Scenes from an Underground Fight Show in New York City

Earlier today there was an edition of the Underground Combat League (UCL), New York City's long-running, unsanctioned MMA promotion.  Unlike most of the other states in the country, New York has deemed professional MMA to be illegal.  But a loophole in the law has allowed amateur events to flourish ? albeit in a quasi-hush-hush world where fighters sometimes use aliases and the locations of shows are kept secret from the athletic commission. 

Please, don't judge them too harshly.  The UCL, for instance, has churned out over forty events since its debut in 2003, and can count among its alumni such fighters as former UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar and International Fight League heavyweight Bryan Vetell (as well as a slew of dudes who went on to fight in Strikeforce, the WEC, Bellator and top regional promotions).  And before you accuse anyone of exploitation, remember this: everyone from promoter Peter Storm to the fighters to the fans wants to see New York State sanction the sport; it's only because New York won't that events like this exist.

You're probably about to ask something along the lines of "Well, don't you think underground shows like this one are setting the sport back and keeping it from being sanctioned?"  That's a clown-question, bro.  The politicians who favor MMA in New York have cited the state's thriving underground fight scene as a reason why the sport must be sanctioned.

Jim Genia always posts live results from these dastardly events here.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/scenes-underground-fight-show-york-city-034020567--mma.html

Ba Te er  Ryan Bader  Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao 

Rebellion MMA Radio: Julie Kedzie, Joseph Henle, Mukai Maromo

It?s Sunday, meaning it?s once again time for a new edition of Rebellion MMA Radio with hosts Bryan Levick and Mitch Ciccarelli. On this week?s show, coming to you live at 6:30 PM EST, the guys will welcome guests Julie Kedzie, Joseph Henle, and Mukai Maromo. Kedzie currently calls Strikeforce home, while Henle and Maromo fight for Canadian promotion MFC.

As always, readers can also contribute to the show by submitting questions for the fighters/hosts via Twitter, email (RebellionMMARadio@yahoo.com), or even by calling in.

Kedzie is set to fight Miesha Tate in two weeks at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman where she?ll attempt to improve on her 16-10 record and add the former bantamweight champion to a list of fallen foes already including the likes of Jan Finney and Kaitlin Young.

Henle and Maromo both fight this coming Friday night at MFC 34, mixing it up with Luke Harris and Adam Lynn respectively. Fans may also remember the 7-0-1 Henle for his Spartan-esque appearance while serving as a member of the TUF 11 cast.

Remember, things start at 6:30 PM EST so make sure to give the show a listen or even make your own voice heard if so inclined.

Source: http://www.fighters.com/08/05/rebellion-mma-radio-julie-kedzie-joseph-henle-mukai-maromo

Stephan Bonnar Lorenzo Borgomeo  Kyle Bradley  Jai Bradney 

BJ Penn?s bout with Rory MacDonald moved to FOX card in December

After attempts from multiple fighters to bait former UFC champion BJ Penn into a match-up it looks like ?The Prodigy? will still be fighting Rory MacDonald as originally planned. However, rather than mixing it up on PPV it appears the two will tussle on network television at UFC on FOX 5. MacDonald-Penn were initially supposed to fight in September at UFC 152 but an injury to MacDonald forced the clash?s cancellation.

The FOX event is scheduled for December 8 though no location has been linked to the card. It will be the last FOX event of 2012.

Jon Fitch and Others Call out Penn in Hopes of a Fight

Spike TV’s MMA Uncensored was first to report the rumble?s new date, while MMAJunkie has confirmed MacDonald-Penn will not be the evening?s main event but rather the co-headliner.

Penn will be making his return from more than a year on the sidelines after deciding to retire after his last fight, a decision loss to Nick Diaz. The popular Hawaiian holds an overall record of 16-8-2 with UFC titles in two divisions and wins over the likes of Matt Hughes, Sean Sherk, and Diego Sanchez.

Meanwhile, MacDonald is 13-1 and is currently on a three-fight winning streak. Twelve of his triumphs have involved some form of finish.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Source: http://www.fighters.com/08/10/bj-penn%e2%80%99s-bout-with-rory-macdonald-moved-to-fox-card-in-december

Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo 

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.

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Whistling Wrigley winds play tricks on Cubs and Reds
? Steve Stricker moves into contention, closer to Ryder Cup dream
? Dolphins QB Garrard to undergo minor knee surgery, miss 2-4 weeks

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

Masakatsu Funaki Zelg Benkei Galesić Mauro Galvao Arman Gambaryan

Melvin Manhoef Inks Deal With Road FC

Strikeforce veteran and K-1 kickboxer Melvin Manhoef has reached a deal with Korean MMA promotion Road FC. While no official date has been set for a debut, it is likely some time will pass before the muay Thai specialist sees action as he is penciled in to compete in the K-1 World Grand Prix this [...]

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/29850/melvin-manhoef-inks-deal-with-road-fc/

Antoni Hardonk Dan Hardy Lee Hasdell Musse Hasselvall

Nick Diaz Update: Will Return, Wants Anderson Silva

Like a passing case of the munchies, UFC welterweight contender Nick Diaz's plans to retire seem to have faded, and taking the place of that retirement is a burning desire to face UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva.  All this is according to his longtime coach, Cesar Gracie, who posted a lengthy statement on the matter over at GracieFighter.

It was only just February when Diaz purportedly turned his back on the sport, a move prompted by his controversial unanimous decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143.  The defeat came after a five-round scrap for the UFC Interim Welterweight Championship title, and the bout saw Condit playing "hit and run" while the Stockton native followed him around and hurled insults.  Soon after, it was revealed that Diaz had tested positive for marijuana metabolites in a post-fight urinalysis, and the subsequent year-long suspension levied upon him appeared to be the icing on the retirement cake.

Said Gracie:

For the last couple months I've watched Nick begin to frequent the gym more and more.  He's training harder now than he has for many of his fights.  It was obvious that training and fighting is in his DNA.  It is who he is.

This week we had a great talk and he made it clear to me that he is ready to get back in the cage.  Nick Diaz will return.

With interim champ Condit destined to face UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre at UFC 154 in November, who is there for Diaz - an elite, top-level fighter - to face that's worthwhile?

As far as future opponents, Nick has stated that he would like to take fights "that matter".  Since GSP will be fighting Condit, he has to look elsewhere.  He will respectfully ask for a fight with Anderson Silva, a fighter he respects and would like to challenge.

Silva's camp has been speaking of a fight with GSP, possibly even at a catchweight.  Nick will take that fight in a minute but has told me that should Silva decide not to drop at all, he will move up to 185lbs to face the Champ.

And there you have it.  Unfortunately, unless Diaz (or, more aptly, his attorneys) can figure out a way around his suspension, ain't nothin' going down 'till February, 2013.  Remember kids, dope is for dopes.  Don't be a dope!

Jim Genia tweets here and wrote this book.  Come at me, bro.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/nick-diaz-return-wants-anderson-silva-000443797--mma.html

Luiz Azeredo  Luciano Azevedo  Ba Te er  Ryan Bader 

UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar II Play-By-Play

MMAFrenzy's coverage of UFC 150 continues with our play-by-play coverage and live scoring of tonight's fights. We will have full coverage of tonight's PPV main card culminating in the main event rematch for the lightweight title between champion Benson Henderson and former champion Frankie Edgar. Be sure to stay tuned to MMAFrenzy for our full coverage of tonight's card.

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/29859/ufc-150-henderson-vs-edgar-ii-play-by-play/

Marcelo Brito  Rob Broughton  Mike Brown  Junie Browning

Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey, Jay Hieron: The Morning News Roundup ? 8.9.12

Once upon a time, a UFC fighter would've been lucky if he was able to get a sponsor, and if he did manage to get one, he had to have the words "Condom Depot" emblazoned on the back of his shorts or have drawn on his body an advertisement for an online betting company.  But the times they are a-changin'.  While the UFC is currently "corn to the core" and cuddled up in bed with Harley-Davidson, one top fighter has just signed a contract with the mother of all sponsors.  More after the jump!

  • UFC light-heavyweight champ and part-time car wrecker Jon Jones has signed with Nike, according to the venerable Mike Chiappetta at MMAFighting.  This.  Is.  Huge.  As it's a global sponsorship and Jones will reportedly receive his own line of Nike-branded accoutrement, the champ ? and the sport ? will get exposure like never before.  Plus, nothing says "mainstream" like a Nike sponsorship.

 

As usual, MMAPayout has some valuable insight:

If you thought that Jon Jones was one of the highest profile UFC fighters around, you could probably confirm that with the new Nike deal, he will be the most visible worldwide.  The deal indicates that the global sportswear maker is dipping its foot in the Octagon which can only be a good thing for MMA and the UFC.  The deal creates a new level of earning potential for Jones and a lofty goal for other UFC fighters.  At this point, I would think that the Swoosh may be on a "wait and see" approach with the sport as it relates to sponsoring others.  But, if the Jones line of clothing is a hit, we may see more of the familiar logo in the Octagon.

 

  • Strikeforce female bantamweight champ and resident arm-ripper-offer Ronda Rousey has a title defense coming up on August 18, and last night her first "All Access" episode aired on Showtime.  In it, UFC president Dana White extolls her virtues, past opponent Miesha Tate shows off her prosthetic limb (which she was forced to get after Rousey took her arm), and Rousey's boxing coach talks about how at first he ignored her but then came around when he realized she was going to be a bigger star than any moke that ever set foot in his gym.  I suspect Rousey also fights crime in her spare time, but as Maggie Hendricks pointed out, she probably has to keep that secret.  See the episode here.

 

  • UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck hurt his back in training, so his UFC 151 bout against Jake Ellenberger is off.  Taking his place will be erstwhile Octagon veteran (seriously, he last fought in the UFC back in 2005) Jay Hieron.  Hieron's been pretty much fighting everywhere else, so hey, why not do a UFC bout?  This bout is also actually a rematch ? the two met at an International Fight League event in June, 2006; Hieron took the unanimous decision.

 

That's it for now, amigos.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/jon-jones-ronda-rousey-jay-hieron-morning-news-140531700--mma.html

Ryan Bader  Siyar Bahadurzada Bao Ligao  Josh BarnettÂ