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Last news: November 23, 2010 06:00:00

After 13 mixed martial arts wins and 10 rounds with BJ Penn, you would guess that UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar has gotten nerves out of his system for good. But the pride of Toms River admits to a few butterflies after a Saturday night chat with the NFL’s New York Jets.

“Just like anything, I want to be successful at it and after the speech I kept asking (manager) Shari (Spencer) and my buddy who was there, ‘How did I do? How did I do?’ I wanted to make sure I did a good job.  I didn’t want to speak just to say I did it; I wanted to actually get through to these guys.”

He did.

While many instances that see high-profile athletes or celebrities talking to sports teams before games are nothing more than photo ops, Edgar delivered a story that not only resonated with the AFC Eastern division leaders, it pushed them to a come from behind 30-27 over the Houston Texans Sunday that came with only 10 ticks left on the clock.

“The guy (Edgar) is barely taller than this podium, and this guy beat BJ Penn in a UFC Championship bout,” said Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, whose six yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes sealed the victory. “Everybody counted him out. They wanted a rematch and he went back and beat him even worse. Talk about a guy who is mentally tough and physically tough. He came in and spoke to the team last night. It was a perfect time. He talked about never giving up, being counted out, playing until the end; fighting and believing in yourself and your team and the people around you. Those were the only ones telling him he could win the fight. Everyone else was counting him out. I think theres a lot of people who counted us out tonight and last week and the week before that. We just look at each other look at the guys wearing the Jets decals and we know we have a chance until the thing is over. It was perfect for Rex to bring in a guy like that and give us a little extra inspiration so it was great for Frankie to come in.”

“It was so appropriate,” added offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson in comments to the New York Times. “That’s what this game was all about. Mental toughness.”

So what was the magic formula?

“Honestly, I was myself,” said Edgar, who defends his 155-pound crown against Gray Maynard at UFC 125 on January 1st. “I was thinking about writing stuff down, but I thought that me being real was the best thing I could do. We’re all pretty much the same age, we’re in the same boat in the public eye, and we’re athletes, so I thought that by being myself I would get through to them. I just told them my story, how I came up through wrestling, the ups and downs I went through, and that things didn’t come naturally. You gotta be tough and stay mentally strong and be willing to work hard.”

And after talking to and meeting with the members of “Gang Green” and making his way to the New Meadowlands Stadium on game day (where he sat next to Sopranos star James Gandolfini), Edgar felt an added kinship with the gridiron gladiators. That being said, he did have his heart in his mouth a bit when the Jets blew a 23-7 fourth quarter lead.

“When they had that lead, I was like ‘all right, cool,’” he laughs. “I definitely wanted to get that W. It’s the competitiveness in me. I didn’t want them losing after the talk I had with them.”

The Texans roared back, with two field goals by Neil Rackers and touchdowns from Joel Dreessen and Arian Foster giving Houston a 27-23 lead with 55 seconds left. Then Sanchez rallied his troops and finished things off with his touchdown strike to Holmes.

“When they were down by one, I said they gotta pull this out, and it was the perfect scenario after the speech,” said Edgar. “I brought up the (UFC 67) fight with Tyson (Griffin) where I felt like I was up on the scorecards and I got caught in that kneebar, and I had to tough it out, and that’s what they had to do yesterday.”

Photo credit – The Spencer Firm

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Was there really any doubt?

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida engaged in a very competitive fight.  There is no doubt about that.  But it is tough for me to understand why so many people are surprised by the fact that the judges awarded Rampage a split decision victory.  The only thing that surprised me about the outcome was one judge’s decision to score the fight for Machida.

The criteria for deciding the outcome of a fight are pretty straightforward.  Judges are instructed to evaluate effective striking, effective grappling, Octagon control, effective aggressiveness and defense.  The criteria are listed in order of scoring impact from most to least, meaning that effective striking carries the most weight in scoring a round, whereas defense carries the least weight.  Keep that fact in mind because it is outcome determinative for this fight.

Effective striking takes into account both the total number of legal strikes landed and the significance of those strikes.  There is no guidance as to which of those two aspects of effective striking carries more weight, so each judge gets to make that decision on his or her own.  Effective grappling takes into account takedowns, reversals, guard passes and an active, threatening guard.  Octagon control is determined by who is dictating both the pace of the action and where the fight unfolds.  Effective aggressiveness means moving forward and landing strikes or executing takedowns.  

Each of those is fairly intuitive.  The one that isn’t intuitive is defense.  Defense doesn’t mean avoidance.  The scoring system does not reward a fighter for merely slipping a strike, stalemating a submission attempt or stuffing a takedown attempt.  It is supposed to reward fighters for slipping a strike and countering, defending a submission and reversing the position, or sprawling and brawling.  In other words, it is neutralizing an attack and using that moment to counter attack.

Remember that each round must be scored in isolation.  Applying the scoring criteria on a round-by-round basis, it is very clear who deserved the judges’ nod.

The first round didn’t feature much action by either man.  Rampage snapped back Machida’s head with a left hook and again with a right uppercut.  That was about it in terms of punches with bad intentions from the big fella.  Machida’s only significant strike in that round was a kick to the body landed with 94 seconds remaining in the round.  The kick was a good one, but it definitely did not trump the two clean punches landed by the more powerful Rampage.

Rampage also landed twice as many total strikes in the round.  Remember that one must consider all legal strikes landed, which includes all those body punches, knees and foot stomps in the clinch.  Rampage was much more active, particularly in the clinch.  That is what gave him the edge.  

Whether one’s bias is with total strikes landed or the significance of those strikes, Rampage has to get the nod.  

There weren’t any takedowns or real take down attempts, so effective grappling is a non factor.  I’m not sure either man controlled the Octagon more significantly than the other, since both wanted the action to unfold on the feet.  But Rampage without question was the one who was more aggressive, and since he landed more strikes while coming forward, he wins effective aggressiveness hands down.

I’ll give Machida the defense category because the few strikes he landed were counters.  Rampage didn’t do much in the way of slipping and countering.

So, the first round has Rampage winning effective striking and effective aggressiveness.  Machida wins defense.  Since both of Rampage’s categories carried more weight, it is tough to argue anything other than a 10-9 round for Rampage.  

The second round was just as easy to score.  Rampage again landed at more than twice as many total strikes because of his work in the clinch – and if we’re just talking punches, that margin increases dramatically.  In terms of significance, the right uppercut on the chin followed by a left hook on the temple that Rampage landed with 97 seconds left in the second round hurt Machida.  No doubt about it.  I don’t know why he didn’t instantly press for the finish because his foe was on less than sure footing for the next dozen seconds.  

In any event, those shots were far and away the most significant strikes of the round.  Machida landed a few knees and kicks, but none of them came close to the damage caused by Rampage’s combination.  

Rampage also scored the only takedown of the round.  He didn’t do much with it, but he did keep Machida down for almost 20 seconds.

So, the first two scoring categories – effective striking and effective grappling – have to go to Rampage.  I’ll stalemate Octagon control yet again because neither man really dictated where the fight unfolded to the detriment of the other.  Rampage stalked Machida, just like he did in the first round, and was able to land from time to time.  Machida countered almost exclusively.  Thus, Rampage gets the nod for effective aggressiveness and Machida wins defense.

Taking all that as true, Rampage wins the second round 10-9, which means a two-point lead heading into the final round.  Machida won the third, no doubt about it.  But he didn’t dominate Rampage by any means.  The only significant moment was a 13-strike barrage where roughly half of the shots landed.  Rampage was retreating the entire time, and then got dumped on his backside thanks to a nice takedown.  Machida moved into the mount briefly, though he did absolutely no damage whatsoever on the ground.

There is no plausible argument for scoring the third 10-8.  It was more definitive than either the first or second round, but it was not a truly dominant round at all.  As a result, I just don’t see how anyone, including Rampage, was shocked by the judges’ decision.  

This is one time when they got it right.

Machida simply waited too long

The fact that Rampage clearly won the fight in my eyes doesn’t mean that the fight wasn’t winnable for Machida.  I think he might have stopped the former undisputed champion had he opened up full throttle with strikes on the ground.  Machida had nothing to lose at that point.   He was behind on two of the three cards.  A stoppage was the only way he was going to win – 10-7 rounds are about as common as legitimate Bigfoot sightings.  

My question is why did Machida wait until halfway through the final round to open up?  He showed that he had much faster hands than his foe, so why not be more aggressive from the jump?  

The reality is that the knockout loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is to blame for Machida’s cautiousness.  He admitted in the weeks leading up to the fight that he fought too aggressively against Shogun, and that is why he got knocked out.  It wasn’t much of a surprise to see him shy away from such aggression until he was hopelessly behind on the cards.

I believe the fight would have ended by knockout if Machida would have fought aggressively right out of the gate.  Maybe he would have caught Rampage.  Maybe the howling striker would have clipped Machida.  Either way, someone would have gone to sleep.

Penn erases any doubts

BJ Penn couldn’t have scripted his third fight with Matt Hughes any better.  A 21-second knockout win is about as good as it gets.  

The win erased any question that Penn can compete in the welterweight division.  His previous three-consecutive losses in the division don’t really mean anything anymore.  He is a contender at 170-pounds.  It’s written.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I had no doubt that Penn was going to win the fight when I saw him walking to the Octagon.  I haven’t seen “The Prodigy” that focused and amped up for a fight since his first bout with Hughes.  Emotion was dripping from face while his trademark entrance mix by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole boomed through the arena.  It was as if Penn was fighting for all Hawaiians.  I know that is a silly concept, but Penn identifies with that song better than any other fighter and his entrance song.

Quick knockout loss should not deter Hughes

I know Hughes lost in just about the most definitive way possible.  I get that.  I don’t care.  He shouldn’t let the loss get to him.

The former champion was in the midst of a three-fight winning streak before getting obliterated by Penn.  I submit, though, that a 21-second knockout loss is no different than getting knocked out four minutes into the third round.  A loss is a loss.  Period.

Hughes looked much better in his last three fights than he has in years.  He is a better rounded fighter now than he has been at any point in his Hall of Fame career.  Granted, he isn’t as dominant because he can’t outwrestle the world like he used to.  So what?  There are more than one or even two ways to skin a cat.

Hughes should take a week to rest and forget the loss.  He should then jump back on the horse and look to get another fight against a top 170-pound contender.  I think Hughes can make a bit of noise in the welterweight division next year.

Davis continues to impress

Phil Davis is a special athlete.  Four time Division I All-American in wrestling.  2008 National Champion.  116 collegiate wins.  He is definitely a special athlete.

Eight fights into his mixed martial arts career, Davis remains undefeated, and the best part is that the guy seems to dramatically improve with every fight.  Saturday night was the perfect case in point.  The submission hold he used to end the fight was a modified Kimura, and being able to pull off such an unorthodox move shows a level of understanding of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that’s almost unheard of for a guy just two years into his career.  

Davis hasn’t yet reached super prospect status like fellow former collegiate wrestler Jon Jones, but he isn’t far behind, either.  I’d like to see Davis next fight a dominant striker with excellent takedown defense because we still don’t know if this guy can survive on his feet against a true killer.  It’s time to throw this kid into the deep end and see if he can swim.  

Sotiropoulous makes his case

George Sotiropoulous is now 7-0 in the UFC.  Seven straight wins ties for sixth all time.  Only Anderson Silva (12) and Gray Maynard (8) have active streaks that are longer.  Silva is the best fighter on the planet.  Maynard is fighting for the title.  Sotiropoulous is somewhat of an afterthought in the division, failing to register on most lists of top contenders.  I’ll bet that all changes after his impressive win over Joe Lauzon.  I firmly believe that he has done enough to warrant a spot on Dana White’s short list for 155-pound title contenders.  

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Its always free to play with prizes given away every hour at UFC Poker. - [Read more]

Georges St-Pierre
Our writer got total access to GSP’s training camp and shadowed the welterweight champion in the days leading up to his fight with Dan Hardy at UFC 111. Find out what keeps “Rush” at the top of his game and the division.

Nate Diaz
If you want to understand what Diaz is all about you just need to know that he’s not in the UFC to make friends. And you need to go to Stockton.

Jake Shields
The UFC’s new welterweight contender sets his sights on adding a few more belts to his championship resume.

The 25 Slickest Submissions
The triangle chokes, rolling kimuras, guillotines, and armbars that forced some of the UFC’s toughest tap out. We take a look at the 25 best submissions in UFC history.

Brittney Palmer
From working in burlesque shows to assisting magicians it’s been a long, strange road to stalking the Octagon for this Las Vegas. Pick up the issue and you’ll get to see the newest star in the UFC’s constellation in a whole new light.

The Rashad Evans Workout
We launched our new strength and conditioning section, Diesel, with Rashad Evans and Jon Chaimberg. Now you can push yourself in the gym using the same lifts that Suga uses in training camp.

Anthony Pettis
After overcoming a family tragedy, World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight Anthony Pettis plans to make Milwaukee proud when he becomes the last man to challenge for the WEC lightweight belt.

Dong Hyun Kim
With nearly three years undefeated in the UFC, South Korean native Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim considers himself a born samurai.

Joe Lauzon
Lightweight contender Joe Lauzon can beat you standing, on the ground and on the Internet.

Also in the issue we’ve got our holiday gift guide, the Ferrari 458 Italia, the latest in games, music and much more.  - [Read more]

AUBURN HILLS, MI, November 20 – Conventional wisdom would have dictated that the only way the UFC 123 prelim bout between Brian Foster and Matt Brown would have ended on the mat is if one of the two welterweight bangers got knocked out. But Foster flipped the script on ‘The Immortal’, moving seamlessly from striking to submission mode to force Brown to tap out in the second round at The Palace of Auburn Hills Saturday night.

Brown vs. Foster see the fight
“Man, I’m ecstatic,” said Foster. “I wanted this so bad.”

After the two circled each other for the first 30 seconds of the bout, Foster surprised his for with a quick takedown. The ground action didn’t last long, and when they both stood, it was Brown scoring with a takedown of his own. Brown was able to keep Foster pinned for a bit, at least until the Illinois product scrambled loose and landed some strikes. Brown got back in a controlling position, but Foster scrambled up, got in some hard strikes, and again took the fight to the mat. Brown worked free efficiently and briefly got the mount position before transitioning and locking up Foster’s arm. Despite what looked like a definite finisher, Foster got loose and began firing off strikes from the top position. At the bell, the two stood and stared at each other. See post-fight interview

As the two engaged to begin the second round, back to back low kicks from Brown momentarily stopped the action. Both fighters kept firing kicks once the fight resumed, and Foster caught one of Brown’s and slammed him hard to the mat. Taking advantage of this change in fortune, Foster landed some more ground strikes before suddenly moving in and locking up a guillotine choke. The end came moments later, as Brown tapped out at the 2:11 mark.

With the win, Foster improves to 17-5; Brown falls to 13-10.

Simpson vs. Munoz see the fight
Longtime college wrestling buddies Mark Munoz and Aaron Simpson certainly didn’t fight like friends in their middleweight bout, trading vicious punches and equally impressive ground techniques over an entertaining 15 minute battle won by Munoz via a close, but unanimous decision. See post-fight interview

Scores were 29-28 across the board for Munoz, who improves to 9-2; Simpson falls to 7-2.

Both Munoz and Simpson delivered high level action in the first round, whether it was standup exchanges, close quarters fighting or their bread and butter wrestling attacks.

There was more of the same in the second stanza, much to the delight of the crowd, and as the round progressed, it looked like Munoz’ punches had a little more steam on them. After a trip to the mat, Munoz emerged with a cut on his forehead, and to add insult to injury, he caught a low kick in an ensuing standup exchange. After a break in the action, Munoz fired off thudding kicks to the body and head, but Simpson amazingly took all of them without blinking. After a takedown by Simpson and an ensuing standup, the two locked up against the fence, with Simpson getting a low knee that brought another momentary halt to the bout. Yet after resuming, it was back to work, and as the round ended, it was clear that both were willing to leave it all in the Octagon in search of victory.

The third began with some fast-paced wrestling on the mat, enhanced by Munoz’ thudding ground strikes. After the two rose, they exchanged strikes with Simpson claiming a poke in the eye and a brief respite thanks to referee Mark Fennell. Upon resuming, Munoz attacked and closed the distance, pinning Simpson to the fence until Fennell broke them. Munoz didn’t let up, chasing Simpson and letting loose with whatever strikes were at his disposal. Simpson looked for two takedown in response, but was turned away by Munoz, who wanted to keep it standing. With a little over a minute left, Munoz lost his balance and fell, but Simpson was unable to capitalize and they stood again, battling it out at close range and going toe to toe for the final ten seconds of the bout.

Parisyan vs. Hallman
Veteran Dennis Hallman continued his resurgence, stopping returning contender Karo Parisyan in the first round of their welterweight bout. See post-fight interview

An early stalemate against the fence brought in referee Dan Miragliotta to re-start the action. That was the break Hallman needed, as he drilled Parisyan with a right hand that dropped ‘The Heat’. Still stunned, Parisyan wasn’t able to recover immediately, and a series of unanswered strikes from Hallman prompted Miragliotta to call a stop to the bout at the 1:47 mark.

With the win, Hallman – who is coming off an August win over Ben Saunders – improves to 66-13-2 with 1 NC. Parisyan falls to 26-6 with 1 NC in his first UFC bout since January of 2009.

Lullo vs. Barboza
Unbeaten Brazilian newcomer Edson Barboza’s Muay Thai attack delivered as advertised in his lightweight prelim bout against late replacement Mike Lullo, as a devastating series of kicks to the leg ended matters in the third round. See post-fight interview

“I’m very happy with my performance tonight,” said Barboza. “I didn’t get to showcase all of my talents tonight, but I’m definitely a striker and I felt I was extremely effective.”

After some crisp leg kicks to open the fight, Barboza (7-0) stunned Lullo by turning a takedown attempt into a slam of his own, drawing a roar from the crowd. After standing, the crowd got even louder when Barboza did it a second time. Lullo (8-2) kept his cool, mixing a choke and some ground strikes from the bottom position, evening the playing field in the process. Eventually, Barboza broke free with 1:15 left and got back to his feet, continuing to drill Lullo in his lead left leg.

Lullo attacked Barboza at the bell and looked for the takedown, a wise choice since every kick to the leg was producing a wince from the Illinois native. After another quick barrage, the fight went back to the mat, but this time Barboza was able to stand without taking much damage, and he resumed his chopping attack. With less than two minutes left, the fighters tumbled to the mat, with Lullo pulling out all the stops in search of a submission. Barboza wasn’t biting, and after a couple more kicks to the leg, Lullo could barely stand, even resting in the wrong corner at the bell.

Gamely coming out for round three, Lullo and everyone in the house knew what was coming, and after three more kicks to his opponent’s left leg, two of which sent him to the canvas, referee Mark Fennell halted the bout 26 seconds into the final round.

Kelly vs. OBrien
Liverpool’s Paul Kelly got back in the win column in style, stopping game Octagon debutant TJ O’Brien in the second round of an entertaining lightweight battle. See post-fight interview

“I stayed relaxed for once,” said Kelly. “I didn’t rush my shots. I’m always a million-miles-an-hour fit. I throw a thousand punches but land every one in 10. So I did a better job of picking my shots.”

There were some solid exchanges in an opening round spent predominantly on the feet, and while Kelly’s busier workrate and aggression probably won him the round, O’Brien wasn’t far behind, as he looked very comfortable in his first Octagon bout.

Kelly appeared to be getting more confident as the bout progressed though, which was no surprise after he dropped O’Brien with a left hook early in round two. But an ensuing scramble saw Kelly mounted by his foe and in a bad way, but amazingly, Kelly fought his way free and turned the tables, locking up O’Brien’s arms as he fired away with right hands to the head. Eventually, with no way to get free, O’Brien was rescued by referee Dan Miragliotta at 3:16 of the round, though the game Iowan was clearly not happy with that decision.

With the win, Kelly improves to 12-3; O’Brien falls to 16-4.

Griffin vs. Lentz see the fight
Minnesota’s Nik Lentz remained unbeaten in the Octagon, scoring an unpopular three round split decision over Tyson Griffin in the lightweight opener. See post-fight interview

Scores were 29-28 twice and 27-30 for Lentz, who is now 4-0-1 in his UFC stint.

“I personally thought I won, 29-28, but you never know with the judges,” said Lentz. “He had an awkward striking style. He was kind of swinging wildly and that’s sometimes harder to defend than a normal boxing style.”

Lentz opened the fight with a quick takedown, but it was Griffin who controlled the rest of the frame, slamming his foe twice and keeping him pinned to the fence before a late break that saw ‘The Carny’ score with some hard body kicks in the closing stages of the round.

Starting the second round strong as he used his height and reach advantage well when it came to striking, Lentz nonetheless found himself on the wrong end of Griffin’s second half takedowns, and he was unable to pull himself loose long enough to get back to his feet or mount an offensive attack.

Early in the third, it was Griffin’s striking coming to life as he dropped Lentz twice briefly before the bout wound up on the mat. After another extended session there, Lentz got to his feet and slammed Griffin, using the advantage in position to land some strikes and even lock Griffin’s arm up briefly, apparently doing enough on the scorecards to take the victory.

With the win, Lentz improves to 22-3-2; Griffin, who has now lost three in a row, falls to 14-5. - [Read more]

AUBURN HILLS, MI, November 20 – 21 seconds. That and the idea of fighting an old rival was all it took for BJ Penn to get his mojo back, and he did just that, knocking out Matt Hughes in their rubber match to break a two fight losing skid and send the crowd at The Palace at Auburn Hills into a frenzy during Saturday’s UFC 123 co-main event.

Hughes vs. Penn
“Matt you’re my idol, you will always be my idol,” said Penn, who ran out of the Octagon after the bout, recalling the time he did the same thing after halting Caol Uno in 11 seconds in 2001. When he returned, it was as a triumphant hero in his first welterweight bout since 2009. The win also brought him back to prominence after he lost his lightweight title and back-to-back bouts to Frankie Edgar. See post-fight interview

Penn came out firing at Hughes immediately, looking sharper and more intense than he has in a long time. Hughes tried to weather the storm, but after firing a kick and having it caught by Penn, ‘The prodigy’ turned up the heat even more, landing with a right hand that sent Hughes to the canvas. A follow-up barrage ended matters at the 21 second mark.

“He hit me hard,” said Hughes. “I thought it was a knee or a kick.”

The loss ended Hughes’ three fight winning streak. As for his future, the 37-year old Hall of Famer was non-committal.

“I had a lot of momentum and I had a lot on the line. I don’t know what happens from here.”

With the Knockout of the Night win, Penn improves to 16-7-1; Hughes falls to 46-8. The two fought twice before, Penn winning in 2004, and Hughes returning the favor in 2006.

Harris vs. Falcao
With a burst of intense action bookended by nearly two rounds of tedious “action”, Brazilian middleweight Maiquel Falcao scored his first UFC win, ending Gerald Harris’ three fight Octagon winning streak via unanimous decision. See post-fight interview

Scores were 29-27 and 29-28 twice for Falcao, who improves to 26-3 with 1 NC; Harris falls to 16-3.

A tentative opening from both fighters was greeted with boos from the fans in attendance, and rightfully so, as Harris was doing little and Falcao was doing nothing. With less than two minutes left, the Brazilian finally woke up, firing off a flurry of punches and a knee that allowed him to get Harris to the mat. He continued to fire off punches there as well, eventually sinking in a rear naked choke. It looked like the end was near, but Harris powered out. Harris got caught again moments later, but the bell intervened. Unfortunately, Falcao didn’t immediately release the hold, prompting a warning from referee Dan Miragliotta.

Looking to keep the momentum going, Falcao landed a hard punch to the head to start the round and Harris went back to the canvas. He bounced up immediately, swinging haymakers at his foe, but it was Falcao who got Harris on the mat, sinking in yet another rear naked choke. Harris broke loose again, standing and pinning his foe against the fence. Now it was Falcao’s turn to break loose, and he did bringing the fight back to the center of the Octagon. Harris shot in for a takedown, but was turned away. With 1:50 left, Harris slammed Falcao down, but “Big Rig” shot right back up and went back to his striking attack as well as some solid takedown defense.

The first four minutes of round three mimicked the opening stages of the bout, with the lack of action igniting the crowd – and not in a positive manner. With a minute left, Harris shot for a takedown, but didn’t get it, and the two went back to circling each other and throwing single shots that came up short, drawing a loud chorus of boos after the final bell.

Davis vs. Boetsch
Unbeaten light heavyweight prospect Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis delivered perhaps his most impressive UFC performance to date, dominating always tough Tim Boetsch before submitting him in the second round. See post-fight interview

The two former college wrestlers spent the first half of the opening round kickboxing, with both landing their share of shots. Midway through the round, Davis (8-0) shot in for his first takedown and he got it, proceeding to go to work with strikes from all angles. After a prolonged period of punishment, Boetsch (12-4) was able to make it to his feet in the final minute, but Davis kept him locked up, finishing off an impressive round with more strikes.

Davis picked up where he left off in the second round, getting the fight to the mat just before the two minute mark. While there, Davis attempted a kimura, modified it and forced Boetsch to tap out at 2:55 of the frame. The innovative armbar earned him Submission of the Night.

Sotiropoulos vs. Lauzon
Lightweight George Sotiropoulos finished 2010 with a bang, ending a 3-0 run this year with an impressive second round submission win over Joe Lauzon in a bout named Fight of the Night. See post-fight interview

The two exchanged punches to begin the bout, with Lauzon the sharper of the two. Sotiropoulos responded moments later with a takedown attempt, but Lauzon fought it off and went back to peppering his foe with strikes. With two minutes left, a mad scramble of a takedown attempt from Sotiropoulos ended up with Lauzon on top and scoring with ground strikes, but the Australian kept moving, and he was able to reverse position and wind up on top. The high-level grappling from both men didn’t stop though, and by the end of the round, it was Lauzon on top and in control.

After some more scrambles to start round two, Sotiropoulos made a concerted effort to attack Lauzon’s body with punches and knees, and after a series of both, he got Lauzon to the mat and went to lock up his arm, but Lauzon pulled loose. The second time Sotiropoulos got his arm though, there would be no escape, as a tight kimura produced a tap out from Lauzon at 2:43 of the second round.

With the win, Sotiropulos, who also defeated Joe Stevenson and Kurt Pellegrino this year, improves to 14-2; Lauzon falls to 18-6.

- [Read more]

AUBURN HILLS, MI, November 20 – Quinton Jackson brought out the PRIDE theme song, his old aggression, some wild haymakers, and nearly a trademark slam to the UFC 123 main event at The Palace of Auburn Hills Saturday night, and while it wasn’t vintage “Rampage”, his willingness to push the pace throughout the first two rounds and to hold off a late charge from Lyoto Machida allowed him to earn a three round split decision in the battle of former UFC light heavyweight champions.

Scores were 29-28 twice, and 28-29 for Jackson.

“I think that’s the only thing that got me the decision,” said Jackson, when asked if his aggression earned him the victory. “Machida whupped my ass tonight.”

Jackson came out of his corner aggressively, trying to corner Machida. ‘The Dragon’ wasn’t buying it, and he used his movement and some well-placed kicks to the inside of Jackson’s legs to slow him down. With two minutes gone, Jackson made his first rush of Machida, but was turned away by the speedy Brazilian. Seconds later he did it again, and this time Machida clinched, with Jackson pushing him against the fence. After the two broke, Jackson kept coming, missing with a haymaker but again getting Machida to the fence, where he stomped at his feet. After a warning from referee Herb Dean for a lack of action, the two broke, Jackson again swinging for the fences but coming up short.

There was no change to the strategy for Jackson in round two, but this time he was able to pin Machida to the Octagon fence a lot quicker. An inadvertent low knee from Jackson broke up the action momentarily, and this time both fighters circled each other at a perilously close range, the crowd waiting for something to erupt. Instead, the fighters locked up again, but with a little over three minutes left, Jackson was able to score the first takedown of the fight. After a few moments, the two stood, and then broke apart.  Jackson unleashed a haymaker, but Machida smothered it and locked his opponent up. After breaking, Machida fired off a high kick and a knee, but then ate an uppercut for his trouble, prompting him to begin moving around the Octagon again to regain control of the situation. At the four minute mark, there was another stalemate against the fence, with little action to distinguish the final 60 seconds of the round.

Machida’s defense left Jackson in the cold after a few looping haymakers to open the round, and the fans began booing. But with under four minutes left, Machida opened up his own arsenal, rocking Jackson with a series of shots. Jackson cleared his head quickly and fired back with both hands. Machida responded with a takedown, but Jackson’s defense was solid as he didn’t allow Machida to improve his position. With under two minutes left, Machida sought out an arm and when that failed, he was able to get into the mount position. From there, he tried to lock up Jackson’s arm, but when “Rampage” went to slam his way out of trouble, Machida released the hold and stood up, ultimately taking his foe down again and working for a submission before the bell intervened.

With the win, Jackson improves to 31-8; Machida falls to 16-2.

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Click below to see press conference highlights from the following:

Rampage Jackson
BJ Penn
Phil Davis and George Sotiropoulos
Dana White

See the UFC 123 replay and unaired prelims on UFCLive.com. - [Read more]

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson isn’t saying much. Maybe he said all there is to say after an exhausting media tour to promote the A-Team movie he starred in following his decision loss to Rashad Evans in May. Or maybe we’ve just been spoiled by Rampage’s rants on anything and everything over the years.

That’s okay though. And if Jackson’s low-key approach to Saturday’s UFC 123 main event against Lyoto Machida means that he’s saving his energy, his wit, and his focus for his opponent, then we could be in for quite a treat this weekend.

One thing’s for sure though; as a 205-pounder, the 32-year old Jackson is likely in his physical prime as a fighter, a scary proposition for the peers that hoped he would walk off into the sunset after over a decade in the fight game.

Unfortunately, Jackson has not resembled a prime, top of the food chain prizefighter in his last two bouts. In the first, in March of 2009 against Keith Jardine, Jackson squeezed out a razor thin unanimous decision that earned him Fight of the Night honors but little else. The verdict looks even worse now after Jardine lost four consecutive bouts following the Jackson fight, two by knockout.

Jackson would go off to shoot The Ultimate Fighter season 10 and The A-Team after the Jardine bout, returning in May to face Evans, his TUF10 coaching counterpart. Again, it wasn’t vintage Jackson, and outside of a brief surge where he hurt Evans and had him in trouble, he was unable to call up the fighter who ruled the 205-pound weight class just a couple years earlier.

Thankfully for the Memphis, Tennessee native, the past is the past, and with one swing of his fist on Saturday, he could be back in the title picture with the prize eventually being one of two men he’d like to get a little payback from – Evans or the current 205-pound ruler, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, who beat Jackson back in PRIDE in 2005. On a recent media teleconference, Jackson said that if he has his way, he would fight “whoever has the belt. But you know, I want to beat everybody who beat me so it don’t matter.”

And having already avenged earlier defeats to Marvin Eastman and Wanderlei Silva in the Octagon, he would love to add both Rua and Evans, along with Forrest Griffin to that ‘to do’ list.

One name he doesn’t want to add is Machida, yet stylistically, he may provide the most problems for the aggressive Jackson. Simply put, Rampage is at his best when he’s being Rampage, pressuring his foes and making a physical fight out of it. Yes, he’s had success with his counterpunching during his time in the UFC, but if you’re going to counter, you don’t do it with one of the best – if not the best – in the world in Machida. It’s just like Machida trying to trade left hooks with Rampage; it wouldn’t end up too well for ‘The Dragon.’

So how does Jackson turn up the volume on the old Rampage and get in Machida’s face without eating some precision, fight ending strikes first? He may just have to get it in his mind that in the Octagon, there is Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and there is everybody else, and that as unique as Machida’s style is, his is just as unique and dangerous, and that on Saturday night, he’s going to make Machida worry about him and not vice versa.

“Im going to fight my fight and not worry about anything Machida does,” said Jackson, who appears to have already gotten the memo.

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NEW YORK – UFC president Dana White was honored at a New York City gala event Thursday night with the inaugural Sports Media Marketing’s Game Changer Award, presented to him by PromaxBDA, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of new technologies, applications, business models and industries.

The ceremony, which took place in Downtown Manhattan at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, was emceed by comedian Jay Mohr, and put together by Promax president Jonathan Block-Verk.

“He’s done things that are not mainstream,” said Block-Verk of White. “He engages his audience every day. He’s got a one-on-one connection with the fans that other organizations have not been able to achieve.”

“If you look at where we came from when we first bought this company,” said White, “all of the milestones we’ve achieved, like getting back on Pay Per View, getting sanctioned in all these states, getting on television; to get an award like this and be recognized with all the other sports leaders, it’s a great honor and again another milestone in UFC history.”

White was recognized especially for embracing social media and engaging UFC fans and sponsors in a bold and innovative fashion, something that hasn’t been accomplished by any other sports leader.

“Dana is the king of understanding his audience and driving their passions,” said billionaire Mark Cuban, a member of the PromaxBDA voting committee and owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team.

“His ability to translate passion into revenue is a model many have tried to emulate but few have been able to execute. I think the take away for marketers is that in some businesses, it takes not only brains, but the force of personality to convert passion into profits and Dana has both,” said Cuban.

That sentiment was shared by Brian Diamond, SVP of sports and specials at Spike TV, the network that airs The Ultimate Fighter, among several other UFC programs.

“He’s got an honest approach, that’s why it works,” says Diamond. “As a partner, Spike knows everything that’s going on with his sport, and one of the most amazing things about him, he is this close (pointing his fingers close to one another), to his audience. There is no distance between him and his audience. He knows them. He takes pictures with them, he does autographs with them, and he’s really sincere about it. And he expects the same from everybody in his organization, whether they are fighters or staff.”

White joined fellow honoree Tony Ponturo, who received the Lifetime Innovator Award after spending nearly three decades as head of Anheuser-Busch’s global sports marketing business.

“It makes me really proud that what I did for those 30 years gets recognized, because at the end of the day, we were just doing the work, building the partnerships and doing the sponsorships,” said Ponturo, who is now a Tony Award winning producer with Broadway shows “Hair” and “Memphis” under his belt. His current project is “Lombardi,” starring Dan Lauria as the iconic football coach, playing at the Circle in the Square Theater.

“Tony knows the business of sports better than anyone,” said Cuban. “He uniquely understands how each sport delivers value to his brand and he has the ability to extract that value , at a value price. It’s a powerful toolset that sets him apart,” he said.

In fact, Ponturo was among the first major sports marketing executives to see the value of the UFC, putting Bud Light inside the Octagon more than three years ago in a multi-million dollar sponsorship deal that helped catapult the UFC into the mainstream consciousness of sports fans.

“We did research on the sport,” said Ponturo. “And we saw that UFC was right up there with the NFL and Major League Baseball when it came to fan loyalty and recognition among 24-34 year old beer drinkers.”

“Talk about UFC milestones,” said White.  “Growing up, one of the main things I remember about being a boxing fan was ‘Budweiser King of Beers, Budweiser King of Beers,’ and the day that we put on the event with Bud Light in the center of the Octagon was a big day. Lorenzo and I were blown away by that. And honestly, Tony Ponturo is the guy that made it all happen. And here was a guy who was dealing with the NFL, Major League Baseball , the NBA, big boxing matches, you name it, and from day one he’s treated us with nothing but respect.”

White said he was honored to receive the prestigious award, particularly since it is awarded by sports industry heavyweights; however he stops short at taking all the credit.

“The fact that these guys have given me the support and chose me for this award blows me away,” said White. “But there is no Dana White without the UFC. Me and my partners have made this thing what is today. The three of us have great synergy together. I know it always looks like the Dana White show, but believe me it’s not. It’s me, Frank and Lorenzo (Fertitta) and the incredible staff we put together. That’s the reason I’m here tonight.”

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Former champions Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida clash on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 123.

Jackson is not shy about the fact that he is not overly excited about the matchup.  He views Machida as a defense-first fighter that hunts and pecks his way to victory, and Jackson prefers to face someone who will stand and slug with him.  Thus, he looks at the fight as a necessary evil if he wants to return to the top of the 205-pound mountain and reap the rewards that come along with occupying that post.  

Machida seems more intrigued by the fight.  He wants to continue testing himself against the very best fighters in the world (and he openly acknowledges Jackson as being one of the very best) as he continues his quest to personify bushido.  The journey toward becoming the perfect martial artist is more important to Machida than gold belts or money.  That is why he is so excited about spending up to 15 minutes locked in a cage with destroyer like Jackson, where the slightest mistake can lead to a brutal knockout loss.  

What I know for certain is that both men are coming off of disappointing losses, and neither can afford to suffer a second consecutive defeat without taking a major step backward in the UFC’s most competitive division.  Guys like Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, Ryan Bader, Jon Jones, and Rashad Evans are the 205-pound elite, standing right behind reigning champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.  None of those guys are riding a two-fight losing streak.  Just saying.

The winner of Jackson-Machida will not only remain firmly entrenched among the division’s Preferiti, he may, indeed, stand first among them.  

If Jackson wants to win this fight, he needs to take Machida out of his comfort zone by pushing the pace right from Jump Street.  He must force Machida to plant his feet and fight.  If that happens, he certainly has the ability to drop the Machida in sudden, emphatic fashion.

That may seem a bit counterintuitive because Machida is an expert counterstriker.   He needs an opponent to attack in order to create openings for him to land fight-ending blows.  Otherwise, he will dart in and out in pot-shotting fashion, content to score a unanimous decision win without taking any real risks.  

Breaking that down a bit, Machida has a very awkward style.  He basically stands with his shoulders perpendicular to his opponent, which is a traditional Karate stance, with his weight well behind his center point and his upper body noticeably leaning toward his back foot.  That is all designed to make him difficult to hit.  It has nothing to do with putting him in the proper position to launch an assault.  In fact, it makes it more difficult for him to attack, and but for his absurd quickness, it is a stance that would likely render him completely ineffective as an offensive fighter.   

Machida isn’t trying to be effective offensively.  Not in the traditional sense, at least.  He instead uses his stance to feint in exaggerated form from a safe distance.  He uses quick jab steps and sudden exaggerated shoulder movements in very herky-jerky movements to set the distance and pace of the fight.  He wants an opponent to react to those movements by covering up or starting a counter.

 If he gets no reaction, Machida will throw the occasional lead high kick on the end of one of those jab steps or he may sprint in briefly with piston-like punches, never more than two or three at a time.  Neither is overly dangerous—neither is meant to be, either.  

The progression of feints and the occasional strikes are designed to accomplish two goals:  set up his bread and butter attack, which is leading with a kick to the body followed immediately by a short straight left, and force his opponent into tentative one-strike attacks that he can counter.  Machida caught Evans with that kick-punch combination late in the first round and dropped him.  It wasn’t the force of the blow that led to the knockdown, rather the fact that Evans’ attention was wholly focused on defending the kick to the body.  

The best way to avoid eating that left hand is to be prepared to step in, though outside of Machida’s right foot, with a right hand down the middle as soon as Machida lifts his back leg to throw a kick off of his jab step.  By stepping in with a right hand, Jackson will close the distance, effectively neutralizing the body kick or high kick, if Machida is mixing it up.  Evans did that once late in the first round and it led to a tie-up, something Rampage would welcome with open arms because he would be thinking uppercuts, dirty boxing and big slams.

That is all fine and good.  But if I’m in Jackson’s corner, I would implore him not to sit back and wait for Machida to set the pace of the fight.  He doesn’t want to try and counter a guy with Machida’s speed.  He didn’t have much success trying to counter Evans.  Machida is even faster.  He would be better off forcing the action by moving forward with his hands up, focusing on cutting off the cage and throwing punches in bunches whenever he is within striking range.  

Expert counterstrikers, however, need a sense of order and calm in order to execute.  If overwhelmed with an all-out assault that was not telegraphed, Machida will react to chaos with panic.  Machida has shown that he will retreat in the face of an aggressive attack because he is a defense-first fighter.  He did that in both fights with Shogun.  When the Brazilian attacked aggressively, Machida pulled straight back before circling.  By contrast, when opponents tentatively attack, he will stand his ground and counter.   That is what he wants to do—stand and counter.

Jackson must, therefore, press the action with aggressive, forceful attacks to drag Machida kicking and screaming out of his comfort zone and into a brawl.  If this fight turns into a slugfest, Jackson wins by knockout.  Period.  He needs to be Rampage on Saturday night, not Quinton Jackson.  You get what I’m saying.

Machida, by contrast, must do what he does in every fight—dictate the pace, dominate his opponent’s mind with feints and then explode when the opening presents itself.

Machida might be the most underrated puncher in the sport.  His knockout wins over Thiago Silva and Evans demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has real pop in those hands.  But again, he is not a slugger.  His power comes from perfect technique and timing mixed with ludicrous speed.  He must limit chaos by controlling the environment in order to execute perfectly.  

He does that as outlined above.  There is no need to go through the progression again because that will be his Plan A, Plan B and Plan C.

So, who is going to win?  This is my favorite part of breaking down fights because, to be honest, I get it wrong so often.  Nonetheless, I actually think this one is fairly easy to predict.  If the fight ends inside the distance, I like Rampage all day every day.  I’m talking bet the farm confidence.  If it lasts the distance, Machida’s odds of winning are even greater.

How is that for sitting on the fence?  

If pressed, I tend to lean toward Rampage Jackson.  It is a contrarian pick, however.  Speed typically beats power.  Precision typically beats naked aggression.  And Jackson’s fights against ultra-fast opponents have been less than inspiring.  So, the smart pick is probably Machida.  Nonetheless, I have a feeling about this one.  Not sure why.  I just have a feeling.  

QUICK FACTS

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
•    32 years old
•    6’1, 205 lbs
•    73-inch reach
•    30-8 overall (12-5 PRIDE; 5-2 UFC)
•    3-2 in last 5 fights
•    8-2 in last 10 fights
•    6-5 against 8 current or former UFC/PRIDE champions
•    Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
•    406-day reign as champion; 1 successful title defense
•    60% of UFC wins by KO (3 out of 5)
•    40% of UFC wins by decision (2 out of 5)
•    Both UFC losses by unanimous decision
•    Has only been submitted once in 38 professional fights, nearly 10 years ago
•    Stopped 3 times by strikes as a professional
•    First man to unify UFC and PRIDE titles (unified UFC and PRIDE 205-lb titles on September 8, 2007)
•    Fight of the Night twice (UD3 over Keith Jardine on March 7, 2009, and UD5 loss to Forrest Griffin on July 4, 2008)
•    Knockout of the Night twice (KO1 over Wanderlei Silva on December 27, 2008, and KO1 over Chuck Liddell on May 26, 2007)
•    Current layoff is 175 days (UD3 loss to Rashad Evans on May 29, 2010)
•    Undefeated in the UFC when fighting with less than 7 months off (5-0)
•    Longest layoff of his career is 448 days (UD3 over Keith Jardine on March 7, 2009, until UD3 loss to Rashad Evans on May 29, 2010)

Lyoto Machida
•    32 years old
•    6’1, 205 lbs
•    74-inch reach
•    16-1 professional record (8-1 UFC)
•    4-1 in last 5 fights
•    9-1 in last 10 fights
•    2-1 in championship fights
•    5-1 against current or former UFC  champions and PRIDE Grand Prix winners
•    Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
•    350-day reign as champion; 1 successful title defense
•    62.5% of UFC wins by decision (5 out of 8)
•    25% of UFC wins by KO (2 out of 8)
•    12.5% of UFC wins by submission (1 out of 8)
•    Only professional loss by KO1
•    Tied with Jon Fitch and Royce Gracie for 2nd all time with 8 consecutive wins in the UFC (Anderson Silva holds the record with 11)
•    Knockout of the Night in back-to-back fights (KO1 over Thiago Silva on January 31, 2009; and KO2 over Rashad Evans on May 23, 2009)
•    Current layoff is 196 days (KO1 by Mauricio Rua on May 8, 2010)
•    Previous layoff was 196 days and suffered his first career loss (UD5 over Marcio Rua on October 24, 2009, until KO1 by Marcio Rua on May 8, 2010)
•    Longest UFC layoff is 252 days (UD3 over Tito Ortiz on May 24, 2008, until KO1 over Thiago Silva on January 31, 2009)

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Main Event
Lyoto Machida (205) VS Quinton Jackson (205)

PPV
BJ Penn (169) VS Matt Hughes (169)
Tim Boetsch (205) VS Phil Davis (205)
Joe Lauzon (155) VS George Sotiropoulos (155)
Maiquel Falcao (185) VS Gerald Harris (185)

SPIKE PRELIMS
Brian Foster (170) VS Matt Brown (170)
Mark Munoz (185) VS Aaron Simpson (185.5)

PRELIMS
Dennis Hallman (170) VS Karo Parisyan (170)
Edson Barboza (155) VS Mike Lullo (155)
TJ O’Brien (155) VS Paul Kelly (155)
Nik Lentz (155) VS Tyson Griffin (155)

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Mark Munoz was as accomplished a wrestler as one could be.  Having reached the highest heights on his Vallejo, California high school and his Oklahoma State University wrestling teams, Munoz was certain his life would go no further than wrestling competitions and higher education annals.  

“I went to college and I ended up making the world team in my age group in college as well, then got a full ride to Oklahoma State University and ended up being a two-time All-American and a NCAA National Champion there,” said Munoz.  “I coached there for three years at Oklahoma State University and decided to accept a job at UC Davis up in Northern California and I moved from Oklahoma to northern California to be closer to my family, and that’s where I met Urijah Faber.”

Faber – the former WEC featherweight champion and current bantamweight contender - started working on Munoz to get into MMA, specifically to begin fighting.  It was a far-fetched idea and at the time Munoz couldn’t see himself inside the cage.  However, the future champion would be the biggest influence in his unexpected career change.

“From there, me and Urijah, being good friends, we ran into each other when I was still competing in wrestling and he was at all the tournaments that I was in,” said Munoz.  “Then he got into fighting and he told me to get into fighting and I was like ‘no man, I’m getting my master’s, I’m teaching, I’m coaching, I’ve got a wife and kids.’ So I said ‘no, I can’t do it. But then he just stayed on me and brought Randy Couture, Brandon Vera, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Frank Trigg out to our training camp out in Sacramento and he invited me out.  My first sparring session was with Randy and I’ve been hooked ever since. So that’s the quick and dirty story about how I got into it.”

From there a three fight win streak began and Munoz built a career in the WEC, growing as it grew until eventually he was one of the early fighters to transfer over to the UFC.  His first UFC fight was a first round loss to Matt Hamill via knockout but after the loss the wins began rolling in.  A three fight win streak started with a split decision win over Nick Catone at UFC 102, and was then followed by a first round submission via strikes over Ryan Jensen at UFC 108 followed by a TKO stoppage of Kendall Grove at UFC 112.  As one of the first fighters to make the transition from the WEC to the UFC, Munoz has a special perspective on the new merger.

“Man, I think its good,” said Munoz.  “I think for the UFC to be able to showcase the lighter weight classes it’s going to make the UFC a stronger fight organization because those lighter weight classes are very exciting.  I think with the move up for the little men too it’s good for them because they get to showcase their skills on a bigger stage.”

Munoz’ last showing was against Yushin Okami at UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko in August, where he lost a split decision.  For Munoz, the loss was yet another lesson learned in the development of an unexpected career.

“I think experience won the fight for Yushin (Okami).  That was his 30th fight and this is only my 10th fight so he was able to gauge the distance really well, and for me, I like to bang, I like to go out there and make it exciting,” said Munoz.  “He kept the distance where he disengaged a lot of the fight and would come forward and then back up real quick so it was hard for me to gauge his distance.  In the second round I was just like I’m just going to keep coming forward and just keep landing big punches and once I did that I did fine.  In the third round I wanted to finish the fight and if I got him on the ground I knew I had a strong chance of doing that and so I kept trying to go for the takedown when I should have switched it off and did what I did in the second round. But it’s all experience for me.  I’m fighting the good guys in the weight class now and every fight is going to be a steppingstone for me to get that strap around my waist.   I learned a lot from that fight and for me to already fight the top dogs in the weight class, it’s a huge opportunity and I’ll never pass that up.”

Up next is Aaron Simpson, both a friend and a former wrestling competitor, who Munoz faces this weekend at UFC 123 in Detroit.

“I know Aaron very well. We wrestled each other in college, we ended up being training partners and wrestling in college and we’ve actually trained a lot together in MMA too so we know each other well.  He’s very aggressive and I am too, so it’s going to be a great matchup and I think it’s going to be won in the transition between striking and wrestling and jiu-jitsu, so it’s a great matchup for me. I think his weakness is his conditioning.  He got tired against (Chris) Leben and I’m going to force him to fight a high pace fight and we’ll see if he can stay with my pace.  He also drops his hands as well and I’m looking to take advantage of that and I’m looking forward to the fight.”

With a training team consisting of King Mo Lawal, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Krzysztof  Soszynski, Fabricio Werdum, Babalu Sobral and Lyoto Machida, Munoz feels confident that he will be ready for this next challenge.

“I think every time the fans see me in the cage they always see improvement and they always see an exciting fight.  I’m not one to shy away from action and just score points; I want to finish the fight and that’s what you’ll always see from me.”
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It may be strange to hear it put this way, but when it comes to the occupational hazards of being a professional fighter, being knocked out is probably one of the least painful things to go through.

Let’s run it down… Broken nose or jaw: bad. Arm or leg twisted from a submission lock: bad. Getting punched on the button, forgetting the whole ordeal and waking up with maybe a slight headache: not so bad.

So when Mauricio “Shogun” Rua separated Lyoto Machida – literally – from his UFC light heavyweight title in May, the previously unbeaten Brazilian probably wasn’t as beat up physically as he was after going five rounds with Rua seven months earlier.

But that’s not where the pain of a knockout comes from. It’s not physical – it’s mental. It’s knowing that another man had the power to short-circuit you, even if only for a few moments. It’s hearing fans and pundits call you overrated, question your chin, and even question your previous 16 wins, despite those wins coming against the best the fight game has to offer.

This is precisely why some fighters never recover from a knockout loss, fighting as mere shells of their former selves. This is the challenge awaiting Machida this Saturday night against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and the way this UFC 123 main event fight goes may very well dictate how the rest of “The Dragon”s career goes.

Usually, you won’t know until fight night how someone like Machida will react the first time he gets hit or if he’s gun-shy under fire. But a couple signals came pretty quickly in the lead-up to this fight.

First, consider that Machida took the fight. Yes, this is the UFC and not boxing, where a fighter can duck tough competition pretty easily. But I’m sure if he countered the UFC’s offer of Jackson with someone with a little less heat on their fastball, it might have been accepted given the circumstances of being a former world champion coming off a devastating knockout loss. But Machida took the fight against arguably the hardest puncher he has ever faced. Yes, K-1 vets Michael McDonald and Sam Greco are premier strikers, and Rua, Sokoudjou, Thiago Silva, and Rashad Evans all have KO power, but none of these previous opponents have the overall strength and one punch potency that Jackson packs. So to go right back into the fire against an even harder puncher than the man who just knocked you out is pretty gutsy.

The next sign that Machida has not let the loss affect him mentally came during the UFC 123 media teleconference, when he discussed his defeat, saying, “there was a lot of pressure on my back because most of the fans have this aura of me being the undefeated champion. I knew that one day, I could lose like everyone else. So now I feel like I learned a lot from that loss and it’s taken a lot of pressure off my back.”

Wait…so this could have actually been a good thing for Machida? As strange as it sounds – especially I’m sure in the days following his first defeat – getting that unbeaten burden off your back can allow you the freedom in mind and body to perform at your best. Now the expectations are different and there’s no pressure to fight not to lose as opposed to fighting to win.

Lyoto Machida’s career begins again on Saturday night, and as he has done throughout his life, he will likely look for guidance from his father Yoshizo. The karate master’s advice will probably mirror what he told his son after the first Rua fight, which was to not get caught up in focusing on the past. Focus on the next fight and make sure you are prepared for it.”

And that’s the way you knock out a knockout.

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Whats common now wasnt always that way in the early days of mixed martial arts. When you said the name of a nation, in this case, Brazil, it was immediately linked to jiu-jitsu, as many Brazilian athletes who went to fight overseas were ground specialists.    
      
Of course, we had Brazilian strikers in the old days, in the form of Eldo Dias Xavier and Marco Ruas, and later Pedro Rizzo, and Vitor Belfort broke the clichés by being a BJJ practitioner who knocked people out, but mainly, it was an avalanche of BJJers that figured in the UFC for a long, long time.     
    
And even nowadays, with more than 20 Brazilians on the UFC roster, the majority of them have a Brazilian jiu-jitsu background. But things are changing, and the land of gentle art is actually exporting heavy handed strikers with regularity.
        
Maiquel Falcao is one of the UFC debutants who comes from Brazil focused on momentarily unplugging foes from their connection to the world. Owning an impressive record of 25-3 with 1 NC, Falcao - a member of the famous Chute Boxe squad - will take his initial step inside the Octagon against Gerald Hurricane Harris on the main card of UFC 123 this weekend in Detroit.  
      
A boxer who only faced negative results three times during a six year career, Falcao, which means falcon, flaunts a moniker that signifies his style, Big Rig.
     
"The nickname comes due to the way I fight, like a big truck without brakes,” he said. "It’s better to not stay in front of it - its not healthy (laughs)."     

Capturing boxing titles on the regional, state and national levels, Falcao moved to MMA in 2004, transitioning between the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. And he kept himself fighting like this in order to not lose opportunities, the type he couldnt get if he didnt have boxing in his life. 
   
"I started in boxing because it was a way to put away my energy," Falcao said. "I had a few personal problems and I found in boxing a manner of discipline and the ability to stay away from wrong things." 
   
Falcao, a 29-year old native of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, stayed on the right and untouchable path for his first eight matches. Even uncertain of his correct training and weight division, he smashed foes in the Southwest and South of Brazil with his fists and only faced three setbacks, two of them to the same man, UFC light heavyweight Fabio Maldonado in two slugfests. From the upsets he took lessons, but not against the famous Maldonado; instead, they were taken from a moment when nobody expected him to lose, against Daniel Ludtke in a mere 1:12 of round one. 
 
"Train hard and never underestimate your adversary," he says of the quick defeat, but Falcao avenged it by outstriking Ludtke in short 52 seconds nearly two years later.
     
A fast learner, Falcao continued his walk through MMA in the 205 and heavyweight divisions, but difficulties arrived not in fighting like a pro, but in fighting without the conditions of a pro, as he shared his time between a lot of freelance jobs and his fighting career. 

"In Brazil, it was very hard to fight for a living," he said. "I was killing a lion everyday with discipline and determination. Only recently have I had an opportunity to consider myself a professional fighter. Obviously when were dedicated to only one thing we perform better.”

"Now Im really a professional, I fight for the UFC and this makes a difference in an athletes life. Im in the biggest show on the planet and Ill be the champion at the right moment. Thats a few steps away, but once the time is right, I’ll be ready for the championship." 

It could be the enthusiasm of a rookie, you might say. And he always had the confidence, but joining the Chute Boxe team two years ago increased his aspirations for the upper levels of the sport. Big Rig voices the importance of the new team in his career and continues to talk about the 185-pound belt. 

"Im in a complete MMA gym where we develop wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai, BJJ and conditioning. Along with the coaches we decided to cut weight and fight as a middleweight. My height is ideal for the division and I didnt have any difficulties dieting or adapting. Chute Boxe formed a lot of champions and Ill be one more." 

First he needs to get by a fighter who is no joke in Gerald Harris. Nicknamed ‘Hurricane’, Harris is simply a wrestler on a 10-fight winning streak with nine stoppages, and with his experience in the Octagon, it’s a taste that the debutant Falcao doesn’t have yet, but he’s not concerned.   

"I dont see this superiority because he has three fights in UFC; after we’re locked in the cage, it’s me and him," Falcao said. "People are talking about his feats (the winning streak, his KOs) and he did his job, but Nov. 20th Im going to do mine, something I’ve done more times than he did. My mission is to win the fight – and my focus is to knock him out." 

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Distinguished Sports Videogame Franchise Expands Product Portfolio Through Release of Unique and Engaging Mixed Martial Arts Experiences

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - November 18, 2010 - THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and Zuffa, LLC today announced that UFC® Undisputed™ 2010, the critically acclaimed sports videogame franchise based on the world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, is now available on the App Store for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Click here to purchase

The simplified virtual Octagon® experience features fast-paced and fun MMA action with unique and intelligent gameplay, 25 fighters from all five UFC official weight classes, a variety of competitive modes, extensive connectivity with social networking options, as well as access to the latest happenings in the UFC.    

“UFC Undisputed 2010 raised the bar for sports videogames this year with an impressive feature set and unbeatable gameplay experience,” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, Core Games, THQ.  “We believe this franchise has the ability to flourish in a handheld format, and we are pleased to deliver this compelling product for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.”

“The UFC Undisputed franchise is a huge hit with videogame and fight fans around the world,” said UFC President Dana White. “UFC Undisputed 2010 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are yet another way for fans to experience all the action inside the Octagon.”

UFC Undisputed 2010 is available for a suggested retail price of $6.99 from the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.  

About UFC Undisputed 2010 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad

In UFC Undisputed 2010 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, players will explore a simplified interface, including swipes on the touch screen, to execute punches, kicks, takedowns and more, while quick and fun puzzle paths will be implemented for players to escape submissions.  Featuring a roster of 25 prolific UFC fighters from all of UFC’s official weight classes, each with an authentic appearance, players will have access to an Exhibition Mode for quick-play single bouts, a Tournament Mode to compete for a UFC Championship and unparalleled social networking connectivity, enabling players to share game progress and achievements with friends through Facebook and Twitter.  A Leaderboard System will encourage players to compare fight results with others and determine leaders in wins by knockout, submission or decision, while the UFC Portal will keep players up to date with UFC through the latest news and information on upcoming events, access to fighter profiles, PPV predictions and an active UFC ticker filled with updates.  In addition, expansion packs for UFC Undisputed 2010 for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are expected to begin this holiday, adding fighters from all five of UFC’s official weight classes.  For more information, please visit community.ufcundisputed.com, facebook.com/UFCUndisputed and twitter.com/UFC_Undisputed.   

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Modern technology. It seems like only a few years ago that I was marveling at Colecovision’s Rocky game, amazed that the characters looked “just like” their movie counterparts, when, if you look at it today, that really wasn’t the case. In fact, that wasn’t the case at all.

But when you fast forward to today’s video games and look at a product like THQ’s UFC Undisputed 2010 for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, it is amazing how far technology has come, both visually and gameplay wise.

As a New Yorker, I am still a skeptic though, so when I was told about the IPhone, IPod Touch, and Ipad version of UFC Undisputed 2010 (available today in Apple’s App store), I had my reservations. Then I turned the game on, and was floored by what THQ has done on such a small device. And for only $6.99, no less. Simply put, if you’re a fan of the Undisputed franchise, you’ll love this game, and if you’re new to the series, you will probably be converted.

Containing 25 UFC fighters spread out evenly over the organization’s five weight classes, the game allows you to fight one-off exhibition bouts, engage in a four bout Championship mode, earn achievements, and even post your results and see your rankings on the game’s leaderboards through Facebook and Twitter. It’s impressive stuff for a mobile phone game, but the real winners here are the graphics and the gameplay.

If you were impressed with the fighter graphics in the 360 and PS3 versions, you will feel likewise about the mobile version. Fighters are instantly recognizable and detailed, and animations are solid as well. Soundwise, Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan pop in with pertinent clips during the bout, and when it comes to gameplay sounds, there’s nothing like hearing the thud of a high kick to the head followed by the roar of the crowd.

Of course, to the true gamer, that’s all window dressing, so let’s get down to the gameplay. Everything is controlled by your fingers on the screen, whether its movement left and right (there is no up and down movement across the Octagon), your defense, your kicks and punches, or your takedown attempts. There’s also a special move button that’s used when a fighter’s strength meter is full and he’s in the right position. It’s a lot to deal with in theory, mirroring the complexity of mixed martial arts, but once you run through the detailed in game instructions and get a few bouts under your belt, it becomes second nature.

And while there will always be the temptation to button mash (a necessity when you are forced to tap the screen repeatedly to stuff a takedown attempt), a well-timed takedown, good defense, and some slick groundwork can negate that strategy pretty fast. In other words, to be successful, you have to be smart and tailor your gameplan to your opponent. Fighters like Brock Lesnar or Georges St-Pierre can get you to the mat in spite of your fast trigger fingers, and strikers like Junior Dos Santos can make your life miserable while standing.

So what do you do when the fight hits the mat? Well, just like a real MMA fight, you can control and improve your position, deliver ground strikes to your opponent, or look for a submission. And I bet you’re wondering how you pull that off on an IPhone. THQ has figured it out and it’s a spectacular mechanic that involves timing, a steady hand, and some quick thinking. When attempting to improve your position or escape a bad one, you will see a circle with an option for one position on the left and one on the right. When the circle turns green, you must rotate your finger around the circle in the proper direction until the circle is complete. If your opponent breaks your rhythm or you lose your place around the circle, you’re back where you started from. It keeps things fresh and interesting on the ground as you engage in a chess match with your foe. Submissions are even more fun to try, and after you’ve hit the button to attempt a sub, you are forced to trace your fingers through various shapes that increase in complexity depending on the submission and your position. If you’ve ever played the Star Wars Force Unleashed game, it’s a similar mechanic, and you must do the same thing – within seconds – to escape a submission attempt.

Again, I’ll say it – as far as mobile games go, this is one of the best, and it definitely ranks up there with the best portable games out there, regardless of system. If you’re a UFC fan – casual or hardcore – this is a must buy, especially for only $6.99.

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The four remaining fighters in contention for the last two spots in the semis are Kyle Watson, who takes on Aaron Wilkinson, and Michael Johnson, who battles heated rival – and teammate - Alex Caceres.

In the first bout, it’s the veteran Watson and the UK’s Wilkinson squaring off, and Watson draws first blood with a takedown in the opening minute. Wilkinson tries to stay close to force a re-start, but the Team GSP fighter keeps working as he looks for a submission. With the three minutes left, Wilkinson is briefly able to get back to his feet, but Watson puts him down again, this time ending up in the mount position. Wilkinson turns to escape, but gives up his back. Moments later, Watson sinks in a rear naked choke that produces a tap and ends the bout.

Following the bout, Team GSP coach Georges St-Pierre brings in another special guest to work with his squad, renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach, the man behind Manny Pacquiao.

St-Pierre has made a decision regarding the final quarterfinal bout, opting to not corner either of his team members.

“Alex and Michael hate each other, and the best way to take care of that problem is to make them fight together,” said the welterweight champ.

A definite fan of Caceres is opposing coach Josh Koscheck, who tries to stir the pot by saying St-Pierre is using Caceres as the sacrificial lamb for his top prospect, Johnson. St-Pierre and Johnson laugh the barbs off though.

After some crisp exchanges to kick off the Johnson vs Caceres bout, Johnson scores a quick takedown. The fighters get back to their feet fairly quickly, and Johnson knocks Caceres’ mouthpiece out before putting his foe on his back again. Both fighters stay active, and in a scramble, Caceres stands and fires off some flurries. Caceres looks like he’s getting his rhythm, but as soon as Johnson gets him against the fence, he regains control. Caceres finishes the fast-paced round strong though.

Johnson gets the bout to the mat immediately in round two, and his superior wrestling is causing problems for Caceres. After pushing his opponent against the fence, Johnson works his ground strikes, giving Caceres enough space to get back to his feet, but only briefly. Another scramble finds Caceres on top, and he’s able to get some strikes off before the two stand, yet in the end, it’s Johnson with another takedown. With under a minute left, Caceres gets up, but he’s unable to mount a serious offensive charge, instead getting slammed to the mat and kept there to the bell.

Scores across the board were 20-18 for Johnson, who moves on to the semifinals.

When UFC President Dana White meets with the coaches to discuss the semifinal matchups, he expects that there will be some debate, but the three quickly come to a decision, and the bouts are:

Nam Phan vs Michael Johnson
Kyle Watson vs Jonathan Brookins

Here’s how the teams look:

Team GSP
Michael Johnson 2-0
Jonathan Brookins 2-0
Spencer Paige – Eliminated on episode five by Nam Phan
Alex Caceres 1-1 – Eliminated in quarterfinals by Michael Johnson
Kyle Watson 2-0
Cody McKenzie 1-1 – Eliminated in quarterfinals by Nam Phan
Dane Sayers – Eliminated on episode seven by Sako Chivitchian

Team Koscheck
Marc Stevens – Eliminated on episode six by Cody McKenzie; lost in Wild Card bout to Aaron Wilkinson.
Sevak Magakian – Eliminated on episode six by Jonathan Brookins
Sako Chivitchian 1-1 – Eliminate in quarterfinals by Jonathan Brookins
Andrew Main – Eliminated on episode four by Kyle Watson
Nam Phan 2-0
Aaron Wilkinson 1-1 – Eliminated on episode three by Michael Johnson; brought back for Wild Card bout, defeats Marc Stevens. Eliminated in quarterfinals by Kyle Watson.
Jeffrey Lentz – Eliminated on episode two by Alex Caceres

For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.

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