Entering last night?s Strikeforce show, former middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza had taken to the ring eighteen times and come out with his hand raised in fifteen of the fights. However, up until battling Derek Brunson, Souza had never won a bout by way of knockout.
Souza landed a stiff shot less than a minute into their meeting at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman dropping Brunson to the mat before following it up with a series of strikes to seal the deal. ?Jacare? spoke some about his showing after the event?s conclusion where he pointed to his continued evolution from BJJ specialist into full-fledged Mixed Martial Artist.
?I was very relaxed. I trained a lot of boxing and I showed my boxing is getting better,? said the Brazilian grappler through a translator. ?I?m ready to fight. If Strikeforce wants me to fight in ten days I know I?d be ready for it.?
CEO Scott Coker Says Stakes are High in Brunson-Souza Scrap
The 32-year old improved his record to 16-3 with the victory and likely positioned himself for another shot at divisional title-holder Luke Rockhold. The two faced off this past September where Rockhold laid came to the belt Souza once wore by way of a relatively convincing decision win.
Check out the complete interview with Souza below:
PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE
TweetFor the Knockout of the Week, we jump into the DeLorean and head back to 2007 for Dan Henderson's last Pride fight. Here, he is fighting fellow Pride star Wanderlei Silva, and shows the "Axe Murderer" just what the H-Bomb looks like.
When the UFC swallowed up Pride, it took many of its fighters and its fight footage, but left behind its pageantry. Example one: the confetti that came down at the end of Henderson's win. What do we need to do to bring confetti back? It will add an air of festivity that is sorely missing from the end of fight nights.
What's not missing from the UFC is Henderson hitting people in the head really hard. He'll get another chance to show off that H-Bomb on Sept. 1 against Jon Jones. Is he the guy who can stop Jones? Tell us in the comments, on Twitter or on Facebook.
Josh Burkman Mikey Burnett Murilo Bustamante Grant CampbellÂ
UFC bantamweight and longtime MMA veteran Ivan Menjivar announced today that he intends to run for public office in Quebec. The 30-year-old Menjivar, who was born in El Salvador but has resided in Canada for most of his life, will be seeking a legislative position with the National Assembly of Quebec, under the "Parti de la Classe Moyenne du Quebec" (translation: Party of the Middle Class of Quebec, or PCMQ) in the Anjou-Louis-Riel district.
Said Menjivar via Twitter:
Je suis fier de porte ma candidature pour la circonscription Anjou-Louis-Riel. Comme member du Parti de la Classe Moyenne du Quebec! (Loose translation: "I am proud to carry the nomination for the Anjou-Louis-Riel district as a member of the Party of the Middle Class of Quebec!")
À touts mes amis facebookys s.v.p passe le mots: je suis candidat pour le PCMQ pour Anjou-Louis-Riel merci. (Loose translation: "To all my Facebookys please pass the word: I am a candidate for the PCMQ for Anjou-Louis-Riel. Thanks.")
Menjivar further stated that his platform includes addressing the war on corruption and the ethics of political parties, as well as the improvement of the health care system and access to a family doctor.
A brown belt in jiu-jitsu and member of the famed Tristar Gym in Montreal, Menjivar has long been known as a competitor who is unafraid of facing tough challenges, and can count among his past opponents such MMA stars as UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre, former UFC featherweight champ Urijah Faber, and former UFC welterweight champ Matt Serra. Menjivar made his UFC debut at UFC 48, which took place on June 19, 2004. Since returning to the Octagon after a nearly seven-year hiatus, Menjivar has won four out of five fights.
Menjivar is not the first accomplished mixed martial artist to run for office. Other notable pugilistic politicians include: top middleweight contender Chael Sonnen, who ran for a position in the Oregon State Legislature; former top middleweight contender Matt Lindland, who also sought a position in the Oregon State Legislature; and retired UFC welterweight Chris Lytle, who ran in the Indiana State Senate race. None were successful.
Aleksander Emelianenko Fedor Emelianenko Yasubey Enomoto Mark Epstein
Gather around, friends, because it's time for another detailed look at the UFC on FOX 4 card. In this post, the microscope is used on the main card, which features four light-heavyweights hoping for another chance to get smashed by UFC champ Jon Jones, a pair of often-scrappy lightweights, and the return of a welterweight veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter" whose digestive issues are so restrictive, he can pretty much eat only air or else his esophagus explodes. Are you excited for Saturday night's absolutely free UFC event? I know I am! I can afford free!
For the longest time UFC lightweight Frankie Edgar has shrugged off talk surrounding the possibility of him dropping to 145 pounds with the division being a better fit for him based on his frame. However, a second straight loss to Benson Henderson has apparently opened his eyes some even though the defeat came by a razor thin margin.
Edgar was recently asked about his plans for the immediate future and if they involved the featherweight division. Though still interested in re-claiming the lightweight title he once wore, rather than declare himself as a 155er through and through Edgar actually appeared open to a potential run at 145.
Edgar Upset About Scoring in Title-Fight but Not Dwelling on It
?I?m going to give myself a week to kind of just let all the emotions go away, just relax and enjoy the family and then sit down probably Sunday with my team and everyone else and just start bouncing some ideas around,? said Edgar in an interview with Sherdog Radio. ?Forty-five is a possibility. Fifty-five, I?ve been so successful and I?d love to get a shot at the (lightweight) belt again. The (featherweight) belt is definitely a prestigious belt to go after, especially with Jose Aldo at the helm of it all.?
The 14-3 Edgar has never been finished in his career, losing decisions to Henderson (x2) and Gray Maynard. He has also won the majority of his bouts by way of the judges? scorecards as well, adding weight to the idea of him shedding a few pounds to compete at an even higher level against similarly sized adversaries.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
TweetBantamweight Miguel Torres has been a fan-favorite for years dating back to his reign as a WEC champion. However, the 31-year old struggled to find the same in-ring success after joining the UFC, going 2-2 inside the Octagon including a brutal knockout to Michael McDonald a few months back.
Now Torres will do his best to recapture some of his former glory under a new organization?s banner after announcing he?d signed with Titan FC. His promotional debut is scheduled for November 2.
A Closer Look at Torres’ Last Win
?I am excited to continue fighting, to regain my focus and to get back to what made me a champion,” wrote Torres on his personal website. ?I have dedicated my whole life to mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. My passion in life is to be the best that I can be.?
Torres is 40-5 in his career including 23 submissions and nine strike-based stoppages. Among the number of notable foes he?s felled are the likes of Antonio Banuelos, Takeya Mizugaki, Yoshiro Maeda, and Chase Beebe.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
TweetSource: http://www.fighters.com/08/22/miguel-torres-cut-by-ufc-signs-with-titan-fc
Kyle Bradley Jai Bradney Ebenezer Fontes Braga Chris Brennan
With an eleven-fight winning streak featuring success against the likes of Fabricio Werdum and Brock Lesnar, as well as championships in a variety of organizations including a title-win in the famed K-1 World Grand Prix, it seems logical to think Alistair Overeem is unquestionably the most dangerous heavyweight on the UFC?s roster who isn?t wearing a divisional belt. However, according to the man who does in fact own the gold ? Junior dos Santos ? Overeem is not the biggest threat to his reign currently calling the UFC home.
Rather, Dos Santos sees former champion Cain Velasquez as a more significant challenge based on a handful of attributes rarely seen in men of their size.
?He?s fast, he?s very good in wrestling, and he never gets tired. His cardio is amazing for a heavyweight,? explained Dos Santos on this week?s episode of Ultimate Insider, adding on Overeem. ?I know this guy is tough but I don?t think he?s the biggest challenge inside the UFC.?
Overeem Believes Dos Santos Doesn’t Want to Fight Him
Dos Santos also addressed Overeem?s recent attempts to score a scrap by questioning the Brazilian?s courage, saying he simply felt ?The Demolition Man? was attempting to talk his way into a title-shot while adding, ?If he thinks he?s better than me, when I fight him and he feels the power of my hands he?s gonna change his mind. We?re gonna have a chance to fight each other and I think that?s gonna be good, especially for me. I wanna beat this guy one day.?
Velasquez and Dos Santos are expected to fight on December 29 at the UFC?s annual year-end event. Meanwhile, Overeem is currently unable to receive a license in Nevada until December 27 after a March drug test indicated illegal testosterone use.
Watch the full interview with Dos Santos below:
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
TweetThe news cycle is ramping up thanks to the impending UFC on FOX 4 event on Saturday. What does that mean? Essentially, just that the UFC apparatus has put all the puzzle pieces in a pile in and around the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and the multitudes of media are flitting about assembling their own portions of the puzzle for mass consumption. Cameras are held aloft at open workouts, microphones are stuck in the face of any fighter of relevance, and there are questions ? loads and loads of questions. Here, then, is your morning news roundup, which is pretty much just a bunch of pieces that, when taken together, form an Ansel Adams-esque panorama of inevitable violence.
Andrei Arlovski Ricardo Arona Noboru Asahi Marcus AurelioÂ