Spilled Bag of Fights: Is Joey Beltran’s Mustache Good for the Sport?

 Posted by at 4:13 PM  Spilled Bag of Fights  No Responses »
Jan 302012
 

Is Joey Beltran’s mustache good for the sport? Does it make him look too Mexican? Does it alienate the non-Hispanic MMA fans? In case you haven’t picked up on it, I’m being sarcastic.

Back before I became an MMA journalist pundit …whatever the fuck it is I do, things were different. 98% of my Twitter followers didn’t know what MMA was or weren’t fans. Now, my Twitter feed is nothing but MMA fans. At first I enjoyed discussing upcoming fights and being in the loop on the latest news but coming up on two years since the birth of SBoI, I have to deal with the other side of it. The dark side… (cue over-dramatic music)  A lot of MMA fans tend to over-analyze everything and make mountains out of molehills. Especially when it comes to what is or isn’t “good for the sport”. If some MMA fans obsessed over their children’s every action the way they do everything that happens in MMA, their kids would grow up to be neurotic freaks; possibly serial killers. MMA is gonna be fine. It’s time to cut the apron strings and let your baby grow up and you know, just try and enjoy it. Chael doing a Superstar Billy Graham isn’t going to ruin the sport. Relax. You have to realize that the so-called “casual” fans or potential future fans aren’t paying attention to all this minutia the way we sick bastards are. Anyway, feel free to continue being obsessed just try to do it with a sense of joy, passion, and humor rather than neurotic angst. If you can’t do that, try to keep it off my Twitter timeline. I’d appreciate it, you doughy wankers! (courtesy of @sonnench) Continue reading »

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UFC on FOX 2: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

 Posted by at 2:03 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Jan 292012
 
Rashad Evans (black shorts) clearly controlled every aspect of the fight against Phil Davis (pink shorts), winning a 50-45 decision on all three judges’ scorecards. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The UFC on FOX 2 card went down at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois and the fans of MMA around the world were treated to a night of solid mixed martial arts on Fuel TV and FOX. Unfortunately for the UFC, all of the fight bonus winners and the most casual fan friendly bouts aired as part of the prelims on the much smaller Fuel TV network and the FOX network showed three technical but less than entertaining fights that went the distance. “All American” Chris Weidman (8-0) used superior wrestling and solid stand-up to edge out Demian Maia (14-4) with a Unanimous Decision. The consensus number one contender Chael Sonnen (26-11-1) stamped his ticket to another showdown with middleweight king “The Spider” Anderson Silva (29-4) by earning a Unanimous Decision over top British middleweight “The Count” Michael Bisping (22-4). In the main event, “Sugar” Rashad Evans (17-1-1) put on a dominant five-round performance against “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis (8-1) to earn himself a unanimous nod from the three judges cageside. The card may have fallen short of the UFC’s expectations, but the story may be different for the fighters themselves. Continue reading »

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UFC on FOX 2 Fight Bonuses

 Posted by at 1:56 AM  UFC  No Responses »
Jan 292012
 

Charles Oliveira (green trunks) earned "Submission of the Night" honors for pulling off a rarely seen Calf Splicer over Eric Wisely (white trunks) in the first round of their prelim bout. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The following fight bonuses were awarded for UFC on FOX 2:

Submission of the Night:
Charles Oliveira (over Eric Wisely) receives $65,000

Knockout of the Night:
Lavar Johnson (over Joey Beltran) receives $65,000

Fight of the Night:
Evan Dunham and Nik Lentz each receive $65,000

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UFC on FOX 2: Evans vs. Davis Live Results

 Posted by at 3:12 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Jan 282012
 

(Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

—MAIN CARD (on FOX)—

Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis: Evans via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45), Round 5, 5:00

Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping: Sonnen via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00

Demian Maia vs. Chris Weidman: Weidman via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00*

Continue reading »

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UFC on FOX 2 Weigh-In Results

 Posted by at 4:54 PM  UFC  No Responses »
Jan 272012
 

Tomorrow night's UFC on FOX 2 main event sees Rashad Evans (left) and Phil Davis (right) face off, with the winner getting the next shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship title. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

—MAIN CARD (on FOX)—

Rashad Evans: 205lbs.
Phil Davis: 205lbs.

Chael Sonnen: 185lbs.
Michael Bisping: 185lbs.

Demian Maia: 186lbs.
Chris Weidman: 185lbs. Continue reading »

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UFC on FOX 2 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping

 Posted by at 6:48 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Jan 262012
 

Chael Sonnen (white trunks) represents a very dangerous threat to Michael Bisping, who has given up what would have been a much less risky fight against Demian Maia for a chance at a UFC title shot. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

UFC on FOX 2: Evans vs. Davis will take place Saturday at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois as the UFC delivers its second official offering of its multi-year deal with FOX. Chris Weidman (7-0) will face Demian Maia (14-3) on short notice to open the night’s broadcast with what will likely develop into a ground battle between wrestler and submission artist. Two title shots will also be on the line as “Sugar” Rashad Evans (16-1-1) squares off with “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis (8-0) in the main event and “The Count” Michael Bisping (22-3) replaces an injured “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Mark Munoz (10-2) against Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) in the co-main. With a potential title shot up for grabs, Bisping jumped at the chance to bow out of his previously scheduled bout with Demian Maia and face the Team Quest fighter. However, Chael Sonnen has made no secret of the fact that he will let nothing stand between him and the “12 lbs. of gold” around “The Spider” Anderson Silva’s (29-4) waist. Continue reading »

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Chael Sonnen Hosts Seminar, Private Workout For Clay Guida’s MMA Stop Fitness

 Posted by at 6:43 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Jan 252012
 

Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen (front center) took time from his pre-UFC on FOX 2 fight preparations to visit with fans at Clay Guida's (back center) MMA Stop Fitness in Crest Hill, Illinois. (MMA Gospel File Photo)

Last night outspoken middleweight contender Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) took time out from his packed schedule in the week leading up to his UFC on FOX 2 bout against “The Count” Michael Bisping (22-3) to hold a mini-seminar, private workout, and autograph signing for the fans and fighters at “The Carpenter” Clay Guida’s (29-12) MMA Stop Fitness in the Chicago suburb of Crest Hill.

Though a busy week preparing for his fight limited the affair to just two hours and a few dozen people, it was another prominent display of how top level MMA fighters remain accessible to their fans despite continued mainstream growth in the sport. In his seminar, Sonnen covered wrestling drills and a few other training tips as well as how to handle stepping into the big show. With a series of questions he addressed handling the bright lights saying, “Are you the toughest guy in your family? If that guy [your UFC opponent] comes over are you now the second toughest? Does he get to take the remote and hold the Doritos? Of course not! If you can beat him in your house, then you can beat him Saturday night in the Octagon, it’s no different.”  Chael Sonnen gave the members of the gym more than just the two hours promised despite becoming physically ill after his workout. Continue reading »

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