Paulo Filho: Against Himself

 Posted by at 6:56 PM  Features, MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 242011
 

Long considered one of the most talented middleweights in the world, "Eli" Paulo Filho (top) has been his own worst enemy throughout his career. (Photo courtesy of DREAM)

“Eli” Paulo Filho (22-4) was at one time considered the number two middleweight in the world, directly under countryman and UFC middleweight ruler “The Spider” Anderson Silva (29-4). But that was in 2008 – before his first professional loss to the Kryptonite of the MMA kings, Chael Sonnen (25-11). Prior to that loss he was in the midst of one of the longest dominating streaks in the world with 16 consecutive victories, eight by stoppage. Many believed he was the only man to prove a true challenge to “The Spider”, but as he stepped on the scale for his WEC 36 weigh-in for what would be the final middleweight fight before the promotion dropped the larger weight classes, “Eli” began losing his footing at the top of the middleweight mountain, and rumors regarding his descent swirled overhead.

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“Semtex” Paul Daley Misses Weight; Forfeits Title Shot at BAMMA 5

 Posted by at 5:28 PM  Features, MMA News, Strikeforce  1 Response »
Feb 252011
 

"Semtex" Paul Daley came in 2lbs. over weight for his title fight against Yuya Shirai in tomorrow night's BAMMA 5 main event. (Photo courtesy of Lee Whitehead and MMA Weekly)

For the fifth time in “Semtex” Paul Daley’s (23-10-2) past 11 fights, the British slugger has missed weight. And this time, not even an extra hour made a difference.

Daley was slated to take on DEEP Welterweight Champion Yuya Shirai (13-8) in the main event tomorrow night for the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts’ (BAMMA) currently vacant welterweight title at BAMMA 5 in Manchester, England. But during today’s event weigh-ins, Daley came in at 172lbs. – two pounds over the limit – reportedly due to his hotel’s malfunctioning sauna. He was given an hour to drop the additional weight, during which he reportedly traveled to another location in attempt to shed the extra pounds in a working sauna. His second attempt on the scale rendered a reading of 170.4lbs., which still exceeds the limit for a title fight. Consequently what was scheduled to be a five-round title fight is now reduced to a non-title three-round affair. Shirai on the other hand made weight, coming in at 169.6lbs. Continue reading »

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Bellator: The Draft, Part Three

 Posted by at 12:17 PM  Bellator, Features, MMA News  No Responses »
Dec 252010
 

(Bellator logo courtesy of Bellator, with title addition by MMA Gospel)

MMA Gospel concludes the Bellator: The Draft series by covering a few much needed additions to the promotion’s heavier weight divisions. The Bellator Fighting Championship (BFC) roster thins a bit at the top and new talent is severely needed to maintain the interest of the promotion’s divisional champions. The middleweight division relies almost solely on champion “Shango” Hector Lombard (25-2-1) to bring in viewers, the promotion currently has no light heavyweight division to speak of, and its heavyweight roster consists of “The Polar Bear” Cole Konrad (7-0), “Goliath” Neil Grove (10-3), and the one-and-done fighters who essentially utilize the organization to pad their records. These heavier classes are the divisions where Bellator needs the most work. Here are a few key players that could help bulk up the heavier weight classes to help Bellator more closely compete with rival MMA organizations. Continue reading »

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Paul Daley: From Villain to Contender?

 Posted by at 5:17 AM  MMA News  1 Response »
Nov 272010
 

British welterweight Paul Daley (top) once blasted through the UFC until post-fight misconduct toward Josh Koscheck earned him a pink slip. Now, "Semtex" looks to build his way back up in the ranks with his Strikeforce debut against Scott Smith next Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

When British welterweight slugger “Semtex” Paul Daley (22-10-2) is mentioned, several things come to mind: wicked left hook, knockout power, smack-talker…But what about sucker punch, bad sportsman, and sore loser?

Daley is most remembered for his run through the UFC’s welterweight division, TKO’ing former top contenders “The Hitman” Martin Kampmann (17-4) and “McLovin” Dustin Hazelett (15-6) and quickly climbing up the ranks in the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion.  However, he unfortunately is remembered even more so for the unsportsmanlike sucker punch he intentionally threw at Josh Koscheck’s (15-4-0) head after the final bell had already rang in their bout at UFC 113 this last spring. Much to Daley’s dismay, Koscheck utilized his skills as an NCAA Div. I National Champion to out-wrestle his opponent and nullify “Semtex” on the mat for the majority of the 15-minute match. His frustration with the fight as well as some brash comments by “Kos” caused the Brit to lash out and clock his adversary as he was returning to his corner. The incident was ill-perceived by the MMA community, the athletic commission, and UFC President Dana White, who consequently issued Daley his walking papers. Continue reading »

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40 And Pro: Randy Thorsvig Lives His Dream

 Posted by at 1:47 PM  MMA News  1 Response »
Oct 282010
 

Forty-year-old Randy Thorsvig (center) successfully made his professional MMA debut, defeating opponent Jason Cook via Kimura in the first round at Saturday's Impact FC inaugural event. (Photo courtesy of Randy Thorsvig)

Randy Thorsvig is a man who has overcome alcoholism, morbid obesity, and being confined to a wheelchair.  He is a man that had a dream to feel the glory of fighting in a cage.   He is a man who faced the odds, and won.

Thorsvig made his professional MMA debut when he faced Jason Cook (then 0-0) at the North Dakota-based Impact Fighting Championship’s inaugural event, IFC: Inception last Saturday in Bismarck.  The 40-year-old Randy silenced naysayers when he put on a dominant performance, submitting Cook with a Kimura  just past the two-minute mark in the very first round.

After our previous coverage of Randy’s then-upcoming fight, MMA Gospel got the change to sit down with him yet again to see how he feels about his long-anticipated debut in the professional mixed martial arts world, his future in the sport, and much more. Continue reading »

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W-1 Pre-Fight Breakdown:New Ground

 Posted by at 10:57 PM  MMA News  No Responses »
Oct 182010
 

MMA is big with our neighbors to the north. So big, in fact, that the fan base has managed to overturn many MMA bans within just a few short months whereas a similar feat has taken US fans almost a decade. With a fan base this strong, it’s only logical that several solid Canadian-based MMA promotions have begun to climb the ranks. One such promotion is Warrior One MMA (W-1). W-1 normally holds their cards in Quebec, but on Saturday, October 23, the cage travels to Halifax, Nova Scotia for W-1: New Ground. The card is filled with some well known international MMA stars as well as some of the best Canadian MMA names. The main event is a heavyweight battle between Strikeforce veteran “The Grim” Brett Rogers (10-2), who has been forced to step out of Strikeforce after back-to-back losses to “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-2) and “The Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (30-12), and fellow slugger “Warpath” Ruben Villareal (18-18-3). The card also features “Ninja” Murilo Rua (17-10-1) who is coming to North America for the first time since the collapse of Elite XC, and is chock full of Canadian all-stars and up-and-comers. Continue reading »

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Counting Out Ken: Why “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” is Far From Done

 Posted by at 10:10 PM  MMA News  11 Responses »
Oct 042010
 

Ken Shamrock damages Don Frye's ACL with a heel hook in what was an outstanding performance despite the loss. (file photo)

It’s been a long hard road for “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock (27-14-2).  From his first appearance against Masakatsu Funaki (39-12-1) at Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 1 in September of 1993 to his recent dismantlement by “The Rock” Pedro Rizzo (18-9) at Impact FC 2: The Uprising in July of this year, Ken Shamrock has faced 31 separate opponents ranging from the legendary Royce Gracie (14-3-3) and “El Guapo” Bas Rutten (28-4-1) to modern era superstars “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-7-1) and ”Ace” Rich Franklin (27-5).  He has recently fallen on hard times, however, dropping five of his last six outings and posting a meager 3-8 record since the turn of the century.  This has led many fans and journalists to implore the UFC hall-of-famer to hang up his four-ounce gloves for good.  Shamrock sees it differently. In fact he believes the exact opposite.  He doesn’t believe that he should stop fighting, he told Sherdog.com that he should fight more…and I, for one, believe him. Continue reading »

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