MMA Uncensored Live ? Chael Sonnen, War Machine?s Last 48 Hours

Spike TV’s MMA Uncensored Live from March 15th, 2012. The panel is joined by guest host Chael Sonnen, and discuss Rampage’s actions as of late, Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen 2, Bellator 60, and War Machine’s last 48 hours before he went to prison. Props to the crew over at IronForgesIron for the video.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/6dk-PIXR1Xo/

Per Eklund Jason Ellis Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko

Anthony Pettis distances himself from notion of fighting at featherweight

Earlier this week a report surfaced citing Anthony Pettis? manager as mentioning his client was weighing a drop down to 145 pounds with the possibility of facing Jose Aldo in the near future. However, the UFC lightweight has since spoken out on the matter, making it clear he has no plans to fight outside of [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/03/15/anthony-pettis-distances-himself-from-notion-of-fighting-at-featherweight/

Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George

Nick Diaz?s attorney doesn?t take kindly to calling his client a liar

Nick Diaz's disciplinary hearing in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission for allegedly failing a post-fight drug screen after his loss to Carlos Condit on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas at UFC 143 figures to be a doozy.

The hearing isn't scheduled yet, though it's expected to be sometime next month. If things remain as contentious as they have been between Diaz's attorney Ross Goodman and the commission this week, tickets are going to be harder to come by than those for the Final Four.

Goodman has taken an aggressive stance and asserts that Diaz has not tested positive for a banned substance. Goodman argues that Diaz did not test positive for Delta-9-THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, but rather for marijuana metabolites. Those metabolites are an inactive ingredient in marijuana and are not on the World Anti Doping Agency's banned list that Nevada uses, Goodman said.

Goodman is clearly going to fight the case bitterly, and on Thursday, he railed against statements made by the public information officer for the Nevada attorney general's office.

Yahoo! Sports on Monday and Tuesday reached out to Christopher Eccles, the Nevada deputy attorney general who represents the athletic commission, seeking comment on points Goodman raised. Under a new policy instituted by attorney general Catherine Cortez Masto, however, her deputies are not allowed to speak to the media as they have in the past.

As a result, public information officer Jennifer M. Lopez returned the call for Eccles and later released a statement. Via email, Lopez said, "Not only did Nick Diaz violate the law by testing positive for marijuana metabolites, but he also lied to the Commission on his Pre-Fight Questionnaire when he swore that he had not used any prescribed medications in two weeks before the fight."

It is unusual for a spokesperson for an attorney general's office to call a person who will soon have a hearing in front of a state regulatory agency a liar.

Her statement probably wouldn't have been given much notice, though, had she said Diaz must have been mistaken when he checked no to a question asking if he'd taken any prescription medications in the preceding two weeks prior to the Feb. 3 weigh-in.

But saying outright that Diaz lied put Goodman even more in attack mode. He came out swinging on Thursday and insisted that Diaz did not lie when he checked no when he said he had not taken any prescription medications in the preceding two weeks.

The Nevada law that deals with medical marijuana doesn't regard it as a prescription drug. No doctor is able to prescribe it because it is a controlled substance.

Chapter 453A.210 of the Nevada Revised Statutes lays out the requirements to obtain a registry card for medical marijuana. To get the card, patients must comply with the following regulations:

(1) The person has been diagnosed with a chronic or debilitating medical condition;
(2) The medical use of marijuana may mitigate the symptoms or effects of that condition; and
(3) The attending physician has explained the possible risks and benefits of the medical use of marijuana;
(b) The name, address, telephone number, social security number and date of birth of the person;
(c) Proof satisfactory to the Division that the person is a resident of this State;
(d) The name, address and telephone number of the person's attending physician; and
(e) If the person elects to designate a primary caregiver at the time of application:
(1) The name, address, telephone number and social security number of the designated primary caregiver; and
(2) A written, signed statement from the person's attending physician in which the attending physician approves of the designation of the primary caregiver.

"Nowhere in there does it say that the attending physician is prescribing marijuana," Goodman said. "And so, for obvious reasons, before you speak and call someone a liar, you think you'd do a little bit of due diligence and understand what the Nevada law actually says."

Diaz manager Cesar Gracie said in a 2009 interview with MMA Fighting that "Nick has a prescription for marijuana in California. He has had a prescription for the last couple years, so it's a legal drug for him. He has the prescription for ADHD [Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder], and he says it helps him."

But Goodman said it is all irrelevant. He said no reasonable person regards marijuana as either a prescription drug or an over the counter medication.

"It's not like you walk into the pharmacy and start looking around on the shelves and hope to pick up a bag of marijuana," Goodman said. "That's ridiculous. No reasonable person would believe that medical marijuana falls under the category of over the counter medications."

Curiously, though, in his response to the commission, Goodman himself made a big deal about a prescription. He referenced NRS 484C.210, which deals with prohibited substances. Goodman bolded a section which said "if the person who uses the substance has not been issued a valid prescription ... "

Diaz may ultimately be forced to accept a lengthy suspension. He was suspended for six months in Nevada in 2007 for failing a marijuana test. On Jan. 31, boxer Matt Vanda had a hearing after testing positive for a second time. Vanda was suspended for a year and fined 40 percent of his purse.

If Diaz goes down, though, he's not going to make it simple on the commission. This isn't going to be a case where the fighter hangs his or her head, is lectured to by the commissioners and then apologizes profusely and meekly accepts the punishment issued.

Goodman will make certain of that.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/nick-diaz-attorney-doesn-t-kindly-calling-client-215030731.html

Luciano Azevedo  Ba Te er  Ryan Bader  Siyar Bahadurzada

Nick Diaz?s attorney doesn?t take kindly to calling his client a liar

Nick Diaz's disciplinary hearing in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission for allegedly failing a post-fight drug screen after his loss to Carlos Condit on Feb. 4 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas in the main event of UFC 143 figures to be a doozy.

The hearing isn't scheduled yet, though it's expected to be sometime next month. If things remain as contentious as they have been between Diaz attorney Ross Goodman and the commission this week, tickets are going to be harder to come by than those for the Final Four.

Goodman has taken an aggressive stance and asserts that Diaz has not tested positive for a banned substance. Goodman argues that Diaz did not test positive for Delta-9-THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, but rather for marijuana metabolites. Those metabolites are an inactive ingredient in marijuana and are not on the World Anti Doping Agency's banned list that Nevada uses, Goodman said.

Goodman is clearly going to fight the case bitterly, and on Thursday, he railed against statements made by the public information officer for the Nevada attorney general's office.

Yahoo! Sports on Monday and Tuesday reached out to Christopher Eccles, the Nevada deputy attorney general who represents the athletic commission, seeking comment on points Goodman raised. Under a new policy instituted by attorney general Catherine Cortez Masto, however, her deputies are not allowed to speak to the media as they have in the past.

As a result, public information officer Jennifer M. Lopez returned the call for Eccles and later released a statement. Via email, Lopez said, "Not only did Nick Diaz violate the law by testing positive for marijuana metabolites, but he also lied to the Commission on his Pre-Fight Questionnaire when he swore that he had not used any prescribed medications in two weeks before the fight."

It is unusual for a spokesperson for an attorney general's office to call a person who will soon have a hearing in front of a state regulatory agency a liar.

Her statement probably wouldn't have been given much notice, though, had she said Diaz must have been mistaken when he checked no to a question asking if he'd taken any prescription medications in the preceding two weeks prior to the Feb. 3 weigh-in.

But saying outright that Diaz lied put Goodman even more in attack mode. He came out swinging on Thursday and insisted that Diaz did not lie when he checked no when he said he had not taken any prescription medications in the preceding two weeks.

The Nevada law that deals with medical marijuana doesn't regard it as a prescription drug. No doctor is able to prescribe it because it is a controlled substance.

Chapter 453A.210 of the Nevada Revised Statutes lays out the requirements to obtain a registry card for medical marijuana. To get the card, patients must comply with the following regulations:

(1) The person has been diagnosed with a chronic or debilitating medical condition;
(2) The medical use of marijuana may mitigate the symptoms or effects of that condition; and
(3) The attending physician has explained the possible risks and benefits of the medical use of marijuana;
(b) The name, address, telephone number, social security number and date of birth of the person;
(c) Proof satisfactory to the Division that the person is a resident of this State;
(d) The name, address and telephone number of the person's attending physician; and
(e) If the person elects to designate a primary caregiver at the time of application:
(1) The name, address, telephone number and social security number of the designated primary caregiver; and
(2) A written, signed statement from the person's attending physician in which the attending physician approves of the designation of the primary caregiver.

"Nowhere in there does it say that the attending physician is prescribing marijuana," Goodman said. "And so, for obvious reasons, before you speak and call someone a liar, you think you'd do a little bit of due diligence and understand what the Nevada law actually says."

Diaz manager Cesar Gracie said in a 2009 interview with MMA Fighting that "Nick has a prescription for marijuana in California. He has had a prescription for the last couple years, so it's a legal drug for him. He has the prescription for ADHD [Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder], and he says it helps him."

But Goodman said it is all irrelevant. He said no reasonable person regards marijuana as either a prescription drug or an over the counter medication.

"It's not like you walk into the pharmacy and start looking around on the shelves and hope to pick up a bag of marijuana," Goodman said. "That's ridiculous. No reasonable person would believe that medical marijuana falls under the category of over the counter medications."

Curiously, though, in his response to the commission, Goodman himself made a big deal about a prescription. He referenced NRS 484C.210, which deals with prohibited substances. Goodman bolded a section which said "if the person who uses the substance has not been issued a valid prescription ... "

Diaz may ultimately be forced to accept a lengthy suspension. He was suspended for six months in Nevada in 2007 for failing a marijuana test. On Jan. 31, boxer Matt Vanda had a hearing after testing positive for a second time. Vanda was suspended for a year and fined 40 percent of his purse.

If Diaz goes down, though, he's not going to make it simple on the commission. This isn't going to be a case where the fighter hangs his or her head, is lectured to by the commissioners and then apologizes profusely and meekly accepts the punishment issued.

Goodman will make certain of that.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/nick-diaz-attorney-doesn-t-kindly-calling-client-215030731.html

Joe Doerksen  Chris Dolman Edson Drago  Tomasz Drwal

Benson Henderson open to immediate rematch with Frankie Edgar

Newly named UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson has cleared the air surrounding divisional contendership, saying he is open to fight former title-holder Frankie Edgar a second time to eliminate any doubt surrounding who should have the strap after their closely-contested bout a few weeks back at UFC 144. Edgar has been actively lobbying for a [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/06/benson-henderson-open-to-immediate-rematch-with-frankie-edgar

Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger  Jimmy Ambriz

Reader rants: Cagereaders speak up on ?Rampage,? ranking weight classes and fighter excuses

Welcome to another edition of Reader Rants, where Cagereaders get their say. Readers weighed in on Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, ranking the weight classes, and a little civil discourse. If you want to be included in a future Reader Rants, like Cagewriter on Facebook and share your opinion on our Facebook page.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's problems with the UFC and desire to leave the promotion brought out strong opinions. Two readers think the UFC should move on from him.

Letting him go would be best for both. When you get past being a Rampage fan and reality sets in, he just hasn't looked good in a while. He's using the excuse he's been injured, but really ... come on. None of these guys are 100% going into fights. He claims the UFC doesn't promote him right ... really? He's complaining they are only giving him fights with guys that want to hump his leg, but we all know that isn't true. If it really was a problem and he's such a great fighter he would finish them before they had the chance to hump his legs. -- Rocky Williams

The man abandoned his wrestling which is what made him great. He just needs to go ahead and make A-Team sequels and call it a day. -- Rayburn Wesley Mitchum

Cagewriter's ranking of weight classes was viewed as almost correct.

Your ranking of the weight classes in terms of strength was off only in one aspect. welterweights should definitely be higher than middleweights think about all the contenders. Yes, middleweight has Silva, Munoz, Sonnen but welterweight has GSP, Jon Fitch, Jake Shields, Jake Ellenberger, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, Johny Hendricks, Josh Koscheck and many more who I believe are easily top ten fighters if they choose to move up a division. -- Daniel Jeong

One reader wants to see fighters stop making excuses when they lose.

Your only excuse for losing a FAIR fight should be that you gave it all you had and it wasn't enough. Not that you stubbed your toe or you fought with an injury. There is no "You're bigger than me, controlled the octagon better and had my back against the cage", BJ. That's the name of the game. Your opponent was better than you that night. End of story. -- Amanda Allen

And another wants to see some civility in the comment section.

My one rant is the constant whining and crying from the internet commenters. Bash every article posted on Cagewriter and the other sites. They bash the UFC no matter what they do or don't do. Just non-stop foolishness. Very uninformed comments based on skewed views on various topics. -- Rocky Moore

Do you want to make your opinion known? Follow Cagewriter on Facebook.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/reader-rants-cagereaders-speak-rampage-ranking-weight-classes-144205725.html

Aldrin de Jesus  Todd Duffee  Marvin Eastman  Stav Crazy Bear Economou 

Georges St. Pierre releases video update on condition of his knee

It?s been three months since UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre underwent surgery to report a torn ACL suffered while training for a much-anticipated title-fight with Nick Diaz. In the wake of his injury an interim belt was awarded to Carlos Condit who outpointed Diaz in GSP?s absence, leaving the popular French-Canadian to rehab his [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/13/georges-st-pierre-releases-video-update-on-condition-of-his-knee

Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan

Quinton Jackson seeking exit from UFC for personal reasons

If an average fan was asked to list the Top 5 moodiest fighters in Mixed Martial Arts it is likely popular UFC light heavyweight Quinton Jackson would be among them. Nicknamed ?Rampage?, the 33-year can be in a jovial mood one day and downright nasty the next. The 32-10 Jackson?s reputation for expressing his emotions [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/07/quinton-jackson-seeking-exit-from-ufc-for-personal-reasons

Mark Epstein Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch

ONE FC's Kevin Belingon: "I am going to Singapore to fight, not to spend fifteen minutes defending submissions.?

They call him “The Silencer” because he doesn?t like to talk too much but Filipino fighter Kevin Belingon?s record speaks for itself. He is 9-0 and has fought in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore against some of the better fighters in Asia. At the age of 24 the MMA world is at his feet [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/15/one-fcs-kevin-belingon-i-am-going-to-singapore-to-fight-not-to-spend-fifteen-minutes-defending-submissions-%e2%80%9d

Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia