Dec 212012
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 »
Mar 282011
So, I’m moving this week. It sucks. I don’t own a lot of stuff but when you have to pack it up, you suddenly wish you were a monk…. Okay, maybe a monk with a really kick ass laptop but still. Anyway, I’m still writing my column just for you guys. I hope you appreciate it. I also won’t be able to attend to my normal MMA Gospel Radio show co-hosting duties this Wednesday but before you start weeping, relax – your buddy, your hero, yours truly has arranged for a very special treat for you in my absence. Filling in for me will be none other than the man who saved us from communism at WEC 53 and is so witty that he has been featured in UFC’s Tweets of the Week column for over four months running, UFC lightweight bad ass “Dannyboy” Downes! You’re welcome. I give and I give and I’m still as poor as a monk but with a lot more shit – as I believe I mentioned. So, enough of my whining… there are a lot of fights to get to. UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs. Davis, Bellator 38, Titan Fighting Championship 17, and M-1 Global’s debut Challenge show on Showtime. Continue reading »
Mar 162011
"The Great" Nate Marquardt (top) hopes the third time is a charm as he takes on Dan Miller at UFC 128 in hopes of being the front runner for another shot at the UFC middleweight title. (Photo courtesy of Dave Mandel and Sherdog)
Three months into 2011 and the UFC is still bringing the fans another stacked card of fights with UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones. PRIDE veteran “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (27-9-2) challenges former NFL player and The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 finalist “The Hybrid” Brendan Schaub (6-1). “The Mongoose” Jim Miller (19-2) greets former WEC lightweight “The Prince of Persia” Kamal Shalorus (7-0-2) with the intentions of showing that he should be granted the next shot at the lightweight title. WEC bantamweights and crowd favorites collide when “The California Kid” Urijah Faber (24-4) and Eddie Wineland (17-6-1) meet for the first time inside the UFC Octagon. And in the main event, challenger “Bones” Jon Jones (12-1) steps in on month’s notice in attempt to seize the UFC light heavyweight crown from Pride FC veteran “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (19-4). In an originally unplanned match-up, New Jersey’s own Dan Miller (13-4) answers the call to replace “Sexyama” Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-4) on short notice when he tests himself against top ten middleweight “The Great” Nate Marquardt (30-10-2). With Marquardt still pushing for a title shot, Miller seeks to derail “The Great” one and pull off one of the largest upsets in his career. Continue reading »