Who can Tito fight to close out his career? Griffin facing the end too says he?d take the fight

Who can Tito fight to close out his career? Griffin facing the end too says he?d take the fight

Even when Tito Ortiz went winless during five fights over four years between 2006-2010, he could still trumpet the fact that he wasn't taking major abuse. He can't do so after his last two losses where he took a ton of damage especially to the body against Rashad Evans and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. That has Dana White torn on whether to let Ortiz have one final fight with the UFC.

If White feels he's not putting the 36-year-old in harm's way then the task becomes booking an opponent that can be sold as a legitimate fight.

Before UFC 140, Ortiz reiterated his desire for a third shot at Forrest Griffin. Griffin appeared on Sunday on the Las Vegas-based radio show "The MMA Fight Corner" to respond to Tito's challenge.

"If people will pay to see that fight then I'll get paid to fight that fight," Griffin said on FoxSportsRadio920. "But do people want to see it?"

Griffin, who's only 32 years old, surprised listeners by admitting that his career could be coming to an end shortly.

"For me, now I'm realizing that I don't have much left. This is the end of the road me. I want a couple more fight fights. Good ones. Fights where I don't get knocked out in the first round," laughed Griffin. "Fights where I like get hurt, bleed a little, but I kind of like rally. Something of that nature."

Griffin has been rocked and finished in three of his last five fights. He's also battled injuries. Those five fights took place over the course of 36 months.

Tito's lack of massive power and the fact that the two already hooked up for two pretty entertaining three-round fights sounds like the perfect match for Griffin, who continued to joke about his recent struggles against heavy hitters.

"I'm cool with wrestling now. I don't mind the wrestling so much. It's the getting hit hard that I don't seem to like anymore. I don't mind it but my nervous system seems to be really in disagreement with it these days," said Griffin.

Griffin was mainly non-chalant when asked about who else he'd like to fight. The most important thing for the former UFC light heavyweight champ is to fight in the U.S. Griffin cuts a ton of weight and doesn't like being out of his comfort zone in the States the week before the fight.

Listen to The MMA Fight corner on Wednesdays (8-9:30 p.m PT) and Sundays (9-10 p.m. PT) on FoxSportsRadio920.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Who-can-Tito-fight-to-close-out-his-career-Grif?urn=mma-wp10714

Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell

Marlon Sandro added to Bellator?s upcoming featherweight tourney

Marlon Sandro was oh-so-close to achieving greatness earlier this year when the Brazilian featherweight lost in the finals of the Bellator Summer Series tournament to Pat Curran. Now, with the sixth season of Bellator’s tournament schedule set to begin, Sandro is entering the featherweight bracket once again. Sandro holds a career record of 20-3, including [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2011/12/24/marlon-sandro-added-to-bellators-upcoming-featherweight-tourney/

Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo 

Long national nightmare is over: Lesnar vs. Overeem on for UFC 141

Any worries about the main event for UFC 141 were quelled by a tweet from UFC president Dana White.

Long national nightmare is over: Lesnar vs. Overeem on for UFC 141

Alistair Overeem was granted a conditional license for his bout with Brock Lesnar in Las Vegas after the Nevada Athletic Commission was unhappy with Overeem not taking pre-fight drug tests to their satisfaction. He had to take another test, but now that he has passed it, next week's fight is on.

Overeem started his training for Lesnar in Las Vegas, but moved back to his native Holland when his mother's cancer became a concern. He said during Monday's press call that there have been distractions, but he knows how to deal with them.

"It was a distraction but, I've been through a lot in my career. I have like 65, 70 fights," Overeem said. "So you learn how to deal with distractions, setbacks. I mean I'm a three-time champion and I've been through a lot, so it's all about adaptation. I'm pretty good at that I think."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Long-national-nightmare-is-over-Lesnar-vs-Over?urn=mma-wp10957

Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner

Hockey Fight of the Day: Nathan Horton vs. Zac Rinaldo

Boston and Philadelphia are two towns more-than familiar with fighting whether action takes place in boxing ring, street corner, or (as the case may be here) a hockey rink. As such, last night’s game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins had more than it’s share of smackdowns. Here’s one of them featuring the Flyers’ [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/12/18/hockey-fight-of-the-day-nathan-horton-vs-zac-rinaldo

Spencer Fisher Jon Fitch Kenny Florian Jesse Forbes

Travis Browne Brawls with Chad Griggs at UFC 145

According to the UFC’s Brazilian Twitter account, a heavyweight brawl between Travis Browne (Pictured) and Chad Griggs will go down in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Browne owns a practically perfect 12-0 mixed martial arts record. Ten of his victories have come before the final horns have blared. A controversial draw with Cheick Kongo at UFC 120 [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/100868/travis-browne-brawls-with-chad-griggs-at-ufc-145/

Rich No Love Clementi  Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper 

The GDP Award: Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone

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Donald CerroneIn the first century B.C., Roman slave turned dramatist Pubililius Syrus wrote that "a good reputation is more valuable than money." One imagines that if he hadn't been so busy slaving and dramatizing, he might have carried this line of reasoning to its logical conclusion and realized that, for real value, nothing beats a good reputation and a lot of money.

In the world of professional fighting, there's no better way to get both than to smash opponents at a frantic pace, which is exactly what this year's GDP Award recipient has done.

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone entered the UFC in early 2011 and promptly won four fights in the span of eight months. In those four fights he hit the UFC bonus trifecta, earning post-fight awards for Fight of the Night, Submission of the Night, and Knockout of the Night. That's $215,000 in bonus checks alone for the "Cowboy," and his year isn't done yet.

With a fight against Nate Diaz at UFC 141 on December 30, Cerrone has the ability to stack even more paper before 2011 ends. He also has a chance to be the only UFC fighter with five wins in 2011, which couldn't help but edge him closer to a title shot in the crowded lightweight division.

And yet, one of the great things about Cerrone is that he seems pretty unconcerned with things like title shots. His fighting style has developed a simple, unassuming brutality to it lately. It's not pretentious or flashy. He doesn't try to intimidate people with how badly he wants to visit great physical harm on them. Some fighters are mean the way attack dogs are mean. They snarl and growl and flash their teeth, and if you make them they'll back up those threats with sudden spasms of violence. Cerrone's mean like an ice age is mean. The man is flatly indifferent to your suffering, yet relentlessly advancing.

After the fourth win of the year, that's where a lot of lightweights might have opted to slow down and wait for the title picture to clear up. But Cerrone? Cerrone fights like he's in debt to a loan shark. He fights like he needs to buy a kidney off the black market, and soon. He does not have time for your rankings or your divisional maneuvering; he needs to get paid, son.

Whether you like that attitude or not, you have to respect it. Here is a man who knows that even if money can't buy happiness, it's still a damn good start.

"Cowboy," the GDP Award salutes your cold-hearted paper chase. Go get you some, Donald Cerrone.

2: Dan Henderson
At 41 years old, Hendo is clocking a cool quarter-mill every time he steps in the cage. No win bonus? No problem. Not when you're making that kind of cheese just to show up. 2011 saw him down "Feijao" Cavalcante, Fedor Emelianenko, and "Shogun" Rua. Remember when Dana White let him slip from the UFC to Strikeforce because he didn't think Henderson was worth his asking price? Look who's having the last laugh now, and all the way to the bank.

3: Jon Jones
The champ fought four times in 2011, taking out three former UFC champions in dominant fashion and making championship money to do so. Just in case his paycheck wasn't big enough already, he won end of the night bonuses in three of those four fights. Dude is 24 years old and driving around in a Bentley. You better believe there'll be some fat stockings hung by the chimney with care over at the Jones house this Christmas.

4: Tito Ortiz
The mid-year recipient of this award has fought twice since earning the honor, losing both times. Then again, the award is about getting paid -- not about winning. In fact, if anything it's almost more impressive that the guy still makes so much money despite going 1-6-1 in his last eight fights. If you're worth whatever you can convince someone to pay you, then Ortiz is still a valuable commodity. For a little while, anyway.

5: Michael Bisping
He reportedly cost himself a post-fight bonus with his antics in the Jorge Rivera fight back in February, but he made a whopping $425,000 for beating "Mayhem" Miller at the TUF 14 Finale. To put that in perspective, the total reported gate for that event was only $452,700. The fans in Vegas that night could have saved everyone some time and just handed their wallets over to Bisping at the door.

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/12/23/the-gdp-award-donald-cowboy-cerrone/

Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan Marcelo Brito  Rob Broughton