With UFC 97 over and done with, I am here to give my thoughts on what was a pretty solid event. I only went 7-5 on my picks, so I'm sorry for anyone that went with my picks for bets, this is the worse I have done on a card since I started making picks. We didn't get to see any prelims other than Stout/Wiman, so I will give quick results for the preliminary bouts.
Stout defeats Wiman via decision
TJ Grant defeats Ryo Chonan via decision
Mark Bocek defeats David Bielkheden via submission
Ed Herman defeats David Loiseau via decision
Nate Quarry defeats Jason McDonald via tko
Denis Kang defeats Xavier Foupa-Pokam via decision
Eliot Marshall defeats Vinny Magalhaes via decision
Now for the main card. First fight of the night was Luiz Cane taking on Steve Cantwell. I honestly thought that Cane would win in dominating fashion, but Cantwell looked pretty good. In the second round Cantwell almost finished him off, but wasn't able to get it done, and went on to lose by decision. I would like to see Cane matched up with Thiago Silva in the future if Cane wins his next fight and Silva gets defeated by Forrest at UFC 101.
Next up was Cheick Kongo going up against Antoni Hardonk. Just like we seen in Kongo's last fight against Al-Turk, he is getting very good with his take down defense. He dominated the entire fight, and was able to take down Hardonk and pound him out for the technical knock out early in the second round.
Third fight of the night pitted former WEC Champion Brian Stann against TUF alumni Krzysztof Soszynski. I have to say, Krzysztof looked great against Stann. I honestly didn't know what to expect from him, but it looks like training at Team Quest has really helped him out, as he took down Stann and tapped him out using his favorite technique, the kimura.
The co-main event of the night might as well of been called the main event. A lot of questions were to be answered in this fight. Is Chuck too old? Will Shogun ever be back in top condition? This fight lived up to it's expectations. Shogun took down Chuck early, and then proceeded to trade strikes with him. Rua looked great, threw some kicks, and then caught Liddell with a punch, pounced on him, and picked up the tko. All I could think was, "Shogun is back baby!" I would like to see his next fight be against Jardine, it would be a good test for him.
The main event of the evening was pretty controversial, but not for reasons similar to BJ/GSP II, as Anderson Silva defended his Middleweight Title against Thales Leites. Patrick Cote had been the only man to ever get past the second round with Anderson, and no man had ever made it through the third. This fight went all five rounds to a decision, and it wasn't because Thales was putting up a fight. He would constantly drop to his back and lay there as Anderson would just stare at him and the ref would stand him up. When they were on the fight, Thales would basically run the entire fight staying away from Anderson, so Silva really didn't have anything to do, so he decided to start dancing...and oddly enough punching Thales in the legs. It was honestly the most awkward fight I have ever seen, and I'm still not really sure what to think about it.
That's it for my wrap up of UFC 97, be sure to check out AuthorityMag.com, and have a blessed day.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
UFC 97 Preview
This Saturday the UFC will return to Canada with UFC 97. Headlining the event is the UFC’s best pound for pound fighter Anderson “The Spider” Silva defending his prestigious middleweight title against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Thales Leites. Before I touch on that fight though, let me run through the rest of the card.
The first fight of the night has Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout (13-5) going up against “Handsome” Matt Wiman (10-4). Stout is coming into this bout off of two losses. One of those being to Rich Clementi, and the other to Terry Etim. Wiman will enter the fight coming off of a lose to Jim Miller, however at UFC 85 Wiman knocked out Thiago Tavares. Wiman is a tough guy, he has only been finished once in his career, and that was to Spencer Fisher. I see him keeping the fight standing, and picking up a knockout victory over Stout.
Second fight of the night has former Pride fighter Ryo Chonan (16-8) taking on UFC new comer TJ Grant (13-2). I see Ryo walking away with the win in this one. He is a very seasoned veteran who has had fights with MMA greats such as Dan Henderson and Carlos Newton. What he is most remembered for though is his win over UFC champion Anderson Silva in Pride where he defeated him with a flying scissors heel hook. I see Ryo winning this fight by decision.
Next up we have Mark Bocek (6-2) fighting David Bielkheden (13-6). Both fighters are coming into this fight off of wins and are looking to further prove themselves to UFC management. They are fairly evenly matched, but I give a slight edge to Bocek in this one. He has excellent Jiu-Jitsu, he has won four out of his six career wins by submission. I’m going with Bocek by submission.
I’m very excited about this next fight, but am upset with UFC for not having it over the main card over Krzystof and Stann. It is the return of “The Crow” David Loiseau (18-8) taking on Ed Herman (16-6). For those not familiar with Loiseau, he has some of the fiercest elbows in all of MMA, you don’t want this guy on top of you. Herman is also a very exciting fighter, with only three of his professional fights going to decision. Herman is coming into this bout off of two straight losses to Maia and Belcher, so he should be looking for a win if he wants to keep his job. I think that Loiseau will be able to get him to the ground and pound him out for the victory. I’m going with Loiseau by TKO.
Fifth fight of the night puts Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald (22-11) up against Nate Quarry (16-3). MacDonald holds three Submission of the Night honors, and is coming into this fight off of a first round TKO loss against Wilson Gouveia. Quarry also enters the fight off of a lose to BJJ expert Demian Maia. This is a very close fight to call, but I think Quarry will control the fight with his wrestling and come away with a TKO or decision win.
Next up is former Pride fighter Denis Kang (31-11) welcoming to the UFC “Professor X” Xavier Foupa-Pokam (20-9). Kang made his much anticipated UFC debut at UFC 93 against Alan Belcher, where he dominated the fight up until getting caught in a guillotine by Belcher. Xavier is currently riding a seven fight win streak, and looks to keep the momentum going by taking out a proven fighter like Kang. Xavier has a lot of potential, but his whole career he has been fighting at small shows, and I think he is going to be nervous fighting in front of a large crowd for the first time. I have to go with Kang in this one due to experience.
The last prelim of the night pits two TUF alumni against each other when Eliot Marshall (6-2) takes on Vinny Magalhaes (3-3). Marshall had a successful UFC debut when he choked out Jules Bruchez, while Vinny came up short in his UFC debut after getting knocked out by Ryan Bader. I feel that Marshall is a better all around fighter, but I think that Vinny will be able to catch him with a submission and win this fight.
Now onto the main card. First fight has Steve Cantwell (7-1) versus Luiz Cane (10-1). Both men have looked very impressive as of late. Cantwell enters the fight after taking out Razak Al-Hassan in his last bout with an armbar. Cane was last seen in action against Sokoudjou, who he TKO’d in the second round. Cane’s only loss comes by way of DQ from an illegal knee to the face of James Irvin. While Cantwell certainly has a bright future, I think Cane will just be too much for him. I’m going with Cane by (T)ko
Next we have Cheick Kongo (23-4) taking on Antoni Hardonk (8-4) in what should be a slugfest. Both men are kick boxers that love to trade blows, so this fight should be nothing short of exciting. Kongo seems to get better every fight, and I think he will out strike Hardonk to walk away with his arm raised.
Third main card fight has Krzysztof Soszynski (16-8) fighting Brian Stann (6-1). Not to be disrespectful towards either fighter, but I’m more concerned with why this is on the main card as apposed to who I think will be victorious. I do believe that Stann will win via knock out.
The co-main event of the night features two world class strikers as “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell will battle against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. I think we all remember Liddell’s last fight where he received a vicious right hand by Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans that put him to sleep. Although Shogun won his last fight against Mark Coleman, he didn’t look so hot either, after he gassed early into the second round. The thing about Shogun is, while he was ranked as the number one Light Heavyweight in the world for a while, half of his game was soccer kicks which are not allowed in the UFC. In a way, Liddell is only fighting half of Shogun. With that being said, I am actually going with Shogun, I think that he will pull off the upset against Liddell. He has a lot to prove right now, and I don’t think he is taking this fight lightly what so ever. As long as he shows up in great shape, he has a great shot at taking out Chuck. However, if he shows up in the same shape he did against Coleman, Liddell will easily pick up a highlight reel knockout.
The main event of the evening has pound for pound king Anderson Silva defending his Middleweight Championship against BJJ expert Thales Leites. Leites is coming into this fight after winning his last five. He has great Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and has won nine of his fourteen wins by submission. However, I do not think he is a big threat to Anderson. I think the only way Silva loses this fight is by beating himself, by not taking Leites seriously. I think Anderson wins this fight easily.
So that wraps up my UFC 97 preview, I hope you all enjoy the fights. Be sure to check out the magazine I currently write for, MMA Authority Magazine. If there is any fighters you would like me to interview or any stories you would like me to cover, or if you simply want to give me some feedback on my work, feel free to email me at Kjohnston@authoritymag.com
The first fight of the night has Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout (13-5) going up against “Handsome” Matt Wiman (10-4). Stout is coming into this bout off of two losses. One of those being to Rich Clementi, and the other to Terry Etim. Wiman will enter the fight coming off of a lose to Jim Miller, however at UFC 85 Wiman knocked out Thiago Tavares. Wiman is a tough guy, he has only been finished once in his career, and that was to Spencer Fisher. I see him keeping the fight standing, and picking up a knockout victory over Stout.
Second fight of the night has former Pride fighter Ryo Chonan (16-8) taking on UFC new comer TJ Grant (13-2). I see Ryo walking away with the win in this one. He is a very seasoned veteran who has had fights with MMA greats such as Dan Henderson and Carlos Newton. What he is most remembered for though is his win over UFC champion Anderson Silva in Pride where he defeated him with a flying scissors heel hook. I see Ryo winning this fight by decision.
Next up we have Mark Bocek (6-2) fighting David Bielkheden (13-6). Both fighters are coming into this fight off of wins and are looking to further prove themselves to UFC management. They are fairly evenly matched, but I give a slight edge to Bocek in this one. He has excellent Jiu-Jitsu, he has won four out of his six career wins by submission. I’m going with Bocek by submission.
I’m very excited about this next fight, but am upset with UFC for not having it over the main card over Krzystof and Stann. It is the return of “The Crow” David Loiseau (18-8) taking on Ed Herman (16-6). For those not familiar with Loiseau, he has some of the fiercest elbows in all of MMA, you don’t want this guy on top of you. Herman is also a very exciting fighter, with only three of his professional fights going to decision. Herman is coming into this bout off of two straight losses to Maia and Belcher, so he should be looking for a win if he wants to keep his job. I think that Loiseau will be able to get him to the ground and pound him out for the victory. I’m going with Loiseau by TKO.
Fifth fight of the night puts Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald (22-11) up against Nate Quarry (16-3). MacDonald holds three Submission of the Night honors, and is coming into this fight off of a first round TKO loss against Wilson Gouveia. Quarry also enters the fight off of a lose to BJJ expert Demian Maia. This is a very close fight to call, but I think Quarry will control the fight with his wrestling and come away with a TKO or decision win.
Next up is former Pride fighter Denis Kang (31-11) welcoming to the UFC “Professor X” Xavier Foupa-Pokam (20-9). Kang made his much anticipated UFC debut at UFC 93 against Alan Belcher, where he dominated the fight up until getting caught in a guillotine by Belcher. Xavier is currently riding a seven fight win streak, and looks to keep the momentum going by taking out a proven fighter like Kang. Xavier has a lot of potential, but his whole career he has been fighting at small shows, and I think he is going to be nervous fighting in front of a large crowd for the first time. I have to go with Kang in this one due to experience.
The last prelim of the night pits two TUF alumni against each other when Eliot Marshall (6-2) takes on Vinny Magalhaes (3-3). Marshall had a successful UFC debut when he choked out Jules Bruchez, while Vinny came up short in his UFC debut after getting knocked out by Ryan Bader. I feel that Marshall is a better all around fighter, but I think that Vinny will be able to catch him with a submission and win this fight.
Now onto the main card. First fight has Steve Cantwell (7-1) versus Luiz Cane (10-1). Both men have looked very impressive as of late. Cantwell enters the fight after taking out Razak Al-Hassan in his last bout with an armbar. Cane was last seen in action against Sokoudjou, who he TKO’d in the second round. Cane’s only loss comes by way of DQ from an illegal knee to the face of James Irvin. While Cantwell certainly has a bright future, I think Cane will just be too much for him. I’m going with Cane by (T)ko
Next we have Cheick Kongo (23-4) taking on Antoni Hardonk (8-4) in what should be a slugfest. Both men are kick boxers that love to trade blows, so this fight should be nothing short of exciting. Kongo seems to get better every fight, and I think he will out strike Hardonk to walk away with his arm raised.
Third main card fight has Krzysztof Soszynski (16-8) fighting Brian Stann (6-1). Not to be disrespectful towards either fighter, but I’m more concerned with why this is on the main card as apposed to who I think will be victorious. I do believe that Stann will win via knock out.
The co-main event of the night features two world class strikers as “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell will battle against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. I think we all remember Liddell’s last fight where he received a vicious right hand by Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans that put him to sleep. Although Shogun won his last fight against Mark Coleman, he didn’t look so hot either, after he gassed early into the second round. The thing about Shogun is, while he was ranked as the number one Light Heavyweight in the world for a while, half of his game was soccer kicks which are not allowed in the UFC. In a way, Liddell is only fighting half of Shogun. With that being said, I am actually going with Shogun, I think that he will pull off the upset against Liddell. He has a lot to prove right now, and I don’t think he is taking this fight lightly what so ever. As long as he shows up in great shape, he has a great shot at taking out Chuck. However, if he shows up in the same shape he did against Coleman, Liddell will easily pick up a highlight reel knockout.
The main event of the evening has pound for pound king Anderson Silva defending his Middleweight Championship against BJJ expert Thales Leites. Leites is coming into this fight after winning his last five. He has great Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and has won nine of his fourteen wins by submission. However, I do not think he is a big threat to Anderson. I think the only way Silva loses this fight is by beating himself, by not taking Leites seriously. I think Anderson wins this fight easily.
So that wraps up my UFC 97 preview, I hope you all enjoy the fights. Be sure to check out the magazine I currently write for, MMA Authority Magazine. If there is any fighters you would like me to interview or any stories you would like me to cover, or if you simply want to give me some feedback on my work, feel free to email me at Kjohnston@authoritymag.com
Thursday, March 19, 2009
MMA Authority Blog Exclusive: Wanderlei Silva Interview
AB: This is Kalin Johnston from “MMA Authority” here with the former Pride Middleweight Champion, “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva. Wanderlei, how are you doing?
Wanderlei: Very good, very good.
AB: You have recently opened up your own gym in Vegas, how has that been working out?
Wanderlei: Yeah, I’m here now for training in the morning. My gym’s a big gym, I’m so happy with the space. It’s open for me and the other fighters. It’s a very good time.
AB: You have a fight coming up this June against Rich Franklin, how are you training for this bout, and what is your game plan for a good all around fighter like Franklin?
Wanderlei: You know, I have a lot of time. I’m concentrating all my training on Jiu-Jitz, box, Muay Thai, and all basics. I have the space now. I’m going to study his game, and have a plan for him. Rich Franklin is a very good opponent, I’m so happy with him. I watched his fight with Anderson, you know, I have watched a few other fights. He likes to fight in the stand up too. I know he is going to train for the fight. I know we will put on a very, very good show for the fans.
AB: You were undefeated for nearly five years in Pride Fighting Championship, which took place in a ring and allowed kicks to the head of a downed opponent, where as UFC is in a caged octagon and you can not kick a downed opponent in the head, which format do you enjoy more?
Wanderlei: I think you should be able to kick in the head, it’s a fun thing to do. I think in the future, they need to change it where you can knee in the head. You don’t have a lot of problems. A bunch has changed. But the kick on the ground is so aggressive, but knee in the ground you have no problems.
AB: You and Rampage have fought three times, each time being a war. You recently said you would like a fourth fight, how would you see that fight going?
Wanderlei: Of course, I’m going to fight him again. I have a very good time, now I want to fight him again of course. After one or two fights, I come back to fight him again. He needs to enjoy now, because the next time is a different time.
AB: You have fought a lot of opponents in your career, who is one fighter that stands out to you as someone you would like to fight that you haven’t crossed paths with yet?
Wanderlei: Rich Franklin is one of the guys I wanted to fight. He’s a tough guy. He’s an ex champion. He’s one of the guys I have never fight who I want to fight. It is a good fight for me, it is a good fight for him. I and him now have the same situation. He lose the last fight, I lose my last fight. It is a very important fight for us. It’s a good situation. I’m going to give my best, he going to give his best. I’m going to see my best time again. It is a very, very good fight.
AB: You have one of the fiercest nicknames in all of MMA, who came up with “The Axe Murderer?
Wanderlei: One of my old friends gave me the nickname, many, many, many times ago, many many years ago, you know, and it kind of stuck.
AB: Recently you have announced your move to middleweight, how do you feel you will do in the weight class?
Wanderlei: I think now it’s a different in weight, you know, 195 to 185, I talked to Dana White. Three events ago, I talked to him, I think he should create a class for 195. My normal weight is 208, and to cut down for 205, I don’t cut a lot of weight. And so for 185, it’s much different. 195 for me is perfect. I know there is a lot of divisions that have a lot of fighters, and maybe in the future he is going to create a division for 195. There is more fighters in my situation. 205 is good, but the guys in my division are 240 and they drop down for 205. There is a big difference now, then from five to seven years ago. You don’t have too much problems if you have fighters that weigh two, three, five pounds that doesn’t have a lot of difference.
AB: You are known for having intense stare downs, what goes through your head when you are standing across from your opponent?
Wanderlei: Yeah, I have a lot of concentration, a lot of focus. Every fight, I come to fight, it’s very important to me. Every event I fight is a big event. This time everyone is going to see my fight, I’ll work, this is very important for me because I’m training a lot of months. My best is this time. I have a concentration, I want it.
AB: You have been in many crazy fights throughout your career, which is the most memorable to you?
Wanderlei: I have a lot of fights, a lot of hard fights. But I have a very, very good time in the ring, and the octagon now, because I have fought with the best guys in the world. And it’s amazing. I think my first fight was a very good fight, my first and my second fight with Rampage was a great fight too. My first fight with Liddell was a good match. I have a lot of fights.
AB: What is your biggest motivation for fighting?
Wanderlei: I love to fight, this is my life. Every time after the fight I need to stop for maybe one or two or three weeks after the fight. I need to stop to recover in my body. Before I open my gym, I wake up in the morning, and I don’t know where I’m going, cause every day it’s the same thing. I drink my shake and go to training. This is my life. My motivation is the crowd, the crowd is incredible, the energy of the fans is amazing for me, I love it. In America much more, because here the fans is more crowd, more energy for the fans to the fighters. Every time I’m going into the octagon, I stop at the outside of the octagon and I watch the public, it’s amazing because every time it is sold out, there is twenty-thousand people, it’s a big crowd, this is the best motivation for me. I do not fight for the money, I have a good life. I have my gym, I make money outside the ring. Now I’m fighting because I love to fight.
AB: What do you enjoy doing outside of fighting?
Wanderlei: I love to read the books, I read a lot. I love to be with my fans. Stay with my wife. Because the days I’m training I don’t have a lot of time for relax, I love to stay with a lot of my family. And now I like to train with my students here in my gym, because I like giving classes to the beginners. It’s nice because you show the guys the right moves, I love to use my experience to help the new guys, it’s great for me.
AB: What is your prediction for the Shogun/Liddell fight?
Wanderlei: This is a very, very good fight. I’m so happy because I’m going to see this fight live, because I’m going to Canada, to Montreal, to promote my fight. And it’s a very good feeling to see the fight live, I’m a lucky man, no? It’s a big fight, it’s a very, very good fight. It’s a tough fight for both, Chuck is a very tough guy, he is an example for a lot of guys because he’s been here around nine years. He throws hard punches. I think it’s a very, very tough fight for Shogun. Shogun, I trained with him a lot of years, he is a very, very tough guy. I know he has a good chin, but he needs to train a lot because Chuck is a very, very tough guy. It’s an amazing fight. I mean, how many times has there been better and better cards, no? There is a lot of good fights, and now we have Rashad and Lyoto, a lot of good fights. Shogun and Liddell is a very, very good match. I can’t wait to see the fight.
AB: Thank you for taking the time for this interview, do you have any closing statements for your fans?
Wanderlei: Yeah, I want to say thanks to my fans, thanks for everyone that goes to my fights, they give me a good energy, a lot of it goes to my fans here in the United States. Understand that every time I do my best, I fight with my heart. I do my best to put on a good show for everybody. Every time, if I win or lose it don’t matter, because I love to fight, and I love to put on a show. But now I am training hard every day, and I want to invite everybody to my fight this June, I promise I’m going to give a very, very good show, and the fans are going to like it, they are going to love the fight. Thanks so much for the support from my fans.
Wanderlei: Very good, very good.
AB: You have recently opened up your own gym in Vegas, how has that been working out?
Wanderlei: Yeah, I’m here now for training in the morning. My gym’s a big gym, I’m so happy with the space. It’s open for me and the other fighters. It’s a very good time.
AB: You have a fight coming up this June against Rich Franklin, how are you training for this bout, and what is your game plan for a good all around fighter like Franklin?
Wanderlei: You know, I have a lot of time. I’m concentrating all my training on Jiu-Jitz, box, Muay Thai, and all basics. I have the space now. I’m going to study his game, and have a plan for him. Rich Franklin is a very good opponent, I’m so happy with him. I watched his fight with Anderson, you know, I have watched a few other fights. He likes to fight in the stand up too. I know he is going to train for the fight. I know we will put on a very, very good show for the fans.
AB: You were undefeated for nearly five years in Pride Fighting Championship, which took place in a ring and allowed kicks to the head of a downed opponent, where as UFC is in a caged octagon and you can not kick a downed opponent in the head, which format do you enjoy more?
Wanderlei: I think you should be able to kick in the head, it’s a fun thing to do. I think in the future, they need to change it where you can knee in the head. You don’t have a lot of problems. A bunch has changed. But the kick on the ground is so aggressive, but knee in the ground you have no problems.
AB: You and Rampage have fought three times, each time being a war. You recently said you would like a fourth fight, how would you see that fight going?
Wanderlei: Of course, I’m going to fight him again. I have a very good time, now I want to fight him again of course. After one or two fights, I come back to fight him again. He needs to enjoy now, because the next time is a different time.
AB: You have fought a lot of opponents in your career, who is one fighter that stands out to you as someone you would like to fight that you haven’t crossed paths with yet?
Wanderlei: Rich Franklin is one of the guys I wanted to fight. He’s a tough guy. He’s an ex champion. He’s one of the guys I have never fight who I want to fight. It is a good fight for me, it is a good fight for him. I and him now have the same situation. He lose the last fight, I lose my last fight. It is a very important fight for us. It’s a good situation. I’m going to give my best, he going to give his best. I’m going to see my best time again. It is a very, very good fight.
AB: You have one of the fiercest nicknames in all of MMA, who came up with “The Axe Murderer?
Wanderlei: One of my old friends gave me the nickname, many, many, many times ago, many many years ago, you know, and it kind of stuck.
AB: Recently you have announced your move to middleweight, how do you feel you will do in the weight class?
Wanderlei: I think now it’s a different in weight, you know, 195 to 185, I talked to Dana White. Three events ago, I talked to him, I think he should create a class for 195. My normal weight is 208, and to cut down for 205, I don’t cut a lot of weight. And so for 185, it’s much different. 195 for me is perfect. I know there is a lot of divisions that have a lot of fighters, and maybe in the future he is going to create a division for 195. There is more fighters in my situation. 205 is good, but the guys in my division are 240 and they drop down for 205. There is a big difference now, then from five to seven years ago. You don’t have too much problems if you have fighters that weigh two, three, five pounds that doesn’t have a lot of difference.
AB: You are known for having intense stare downs, what goes through your head when you are standing across from your opponent?
Wanderlei: Yeah, I have a lot of concentration, a lot of focus. Every fight, I come to fight, it’s very important to me. Every event I fight is a big event. This time everyone is going to see my fight, I’ll work, this is very important for me because I’m training a lot of months. My best is this time. I have a concentration, I want it.
AB: You have been in many crazy fights throughout your career, which is the most memorable to you?
Wanderlei: I have a lot of fights, a lot of hard fights. But I have a very, very good time in the ring, and the octagon now, because I have fought with the best guys in the world. And it’s amazing. I think my first fight was a very good fight, my first and my second fight with Rampage was a great fight too. My first fight with Liddell was a good match. I have a lot of fights.
AB: What is your biggest motivation for fighting?
Wanderlei: I love to fight, this is my life. Every time after the fight I need to stop for maybe one or two or three weeks after the fight. I need to stop to recover in my body. Before I open my gym, I wake up in the morning, and I don’t know where I’m going, cause every day it’s the same thing. I drink my shake and go to training. This is my life. My motivation is the crowd, the crowd is incredible, the energy of the fans is amazing for me, I love it. In America much more, because here the fans is more crowd, more energy for the fans to the fighters. Every time I’m going into the octagon, I stop at the outside of the octagon and I watch the public, it’s amazing because every time it is sold out, there is twenty-thousand people, it’s a big crowd, this is the best motivation for me. I do not fight for the money, I have a good life. I have my gym, I make money outside the ring. Now I’m fighting because I love to fight.
AB: What do you enjoy doing outside of fighting?
Wanderlei: I love to read the books, I read a lot. I love to be with my fans. Stay with my wife. Because the days I’m training I don’t have a lot of time for relax, I love to stay with a lot of my family. And now I like to train with my students here in my gym, because I like giving classes to the beginners. It’s nice because you show the guys the right moves, I love to use my experience to help the new guys, it’s great for me.
AB: What is your prediction for the Shogun/Liddell fight?
Wanderlei: This is a very, very good fight. I’m so happy because I’m going to see this fight live, because I’m going to Canada, to Montreal, to promote my fight. And it’s a very good feeling to see the fight live, I’m a lucky man, no? It’s a big fight, it’s a very, very good fight. It’s a tough fight for both, Chuck is a very tough guy, he is an example for a lot of guys because he’s been here around nine years. He throws hard punches. I think it’s a very, very tough fight for Shogun. Shogun, I trained with him a lot of years, he is a very, very tough guy. I know he has a good chin, but he needs to train a lot because Chuck is a very, very tough guy. It’s an amazing fight. I mean, how many times has there been better and better cards, no? There is a lot of good fights, and now we have Rashad and Lyoto, a lot of good fights. Shogun and Liddell is a very, very good match. I can’t wait to see the fight.
AB: Thank you for taking the time for this interview, do you have any closing statements for your fans?
Wanderlei: Yeah, I want to say thanks to my fans, thanks for everyone that goes to my fights, they give me a good energy, a lot of it goes to my fans here in the United States. Understand that every time I do my best, I fight with my heart. I do my best to put on a good show for everybody. Every time, if I win or lose it don’t matter, because I love to fight, and I love to put on a show. But now I am training hard every day, and I want to invite everybody to my fight this June, I promise I’m going to give a very, very good show, and the fans are going to like it, they are going to love the fight. Thanks so much for the support from my fans.
Monday, March 16, 2009
MMA Authority Blog Exclusive: Houston Alexander Interview
AB: This is Kalin Johnston from “MMA Authority” here with the always exciting, hard hitting, Houston “The Assassin” Alexander. Houston, how are you doing?
Houston: Ah man, I’m great man, it’s beautiful weather in Omaha, Nebraska right now, we’re up to seventy-five degrees.
AB: You have a fight coming up this May at UFC 98 against Andre Gusmao, how are you preparing to go up against a Brazilian Jujitsu fighter like him?
Houston: You know what, nothing has really changed with the way I’ve been training, except we have better partners and we have a great addition to our team, Jeremy Horn. So with Jeremy on, he brings a lot of jujitsu to the team, so nothing has changed except we have brought in another guy.
AB: You had an impressive winning streak going for quite sometime, but you have now lost your last three, how motivated are you to pick up the victory and get back to your winning ways?
Houston: 08 was garbage, it was a learning experience, and now hopefully in 09 we’ll be back on track, I got the experience and know the business, and we really do want to get back on track this following year here.
AB: You were a big underdog going into your fight against Keith Jardine, what was the first thing to go through your head when you knocked him out in the first minute of the first round?
Houston: It was an incredible feeling man, the first thing that went through my head was all the pain and suffering that I had training for the fight. It was grueling man, the training it was grueling, all the pain and suffering was gone, so it was a great feeling. The coaches, the team, they stepped up to the plate. I was happy for the coaches, I was happy for the family, I was just happy for the MMA world.
AB: Growing up, what inspired you to be a professional fighter?
Houston: Actually, I got into being a professional fighter on a dare. A friend of mine dared me to get in the ring with a guy some years ago because she knew that I wrestled and I boxed a little bit. So it was a friend who got me started into MMA, into professional fighting, I was sucked in, I was hooked ever since.
AB: If you could fight anyone in MMA, who would be your dream match up?
Houston: Ah man, I would love to fight Anderson.
AB: How do you see that fight going?
Houston: It would be a D*** good fight, both guys pretty good skilled guys standing up, I just think it would be a really good fight.
AB: You have donated one of your kidneys to your daughter, has that drawn you two closer, and does it affect your performance as a fighter?
Houston: It doesn’t affect my performance at all, and I’ve always been close to my daughter. Even an organ does not even bring us closer cause we have been close from day one. And it was just a blessing that I just happened to be a match for her.
AB: Which do you enjoy more, fighting or dj’ing?
Houston: Both give me a rush, but it would have to be fighting. You know, I love fighting, it’s more of a rush. Both give me a rush, but fighting just gives me more of a bigger rush.
AB: Over your years as a graffiti artist, what has been your favorite piece of work?
Houston: My favorite piece of work was probably my first painting that I did back in 87. It was a picture, it was a mural, she had a quote above her that said it was the pride that makes you strong. And it was for my community, and on the scroll it said it’s the pride that makes you stronger, and it was my first mural back in 87.
AB: From going around and speaking at different places, do you have any neat experiences from different students that you have had the chance to talk to about life?
Houston: Well you know what, I’m a motivational speaker every where, so I get to go to a lot of elementary, middle schools, high schools, colleges, community organizations, so I meet a lot of people because of that fact. So all the experiences are worth something to me.
AB: What’s your prediction for the upcoming title fight between Rashad and Lyoto?
Houston: You know what, that’s going to be a great fight because both guys move well, both guys know how to use the ring, it’s hard for me to pick one guy, but if I had to pick today it would be Rashad because Rashad probably hits just a tad bit harder.
AB: Thank you for taking the time for this interview, do you have any closing statements for your fans?
Houston: Tell the fans that I appreciate the fans, the fans are the one that pay the bills so I appreciate anything and everything that the fans do.
Houston: Ah man, I’m great man, it’s beautiful weather in Omaha, Nebraska right now, we’re up to seventy-five degrees.
AB: You have a fight coming up this May at UFC 98 against Andre Gusmao, how are you preparing to go up against a Brazilian Jujitsu fighter like him?
Houston: You know what, nothing has really changed with the way I’ve been training, except we have better partners and we have a great addition to our team, Jeremy Horn. So with Jeremy on, he brings a lot of jujitsu to the team, so nothing has changed except we have brought in another guy.
AB: You had an impressive winning streak going for quite sometime, but you have now lost your last three, how motivated are you to pick up the victory and get back to your winning ways?
Houston: 08 was garbage, it was a learning experience, and now hopefully in 09 we’ll be back on track, I got the experience and know the business, and we really do want to get back on track this following year here.
AB: You were a big underdog going into your fight against Keith Jardine, what was the first thing to go through your head when you knocked him out in the first minute of the first round?
Houston: It was an incredible feeling man, the first thing that went through my head was all the pain and suffering that I had training for the fight. It was grueling man, the training it was grueling, all the pain and suffering was gone, so it was a great feeling. The coaches, the team, they stepped up to the plate. I was happy for the coaches, I was happy for the family, I was just happy for the MMA world.
AB: Growing up, what inspired you to be a professional fighter?
Houston: Actually, I got into being a professional fighter on a dare. A friend of mine dared me to get in the ring with a guy some years ago because she knew that I wrestled and I boxed a little bit. So it was a friend who got me started into MMA, into professional fighting, I was sucked in, I was hooked ever since.
AB: If you could fight anyone in MMA, who would be your dream match up?
Houston: Ah man, I would love to fight Anderson.
AB: How do you see that fight going?
Houston: It would be a D*** good fight, both guys pretty good skilled guys standing up, I just think it would be a really good fight.
AB: You have donated one of your kidneys to your daughter, has that drawn you two closer, and does it affect your performance as a fighter?
Houston: It doesn’t affect my performance at all, and I’ve always been close to my daughter. Even an organ does not even bring us closer cause we have been close from day one. And it was just a blessing that I just happened to be a match for her.
AB: Which do you enjoy more, fighting or dj’ing?
Houston: Both give me a rush, but it would have to be fighting. You know, I love fighting, it’s more of a rush. Both give me a rush, but fighting just gives me more of a bigger rush.
AB: Over your years as a graffiti artist, what has been your favorite piece of work?
Houston: My favorite piece of work was probably my first painting that I did back in 87. It was a picture, it was a mural, she had a quote above her that said it was the pride that makes you strong. And it was for my community, and on the scroll it said it’s the pride that makes you stronger, and it was my first mural back in 87.
AB: From going around and speaking at different places, do you have any neat experiences from different students that you have had the chance to talk to about life?
Houston: Well you know what, I’m a motivational speaker every where, so I get to go to a lot of elementary, middle schools, high schools, colleges, community organizations, so I meet a lot of people because of that fact. So all the experiences are worth something to me.
AB: What’s your prediction for the upcoming title fight between Rashad and Lyoto?
Houston: You know what, that’s going to be a great fight because both guys move well, both guys know how to use the ring, it’s hard for me to pick one guy, but if I had to pick today it would be Rashad because Rashad probably hits just a tad bit harder.
AB: Thank you for taking the time for this interview, do you have any closing statements for your fans?
Houston: Tell the fans that I appreciate the fans, the fans are the one that pay the bills so I appreciate anything and everything that the fans do.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
TapouT owner "Mask" dies in car accident.
It has been reported earlier this morning from multiple news stations that TapouT owner Charles Lewis Jr, better known as "Mask," was hit by a car this morning sending the $300,000 Ferrari that Mask was driving onto the curb and into a light pole. Mask died upon impact. He has been a very important figure in MMA going mainstream, and has always been very involved in helping out up and coming fighters. We here at "MMA Authority" will have his family and friends in our prayers.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
MMA Authority Blog Exclusive: Kendall Grove Interview
ITC: This is Kalin Johnston from “Inside the Cage” with Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove. Kendall, how are you doing?
KG: Doing good, doing good, back home on Maui, got my daughter, got my fiancé, just happy to be home, can't wait to go teach class in an hour.
ITC: What does your fiancé think about you fighting?
KG: She likes it, she enjoys it, she knows it makes me happy, it’s a job.
ITC: There were rumors going into your fight Saturday that if you lost you might be cut from the UFC, how great did it feel to pick up that knockout in the first two minutes of the first round?
KG: It felt real good, it’s my first knockout, I’m just happy all that hard work paid off, I trained hard for this fight, and like I said I’m just very privileged that all that hard work paid off.
ITC: Congratulations on your knockout. In your fight I noticed that you were wearing a patch on the left side of your torso, what was that for?
KG: It’s like a Japanese patch, it helps me cut weight , gives me some energy, Ginseng stuff, and I just forgot to take it off (laughs.)
ITC: How has training with BJ Penn helped you as a fighter?
KG: Training with BJ helped me out a lot. He is very motivational, he is one of my heroes in the game. Just for him to be there in my corner and training with him, I couldn’t be any happier.
ITC: I know you have trained with Tito Ortiz in the past. He mentioned a comeback, do you know if he might be coming back to UFC, or staying with Affliction, or what his plans are on that?
KG: I really don’t know what his real plans is with that. There are no guarantees and I really don’t like saying anything because I really don’t know. He just had back surgery and said he’s been good, I seen him in Ohio and he told me he can’t wait to get back in there.
ITC: I was actually at UFC 96 when you got your knock out, I saw you doing your grave digging celebration, a lot of people don’t really seem to like that, but to me it shows that you are showing respect to Tito when you do that, so I was wondering if you could clear up for us where that celebration comes from?
KG: The ending of it comes from Tito, he did it against Evan Tanner, and me and Solomon from Team Dagger, we kinda made that up. We called it the dagger dance. So yeah, we just started running with that. I wasn’t going to do it but it just came out (laughs).
ITC: Throughout your career as a fighter, which fight has meant the most to you?
KG: I would say my Evan Tanner fight.
ITC: How does it feel to know you were the last person to fight him before his death?
KG: It kinda sucks, but to fight a well accomplished fighter like Tanner and come out with the win…I was just privileged to get in there with him, I mean he is such a good fighter, he has been around the game a long time, so when I had the opportunity to fight him, I took it. I knew it would be a good test for me.
ITC: If you could fight any fighter in the UFC, who would be your dream match up?
KG: Would have to be Anderson (laughs)
ITC: On the night of your fights, what is usually your pre fight routine?
KG: The night of my fights I like to stay in, go eat some sushi, and just watch a movie.
ITC: My last question for you is, you have a lot of unique tattoos, which is your favorite and what is the story behind it?
KG: My favorite tattoo would have to be King Kamehameha on my back. He was the chief who united all the islands together. It means a lot to me because it took five hours and I can’t say it was the worse pain of my life but it did hurt, the worse tattoo that I got pain wise. He was the king of Hawaii, he is a warrior, so when I go in there I like to try to be the same.
ITC: Thank you for taking the time for this interview, is there any closing statements that you would like to say for your fans:
KG: Yeah, just thank you to all my fans, my fans that have been behind me one hundred percent through all the ups and downs in my career, and to my sponsors Punishment, Cage Fighter, Approved Electric, Lopez Construction, just thanks for all the help and the support. And Mickey’s Malt Liquor for putting me on a beer can (laughs).
KG: Doing good, doing good, back home on Maui, got my daughter, got my fiancé, just happy to be home, can't wait to go teach class in an hour.
ITC: What does your fiancé think about you fighting?
KG: She likes it, she enjoys it, she knows it makes me happy, it’s a job.
ITC: There were rumors going into your fight Saturday that if you lost you might be cut from the UFC, how great did it feel to pick up that knockout in the first two minutes of the first round?
KG: It felt real good, it’s my first knockout, I’m just happy all that hard work paid off, I trained hard for this fight, and like I said I’m just very privileged that all that hard work paid off.
ITC: Congratulations on your knockout. In your fight I noticed that you were wearing a patch on the left side of your torso, what was that for?
KG: It’s like a Japanese patch, it helps me cut weight , gives me some energy, Ginseng stuff, and I just forgot to take it off (laughs.)
ITC: How has training with BJ Penn helped you as a fighter?
KG: Training with BJ helped me out a lot. He is very motivational, he is one of my heroes in the game. Just for him to be there in my corner and training with him, I couldn’t be any happier.
ITC: I know you have trained with Tito Ortiz in the past. He mentioned a comeback, do you know if he might be coming back to UFC, or staying with Affliction, or what his plans are on that?
KG: I really don’t know what his real plans is with that. There are no guarantees and I really don’t like saying anything because I really don’t know. He just had back surgery and said he’s been good, I seen him in Ohio and he told me he can’t wait to get back in there.
ITC: I was actually at UFC 96 when you got your knock out, I saw you doing your grave digging celebration, a lot of people don’t really seem to like that, but to me it shows that you are showing respect to Tito when you do that, so I was wondering if you could clear up for us where that celebration comes from?
KG: The ending of it comes from Tito, he did it against Evan Tanner, and me and Solomon from Team Dagger, we kinda made that up. We called it the dagger dance. So yeah, we just started running with that. I wasn’t going to do it but it just came out (laughs).
ITC: Throughout your career as a fighter, which fight has meant the most to you?
KG: I would say my Evan Tanner fight.
ITC: How does it feel to know you were the last person to fight him before his death?
KG: It kinda sucks, but to fight a well accomplished fighter like Tanner and come out with the win…I was just privileged to get in there with him, I mean he is such a good fighter, he has been around the game a long time, so when I had the opportunity to fight him, I took it. I knew it would be a good test for me.
ITC: If you could fight any fighter in the UFC, who would be your dream match up?
KG: Would have to be Anderson (laughs)
ITC: On the night of your fights, what is usually your pre fight routine?
KG: The night of my fights I like to stay in, go eat some sushi, and just watch a movie.
ITC: My last question for you is, you have a lot of unique tattoos, which is your favorite and what is the story behind it?
KG: My favorite tattoo would have to be King Kamehameha on my back. He was the chief who united all the islands together. It means a lot to me because it took five hours and I can’t say it was the worse pain of my life but it did hurt, the worse tattoo that I got pain wise. He was the king of Hawaii, he is a warrior, so when I go in there I like to try to be the same.
ITC: Thank you for taking the time for this interview, is there any closing statements that you would like to say for your fans:
KG: Yeah, just thank you to all my fans, my fans that have been behind me one hundred percent through all the ups and downs in my career, and to my sponsors Punishment, Cage Fighter, Approved Electric, Lopez Construction, just thanks for all the help and the support. And Mickey’s Malt Liquor for putting me on a beer can (laughs).
Exit Jackson, Enter Machida
It was confirmed earlier today that UFC light heavyweight kingpin Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is turning down the fight with Rashad Evans now that it has been moved to UFC 98 to replace the Lesnar/Mir fight. The reason for this being that he has fought twice in two months, and after the three round war with Keith Jardine at UFC 96, he would not be ready in time for UFC 98. So as expected, the replacement has been announced as undefeated Lyoto Machida, who always brings a unique style to the cage every time he fights. Stay tuned for more on this story, as well as my phone interview with UFC middleweight Kendall Grove, later in the evening.
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