This is about as close to WWE as you can get. The triangle of trash talk between Rashad Evans, Jon Jones and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is going to reach epic proportions during the lead up to UFC 135 in Denver on September 24.
Evans responded by saying Jones is so cocky that he praises himself before he goes to sleep. Evans took a jab at Rampage too, saying the veteran moves like Frankenstein in the cage. Evans poured gasoline on the fire when he invited Rampage to train with him before the UFC 135 showdown.
Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole checked in on video to talk about the latest in this three-headed feud. One can only hope Evans jumps into the Octagon on Sept. 24 with a steel chair or distracts the referee.
The UFC has released highlights from last night's UFC 133 event through ESPN, including Rashad Evans' second-round TKO of Tito Ortiz in the main event starting with a knee to the body, as well as Vitor Belfort's first-round KO of fellow middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama.
Watch the UFC 133 fight videos after the break.
Chad Mendes risked his featherweight title shot at UFC 133 by choosing to fight Rani Yahya instead of sitting on the sidelines and waiting for the winner of Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian. Mendes defeated Yahya, but it looks like his title shot may unfortunately be delayed once again. Mendes injured his right hand at [...]
After Matt Hamill was violently put down by Alexander Gustafsson this past Saturday at UFC 133, company president Dana White declined to comment on Hamill’s future with the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion. On Monday, “The Hammer” made White’s job a lot easier by deciding himself that it was time to call it quits. [...]
On Saturday night, the last thing Paul Daley wants to be doing is stare at the arena ceiling for much his fight against Tyron Woodley. In the past, he hasn't much say where the fight goes against a former college wrestler like Woodley. Daley and his wrestling Kenny Johnson say his Strikeforce bout this weekend will be different.
Johnson, a former Olympian who wrestled at Iowa, has increased his time spent with the British slugger.
"We started picking up the pace in the last few years and his wrestling has gone through the roof," Johnson said (3:50 mark). "He's really dedicated a lot of time and tried to become a mixed martial artist."
Fight fans' last memory of Daley against an elite former college wrestler was Josh Koscheck at UFC 113. Daley was taken down at will and smothered for 15 minutes. The Brit says forget that fight, Woodley isn't in Koscheck's league.
"He's not as big as Josh Koscheck. He is as athletic, but on the technical side, I don't think he can compete with Josh Koscheck," Daley told USA Today. "People are comparing this to that. People do forget in the Koscheck fight, there are takedowns that I stopped. I think that Josh Koscheck is a higher level than Tyron Woodley, so even if I'm able to stop two of his takedowns or stuff them or stall two of his takedowns back then, I think Tyron Woodley's going to have a very difficult time taking me down when I'm on form, when I'm 100%."
Daley (27-10-2) is fully dedicated to shoring up his weaknesses.
"He (Johnson) lives at my house. He eats with me. So if we're not training, we're talking about wrestling; we're looking at footage. So I think people are going to be very shocked, and I think that's an area where Tyron Woodley is underestimating me, and I think that's going to work in my benefit," said Daley.
The biggest question mark for Woodley (8-0) is his experience. He's never been in the cage with someone so seasoned.
"I'm much bigger. I'm much stronger than he thinks. I'm a lot more experienced than him. I don't think he realizes how that's going to play out in this fight," said Daley.
When talking about future opponents, Daley dropped an interesting nugget during this interview.
"There's a mystery guy. There's a mystery guy that's been signed by Strikeforce that Scott Coker's mentioned, and he said that the winner of this fight could possibly be fighting him immediately for the title. There's lots of speculation; I really have no clue, but I want to be back in a position of fighting for a title," said Daley.
And now, my special two-day four-part pair of ?5 Reasons Why? double-articles concludes. I?ve examined why the upcoming match-up between Fedor Emelianenko both is and isn?t a ?freak show? fight. I?ve also given my thoughts on why Fedor could beat Henderson. Now it?s time to wrap it all up with the five reasons why Dan [...]
Fedor Emelianenko's skills may be eroding, but it's not helping that he seems to enter the cage without any sort of gameplan. It's not just fans and media noticing that Fedor simply employs a "go for broke" strategy, his brother Aleks (on the right) is fed up with some of the folks around the former heavyweight king.
"They sat like two amoebas, and did not know what to say. They were asked direct questions and would say, 'It is difficult to say? we will see in the fight,' - what kind of a coach says that? Only one who doesn't understand the sport," Aleksander Emelianeko told FightersOnly Magazine. "I just call them 'Stopwatch' and 'Towel'. That's as much use as they are, that's it."
Aleks thinks that Fedor has been in a stale training camp for years.
"[MMA] is constantly improving, but 'Stopwatch' and 'Towel' have not changed anything in the program - just frozen in time and not been able to develop the base that Fedor already has," Aleks said. " Fedor could train himself, he must take on it personally, to rethink many of the training points to learn and develop. Suffer and work! We'll talk with Fedor - whether he wants to change something in his preparation. If he wants to, I will make the effort."
Fedor lost his third straight fight on Saturday night against Dan Henderson. He lost to Fabricio Werdum by making an amateurish mistake and getting caught in a triangle choke. Against 6-foot-4, 285 pound Antonio Silva, Fedor failed stay at a distance and use his athletic advantage. He was taken down and couldn't get back to his feet. Henderson has freakish punching power and Fedor decided to stand and trade with him.
If Fedor is to return to the cage, his support staff has to get two things done. First, he needs to get down to the light heavyweight division and secondly, it's time to employ a game plan against all future opponents.
My special two-day four-part ?5 Reasons Why? posts continue into their second and final day right on the eve of Strikeforce: ?Fedor vs. Henderson?. Yesterday, I examined why this fight could be perceived as a ?freak show? fight and also why Fedor Emelianenko could beat Dan Henderson. Today, I?ll be covering the reverse of both [...]
Hear from Dana White, Junior dos Santos, Shane Carwin, Kenny Florian, Diego Nunes, Sam Stout and Yves Edwards at the UFC 131 pre-fight press conference held June 9 in Vancouver, BC.