MMA Hot Stuff

MMAHotStuff Says So Long.... For Now

Where to start. 

I started the brand MMAHotStuff almost three years ago. It started as a hobby without even really knowing it. While working at Six Apart, I wanted to better understand the product so I started "writing" about MMA plus a plethora of other things that pertained to every day life at mmahotstuff.vox.com. I noticed the posts about MMA got the most traffic and comments. 

Then organically as my interest in the sport grew, so did my frequency in writing about it. When I chose the name MMAHotStuff it was an off the cuff name, one I didn't plan out too much. MMA was in the URL SEO purposes and HotStuff meaning the hot news, rumors and interviews. I didn't really look at it from a brand perspective.  True story, when I met Molly Qerim at UFC 100 she said she didn't even know my name, she only new me as MMAHotStuff. Maybe I should have given more thought to the brand that became who I am.

The next thing I knew I wanted to figure out how to domain map a site on my own so MMAHotStuff.com was officially born.

I've had a lot of fun with the site.  To say I've met some fascinating people is an understatement. To say I've met some people that I now consider dear friends is the truth. The more I started to gain trust from people the more information I was told. But it's turned into friends telling me their news friend to friend, rather than fighter to "a girl with website that will tell the news." 

I never had a goal of making MMAHotStuff.com a major MMA news site. I don't care about traffic numbers. How could I possibly compete with the likes of Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, Heavy.com and MMAJunkie? I'm just one girl.

I've become this person that has been keeping everything I'm told off the record. Which really doesn't make for a very interesting or even informative site. So rather than losing sleep over the fact that I haven't been updating, I've decided to give MMAHotStuff.com a bit of a vacation.

MMASocialites.com will now have more of my attention and I'm also excited to announce I'm working on something new. It's still very much in the MMA space but I'll be in stealth mode for a few months.

I'll keep my twitter account active, because we all know I'm addicted. I'll still be attending events and whatnot but all of my opinions and interviews will be on MMASocialites. At least for now.

Continue to support the sport we all love.

MMA Contest Information RULES and PRIZES

Want to win some AUTOGRAPHED schwag from some of your FAVORITE MMA fighters? All you have to do is answer some questions about those fighters as well as the brands that support them. Every day for one week I'll ask THREE questions. At the end of the 7th day, the first three people to email me with all the right answers, will win!

Some questions will be easy. Some will be hard. The answers can be found on the fighters websites, on their twitter pages, or on the pages of their sponsors.

RULES!

YOU MUST FOLLOW THESE PEOPLE ON TWITTER. The winners MAY be notified by one of the twitter accounts mentioned below, and if you're not following them, they can't DM you!!!

twitter.com/MagneticMMA

twitter.com/mmahotstuff

twitter.com/mmaadnet

twitter.com/MMAAdvertising

twitter.com/mmasocialites

twitter.com/mtxmma

twitter.com/brawlnutrition

twitter.com/mtxaudio

twitter.com/performancemma

twitter.com/beaverbuzznrg

twitter.com/nightrideraz

twitter.com/shanecarwin

twitter.com/effyescudero

twitter.com/smoothone155

twitter.com/firemarshallUFC

twitter.com/DannyMMA125

twitter.com/DaleHartt

twitter.com/Dethrone

twitter.com/Jesse_Forbes

twitter.com/edgargarcia170

twitter.com/chriscamozzi

twitter.com/Warriorint

twitter.com/jkarp185

twitter.com/rrkelly_4

PRIZES!!

Grand Prize

MTX ipod boombox

Night Rider Jewelry ($1000.00 gift certificate)

WarriorWear Shane Carwin shirts (original, 108 walk out tee & team carwin)

MMAHotStuff tshirt

 

Second Place

MTX ipod boombox

$100.00 gift card from Performance MMA

Signed MTX audio short by Efrain

90 day supply of Brawl Nutrition supplements

MMAHotStuff tshirt


Third Place

$100.00 gift card from Performance MMA

Efrain Escudero shirt from Dethrone

2 month supply from beaverbuzz

MMAHotStuff tshirt 

Questions will be asked EVERY day here: http://www.mmahotstuff.com/about/2010/02/mmahotstuff-contest-questions.html

BOOK MARK THAT PAGE.

After the 7th day when all of the questions have been asked, email me your answers.

MMAHotStuff Contest QUESTIONS

Every day, I'll ask THREE questions for a week. The questions will be posted here so come back (book mark) to this page every day for the new questions...

Friendly reminder of the rules and prizes can be found at this link!

Questions:

Tuesday (day 1)

1. Name one of Ben Henderson's favorite books!

2. In what years did Shane Carwin work as an Assistant Wrestling Coach at the Colorado School of Mines?

3. Eliot Marshall shared a training room with someone at UFC 97. Who was it?

Wednesday (day 2)

1. Efrain Escudero was in Miami on Feb 2nd. Which hotel did he blog from?

2. What's the address of the MTX retailer in Salem, Oregon?

3. How much are the Warrior Pro Handwraps (Warrior International)?

Thursday (day 3)

1. BJJSupplements.com gave Brawl Nutrition an award. What was it?

2. What are the different flavors of Beaver Buzz Energy Drinks?

3. Shane Carwin recently sang the praises of his coaches on Twitter. Who were the coaches he mentioned?

Friday (day 4) TGIF people!

1. MMASocialites.com recently interview Jon Jones. How did he meet his fiance Jessie?

2. What's George Ganem's nickname (of Night Rider Jewelry)?

3. Shane Carwin supports the troops! What's the name of the website he recently promoted on his twitter? Hint: they are dedicated to assisting Post Traumatic Stress Disordered Veterans!

Saturday (day 5)

1. Who is Eliot Marshalls BJJ Coach?

2. Where does Edgar Garcia get his hair cut?

3. Dethrone sponsors two title holders, who are they?

Sunday (day 6)

1. What's the name of the female athlete (fighter) managed by Magnetic Marketing Associates?

2. MMASocialites recently interviewed Ann Serra (Matt's wife). Who did she watch UFC 109 with?

3. Shane Carwin has posted the name of his baby girl that is due ANY DAY NOW.. What's her name?

Monday (day 7) (will be posted Monday between 4-4:30pm pacific time) FINAL DAY

1. Ben Henderson recently took his fiance to a concert. Who did they go see?

2. Efrain Escudero is scheduled to fight at UFC 114. Who will he be fighting? Efrain tweeted it and I need the spelling he used on his tweet!

3. Ben Henderson is ranked what level in taekwondo?

After the week is up and all the questions have been asked, EMAIL ME your answers at MMAHotStuff@gmail.com. The first three people that have the right answers will win. First winner with the right answers, Grand prize winner. Etc.

Email me if you have questions!

Thanks

Rachel

Announcing MMA Socialites

I’m excited to announce the launch of MMA Socialites in partnership with Lani Carwin, wife of UFC Heavyweight contender Shane Carwin. MMA Socialites was created as a way to bring the fans into the lives of MMA fighters and their families, as well as all others deeply involved in this sport, within a community atmosphere. We’ve taken our passion for the sport and the lifestyle we both live, coupled with the stories we’re told, to share with you, the fans. Regardless of the juncture, whether training for the first MMA fight or defending a title, every fighter has a story to tell and we wanted to share them with you.

Our goal is to tell the stories of the fighters outside the cage, and present the side of them that fans rarely see. We’re confident that by showing the fans who these fighters are outside the cage, the more MMA will gain mainstream acceptance and the more the sport will grow. We won’t focus on breaking news, but rather on interviews, event coverage, as well as community meet-ups at events. We’ll bring you into the lives of the fighters, their families, and get the perspective and stories of those non-fighters that still play a key role in the growth of this sport. 

Lani says “I am thrilled to be involved with MMA Socialites, and the launch of the site is so exciting!  The MMA industry is a passion of mine; not only because my husband, Shane Carwin, is a top-notch talent in the UFC, but because the potential for growth and advancement of the sport is incredible. As my knowledge base has grown through the years of my direct exposure, my excitement for the sport has as well. MMA Socialites was born to expose an entire population, a group that has been completely neglected, to something they are just as interested in as I am.  There are so many women that love the sport and crave more knowledge and insight into our industry.  We are here to bring that - to give them a place to bond, gain insight, and attain a whole different perspective that I have no doubt will be so interesting for them.  Thank you to Rachel for all her hard work - and let the ride begin!”

And what a ride it will be. Please come and join the community -www.mmasocialites.com- to stay in the loop on our efforts, also,  follow us on twitter. If there’s a fighter or fighter’s wife you want us to interview just email and let us know. We want to hear from you, the fans!

Team Pellegrino

It's funny, I always have such a hard time giving posts titles, but once you read this interview I did with Melissa Pellegrino, you'll see that she and Kurt are just that; a Team.

Q: How did you and Kurt meet?

A: Kurt and I met in high school.  We started dating as seniors and we were married 8 years later.

Q: How long have you been married?

A: Married for 3 years, together for 11 years.

Q: I understand you two have a little girl (Priscilla), does she watch daddy’s fights?

A: Yes, she's seen some of his fights on dvd's, never live though.  She is only 2 so she doesn’t really get the concept, so any time she sees a fighter on TV she thinks its 'daddy'.  It could be Mike Tyson fighting and she'll be yelling 'go daddy!!'  So its pretty funny.

Q: Were you a MMA fan prior to meeting Kurt or did him being a fighter get you involved in the sport?

A: I never knew about the sport until he started training back in 2000.  Kurt was a wrestler through high school and college so I was always of fan of him competing.  So i went from a wrestling fan to an MMA fan.  I now really enjoy the MMA game.  He likes to make fun of me because he thinks I know more about the fighters and whatnot than he does.  But I really don’t.  Its hard to be this connected to the sport and to the UFC and not be an educated fan, so I try my best!

Q: Care to share any inside information on how you support him? Do you do anything special while he’s training for a fight? Special recipes to help him lose weight before the big weight cut?

A: Yes!  I'd like to think he'd be lost without me! haha.  The whole training camp is definitely a process, and a huge support system has to be in place so that he doesn’t have to worry about anything else besides training 2-3 times per day.  So this even includes both of our parents helping out.  We start about 8 weeks out with the weight cutting.  I prepare all his meals, 3 times a day.  As long as he is eating clean, that’s the main concern.  Making sure he's eating properly to shed some of the initial weight and also to keep his body fueled to keep up with the intense training.  He doesn’t actually lose the 10-12 pounds until fight week.  But he takes off about 10 pounds during the 8 weeks.  Its also a challenge to have a 2 year old running around the house when Kurt is trying to nap between training sessions, so when he comes home for lunch, I make sure he eats and then Priscilla and I go out so he can get his sleep for an hour or two.  We have become shopping pro's! ha

Q: Have you ever cut weight with him?

A: Ummm, no! ha.  Although I wish i did.  In the beginning I eat healthy with him, but then I get so sick of making such healthy meals that i just find something tasty to eat! I give Kurt credit because I couldn’t eat the healthy for 8 weeks! ha  It gets real hairy the week or two before he leaves for the fight...he can smell a potato chip on my breath from 20 feet away, so I’m very careful to keep that stuff away from him.  Again though, very hard with a 2 year old who loves Oreos!  It never fails though, fight week I lose 4 or 5 pounds, in stress alone. ha!

Q: Sounds like he’s been cleared by his orthopedic to get back to training full time and he’s doing Active Release Therapy. Any idea when we’ll see him back in the octagon?

A: Yes, he's been cleared to start training again back in the 2nd week of December.  Which is great, because I thought he was miserable cutting weight, but I found out he's much more miserable when he can’t train! In all seriousness tho, its great that he's feeling better, it was a little scary for him to have a back injury, but he's coming along.  He wants to be back fighting hopefully in March.  That gives him a good 10 weeks to get back in fighting shape.  He was even training on Christmas Eve he is so excited to be back in the gym again.

Q: What do you as a family like to do when he’s not training?

A: We are pretty low key people.  We like to do dinners and movies and spend time with friends and family, the typical things.  Winters in NJ are kind of miserable, but the summer time we love the beach and parks and anything outside!  Regardless of the season, we are always at our academy, and so is Priscilla.  Its our home away from home.  We definitely take advantage of the time between fights to do 'normal' family things.  We love the life we have, but the fight camps are definitely hard, so we just try to work together and stay on the same page to make things run smoothly! 

Q: How’s the academy coming along? Anything you want to promote or tell our readers?

A: Our academy is great.  We've been open for about 14 months now.  We are up to about 175 students.  We teach brazilian jiu jitsu, wrestling, submission grappling, & kickboxing for adults and for kids.  It definitely takes up 90% of our time.  I am a stay at home mom, but with the academy its more like 2 full time jobs!!  Its great though, and I really enjoy being there and all the dedicated students we have.

Q: Do you always go to Kurt’s fights and if so, what’s your routine so to speak?

A: Kurt leaves usually 5 days prior to his fight and I go out about 2-3 days later.  I usually show up the night before weigh ins.  I check into my own room so Kurt can be with his team and concentrate on losing the last pounds. I see him that night, but only for a little bit.  The day of the weigh in I wait to hear thru text from his coaches when he makes weight, then i meet him in his hotel room after he's done.  He leaves for the weigh in and I meet him there.  After the weigh in we go back to the hotel for a bit, kurt rests and then we go out to eat with the whole team.  Then its back to hotel for rest.  I usually stay with him and watch TV and stuff.  Usually about midnight or 1am, we go out and get pancakes for more carbs!  Sometimes I end up staying in his room.  Fight day is all about relaxing in bed watching TV.  I stay with him most of the day until it comes close to him leaving.  I let him get into 'fight mode'.  I can really tell when its time to leave because there's this switch that goes off with him and he just is really quiet and focused.  So that’s my queue to let him be with his coaches.  I see him immediately after the fight, he always manages to come into the crowd and find me...even if he gets mauled by the fans on the way!  That’s the best part.  Finally being able to see him when its all over... after 12 weeks of craziness, and being able to breath again is always a plus :)

 
 

You can read more about the Kurt at http://www.kurtpellegrino.com/

Info on their Academy can be found at http://www.pellegrinomma.com/ 

Follow Kurt on Twitter at twitter.com/kurtpellegrino

Rachel - twitter.com/mmahotstuff 

Dan Henderson Signs with Strikeforce!

NEW YORK (December 7, 2009)–Four-time mixed martial arts (MMA) world champion and two-time United States Olympic wrestler Dan Henderson will enter a new chapter in his legendary career after signing a multi-fight agreement with world championship MMA promotion STRIKEFORCE.  

 

Henderson, the only fighter in history to simultaneously hold two titles in two different weight classes – the welterweight (183 pounds) and light heavyweight (205 pounds) crowns - with a major MMA promotion – PRIDE Fighting Championships – will enter the STRIKEFORCE cage after earning “Knockout of the Night” honors with his stunning second round (3:20) KO of Michael “The Count” Bisping at UFC 100 in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 11, 2009.

 

“I'm very happy to be a part of STRIKEFORCE and their partnership with CBS and SHOWTIME®,” said the 39-year-old Henderson, who represented The United States in Greco-Roman wrestling in both the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. 

 

“STRIKEFORCE and its growing roster of world class talent will offer me many exciting fights and has the ability to bring many new fans from all around the world to mixed martial arts. I am grateful to (STRIKEFORCE Founder and CEO) Scott Coker for the opportunity to help make this happen and for treating me with the utmost respect throughout our negotiations

 

I’d also like to thank Dana (White) and the UFC for the opportunities they provided me and I wish them ongoing success.  I’ll continue to watch their events and I hope they’ll tune in to my fights in STRIKEFORCE.  After all, I’m a true fan of our fantastic sport and would love only to see MMA continue to grow.”

 

“We are excited to welcome Dan Henderson to STRIKEFORCE,” said Coker.  “Dan is one of the world’s premiere fighters who has lived out an extraordinary career.  We are looking forward to having him compete for us.”

 

At both Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State University, Henderson established himself as a force in collegiate wrestling, reaching the NCAA championships in 1993. In 1997, Henderson entered the world of MMA, winning the Brazil Open, a four-man heavyweight tournament.  One year later, he was the victor of the UFC 17 tournament, defeating both Allan Goes and Carlos Newton in the same night on May 15, 1998.

Following a stellar six plus year career with the now-defunct, Japan-based PRIDE Fighting Championships where he conquered a number of all-time greats including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva, and Vitor Belfort, Henderson re-entered UFC.  He was selected to serve as coach of Team USA on the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series, which premiered on Spike TV on April 1, 2009. 

 

STRIKEFORCE in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on premium cable television network SHOWTIME.  The promotion made its live, primetime debut on CBS with the “Fedor vs. Rogers” mega-fight that it co-promoted with M-1 Global on

Saturday, November 7 and generated 5.46 million viewers for the main event between the world’s number one heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, and superstar Brett “The Grim” Rogers.

 

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast

Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.

 

UFC 106 Recap - Forrest gets revenge & Koscheck impresses

What did we learn from Saturday's UFC 106 event? The more things change, the more they stay the same. For example, Tito Ortiz is going to whine after losing, no matter what; Anthony Johnsons' eyes seem to have finger magnets in them, and Josh Koscheck says what he thinks.

Ortiz VS Griffin

In his long awaited return to the Octagon, Tito Ortiz looked like 2/3 of the old Tito. Tight and rigid boxing, good takedowns, good top control, and good stamina, for two rounds anyway. Come the third round, Tito did nothing, and I mean nothing. Unless you count blocking Griffin's punches with his face as "doing something". It was as if Tito didn't know it was a 3 round fight and he only trained for 2. Then again, Griffin is no easy fight for someone that hasn't been in the cage for 18 months and is coming off of major back surgery.

Strikeforce: Fedor VS Rogers Predictions

Here we are, only a few days until MMA returns to primetime television on CBS and Fedor makes his debut with Strikeforce! We're also treated to a title fight for the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship, vacated by Cung Le, between Jake Shields and the always colorful Jason "Mayhem" Miller. We also get to see Gegard Mousasi and Fabricio Werdum return to the cage in action against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva respectively.

So you know the drill... my predicted winners in GREEN! 

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers

Does Rogers have a chance? Yes, just like all 31 of Fedor's previous opponents had a chance, and only one of them came away with a win (by TKO / Cut, hardly a win). You don't pick against a 97% winning percentage, and I'm not picking against Fedor.

Fedor is technically superior everywhere. Even though some say his striking isn't very technical (which it may not be by boxing or muay thai standards), he puts it all together so well that for MMA it is technical when you give consideration to takedown defense and set up. Rogers has power, and in a sport of 4 ounce gloves and multiple ways to finish a fight he certainly has a shot. As Mark DellaGrotte said in Kevin Iole's article on Yahoo! Sports "A perfectly placed punch can knock anyone out. Anyone". The problem is that Rogers has to land a perfect or near perfectly placed punch, which will be tough to do on Fedor given his footwork and agility. Ultimately I think this fight will go to the ground where the experience gap will shine through. Fedor wins by TKO / Referee Stoppage on the ground.

Disclaimer: Now if we're talking about betting the spread with my new shoe money, I'd bet on Rogers. I like the long-shots for the big payout! According to betus.com the current spread is Fedor -550 and Rogers +375! OH and because I AM a girl, I count my chickens before they're hatched/shoes before they're purchased: Here's what I want to get. Aren't they gor(geous)?LOVE!

Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Jake Shields (for vacant Strikeforce middleweight title)

Miller is a funny guy, the problem is Shields isn't laughing. Miller has proven that he can go the distance avoiding submissions against some of the best (see Jacare fight in DREAM), but Shields' isn't your typical Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He's all about pressure, passing guard, and making your life miserable if you're under him. The knock on Shields has always been his lack of ability on his feet, but in his fight against Robbie Lawler he showed he's not afraid to be there. Miller could use his reach and striking to avoid the takedown, but he will only be able to keep Shields at bay for so long. Look for Shields to secure the takedown, pass the guard, and finish Miller via submission.

Champ Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (non-title match)

Mousasi will dominate. Did you see Babalu? Out cold. Mousasi is a stud (at multiple weight classes). Technically sound. I see this one ending by TKO. Look for Mousasi to hurt Sokoudjou on his feet and finish him on the mat.

Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum

Even though Silva has a chin the size of a Rhode Island, look for Werdum to finish this one on the ground. His Jiu Jitsu is just too good. 

So gents, there's no need to leave your girls at home to hit the bar to watch this event on PayPerView. Since it's on CBS, throw a Strikeforce party at your house and get your girl engaged. Show her the shoes above and I promise she'll be hooked. On my site and the sport. Tell her more shoes with next week's predictions for UFC 105. 

While Roger's win against Fedor would allow those shoes to come home with me, I also have a bet consisting of bragging rights with Franklin McNeil! If you're not following him on twitter you should be. Did you see who he picked to win this weekend? If not, check out his picks on today's ESPN MMALive!

Friendly reminder, follow me on Twitter!

 

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.

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!