against Stephan Bonnar and Michael Bisping, and a vicious knockout of Chuck Liddell. The win against Liddell cemented Evans’ place as an elite light heavyweight, and earned him a title shot against another champion of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Season 1’s Forrest Griffin at UFC 92. Evans made the most of his opportunity, using his brutal ground and pound skills en route to becoming light heavyweight champion by defeating Forrest Griffin via TKO in the 3rd round. He lost his coveted title at UFC 98 on May 23 via a 2nd round KO at the hands of Lyoto Machida, but is eager to get back in the mix to reclaim his belt.

A native of Memphis, TN who trains in Liverpool, England with the Wolfslair Academy, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is one of the most complete fighters in the UFC®. An All-State wrestler in high school, Jackson made his UFC® debut in February of 2007 and made quick work of Marvin Eastman. The victory earned him a title shot against Chuck Liddell, and a little over three minutes into the first round of their bout at UFC 71, Jackson won the UFC® light heavyweight title with a stunning combination of strikes that caused the fight to be stopped. Jackson put his newly acquired title on the line against PRIDE champion Dan Henderson at UFC 75 on Spike TV, and won a grueling five round decision to unify the titles and become the undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world. He relinquished his belt to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86, but has since defeated longtime nemesis Wanderlei Silva via KO at UFC 92 and Keith Jardine at UFC 96 to put him in line for another title shot.

Don’t miss an all new episode of The Ultimate Fighter® tonight at 10pm on Spike TV.

The Semifinals start tonight so don’t miss it.

On another note for TUF, if you haven’t heard Kimbo Slice is on Ultimate Fighter 10, gonna be interesting.

The UFC started filming the new season of The Ultimate Fighter yesterday and some big news has already emerged. The internet sensation turned brawler on National TV, Kimbo Slice is part of the cast in this season’s show. The coaches for the show are Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans. This will undoubtedly be the highest rated season of the Ultimate Fighter. Props to Kevin Iole from Yahoo Sports for breaking the news last night.

Kimbo Slice, the controversial heavyweight who in 2008 headlined the most-viewed mixed martial arts card in history, will be one of 16 contestants on the forthcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s reality TV series.

– Read the full story here.

What do you think? Will Kimbo come out on top or will someone take him out and show that he’s nothing more than a street fighter?

The UFC is making history with the first ever UFC Fan Expo, Be a part of history.

Get your tickets now and get to meet some of the sports top fighters, take some training and development sessions and more.
While your there stop by Bodybuilding.com’s booth and don’t forget to check out ProMMARadio.com.

Lyoto Machida vs. The UFC 205 Division
By: Tomas Rios, Sherdog.com

Look back on the history of any sport, and you’ll find a history defined by evolution that comes by the mile early and by the inch once it becomes a mainstream entity.

After a slow burn from the early days of UWF and Pancrase to the packed arenas of today that follow the UFC wherever it goes, evolution seemed to be in short supply. The code had been cracked; the pillars of the sport were supposed to be wrestling, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and muay Thai. End of story.

Then came an unassuming light heavyweight bred on Shotokan karate and sumo, the product of exposure to both the traditional Japanese martial arts that his father passed on to him and his own unflinching acceptance of the modern fighting styles of today. Lyoto Machida is an absolute anomaly in a sport where a rigid notion of what works is defended at the expense of innovation, which is what makes his future even more compelling than his past.

As the newly crowned UFC light heavyweight champion, Machida not only joins the pantheon of past champions but also has to avoid tacking onto the UFC’s streak of one and done light heavyweight champions. Ironically, Machida’s recent predecessors represent some of his stiffest competition.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was supposed to be building a legendary title run. Instead he lost his belt in an epic bout with Forrest Griffin and subsequently went off the rails. Now back to whatever qualifies as “normal” for him, Jackson is expected to be the first in line for Machida’s gold and as one of the division’s best boxer/wrestler hybrids, he can work the game plan that no one has had the good sense to go for.

Standing with Machida has become the cool thing to do, and it’s gotten some of the division’s best nothing more than a loss and some short-term memory problems. However, Jackson’s orthodox boxing style is good enough to get him inside on Machida without getting chin checked, which would put him in prime position to slam Machida to the mat and turn the fight into something other than another Shotokan striking seminar.

The problem with expecting that of Jackson is that he simply doesn’t work that game anymore. For whatever reason, Jackson is convinced that he is best served getting into firefights on the feet instead of mixing it up and reverting to the multifaceted fighter he once was. Boxer/wrestlers who forget how to wrestle don’t have much to offer Machida — just ask Rashad Evans.

The two fighters in the division who have something different to offer Machida also have the most to prove. In fact, one of them may not even get the chance, as Forrest Griffin has to deal with UFC middleweight champion and pound-for-pound luminary Anderson Silva before even being considered for another run at the title he once held. Regardless, Griffin’s bruising, physical style and sadistic taste for punishment have taken him from being just another one of Dana White’s chosen ones to a legitimate force in the sport’s most demanding weight class.

Of course, Griffin’s love of fistic fireworks makes him a major wildcard in the cage, especially since his chin is hardly bulletproof. Tempering that wild-eyed bloodlust and focusing on bulling Machida around and turning the fight into a trench war instead of a Wild West fistfight would be the key variable in any scenario that involves Griffin winning. In other words, you’d have to bank on Griffin fighting a mistake free fight against a fighter who simply doesn’t make mistakes.

Mistakes and more have hounded Mauricio "Shogun" Rua during his UFC run. Coming into fights with his knee in tatters and his cardio MIA sent his once brilliant career into a decline that culminated against Mark Coleman — a sloppy, amateurish display of professional fighting. Thankfully, just as quickly as Rua dovetailed into mediocrity, he got everything back in sync and turned Chuck Liddell into the canvas on which he painted the sign announcing his return.

Don’t get me wrong, Rua is by far the biggest wildcard in the division — a once great fighter who may or may not have rediscovered his past self. If Shogun can somehow resurrect the explosive, versatile fighter of old — the fighter who looked set to become the light heavyweight monarch of our time — he may be the only man who can truly stand toe to toe with Machida and expect something other than a loss.

Between his loaded punches, unorthodox arsenal of kicks, slick grappling and pure fighting instincts, Rua is the only fighter in the light heavyweight division who goes beyond the typical definition of what a modern mixed martial artist is supposed to be. Whether Rua simply looked great against a fading star in Liddell or whether he was making real progress toward fulfilling his unfulfilled potential is the important question, and no one has the answer to that one.

The answer may not even matter because Machida is a fighter that no one can prepare for. There isn’t a training camp in the world that can prepare a fighter for him. No one keeps training partners around who happen to be world-class Shotokan karate fighters. Even if someone starts, good luck finding one who also studies sumo, jiu-jitsu and muay Thai.

I’m not in the practice of assuming much of anything when it comes to a sport as wildly unpredictable as MMA, but I am getting myself ready to see the next generation of fighters take a second look at the forgotten styles of old. No matter how long Machida holds the belt, having a fighter leave behind a legacy built on rediscovering respect for tradition and ditching the pseudo-macho trappings of modern MMA is something we’ve all been missing out on until now.

For those of you who haven’t been able to keep up with the latest season of the Ultimate Fighter, here is your chance to see a piece of the action.

Here is the fight card set so far and guaranteed to be some more great fights.

Diego Sanchez Vs. Clay Guida
Joe Stevenson Vs. Nate Diaz
Chris Lytle Vs. Kevin Burns

Event: The Ultimate Fighter Team US vs Team UK FINALE
When: June 20, 2009 9pm ET
Where: The Pearl, Nevada
Get you tickets now, click here.

LIMP BIZKIT TO PERFORM AS PART OF UFC® 100 EVENT WEEKEND
UFC, Press Release

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The most historic event in UFC just got bigger with the announcement that rap-metal pioneers Limp Bizkit are bringing their "Unicorns N’ Rainbows" tour to Mandalay Bay Beach on Friday, July 10th to perform in their first North American concert in eight years as a part of the UFC 100 weekend. The multi-platinum-selling group has picked the perfect time to return to North American stages, and you can be sure that once their hits “Break Stuff”, “Rollin’” and “My Way” start blasting through the speakers, you’ll have all the adrenaline you need for UFC 100 the next night on Saturday, July 11th.

“Music is one of the things that make the UFC experience so exciting, and I’ve always been a big fan of Limp Bizkit, so we are excited to have the group perform at UFC 100 event weekend,” said Dana White, UFC President.

"We are proud that our first show in the USA with the original line-up in eight years will be in Las Vegas at UFC 100. The ultimate fighting music has finally found its home with the Ultimate Fighting Championship,” said Fred Durst.

Tickets for Limp Bizkit, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m. at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com, or www.ticketmaster.com.

Doors will open at 7pm, BoneyB will perform at 8 p.m. and Limp Bizkit will go live at 9 p.m. The concert also will be streamed live on UFC.com.

As part of UFC Fan Expo, Limp Bizkit will appear and sign autographs on the main stage Friday July 10th from 2pm – 3pm, just hours before their U.S. concert premiere. Fred Durst, Wes Borland, Sam Rivers, John Otto, and DJ Lethal are gearing up to record their first new studio album with the original line-up since 2000’s Worldwide 12x-platinum Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. Flip/Interscope Records will announce more details and a release date in the coming months. The band’s first three albums have sold more than 20 million copies in the U.S. alone, and another 13 million in the rest of the world.

About UFC Fan Expo
UFC Fan Expo, spanning more than 200,000 gross square feet of space, will exhibit apparel, electronic gaming, food & beverages, fight gear and fitness equipment, MMA training and development, nutritional supplements, lifestyle products, and other sports and entertainment related organizations.

Tickets will be available at the Mandalay Bay Box Office, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, Charge-By-Phone at (702) 474-4000 or online at ticketmaster.com.

For more UFC Fan Expo information and to purchase tickets, visit UFCfanexpo.com. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship®
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa™, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, Bell ExpressVU, SaskTel Max™, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Viewers Choice, and WOWOW in Japan, and Premiere Combate and SporTV in Brazil, and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.

All new episode of The Ultimate Fighter tonight 10pm ET/PT on Spike TV.

The sport of MMA is growing at an incredible speed, with MMA gyms popping up on every street corner and tough guys every where considering themselves a Pro MMA Fighter.

Well, I cannot tell you how to become a UFC Fighter, that all depends on you and how hard you train, but here something that can help.

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Right now you can get buy 2 get 1 free on Nitrix, just click here to see how.

It’s finally here, UFC 2009 Undisputed hits stores Tomorrow.

For all you MMA fans and gamers who can’t wait to see who would win in a rematch of Liddell and Shogun, or who would win between Anderson Silva and GSP. The time is here so get ready for UFC 2009 Undisputed.

Episode 46: May 11, 2009
Former UFC Welterweight World Champion Matt Serra Headlines Pro MMA Radio!

After winning Season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter, he did the unlikely when he dominated Georges St. Pierre to become the UFC Welterweight World Champion at UFC 69. He went on to coach TUF 6 opposite another former UFC Champ, Matt Hughes and now the two will finally meet in what may be the most anticipated grudge match in UFC history.

Matt “The Terror” Serra joined us today as he prepares to take his best shot at sending the man he dislikes most in MMA into retirement at UFC 98 on May 23rd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Check it out Now!

Check out the replay here.

Ultimate Fighter Rescues Child
WOWT.com
Little girl alone and crying
Posted: 1:36 PM May 10, 2009
Last Updated: 10:20 PM May 11, 2009
Reporter: Gary Smollen
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com

An Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight from Omaha discovered a child left alone in an unlocked car, and sprang into action. Houston Alexander, a mixed martial artist stayed with the girl until she was safe.

The four year old girl’s mother has been cited for misdemeanor child neglect.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday, May 6th in Midtown, near 44th and Center.

According to the report, Alexander was in the area when he noticed a little girl, alone and crying in an unlocked Chevy Lumina.

He took the girl into a nearby dialysis center, but no one there knew who she was. Alexander then took the girl into the plasma center next door.

The girl’s mother was there, giving plasma. She told officers her cousin should have been watching the little girl.

Officers on the scene determined both mother and her cousin were donating plasma at the time the girl was alone in the car.

The mother was cited for child neglect. In an effort to keep the girl’s identity a secret, WOWT is not naming her mother.

Child Protective Services was notified.