The Day in MMA

Good afternoon, fight fans. Welcome to the Tuesday installment of “The Day in MMA.” As we get closer to the end of February I find it important to look ahead to what the spring holds just around the corner. This weekend is huge for MMA as the two biggest promotions in the sport are hosting large events.

On Friday night the UFC is hosting UFC on FX 2 which will debut the promotions newly added flyweight class (125 lbs) as the two semi-final fights for the vacant flyweight strap will take place. Also headlining the card will be a great matchup between Martin Kampmann and Thiago Alves. This is a card fight fans won’t want to miss.

And then on Saturday night Strikeforce will host its highly anticipated fight card featuring the women’s title fight between bantamweight champion Meisha Tate and number one contender Ronda Rousey. The two have verbally battled back and forth for the past couple of months and this weekend will finally settle the score. Also included on the card will be a lightweight tilt between Josh Thomson and KJ Noons and a welterweight scrap between Paul Daley and Kazuo Misaki. The fights will air on the Strikeforce home network of Showtime.

So with all of this looming on the horizon there will surely be lots to talk about in the coming days. Like, today we heard from Strikeforce welterweight contender, Paul Daley. Daley, who is fighting on Saturday, had a quote released today stating that he wants a rematch with Tyrone Woodley for the vacant welterweight belt after he wins this weekend. Here is what Daley said: “Real fighters let the fight evolve in whichever way it should go, and they fight to finish, not stall…..real lions go for the kill. I beat Woodley in my opinion, so it wasn’t that frustrating. He fought a scared fight and was tired by the second round. I feel bad that the referee’s decisions gave him the win in the judges’ eyes. Three minutes of inactivity on the floor…that’s not scoring points, and it certainly ain’t entertaining for the fans, who all cheered when it was stood back up. After this fight, the only fight I should be offered is a rematch with Tyrone Woodley for the welterweight belt. It (the division) is interesting, but I think I am the only real character left, now that Nick Diaz has gone.” If Daley can indeed pull off a fashionable win this weekend I don’t see any reason as to why he shouldn’t get another shot at Woodley, although we’ve come to find that Daley’s main weakness in his fight game has been his wrestling defense. Anyone think Daley can take out the wrestler in Woodley in a rematch? We’ll see how he looks this weekend.

The UFC 144 prelims on FX garnered a whopping 1.5 million viewers this past weekend. These are good, promising numbers for the future. This number marks the highest viewership of the UFC’s three showings on FX so far.
We also heard that Kimbo Slice will be hosting “The Ultimate Fighter Friday’s” for SPIKE TV starting on March 9th. The show will feature all the greatest moments from the past 14 seasons on TUF, and now with Slice hosting we’ll see how much viewership pull SPIKE can empty out of its UFC tank.

Today the UFC has finalized a deal that will get bantamweights Jeff Curran and Johnny Eduardo to face off at May 15th’s UFC on FUEL 3 card. This is a great matchup between two top level bantamweights. Both are very skilled and exciting fighters so this is a great addition to the card.

Jose Aldo’s coach today tweeted a fair warning to former UFC lightweight champ, Frankie Edgar. In the tweet Pederneiras said that a drop to featherweights would only lose Frankie the only fight advantage he knows: speed. At first I laughed at the tweet, then I thought more about it and realized that Andre Pederneiras is actually on to something. Frankie has always out-struck his opponents with his speed and precision. Aldo is just as fast as Edgar, if not faster. This is interesting to consider as we wait to see what Edgar does next with his career. (Still, I would love to see Aldo vs. Edgar, no doubt).

“The Ultimate Fighter 15” broke top news again today as we found out that one of the cast members was in several gay porn movies in the past (Dakota Cochrane). This is not really big news in the modern world, but in the “fight world” this is fairly rattling. It will be interesting to see how the other cast members react to the news, especially because they will be living in the same house for several weeks. As an open minded, socially accepting modernist I don’t really see what the big deal is, but for most this will surely kick up some controversy. We’ll see how this plays out in the coming days. Will this draw in more viewers, hurt the show, or not shake it up at all?

Shogun recently spoke with Tatame.com and stated that he is definitely planning on fighting Quinton Jackson again before either of them retires. When asked about the possibility of the two meeting again Shogun stated, “Absolutely. The fight against Rampage will happen eventually. It’s inevitable and UFC knows it. He won’t retire before fighting me and neither am I.” I definitely feel that this is a great re-match for the MMA world (the two last fought in PRIDE in Shogun’s 2005 MW Grand Prix championship run). With “Rampage” losing to Ryan Bader last weekend and Shogun recently losing to Dan Henderson it will be interesting to see what the promotion is going to do with both fighters. Is a rematch finally in the in-line for these two? Time will tell.

Strikeforce’s “King Mo” Lawal is fighting a serious staph infection that began after his recovery from the recent ACL surgery he had. He underwent his seventh procedure on Sunday to try and fight the infection, which can place a fighter’s career and life in danger if it is not treated properly. Our best hopes and wishes for a speedy recover go out to Muhammad Lawal. We hope to see him back in the cage when he gets himself healthy again.

And in other news Anthony Pettis explained why he deserves the first shot at new lightweight champion, Benson Henderson and why Henderson doesn’t want to fight him, Strikeforce welterweight Roger Bowling is flirting with the idea of dropping to lightweight, Michael Bisping thinks that he deserves the winner of the Sonnen/Silva II, and Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz started their trash talking early this time around.
For more in depth news, videos, and coverage be sure to visit BJPenn.com or follow me on Twitter @jchastain45

Until tomorrow, stay classy, fight fans.

-Jake Chastain
@jchastain45

The Day in MMA

Alright fight fans, here we are once again, celebrating and craving more of the fastest growing sports in the world: MMA. Fresh off the heels of a jammed packed UFC 144 card in Japan there is a lot of news to cover, ponder over, and get excited about.

First, I must lend out a heartfelt congratulation to the new UFC Lightweight Champion, Benson Henderson. Henderson put on a fabulous performance against Frankie Edgar on Saturday night to claim the UFC strap after a 25 minute war. The fight was close, but I clearly thought that Henderson won the fight. I also would like to congratulate Ryan Bader, Jake Shields, and Anthony Pettis. All three fighters won huge fights against top competition and really gave the MMA world good things to talk about. And to all the fighters that competed in UFC 144, thank you greatly for putting on a fantastic show. Keep working hard. Your fans, and even haters, recognize and appreciate all that you do. Cheers, guys.

Now on to today’s news…Let’s start with what I thought was the most exciting news today. First we found out that Yves Edwards was injured while getting ready for his upcoming fight with Donald Cerrone at UFC on FX 3 in May. The news was at first upsetting, as Yves is a brilliant veteran of the game that is extremely fun to watch, but the UFC reacted well, as they always do, and replaced the injured Edwards with the talented and always exciting, Jeremy Stephens. Now Cerrone and Stephens will meet at UFC on FX 3 on May 13th. Keep an eye on this fight. I’m promising fireworks.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani in Japan this past weekend Carlos Condit explained that he is going to sit out and wait for Georges St Pierre to recover from his recent ACL surgery. This will now freeze two welterweight belts in the UFC. I thought the whole idea behind having an interim champion was to keep a belt active until the original belt is back in service. I’m interested to see what the UFC is going to make of this, especially since GSP doesn’t want to “rush” (ironically) his recovery and comeback. Hmmm...
The UFC today released a roster of 32 lightweight fighters for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. TUF 15 will begin on March 9th and will be coached by UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and number one contender, again, Urijah Faber. The two will fight at the conclusion of the season to complete a very closely contested trilogy. The two have split the first two fights.

The first season of the Ultimate fighter abroad, “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil”, also broke through to the top news today. The season, which is being coached UFC middleweights, Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, will begin on March 25th. It was announced late today that FUEL TV will air the show in the U.S, although it is still unclear when. How strange it will be to have two different seasons of TUF airing at the same time…interesting. The coaches and the final’s contestants from this show are expected to fight on the UFC 147 card in Brazil. Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen are also expected to headline the card, although the fight is still yet to be announced. More news regarding TUF: Brazil will follow in the coming days.

The UFC announced today that fans are invited to a press conference next week to help promote May's UFC on FOX 3 event. The presser takes place March 6 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and includes many fighters from the card, including lightweight headliners Jim Miller and Nate Diaz.

Officials today announced that India’s Super Fight League has singed Todd Duffy, Trevor Prangley, and Baga Agaev all to four fight deals. This is a big day for that promotion as all three of those fighters have competed against top competition world-wide. We’ll if the addition helps the company expand.

After last week’s Cage Warriors 46 main-event victory, Andreas Kraniotakes will now fight recent Bellator competitor Mike Hayes for the organization's vacant heavyweight title. We’ll keep an eye on these two fighters as the heavyweight division continues to become more competitive and deep.
Bellator also announced its officially finalized 11-bout “Bellator 60” card. The card will air on MTV2.

An interesting quote came out today: UFC 144 winner, Tim Boetsch stated that he wanted to fight Dan Henderson next. He stated, “Honestly, the name that really pops in my head is Dan Henderson just because they’re wondering what to do with him. Dan Henderson has been a hero of mine since I started in this sport. I really admire the guy. He’s a great fighter, been at the top for a long time. I think part of taking that step to the next level is beating one of your hero’s and for me, that would be Dan Henderson. I think that would be interesting and very exciting.” This is interesting because Boetsch just defeated one of the top ranked middleweights in the world in Okami last weekend and Dan Henderson is sort of floating in limbo right now. The two would surly make for a great fight, so we’ll see if anything comes from Boetsch’s comments.

And in other news the build up for this weekend’s women’s Strikeforce title fight between Champion Meisha Tate and Ronda Rousey has continued, Thiago Alves said he’s going to break Martin Kampmann, and Jose Conseco tweeted that he wants to host an MMA tournament in Las Vegas with Mike Tyson, Herschel Walker, Shaq Daddy, and himself. Anyone think this will get an promotional bites?

And that wraps up today in MMA. For more in depth news, video interviews, and coverage check out BJPenn.com or follow me on Twitter @jchastain45

Until tomorrow, fight fans, stay classy.

-Jake Chastain
@jchastain45

The Day in MMA

So we’re one day away from UFC 144 in Japan. Today’s news, although mostly build-up for tomorrow’s card, was very interesting and informative.

First things first and most importantly, the fighter’s for UFC 144 hit the scales today for the weigh-in. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson failed to make the 206 lbs weight limit and forfeited 20% of his fight purse. Jackson weighed-in at 211. Everyone else made weight, including Yoshihiro Akiyama, who is making his welterweight debut against Jake Shields. You can view the weigh-in ceremony in its entirety at BJPenn.com. Rampage recently released an interview explaining why he missed the weight. Here is what he had to say about the situation:

“I wasn’t going to say anything. I thought I was going to make weight. I got injured in my camp and it kind of hindered me from doing a lot running. I didn’t want to miss this fight, this fight was important to me and I fought so hard to get it so I said forget it I’m just going to man up and still make the fight. I kept training in other ways but I just couldn’t get the road work in, then I healed up and starting get road work in but it was a little bit too late. I started cutting weight but I had a lot of weight to cut. I cut 21 pounds I just couldn’t get the last six. It’s kind of difficult you got to weigh-in earlier and I kind of underestimated the time. I woke up at three o’clock this morning to cut weight. I cut everything I had. I’m not going to say [what the injury is] because I don’t want Ryan Bader to find out and go for it. I’m pretty much healed up right now. I had to cut a lot of weight, I’m not comfortable with saying how much weight I had to cut but it’s the most weight I’ve ever had to cut in my life and when I got off the airplane I knew that I retained a lot of water and I really didn’t eat that much on the airplane, just a few snacks that I brought with me and I was even more surprised that I gained more weight on the airplane. I was like ‘Whoa, what is going on?’, it kind of surprised me. By now I can run so I was running on the treadmill and stuff and I was trying to get it off, I didn’t know I wasn’t going to make weight until a couple of hours ago.”

We’ll see if the sudden drop in a lot of weight or the injury that Rampage claims is healed have any effect on his performance tomorrow night.

On another note, a video interview with Nick Diaz was released today. This kicked up a lot of attention because it is Diaz’s first interview since his fight with Condit and testing positive for marijuana. This video can also be viewed at BJPenn.com

A lightweight bout between Carlo Prater and TJ Grant was announced today as well. The two will meet at UFC on FUEL TV 3 on May 15th. Both men are coming off of big victories so this fight will heavy implications on the near future of their careers.

Brian Stann made the media streamline today by commenting on who he would like to fight next. He explained that he would love to fight Michael Bisping next, mainly because of some comments that Bisping made following Stann’s last fight. Here is a portion of what Stann said: Michael Bisping. I wouldn’t try to anything but walk straight through him with a right hand. Here’s the deal: I don’t know Michael personally, sometimes I think he gets a bum rap and I’ve learned not to judge people off the media and things of that nature. After my last fight he had a few comments about my technique and who I was as a fighter that I thought were a little odd. He called me a ‘white belt’ and said that I was ‘exposed’ so I’d love to see him put his money where his mouth is. We can fight and we can solve that. He may be a great guy, I don’t know, and maybe he is, but I would just like to compete against him since he made those comments.”

MMAJunkie.com today broke news that the UFC was targeting its first trip to Canada in 2012 to happen in Calgary, at the 19,000 seat Scotiabank Saddledome. The event is still just a “rumor” but the plan is to make this happen in July for UFC 149. We’ll see if these plans stick.

Bellator today signed DREAM champion and former Strikeforce welterweight title challenger Marius Zaromskis (16-6 MMA, 0-0 BFC) to a multi-fight deal. Zaromskis will likely make his debut in Bellator’s upcoming sixth season, which starts in two short weeks.

We also found out today that two new fights have been scheduled for Bellator's season-six debut. Anthony Gomez (5-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) will face Travis Wiuff (65-14 MMA, 1-0 BFC) in a light-heavyweight contest and Sean McCorkle (15-2 MMA, 0-0 BFC) will take on Richard White (15-12 MMA, 0-0 BFC) in a super-heavyweight bout.

The UFC on FX 2 weigh-ins were inked in today. The fighters will hit the scales on March 2nd in Sydney, Australia. We also found out that the 11-fight card was finalized today and the prelims will air on Facebook.

And that just about wraps up the final day before UFC 144 take place I Tokyo, Japan. The day mostly revolved around the weigh-ins and the build up for tomorrows stacked card. For more MMA news and interviews, videos, and updates be sure to visit BJPenn.com or follow me on Twitter @jchastain45

Happy Eve of UFC 144, fight fans! See you all tomorrow for post fight discussions!
Cheers!

-Jake Chastain
@jchastain45

The Day in MMA

Just three days away from UFC 144 in Japan and the interviews and trash talk have just about reached their peaks. Let’s review some of the news worth mentioning from today.

Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com spoke with UFC president Dana White in his first interview since landing in Japan at 6 a.m. this morning. White discussed how amazing and beautiful the country is, the battle and work that was put in to get the show back to Japan, and how the growth of the UFC will be a gradual climb from this point forward in this weekend’s hosting country of Japan. White also touched on how MC Hammer helped get Nate Marquardt back into the ZUFFA scene and also revisited his current beef with boxing great Floyd Mayweather, stating that Mayweather is only destroying his sport while White is helping his grow.

Ariel Helwani also released a video via MMAFighting.com in which he spends 45 minutes (at least on camera) with UFC 144’s Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. The two talk fights, Jackson’s past in Japan, and everything else that Jackson decides to ramble on about. This is a must see for any true Rampage fan or any fan that wants to walk the streets of Tokyo with the always hilarious Rampage and Ariel.

More big news regarding May’s UFC 146 event hit the airwaves today. We found out late last night that three new fights have been added to the card, including the official UFC debut of TUF14 winner, Diego Brandao. The additions include Del Rosario vs. Gonzaga, Brandao vs. Elkins, and Kingsbury vs. Teixeira. These are all very solid additions to an already stacked fight card. Del Rosario and Teixeira will both be making their octagon debuts with very high expectations following them into the cage. Keep your eyes on these fights, folks.

Many videos were released today revolving around training and interviews with this weekend’s fighters. Of the videos we saw a segment of Frankie Edgar’s training with Muay Thai coach, Phil Nurse and another of his challenger, Benson Henderson, talking about his rise to the top, owning his own gym, and what’s still to come for him in the future. Look forward to saying bye-bye to Lin-sanity and saying hello to “Ben-sanity!” Those were his Benson’s words, not mine…but I do kind of like it.

Joe Lauzon released a very cool video blog of his travels and time in Japan. It’s well edited and gives fans an inside look at what it’s like for the fighters to make the trip, adjust, enjoy, and then fight in another country. The video can be viewed at BJPenn.com

The stare down photos and the video from yesterday’s UFC 144 press conference we’re released today as well. All the fighters seem very well prepared, healthy, and focused. Plus the atmosphere seems electric in Japan. This is truly building itself into an epic fight card for the UFC and MMA as a whole.

And in other news we heard that Demetrious Johnson broke word that he signed a clause in his recent UFC flyweight championship tournament contract that there will be a “sudden death” round if needed. This means that if the fight goes all three regulation rounds and the judges rule it a “draw” or can’t decide on winner then the fight will go one more “winner takes all” round. One for the money, baby! This is something we’ve never seen as UFC fans. What makes this a little odd is that an even number of rounds can win the fight for a contestant. This is the first time we’re hearing anything about this, so I’m sure this will be something that is thoroughly discussed by fans and media members in the coming days.

And then in other news the verbal war between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey continued, Vitor Belfort made the latest cover of GQ Brazil (congrats Vitor), and Jake Shields commented on his UFC 144 opponent, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and his previous “cheating” ways.

That just about sums up today in MMA. for more in depth MMA news and coverage be sure to visit BJPenn.com or follow me on Twitter @jchastain45

Until tomorrow, stay classy, fight fans.

-Jake Chastain
@jchastain45

The Day in MMA

Lorenzo Fertitta today flexed his financial muscle while also contributing to a great cause. At a charity auction put together to raise money for brain research through the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, Fertitta bid $1.1 million for a pair of the GOAT’s (Muhammad Ali) gloves and won. The gloves he purchased where the same gloves Ali wore in his 1965 heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas, Nevada in his victory over Floyd Patterson. During the auction Fertitta also put in a special stipulation that got boxing promoter Bob Arum to confess that he “loves the UFC.” Arum has, in the past, bashed the UFC while trying to promote his own sport of boxing. Looks like Fertitta, the MMA world, and the foundation for brain health all won today at the auction!

InsiderMMA released a quote from their interview with UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz last night. Cruz, who is coaching the upcoming season of TUF and will complete a trilogy with rival Urijah Faber at the season’s close, had this to say about his style and Faber’s ability to stop it: “At the end of the show, I get to fight Faber and you know, I’ll always fight him better than he’ll fight me. As much as he wants to talk about being the more dangerous fighter, this and that — the dude was on his heels the entire fight. He didn’t wanna come forward. He was countering the whole time, looking to counter, because he didn’t know when I was gonna come or go. So, there’s a style that he doesn’t understand, the way that I fight him, that he chooses to say negative things about it, because he can’t understand it. What you can’t understand, you choose to talk bad about. He’s not gonna beat me. He doesn’t know how. I’m gonna go in there and have my way with him, just like I did in the last fight. Keep the pace high, put him on his butt and beat him down.” We’ll see if Cruz is right or if Faber is able to crack the “Cruz Code” this time around.

Yesterday I brought out a quote from lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, so I felt it was necessary to release a quote from his upcoming opponent and number one contender, Benson Henderson. Here is what Henderson said last week in a pre-fight interview: “I definitely have long term goals and short term goals, but that has been my goal since I first got into fighting, period: Just to be the best fighter on the planet — no ifs, ands or buts about it. Not one of the best, not top three, top five, whatever — I want to be the best fighter in the world, period. That goal is still in my sights, I still wake up thinking about that. I don’t think me beating Frankie at all gets me anywhere near the conversation. I’d have to beat Frankie, then beat a couple other guys, defend the belt — what is Anderson up to? He’s up to like, twelve right now? Thirteen? After I beat Anderson’s record, whatever he stops at — fourteen times, fifteen times — after I beat that, then the conversation can begin.”First things first though…he has to get through the man that holds the belt right now. One of the pound-for-pound best, “The Answer” Frankie Edgar.

Joe Rogan responded today to the quotes released by Rampage Jackson yesterday. Rampage expressed his displeasure with Rogan calling him “one-dimensional.” Rogan responded today by stating that Rampage is one of his favorite fighters and is one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet. He said that he was not knocking Rampage or his style, but merely doing his job and giving analysis from an objective point of view.

Rising star Derek Brunson (9-0 MMA, 3-0 SF) was pulled from his upcoming fight with former champ Jacare Souza for his inability to pass his pre-fight medical exam. It was later reported that Brunson did not pass the eye exam required from the Ohio Athletic Commission. The two were supposed to fight on the upcoming Strikeforce card on March 3rd. Strikeforce is now in search of a replacement for Brunson. This is unfortunate because this fight was really going to give fans a glimpse at how bright Derek Brunson’s future is going to be. Brunson later responded to the situation and stated that he is going to seek Lasik surgery. Best of luck to Mr. Brunson.

KJ Noons was also having trouble getting cleared for his fight against Josh Thomson on the same card, but later we found out that he is good to go. The California State Athletic Commission lifted its medical suspension from Noons’ last fight and now Thomson vs. Noons on March 3rd is a go! And while we’re talking about this card I must mention that there has been a late welterweight addition to the card. Roger Bowling will take on Saling. Both are Ohio natives, so this will be a hometown, homegrown fight. This is definitely a nice addition to the card.

Jacob Volkman (14-2) and undefeated Paul Sass (12-0), two extremely talented lightweights, are now in talks to meet at UFC 146 in May. I’ll keep you updated on the status of those fight talks…

And Glover Teixeira (17-2 MMA), owner of a fifteen fight winning streak, has inked a deal with the world’s most talented MMA promotions, the big leagues, the UFC. He is expected to make his promotional debut in the early summer. Keep your eyes on this talented light heavyweight. He hasn’t lost in over six years, so we’ll so how he fares against the worlds best 205 pounders. Will he sink or swim? We’ll find out this summer.

And interesting news outside of Rousey and Tate in the world of women’s MMA broke today. We found out that ex-Strikeforce champion Marloes Coenen will take on Romy Ruyssen in the headliner of April 28th’s all female “Invicta 1” card. It will be interesting to see how well the new promotion does. That’s a nice headliner to help pull in some fans. I’ll keep you updated as that card approaches.

And we gained breaking news late that Nate “The Great” Marquardt has resigned with Zuffa. He will now fight under the Strikeforce banner and the promotion wants to give him a debut fight with undefeated rinsing star, Tyron Woodley (10-0 MMA), for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight strap. This is awesome news to cap off the night. Hopefully this fight truly happens because it will definitely be a stylistically brilliant matchup. I’ll let you know more as the news pours on.

In other MMA news today we heard that UFC light heavyweight Champion, Jon Jones, will serve as an honorary race official at the Daytona 500, Dana White went off on Floyd Mayweather by calling him racist and a dummy, and the verbal war continued between Rousey and Tate, and the UFC on Fuel 1 medical suspension were released today. Only four fighters received suspensions and here they are: Ronny Markes, Vagner Rocha, Phil De Fries and Dave Herman.

And that just about wraps up the day in MMA, folks. Thanks for staying caught up and don’t forget to stay posted here daily for all of the day’s top MMA news.

For more news and in depth MMA interviews and coverage be sure to visit BJPenn.com or follow me on Twitter @jcashtain

Until next time, stay classy fight fans!

-Jake Chastain

The Day in MMA

Alright all you fight fans, welcome to UFC 144 fight week. Usually fight weeks are filled with new interviews from fighters leading into the weekend’s fights, and today was no exception. The talk is usually always similar, but sometimes we can pull a few quotes that are worth highlighting.

Today a video interview with lightweight champion Frankie Edgar was released. In the interview Edgar talked about cementing his legacy in the lightweight division but not getting caught up in any fights beyond this Saturday’s with Benson Henderson. Edgar explained that he will be ready for any place that the fight ends up because what makes Henderson so dangerous is the fact that he’s so diverse with his fight game. He also commented on an eventual move down to featherweights, explaining that he’s definitely open to the idea for the future but that he’s focused on his fight with Henderson and leaving his mark on the lightweight division first.

An interview via FighterOnly.com with Rampage Jackson also hit the web today. In the interview Jackson commented on his upcoming fight with Bader in a very relaxed manner. He said that he doesn’t really care if he wins or loses the fight but just wants to put on a great show for the fans. He also commented on Joe Rogan, stating that he didn’t appreciate Rogan calling him a “one-dimensional”. He explained that he likes to stand and bang and no one should knock a fighter for their style of fighting. The interview was in a typical Rampage Jackson comedic manner but he also touched on training at his own gym for this fight and enjoying being able to stay at home for his camp leading up to this fight.

Greg Jackson released a quote to the MMA world today that defended the idea of game planning for a fight. He stated, “I’m not sure. (why game plans are criticized) I will be honest, there have been fights that we have won, that I was like, “Oh man, this one is going to be all over the news.” But no one says a word. The Carlos Condit fight was not that controversial. We out struck him, landed more power shots and way more strikes. We had complete Octagon control, we decided when and where the exchanges were going to happen and if we didn’t like it, we got away and started again, so you can’t really make a case for him (Nick Diaz) doing more damage because we did more damage and you can’t make a case for him controlling the fight because we controlled it. So that criticism doesn’t bother me that much because It was just more of people’s disappointment wanting to see two fighters stand there and swing and last man standing wins. But, you know, fighting is about hitting and not getting hit. We hit him a lot more and we didn’t get hit. So I don’t feel bad about that one.” Jackson makes some very good points and I think it’s hard to argue with what he has done considering the number of champions and great talents he’s produced in his camp. We’ll see how he game plans with Jon Jones as he prepares for Rashad Evans.

Jake Shields spoke in an interview and touched on getting back to his winning ways and winning over fans in Japan this weekend even though he’s facing one of their own in Akiyama. Shields is in desperate need of a win after dropping his last two in the UFC. This should be a great fight for both men.
The tension continues to build between Rousey and Tate as we get closer to their fight. Tate recently knocked Rousey and questioned the validity of her Olympic medal. Rousey fired back today by calling Tate “un-American” and “Un-patriotic”. The trash talk between these two may be the most intense we’ve seen between two women fighters leading into their fight. And as the fight approaches I only see this rivalry intensifying.

Jake Ellenberger today reiterated that he would love a rematch fight with interim champion, Carlos Condit. Ellenberger recently stated that he wouldn’t blame Condit for waiting for GSP to heal up and fight him in a title unification fight, but explained that even though he would respect that it doesn’t stop him from wanting another fight with Condit. We’ll see how this welterweight situation plays out.

Tim Boetsch spoke today about his upcoming UFC 144 fight with Yushin Okami, his surprise about getting such a huge fight, and his predictions about his future. Here is a quote taken from BJPenn.com: “My initial reaction was really surprised to be completely honest. It was a huge step into competition. I was pretty surprised that they were giving me the chance to fight the top of the ladder so soon. I was like, ‘holy cow.’ I didn’t think I would move up that quickly, but at the same time I was excited because that’s where I want to be. I’ve always wanted to fight the best guys in the world… Certainly he’ll be the hometown favorite, but that’s always been one of the aspects I like. I always enjoy going into someone’s house and beating them in front of their crowd. He’s tough to fight anywhere, yet alone his own country where there won’t be any quit in him. Honestly, I could see myself fighting for the No.1 contender’s spot after this fight. I won’t get a title shot, but I see myself fighting for that spot very soon. But, before that can happen, everyone will get to see me smash Okami.”
In other MMA news Mark Munoz stated that he thinks Chael Sonnen has better MMA wreslting skills than him but he still feels that he is the better all around fighter and has much more power than Sonnen. Could this be the spark needed to make this fight finally happen (Sonnen is still yet to receive his offer for a title shot). We’ll keep an eye on this situation…

Mark Hunt today explained that he is not scared of Cheick Kongo’s striking skills. He explained that Kongo is a “not a bad fighter” and that he has much better striking skills that Kongo. The two will meet on Saturday in Japan and the striking debate between the two will finally be settled.

Joe Lauzon also came out today and stated that he was tired of hearing about how Melvin Guillard is not giving him credit for beating him. Lauzon stated, “I slapped you in the face with my fist and then you went down and I choke you. I’m pretty sure I’m taking credit for that.”

And that about brings our Monday in MMA to a close. The day was not super eventful, nothing huge was announced or scheduled, but the fighters for this weekend’s UFC 144 are starting to make a lot of noise. We’ll see who speaks out tomorrow. Be sure to check back for more updates on the flip-flop.

And for more MMA news and updates be sure to visit BJPenn.com or follow me on Twitter @jchastain45

Cheers fight fans!

-Jake Chastain

The Day, In MMA

As Sunday comes to close and we head into the new week lets recap on what took place today.

UFC on FUEL 2 had some minor adjustments set in today. With the recent injury suffered by featherweight Akira Corassani (9-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) we now find Jason Young (8-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) fighting replacement Eric Wisely (19-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC). We also found out that undefeated lightweight Yoislandy Izquierdo (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has agreed to fight Iranian-Swedish fighter Reza Madadi (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at the event.UFC on FUEL TV 2 takes place April 14 at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm.

We also heard that the expected fight between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and CB Dollaway was solidified today. The two will officially meet at UFC 146 in Las Vegas.
And now joining them on the same UFC 146 card is an outstanding lightweight collision between Edson Barboza and Evan Dunham. This will be a matchup between two rising lightweight stars and legitimate title contenders. This fight will have heavy implications on the near future of both of these fighters. Keep your eyes on this fight! You definitely won’t want to miss it.

Today there was also a quote released from Rashad Evans’ recent interview with CSSSports explaining that he had three broken ribs going into his fight with Phil Davis. This is interesting to me, considering how great I thought Rashad looked in that fight. It makes me really wonder what a 100% Rashad Evans can look like. But who am I kidding? We all know how rare it is that ANY fighter enters a bout at 100%. Still, I found this to be something to ponder on leading up to the Jones vs. Evans fight in April. And since we’re talking about this fight we also found out today that Greg Jackson (Jones’ coach/ Rashad’s former coach) has decided that he will indeed be in Jon Jones’ corner on fight night. Jones broke the news via his trustworthy Twitter account.

Sherdog.com released an interview with Ryan Bader in which he explained that he would not be intimidated by the hype and fan base that Rampage Jackson will have in their Japan fight next weekend. He also explained how his newly adjusted training camp has given him a rejuvenated feeling and has also helped him gain his confidence back. His fight with Quinton next weekend will surely be a true test for the former TUF winner. A win is a “must” for both men if they want to stay on track for a future title shot, even though both have already lost to current champion, Jon Jones. Still, this should be a very fun, entertaining fight.

And to close out the news for today I find it fitting to mention that BJPenn.com has released its updated “Top-10 Rankings” list for each weight class. There are a few adjustments and shifts, some expected, some shocking. Be sure to get over there and check it out.

That’s about it for the week. Thanks for staying caught up with me, and as we close the chapter of this week I want to formally welcome all of you into UFC 144 fight week. Enjoy the build up and the fight card this upcoming Saturday y’all. Cheers!

For more MMA News and updates visit BJPenn.com or follow me on Twitter @jchastain45

Best wishes fight fans.

-Jake Chastain

The Day, In MMA

February 18, 2012

Another day in the MMA world has come and gone. Today we had a couple big stories surface and we also gained some closure in others.
First I fins is necessary to clear the air surround the situation with Chandella Powell. Her job was rumored to be at stake when earlier this week we found out that she had not disclosed her previous work in the on-line adult media platform to the UFC. However, after a few days have passed we have gained closure on the subject: Chandella will remain a UFC ring girl and will be one of the hosts at the UFC 144 Q&A.

Middleweight champion Anderson Silva also had some statements regarding his “supposed” next opponent, Chael Sonnen. Silva recently talked with ESPN in Los Angeles and had this to say about Mr. Sonnen: “Chael has good wrestling. The first fight, I broke my ribs, I fought with broken ribs. But that’s okay, I finished the fight and I win. But this time I am ready. I am training hard, this is a different fight. My opinion for Chael is that this guy does not respect nothing. This time in this sport is very important. The people watching the UFC, the people that watch Chael Sonnen talking, they are like ‘What? What is this sport? I don’t like this sport. This guy doesn’t respect nothing.’ I understand sometimes you need to promote the fight but, I don’t know. Chael talks about my people in Brazil, about my wife, about the older fighters. It’s his problem, it’s no good, it’s no good promotion, this is a sport. I love my sport. I love it and I respect the older people and the older fighters of the sport. This is a great time for the sport. But Chael maybe does not understand this, his problem is he talks too much. It is no good.”With a healthy champion ready for Chael’s wrestling this time around, will the fight go to five rounds in their second meeting? And is Chael even the next to face Anderson? (earlier this week we found out that Sonnen had not even been offered the fight yet). We’ll find out more on this as next week rolls around.
We also saw a video released of Rashad Evans and Jon Jones going back and forth during a sit down interview with CSSSports. Rashad claimed that Jon is “fake” in more ways than one and needs to be humbled while Jones stated that he is not being arrogant in the way he carries himself. Rather, he compared himself to Muhammad Ali and stated that he feels like it is his destiny and calling to become the greatest of all time. The tension between the two, although they have been very good about downplaying their dislike toward each other, is starting to bubble over pretty heavily. We’ll see how much more this rivalry grows as their April fight date approaches.

The UFC also announced today that they were working on putting together a fight between Jason Miller and CB Dollaway at UFC 146. The fight is yet to be officially announced but negotiations are in the works. This is interesting news considering after Mayhems last loss to Bisping UFC President Dana White stated that he didn’t know if Miller would ever fight under the UFC banner again. It’s starting to look like we will, and I agree with giving him another shot. More details will come about this fight in the coming days.
This week has been filled with talks and news (mostly back and forth bashing of each other) about the upcoming title fight between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. Both women have released training videos and updates throughout the week and the tension between the two is mounting. With the fight just around the corner (March 3rd) these two look ready to tear each other to pieces. I’m sure next week will be even more intense.

We also caught news today that former UFC champion, Maurice Smith, is returning to fighting at 50 years old. He is expected to fight Kyle Keeney at the Resurrection Fighting Alliance 2 event next month! Best of luck Mr. Smith.
Big news for Bellator broke out today as well as we heard that Shinya Aoki will face Eddie Alvarez in a rematch three and a half years in the making. The two have both verbally agreed to meet at Bellator 66. Contracts are expected to be finalized very soon.

In other Bellator news we found out that the company has signed once-beaten Russian prospect Magomed Saadulaev. He is expected to fight at lightweight under the Bellator banner (he previously fought at welterweight). The addition should be a great one for the company.

And Cage Warriors 45 went down today and had a successful event. Here are the results:

MAIN CARD
• Bobby Brents def. Rogent Lloret via (submission) arm-triangle choke - Round 1, 4:41
• James "J.P." Reese def. Brad Wheeler via unanimous decision
• Chris Fields def. Jack Mason via TKO (kick and punches) - Round 1, 0:50 -

middleweight-tourney opening round
• Conor McGregor def. Steve O'Keeffe via knockout (elbows) - Round 1, 1:33
• Dave Keeley def. Eddy Bengtsson via TKO (elbows) - Round 1, 4:40
• Brett Sizeland def. Brett Bassett via TKO (cut) - Round 2, 1:47

PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
• Jacek Toczydlowski def. Shah Hussain via unanimous decision
• Charlie Watts def. Chad Brown via submission (punches) - Round 2, 2:12
• Ben Hajir def. Michael Jones via submission (armbar) - Round 3, 3:06

And that brings us to another close of The Day, In MMA with Jake Chastain.

For more in depth MMA news and updates please visit BJPenn.com or follow me on Twitter @jchastain45

Cheers to all you great fight fans. Keep fighting the fight y’all!

Sincerely,
Jake Chastain

The Day, In MMA: February 17th, 2012

The Day, In MMA with Jake Chastain

2/17/2012

Today was a fairly quiet day in the MMA world. A few good topics came about, some big names were mentioned, but for the most part the day was business as usual.
Today we got word of a couple of fights that are being added to the UFC on FOX 3 card. A bantamweight bout between Nick Denis (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and "The Ultimate Fighter 14" semifinalist Johnny Bedford (18-9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will be added to the UFC on FOX 3 card along with a featherweight bout between Dennis Bermudez (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Pablo Garza (11-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC). These two additions to the card make it a great watch for cable TV. The card is set to take place on May 5 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. and is headlined by a lightweight scrap between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz.

Today we also found out that the viewing numbers for last Wednesday’s UFC on FUEL TV shattered the station’s old record, peaking out at 315,000 viewers! This is great news for MMA as a whole, especially considering that FUEL TV is not received in most homes or in basic cable packages. These are definitely promising numbers for the future.

Dana White spoke today about the upcoming UFC 144 event in Japan and made it very clear that he was not going to try to hook the old die-hard PRIDE fans by making the event like the old PRIDE shows were held. He explained that this was not going to be PRIDE, but simply the UFC making a trip to Japan. No rule changes, no elaborate octagon entrances, etc. He said, "People keep asking me, 'Oh, will you play the PRIDE music? Will you do (this or that)?' No, this isn't PRIDE. It's the UFC. The UFC is coming to Japan, and what the people in Japan are going to see is what they see on television, if they're UFC fans." So beyond going overseas, this will be another exciting, but regularly run, UFC show. However, I find it hard to believe that White and his crew won’t have something special to make this a more than memorable night for the Japanese fans. We’ll see next weekend.

And while we’re on the topic of UFC 144 we also found out today that the official weigh-ins for the event are set for the day before, February 24th at the Saitama Super Arena, and Carlos Condit and UFC ring girls Arianny and Chandella will be there for the Q&A with the fans. And yes, I said Chadella Powell will be there for the Q&A. This may be shocking to some fans considering yesterday was filled with rumors about Chandella being released by the UFC for undisclosed information about previous work. Well, as of right now it seems that Chandella is still a UFC ring girl and will be in Japan with the company next weekend. We’ll see if anything else comes of this in the coming days…

In other news Paul Daley explained that he was sorry for sucker punching Josh Koscheck back at UFC 113, Benson Henderson said it was going to be an honor to take the belt away from such a skilled, professional champion like Frankie Edgar, and Rampage Jackson said he might “Power Bomb” Ryan Bader if the opportunity presents itself in Japan next weekend.

***Guys, UFC ring girl Brittney Palmer’s playboy hit the newsstands today as well and I have to say, it’s elegant, classy, beautiful, and everything else I expected it to be. Brittney has always been my favorite, dating back to her time in the WEC, and this was a great layout for her. This is a definite “must buy” for fight fans.***

A quick teaser trailer for the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter” was also released today. The season will start March 9th with Faber and Cruz as the coaches. The hype surrounding this season is huge, mainly because of the new network hosting (FX) but the video looked good and I can’t wait for this season to start. Get ready fight fans, the next era of MMA is here.

GSP also spoke with Jon Anik and explained that his recovery process was ahead of schedule. He stated, “I feel very good. I’m ahead of schedule. I feel sometimes I want to do a little bit more but even though I feel good my graft is not fused properly, 100-percent. I need to remain calm. The danger with a lot of athletes is to push through the pain and try to go to fast. If I do so, it might loosen up the graft and I might have to start the old process again and I don’t want to do that.” Georges also went on to personally ask Nick Diaz not to retire, for the fans, for GSP, and for himself. This was the true mark of a champion in my opinion and it truly reminded me of why MMA fans should love this guy and what he has done for the sport.

And with Nick Diaz in mind we heard today that he may have been able to avoid the trouble he is in with the NSAC for testing positive for marijuana if he would have applied for therapeutic exemption before the fight with Condit. Diaz is a legal California medical cannabis user, but because he did not file for the exemption with the Nevada State Athletic Commission he will still face the charges that have been brought forth. It just continues to seem like nothing can go Diaz’s way while employed by the UFC. More details about this case should follow in the coming days.

And to top it all off today marked the weigh-ins for tomorrow’s Cage Warriors 45 event. Every fighter on the main card was on weight and the show is ready to go down tomorrow in London. Best of luck to all the fighters tomorrow.

And that brings us to another conclusion of The Day, In MMA with Jake Chastain. Thanks for reading fight fans!

Until tomorrow, keep on fighting the good fight…

For more in depth MMA News and coverage be sure to check out BJPenn.com or follow me on Twitter @jchastain45

Best regards,
Jake Chastain

The Day, In MMA

The Day, In MMA with Jake Chastain

2/16/2012

The day after the debut of the UFC on Fuel TV brought about very positive reactions. Everything went smoothly on the new network and the fights delivered big. The only negative feedback that seemed to kick up today was the fact that the main event between Sanchez and Ellenberger was limited to three rounds rather than the five that most main event fights now receive. Ellenberger won the fight by a decision that saw him win the first two and then drop the third to Sanchez pretty heavily. UFC President Dana White today expressed that he was pleased with how things went on the new network but also agreed that the main event should have been a five rounder. He explained that he was going to make sure that ALL main event fights are scheduled for five rounds, regardless of if it’s scheduled on a PPV or on a cable network station. We also found out that Diego had a severe ankle sprain during his camp that limited his training. That could have played into the fight, but regardless the card was great. The fighters truly delivered in Omaha.

Today was also the UFC 145 presser, held in Atlanta, Georgia. The turnout seemed great, the MMA fans were extremely excited and appreciative of the UFC’s return, and regardless of how much Rashad and Jon tried to stay professional there was an animosity between the two that just couldn’t be hidden. Nothing huge happened, basic questions were answered, both men commented on their current weight (both were around 225), the regular. There was, however, a great question that was brought up (by a fan) about the two training together in the past. It made me realize that Rashad Evans may be the only 205 pound fighter in the UFC that understands, and has trained with the distance that Mr. Jones possesses. This is an interesting point to take into consideration when thinking about the style matchup in this fight. Noted!
We found out today that UFC TUF14 contestant Akira Corassani was again injured and has been forced out his fight with Jason Young, which was scheduled for the UFC on Fuel 2 card. Akira was forced out of his last bout due to injury as well. No specifics were given on the injury.

Chael Sonnen said that he is still yet to receive the call from the UFC to offer him the rematch title fight with Anderson Silva. Sonnen quoted, “I have not even been offered the fight. I’ve read in the media that I’m going to have the fight. I’m telling people that I have the fight, but the reality is I’ve never been offered it.”An interesting comment from the ‘supposed number one contender’? I don’t know what to think about this, especially because Anderson Silva spoke with ESPN and brought up GSP’s name, saying “In my opinion it’s a great, great, great fight, me and Georges St Pierre.” This will definitely be something to keep an eye on. Who is the true number one contender in the middleweight division right now? Hmm…
This also brings up another name that came out today: Dan Henderson. Dana White said he doesn’t know what’s next for him, and Hendo came out and said he has no clue what’s next for himself (Hendo is coming off that epic battle against Rua a few months ago). He did, however, say that he’s not interested in fight Machida but that he’d be open for a heavyweight fight.

Rumors also came out today about UFC ring girl Chandella Powell being released from her duties yesterday for not properly disclosing her prior work as an adult entertainer for on-line web media.

And on top of all of that Aaron Simpson explained that, after his split decision loss last night he might be better suited to fight at welterweight. We’ll see where he decides to take his already successful UFC career from here.

For more in depth MMA coverage visit BJPenn.com MMA News or follow me on Twitter @jchastain45
Cheers to all you hardcore Mixed Martial Arts fans out there. See you tomorrow…

Sincerely,
Jake Chastain

UFC on Fuel TV 1: Ellenberger vs. Sanchez

Tonight, in front of a diehard Omaha, Nebraska crowd, the original Ultimate Fighter, Diego Sanchez, will take on one of the UFC’s fastest growing stars, Jake Ellenberger. The two will clash at very different but equally critical points in their careers, which is what should make this a very appealing and interesting fight for the fans.

Sanchez has been one of the most well known faces and names the UFC has ever produced. His characteristics and sometimes seemingly odd behaviors and techniques have made him a “love or hate” fighter, meaning he’s loved by many and hated by many. His career has been, without a doubt, successful if you look at his entire body of work as an MMA fighter (he’s posted a 23-5 overall MMA record). However, aside from popularity and his ability to stay afloat in the world’s largest MMA promotion (at both lightweight and welterweight) Sanchez’s UFC career has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. After dropping down to lightweight and falling just short of a title after losing to then lightweight champion, BJ Penn, Sanchez moved back up to his home weight of 170 pounds. Since his return to welterweight Diego has gone 2-1 against top tier competition (all three, however, went to decisions) and is trying to make one last push toward a title run. Sanchez is, like most top UFC welterweights, just waiting for his “big break” against a huge name, like Ellenberger, to boost him into a shot at the coveted title, which is now oddly held by two men (GSP and Carlos Condit).

Ellenberger on the other hand is the “new kid on the block”, so to speak. He’s a wrestler with great, heavy hands, and his progress inside the UFC has been astounding. He’s scored a few big wins, most recently a quick first round KO of former #1 contender, Jake Shields, which catapulted his name into the top contention talks. Since that huge win over Shields last September Ellenberger has been very adamant about his place in the UFCs welterweight division, even going as far as to say that he is very confident that he can knock off St Pierre if given the chance. Well, tonight he’ll have a chance to prove once again that he is worthy of getting a chance to prove that. A win over Sanchez, especially a decisive one, could very well place him at the top of the welterweight contention ladder. His only loss in the UFC came in his promotional debut against the now interim welterweight champion, Carlos Condit, and has since rattled off five straight wins over top names such as Mike Pyle, Carlos Rocha, and Jake Shields, moving his overall MMA record to an impressive 27-5. If Ellenberger can tack on a sixth straight win in the octagon tonight over a high profile name like Diego Sanchez, he may just be the next contender in line.

This fight should prove to be a great matchup between two very driven and talented fighters. Considering what is on the line for both men tonight this fight should truly be a fan pleaser. In my own opinion I think that, due to the athleticism and power of Ellenberger, this fight will be ended within the first two rounds with Jake coming out with the victory. With that being said, Sanchez has one of the best chins the sport has ever seen and his poise and experience inside the UFC octagon may give him the edge. If the fight goes past the first two I’m predicting Sanchez by split decision. With the fight just a few short hours away, I open up the floor for predictions, thoughts, and post-fight reactions. Let the MMA talk begin.
-Jake Chastain