MMA Hot Stuff

VERSUS To Air WEC Greatest Knockouts II

Grab your popcorn and beer (hey don't judge me) or set your Tivos, because you're in luck! VERSUS will air WEC’s Greatest Knockouts II on Wednesday, October 7, at 9 p.m. ET! You'll see Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, Miguel Torres, Jose Aldo plus many other elite WEC fighters showcasing some of the biggest knockouts in the WEC! Sa-weet! Which knockout are you excited to see again?

VERSUS TO AIR HIGH-ENERGY SPECIAL

 WEC’S GREATEST KNOCKOUTS II   

ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, AT 9 P.M. ET

 

NEW YORK, N.Y. (October 6, 2009)— VERSUS, the exclusive cable television home of World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC®), will air WEC’s Greatest Knockouts II on Wednesday, October 7, at 9 p.m. ET. The hour-long presentation will feature fight highlights from some of the biggest knockouts in WEC history.

The show will feature fight highlights from August 2008 to the August 2009 match in which Brian Bowles defeated Miguel Torres, one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in MMA, to earn the bantamweight title. Also included are the knock-out fights from Mike Brown’s featherweight title win over Urijah “The California Kid” Faber in November 2008 and Jose Aldo’s amazing eight-second knock-out of veteran Cub Swanson in June 2009.

The show will re-air on Saturday, October 10, at 12 a.m. ET, immediately following the network’s live WEC fight featuring Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone against Ben Henderson in a bout that will crown the interim WEC lightweight champion.  The live fight will air at 10 p.m. ET and will originate from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. Founded in 2001, the WEC features many of the most prominent athletes in the sport of mixed martial arts today. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network. WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting® and WEC® are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC.

VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD) and is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar® Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing.  The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and Sports Jobs with Junior Seau that audiences can't find elsewhere.  VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

 

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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

UFC 100 FanExpo - Who will be there?

Today the UFC® confirmed the fighters that will be attending the first ever UFC^® Fan Expo™. The two day expo will be held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas July 10th and 11th. The fighters that will be at the expo for meet and greets will be UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, UFC Hall of Famers Royce Gracie and Randy “The Natural” Couture,  and former world champions Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, “Suga” Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. UFC contenders Kenny Florian, Steve Cantwell, Shane Carwin, Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis, Tyson Griffin, Clay Guida, Dustin Hazelett, Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann, Josh Koscheck, Joe Lauzon, Junie Browning, Nate Marquardt, Gray Maynard, Karo Parisyan, Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez, Sean Sherk and Mike Swick will also be meeting fans, along with The Ultimate Fighter winners Nate Diaz and Efrain Escudero.

 Fans of the PRIDE Fighting Championships will have the chance to re-live the excitement of Japan’s classic organization as well, with MMA icons Renzo Gracie and Gary Goodridge being joined by “The Texas Crazy Horse”, Heath Herring, and Brazilian superstars Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

And if that’s not enough MMA star power, the premier fighters of the WEC will be on hand to sign autographs, with current champions Miguel Torres, Mike Brown, and Jamie Varner sharing the convention center floor with Urijah Faber, Jens Pulver, Brian Bowles, Joseph Benavidez, Donald Cerrone, Leonard Garcia, Ben Henderson, and Alex Karalexis.

For a list of bars/restaurants showing the historic UFC 100 Pay Per View event - check out this link.

ESPN MMALive

Here's today's ESPN MMALive episode..

Miguel Torres filled in for Kenny but fellow tweeps (twitter peeps) you can still get your Kenny fix by going here: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4231291

First up was the big news about Kimbo Slice joining the cast of TUF 10. Seems everyone agrees this is a great move by Dana White by bringing Kimbo on the show. As you may know Dana hasn't been shy about his opinion of Kimbo. Seems to me Kimbo will definitely bring the more casual fans to the sport
and of course us MMA Addicts will tune in to see this one time street fighter YouTube sensation try to prove himself. Also as part of the cast are  four ex NFL players. The loser in this may be Strikeforce for not being able to come to an agreement with Slice. Love him or hate him Slice definitely brings viewers!

Stephan Bonnar via satellite says it shows Kimbo has character by joining TUF cast.  Saying Dana has been critical of Kimbo from he beginning but Kimbo is showing he has character by accepting this challenge from Dana.

We can't forget that Kimbo is coming in with options. He has expressed his desire to box so if this doesn't pan it out he has that back up plan! TUF 10 will debut  Sept 16th.

Also discussed:
Rua and Lyoto may meet in October

This Sunday Mike Brown will defend his title against Urjah Faber. Urijah was on the show via satellite saying he knows Brown is a tough opponent. He said he made one small mistake in their last fight. Migel asked how he expects to win this sunday and Urijah's response was " Anyway. My hands are good and I've proven that before. I can submit guys as well. I'll be bringing my A game."

Also this weekend, Robbie Lawler and Jake Shields will face each other at a catch weight of 182lbs. Robbie was on MMALive via satellite and said he won't leave anything behind. Not impressed or worried about Jake moving up a weight.  Jon Anik picked Jake to win this fight.

Pulse question this week: Is Quinton making the right decision by not fighting Lyoto and coaching on TUF 10?  What are your thoughts?

Buy or Sell - Kimbo will win his first fight on TUF.

WEC Confirms Remaining Bouts For First Event In Chicago

Press Release

WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING^® CONFIRMS REMAINING BOUTS FOR

FIRST EVER WEC^® EVENT IN CHICAGO

 

WEC BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE MATCH

MIGUEL ANGEL TORRES vs. TAKEYA MIZUGAKI

 

JEFF CURRAN vs. JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ

JAMEEL MASSOUH vs. RAPHAEL ASSUNCAO

BEN HENDERSON vs. SHANE ROLLER

AKITOSHI TAMURA vs. MANNY TAPIA

RANI YAHYA vs. EDDIE WINELAND

FREDSON PAIXAO vs. WAGNNEY FABIANO

DIEGO NUNES vs. CUB SWANSON

IVAN LOPEZ vs. DOMINICK CRUZ

ANTHONY PETTIS vs. ANTHONY NJOKUANI

COLE PROVINCE vs. RAFAEL DIAS

 

Live From UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Sunday, April 5 – Tickets on Sale Now

 

 Las Vegas, NV (USA) – World Extreme Cagefighting® proudly confirms the remaining bouts for WEC: Torres vs. Mizugaki, live from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, April 5.

 Tickets for World Extreme Cagefighting are on sale now and priced at $45.00, $75.00, $125.00 and $175.00. Tickets are available for purchase through the UIC Pavilion, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 312-559-1212.

 World Extreme Cagefighting will be televised live nationally on VERSUS beginning at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT.  All live WEC events are presented in Hi-Definition (HD) where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.

 In addition to the electric main event between WEC® bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres (35-1) and Japanese striker Takeya Mizugaki (11-2-2), and the 135-pound co-feature clash between Joseph Benavidez (9-0) and Jeff Curran (31-10-1), nine more exciting bouts fill out WEC’s inaugural trip to the Windy City.

 Before the co-main events get underway, lightweights Ben Henderson (fighting out of Glendale, AZ) and Shane Roller (fighting out of Las Vegas, NV) lock horns in a battle between two accomplished wrestlers. After making his WEC debut in January with a submission win over Anthony Njokuani, Henderson looks to continue his rise in the 155-pound division by defeating Roller. Defeating Roller will be no easy task though. The Tulsa, OK native is a three-time Division I All-American wrestler and currently riding a five-fight winning streak. Roller, undefeated in the WEC with wins over Todd Moore and Mike Budnik, is rapidly climbing the lightweight ladder and looks to get one step closer to the title with a win over Henderson.

 Brazilian Raphael Assuncao (fighting out of Marietta, GA) makes his long-awaited WEC debut when he tackles the well-rounded Jameel Massouh (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI). Touting a 12-1 record, Assuncao is a feared 145-pound competitor whose arrival spells trouble for the featherweight elite. Known for his slick ground work, Assuncao will have his hands full with former Pancrase star Massouh. A winner of 21 of 25 bouts since launching his professional career in 2005, Massouh is a well-rounded fighter with a unique blend of knockout power and submissions.

 Undefeated lightweight Anthony Pettis (fighting out of Milwaukee, WI) makes his WEC debut against Nigerian-born striker Anthony Njokuani (fighting out of Las Vegas, NV). Pettis, 6-0 in his two-year professional career, will face a stern test in the Muay Thai savvy Njokuani. With a record of 22-0 as a professional kickboxer, the 6’0” Njokuani is in search of his first WEC win and hopes to use his potent leg kicks to derail Pettis.

 With three straight victories since losing to then-featherweight champion Urijah Faber in 2007, the supremely-conditioned Dominick Cruz (fighting out of San Diego, CA) hopes to entrench himself in the bantamweight division with a win over newcomer Ivan Lopez (fighting out of San Diego, CA). Since moving to the 135-pound weight class in 2008, Cruz has pounded out unanimous decision wins over Charlie Valencia and Ian McCall. Undefeated at 9-0, Lopez has taken the bantamweight scene by storm with superior kickboxing and submission skills. Born in Tijuana, Mexico and now fighting out of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, CA, Lopez is looking to make a name for himself in the WEC with a win over Cruz.

 Cub Swanson (fighting out of Orange County, CA) has stopped 10 opponents in 15 professional fights with an array of knockouts and submissions. The 25-year-old looks to continue that impressive streak when he takes on the precision-punching Diego Nunes (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Nunes, a former professional soccer player and Brazilian Muay Thai champion, looks to extend a streak of his own, as the 26-year-old seeks score his second consecutive WEC win in Chicago. Nunes earned a unanimous decision victory over Cole Province in December.

 Fighters who have had the misfortune of going to the ground with decorated Brazilian jiu jitsu artist Wagnney Fabiano (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) have had a difficult time avoiding the black belt’s submission attempts. The grappler has won six of his last seven bouts by submission, including a victory over Akitoshi Tamura in December. The 33-year-old featherweight contender will look to earn his eighth straight victory when he battles similarly gifted grappler Fredson Paixao (fighting out of Las Vegas, NV). A fellow Brazilian, Paixao is dangerous on the ground and has won eight of 10 professional bouts.

 An intriguing bantamweight bout pits local product Eddie Wineland (fighting out of Highland, IN) against submission ace Rani Yahya (fighting out of San Diego, CA). The 24-year-old Wineland is a former WEC bantamweight titleholder who boasts competent wrestling and striking. Those skills will be put on display against Yahya, who is coming off an impressive first round submission victory over Yoshiro Maeda last November.

 Rugged 135-pound contender Manny Tapia (fighting out of Chino, CA) looks to rebound from a December loss to champion Miguel Torres when he takes on Osaka, Japan’s Akitoshi Tamura. Tamura, who is coming off a hard-fought three rounder with Wagnney Fabiano, is hungry to gain his first WEC win and will look to use his submissions and kickboxing to stymie Tapia.

 An intelligent ground and pound specialist, featherweight Cole Province (fighting out of Edmond, OK) hopes that his collegiate wrestling background will allow him to outmuscle American Top Team product Rafael Dias (fighting out of Coconut Creek, FL). Dias, a former law student who trains at one of the top gyms in the country, will almost certainly match Province’s ground attack with a solid grappling game of his own. With both fighters searching for their first WEC wins, the Province-Dias clash has the potential to be a war.

 All bouts subject to change. For more information about current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv.

 

About World Extreme Cagefighting

The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. Founded in 2001, the WEC features many of the most prominent athletes in the sport of mixed martial arts today. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting® and WEC® are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC.

 VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD).  Now in more than 74 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar® Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing.  The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere.  VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

 

ESPN MMALive: Episode 44 UFC 96 Recap

This week Kenny was MIA but we were blessed to see Miguel Torres in the studio and Stephan Bonnar via satellite (looking good in the suit/ties boys).

They gave a review of Quinton / Jardine fight. It definitely wasn't Rampage's best performance and he looked a little flat. However having said that Keith deserves credit for making it a difficult fight for Rampage.
It was also noted that Rampage is a bit inconsistent at this point in his career. Having time off to recover before his next fight will do him good.

The MMALive crew also talked about frank mir's announcement at ufc 96 that he will not fight brock Lesnar at UFC 98 as planned due to knee surgery. The question is that will be a pretty significant amount of time off for Brock. Is it too much time off?

Whoa, y'all Don King entering MMA?

Matt Hughes moving to middleweight? I personally think he needs to get through the fight with Matt Serra first and I'm VERY anxious for that match-up!

Shane Carwin called into the program to talk about breaking his nose at UFC 96 against Gabriel Gonzaga. What does Shane think of his performance? And what's next for Shane? Find out...

UFC 96 also showed MORE questionable officiating and everyone had an opinion on that especially Stephan!

Randy couture as a referee?

By the way, I agree with you kevin about the taunting being a bit WWE like. I even sent it out on
my twitter last saturday night after the fights. I'd prefer keeping it alittle more respectful and
leaving the WWE showdown out of MMA.

This week's episode was dedicated to Mask. Friendly reminder; tomorrow is National TapOuT day! Pay your respect to Mask and show support to PunkAss and Skyscrape. More information can be found on my site.

ESPN MMA Live: Episode 31

Here's ESPN's MMA Live for this week. A special treat this week as the crew is joined by WEC Bantamweight Champ, Miguel Torres. Who was a tougher opponent, Tapia or Maeda, find out here.

Also hear the crew breakdown UFC Fight Night for the Troops.

Great job guys!