Jan 202013
 
Ildemar Alcantara (red trunks) secured a fight-ending Kneebar over fellow Brazilian Wagner Prado (gray trunks) to earn the win and "Submission of the Night". (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

Ildemar Alcantara (red trunks) secured a fight-ending Kneebar over fellow Brazilian Wagner Prado (gray trunks) to earn the win and “Submission of the Night”. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The following fight bonuses were awarded for UFC on FX 7: Belfort vs. Bisping

Submission of the Night:

Ildemar Alcantara (over Wagner Prado) receives $50,000

Knockout of the Night:

Vitor Belfort (over Michael Bisping) receives $50,000

Fight of the Night:

CB Dollaway and Daniel Sarafian each receive $50,000

Click here for the full list of UFC on FX 7 results.

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Jan 172013
 
Vitor Belfort (black shorts) is one of the most brutal strikers in UFC history and his three first round wins since returning prove he is still very much a contender. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

Vitor Belfort (black shorts) is one of the most brutal strikers in UFC history and his three first-round wins since returning prove he is still very much a contender. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

Back in Brazil for the fifth time in the Zuffa era, the UFC has set its seventh offering on the FX cable network for January 19. This time Thiago Tavares (17-4-1) will start the show against “The Eagle” Khabib Nurmagomedov (18-0) followed by a heavyweight showdown between “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (13-6) and “Big” Ben Rothwell (32-8). Following the Brazil vs. the world theme of the evening, the de facto co-main will see TUF: Brazil standout Daniel Sarafian (7-2) face TUF 7 alumni “The Doberman” CB Dollaway (12-4). Capping off the event is a marquee feature with major title implications as “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort (21-10) looks to blast his way into another shot at the middleweight crown by handing “The Count” Michael Bisping (23-4) his second KO loss. The wily Brit of course has other ideas as he is certain that destiny will one day award him the 185lbs. crown. Continue reading »

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Jan 162013
 
Daniel Sarafian (white trunks) may not have the kind of power needed to threaten CB Dollaway on the feet, but he has no reason to hold back and not go for broke at UFC on FX 7. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

Daniel Sarafian (left) may not have the kind of power needed to threaten CB Dollaway on the feet, but he has no reason to hold back and not go for broke at UFC on FX 7. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

The UFC hits the airwaves again just seven days following its final consumption of former rival promotion Strikeforce to bring the fans of Sao Paulo, Brazil a night of bouts headlined by brutal KO artist “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort (21-10) and savvy British striker “The Count” Michael Bisping (23-4). UFC on FX 7 offers fight fans an additional trio of quality MMA pairings on the main card starting with Thiago Tavares (17-4-1) against “The Eagle” Khabib Nurmagomedov (18-0). Next out, “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (13-6) looks to continue rebuilding his stock in the UFC, this time at the expense of struggling heavyweight “Big” Ben Rothwell (32-8). The de facto co-main event of the evening features “The Doberman” CB Dollaway (12-4) against UFC newcomer Daniel Sarafian (7-2). While Sarafian appears a rather easy mark for the far more accomplished TUF 7 finalist, Dollaway is hardly in a position to take any opponent for granted, especially a hungry young blood eager to spit in the odds makers’ faces.

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Jan 142013
 
Though he has the ability to stand and trade, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Thiago Tavares (white shorts) is better suited to take the fight to the mat where he can lock in a submission. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

Though he has the ability to stand and trade, BJJ black belt Thiago Tavares (white shorts) is better suited to take the fight to the mat where he can lock in a submission. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

January 19 the UFC returns to Sao Paulo, Brazil to invade the Geraldo Jose de Almeida State Gymnasium for a battle of the nations. The UFC on FX 7 main event is slated to be a title contention bout for the seemingly unattainable middleweight belt as Old Guard fighter and former UFC light heavyweight king “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort (21-10) puts on a show for his native fans as he takes on England’s trash-talking top contender “The Count” Michael Bisping (23-4). Preceding the marquee match-up is TUF 7 alumni “The Doberman” CB Dollaway (12-4) battling fellow submission expert Daniel Sarafian (7-2) in front of the latter’s hometown crowd. Former heavyweight title contender and long-time UFC veteran “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (13-6) and aptly-nicknamed IFL veteran “Big” Ben Rothwell (32-8) will go to war in the evening’s anchor bout, while opening honors go to UFC veteran Thiago Tavares (17-4) and the well-versed, undefeated “The Eagle” Khabib Nurmagomedov (18-0) to start off the night with a likely barn burner for the international audience.

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Jan 122013
 
(Photo courtesy of Fighters Only)

(Photo courtesy of Fighters Only)

Friday night The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada played host to the fifth annual Fighters Only MMA Awards. The awards focused on the best the world of mixed martial arts had to offer during the entire 2012 calendar year, with the 21 categories honoring fighters, media organizations, apparel companies, technical equipment, and much more. The winners though were determined by fan votes. Check out the full list of 2012 World MMA Awards below, and tune in to Fox Sports Net on January 20 to catch the ceremony broadcast. Continue reading »

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Sep 232012
 

Vitor Belfort (white shorts) shocked the world by nearly finishing Jon Jones (red trunks) with a first-round Armbar that injured the champ for the first time in his career. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

UFC 152 was a night filled with an interesting dichotomy of events. Many things went exactly as the fans expected them to but shocked them out of their seats at the exact same time. For instance, much of the MMA world expected “Bones” Jon Jones (17-1) to dominate the aging “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort (21-10). He did, but not before the renowned striker locked in a deep Armbar from the bottom and did serious damage to the champion’s elbow and the nerves in his biceps. The UFC Flyweight Championship  was expected to be a lightning fast, technical affair and it delivered despite the boos of some uneducated fans. However, the manner in which “Mighty Mouse” Demetrious Johnson (16-2-1) dismantled Joseph Benavidez (16-3) and out-wrestled the Alpha Male standout was a shock to even Johnson’s staunch supporters. “All-American” Brian Stann (12-5) was able to land some heavy leather on the supposedly glass jaw of “The Count” Michael Bisping (23-4), but the Brit was still successful in controlling the pace and winning convincingly. Perhaps the only fight that went exactly as expected in every way was “The Hammer” Matt Hamill’s (11-4) ho-hum decision victory against “The Hulk” Roger Hollett (13-4). The opening fight between Cub Swanson (18-5) and “Do Bronx” Charles Oliveira (16-3-1) was contested at a catchweight due to problems with Oliveira’s weight cut, but he seemed no worse for wear in the Octagon. Then Swanson shattered his orbital with a right hand and sent “Do Bronx” crashing to the mat and handing him his first loss at 145. Winning isn’t everything, especially in the UFC. Sometimes a winning fighter still fails to achieve his potential rewards and sometimes a loser advances his career more than he could have with a pair of back-to-back wins. To explore this, MMA Gospel has The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Continue reading »

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Sep 222012
 

(Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

—MAIN CARD (on Pay-Per-View @ 10:00pm ET)—

Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort: Jones via Submission (Americana), Round 4, 0:54

Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson: Johnson via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46), Round 5, 5:00

Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann: Bisping via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00

Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett: Hamill via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00

Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira: Swanson via KO (Punch), Round 1, 2:40 Continue reading »

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Sep 222012
 

(Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The UFC has had a tumultuous month riddled with injuries, fight cancellations, and the drama surrounding the demise of UFC 151. Through it all, though, the world’s top mixed martial arts promotion persevered, and tonight returns to action in Ontario, Toronto, Canada to present UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort to the eagerly awaiting fans in the Air Canada Centre and across the world watching via Pay-Per-View. Getting things started is WEC veteran Cub Swanson (17-5) facing off with the submission savvy “Do Bronx” Charles Oliveira (16-2) in a featherweight match-up. Next, TUF 3 contestant “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (10-4) returns from a year-long retirement to welcome Bellator transplant “The Hulk” Roger Hollett (13-3) to the Octagon. Anchoring the main card is a middleweight strikers’ duel between British bad boy “The Count” Michael Bisping (22-4) and bonafide US military hero “All-American” Brian Stann (12-4), with the winner hoping to have his name thrown into the title contention hat. The co-main event is quite literally one for the record books, as Joseph Benavidez (16-2) and “Mighty Mouse” Demetrious Johnson (15-2-1) square off the the inaugural UFC Flyweight Championship title. Capping off the night is the somewhat unexpected pairing of reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Bones” Jon Jones (16-1) and Old Guard fighter and former champ “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort (21-9). Who will come out on top? Only time will tell, but for now the staff of MMA Gospel takes a stab at predicting who will reign victorious and who will be sent packing. Continue reading »

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