MMA FanHouse

Arkansas MMA Fans Get Duped by Sacha Baron Cohen

Josh Alper — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:10:00 EST

During a scene in his movie Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen succeeded in making an arena full of rodeo enthusiasts very, very angry at him. It appears that he pulled the same trick twice more in Arkansas in April for his next movie and, once again, succeeded in getting the desired reaction.

The film, about his gay Austrian character Bruno, filmed at two arenas full of fans who came for a night of MMA action and $1 beers. What they got was two actors who put on a display a little different than what you get when you purchase a UFC pay-per-view. From The Smoking Gun, via Deadspin:

Both cards ended with two male grapplers (one was identified as "Straight Dave" and wore camouflage) tearing each other's clothes off and, while in underwear, kissing down their opponent's chest.

The crowd was less than thrilled by the turn of events.

"It set the crowd off lobbing beers," Holland said. "They had beers in plastic cups. Those things can get some distance on them actually." Holland said it took officers about 45 minutes to clear the convention center, as the two actors sprinted away through a specially set-aside tunnel.

Whether their reaction was caused by the cheap suds, homophobia or false advertising of a MMA show, I'm guessing it was exactly what Cohen wanted for his film.

Arkansas MMA Fans Get Duped by Sacha Baron Cohen originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Griffin vs. Jackson: The Numbers That Matter

Rami Genauer — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMA, UFC

The following guest post was written by Rami Genauer, contributor at FightMetric.

FightMetric tracked every second of UFC 86's main event fight between Forrest Griffin and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. How did the new UFC light-heavyweight champ stack up in this bout? We've pored over the numbers to make sense of this extremely close battle. You can check out the full stats from the fight here, but below are the numbers that matter:

First Round: One

The number of knockdowns in the round.

Make no mistake, it is certainly possible to win a round in which your opponent has knocked you down ... but it's hard. You really have to do a lot of damage to counteract the knockdown, which is the single-largest contributor to fight endings in MMA. Griffin led the round for all but the last 90 seconds. But the minimal effectiveness of those three-and-a-half minutes pales in comparison to Rampage's knockdown and those last 90 seconds, which represented the closest either fighter ever came to ending the fight. The round simply has to go to Rampage. Pity that only one of the judges (Nelson Hamilton) felt the same way.

Second Round: 112-0

The effectiveness scores for the round, in favor of Griffin.

It is extremely rare to see a fighter completely shut-out in a round. It is unheard of to see it in a championship bout. Here was the round in a nutshell: Forrest lands two leg kicks, Rampage attempts a takedown, Forrest locks on a guillotine and wrestles the fight to the ground. Forrest passes to half, passes to side, passes to mount and stays there for the remainder of the round throwing whatever shots he can manage. Rampage did not even attempt a strike throughout the entire round and never managed to improve his position.

The judging criteria are vague enough that no one quite knows when a 10-8 round should be scored. Despite this domination, only one judge (Hamilton, again) called the round 10-8. The FightMetric system has no such misgivings and follows hard and fast mathematical rules. When a fighter scores more than 100 points and has a score that's at least six times his opponent's score, it's a 10-8 round.

Third Round: 14-8

The total number of strikes in the round, in favor of Griffin.

This was, by far, the closest round and the hardest to call. It helps to parse out the numbers above for some context. Ten of Griffin's 14 landed strikes were to Rampage's legs, and seven of those 10 leg kicks were short, front-leg flicks, not the knee-buckling power shots that hobbled Rampage in the second round. By contrast, all eight of Rampage's strikes were to Griffin's body or head and all of them were hard.

So judging this round comes down to the question of what you value more: Griffin's higher volume of strikes and general control of the pace or Rampage's more effective shots and ability to counter. While close, FightMetric values head and body shots more than strikes to legs, because it's the head and body shots that end a higher percentage of fights (we call them HiPer Strikes). Apparently, none of the three judges agreed.

Fourth Round: Three

The number of judges that gave this round to Rampage.

This was the only round in which there was a consensus that Rampage won. I suppose the evidence was hard to ignore. Rampage outstruck Griffin 13-1 in terms of HiPer Strikes and 36-2 in total strikes. Griffin locked on a triangle that looked like it might have been trouble, but Rampage was able to slam his way out of it. This may be the only round that people seem able to agree on.

Fifth Round: 84-40

The number of strikes attempted in the round, in favor of Griffin.

Coming into the round, both fighters must have known that it was close, but it was Griffin who outworked Rampage in the round, throwing more than twice as many strikes. Griffin also landed more, outstriking Rampage 22-12 and 13-11 in the HiPer Strike category.

The round was close, but this was where Forrest proved his mettle. He's self-deprecating and will say he won because he's tough and doesn't quit. Don't be fooled. He outstruck Rampage when it mattered the most and it wasn't all because of heart. Forrest has serious talent.

Some Final Numbers

47-47

The round scoring according to the FightMetric system. For what it's worth (which is not very much), the system scores this fight a draw, with Rampage winning rounds one, three, and four, and Forrest winning round five and winning round two by a score of 10-8.

Zero

The number of times Rampage was able to pass Griffin's guard. Can we please start giving Forrest credit for having an excellent defensive guard? Despite spending a significant amount of time on his back against each, neither Rampage, nor Shogun Rua, nor Tito Ortiz could advance anywhere on the ground.

35

The total number of leg kicks landed by Griffin. When MMA historians look back, I wonder if they'll see the Keith Jardine vs. Chuck Liddell fight as one of the sport's turning points. Forrest took a page out of the Jardine playbook and threw kick after kick to the legs and body. And for the second time, the strategy has paid dividends in granting a victory to the fighter that everyone considered the weaker striker coming into the matchup.

Griffin vs. Jackson: The Numbers That Matter originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UFC 86 Weigh-In Video: Corey Hill Is a Freak

Michael David Smith — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:31:00 EST

Filed under: MMA, UFC, MMA Videos

Watching the UFC 86 weigh-in, the most striking thing is what an amazing body undercard fighter Corey Hill has:

Hill weighed in at the lightweight limit of 155 pounds. He's 6-foot-4 and he's 29 years old. That's just not normal.

Hill was a high school wrestler, but he got into mixed martial arts relatively late in life, getting his big break when he was a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter 5. He's 2-0 as a pro, so he obviously has a long way to go, but I think he'd be a threat to just about any lightweight, because lightweights don't have experience fighting opponents with that kind of reach advantage. Hill is a fighter to keep an eye on.

UFC 86 Weigh-In Video: Corey Hill Is a Freak originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UFC 86: What You Need to Know to Fight Rampage Jackson

Rami Genauer — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Featured Stories, The Word, MMA, UFC

The following guest post was written by Rami Genauer, contributor at FightMetric.

Let's say you wake up one day and find yourself standing across the Octagon from Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. And it's not the jovial, wise-cracking Rampage either; it's the sneering, howling, intense Rampage who is ready to slam you into next Tuesday. Assuming that running away is not an option, what do you do?

To figure out what you'd be facing, FightMetric tracked all 20 of Rampage's fights in Pride and the UFC (and that one WFA show no one likes to talk about). Making some observations based on the statistical record, below are some things you might want to keep in mind. Forrest Griffin ought to study up before Saturday night's UFC light heavyweight title fight.

Be careful relying on the clinch

Many people have watched Rampage fall prey to the Muay Thai clinch of Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and figured that the clinch is where Rampage's game is weakest. That would be a big mistake.

Statistically, the clinch is actually the strongest part of Rampage's game.

Over the course of those 21 fights, Rampage landed 372 HiPer Strikes (meaning, the most significant kind of strikes). A total of 222 of those strikes were landed in the clinch, which comes out to 60%. That means that Rampage has landed more strikes in the clinch than toe-to-toe and on the ground combined.

It's not just volume either. His accuracy on those strikes is an astounding 82%, on 222 of 270 strikes. Rampage picks his shots well in the clinch and uses an underrated Greco clinch for maximum control.

Of course, it also helps that his opponents are distracted by the prospect of a takedown. While known as an excellent freestyle wrestler, nearly all of Rampage's takedowns come from the clinch (31 of 33 successful takedowns). And much like his striking, his takedown success rate is well above-average. Rampage landed 31 of the 46 clinch takedowns he's attempted for a success rate of 67%, compared to the average fighter who lands about 45% of his attempts.

Protect the body

Most of those hard strikes in the clinch came in the form of knees to the midsection. It's rare you'll see Rampage in the clinch for more than a few seconds without him throwing something to the body. It doesn't matter if it's a knee, a right hook, or something else, the common denominator is that he throws it hard. While jockeying for position and control in the clinch, most fighters will throw a bunch of short little shots (we'll call them "jabs") before setting up a power strike or takedown. On average, you'd expect to see a fighter throw about twice as many jabs in the clinch as power shots. Rampage is the complete opposite. He turns that ratio on its head and throws more than twice as many power strikes as he does jabs.

The body gets no rest once on the ground either. Rampage's ground game is one of keeping exceedingly busy, constantly throwing shots to whatever part of the body is available. Since he's only an average guard-passer, that means lots of time spent sitting in guard working the body. One specific thing you might want to watch out for: the hard forearm to the solar plexus. It's a Rampage specialty and one that was instrumental in his 2003 stoppage of Chuck Liddell.

Don't bet on him running out of gas

Against many fighters, a key strategy might be to try and wear them down early in the fight and take advantage when they're gassed in the later rounds. Though not known for his cardio, this would seem an unwise strategy against Rampage. He successfully went 25 minutes against Dan Henderson and has gone 20 minutes three times. Griffin has only been past the 15-minute mark on one occasion.

There's an interesting trend you see when evaluating Rampage's longest battles: his most effective five minutes of these fights tends to be the last five minutes. FightMetric measures fighter effectiveness using an algorithm that synthesizes the events of a fight to produce an effectiveness score. Here are his round-by-round effectiveness scores against Henderson, Murilo Rua, Murilo Bustamante, and Dong Sik Yoon:

vs. Henderson: 28-48-77-89-117
vs. Rua: 106-49-88
vs. Bustamante: 38-36-63
vs. Yoon: 86-99-89

Keep in mind, the latter three fights happened in Pride, where the first round is twice as long as the second and third rounds. Against Henderson, Rua, and Bustamante, Rampage fought at his best in the last five minutes of the fight and was pretty close in the Yoon fight. Rampage doesn't drop off as the fight goes deeper, he gets better.

Consider yourself lucky the fight isn't in Japan

Knees to the head on the ground were one of Rampage's best weapons. We haven't seen enough of his ground game post-Japan to know whether the addition of elbows has made up for the lack of knees.

And of course ... watch out for the slam

No discussion about Rampage would be complete without mentioning his trademark slams. While it's true that Rampage hasn't slammed any of his last three opponents and it's been nearly two years since his last one, there are still few fighters out there who concentrate so much of their power on takedowns. True to his reputation, Rampage slams well and often.

For an average fighter, slams might make up about 10% of their successful takedowns. A good wrestler might have a slam rate of 25%. Rampage's slam rate is 58%. In practical terms, it means that if you're getting taken down by Rampage, chances are better than not that it's going to hurt.

UFC 86: What You Need to Know to Fight Rampage Jackson originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Mixed Martial Arts Becomes Legal in Tennessee Tomorrow

Josh Alper — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: MMA, MMA/Boxing

The state of New York, despite much talk, hasn't moved any closer to legalizing mixed martial arts. Earlier today, MDS told you that Delaware, a small state but still a state, looks like it is moving toward an outright ban on the sport. Happily, not all states are still stuck on the outdated and incorrect "human cockfighting" label that detractors use against the sport.

A law legalizing and regulating MMA will become law in Tennessee tomorrow.

Another measure that takes effect Tuesday will legalize and regulate mixed martial arts fights in Tennessee through the creation of a Tennessee Athletic Commission.

Gov. Phil Bredesen's approval came despite concerns over a provision to require half of any money beyond that needed to operate the commission go toward grants to NCAA Division I wrestling programs.

I'll admit to not having followed the Tennessee legislature all that closely but I'm not sure why that last bit is such a bad thing. Wrestling programs tend to be strapped for cash at most universities because they don't generate much revenue, a helping hand doesn't seem like the worst thing.

Good for Tennessee. There's revenue to be gained from states willing to play host to MMA events and absolutely no sense being made by states that regulate and allow boxing while turning up their noses at it.

(H/T Bloody Elbow)

Mixed Martial Arts Becomes Legal in Tennessee Tomorrow originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Delaware State Rep Wants Ban on MMA, Calls It a Reincarnation of Bare-Knuckle Boxing

Michael David Smith — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: MMA

Although mixed martial arts has made great strides this decade in achieving mainstream acceptance, the sport still has a long way to go. Here's what Delaware state Rep. Robert J. Valihura Jr. told the Delaware News Journal after he introduced legislation that would ban "combative fighting" in Delaware.

"The safety of the individual is the concern," said Valihura, the bill's primary sponsor. "We intended to outlaw bare-knuckle boxing matches at the turn of the [20th] century. This seems a reincarnation [of that]."

Safety of the individual is a valid concern, but this legislation, which lumps MMA in with Toughman contests, seems misguided. As the Delaware News Journal article notes, studies have shown that boxing is actually more dangerous than MMA. Delaware should regulate MMA, not ban it.

Via Fight Opinion.

Delaware State Rep Wants Ban on MMA, Calls It a Reincarnation of Bare-Knuckle Boxing originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

'Gymnastics Is Much More Brutal Than MMA'

Michael David Smith — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Women's Sports, MMA

David A Avila of NBC Sports has a story about a book written by a pair of college professors who spent two years studying mixed martial arts. This part is particularly noteworthy:

Another interesting topic hit by the authors is the safety issue. Is MMA still too dangerous?
The two writers delve into that issue with both hands and do a great job of comparing MMA to sports like boxing, football, rugby, and other sports where there is physical contact.

"Football is much more violent. ...There's a former female gymnast who is now in MMA and she says gymnastics is much more brutal."

Many people have such a visceral reaction to the blood in MMA that they're incapable of any real examination of the safety of the sport. But there's no doubt that it's less dangerous than football, and I'm not at all surprised to hear that gymnastics -- which leaves thousands of girls with permanent back and joint injuries -- is viewed as more brutal by someone who has participated in both.

What opponents of MMA really have a problem with isn't that MMA is dangerous, it's that it looks dangerous. It's too bad so many people fail to make that distinction.

'Gymnastics Is Much More Brutal Than MMA' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Elite XC's Second CBS Show Better Than the First Even Without Nick Diaz-K.J. Noons

Josh Alper — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMA, MMA/Boxing, Elite XC

Over the weekend, MDS opined that it looked like Elite XC's second show on CBS would be better than the first. They released the particulars of that card, set for July 26 in Stockton, California, and it is indeed a good show.

As expected it will be headlined by a rematch for the middleweight title between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith. The first fight, on the initial CBS telecast, ended too early when doctors ruled Smith couldn't continue after Lawler's thumb found its way into his eye. Lawler looked like the better fighter last time but Smith was holding his own and, hopefully, this time we'll get a satisfying finish.

Interestingly, Elite XC chose not to pit Nick Diaz against K.J. Noons in a lightweight title fight. Diaz, who is from Stockton, will fight Thomas Denny instead and one would hope the match is intended to wet whistles for a card centered on a title fight down the road.

There will be two other title fights, however. Jake Shields will meet Nick Thompson for the vacant welterweight title and Antonio Silva will meet someone for the vacant heavyweight belt. It's a shame that none of the fine heavyweights fighting for Affliction the week before will be an opponent for Silva as the best that Elite can offer aren't really worthy of a title fight.

It will be interesting to see how the show fares in the ratings without Kimbo Slice. There's better MMA but no crossover star to anchor the affair.

Elite XC's Second CBS Show Better Than the First Even Without Nick Diaz-K.J. Noons originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Affliction VP Tom Atencio on UFC's July 19 Show: It's Flattering

Josh Alper — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, UFC, Affliction for MMA

UFC's decision to run a live show on Spike opposite Affliciton's PPV debut on July 19th has nothing to do with Affliction. That's Dana White's spin on things, anyway. He told SI.com that he's simply giving the fans what they want and that Anderson Silva wants to fight more and that it is in no way, shape or form counter-programming.

He's also got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. UFC isn't giving away a Silva fight for free because they love their fans so much. The first light heavyweight fight for Silva, one of the biggest names in MMA, would be a draw for a future PPV and the choice to put it on Spike is clearly meant to drive a dagger into the heart of Affliction. Tom Atencio, Affliction's VP, spoke to MMARated and sees it the same way.

"It's just an example of how they want to control everything but at the same time it's flattering as well. I guess they do view us as threat...absolutely."

It's damn hard to see it any other way. UFC ran their own offerings against Elite XC's first CBS show and are now doing the same thing against Affliction. It didn't hurt Elite's ratings but that was free against free. When you're choosing to spend $50 or not, the decision is much different. Flattered as Atencio may be, he can't be thrilled about the hit his company is going to take because UFC feels threatened by them.

Affliction VP Tom Atencio on UFC's July 19 Show: It's Flattering originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Chuck Liddell Will Headline UFC 88 but Won't Be Fighting Anderson Silva

Josh Alper — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, UFC

Earlier this month, MDS wondered if Chuck Liddell's return to the Octagon would be against Anderson Silva in a dream matchup for fans of mixed martial arts. We'll have to wait for that one, though. MMAjunkie reports that it was discussed but Liddell will be meeting Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC's first trip to Atlanta instead.

Liddell was supposed to meet Evans, replacing Shogun Rua, at UFC 85 in London but the Iceman's hamstring wasn't fit enough to allow him to fight. The fight will take place on September 9th, more than nine months after Liddell's victory over Wanderlei Silva. The combination of Liddell's injury, layoff and age is troublesome but Evans has been idle even longer.

He beat Michael Bisping last November in a battle of Ultimate Fighter winners to remain undefeated but hasn't fought since then. After Liddell had to be scratched, James Irvin replaced him but he too went down to injury. That's halted the rapid rise of Evans to the light heavyweight elite but a win over Liddell would have him right back on track.

Liddell-Evans is a fine fight but Liddell-Silva would have been one of the biggest fights ever. Here's hoping that Silva makes the move up in class sooner rather than later. He's beaten every top contender in UFC's middleweight division and beaten them badly. There are a bunch of tasty fights among light heavyweights, though, so let's cross our fingers that he'll be there soon.

Chuck Liddell Will Headline UFC 88 but Won't Be Fighting Anderson Silva originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

MMA Live Chat: Elite XC in Honolulu

Josh Alper — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:35:00 EST

Filed under: MMA, MMA/Boxing, UFC, Elite XC, IFL, Affliction for MMA

Elite XC returns from its trip to network television tomorrow night with a card from Honolulu on Showtime. The main event will feature lightweight champion K.J. Noons against the veteran Yves Edwards. That match will be preceded by an undercard featuring Nick Diaz vs. Muhsin Corbbrey, Murillo "Ninja" Rua vs. Tony Bonello, Rafael Feijao vs. Wayne Cole and Dave "Pee Wee" Herman vs. Ron Waterman.

We'll be talking about that card at 1 p.m. today during a live chat. We won't limit the discussion to that show, however, so feel free to drop by to talk about Donald Trump's foray into the MMA world via a stake in Affliction, Dana White's still mysterious announcement, the potential demise of the IFL and anything else on your mind.

So drop by at 1 where we'll be chatting after the jump.

MMA Live Chat: Elite XC in Honolulu originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New York Kinda, Sorta Votes Down Bill to Legalize MMA but Only Until Next Week

Josh Alper — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: New York, MMA, MMA/Boxing, UFC

When Dana White went on CNBC Tuesday to announce a deal to sell action figures, he dropped hints about a major announcement coming today. It won't be, though, and has been pushed back to Tuesday which has a lot of people thinking that it was related to a vote in the New York State Assembly yesterday.

The committee on Tourism, Arts and Sports Development held a vote to decide whether or not New York should regulate and, therefore, legalize mixed martial arts in the state. It was widely believed that the bill would pass and then make its way to the larger Assembly but ran into trouble. A poster at MMAweekly was in the chamber.

One of the Assembly members prefaced the bill with the typical arguments against, calling it savagely brutal, and making the argument that if we ban cockfighting, MMA should be banned too. Other members were so clueless, some asked if there was even a referee involved in the matches!

The bill was voted down, said poster reported. MMAjunkie, however, reports that the bill wasn't voted down but simply put aside and will be reconsidered next week. There are reports of members looking to change their votes after the bill failed and other machinations that come as no surprise, speaking as a lifelong New Yorker, given the oily way Albany operates.

What's that got to do with Dana White? According to Five Ounces of Pain, the big announcement was going to be tied into legalization in New York and, likely, a UFC event in Madison Square Garden. Should things turn their way in Albany before now and Tuesday, it still could be the big announcement.

However, Dave Meltzer reports that White told reporters in London that the announcement has nothing to do with New York and that he needs to tell his employees before making the news public. Running a show at the Garden wouldn't seem to qualify as that kind of news but who knows. This whole thing is harder to follow than the last Matrix movie.

At any rate, no big announcement today but when and if New York ever gets its act together, expect the announcement of a UFC show at MSG, presumably with a killer card, shortly thereafter.

New York Kinda, Sorta Votes Down Bill to Legalize MMA but Only Until Next Week originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Donald Trump Buys Stake in Affliction, Signs Andrei Arlovski and Wants Tito Ortiz

Josh Alper — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, Affliction for MMA

Today's press conference at Trump Tower was filled to the brim with news that is sure to make Affliction a bigger player in the MMA scene. Donald Trump announced that he'd purchased a "significant" equity stake in the company, a cash infusion that should enable the promotion to play with some of the bigger boys when it comes to acquiring and keeping talent going forward.

On that front, Trump also announced that former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski had signed with the company and would appear on the July 19th pay-per-view headlined by Tim Sylvia and Fedor Emelianenko. Arlovski will meet Ben Rothwell on the card. Along with Sylvia and Arlovski, Affliction also has Josh Barnett under contract, giving them three former UFC champs to go along with Emelianenko in a very strong heavyweight division.

Trump also said that he'd like to sign Tito Ortiz, star of his Celebrity Apprentice, to fight under the Affliction banner. Ortiz has expressed interest in starting his own promotion but Trump's involvement with Affliction is likely a game changer for him and many other fighters. The light heavyweight roster isn't quite as star-studded but good fights could be had with Renato Sobral and Antonio Rogerio Noguiera.

There's no doubt that Trump's involvement will spread Affliction beyond the hardcore MMA audience, the latest jump in name recognition by the competitors to UFC. None have had quite so strong a roster of fighters, however, which should make July 19th a big day in the sport's history indeed.

Donald Trump Buys Stake in Affliction, Signs Andrei Arlovski and Wants Tito Ortiz originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Donald Trump and Affliction to Announce Partnership Tomorrow

Josh Alper — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, Affliction for MMA

It looks like Mark Cuban won't be the only loquacious billionaire to throw his hat into the MMA ring. Affliction issued a press release yesterday to drum up interest in a press conference that they will hold at noon on Thursday. Interest should be sufficiently drummed up when you catch that the presser will be held at Trump Tower and by this quote from Donald Trump, via MMAFrenzy.

"I am particularly excited to partner with Affliction and become a major player in promotion of MMA; the youngest and fastest growing sport to emerge in the last century."

No specific information is given about what The Donald's involvement might be with the promotion or the July 19th event. It does give Affliction a major publicity shot in the arm to go along with the highly anticipated Tim Sylvia-Fedor Emelianenko main event. If he's truly thowing his hat in the ring it will have a huge impact on the sport.

One thought is that it may impact Tito Ortiz's future in the sport. He's a free agent and is friendly with Trump after appearing on The Celebrtity Apprentice. If Trump is looking to invest in MMA, he'd probably want someone he knows as part of the effort and Ortiz would bring Affliction mainstream star power.

One thing is for sure. If Trump is making a serious play into the world of mixed martial arts, his feud with Cuban will continue and a feud with Dana White will surely erupt down the line.

Donald Trump and Affliction to Announce Partnership Tomorrow originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Dana White Tells Rolling Stone That He's the Reason Why UFC's Successful

Josh Alper — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:50:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, UFC, MMA Media Watch

It's been quite a couple of weeks for mixed martial arts. From UFC's bang-up show in Vegas to Elite XC's debut on CBS, the sport's already rapid growth picked up serious steam. It just keeps going. Dana White, president of UFC, is the subject of a nine-page feature in the current issue of Rolling Stone.

The article paints a positive picture of White as the most powerful man in the sport with a lifestyle to match. Excerpts are online but you'll need to buy the issue, as MMApayout.com did, to find the most interesting thing White had to say. After discussing his money disputes with Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz, White recalled when Tim Sylvia told him he'd have to "break the bank" if Sylvia beat Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in February.

See, this is the one part of the business I f---ing hate. Everybody wants more money, they want it now. And then all these fighters are like, 'We're the superstars, not the UFC! It should all be about us.' You dumb motherf---ers. You don't know what you're f---ing with. I'm a promoter. And a lot of this s--- is built with smoke and mirrors.

Those spats over money are going to happen more and more as MMA grows in popularity, it's true of all sports, but they won't kill UFC. If anything brings down UFC, it'll be the sentiment espoused right there.

White is a promoter, an excellent one, and good promoters know how to sell what they have. What UFC has is the deepest roster of MMA fighters and that's the reason why people spend money on PPV's and give The Ultimate Fighter such high ratings. White has sold that time and again and he's made a mint doing it. He's smart, he's savvy and he deserves everything he achieves. He needs to remember it's not all him, though.

Without those athletes, UFC is no better than any other organization. And if UFC is just smoke and mirrors, well, there's a chance for someone else can come along and do smoke and mirrors better.

Take Elite XC, for example. Inferior fighters but Gary Shaw is a salesman of the highest order. He sold Showtime and CBS on his organization, fed into their lust to be in the MMA game and he's capitalized. Saturday night's show, whatever you thought of the actual product, did good ratings and there will be more in the future. That's smoke and mirrors and it's smoke and mirrors done well.

Yet when you read MDS's interview with Shaw and when I heard Shaw speak after the show in Newark, it was all about the fighters. From Kimbo Slice right down to Phil Baroni, Shaw gave them all the credit even though most of the heavy lifting was done by Shaw. White likes to run down Elite and their fighters whenever possible, he shouldn't forget why he's able to do that.

It's about the fighters not about Dana White.

Dana White Tells Rolling Stone That He's the Reason Why UFC's Successful originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The Empire (And Amanda Lucas's Opponent) Strikes Back

Josh Alper — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Women's Sports, MMA

Any women who really hated the new Indiana Jones flick or anything else from George Lucas's filmography have a pretty good way to voice their displeasure. They can take up mixed martial arts and beat the stuffing out of his daughter Amanda. As you can see from the picture at right, the young lady can take a few punches.

The younger Lucas took part in a Princesses of Pain event in New Zealand over the weekend, part of a worldwide effort to create an women's international fight league. It was her first fight and, from the looks of things, she might have spent a little too much time training agaisnt Ewoks instead of full-sized humans.

The Sunday News of New Zealand reports that she might look familiar to really dedicated watchers of the latest three films of the Star Wars saga.

She was dancer Diva Funquita and the voice of Trade Federation battleship communications officer Tey How in Episode I The Phantom Menace, Outlander Club patron Adnama (Amanda spelled backwards) in Episode II Attack of the Clones, and Senator Terr Taneel in Episode III Revenge of the Sith.

She also spent time teaching hip-hop dance in San Francisco which helped neither her ability to evade strikes nor the creation of a racially inoffensive Jar Jar Binks. May the force be with her in future battles.

(H/T 100% Injury Rate at FanIQ)

Latest MMA Photos

Kimbo Slice, right, throws a punch at James Thompson of Manchester, England during the second round of their EliteXC heavyweight bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Saturday, May 31, 2008. Slice won in the third round on a TKO. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Rich Schultz, AP

Kimbo Slice, top, has James Thompson of Manchester, England in a head lock during the second round of their EliteXC heavyweight bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Saturday, May 31, 2008. Slice won in the third round on a TKO. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

** EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT ** Kimbo Slice, right, throws a punch to the the ear of James Thompson of Manchester, England that knocks him to the canvas for a TKO in the third round of their EliteXC heavyweight bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Saturday, May 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

UFC fighter Chuck Liddell arrives at Spike TV's 2nd Annual "Guy's Choice" Awards held at Sony Studios on May 30, 2008 in Culver City, California..Spike TV's 2nd Annual "Guys Choice" Awards - Arrivals.Sony Studios.Los Angeles, CA United States.May 30, 2008.Photo by John Shearer/WireImage.com..To license this image (55026688), contact WireImage.com

WireImage.com

CULVER CITY, CA - MAY 30: LA INK's Kat Von D (L) and UFC fighter Chuck Liddell present the "Ballsiest Band" award onstage during the taping of Spike TV's 2nd Annual "Guys Choice" Awards held at Sony Studios on May 30, 2008 in Culver City, California. The show airs on June 22, 2008 at 10PM ET/PT on Spike TV. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Getty Images

CULVER CITY, CA - MAY 30: UFC fighter Anderson Silva accepts the "Most Dangerous Man" award onstage during the taping of Spike TV's 2nd Annual "Guys Choice" Awards held at Sony Studios on May 30, 2008 in Culver City, California. The show airs on June 22, 2008 at 10PM ET/PT on Spike TV. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Getty Images

The Empire (And Amanda Lucas's Opponent) Strikes Back originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Final Thoughts on Elite XC in Newark

Josh Alper — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, Elite XC

Notes from FanHouse in Newark.

The reaction to Elite XC's inaugural show on CBS has been mixed to negative and after spending the night cageside, I can't argue with that. The stoppages in each of the last two fights was much to quick and the controversy about an uncalled tapout by Kimbo Slice looms as an issue that Elite and CBS will have to deal with to confirm the legitimacy of what they're putting forth.

As you can see in the above picture of James Thompson, the stoppage didn't come completely out of nowhere. His ear is in awful shape. I don't think the context of the fight to that point called for a stoppage but Slice's punches and strikes were doing damage. Thompson's, on the other hand, weren't. He was on top and throwing elbows but, from my spot 10-15 feet away, they weren't doing much to hurt Slice. If Thompson weren't fatigued and/or hurting, I think he would have ended the fight during that moment in the second round but he couldn't muster the necessary might.

As you'll see after the jump, Slice looked better after the fight. Not the best picture, I apologize for my photo skills, but he didn't have a scratch on him.

Continuing with the theme of Slice's fitness to be the "face" of MMA, that definitely took a hit last night. His cardio isn't anywhere close to the level it needs to be if he wants to be taken seriously in the sport. He's a brawler and an entertaining one but that's not enough to beat the best of the best. Thompson isn't that but if he'd survived the third round, based on the scorecards, he was a pretty strong bet to win the fight.

That's why it was good for Brett Rogers to step up and give his unvarnished opinion of the fight during the postmatch press conference. Sure, there was a self-serving aspect to his comments but it was a bit off-putting to see how in Slice's corner the Elite XC powers that be were.

Jared Shaw, son of promoter Gary Shaw, came to the ring with him and the elder Shaw couldn't have been more effusive in his praise for Slice and more insistent that he was carrying the promotion on his shoulders. That kind of closeness casts a shadow around the way the fight played out and the way it was reffed. That's not to say it's illegitimate but it does smell.

As for the rest of the card, there was a lot of talk about a rematch between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith at some point in the near future. Smith broke his foot during the bout and looked quite torn up but the too-quick stoppage of a competitive fight calls for another go-round.

The best technical fight was the Gina Carano-Kaitlin Young battle which might not say much for the rest of the fighters but does show that there's a place for women in MMA. It's a shame that Carano couldn't make weight but she's attractive, personable and a decent fighter. Expect to see a lot more of her going forward.

And, since we're looking forward, the biggest doubt about Elite XC in the future has to be the depth of their roster. UFC can put together top-notch cards every month with different fighters of great talent. I don't see that with Elite XC, as currently comprised, and they'll need to get better to make a real go of it as a top-flight promotion.

Final Thoughts on Elite XC in Newark originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Brett Rogers: Kimbo Slice Tapped Out

Josh Alper — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:25:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, Elite XC

Notes from FanHouse in Newark.

The fighting didn't end when Kimbo Slice stopped James Thompson in the third round of tonight's main event in Newark. Brett Rogers, a heavyweight who won his match in 61 seconds to start off the televised portion of the card, took the podium during the press conference and called Slice's performance "garbage" and said it was "unacceptable" to give that to the fans.

Slice wasn't there yet but he did show up later and the press asked Rogers to elaborate on what he meant. He was much clearer this time, saying that Slice tapped out when Thompson had him down on the ground during the second round of their match. Slice asked if that was a challenge and, as you can see from the photo above, things got pretty heated. Every fighter, cornerman and Elite XC employee kept the men apart but it was a good three or four minutes before things cooled down and Slice left.

From my vantage point at cageside, I didn't see Slice tap out. There was discussion along press row about a tapout but everyone seemed to say they heard someone else say it first. Thompson said he didn't and Slice obviously denied it so either Rogers saw something different or he's a savvy marketer who knows how to put himself in position to fight the league's big dog. Promoter Gary Shaw said the next CBS show would be in August at the earliest, perhaps he found himself his main event?

Brett Rogers: Kimbo Slice Tapped Out originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Robbie Lawler-Scott Smith Is a No-Contest, Best Fight of Night Ends Too Early

Josh Alper — Sat, 31 May 2008 23:07:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, Elite XC

Notes from FanHouse in Newark.

This hasn't been the best of nights for Elite XC. They finally got a match worthy of their network slot between middleweights Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith and then, deep into the third round, they have it pulled out from under them.

Doctors called for the match to be stopped when Smith suffered a thumb to the eye and declared a no contest. Smith looked raring to go and, as much as fighters should be protected, it seemed like a pretty quick call that was meant with great displeasure from the crowd. As I type, in fact, I can't hear Gus Johnson's interview just booing and calls for refunds from the crowd.

It's funny because the crowd spent most of the match booing Lawler and Smith whenever they took a break from the action. Lawler was winning the bout but it was close and the final 10+ minutes could have taken it to another level. It's really a shame for Elite XC and these fighters because this should have been a big leap forward for the two best fighters, if not the most famous, on tonight's bill.

UPDATE: Was just handed the official scorecard and two judges had it even and the third had Lawler up 20-18. Had the round ended before the stoppage it would have gone to the cards, which would have been interesting to see.

Robbie Lawler-Scott Smith Is a No-Contest, Best Fight of Night Ends Too Early originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 31 May 2008 23:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Elite XC on CBS: Gina Carano and Kaitlin Young Finally Give the Fans Reason to Cheer

Josh Alper — Sat, 31 May 2008 22:24:00 EST

Filed under: Fighting, MMA, MMA/Boxing, Elite XC

Notes from FanHouse in Newark.

After a desultory first hour that featured two minutes of fighting and a lot of waiting around, the fans at the Prudential Center finally got excited about something going on in the ring. Gina Carano and Kaitlin Young gave good effort and and exciting fight that ended after two rounds when the doctor ruled that Young couldn't continue.

Young actually got the better of the bigger and heavily favored Carano in the first round, keeping her on her back for the lion's share of the action. The second round, though, saw Carano break through with a variety of strikes and kicks, including a foot to the body that may have led to the end if the bell hadn't stopped the round. The crowd was very into it, chanting lustily for Carano and, perhaps, showing that there's room for more women in the MMA mix.

Before that, the crowd was searching for any reason to get excited. They cheered lustily for local product Phil Baroni as he made his way to the cage but were let down when Joe Villasenor made quick work of him. The only other thing getting them excited is the appearance of Plaxico Burress of the Super Bowl champion Giants near the cage.

Elite XC on CBS: Gina Carano and Kaitlin Young Finally Give the Fans Reason to Cheer originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 31 May 2008 22:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments