A Look Ahead: WEC 51

 Posted by Ronald Young Jr. at 7:18 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 302010
 
ALDO vs GAMBURYAN MMA Weekly A Look Ahead: WEC 51

"Junior" Jose Aldo takes on "Pitbull" Manny Gamburyan as the main event in WEC 51 (Photo courtesy of MMA Weekly)

Tonight, the UFC’s  little brother strikes again. This, of course, refers to the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) 51 card featuring the featherweight title match-up between the champion “Junior” Jose Aldo (17-1) and “Pitbull” Manny Gamburyan (11-4). This bout is touted as the main event but has all but been forgotten in light of another main card bout, a grudge rematch between “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (15-3) and Jamie Varner (16-3).  As has become the norm, the WEC has put together an action packed card full of former TUF competitors, former title holders and contenders, UFC veterans, and all around crowd pleasers.  This card promises to be full of fireworks and, more than likely, several exciting finishes.  It wouldn’t even be surprising if there’s at least one candidate for Fight of the Year by the end of the night. After putting on a very lackluster card on Saturday with UFC 119, Zuffa may want to pay close attention to their smaller promotion and take notes on how to make on a successful and exciting card out of lesser known talent.

This is arguably one of the best cards a fan could ask for without having to pay.  Earlier this year the WEC took its first steps into the world of Pay-Per-View with WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber. Six of the fighters featured on that card will be fighting on tonight’s card, including both participants of the early candidate for Fight of the Year “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (10-2) and Leonard Garcia (18-5-1).  However, all of the focus seems to be on the long awaited grudge match between Cerrone and Varner.   Those casual fans who turn off the TV following the hate filled battle between the “Cowboy” and his arch-rival will be in for quite a shock when they learn that the main event they had all but written off was the most exciting bout of the night. Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Technique of the Week: Armbar from Back Control

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 6:26 PM  MMA News, Technique of the Week  No Responses »
Sep 302010
 

MMA Gospel’s Technique of the Week returns this week with the end of the three move chain that started with a simple outside leg trip takedown.  This week, Hapkido master Ed Perdomo and his assistant Johnny Rodriguez demonstrate an armbar submission from back control, using Johnny’s defense against last weeks rear naked choke as the set up.  As with every move in our Technique of the Week chains, the move this week is directly influenced by the technique covered in the previous weeks article.  Here at MMA Gospel, we are dedicated to building better fighters and a more informed fan base through detailed descriptions of how the techniques we see in the cage work.  Continue reading »

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Cerrone Vs. Varner: The WEC 51 Show Stealer

 Posted by Antoine Saade at 5:04 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 302010
 
CERRONE vs VARNER1 Cerrone Vs. Varner: The WEC 51 Show Stealer

Jamie Varner vs. "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) 51 will be hitting Broomfield, Colorado tonight with what promises to be an exciting evening of fights. With a card that boasts a main event pitting “Junior” Jose Aldo (16-1-0) against “Pitbull” Manny Gamburyan (11-5-0), the attention to the headliner may be detracted by a rematch between “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (10-4-0) and Jamie Varner (16-4-1). In what is anticipated to be a grudge match for the ages, many MMA and WEC fans are envisioning an absolute war that makes every other fight on the card look like a pillow fight. Continue reading »

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The Future of MMA Gospel: The Reverend Steps Aside

 Posted by "The Reverend of MMA" Turk Vangel at 5:57 PM  MMA Gospel Radio, MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 292010
 
velvet 200x300 The Future of MMA Gospel: The Reverend Steps Aside

The Reverend and Velvet Girls

I promised news about MMA Gospel and the future of the site and show. I never break a promise so here we go:

I, The Reverend of MMA Turk Vangel, am stepping down from my position at MMA Gospel and MMA Gospel Radio. I know many out there feel I am the backbone of the site and show but I tend to disagree. This was my baby for a while and there comes a time when you have to let your baby go out on it’s own. I am turning the site over to Dan. Dan has been doing a tremendous job of keeping content up here while I was away working on my future. He has contributed to about 90% of the content over the last few months and amazing content it is! Dan will do a great job of keeping this site going and making sure it only gets better in the future. The Gospel of MMA will still be preached so stay tuned to MMA Gospel as they continue to give you the final word on all things MMA.

As far as MMA Gospel Radio goes, I am no longer going to be doing that. It will be turned over to the very capable hands of my co-host, partner and friend, Gary Friedman. Gary has done an outstanding job over the time we have worked together getting guests, putting together interviews and cussing on air to make you laugh. Of course he usually bombs with a joke every now and then and we joke about him being creepy but it is what makes him a great part of the show. Do not go away as the show will add a new co-host and keep pushing to be the best out there.

I want to thank everyone who has become a part of the MMA Gospel congregation. All those loyal listeners, readers and general fans who i have met through my time with MMA Gospel Radio and the sites I worked at before bringing MMAGospel.com online.

I thank all the managers, fighters, clothing company owners, etc. that have made this such an enjoyable ride. Special thanks goes out to Bas Rutten, Michael Schiavello, Travis from MMA Scraps, Jason Miller, Tim Kennedy, Jake Shields, Demico Rogers, Chris Lozano, Ariel Helwani, Nicole Alves and Kevin Iole. You all made this trip one that I will never forget. I owe you all something for taking the time to know me and help me along the way.

I guess the next question you will be asking is why are you stepping away? The site and show are very time consuming and of course a full time job in the sport was what I was striving to achieve. This is a goal I believe I was close to accomplishing given the time but right now I have very little of that. I am focusing on a different set of goals right now. Going back about 15 years ago I had a goal I wanted to achieve and it is now going to become my focus. MMA has been great to me and I will forever love the sport but there comes a time when one needs to move on and blaze a new trail.

Thank you all for the great memories and keep supporting MMA Gospel because the men I am leaving in charge are sure to do great things with it, far greater than what I could have accomplished. After all, they were the backbone of this venture the entire time.

I know I did not mention everyone here but believe me I have thought of you all. The list is just to long for this piece.

The Reverend Turk

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UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 8:04 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 272010
 

UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop may go down as the most disappointing card since the ill-fated UFC 33 card when Zuffa first took control of the UFC.  Oddly enough, the majority of that tone was set by the only fight on the card that did not end in a decision, the main event battle between Frank Mir (14-5) and “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (27-9-2).  Overall, the card was fairly solid with back and forth battles between determined opponents that did all they could to finish the fights, but fell just short.  The sad thing is that the main event was so terrible that it caused the entire card to be looked on in a negative light and if the fans were the ones calling the shots, there would be no “The Good” section in this article.  Luckily for men like Matt Mitrione (3-0), “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (30-17-5), and Evan Dunham (10-1), who all had very good performances, they work for Dana White.  For all the grief Dana gets for how he treats fighters or how he does business, the fact remains that he is an educated fan who rewards fighters for their efforts regardless of the response a card produces.  Where most promoters would look at everyone on the card in a poor light, Dana will undoubtedly give those who fought for the win on the under card their do.  Let’s explore who those athletes are in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Continue reading »

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UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop Pre-Fight Breakdown: Frank Mir vs. Mirko Filipovic

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 7:02 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 252010
 

    The UFC returns to Indiana on Saturday, September 25 to deliver the fans a dynamite line up from the middle ranks of their ever deepening roster.  UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop features stellar match-ups from every UFC division except the middleweights, including a rematch between “The Terror” Matt Serra (10-6) and “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (29-17-5) and a light-heavyweight showdown between “Darth” Ryan Bader (11-0) and “Little Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogeuira (18-3).  But the headliner honors go to former two-time UFC heavyweight world champion Frank Mir (13-5) and the 2006 PRIDE Open-Weight Grand Prix winner “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (27-8-2).  It’s a do or die situation for both men.  A loss for Mir means he will likely never taste UFC gold again; a loss for Filipovic means almost certain retirement. Will Cro Cop’s left leg take Mir’s head or will Mir take Cro Cop’s left leg?    Continue reading »

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UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop Pre-Fight Breakdown: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 6:51 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 242010
 

    The UFC returns to Indianapolis, Indiana on September 25 for UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop.  Along with head liners “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (27-8-2) and Frank Mir (13-5), Dana White and Joe Silva have provided us with stellar card filled with old dogs and new blood. Early in the night, undefeated Evan Dunham (10-0) will face grizzled vet “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1).  In the co-main event, Arizona wrestler and TUF season eight winner “Darth” Ryan Bader (11-0) will face his first elite opponent when he steps into the Octagon against “Little Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3).  Nogueira and Bader are both coming off lackluster victories over “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (14-9-1) and “The Hitman” Jason Brilz (18-3-1) respectively and need strong showings to restore the faith the fans had in them.  This fight is an interesting meeting between two men who both have serious questions to answer before they see the sunny side of possible title contention. For Bader, it’s “Is Ryan the real deal or just a replacement gatekeeper for Jardine?” For Rogerio it’s “Was he just a flash in the pan riding his brother’s coattails?”    Continue reading »

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UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop Pre-Fight Breakdown: Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 5:40 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 232010
 

On September 25, UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop brings the thousands of Indianapolis, Indiana fans a card filled with talent from top to bottom.  Headlined by the polarizing two-time former heavyweight champion Frank Mir (13-5) and Croatian kickboxing superstar “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (27-8-2), the UFC has filled out the under card with several interesting bouts between the new breed and the old guard.  One such example is a rematch between New York born Cinderella story “The Terror” Matt Serra (10-6) and “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (29-17-5), the Indiana firefighter who has held a near monopoly on UFC bonus checks.  The two men first faced each other in the TUF 5 finale where they fought for the chance to face “Rush” George St. Pierre (20-2), a match which marked a turning point in both men’s careers. Serra, the winner of the razor thin and very controversial decision, went on to upset GSP and take the UFC welterweight title, Lytle went on to completely reinvent himself, blaming his conservative approach to fighting for the loss.  Only one thing is clear in this rematch: those who are expecting it to be a repeat of the first fight obviously haven’t followed either man’s career at all.       

Continue reading »

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Looking For the Underdog: Mirko Filipovic

 Posted by Ronald Young Jr. at 12:55 AM  MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 232010
 

crocop 216x300 Looking For the Underdog: Mirko FilipovicOn Saturday at UFC 119 “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (28-7-2) will face off against two time former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir (13-5) in a battle that may not determine a contender, but will bring more clarity to the pecking order of the UFC Heavyweight division. Cro Cop is coming off an impressive submission victory over “Hype or Die” Pat Barry (5-2) and is hoping to keep the streak going with a victory over Mir.

“Cro Cop” is a very experienced MMA fighter who has found the majority of his success in the ability to out strike his opponents. Many fans know him for his seemingly unstoppable head kick that has ended the night for many an opponent. Recently he has demonstrated that he’s still dangerous with four of his last five wins coming by TKO. At first glance, it could be easily said that he has the striking advantage over Mir. He throws a good combination of punches and kicks and has solid takedown defense. All of his strikes have knockout power, and he throws them in bunches, which tends to be a problem for most of his opponents. Top that off with solid footwork and this is a very complete pure kick boxer. Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Technique of the Week: Rear Naked Choke off Scarf-hold Scramble Defense

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 9:29 PM  MMA News, Technique of the Week  No Responses »
Sep 222010
 
This week, MMA Gospel’s Technique of the Week explores the counter to the most common defense of last weeks arm triangle.  There is a point in every technique where you are most vulnerable to counter.  In last weeks technique, it comes as you pass from half guard into scarf-hold position.  During this pass, the easiest escape is to simply sit up and roll to create a scramble.  We can use this to our advantage by turning the opponents attempt to create a scramble into an open door to take their back.  Here Ed Perdomo and Johnny Rodriguez will show us how allowing our opponent to sit up lets us turn into their back, solidify our control and move into a rear naked choke. Continue reading »
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UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop Pre-Fight Breakdown: Sean Sherk vs. Evan Dunham

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 5:31 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 212010
 

    On September 25, the UFC again proves the depth of its roster.  UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop brings the thousands of Indianapolis, Indiana fans a card packed with interesting match-ups between elite competitors with no title or number one contendership bouts on the card, proving that the UFC has more than just the top three or four fighters in every division.  In addition to the marquee fight between former heavyweight kingpin Frank Mir (13-5) and 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix champion “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (27-8-2), UFC 119 brings us intriguing match-ups between “Little Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueria (18-3) and “Darth” Ryan Bader (11-0), “The Terror” Matt Serra (10-6) and “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (29-17-5), and a lightweight tilt between undefeated Evan Dunham (10-0) and the former lightweight champ “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1).  Sherk brings a wealth of experience and powerful wrestling into the cage after a sixteen month lay-off following his defeat at the hands of current champion “The Answer” Frankie Edgar (13-1). Dunham continues his escalation in competition by pitting the submission skills and crisp striking against Sherk’s experienced top control.  While this bout has no title, or even contention implications, it is as solid a match up as anyone could ask for as Sherk struggles regain relevance in the UFC and Dunham looks to prove that he deserves his spot as a top ten ranked lightweight. Continue reading »

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Wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, and the Lack of Solid Striking in MMA Part 2

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 10:25 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 192010
 

In part one of this article, I explained the basic errors in the current stand-up training of the vast majority of MMA strikers.  In part two I will cover how it is a direct result of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Olympic wrestling.  It’s no news to anyone that the first four American MMA events, UFCs 1-4,  were basically an advertisement for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.  Royce Gracie (14-3-3) faced a group of hand picked opponents, many of whom had no business being in the ring at all.  The result was Royce winning several fights by submission, fights that couldn’t be stopped by the referee until UFC 3.  Starting with Kimo Leopoldo (10-7-1) in UFC 3, “The Giant Killer” Keith Hackney (2-2) and “The Beast” Dan Severn (95-16-7) in UFC 4 and finally “The Worlds Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock (27-14-2) in UFC 5, the way to defeat Gracie Jiu-Jitsu became apparent.  Either keep it standing as Hackney and Kimo tried (Kimo tried to stand out of the guard the entire bout but Royce kept a death grip on his hair to prevent it) or smother it with solid top game and game and small ground ‘n’ pound as Severn and Shamrock (successfully) tried.  It is also important to note that though Royce defeated Kimo, Keith, and Dan, he failed to finish any of them quickly enough to avoid the end of a round in the modern rules.  UFC 5 started the reign of the wrestler in full as Dan Severn dominated the entire field and Ken Shamrock shut Gracie down a beat him to a pulp for 36 minutes.  Over the next several tournaments, we saw it continue as strong collegiate wrestlers like  “The Predator” Don Frye (20-8-1), “The Hammer” Mark Coleman (16-10), and “The Smashing Machine” Mark Kerr (15-11).  Successful skilled strikers like “Mo” Maurice Smith (13-13) and “The King of the Streets” Marco Ruas (9-4-1) got lost in the mix, with the only credit for being a dangerous striker being given to one punch brawlers like “Tank” David Abbot (10-14) and “The Polar Bear” Paul Varelans (10-9) neither of whom managed to win a title in any organization or put together winning streaks of more than two fights in their careers.  Let’s explore why this happened. Continue reading »

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Wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, and the Lack of Solid Striking in MMA Part 1

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 10:24 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 172010
 

As I sat on my couch watching the Ultimate Fight Night card that preceded the premier of The Ultimate Fighter’s twelfth season, I found myself to be a victim of a case of deja vu followed by a personal revelation.  As staff photographer Mallory Mejia (who also happens to be my live in girlfriend) will tell you, I have a tendency to become frustrated by the basic technical errors elite level mixed martial artists make in their stand-up.  This often results in a verbal assault on the television.  This was the case Wednesday night.  The revelation came later that evening during a Spike TV special on the impact of Royce Gracie.  BJJ and American amateur wrestling are directly to blame for the sad state of affairs in MMA striking.  In part one of this article, I will examine first the white belt level errors in all but the elite of MMA strikers stand-up and then, in part two of this article, I will share the revelation of how BJJ and wrestling are to blame. Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Technique of the Week: Kosoto Gake Sweep to Arm-Triangle Submission

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 3:20 AM  MMA News, Technique of the Week  No Responses »
Sep 152010
 

The MMA Gospel Technique of the Week for this week starts and entire new three technique chain.  Again we turn to 4th degree Hapkido black belt Ed Perdomo and student instructor  Johnny Rodriguez to guide our readers through the details of how to string basic techniques into killer submission chains that win fights in the cage.  This week, we use a jab to set up a very basic but often successful small outside leg hook (Kosoto Gake) and follow it through to an arm-triangle choke from the scarf-hold position.  These two techniques are presented as one because the most common result of an outside trip is to land in half-guard. This only happens because the average fighter thinks takedown, position, submission in three steps.  Using the takedown with the intention of moving directly into the choke as in this example forces the user to begin executing his pass to side mount or scarf-hold during the takedown instead of after.  This ensures you land in side mount every time you use the sweep.    Continue reading »

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Amateur Spotlight Chicago: Supreme Promotions: Rumble at the Roundhouse II

 Posted by Dan Griffin at 1:22 AM  Amateur Spotlight, MMA News  No Responses »
Sep 152010
 
IMG 1450 249x232 Amateur Spotlight Chicago: Supreme Promotions: Rumble at the Roundhouse II

Tommy Benson (left) squares off against Jerald Williams (right) at Rumble at the Roundhouse 2. (Photo courtesy of Mallory Mejia)

On the anniversary of our nation’s darkest hour, MMA Gospel was a guest of Jim Jackson and Nic Thompson at the historic Walter Payton’s Roundhouse in Aurora, IL.  This event, Rumble at the Roundhouse 2 (RRH2), was the third offering of the fledgling Chicago based Supreme Promotions.  It was a very solid showing, especially for a promotion with only a year of experience, and brought some very unique concepts to the table.  The venue (a micro brewery, restaurant, and bar built in an old high-end train station) was amazing.  After walking in through the micro-brewery to the upscale jazz bar, the fans enter an open courtyard where they either sit on the flat topped stone work, the well manicured grass, at the full service bar near the entrance, or, for VIP ticket holders, at one of several high chaired tables.  A full wait staff serves the fans, meaning they have no need to risk missing any of the action when it’s time for another beer.  Around the edge of the venue were the booths for Supreme’s multitude of local sponsors including a display with a BMW and three custom Harleys. In the center of the courtyard is a raised hexagonal gazebo where Supreme placed a six-sided cage. That’s where the fairy tale venue met reality.  The gazebo was small, which means the fighters had to compete in a tiny hexagonal cage that was 14 feet at the most.  Also, the gazebo floor was so high that when the fight hit the ground, fans were forced to stand in order to see even a glimpse of the action.  Supreme made sure that judges, camera men, and photographers were positioned behind the gazebo’s posts, keeping them out of the fans line of view, but the small size of the gazebo left the area looking a bit cluttered. There were also a few issues with the officials, record keeping, and matchmaking for the promotion.  MOMMIE  has the details.    Continue reading »

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