MMA Hot Stuff

ESPN MMA Live's Major Milestones and Fancy Ties

For those that have read my previous posts you know my dad brought me up to be a sports enthusiast. My sports closet is probably better stocked than most guys', and heck I can even throw a decent spiral (for a girl). My dad and I had a tradition of watching ESPN SportsCenter as often as we could. SportsCenter seemed to spark situations, controversies or just conversations for my dad to explain to me and therefor I learned the sport(s). Nothing says main stream sport more than ESPN. They're the Worldwide Leader in Sports! To me, the brand signifies reputable and official reporting. And it's always a good day anytime I can throw in a Chris Berman rendition of "He...could...go...all...the...way!"

As a MMA fan (sometimes blogger-and-all the time supporter) imagine my delight when I found ESPN MMA Live on the internet. MMA Live debuted on ESPN.com and ESPN Mobile TV in May of 2008 and airs every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. It consists of Jon Anik as the host, Kenny Florian, Franklin McNeil and Molly Qerim. They also pull in special guests now and then that are so big even my mom knows who they are. Again, like SportsCenter the topics they discuss on MMA Live make me think about things and form my own opinion or look up the information to make my opinion. To see ESPN 'embrace' the sport of MMA and give it a dedicated team to produce the webisodes every week made me think the sport was definitely taking steps in the right direction. 

Those steps continued when MMA Live made their first live appearance at UFC 91 and covered the weigh-ins as well as had pre and post fight specials.

Tomorrow (or today, depending on when you read this) marks yet another milestone for the MMA Live team as they film their 100th episode. And,it's great to see the progress the show has made. Now, they wear shoes and ties (I'm kidding about the shoes, although we never see their feet so who really knows). Oh and the ties themselves have gotten better. I like to think my feedback had a direct impact on that. Anik gets smoother with every show. He has a way of maintaining control, giving direction and yet being likable all at the same time. That's hard to do in real life never mind in front of a camera. Just when you think Ken-Flo is at the height of his game, whether it be behind the MMA Live desk or in the cage, he proves us wrong. To say he's top notch is an understatement and I think he's great face for the sport. Mcneil has shown the most growth. For someone who at first seemed a little squeamish in front of the camera, now thrives. He clearly enjoys it. He's articulate and very knowledgeable. He's someone who is highly respected in the sport. Qerim's reports and features have included in field reports from Kenny's gym as well as interviewing some of the big names in MMA. Her class, poise and knowledge makes every woman want to be her. 

The news started to leak a couple weeks ago about ESPN MMA Live going to tv but details were sparse. I was able to get a few minutes of Anik's time to gather more information...

ESPN MMA Live will debut on ESPN2 on Thursday night May 6th 10pm/1amET. The show will air Thursday nights in May (actually Friday morning east coast time) on the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th. They will also do several shows on location from UFC 113 and UFC 114. The preview show for UFC 113 will be live from Montreal and will air Saturday May 8th from 9-10pm ET. They will also do a one hour post-fight show for ESPN2 from UFC114 in Las Vegas and will air 1am-2am ET on Sunday May 30th. The show will be shorter than the webisodes due to commercials but they expect to have longer versions for ESPNUK, ESPN PacRim and ESPN.com.

Their relationship with the UFC has never been stronger, and they look forward to continuing to build upon it. Expect to see them at more and more live events.

When I asked Jon Anik what this means to him he said "Well, after two years at this thing, it's just so gratifying that our hard work and dedication has led to an opportunity on ESPN2. It was always a personal goal of mine to get MMA Live to the network(s), and I feel blessed to be a part of a great team. We definitely feel a sense of responsibility to expose the masses to MMA, which we believe to be the greatest sport in the world. Even though there is a sense of accomplishment, there is plenty of work to be done. I am hopefully that this i just the beginning, and that MMA Live becomes a bigger part of the ESPN line-up going forward. The sport is certainly worthy of the coverage, and we just hope we are doing right by the sport and it's great fans."

As exciting as all of this is, and I can't wait to see the crew in HD, I still want more. No offense, but I want it on ESPN. I want a permanent slot and especially one that isn't past my bed time. And while we're at it I want MMA Live more than once a week. It's up to us to continue the momentum. For ourselves, for the fighters, and the future fans. Please do you part in supporting the great work the MMA Live team has done by tuning into the show on ESPN2, watch the extended show on ESPN.com, send in your questions, follow them on Twitter and join Jon's weekly chat.

The MMA Live crew on Twitter:

Jon Anik Molly Qerim

Kenny Florian Franklin McNeil

 
 

UFC 107 Predictions from a Girl

I haven't been this excited for an entire UFC card since UFC 100. I think it's great that the UFC is trying to give fans a lot/frequent events, but in doing so it seems the cards are losing some steam. They're not stacked with as many 'must see' fights. However, UFC 107 is pretty attractive. Not only do we have a title on the line with the BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez fight but we have lots of other great match ups as well.

Here are my predictions. For those that ROCK and are loyal readers, you know the drill... winners in GREEN. 

Oh, and feel free to argue with me. Agree with me, or just stop by to say hi (leave a comment). 

You can also find me on twitter at twitter.com/mmahotstuff

If you're a fountain of knowledge or just a lucky person you can take a stab at trying to beat me on the UFC Fantasy circuit. Obviously my username is MMAHotStuff.

BJ Penn vs  Diego Sanchez- Both are big 155lb'ers and both are aggressive fighters. While I think Diego is a SOLID fighter and will give a good show I just don't think he's going to beat BJ. I mean,it's BJ. Diego has never gone 5 rounds and he won't go 5 rounds this fight either. I'll be completely SHOCKED if BJ doesn't choke him out in the 2nd round. I'm going with BJ Penn in the 2nd by RNC. And still the UFC lightweight champion of the world... BJ Penn! You can quote me.

Frank Mir vs Cheik Kongo- Frank is well known for his BJJ... but he's also starting to get a reputation for being caught up in that last loss of his against Brock Lesnar. During the countdown show and interviews its clear that Brock is still in his head. Can he bounce back and beat Cheick Kongo?  Cheick is known for his striking and trains with the Wolfslair camp. He's coming off a loss against Cain Velasquez.. Frankly I'm expecting Frank to shoot in early and try to take Cheick down. Assuming he's successful, and I believe he will be, he'll beat Cheick by submission in the 3rd.

Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida-  I'm SO excited for this fight. In the words of Kenflo "I finish fights," I expect Kenny to finish this one as well. Clay is a very aggressive fighter but many of his fights tend to go the distance. I think many of the people that have picked Kenny will go the submission route, but I'm going by strikes. I give this fight to Kenny in the 2nd by TKO. 

Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce- Jon "OOUAH" Fitch (look up the meaning behind OOUAH) is on a pretty impressive roll. Aside from a loss to Georges St Pierre (that went the distance), he hasn't lost a fight since 2002. What is note worthy is the guy has had a run of bad luck when it comes to his opponents. Or maybe it's his opponents that have had the bad luck. The last few scheduled fights have been scratched due to his opponents getting hurt during training, leaving Jon sidelined since UFC 100. Given experience and depth of skills, I'm picking Fitch to win by Unanimous decision.

Paul Buentello vs Stefan Struve- Stefan is filling in for Todd Duffee who pulled out of the fight against Paul Buentello for an undisclosed injury. Stefan most recently defeated UFC newcomer and previously undefeated Chase Gormley at UFC 104 where Stefan also won Submission of the Night honors. Paul is known for his knock outs as well as one pretty infamous knock out (on the receiving end) where he was knocked out by Andrei Arlovski at UFC 55. I'm expecting to see a big knockout here. Paul Buentello by TKO in the 2nd round.

UFC 107 Pay Per View Locations

Are you as excited for UFC 107 as I am? I mean are you kidding me, BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez? YES PLEASE! On the same card as Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida?! While it's officially ski season out here in Tahoe, it makes traveling to events more difficult. If only we could get these events to happen at a casino in South Tahoe. That would be a dream.

If you're also unable to get to the event for whatever reason, fear not because you can still watch it and enjoy a few brew-skies with your friends at your local bar/restaurant. And because I love you all so much, I've compiled a list of the bars/restaurants showing the event. Listed by State, after the jump below. Enjoy!

BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez

Frank Mir vs Cheick Kongo

Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida

Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce

Paul Buentello vs Stefan Struve

Alan Belcher vs WIlson Goveia

Matt Wiman vs Shane Nelson

Johny Hendricks vs Richard Funch

Rousimar Palhares vs Lucio Linhares

Demarques Johnson vs Edgar Garcia

Kevin Burns vs TJ Grant

Oh, P.S.S don't forget to make your FANTASY SELECTION! Go to Fantasy.UFC.com 

LIST OF BARS/RESTAURANT SHOWING UFC 107

Massachusetts Closer To Regulating MMA

Today, the Massachusetts State Legislature voted in favor of regulating MMA! This is a big victory for fans of MMA and a big step towards finally bringing MMA/UFC events to Massachusetts. All that's left to be done is to get Governor Deval Patrick's signature. 

For those of you that live in the state, please email your state senator and representatives by filling out this short form: Giving Thanks for MMA!

We're one step closer to seeing the likes of Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon fighting in their home states.

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

Don't Forget To Thank The Fighters

You can say what you will about the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Whether you love it, hate it or just don't understand it, you can definitely walk away with one understanding of the sport if you have time to watch just about any given fight. A big reason why the fighters are in the cage and doing what they do is because of the fans. Okay so not ALL the fighters are always so generous to their fans but never mind the exceptions. The vast majority of the fighters are extremely thoughtful, respectful and GRATEFUL for their fans.

Think about it. After every fight when Joe Rogan (or whoever) is talking to the winning fighter, the fighter always thanks his team, sponsors and the fans. When was the last time a baseball player thanked the fans? A football player? Okay, you can make the argument they're on a team and not being interviewed individually so I'll make more points.

Name a fighter. Any fighter. Have you ever tried to get into contact with that fighter? Most likely they're on Twitter. Or Facebook. Come on give me a name. You even have the Real Chuck Liddell now on Twitter. Randy Couture? Check. Tito Ortiz? Yep. And no offense but those are exactly the youngest of the fighters! Okay mind you I just mentioned the three fighters that probably need the most help with their Twitter-skills! LOL They're great with posting but not so great with being interactive. But come on, they're at least on there and posting what they're up to right? And why do they do this? Purely for the fans. Umm where's Peyton Manning? Not on Twitter. Reggie Bush on Twitter but let's be real here, it's probably just because Kim Kardashian got him up and going on it! Okay, I kid I kid!

Some fighters are very interactive on their personal websites. Daily video posts? Hello have you been on BJPenn.com? The guy shows you what he eats for every meal. 

Oh you want to roll around with these guys. Most likely you can find a gym in a city near you where there's a top tier fighter that's a household name you can roll around with. I'm not kidding. Of course they're not looking to give free lessons to any Larry or Stan off the street, but if you're a dedicated fighter in the making, these guys have opened gyms and are teaching classes. When they're not personally training for a fight they're most likely helping one of their team mates prepare for a fight. 

And now you're starting to see fighters go one step further in how they interact with fans. Shane Carwin will send you a hand written and signed letter. The guy is BUSY. I mean crazy busy. And he hand writes letters. Who even writes letters now days? You can go to Shane's store http://www.performancemma.com/Shane-Carwin-s/215.htm?Click=1592  buy something and you'll get the letter with the merchandise! 

I just think it's worth noting and making sure the MMA fans (like me) don't take the accessibility of fighters for granted. I think this is one of the many things that makes this sport so special. The next time you see a fighter you should thank him for everything he does since they're so quick to thank us.

UFC 102 Breakdown By Jon Anik And Kenny Florian

While I'm not going to be happy until I see this type of recap on SPORTSCENTER (hello ESPN aren't you listening to me?) this will have to do for now.

My friends Jon Anik and Kenny Florian did a quick break down of the Couture/Nogueira fight and the Jardine/Silva fight from UFC 102.

One quick note, as they mentioned Randy was coming to an end to his contract, however as Randy announced tonight during the post-fight press conference, he has just signed another contract with the UFC for 6 more fights over the next two years. RAD!

To support Jon, Kenny and the rest of the ESPN MMA Live crew, please follow them on twitter!

twitter.com/kenny_florian

twitter.com/franklin_mcneil

twitter.com/jon_anik

twitter.com/mollyqerim_espn

twitter.com/espn_mmalive

oh and me!

twitter.com/mmahotstuff

UFC 101, Forrest Griffin And My SoapBox

I've started this post at least three times and I've had to start over because I've found myself getting SO ANGRY. So let's see if I can get through it this time. Oh, and given this is my site it's my soap box to rant about anything I want, right?!

After UFC 101 I watched the post-fight press conference and wanted to see what others were saying on Twitter about the event. Just to remind you of what happened, Anderson beat Forrest by Knock Out 3 minutes & 23 seconds into the first round. Then immediately following the stoppage, Forrest essentially got up and ran out of the cage and into what I'd guess was his locker room. He didn't stick around for the final decision by the judges.

Anyway, I was absolutely dumbfounded at the opinions I read. Many people were saying he was hurt, potentially with a dislocated jaw. Some people even claimed he lost his hearing in one ear. Those people were 'fans' that read something on an Underground Forum. That's what happens with underground forums, they're total random rumors people make up. Unconfirmed. Unfounded. They're just bored people who have nothing better to do than make shit up. Remember the Kimo story from a couple weeks ago? Insane.

But that's not even what I'm upset about. Because you see those people gave justification to why Forrest ran out of the cage, "He was hurt and he needed medical attention". Which, as it turns out, was NOT ACCURATE.

What really upsets me are those fair weather fans that criticized and dogged Forrest for what he did. People berated him for his "lack of respect".  Some people had the audacity to compare his behavior to what Brock Lesnar did (and has done multiple times). Really people? Because what Brock did was disrespectful to PAYING FANS by flipping us off. Never mind what he did to the biggest sponsor in the sport, and then some. Then some other people compared what Forrest did to the LeBron James and Dwight Howard saga. Okay that's not comparing apples to apples or even fruit to fruit. One is a team sport, the other is not. Just for starters.

What's so disheartening is a large majority of the world has no idea what fighters do to get ready for fights. It's emotional. Very emotional. And if it's not, then they're probably not really ready for the fight. People should have been saying  "Wow Forrest Griffin has heart and was so upset with the loss that he ran out of the cage. Poor guy." He lost to Anderson Silva. The best pound for pound fighter in the world. The best. Losing to Anderson shouldn't move him in the rankings at all in my opinion. Forrest had nothing to lose but only something to gain. He didn't beat Anderson, so what? Neither have 25 or so other people that have been brave enough to step into the cage with him.  And for those people that say it was rigged, please I beg you, go back to WWE. This sport doesn't want you. And for those other people that said this is Dana White's fault for forcing Forrest to take this fight, think again. Do you really think Dana would do anything to devalue a great fighter like Forrest and match him up with Anderson if he didn't think he was capable? Forrest is one of the quintesential UFC poster boys, would Dana really throw him to the lions? I would look at it as a compliment that Joe Silva thought Forrest was a good match up for Anderson. The UFC needed someone to push Silva, someone that wasn't afraid, someone that had the heart, guts and desire to make him fight. Who did they come to? Forrest Griffin. Even knowing the outcome I wouldn't think this was an easy match-up for Anderson. Many people picked Forrest to win. People (including Joe Silva) thought he had a shot.

I guess I get so upset because I know first hand what these guys go through while training for a fight. The only way I could know more so is if I were training for a fight personally. As most of my readers know, my fiance is a fighter. Mind you he's not fighting for the UFC, but serious fighters train for every fight as if they were stepping into the UFC Octagon. They take it seriously. This is their life (to quote Nate Quarry). These guys (and a few women) train their asses off. For months it's grueling trips to the gym. Sometimes three intense work outs a day for 6 days a week. And that one day a week they take "off" is probably just an easy work out day, you know your typical day at the gym if you're lucky enough to actually skip happy hour and make it to the gym. These guys cut anywhere from 20-35lbs (depending on weight class). They travel to remote gyms to train with different guys and to focus, leaving their families behind. With all of that invested, how could we be surprised when a fighter is overcome with emotion after losing a fight he (or she) put their heart and soul into training for.

And remember, these are professional fighters. They are paid to do this, they are not goverened by NCAA rules and the purpose is not to build fine young men, this is a business. If you as a fan have the right to boo them, they have the right as athletes to exit the cage without shaking their opponents hand or doing a post-fight interview. Wasn't it Charles Barkley that said "I don't want to be your kids role model"?

What would you have said to Forrest if he were your buddy? Because in this world of Twitter and blogs, what you write, his friends and family may read. Same goes for all other fighters out there. Now I'm certainly not this kind to all fighters, but then again not all fighters are as kind and deserving of respect as Forrest.

As this fantastic sport continues to grow and as the fans evolve, please keep in mind what goes into being a world class fighter before you trash talk, especially in public forums.

Don't believe everything you read unless it's CONFIRMED by the fighter or his camp. If you're truly a fan, please do your part to educate those around you and help SUPPORT those that make this sport possible. 

UFC 101 Results BJ Remains The Master

Results from UFC 101

BJ Penn defeated Kenny Florian via Rear Naked Choke in Round 4th round

Anderson Silva defeated Forrest Griffin via Knock Out (although I thought it was Technical Knock Out since Forrest waved him off) in the 1st round

Johny Hendricks beat Amir Sadollah via questionable Technical Knock Out in the 1st. There were questions on whether or not the ref stopped it early.

Ricardo Almeida beat Kendall Grove by Unanimous Decion

Kurt Pellegrino beat Josh Neer by Unanimous Decion

Aaron Riley beat Shane Nelson in their rematch by Unanimous Decion

John Howard beat Tamdan McCrory by Split Decision

George Sotiropoulos beat George Roop by Submission in the 2nd round

Jesse Lennox beat Danillo Villefort by Technical Knock out in the 3rd round

I'm not going to lie, I'm sort of disappointed by those fights... with the exception of the Main Event.
Don't forget to follow me on twitter at twitter.com/mmahotstuff

Can't wait for UFC 102.

UFC 101 Pay Per View Locations

Here's a list of bars/restaurants showing UFC 101 as Pay Per View sorted by city and state.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its Philadelphia debut on Saturday, August 8th for UFC 101: Declaration. In the main event, the two best 155-pound fighters in the world finally meet when UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn looks to defend his crown against number one contender Kenny Florian. Penn has never lost at 155-pounds, and Florian is looking to change that stat this summer.

In the co-feature, the pound-for-pound king of mixed martial arts, middleweight champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva, tests the waters at 205 pounds once again when he battles former light heavyweight champ and Ultimate Fighter season one winner Forrest Griffin.

UFC 101: Declaration - Saturday, August 8th, live on Pay-Per-View from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

7:30 pm ET Wachovia Center doors open
8:15 pm ET First Bout
10:00 pm ET Live on television and online

If you haven't already done so, don't forget to fill out your fantasy picks! fantasy.ufc.com