MMA Hot Stuff

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!

Shane Carwin Interview

Just spoke with Shane Carwin where he confirmed the bout agreement has been received and signed to fight Frank Mir at UFC 111 March 27th in New Jersey for the interim title.

Shane said "I'm excited to have an opponent confirmed and I have a lot of respect for Frank Mir. This will be my first fight against a south paw and my camp is under way to accommodate Frank as my opponent."

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.

Follow us on twitter!

Shane Carwin

Kevin Iole

Me!

Fighters Going Above And Beyond For Others

Don't you hate having those weeks at work where it's just one big deadline after another? People asking you to do a million different things? Not being able to rely on your team to deliver what you ask of them? The to-do list never getting shorter?

Can you imagine going home to see your family after that grueling day for only an hour or so then going back to work again? 

Tough right? Okay now can you imagine having that kind of day and then getting in a car or on a plane to go visit soldiers or sick people in a hospital? When was the last time you volunteered for a cause of any sort?

While Zuffa has done a great, no,make that a phenomenal job at supporting the troops it's great to see fighters have the same initiative all on their own. 

Take Mike Swick for example. In my opinion, the guy is training for the biggest fight of his career. He'll face Dan Hardy at UFC 105 November 14th in England. The winner of the fight will get a title shot against Georges St Pierre. November 14th is less than one month away! Not only is he training hard (remember he has a lot of pent up energy since he wasn't able to fight at UFC 103 as planned due to an injury), he's helping his team mates train for their upcoming fights, launching a new business (look for an announcement from me soon on that) but he also just got back from visiting soldiers at Fort Huachuca in Arizona. When asked about it he said "I think success is not measured by how much you make or how famous you are. I think it's measured on how much you can influence, give back and create change in peoples lives. I want to help and influence people in the same ways I was influenced growing up. The military loves the UFC and I do everything I can to show the military that the UFC loves them right back. Every time I go to base I hear how we influence the soldiers and it baffles me because it is they who influence us. They are the real heros."  

Shane Carwin. He's set to face Brock Lesnar in a little over a month. Brock Lesnar. And having said that not only does he have his full time intense training sessions, he also helps his team mates get ready for their fights, and he's an engineer that does something fancy with hydraulics (I'm a girl I have no idea what that even means) but there are many days he'll set aside time to call an injured soldier. I can't even make time to call friends and family back after my 'job' and yet with all that is going on in his life right now (oh I forgot to mention he and his wife are also planning for their baby's arrival) he still goes above and beyond to show his admiration and respect for the soldiers.

Approximately 1.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder. Autism is seeing an annual growth of 10-17 percent. Diego Sanchez has taken interest in help raising funds for an alternative treatment known as Hyperbaric Chamber - forced oxygen, neuro-rehabilitating treatment. He took time out of his training schedule to sign autographs and meet fans at last week's Grapplers Quest in Long Beach. All proceeds from the first 150 tickets sold at the door raised $3,000 to help pay for one full month of treatment for a child.

There are many other fighters than those mentioned above that are known for supporting good causes.  

As a way of thanking the fighters for their efforts, go to their site and leave an inspiring comment, buy one of their tshirts or follow them on twitter! Let them know their efforts are appreciated. 

Follow them on Twitter!

twitter.com/officialswick

twitter.com/shanecarwin

twitter.com/diegonightmare

twitter.com/mmahotstuff

 
 

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 Predictions - FROM A GIRL'S PERSPECTIVE

Okay, I know it feels like I waited until the last minute to post my predictions (and let's be real here, I did) but I have a good reason. I didn't want people to steal my predictions for our fantasy league. Hey, it could happen.

While I thought I was super excited for UFC 101, I'm even more excited for UFC 102. The card doesn't have a title fight but it's stacked with killer match ups. Good job Joe Silva!

Where to start.. It's Friday night and I've got things to do so we'll skip around and cover the fights I'm anxious to see and the main card.

Mark Munoz vs Nick Catone: First of all, this is Mark's second fight in the UFC. If you recall his debut with the UFC was against Matt Hamill (one of my favs), where he was KNOCKED the eff OUT with a head kick early in to the first round. I think a lot of Mark and his wrestling skills. And I'm anxious to see how he does against Nick. But since this is a prediction post I'll just lay it out here. I believe Mark is going to suffer another loss. I have Nick winning by TKO in the first.

Gabriel Gonzaga vs Chris Tuchscherer Even though Gabriel is coming off a loss against Shane Carwin (hello one of the best fights of 2009 so far) he's still a skilled fighter. We all remember how he caught Shane and rocked him pretty good. A lot of people are saying this is a do or die fight for Gonzaga but I disagree. Either way, I have Gonzaga winning the fight by TKO in the first.

Here's an upset pick. Damnit I just gave it away. Ed Herman vs Aaron Simpson. While many people are going to pick Ed, and I understand why, I think Aaron is going to win his UFC debut fight. No real reason. The kid has experience from being in the WEC and he's shown his wins by KO or TKO (all in the first round but one). Impressive in my book. So there you have it. My upset pick. Aaron by TKO in the first

A CAN'T WAIT FOR THESE FIGHTS:

Brandon Vera vs Krzysztof Soszynski I actually had a hard time with this pick. I think both fighters are great. Krz has won submission of the night multiple times and has some big wins under his belt. Assuming Brandon can keep this fight standing, I'm giving him the fight by TKO in the second. 

Nate Marquardt vs Demian Maia This very well could be THE FIGHT OF THE NIGHT. Again, I've gone back and forth on this one. I've even argued with myself over it. Both fighters are some of the top middleweights in the UFC without a doubt. The thing about Demian is he hasn't been a MMA for all that long. However in his short stint he's proven his ability and then some. Currently with a record of 10-0 his style is unusual or as some people say unorthodox. He's won all of his fights (but two) via submission and has won submission of the night honors on many occasions. This is without a doubt going to be Demian's hardest fight yet. However, I have him winning by Choke in the first round.

Chris Leben vs Jake Rosholt Chris Chris Chris... being from Portland I expect the crowd to be rowdy for this fight. Recently in Jon Anik's ESPN chat, some people said Chris is a gatekeeper for the middle weight division. I think he's a good/emotional fighter but definitely NOT a gatekeeper. In my opinion, this is a must win fight for Chris. I don't mean must win as in he'll be cut from the UFC but pretty dang close. Coming off a loss from well over a year ago against Mike Bisping, and then later testing positive for steroids, Chris hasn't been in the public eye for a while now. His record isn't bad, and again he's an emotional fighter. He's fighting someone who has pretty limited MMA experience (5-1) vs Chris' record of 18-5. Because of the emotion, the home town advantage and something to prove attitude, I give this fight to Chris via quick TKO in the first.

Don't think I'm picking every fight to go by TKO! Dun Dun Dun... The Dean of Mean Keith Jardine vs Thiago Silva! I can't wait for this fight! Keith Jardine is one of those fighters I love to watch. He doesn't always win but he always gives his best. Okay that was the girl in me saying that. But it's true he's a fighter that just never (or rarely) leaves the crowd disappointed. I think Keith is going to do everything he can to ensure this doesn't go to the ground given Thiago is known for his ground and pound style. I have this one going the distance my friends. But in the end I'm giving it to Keith by Unanimous Decision. 

And the MAIN EVENT!!! Randy Couture vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - I can list all the reasons why I believe Randy will win. Never mind his age and that he's almost as old as dirt (I kid I kid), his body and mind are that of a youngin'. Did you see him at weigh-ins? The guy is ripped. If I saw him (and were single duh) at the beach I'd be like.. "damn'. He's coming focused and with a game plan. He's going to take Nogueira down but will be smart enough to stay out of his submissions. I'm giving this fight to Randy by TKO in the second.

Again, I'm really looking forward to a great night of fights. Superb card and match ups. I love MMA!

I'll be on twitter ( twitter.com/mmahotstuff ) and we'll also have an open post/chat open during the fights. Check back here later with more details.

Also, friendly reminder. If you haven't already done so MAKE YOUR UFC FANTASY PICKS! Time is running out. 19 hours left. Go to http://fantasy.ufc.com/

If you haven't decided where you're watching the fights, don't worry I'm here to help. Here's a list of bars/restaurants showing the PPV events. http://www.mmahotstuff.com/about/2009/08/ufc-102-pay-per-view-locations.html