Dennis Bermudez is Unstoppable: The UFC 150 Preliminary Card Rundown

It was a record-setting preliminary card for UFC 150, with history made in the speed and ferocity with which leather was thrown.  In the bantamweight division, a Greg Jackson-trained fighter won big, while an Octagon newcomer dominated.  And in the featherweight division, a TUF 14 star shined, while a former lightweight found that he should've been fighting other 145-pounders all along.

[Related: Erik Perez scores fastest KO in bantamweight history]

  • In the first fight of the evening, Japanese veteran Eiji Mitsuoka and Nik Lentz met in the cage for a featherweight contest that saw the American dominate Mitsuoka with wrestling from beginning to end.  In his first fight at 145 pounds, Lentz was strong ? way stronger than his opponent ? and Mitsuoka had no answer for the takedowns and throws that put him on the mat.  The end came when Lentz maneuvered onto Mitsuoka's back, flattened him out, and unloaded a barrage of fists that forced the referee to step in at 3:45 of Round One.

  • It was all about momentum in the bantamweight pairing between TUF 14 veteran Dustin Pague and Octagon rookie Chico Camus, and though Pague was dangerous early on with a first-round triangle choke that his foe had to work to avoid, Camus slowly but surely gathered steam with escapes and ground and pound.  This went on for all three rounds, and by the time the clock was ticking down to zero, Camus was in mount and back-mount and Pague was completely on the defensive.  Camus took the well-earned unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28).

  • Bantamweight fireball Erik Perez walked right through Ken Stone, striding boldly into their first and only exchange and dropping Stone with a right hook that had the Massachusetts-born fighter eating canvas.  Perez followed him down and kept punching, and when Stone went rigid referee Herb Dean jumped in.  Stone was so dazed that when Perez relented and turned away, he tried to keep fighting, and Dean had to physically restrain him while Perez celebrated.  At a mere 17 seconds, Perez was the owner of the fastest knockout (a TKO) in WEC and UFC bantamweight history.

  • Dutch judoka Michael Kuiper absolutely brutalized kickboxer Jared Hamman, even though his game plan seemed to involve a lot of strolling forward eating kicks and punches.  Fleet-footed and mobile, Hamman began strong.  But Kuiper buckled him with a leg-kick that seemed to incur lasting damage, and then came the punches that chipped away and chipped away until Hamman came to resemble an extra in "The Walking Dead".  The end came via TKO at 2:16 in Round Two, when Kuiper cracked Hamman and Hamman fell in a heap.
  • Things looked dire for Dennis Bermudez when Tommy Hayden nailed him with a knee and sent him stunned to the canvas, but the TUF 14 runner-up is apparently made of iron.  Recovering from the knee to the dome and then forced to wiggle out of a rear naked choke and slam his way out of an armbar attempt, Bermudez just couldn't be stopped, and he paid Hayden back with a crushing front kick to the chest and standing guillotine choke.  Hayden tapped out at 4:43 of the first round.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/dennis-bermudez-unstoppable-ufc-150-preliminary-card-rundown-015821940--mma.html

Junie Browning Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett 

Lyoto Machida, Shogun, Joe Lauzon: The UFC on FOX 4 Postscript

Now that the dust has settled on UFC on FOX 4, it's time for measured, analytical observations derived from the data gleaned from watching a bunch of high-level fighters try to take each other's heads off. Wait, did I say "measured, analytical observations"? Ha.  I've been told my post-fight stuff is best described as "jibba-jabba", so maybe you should be the judge.

  • When it came down to trying to "impress" their way into a shot at the UFC light-heavyweight belt, former champ Lyoto Machida sure did it with his slick KO of TUF winner Ryan Bader. You know who did the exact opposite of "impress"? Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Sure, Brandon Vera fought hard and fought better than we've seen him do in ages, but Shogun looked nothing like the guy that wrecked Forrest Griffin and Machida in their rematch. If anything, Shogun looked? old.  All those wars have taken their toll.
  • [Kevin Iole: Machida stands out, earns title shot at UFC on Fox 4]

  • Where does Bader go from here? A definitive loss to Tito Ortiz and now to Machida has put him firmly in the realm of "I Shall Never Be Champ". Should Bader consign himself to be the official gatekeeper of the 205-pound weight class? He's tough, skilled and dangerous, he's just not there yet in terms of challenger for the belt, and it's possible he'll never get there.
  • Two judges had it at one round apiece for Joe Lauzon and Jamie Varner going into the third round of their fight, while one judge had Rounds One and Two for Varner.  What that means is, if Lauzon had never gotten that submission, but kept up the intensity, he would've likely taken the split decision.  What THAT means is that even on short notice, Varner was able to deliver the goods against a pretty damn decent opponent.  There will always be a place for Lauzon in the Octagon, as evidenced by the obscene amount of Fight of the Night dough he's gotten over the years; however, there's a spot there for Varner, too.  Whatever corner he's turned in his career seems to have made him someone worth paying attention to.
  • [Related: Heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos calls out noisy rival]

  • I said before that Mike Swick scoffed at the concept of "ring rust" with his performance against Damarques Johnson, and I still stand by that statement. In fact, I'd hazard to guess that Swick's next venture into the cage will be even more impressive, as he will be even further re-acclimated to competition. In other words, yo, Swick's next opponent ? watch out!
  • Cole Miller is now 0-2 as a featherweight, but I thought he gave Nam Phan a heck of a fight. He just fought someone who was probably slightly better than him on the ground (jiu-jitsu black belt vs. brown belt), and who was definitely more seasoned with their hands. Miller should give the 145-pound weight class another shot. That insane height and reach advantage has got to pay off eventually.
  • Whatever was holding Josh Grispi back is still there, preventing him from realizing the potential we'd seen when he was rocketing up the ranks. With the loss to Rani Yahya ? in a bout that hardly seemed competitive ? Grispi should be sent back to the minor leagues to iron out what's wrong. He's got all the talent in the world, he's just not pulling the trigger.
  • Oli Thompson looked perfect for the next Bellator heavyweight tournament.  I hope they can find him a slot in it.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/lyoto-machida-shogun-joe-lauzon-ufc-fox-4-142138047--mma.html

Joachim Hansen Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell

Wanderlei Silva, Sarah Kaufman, Tyrone Mims: The Morning News Roundup ? 8.13.12

One fighter should be riding off into the sunset, one fighter has the biggest fight of her career coming up, and one fighter was taken from us too soon.  It's a mixed bag of news in today's roundup, so come, grab your cup of joe (or java, or mud, or whatever it is you coffee drinkers imbibe) and join me.  I brought bagels!

  • UFC president Dana White says that Wanderlei Silva ? the legendary Brazilian fighter and PRIDE FC champ ? will fight again.  Hooray? I guess?  Look, I love the "Axe Murderer" as much as the next guy, and watching some of his old fights is akin to watching a snuff film where the participants wear four-ounce gloves and fight shorts.  But it's an undeniable fact that the man has gotten old and is nowhere near the killer he once was.  Remember what happened when he fought Quinton Jackson?  Or Chris Leben?  I don't want to see something like that again.  Do you?  I say give him an executive position in the UFC's Brazil office and let him smile and shake hands and stuff.

 

  • Female bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey is headlining a Strikeforce this weekend, and of course you're going to be inundated with all sorts of things pertaining to her (she is the "new" face of women's MMA, after all).  So, for the sake of balance and yin and yang and whatnot, here's some Sarah Kaufman stuff.  She is challenging Rousey for her belt, you know.

 

  • As I hinted at yesterday, a fighter died at an amateur MMA event in South Carolina on Saturday night.  His name was Tyrone Mims.  This was Mims' first fight, and it was fully-sanctioned and under the auspices of South Carolina State Athletic Commission.  The cause of death won't be known until an autopsy is performed (one is scheduled), but according to onsite accounts, it didn't appear as if Mims took an inordinate amount of damage in his bout, which has led to speculation that a pre-existing condition could've been a contributing factor.  What sort of medical screening do amateur fighters go through?  It varies by state ? in New York or South Dakota, a person can step into the cage after signing a waiver and maybe getting a quick look-over by a doctor, while in South Carolina you need the standard bloodwork done (HIV, Hepatitis B and C), an eye exam and the thumbs-up from a physician.  Regardless of what pre-fight screening Mims went through, though, it's still a tragedy that he lost his life.  He stepped into the cage and took part in a sport we all love; let's honor him by never forgetting and by striving to make our sport better.

 

That's all for now.  Today's the last day of my temp gig here at Cagewriter, but you can expect at least one more post from me, so you can post your parting insults there.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/wanderlei-silva-sarah-kaufman-tyrone-mims-morning-news-141054233--mma.html

Tomasz Drwal Joe Hybrid Duarte Aldrin de Jesus  Todd Duffee 

Greg Jackson says if he will corner in GSP vs Condit? - Greg Jackson

With Inside MMA live from Jackson's MMA we thought it would be the perfect time to ask who he would be cornering when George St-Pierre fights Carlos Condit for the UFC welterweight belt. Fellow trainer Mike Winklejohn also tells us who he'll be backing.

Source: http://mmalice.com/greg-jackson/greg-jackson-says-if-he-will-corner-in-gsp-vs-condit-video_16aaed8ba.html

Michael Bisping  Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku 

Vlad Matyushenko matched with Matt Hamill at UFC 152

The UFC has announced an injury to Roger Hollett has forced the newcomer out of a planned pairing with Matt Hamill in front of his fellow Canadians at UFC 152. Fortunately, it looks like the organization has already found a more-than adequate replacement for Hollett in the form of seasoned veteran Vladimir Matyushenko.

UFC officials confirmed the September 22 showdown earlier today, adding it to a lineup already featuring fights between Michael Bisping-Brian Stann and Joseph Benavidez-Demetrious Johnson.

Matyushenko holds an overall record of 26-6 including sixteen stoppages and wins over the likes of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Tim Boetsch. However, he has been out of action since a December loss to Alexander Gustafsson and will be looking to shake off some ring-rust against Hamill, who himself has also been sidelined for an extended period of time.

Hamill Elaborates on Decision to Retire

The 10-4 Hamill decided to call it a career after his last fight, also a 2011 stumble against Gustafsson, but got the itch to return to competition and build on a record already featuring success against the likes of Keith Jardine and Tito Ortiz.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Source: http://www.fighters.com/08/20/vlad-matyushenko-matched-with-matt-hamill-at-ufc-152

Justin Eilers  Jon Olav Einemo Per Eklund Jason Ellis

Joe Lauzon Video Blog Definitely Worth Checking Out (VIDEO)


UFC lightweight stud Joe Lauzon has been cranking out some awesome vlogs, which he posts on his YouTube page.  This one, however, is worth some extra special attention.  There's tons of behind-the-scenes stuff, including Lauzon's interactions with UFC on FOX 4 opponent Jamie Varner at the weigh-ins, and there are enough pre- and post-fight gems to make even the most jaded MMA fan grin.  Check it out.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/joe-lauzon-video-blog-definitely-worth-checking-video-144610284--mma.html

Keith Hackney Matt Hamill Volk Han Joachim Hansen

Several UFC 151 Fights Receive New Homes

One question posed to UFC president Dana White after news of UFC 151′s cancellation concerned what would happen to the remaining fights. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was quickly signed to fight Lyoto Machida at UFC 152, and Dan Henderson will be on the sidelines recovering. First, the co-main event – Jake Ellenberger vs. [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/KHThr583PwQ/

Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner

?Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman? Medical Suspensions

The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has released the medical suspensions for this past weekend's "Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman" fight card. Four fighters are facing possible six month medical suspensions, including: Ovince St. Preux, T.J. Cook, Keith Berry, and Julie Kedzie. The most serious of which appears to be T.J. Cook's neck injury.

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/30032/strikeforce-rousey-vs-kaufman-medical-suspensions/

Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai  Mac Danzig  Karen Darabedyan