Matt Homeyer

UFC on Fuel TV 3 Undercard Sleeper: “The Prospect” Marcus LeVesseur

 Posted by at 6:54 PM  UFC  No Responses »
May 142012
 

Marcus LeVesseur (right), record-breaking collegiate wrestler turned well-rounded mixed martial artist, makes his national debut in the UFC on Fuel TV 3 prelims Tuesday night. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

UFC on Fuel TV: Zombie vs. Poirier is set to take place Tuesday night with a card that looks to bring a lot of exciting free fights to the masses yet again. Headlining the third installment of mixed martial arts action on Fuel TV courtesy of the UFC is a featherweight match-up between “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (12-3) and “The Diamond” Dustin Poirier (12-1). Rounding out the main card are the likes of TUF alum Amir Sadollah (5-3), Tachi Palace Fights vet “Lil’ Monster” Jorge Lopez (11-2), lightweight mainstay and multiple-time fight bonus winner “Lil’ Heathen” Jeremy Stephens (20-7), Muay Thai aficionado “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (17-4), 145lbs. submission artist “Hellbound” Jeff Hougland (10-4), heavy-handed Croatian “The Duke” Igor Pokrajac (24-8), Team Nogueira fighter Fabio Maldonado (18-4), seasoned veteran “The Athlete” Jason MacDonald (25-15), and middleweight jokester “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (7-4). While there certainly will be plenty of entertainment afforded by the main card on Fuel TV, the prelims streamed on Facebook certainly should not be overlooked, as once again they are chock full of young hungry fighters ready to showcase their skills on the big stage. Continue reading »

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NAFC “Colosseum”: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 3:31 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
May 052012
 

NAFC's most recent effort, "Colosseum", delivered an action packed evening to the MMA fans of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Friday night. (Photo courtesy of NAFC)

Last night’s NAFC: Colosseum card showed a lot of excitement, from the first bout of the four-fight undercard till the finale of the main event. There was a packed house with the onlookers flowing in early to the Potawatomie Bingo and Casino Hall in Milwaukee so as not to miss any of the action being offered, including the full gamut of fighters, from those young and hungry and with something to prove as they try to make their way to MMA stardom, to veteran fighters that have the skills to compete in any organization. It was a night full of slick submission attempts and stellar strikes. From the moment the card kicked off the seats were filled with fans expressing their approval of the non-stop action. Fans were even fortunate enough to have several UFC and Bellator stars in attendance, including  former WEC Lightweight Champion “Showtime” Anthony Pettis (15-2), UFC top featherweight contender “New Breed” Erik Koch (13-1), newcomer to the UFC “King” Chico Camus (11-3), and Bellator welterweight champ “Funky” Ben Askren (10-0), all of whom interacted with the audience and at one point addressed them from within the cage to talk about what’s next in their own exciting careers. Continue reading »

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UFC on FOX 3 Undercard Sleeper: “Panzer” Pascal Krauss

 Posted by at 7:05 PM  Features, MMA News, UFC  1 Response »
Apr 302012
 

Undefeated blue chip prospect Pascal Krauss is positioned to make a splash in the UFC's 170lbs. division with a win over tough young John Hathaway in their UFC on FOX 3 undercard match-up. (Photo courtesy of Cage Warriors)

For those who don’t watch the UFC’s undercard fights, you don’t know what you’re missing. And for those that do, we often find that the prelims can be just as if not more entertaining bouts than those on the main card, and can provide valuable insight as to which fighters to keep an eye on in regards to potential future wave-makers in his respective weight division. “Panzer” Pascal Krauss (10-0) is one such fighter.

“Panzer”, a nickname meaning “tank” in his native German language, exemplifies exactly what Krauss has shown in his career – that he is a force to be reckoned with. The undefeated 25-year-old welterweight made his UFC debut at UFC 122 where he not only picked up his first win in the Zuffa promotion, he also earned “Fight of the Night” honors for his three-round war with fellow UFC newcomer “Scanno” Mark Scanlon (7-2). Krauss came into his UFC debut fight as the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship welterweight king toting an undefeated record with ten consecutive first- or second-round finishes, and looking to prove that he belonged in the world’s most prestigious MMA organization. Having shown a variety of skills against Scanlon and earning a fight bonus in his first effort, “Panzer” did not disappoint. Continue reading »

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Move Over, Big Brother, It’s “Showtime” for Sergio Pettis

 Posted by at 9:33 PM  MMA Gospel Exclusives, MMA News  2 Responses »
Feb 272012
 

Undefeated Roufusport fighter and younger sibling of former WEC champ Anthony Pettis, Sergio Pettis makes his 125lbs. debut at NAFC: Colosseum on May 4. (Photo courtesy of Sergio Pettis)

The Pettis name is one that has infiltrated the MMA media and fan forums for the past several years, largely due to former WEC Lightweight Champion “Showtime” Anthony Pettis’ (15-2) numerous highlight reel knockouts, overall dominance of the 155lbs. division, and high-flying kicks, including an off-the-cage kick, dubbed “The Showtime Kick”, over now UFC lightweight champ “Smooth” Ben Henderson (16-2). However, a new family member is making the value of the Pettis last name soar even higher – “The Phenom” Sergio Pettis (3-0), another Roufusport prodigy and Anthony’s younger brother, is making his own name in the sport. Eighteen-year-old Sergio has gone 3-0 as a professional fighter and 4-0 as an amateur and now looks to make the cut from his usual bantamweight class to flyweight for his May 4 match-up against “Bad Boy” Chris Haney (3-2) at NAFC: Colosseum in Sergio’s hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. MMA Gospel staff writer Matt Homeyer sat down with Sergio just hours before his brother’s main card fight at UFC 144 to discuss training with one of the top camps in the sport, sparring with one of the most eccentric strikers in the UFC, “stealing” nicknames, and how he feels about taking on the 125lbs. division. Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Exclusive: Alan Belcher Back, Ready for Battle on the Bayou

 Posted by at 7:28 PM  MMA Gospel Exclusives, UFC  1 Response »
Sep 132011
 

After a 16-month lay-off, "The Talent" Alan Belcher (black trunks) is ready to return to the cage and prove once again that he is a formidable opponent in the UFC's 185lbs. division. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

Over his seven-year professional career, “The Talent” Alan Belcher (16-6) has steadily climbed the ranks of MMA’s middleweight division. The Mississippi native initially burst on to the scene in 2004 at just 20 years old, making a name for himself in several local circuits and even competing in Korean promotion X-Impact World Championships. In 2006 Belcher signed with the UFC, where he has since amassed a 7-4 record within the premier organization. “The Talent” is well known for his slick submissions, as evident by his pair of “Submission of the Night” awards, but is perhaps even more renowned for his purist Muay Thai style and do-or-die approach to fighting. He has gone four for five since September 2008, taking out “Short Fuse” Ed Herman (17-8), Denis Kang (35-13-1), Wilson Gouveia (12-8), and “The Predator” Patrick Cote (15-7) in the process and earning four consecutive performance-based fight bonuses. Belcher was slated to take on former top contender Demian Maia (13-3) at UFC Fight Night 22 as the marquis fight, but just six weeks before the event, the unthinkable happened -  “The Talent” was forced to withdraw from the bout after sustaining a detached retina and undergoing emergency eye surgery. For many, such an injury would have been career-ending. But for Belcher, he’s healed up and ready to stake his claim in the UFC’s middleweight division once again. Just a few days shy of his long awaited return at UFC Fight Night 25 this Saturday, Belcher spoke with MMA Gospel staff writer Matt Homeyer about his injury, his road to recovery, and his determination to move forward. Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Matt’s Cageside Musings: UFC on Versus 5 “Hardy vs. Lytle”

 Posted by at 9:14 PM  MMA News, UFC  1 Response »
Aug 162011
 

(Photo courtesy of Matt Homeyer)

On Sunday, August 14, the UFC made its Milwaukee, Wisconsin debut in spectacular fashion, courtesy of UFC on Versus 5: Lytle vs. Hardy. Although it took a while for the premier mixed martial arts promotion to finally land in the Badger State, I can assure you that the local MMA community has been abuzz about the prospect of a live UFC event for quite some time now. Especially with the surge in popularity of Duke Roufus’ gym Roufusport in Milwaukee and all the young talent it has brought forth – “Showtime” Anthony Pettis (13-2), “Dannyboy” Dan Downes (8-2), and “New Breed” Erik Koch (12-1) just to name a few – Milwaukee was ready for the UFC.  Much to the delight of fans in in Milwaukee and worldwide, the UFC delivered in a big way with its most recent effort, bringing to the cage some of the best up-and-comers that the organization has to offer as well as some of its respected veterans, including a main event between British slugger “The Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-10) and heavy-handed “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (31-18-5). Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel Talks Nate Marquardt, Bellator, and More with Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard

 Posted by at 11:19 AM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Exclusives, MMA News  No Responses »
Jul 142011
 

MMA Gospel's Matt Homeyer chatted with Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard about where he stands amongst the top 185ers in the world. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

“Shango” Hector Lombard (27-2) is a name that has been on the lips of MMA fans more and more recently and oddly enough it hasn’t been to talk about another one of “Shango’s” highlight reel knockouts, but rather the fact that the Bellator Middleweight Champion called out “The Great” Nate Marquardt (31-10) shortly after Nate’s release from the UFC. Lombard, who is considered by many fans to be one of the most dangerous strikers in the sport, seemed to jump at the fact that Marquardt had been released by the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion and was almost instantly looking to fight against the former UFC middleweight contender. Just days after Lombard called out the former top contender, Matt Homeyer of MMA Gospel talked to the current Bellator champ about what drew him into MMA, the upcoming Bellator Season 5 tournament, and, of course, Nate Marquardt. Continue reading »

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