MMA Hot Stuff

Koscheck vs Johnson Added To UFC 106

It's been confirmed that Josh Koscheck will fight Anthony Johnson at UFC 106. This last minute addition is to help fill the void from Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin being scratched due to Brock's illness. The question is, while Koscheck vs Johnson is a great fight, is it enough to fill that void? 

The fans are definitely anxious to see Anthony Johnson fight again especially after his impressive KO win against Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 104. What wasn't impressive was the fact Johnson didn't make weight. In fact he wasn't even close, causing him to forfeit a percentage of his purse. 

It's great to see fighters like Koshcheck step up and take fights at the last minute sort of saving the day. 

While the fight should be outstanding and a win for either person would be a pretty big win and advance him in the weight class, I'm not sold that this fight will save the card. I think this fight could easily be a main event at a Fight Night but not sure it's a big draw for a co-main event especially replacing a Heavy Weight Title Fight.

I'm assuming, or rather hoping, the UFC surprises us by adding another fight to the main card. I have a feeling the fans that bought their tickets early to see the Carwin vs Lesnar fight might be a little disappointed. Not to mention the casinos! 

The Horn Blower! Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin No-Go For UFC 106

This morning, Kevin Iole broke the sad news that Brock Lesnar was forced to withdrawal from UFC 106 where he was set to defend his title against Shane Carwin, due to being ill for three-and-a-half weeks.

As a lot of Shane's twitter followers know he to had been fighting the nasty flu that's been going around. Not to mention the leg injury that he's plowed through. When I asked his team about it they said "We were committed to fighting even with a leg injured and the H1 strain. Shane forged ahead and was ready to fight. He remains committed to this fight."

Mind you I've been lucky enough to stay away from this virus so I don't personally know what your body goes through, but this guy looks pretty healthy at the Minnesota Vikings vs Baltimore Ravens game Sunday October 18th as he helped kick the game off by blowing the pregame horn. Listen to those nice healthy lungs!

To see someone like Shane rise in the ranks as he has and to be that close to a title shot, I only hope the UFC does the right thing by rescheduling this fight to happen as soon as Brock is back on his feet. Hopefully they lock everything down for UFC 108.

In other news, I lost my fantasy football game this weekend and am now tied for first.

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Nominations for 2009 World MMA Awards closes on Wednesday

Who do you think was the BreakThrough Fighter of the Year? Best MMA Promotion? 

As a reminder, the nomination stage for the 2009 World MMA Awards closes this Wednesday (tomorrow), Sept. 30. 

The World MMA Awards, which is operated by Fighters Only magazine, is viewed as one of the most prestigious awards for the sport, awarding in 18 different MMA related categories

Nominees will be announced on Oct. 5, and final voting will then run until Dec. 5. Winners will be announced at a Dec. 30 "Oscars-style" black-tie ceremony, which streams live on Versus.com (and throughout January on Versus) from The Joint at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. 

"Response to the World MMA Awards has been huge this year with thousands of fans worldwide taking part," Fighters Only CEO Rob Hewitt recently stated. "Nominations have been very diverse, and ... most of the categories are still wide open." 

The categories range from Fight of the Year to KO and Submission of the Year to Best MMA Brand and best MMA Media Source. MMA equipment manufactures also vie for a variety of categories. 

But before you place your vote I encourage you to take a minute and think about things. What makes someone the Best Fighter of the Year? Is it the number of wins? Is it the most vicious KnockOut? The biggest upset? Or is it because of heart and dedication?

Another category is Best MMA Journalist. I've thought a lot about this one (for obvious reasons). Always keep in mind the best Journalist may not be the one that breaks every 'story'... Sadly, fact checking has taken a back seat more often than not over being the first to the party. And then there are times the stories are known weeks before the story actually gets out but can't be discussed for confidential reasons. I personally take pride in the fact that while I consider many Fighters (UFC, WEC & Strikeforce) my personal friends, a lot of the information I hear I keep to myself. I'm so proud of what my friends have accomplished and there are times I know the information is just best left unsaid or unwritten. I want them to have time to train in private for a fight before it's publicly announced who their next opponent is. Who do you consider to be a Journalist that writes funny or interesting stories? Gives a different perspective than the 12 other sites that covered the same thing the day before.

So now that I've given you something to think about, please hurry and vote. 

Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/MMAHotStuff

MMAHotStuff Co-Hosted MMAScrapsRadio Guest WEC Mike Brown

This evening I co-hosted on MMAScraps Radio! Special guest was WEC Mike Brown. I was nervous and I'm sure I will only get better (I hope). 

Please show your support by following us at Twitter.com/MMAHotStuff Twitter.com/MMAScraps Twitter.com/MMAScrapsRadio

UFC 100 ON SPIKE TV KNOCKS OUT THE COMPETITION

Draws More Men 18-34 Than The PGA Championship On CBS And MLB On Fox

 

New York, NY, August 18, 2009 -- Spike TV’s telecast of UFC 100 (originally airing on pay-per-view July 11) drew more Men 18-34 (513,000) than anything else on television on Saturday, August 15.  Airing from 10:00pm-12:30am ET/PT, the telecast drew 2 million viewers, a 1.8 rating in Men 18-34, a 1.7 rating (950,000) in Men 18-49, and a 1.5 household rating.

The telecast bested heavy sports competition during the day in the advertiser-coveted demographic of Men 18-34:

 

UFC 100 (Spike TV) – 513,000

PGA Championship (CBS) – 479,000

MLB Baseball (FOX) – 242,000

Strikeforce (Showtime) – 181,000

 

UFC 100 Provisional Numbers

As confirmed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission's Executive Director Keith Kizer; here are the provisional numbers for UFC 100.

Live gate    $5,128,490
Tickets sold    9,793
Comp tickets    1,078
Unsold tickets    0
Closed circuit gate    $312,800
Tickets sold    6,256
Comp tickets    575

We knew UFC 100 was a success and now we see just how much of a success it really was. What I'd like to know is how much did the scalpers make off of the tickets that were resold.

FEDOR Steals Glory From Latest Heavyweight Villain

SEAL BEACH, California (July 15, 2009) — Even in promotions he doesn’t fight for, Fedor is the star. In the wake of Brock Lesnar’s current heavyweight win, Fedor Emelianenko is the talk of the town. Leave it to Fedor to steal another man’s fire without ever uttering a word. Lesnar’s bad behavior at his recent victory has his name appearing in all kinds of sports and mainstream media venues. But much of the attention gets instantly shifted away from his WWE-style antics to a potential match-up between him and the wildly acknowledged heavyweight champion of the world—Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko.

 

It seems that Lesnar is being cast as the MMA villain du jour. And since every villain needs a hero, media and fans alike seem to prefer Fedor as the man for the job. Instead of celebrating Lesnar’s victory or simply descrying his after-fight performance, many are looking for vengeance. And the one to provide his medicine, they have decided is the world’s ultimate heavyweight champ—Fedor. Disgruntled fans angry at his unsportsmanlike behavior think Fedor would teach Lesnar a painful lesson. Fedor’s name has appeared in every article written about the recent match, and in editorials and chatrooms around the world. If this should be a time for Lesnar to bask in his notoriety, it seems that all the attention is going to The Last Emperor. It’s as if Lesnar handed his victory over to the WAMMA Heavyweight Champion on a platter. Everyone, everywhere is talking about Fedor.

 

Comparisons abound between the two fighters, there’s even a poll asking who would win a bout between Fedor and the bulky Lesnar, with Fedor in the lead. Fedor’s technical superiority is measured against Lesnar’s heft. And the Russian fighter’s cool, collected, and always respectful demeanor stand in contrast to the outburst by Lesnar after his last bout.

 

Ironically, at one time, the competition rejected claims of Fedor’s dominance in the ring. But now even they have abandoned their claims and openly recognized Fedor’s insurmountable skills. In fact, the competition is being judged by its potential to upset the WAMMA Champ who now fights for Affliction M-1 Global. They couldn’t ignore the facts or the fans any longer. Before Lesnar’s match, an Internet campaign was started to get fans to chant Fedor Emelianenko's name during the fight. The chanting never materialized. But the enthusiasm for Fedor is impossible to disregard.

 

And the excitement is swelling as all prepare for Fedor’s August 1^st battle against “The Babyfaced Assassin,” Josh Barnett, at Affliction M-1 Global’s “Trilogy.”  All eyes—including a mass of newly anointed Fedor fans—will be on the ring when the number one and two ranked heavyweight fighters of the world meet to establish who is the best in the world. And whoever wins that match will rein supreme, as the legitimate world heavyweight champion and the most exciting heavyweight in MMA.

 

GoDaddy.com presents Affliction M-1 Global’s “Trilogy” featuring Fedor vs. Barnett in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Donald J Trump. The show is separated into two live broadcasts on the same night—a one-hour special will air on HDNet starting at 7:30 PM/ET (4:30 PM/PT), followed by the sensational Pay-Per-View event, “Trilogy,” commencing at 9 PM/ET (6 PM/PT).

 

Tickets for Affliction M-1 Global’s “Trilogy,” ranging between $50.00 and $600.00, are on sale at Honda Center Box Office (1.714.704.2500), and also online at Ticketmaster.com and at all Ticket Master outlets (1.714.740.2000).

 

Affliction

Already a mainstay for the most elite athletes, heaviest bands, A-listers and the fashion conscious, Affliction Clothing's ability to set the bar high in fashion is evident in its collection's indulgence of style and design, focus on quality, and its trademark series of divinely executed, dark and powerful themes. (www.afflictionclothing.com)

 

M-1 Global and M-1 Challenge

M-1 Global has been one of the leading mixed martial arts (MMA) organizations in the world for over a decade. International MMA stars who have fought under the M-1 banner have included Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Keith Jardine, Alistair Overeem, Yushin Okami, Ben Rothwell, Mike Pyle, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zenstov, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Omar Suloev, and Chalid Arrab, to name a few. (www.m1mixfight.com)

 

The Trump Organization

The Trump Organization encompasses global real estate development and global licensing, sales and marketing, property management, golf course development, entertainment, entertainment and product licensing, brand development as well as restaurants and event planning. Donald J. Trump is the Chairman and President of the Trump Organization, a privately held company in New York. (www.Trump.com)

 

Golden Boy Promotions

Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by Oscar de la Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy Promotions currently has over 60 fighters under contract, from future hall of famers Bernard Hopkins, Sugar Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez, to current world champions Ricky Hatton, David Haye, Joel Casamayor, Israel Vazquez and Gerry Peñalosa. Also included on the company’s roster are top contenders Jeff Lacy, Juan Diaz, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Jhonny Gonzalez, Librado Andrade, Rocky Juarez and Rey Bautista; 2004 Olympians Abner Mares, Vicente Escobedo and Rock Allen; and highly regarded prospects Danny Garcia, Jermell Charlo, Hylon Williams and Carlos and Juan Velasquez. (www.goldenboypromotions.com)

 

press release provided by Full Court Press

Any Publicity Is Not Good Publicity For The UFC Or MMA

You can probably count on both hands the number of times MMA has been on the front of any major media site/newspaper or mentioned on any mainstream news outlet. And yet, it's been on the front of Yahoo a couple of times within the past two days. But sadly, not for the right reasons.

Yes, UFC 100 included Georges St Pierre defending his title (again) and Dan Henderson showcasing that the 38 year old is still on fire by knocking Mike Bisping out cold, that's not what is making the news. While the biggest weekend for the UFC met many milestones such as the first UFC Fan Expo, fastest sell out for a major UFC event, and UFC 100 it's been overshadowed by one specific incident.

Instead we have to continue to hear about the UFC being a 'circus'. Not exactly the adjective I was hoping would be used as a way of describing this last weekend.

I get so frustrated because I see these guys first hand train their butts off. Multiple times a day for hours at a time. Following strict diets, and mastering not just one sport but MANY.  They don't all act like such a fool. In fact that's the exception. The fighters I know personally are some of these most considerate and kind people I've ever met. Sure there are a few knuckleheads out there but aren't some of your own friends knuckleheads? Brock Lesnar is beyond a knucklehead. 

With Frank Mir's face looking like tenderized meat, he walked away the winner in my opinion. Brock didn't use many moves to gain position. He didn't change his guard or control but rather used his size and sort of laid on Mir to hold him down as he punched his face. Sure, it's legal, sure it worked. But when it was said and done and Brock walked away with the "win" Frank gave some undeserved respect to Brock and said semi nice things about him. He out-classed Brock ten fold. As if that was hard to do.

Brock's behavior after beating Frank was disheartening. At first I was disgusted. Then mad. Disappointed. And now I think I'm mad again. Seeing the words "Lesnar's circus antics" on the front page of Yahoo two days later, makes me feel as if his poor choices have set the sport back a few steps in the eyes of people that don't understand the sport. It's not a joke or a circus. It's nothing like WWE, with the exception of Brock Lesnar (aka Nacho Libre ). I've 'talked' to many of you who have told me I'm too harsh on Brock, but I don't think I am. He can apologize but I don't think he's sorry. He's only sorry that Dana White tore him a new ass hole. Remember his behavior after his fight against Heath Herring? Yeah, not classy. And here we are again. History repeating itself. He can apologize but when sponsors start leaving because of the crap he pulled on Saturday hopefully people will see he really isn't more than a 300 lbs WWE guy. What will it take for people to see what a joke he really is? A mask? A folding chair in the cage perhaps?

As someone that spends A LOT of time educating people on the sport, this makes me mad. He's NOT good for the sport. He's a big guy that wrestled and I'm guessing his size was only a benefit even then. I doubt his success was due to his skills. And even if his skills were as good as his college record, I can't see past his personality so it doesn't even matter.

And it also annoys me that everyone is so amped to see him face Fedor. Hello is this thing on... there are plenty of people left in the UFC he hasn't yet fought. I think Shane Carwin or even Cain Velasquez could put him in his place. Both are undefeated and in my opinion more than capable of taking Brock.

 

For those of you that are going to comment or email me saying I'm a bitch, I accept it. Feel free. But just remember, this behavior only means one thing: less overall acceptance as a sport = less advertising money + fewer fans and that means fewer events/fights.

UFC 100 Predictions Lesnar vs Mir

I've been looking forward to doing these predictions for this historic event, but managed to put it off until the last minute. And now I think I know why. I'm a huge Frank Mir fan. Huge. I think it's great to see his career and personal story evolve over the past few years. And the fact that he's the only person to have beaten Brock Lesnar, well that makes me love him even more. But the truth is, while I want to see him do it again at UFC 100, I just don't think he's going to.

I've had this bad habit of making my predictions based on who I want to see win rather than who I honestly believe is going to win.

For these few of you that read my predictions you know the drill... winners in green!

Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir - Grrrrr I'm picking Brock to win this match up. I have him as winning by TKO in the 2nd round. (and I look at it this way, if I'm wrong and Frank wins well I'll still be happy because my loyal readers know how I feel about Brock (aka Nacho Libre)).

Georges St Pierre vs Thiago Alves -this is my upset pick. Hearing these guys on the media calls they have mad respect for each other and the skills they posses. It's great when two fighters go into a fight knowing it's going to be the biggest fight of their careers. While GSP is the defending champion, Thiago is the up-and-comer that wants that title more so than anyone else in that weight class right now. And the skills to make it happen.  I'm giving this fight to Thaigo by TKO in the 3rd. If it goes past the third round I think GSP would probably outlast Thiago. But I'm putting my shoe money on Thiago. Come on Thaigoooooooo! Ma'ma needs a new pair of shoes!

Dan Henderson vs Mike Bisping - This is a no brainer for me. Bisping doesn't stand a chance against Dan's wrestling skills (sorry mike). He'll never get in a position to take Dan down and when it comes to striking skills, again I give those to Dan. Dan Henderson for the win. TKO in the 2nd!

Jon Fitch Vs. Paulo Thiago  - while this will be a good fight (every fight that includes Jon Fitch is likely to be good) Jon will definitely give Paulo his first loss. Jon is also the huge favorite in this match up. I have Jon winning by rear naked choke in the 2nd.

Yoshihiro Akiyama Vs. Alan Belcher - Assuming there aren't any questionable "substances" used in this fight (that was sort of a joke), I give this fight to Yoshihiro by submission (arm bar) in the 1st. He's going to go in and get the job done early.

Mark Coleman vs Stephan Bonnar - Stephan is coming off a loss against Jon Jones (unanimous decision). I hate to say this (because I said it when he fought jon jones and see how that turned out) but I do think this will be a failry easy win for Stephan. In fact I'll say he wins by TKO in the 1st. I mean come on,  we are talking about The American Psycho!

So, tell me where you agree or disagree. Come on, I have thick skin.

Also, if you're wondering where you're going to watch the fights, check out this list of bars/restaurants showing the fight on PPV.ufc 100 ppv list

UFC 100 Odds Mir vs Lesnar

Okay okay, if I were a betting girl (and I AM), here are the odds  (as of 2:30pm pacific time thanks to BETUS) that I'd use to place my bets...
I'll post my predictions later this week,  and I'll also note who I'm putting money on while in Vegas. Although we saw how my last bet turned out (Serra). No new shoes for me on that one.

Who are you betting on?
Also have you made your ufc fantasy picks? fantasy.ufc.com

Heavyweight Title Match

Brock Lesnar (-240) vs. Frank Mir (+190)

Welterweight Title Match

Georges St Pierre (-300) vs. Thiago Alves (+220)

Light Heavyweight Match

Dan Henderson (-240) vs. Michael Bisping (+190)

Other Matches on Fight Card

Jon Fitch (-450) vs. Paulo Thiago (+325)

Yoshihiro Akiyama (-300) vs. Alan Belcher (+220)

Mark Coleman (+250) vs. Stephan Bonnar (-350)

Mac Danzig (+160) vs. Jim Miller (-200)

Jon Jones (-450) vs. Jake O'Brien (+325)