(Pulver for UFC HOF 2011)

On this day 37 years ago, a boy named Jens Johnnie Pulver was born into a tumultuous household in Sunnyside, Washington.

Jens escaped from the violence and psychological abuse he, his sister, two brothers and mother endured daily from his namesake father who was a hard-drinking horse jockey, by dominating on the wrestling mats on weekends. It was there that his family would pretend they didn’t have a monster waiting for them back at their house and where they would escape from the sad reality that was their home life.

11 years ago this winter Pulver picked up and made the trek from California, where he had lived since moving out in his teens, to Davenport, Iowa with only a suitcase and a bag of change. He was put up by his soon-to-be manager Monte Cox when he showed up on his doorstep to ask the powerful agent to represent him. The Cox family took him in and treated him as one of their own children, while he set up shop training out of the fabled Miletich gym alongside some of Cox’s other marquee stable fighters like Matt Hughes, Tim Sylvia and the team’s leader, Pat Miletich.

Last week, we let none other than The Great Potato step in and give you guys some gambling advice for the TUF 14 Finale. He went spuds out, gambling his son Tater’s future college fund on a parlay that included Jason Miller and T.J. Dillashaw. He has since gone into hiding and refused to answer any of our calls. Now that UFC 140 is on the horizon, we bring you some saweet betting lines, courtesy of BestFightOdds, along with our advice, in order to ensure his children receive the education they deserve.

Main Card
Jon Jones (-440) vs. Lyoto Machida (+350)
Frank Mir (-250) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria (+210)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueria (-225) vs. Tito Ortiz (+175)
Brian Ebersole (-125) vs. Claude Patrick (-105)
Mark Hominick (-380) vs. Chan Sung Jung (+290)

The Main Event: The fact that Lyoto Machida is listed with a slightly better chance to beat Jones than Rampage Jackson, a.k.a the last person to beat Machida, is intriguing to say the least. We all know Lyoto has stepped up his training camp for this bout, and packed on an incredible 21 pounds of muscle to try and deal with the size and strength of Jones, but will this weight gain hinder the Dragon’s renowned elusiveness? And despite Jones’ near immortal stature among the UFC’s light heavyweight division, there is still one huge facet of his game that has yet to be tested, his chin.

(Once again, “elusive” trumps “explosive.” Lots more giffy goodness after the jump.)

Unlike our previous GIF galleries, this one will not feature any shuffling or bumping bitches out of the way. Instead, we’ve got 14 examples of Lyoto Machida in the cage doing what he does best — beating his opponents to the punch and foot-sweeping them into a living death. The question is: Will any of it work against Jon Jones at UFC 140 this Saturday?

(‘Gamebred’ uglies up KJ Noons at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum. Photo via ESPN.)

By Jonathan Shrager

Jorge Masvidal‘s MMA career has taken him to Russia, Japan, Costa Rica, and the Playboy Mansion — not bad for a guy who got his start in bare-knuckle fights in his native Miami. Now riding back-to-back victories over Billy Evangelista and KJ Noons under the Strikeforce banner, Masvidal has been honored with a lightweight title shot against Gilbert Melendez at the promotion’s upcoming card on December 17th in San Diego. We got in touch with Masvidal recently to learn more about his streetfighting pedigree, his unconventional fighter’s lifestyle, and why “The Mansion” isn’t as exciting as you’d think. Enjoy…

CAGEPOTATO.COM: I wanted to start off by discussing your streetfighting past. Was it those underground brawls that made you consider the sport of MMA as a profession?

JORGE MASVIDAL: No. Before I did the streetfighting I knew I wanted to do MMA. I knew I wanted to get paid. I didn’t want to be a streetfighting king or nothing. I wanted to fight the best in the world and get paid for my talent. I knew since I was a kid at the age of 13 or 14 that I wanted to fight. I wanted to box, but I was also in love with wrestling. I wish I could have done both, but I realized I could only be competitive in one of them. Then MMA came along and I knew that was the one. At the time I was streetfighting, there wasn’t really an amateur MMA scene. I did that when I was about 18 or 19. They asked me to do it and I was like ‘why not?’

Having been involved in something so raw as backyard brawling, you must experience relatively little fear stepping into the regulated industry of MMA?

Oh yeah, big time. In MMA, I don’t got to worry about getting stabbed, or nobody shooting at me if I beat them up. That’s a big positive. In a streetfight, anything can happen at any random moment. If someone gets upset in the crowd, or you’ve caused somebody to lose money, they can pull a knife or a gun on you. You always get an adrenaline-rush when you step into an MMA cage, but it’s nothing like the concerns you have when streetfighting, when you’re worried about avoiding weapons.

Certified hottie Corissa Furr of Fighting Famous was recently able to score an interview with the mixed martial artist formerly known as “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” Tito Ortiz, in the midst of training for his upcoming bout with Antonio Rogerio Nogueria at UFC 140. Ortiz was quick to correct Furr when introduced as such, claiming to have taken on a more positive, Sanchezian outlook on life, in order to show that “through hard work and dedication you can achieve anything in this life.” Though this kind of mentality can do wonders for the soul, be wary Tito, it can wreak havoc on one’s appearance.

Tito goes on to state that he “doesn’t even talk trash to fighters anymore.” Some of you will likely find yourself scratching your head after reading and/or hearing this statement, and rightfully so, considering the shit storm of verbal warfare Ortiz came at Rashad Evans with before his last fight in the UFC. But that was like, 4 months ago, you guys. Time has a way of changing people. So while you’re at it Tito, go ahead check the whole flinch test at the weigh-ins off that list of as well.

We’ll try and decipher the enigma-wrapped-riddle that is Ortiz’s syntax after the jump. 

(You dun goofed, son.)

A story of street justice out of Chicago today that makes Jon Jones’ bout of heroism seem like a boyscout helping an old lady across the street, claims that a “UFC champion” fended off an armed mugger and would-be carjacker on Friday.

According to various reports that originated from a police report of the incident that was released today, a 24-year-old career criminal got his just desserts when he pulled a gun on a seasoned MMA fighter and ordered him out of his vehicle after lightening his wallet.

(Props: tadasjonkus via LiverKick)

Admit it — you like to see fighters get gruesomely hung out to dry once in a while. Our knockout of the day comes to us from a kickboxing show in Trieste, Italy, over the weekend, in which Tadas Jonkus knocks out Giuseppe Patane so thoroughly that Patane sloooowly tumbles out of the ring, head-first. The sight would almost be comical, if not for the fact that his landing surely added even more brain-damage to the concussion he already suffered from that blitz of punches. Arrivederci, my dude.

Meanwhile, halfway around the world in Albuquerque, boxing champion/MMA fighter Holly Holm suffered the first knockout loss of her career, eating it in the seventh round against Anne Sophie Mathis. The good news is, she didn’t fall on her head afterwards. The bad news is, she was basically K.O.’d through the ropes twice, due to a dangerously inept referee. Take a look…

(Success: Getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to do something you’d gladly do for free. Photo via UFC.com)

It wasn’t enough that Michael Bisping scored a mouth-shutting TKO victory over Jason Miller at the TUF 14 Finale, in which he out-struck Mayhem 150-38. Bisping also had the pleasure of earning nearly ten times as much cash as his rival. MMA Junkie released the salary list from Saturday’s TUF 14 Finale, which shows that the Count’s paycheck ate up 49% of the card’s $868,000 payroll (including disclosed bonuses). The numbers are below. According to our sources, Marcus Brimage already spent his sixteen grand on revolting sex acts.

Michael Bisping: $425,000 (includes $150,000 win bonus)
def. Jason “Mayhem” Miller: $45,000

Diego Brandao: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Dennis Bermudez: $8,000

(“Well old sport, I look forward to matching skills with you in the chain link-enclosed competition area.”)

According to a report from the Apple Valley Patch, Brett Rogers could land himself back in the clink if he breaches any one of his several probation requirements when he is released from jail later this month.

Most notably, “Da Grim” is forbidden from participating in “assaultive or intimidating behavior toward anyone,” which means that telling his upcoming DREAM opponent Tim Sylvia that he was going to “hurt, maim, or kill” him would be contrary to the terms of his release.

By Mike Russell

We caught up with Carlos Newton briefly over the weekend in Toronto at the MMA Expo and the former UFC welterweight champion surprised us with the news that he has retired.

“I’m retired,” Newton explained. “The sport just isn’t as competitive as it used to be.”

Instead of focusing on preparing to fight inside the cage, “The Ronin” says he has turned his focus on fighting for proper regulation by the people who officiate both inside and outside of it.

“I’m just concentrating on helping to improve the regulation of the sport and I’m looking into becoming a judge. I think that as fighters we have a lot more knowledge and insight into the intricacies of what’s going on in a fight than someone who has never competed. MMA judging needs fixing and I’m hoping I can help do it.”

After carefully analyzing the 150+ entries from last week’s Fear Factor contest, we’re ready to crown our latest Caption Contest Champion. But first, some honorable mentions…

Fried Taco: And that is how you clean up spilled ice.

J. Spaceman: ”You may be wondering why we’ve brought you to Stockton, CA. For your first stunt, you will be interviewing Nick Diaz. I understand if you want to drop out now.”

curlyroger: What happens after Steven Seagal teaches you how to light your fart.

wiv-honors: Evidently, avoiding ridiculous movie cliches is not a factor for Joe Rogan.

LOKI: Joe desperately tried to heed the advice of Lot, Oasis and Ace of Base.

Like a Bas: “Man, I hate that huge fireball guy. He’s such a douche, always setting fire to mountains and shit! Who does he think he is, what an assho…he’s behind me, isn’t he?”

Without further ado, your winners…

(Props: oneness2004. Fight begins at the 2:40 mark.)

On Friday night, undefeated MMA fighter and CagePotato film critic Nick Newell increased his pro record to 6-0, picking up yet another first-round stoppage at XFC 15 in Tampa, Florida. Nick was the aggressor early, slugging opponent Denis Hernandez to the fence and taking him down with relative ease. From there, he softened up Hernandez with ground-and-pound before dropping back into a heel-hook. It’s as surprising as it is painful, and Hernandez is forced to tap. Newell’s attempt at an off-the-cage victory somersault is somewhat less successful, but overall, it’s a great showing from our homeboy. Congrats, Nick.

After the jump: Full results from XFC 15, plus another sick submission from the Ryan Thomas vs. John Kolosci bout.

Tebowing: None of you are doing it right.

Another season of The Ultimate Fighter has come and gone, and we’re not certain what the future holds for it. The entire format of the show we knew and loved, then decided to ignore for a while, then were all like “Dude there’s no way Kimbo gets past Roy Nelson”, then went back to ignoring it when we were proven right, then decided “Well maybe Mayhem will be fun to watch” is about to change yet again. Raise your hand if you got lost during that last sentence.

If there’s one thing we understand at Cage Potato, it’s consistency. No matter how much the show changes, we’ll be around to give you our opinions on what to do with the finale’s biggest names. So let’s get to it, shall we?

Michael Bisping: Since losing to Wanderlei Silva back at UFC 110, Michael Bisping has gone 4-0 and established himself as a Top Ten Middleweight. Or at least that’s what I keep hearing, even though the guys he’s defeated in that time period have been on the lower to middle end of the middleweight division. In his post fight-interview with Ariel Helwani, Bisping hinted that his next fight has already been booked, and it’s against someone he hasn’t fought before. A fight against Alan Belcher makes sense, and should establish the winner as a legitimate contender in the middleweight division. Don’t act too surprised if the UFC uses Bisping as a litmus test for 7-0 (3-0 UFC) prospect Chris Weidman, either.

(“For my next trick, I’m going to saw these women in half, then bury them in my backyard and steal their disability checks.” / Photo via Zimbio)

While Michael Bisping’s dominant win over Jason Miller this weekend put the Count even deeper “in the mix” at middleweight, he still won’t be next in line for a title shot. The UFC confirmed yesterday afternoon that despite conflicting reports, Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz will indeed be facing off at UFC on FOX 2 (January 28th, Chicago), with the winner earning a shot at Anderson Silva’s coveted 185-pound belt.

(Aw man, he’s a Mormon? We just assumed he was a *normal* insane Christian, like Diego Sanchez. / Props: MMAJunkie)

From what we hear, Brazilian real estate is a buyer’s market right now. That’s good news for Diego Brandao, who earned enough bonus money last night to get his beloved mother a decent ranch house near all the good favelas. The UFC handed out $40,000 performance bonuses to the following TUF 14 Finale competitors:

Fight of the Night: Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez for their dramatic one-rounder, in which odds-on favorite Brandao started strong, then nearly got TKO’d, then pulled an armbar directly out of his ass with nine seconds left in the round.

Knockout of the Night: John Dodson, for generating an incredible amount of torque from that tiny body and smashing TJ Dillashaw in under two minutes.

Submission of the Night: Diego Brandao again, for armbarring victory out of the jaws of defeat.

And as we mentioned in yesterday’s liveblog, $25,000 “Best of the Season” bonuses were also awarded to these TUF 14 Finale competitors…

(“You maaaad, you maaaaad, you maaaaad!” Photo via MMAMania)

Tonight, TUF as we know it comes to an end. Before us lies a shadowy, uncertain world of live fights aired on F/X on Friday nights and international spin-offs. But no matter what comes next, you can feel secure in the fact that we’ll still be complaining about the show just as much as we always have, because we know no other way to live.

Welcome, friends, to our liveblog of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller Finale. On the menu this evening — Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez battle to decide the first featherweight TUF winner in UFC history, while John Dodson and TJ Dillashaw do the same for the bantamweights. Plus, heavy-handed TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson steps up against seasoned vet Yves Edwards, and in the main event, Michael Bisping looks to remove the smirk off the face of his latest rival, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who will be making his first Octagon appearance in over six years.

Round-by-round results from the TUF 14 Finale main card on Spike TV will be piling up after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.

(Props: Heavy via Cagewriter. / Bisping addresses his supporters at the 5:50 mark. )

At yesterday’s weigh-ins for the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, Michael Bisping did nothing to support his claims that there’s a somewhat decent person hiding underneath that bristly persona. The UFC middleweight contender missed weight by a quarter-pound — which he shed later — inviting boos from the crowd at the Palms in Las Vegas. After his opponent Jason Miller goaded the crowd further, telling them to “boo this man,” Bisping took the mic:

“I could give a fuck about getting fucking love. All I care about is smashing this dickhead’s head in. Tomorrow night, that’s gonna happen. Fuck you all.”

Our liveblog of the Spike TV main card kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. Check out the full weigh-in results from the TUF 14 Finale after the jump…

(Video courtesy of YouTube/LesnarMMA)

- The Muppets “Mahna Mahna” Came from a 60s Italian Porno (FilmDrunk)

- The Complete History of Athletes Posing for Playboy (Complex)

- Work Out Like Ben Askren (MuscleProdigy)

- TUF Origins Part One (SI)

- Kelly Brook Has a New Calendar and It’s Totally Sports-Related (WithLeather)

- TUF 14 Finalist John Dodson Delivers KOs With a Smile (Clutch.MTV)

- Your Phone Company is Tracking Everything You’ve Been Doing (AskMen)

- How to Handle a Break-Up if You’re a Friend Caught in Between (TheRugged)

- The 5 Worst Latin Dictators of the 20th Century (TuVez)

- 9 Types of Drunk People and Which One You May Be (Guyism)

- 7 Motion Capture Performances Worthy of a Razzie  (ScreenJunkies)

- Surprisingly Delicious Thanksgiving Leftovers (MadeMan)

- Chael Sounds Off On Anderson (BleacherReport)

- Desperate Ways to Make Money for the Holidays (HolyTaco)

- Eight Released in UFC’s Latest Round of Cuts (FightersOnly)

- Anderson Silva: Nothing to Say About Chael Sonnen (LowKick)

- Victim” Raider’s McClain Put a Gun to My Head (ScoresReport)

(Video courtesy of YouTube/WhatsOnVideos)

Typically you don’t many instances that demonstrate the effectiveness of Taekwondo in combat sports.

Sure, guys like Anthony Pettis and David Loiseau (back in the day) have shown just how flashy and exciting the art can be, but as far as knockouts go, Muay Thai has become the weapon of choice for most fighters who want to finish opponents like Anderson Silva did Rich Franklin.

This kickboxing competition video out of Japan flipped that theory on its head in a matter of seconds when the Taekwondo dude immediately ran out to the center of the ring and spin-kicked the muay thai stylist into dreamland.

(Props: MMAFighting)

Despite Jason Miller‘s basic-cable cred, Michael Bisping will be the biggest UFC star to compete at the TUF 14 Finale on Saturday night. He’s also one of the biggest villains on the UFC roster — a fighter who fans love to hate. To some extent, you can blame that on reality show editing, which Bisping in fact does, starting at the 10:18 mark of this video interview. But he’s also been responsible for some real-life behavior that’s just nasty and wrong. Like Josh Koscheck, the villain persona that has been hoisted on Bisping seems to be an exaggerated version of what’s already there.

In this 20-minute pre-fight chat, Ariel Helwani gets the Count’s thoughts on his fight with Mayhem Miller, and attempts to reconcile Michael Bisping the bully character with Michael Bisping the human being. Here’s a cheat sheet…

(When The Walking Dead didn’t call him back, Quarry knew he was bound for the UFC once again.) 

Nate Quarry has always been a charismatic guy; not only was he the first fighter ever to ink a sponsorship with a basketball shoe company, but anyone who’s ever seen his epic clowning of Kalib Starnes and post-fight speech thereafter knows the man has character in spades. More aware of this than anyone is Quarry himself, who recently began angling for a UFC commentating job on the popular mixed martial arts forum The UG:

I want to be an on-air personality for the UFC. There I said it … My qualifications? Well, I’ve been a fighter for the past 14 years. I’ve trained with some of the legends of the sport and even cornered them for some of the greatest fights in UFC history. I was there when the UFC went from 5 shows a year to being in every home in America. And, I know my ish. Plus, I’ve been a public speaker since I was 7 years old, standing up in Church and giving Bible readings. Last year I spoke at a TEDx conference where it was me, a mike and 300 business people for 18 minutes. And now I travel around the country speaking on behalf of my XLIF back surgery that game me my life back. Not to mention I hosted my own tv show on Comcast called American Cage Fighter. It was only broadcast in Nor Cal but was really well received and replayed every day of the week. Do I have your support?

Simply put, yes Mr. Quarry.

(Judging by this uncanny drawing, I guess it’s safe to say Luke Cummo hasn’t made much of a life for himself outside the Octagon)

While browsing through the morning newspaper a couple of weeks ago, I came across a story about a man who attacked a disabled woman in a park in Tacoma and the composite sketch looked strikingly like someone I’d seen before. I just couldn’t place the face.

After a few moments, it dawned on me: It was Ben Fowlkes. I’d recognize that dead stare anywhere.

(Believe me when I tell you that I take each and every fight with 100% seriousness.)

On the heels of his second round Fight of the Night earning performance over John Olav Einemo at UFC 131, Dave Herman had a bit of momentum going for him. The Team Quest boldly claimed that “Jiu Jitsu doesn’t work” and then proceeded to handily defeat an ADCC champion in his UFC debut. But Herman’s hype train was nearly derailed in September, when he tested positive for marijuana and steroids in the aftermath of his aforementioned win over Einemo. The details surrounding his testing were sketchy to say the least, but in light of the circumstances he was pulled out of his UFC 136 bout with Mike Russow nonetheless. Well it seems “Peewee’s” pee is now clean, as he has been booked for a fight with Dutch submission specialist Stefan Struve for the UFC’s debut on FuelTV this February.

(Unlicensed plastic surgery: It rarely works out the way you want it to.)

As we mentioned yesterday, Strikeforce is clinging on to life despite the fact that their biggest stars have either been poached or are on hiatus from fighting, and their championship belts now have less legitimacy than that chick’s doo-doo back tattoo. So how sketchy have things gotten over there? This sketchy:

Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is slated to defend his belt against former UFC veteran Keith Jardine on Jan. 7, MMA Fighting has confirmed with sources close to the fight. The title fight is expected to headline the organization’s first event at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino…Rockhold was expected to meet Tim Kennedy in his first title defense, but according to sources, Kennedy couldn’t commit to the fight due to an undisclosed injury.

(Brandao vs. Casteel @ Evolution 1, 10/30/10. Fight begins at the 1:58 mark and ends 40 seconds later. The ref is kind of a dick afterwards. Props: landsharkian)

As Johnny Bedford observed on Wednesday, TUF 14 featherweight finalist Diego Brandao is not unbeatable; in fact, he entered the reality show with a journeyman’s record of 13-7. But when he’s on his game, he’s as dangerous a fighter as you’ll ever see. Here’s a video from Brandao’s pre-UFC career, in which he starches Michael Casteel with a counter right hook within the first minute of their fight. It’s that kind of power that could give Dennis Bermudez serious headaches when they meet up at the finale show tomorrow night in Las Vegas. Was Michael Bisping right to predict future UFC stardom for the Madman from Manaus?

(“How much will you gimme fo this crown? What about if I throw in the gloves?.” PicProps: Sherdog)

TATAME recently caught up with Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal while he was in Belem, Brazil helping former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida prepare for his upcoming UFC 140 championship bout with Jon Jones and according to the former Strikeforce 205-pound champ, he still has at least one fight scheduled under the SF banner.

If he could choose his opponent for the card, he says it would be the man who handed him his sole loss.

“I wanna fight [Rafael 'Feijao' Cavalcante] again because now I’m healthier. Before, when I fought him I had no meniscus, I had no stability on my knees. I fought him, I was winning, he caught me with a knee, and then that’s it, and elbows. But now, I’m ready,” Mo says. “[I'd fight him] he same. Because now I’m not injured, I can use both legs. Last time, only one leg. This time, two legs.Hopefully [I'm fighting him in January]. I heard he’s hurt, but we’ll see.”

As far as his future with Strikeforce goes, Lawal says he isn’t wasting time thinking about all of the “what ifs,” because as he puts it, whatever happens is going to happen and worrying won’t do anything to change it.

By the end of this gallery, you’ll remember why you either love or hate this guy. Lots more Mayhem after the jump.

How appropriate is it that a man nicknamed “The Predator” would referee a match-up of giant, pedophillic mustaches?

By Mike Russell

One of Canadian MMA’s best kept secrets got an early birthday present this week.

CagePotato has confirmed with sources close to the situation that highly-touted Kingston, Ontario native Cory MacDonald signed with Bellator yesterday and will compete as a middleweight under the Viacom-owned promotion’s banner.

MacDonald (12-2), who turned 34 today, could see action as part of next season’s middleweight tournament.

Having competed primarily at 170 for the majority of his eight-year MMA career, at 6-foot MacDonald was one of the class’ largest competitors. He has been contemplating a move up in weight for a while due to a lack of opponents willing to face him north of the border. It now looks like the move won’t just be a temporary one and that 12-2 former welterweight, who is undefeated in his past seven bouts spanning back to 2007, will finally get his chance to make a name for himself internationally.

(Props: UFC via CesarGracieJewJitsu)

As if the mutants at the ‘UFC on FOX’ press conference in Los Angeles weren’t scary enough, last month’s UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida presser at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto proved to be another example of why the fan-question portion of these things should probably be eliminated. First of all, it’s Keith Kizer, not Steve Kizer. And whether Kizer and Steve Mazzagatti are lovers is really nobody’s business except their own.

The next fan asks Dana if Jon Jones would be getting a superfight with Anderson Silva after he gets through Lyoto Machida — while Machida is right there in the room with him. Christ, just because Lyoto doesn’t speak English that well doesn’t mean he can’t hear it. Closing out the segment, the third question is about Steven Seagal, and the last one is a guy begging for an internship. And you know there was some goof in line for the mic who went home pissed off because he couldn’t ask Dana who he thought would win in a fight between Alistair Overeem and Grand Gigas Malus. Step it up, guys.

Previously: “I got every UFC fanboy’s wet dream here, the only thing that would make it better would be sitting in your lap right now.”