10 Struggling MMA Fighters That Will Bounce Back

January, 2012

Nick Nolte Snags Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination for ‘Warrior’


(If Jonah Hill wins this thing, everyone else nominated needs to retire immediately. No, seriously.)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for this year’s Academy Awards and it looks like the early Oscar buzz Nick Nolte was getting had its merit. Nolte was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in “Warrior.” In the film, the 70-year-old multiple-time Oscar and Golden Globe nominee played Paddy Conlon, a former alcoholic, boxer, and estranged father of the movie’s two brother protagonists.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (24) DIGG THIS

Video: UFC on FOX 2 Danavlog (Episode One)

We have really grown to appreciate the behind-the-scenes direction these Danavlogs have begun to take over the past few months. The simple, objective look at these fighters in either their finest hour or their most vulnerable says more than any Hollywood film ever could, and transcends even that of the sport in its ability to make us empathize with the highs and lows of life as a professional athlete.

One facet of the fight game that becomes glaringly evident in today’s episode is the fact that a fighter rarely walks away from a battle unscathed, win or lose. Take Mike Easton for instance, who suffered a slightly torn left hand ligament in his majority decision victory over Jared Papazian. Or Melvin Guillard, who, despite throwing more flying knees than actual punches, has possibly added a TFCC tear to the list of chronic injuries in his hand. Needless to say, if you fear going under the knife, then a fighter’s life is not for you.

Anyway, join us after the jump for some highlights.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (31) DIGG THIS

Carlo Prater Blasts ‘Unethical’ Joe Rogan for His Criticism of Mario Yamasaki at UFC 142


(“What is…a donkey punch?”)

Joe Rogan has never been one to hide his opinions. Whether it’s an early stoppage, a late stoppage, or a botched judges’ decision, many UFC fights have ended with Rogan passionately expressing his disagreement. But at UFC 142 earlier this month, Rogan went even further and corralled referee Mario Yamasaki for an unscheduled post-fight interview, asking Yamasaki to justify his disqualification of Erick Silva for shots to the back of the head. It was an uncomfortable moment, but as Rogan explained, he felt it was his duty to ask the questions that the viewers might have at that moment.

One notable fighter has come forward to stand up for Yamasaki — Carlo Prater, the guy who actually took the alleged illegal shots from Silva that night. As Prater sees it, his perspective and Yamasaki’s perspective hold a lot more weight than Joe Rogan’s, who’s just a “swagger,” in his opinion. (Continue reading for a definition of “swagger” as used in this context. It might not be what you think.) Here’s what Prater told SportTV.com in a new interview:

Read More ADD COMMENTS (299) DIGG THIS

Gegard Mousasi vs. Mike Kyle Added to March 3 ‘Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey’ Card

A light heavyweight tilt between former Strikeforce 205-pound kingpin Gegard Mousasi and controversial American Kickboxing Academy fighter Mike Kyle has been added to Strikeforce’s March 3 “Tate vs. Rousey” event in Columbus, Ohio.

Kyle revealed the news today via Twitter.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (213) DIGG THIS

Ladies and Gentlemen (Specifically Ladies), Prepare Yourselves for Pink Fight MMA


(Sorry Cyborg, you can’t come.) 

Many of you are likely familiar with a Brazilian based promotion called Jungle Fight; through it we have witnessed Jose Aldo’s only professional loss, Machida vs. Bonnar, and the humble beginnings of such fighters as Paulo Thiago, Thales Leites, and Ronaldo Souza. Created and currently run by former fighter Wallid Ismail, Jungle Fight has grown to become a regular feature of ESPN Deportes, and will be looking to branch out into the world of women’s mixed martial arts when it debuts an all woman promotion, audaciously labeled Pink Fight MMA, on January 29th.

That’s right. Pink Fight MMA.

The card will feature six fights and is headlined by a 125 pound clash between 4-2 Shooto veteran Maria Elisabete “Beth” Tavares and 2-3-1 muay Thai striker Kalindra Carvalho Faria. The affair will transpire at the Descobrimento Cultural Event Center in Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil. Ismail released a statement on the promotion’s big debut, declaring that, “I’m sure that Pink Fight will reveal new talents and encourage other women to become professional fighters.” Truly a man of his word, Pink Fight’s official website has already begun accepting applications, so if you have a little sister in need of a disciplinary lesson that simply cannot be taught in the household, sign them up today.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (530) DIGG THIS

Bobby Lashley’s Next MMA Opponent Could Be Either Fedor Emelianenko (Seriously) or Dave Bautista (Seriously)


(“Ha ha ha. But seriously, though? OJ did that shit.”)

After going 2-0 last year following his upset loss to Chad Griggs in Strikeforce, Bobby Lashley is still moving forward with his cage-fighting career. In fact, the former WWE star is weighing some very attractive options right now. One possible scenario is a contract with Bellator, whose heavyweight division is desperate for some star power. And then there’s this (via FightersOnly):

Lashley also spoke about the possibility of a fight with the legendary Fedor Emelianenko. “The guy’s got a tremendous amount of fights under his belt… I’d like to fight him.”

According to Lashley, Fedor’s managers are currently looking for the Russian MMA veteran’s next opponent, and his name is on the list of potential matchups. “I’m going to throw everything at him that I can. Of course, my wrestling’s there, I don’t give a damn what he’s doing. I’d put my wrestling up there with almost anyone right now.”

Read More ADD COMMENTS (154) DIGG THIS

King Mo’ Pinpoints FDA Banned ‘Supplement’ As the Cause of Positive Drug Test


(“This? This is Crystal Pepsi. I saved a case from when I was a kid.”)

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal was on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani today and he (sort of) came clean about what the cause of his positive drug test was.

According to Lawal, he was taking a supplement called “S-Mass,” which contains the active ingredient 4-Chloro-17a-Methyl-a-andro4-ene3 – a methylated form of the steroid he tested positive for following his win over Lorenz Larkin earlier this month at the Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine event in Las Vegas.

The supplement, which was also sold by other companies under the names “Superdrol” and “Halodrol-50″ among others,  is well known in bodybuilding circles as a “designer steroid” as it tok a while for the government to realize what the compound was. The problem is, the supplement isn’t readily available in your typical GNC, so either Mo had some lying around the house since it was pulled from the shelves a five years ago following an FDA ban, or he ordered the pills from a shady internet site that sells banned supplements. Either that or the supplement was simply an excuse that was a step up from saying, “Yeah, I took steroids, but I screwed up my cycle and got caught.” The difference is, taking the latter approach wouldn’t allow you to barter for a lesser suspension like ignorance does.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (18) DIGG THIS

GIF of the Year Candidate: Kaleo Gambill Enjoys an Involuntary Post-Fight Beat-Off


(Props: MiddleEasy via FrontRowBrian)

For the 97% of you who completely skipped over our helpful Pro Elite 3 recap yesterday, let us boil it down for you: Minowaman was unable to leglock Kendall Grove, and Kaleo Gambill made the international symbol for masturbation after getting knocked out by Brent Schermerhorn. A GIF of that second thing is above.

Watch as Gambill eats a lights-out left hook, then reverts to pure muscle-memory, his arm and hand instinctively doing what they usually do when he’s in that position. As long as he’s not breaking the universal rules of the jerk-off gesture, we see absolutely no problem with this.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (217) DIGG THIS

Diaz and Butt-Head: I Pulled the Fire Alarm [Video]


(Now THAT’S an MTV show I would watch.)

Usually when I hear Nick Diaz talk, I think of Rain Man — a savant in the cage, who doesn’t  do well in social situations. Think about it. Diaz could have been dropped in the movie with Tom Cruise without a script and given what everyone (except those of us have seen his interviews) would consider an Oscar-worthy performance.

Apparently Nick could also fit in well with a blathering fool.

Check out the video after the jump.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (19) DIGG THIS

Carano Watch: “Haywire” Fizzles, Nets Only $9 Million in Opening Weekend


(Kung Fu Panda, seen here at the Haywire premier. Just kidding Gina, you know we love you. Seriously, we fucking love you.) 

You see, Potato Nation? This is why we can’t have nice things. Continuing the decades-old trend of movie going audiences and critics having the exact opposite opinion of what correlates a decent film, the Gina Carano starring, Steven Soderbergh directed action thriller Haywire opened with a measly 9 million dollars. This, in a weekend that saw Underworld: Rise and Fall of Vamipirous Werewolves 3:The Awakening’s Resolution take in over 25 million and Marky Mark Action Movie #346 take in over 12 million.

Now, it is a well known fact that most movie studios save their biggest cinematic turds for January (this is the month that brought us Season of the Witch, people), but this has to be a disheartening, if not foreboding sign to Gina Carano 2.0, or whatever we refer to her as now that she isn’t actually fighting MMA anymore. Is it too early to write her off? Of course; that moment will come after one of us manages to get off our lazy asses and check out the movie. Shit, I still haven’t seen Warrior, and I watch a disturbing amount of movies.

As you’ve already heard, the critics thus far have praised Haywire for its stripped down feel and intense pace, scoring it an 82% on the Tomatometer. Audiences, on the other hand, have unanimously trounced Haywire, giving it a D+ on Cinemascore. These are the same audiences, mind you, that gave Transformers: Baygasm an A.

[*Pours first glass of scotch for the day.*] 

Read More ADD COMMENTS (271) DIGG THIS

Jon Jones Brutally Kicks Child in ‘UFC on FOX’ Commercial During Giants/49ers Game [VIDEO]

During halftime of yesterday’s NFC Championship game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco Fail Machines, viewers were treated to a UFC on FOX promo that was…kind of odd, actually. Light-heavyweight champion/part-time model Jon Jones is set up as a relatable nice-guy, then kicks his own child into the stratosphere. Jones catches the falling kid, and two nearby moms express their barely-conceled lust for him. And that’s about it.

General strangeness aside, the commercial doesn’t actually show any UFC footage — more evidence of FOX’s gun-shy attitude toward the sport, maybe? — and doesn’t feature any of the fighters competing in next week’s UFC on FOX: Evans vs Davis event. (Rashad Evans probably punched another hole through his wall after seeing this.) I wonder how many football fans watched the commercial in a loud sports bar and thought, “Hey, there’s a new Old Spice guy. Alright.”

Read More ADD COMMENTS (348) DIGG THIS

[UPDATED] And Now They’re Banned: All Gun, Ammo, Knife, and Hunting Sponsors


(Molon Labe)

By Jason Moles

(First off, let me just tell you that I fought the urge to use a “Business as usual” headline. You’re welcome.)

News trickled down last week that Zuffa has instituted a sponsorship ban on all firearm, ammo, hunting, and knife companies. Essentially, no more Matt Hughes. Starting January 23rd, Ammo To Go and The Gun Store, among others, will no longer be able to sponsor fighters. When contacted by CagePotato in hopes to better understand the reasoning behind the less than popular decision, the UFC said only that “These are rules set in place by Fox” — who declined to comment.

Not satisfied with that answer, I called up the man himself. And by “called up,” I mean tweeted. And by “the man himself,” I meant Dana White – not Sheik Tahnoon. His answer only raised more questions, primarily why doesn’t the UFC President know that some of his fighters will soon receive one less paycheck courtesy of FOX? Talk about bad timing, too. Wasn’t it just a week ago that Lorenzo Fertita was touting to ESPN the significant amount of money to be made in sponsorships?

Read More ADD COMMENTS (447) DIGG THIS

UFC.com Hacked By Cyber Nazis

(Screen Cap of UFC.com)

It looks like ESPN and the FTC aren’t the only entities with the UFC in their crosshairs. Sometime around 5pm EST the UFC homepage was taken over by a group identifying themselves as the “Underground Nazi H4ck3rGr0up”. The splash page featured a bizarre anime-style sketch of Adolf Hitler with the names of the guilty parties. Streaming in the background was some song so god awful that even Shazam refused to identify it.. The site is still hijacked as of the posting of this story.

The hack is likely to be in retaliation for UFC Executive VP Lawrence Epstein’s interview with the LVRJ in support of SOPA.

Previously: In Case You Missed It: Strikeforce’s Announcement of Fedor to the UFC Was A Hoax Posted By Hackers

Read More ADD COMMENTS (290) DIGG THIS

‘ProElite 3: Grove vs. Minowa’: Simply Put, It Was an Improvement


Brent Schermerhorn vs. Kaleo Gambill, the lone knockout from the main card. All videos props to IronForgesIron.com

When we last checked in on ProElite, the promotion was in the midst of a heavyweight grand prix that had the announcer for the evening tweeting mid-bout that he was falling asleep. Mix in unimpressive victories for Tim Sylvia and Andre Arlovski, and a disappointing performance from Reagan Penn, and the phrase “rock bottom” comes to mind. Things could have gotten more boring, sure. But if they did, we wouldn’t waste time telling you about it.

Needless to say ProElite’s third installment, which took place last night in Hawaii, was a step in the right direction. While the main event and co-main event were nothing to write home about, the card saw some entertaining fights and quick finishes.

In the evening’s main event, Minowa started out strong, landing leg kicks against Kendall Grove and securing a takedown at the end of the round. However, Grove was able to find his range by the second round, and outpointed Minowa en route to a unanimous decision. We don’t know how much time Minowa spent training against a person sitting on someone else’s shoulders poking at him with sticks in preparation for his American debut, but our guess is “not enough”.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (58) DIGG THIS

Bas Rutten Predicts Dos Santos Will Shatter Overeem’s “Glass Jaw”

“I’ll be leaving with all of the women from rows K-M, and there’s nothing you chumps can do to stop me.” (Pic: FirstPost.com)

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and MMA personality extraordinaire Bas Rutten joined venerated lady’s man Bruce Buffer on Sherdog Radio this week to run down a variety of topics, most interestingly his take on the pending heavyweight tilt between Champion Junior Dos Santos and challenger Alistair Overeem.

Rutten says that he previously advised his fellow Dutchmen at Golden Glory to avoid “Cigano” at all costs. Overeem punched (and kicked) his ticket to the title bout by tearing Brock Lesnar apart “piece by piece” at UFC 141. Despite that stellar performance, Bas doesn’t give Overeem much of a chance against the champ.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (48) DIGG THIS

Video: ‘UFC Primetime–Diaz vs Condit’ Episode 1

(Video courtesy of Zombie Prophet)

Before the dust had even settled from the organization’s debut on FX, the push began for UFC 143‘s headliner. The battle for the interim Welterweight belt is getting the full “Primetime” treatment with an in depth, behind-the-scenes look at Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. If you were too busy to catch the first installment of the series, bully for you. We’ve got the video above and some notes after the jump for the soft-headed.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (405) DIGG THIS

And Now He’s Retired: Jorge Rivera


A likeable person who retired from MMA is now seen with a baseball bat? It’s like a photo negative of Jose Canseco!

Far too often, an athlete will stick around past his or her prime, clinging to the idea that he or she can still dominate if given the opportunity. While this isn’t exclusive to mixed martial arts by any means, it’s especially notable in the sport. Fighters are practically bred to believe that when they’re losing, it’s just because they’re in a rut, and when they snap the losing streak, it’s a sign that things are going right for them again. Our acceptance, and often encouragement, of this idea only makes it easier for the fighters themselves to accept it. The end result is usually cringing after watching an older, slower fighter suffer yet another vicious knockout in a half empty arena known for housing a minor league sports team.

Fortunately, Jorge Rivera knows his limits as an athlete, and has officially retired from our sport. He first announced his intention to retire, regardless of the outcome of his fight with Eric “Red” Shafer, on Friday’s edition of MMAJunkie.com radio. After punching out Shafer in the second round of their undercard tilt last night, Rivera made the move official to announcer Jon Anik.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (19) DIGG THIS

‘UFC on FX: Guillard vs Miller’ GIF Party: The Finishes & Other Highlights

Guillard choking, in every sense of the word. (Photo: UFC.com)

While the ‘UFC on FX’ debut may have lacked the big names of UFC 142, the fights themselves packed just as much fire-power. For the second straight week, six fighters were able to put away their opponent and double their earnings in less than a round. Punches, chokes, and a torrent of brutal hellbows were all used to send grown men into la-la land, and we’ve got the GIF’s to prove it.

(Thanks to Zombie Prophet for the GIFs)

Read More ADD COMMENTS (330) DIGG THIS

‘UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller’ Aftermath: Bringing Back the Ban


Barry didn’t check on Morecraft, but it’s safe to say he got some fans. Props: UFC.com

Overall, the UFC’s fourth biggest debut on a television network, which showcased two of the best lightweights coming off of losses and the organization’s second best announcing team, was as successful as it could have been. Sure, there were some long pauses in between the fights, but that’s to be expected when you draw out 60 minutes of actual fighting into a five hour television broadcast. The rattling punches and tapping hands that signaled an early end to many of last night’s fights kept a perfect rhythm with a drum we’ve been beating on CagePotato for quite some time now: The key to victory in mixed martial arts is evolution, not regression. If a fighter wants to stay relevant- or even employed- within the UFC, he needs to develop himself into the most complete fighter he can.

For an example of this, look no further than Melvin Guillard. Both fans and pundits were calling his performance “Vintage Melvin” while the dynamic striker aggressively pursued Jim Miller, arguably coming closer to knocking out the submission specialist than anyone else has. However, after one flying knee attempt too many saw Miller putting Guillard on his back, “Vintage Melvin” demonstrated the same ground game that has always been his kryptonite. An impatient Melvin Guillard did everything he could to get back to his feet, which resulted in Jim Miller taking his back and sinking in the fight ending choke. “The Young Assassin” is now 10-6 in the UFC, with all of his losses coming by submission. While permanently relegating Guillard to the undercards may be a bit drastic, it’s obvious that Guillard will never be a contender unless he fixes those holes in his ground game- something far easier said than done at this point in his career.

Jim Miller did exactly what we knew he needed to do to win. He weathered the storm against Guillard’s attack, he was persistent with his takedown attempts and he kept the fight on the ground once it went there. While a quick submission wasn’t exactly unexpected, it was still impressive enough to earn him Submission of the Night honors.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (48) DIGG THIS

‘UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller’ — Live Results + Commentary


(Is that who we think it is? No wonder Guillard always chose “Thong Song” as his walkout music.) 

Tonight marks the UFC’s fourth biggest debut on a television network, so how appropriate is it that I, CagePotato’s fourth or fifth best writer, would be assigned to such an…assignment? Damn it, I really had something for that. Anyway, both Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller will be looking to rebound from tough losses and reestablish themselves amongst the UFC’s ever-growing 155 lb. division in tonight’s main event. Elsewhere on the card, Pat Barry and Christian Morecraft will likely be fighting for their jobs, and Jorge Rivera is calling it a career regardless of how his battle with Eric Schafer goes. Everyone raise your glass of Dos Equis in his honor.

So whether you’re watching the fights from your local watering hole or the privacy of your two story, five bedroom & three bathroom brownstone in the sky, join me, Jared Jones, as I recap the action round by round starting at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT, all whilst trying to find the perfect balance between Maker’s Mark, Yellow Tail, and Pabst Blue Ribbon. Allow me to preemptively apologize for any grammatical errors, delayed updates, and possibly racist, anti-semitic, or chauvinistic remarks that may or may not find their way onto this liveblog as a result. LETS DO THIS!!!

Read More ADD COMMENTS (71) DIGG THIS

Friday Afternoon Link Dump

Video: Sonnen Says
(Video courtesy of MSN/Fox)

- The 30 Funniest Moments In Cross-Dressing History (WorldWideInterweb)

- Our Bros at BREAK Are Giving Away Cold Hard Cash (BREAK)

- We Tumblforya: Modified Youth (Stewed, Screwed and Tattoed) (Complex)

- In Honor Of Double-Vagina-ed Hazel, Here Are Our 7 Favorite Film Mutants (ScreenJunkies)

- LOL Clip Of The Day: Unintelligible English (TuVez)

- 10 Video Games to Look Out for in 2012 (Guyism)

- Signs You Have a Cheating Wife (AskMen)

- Beavis and Butt-Head Sculptures Are So Lifelike, So Horrifying (Clutch.MTV)

- Resident Evil: Retribution Trailer (TheRugged)

- Woman With Two Vaginas Rejects Offer for $1 million to Do Porn (FilmDrunk)

- Kobe’s Wife Gets $75 million in Divorce Settlement (TerezOwens)

- Newt Gingrich Just Showed Up At Our Swingers Party (HolyTaco)

- Vitor Denies Giving Brazilian Reporter Incendiary Quotes About Wanderlei (FightersOnly)

- 25 Fighters Who Held On Too Long (BleacherReport)

Read More ADD COMMENTS (8) DIGG THIS

Make Sure You Aren’t Eating When You Check Out What the Surgeon Took Out of Mark Munoz’s Elbow


(“So that’s where all of my remote controls went.”)

Mark Munoz underwent surgery yesterday to repair damage he thought he sustained in training for his upcoming UFC on Fox 2 fight with Chael Sonnen, but it turned out the pain he was feeling in his elbow was caused by a combination of bone spurs on and bone chips he’s had floating around in the joint for a while. Munoz’s surgeon removed a total of 24 combined spurs and chips. Luckily for all of us sick bastards who’ve watched “Two Girls One Cup” or spent countless hours on PopThatZit.com, Mark posted some disgusting photos of the shrapnel that resemble artifacts found during an archaeological dig.

For the rest of you Nancies, don’t travel past the jump, lest you might throw up on your keyboards, which is a real bitch to clean up. Trust us.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (17) DIGG THIS

Report: Bellator Signs Sean McCorkle for Season 6 Debut on March 9th


(“Chainsaw-f*cking” jokes are so much funnier when Dane Cook does them.)

In their continuing efforts to pick up the best fighters that Zuffa doesn’t want, Bellator has reportedly signed former UFC heavyweight prospect Sean McCorkle to compete on the undercard of Bellator 60, March 9th in Hammond, Indiana. According to Sherdog, his opponent is expected to be Richard “Big Man” White, who has lost ten of his last twelve fights.

McCorkle’s brief spin through the Octagon was highlighted by an agonizing weight cut, a debut victory against Mark Hunt, and back-to-back stoppage losses against Stefan Struve and Christian Morecraft. Since then, he’s gone 3-0 in regional leagues, with all wins by first-round submission. Like many of his early opponents, his last two victims carried losing records. McCorkle is already booked to face Mike Gordon next Saturday at a North American Allied Fight Series event in West Virginia. Gordon is undefeated in sanctioned MMA competition, with a perfect record of 1-0. Christ, Sean, where do you find these people?

Read More ADD COMMENTS (373) DIGG THIS

Check Out: Dana White’s UFC on FX 1 Video Blog


(“Get a load of this bullshit.”)

Dana White threw together a short and sweet video blog to commemorate the UFC’s first show on FX tonight and it had a few cool behind-the-scenes glimpses, perhaps most notably the moment he found out that Mark Munoz would be replaced by Michael Bisping against Chael Sonnen.

Some highlights:

• Dana says the UFC 143 countdown show (which debuts tonight) is going to be crazy

• He denies using paper-thin doors on TUF for dramatic effect

• Apparently copyright infringements, including playing Rage Against the Machine and wearing a Sons of Anarchy sweatshirt during the vlog aren’t a big deal

• Jim Miller’s wife hates his moustache

• Melvin Guillard is cool with Jim

• Dana loves the Neer-Ludwig fight

Check out the video after the jump.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (13) DIGG THIS

Awesome Story of the Day: Guy Mezger Saved a Woman From Knife-Wielding Scumbag Last Month

By Mike Russell


(In your face, Jon Jones)

In spite of the fact that Guy Mezger retired seven years ago this month from active MMA competition, the 44-year-old former Lion’s Den fighter proved recently that he is still a badass.

Mezger, who is the president of HDNet, stepped in to offer assistance to a woman who was being roughed up by her boyfriend outside a Dallas sports store the week before Christmas and soon found himself in a fight with the angry beau.

According to the UFC 13 tournament winner, most of the onlookers just stood and gawked as the angry man repeatedly pushed the terrified woman to the ground while hurling obscenities at her, so he decided to try to diffuse the situation by stepping in between the pair and talking it out with the attacker. The next thing he knew, the guy was rushing him.

Big mistake.

“He wasn’t a big guy. He was maybe 150, 160 pounds. I’m presently about 200, 210 give or take, so I figured my physical size would be somewhat intimidating to him, which it wasn’t. I said, ‘Listen, the cops are called,’ and he said, ‘You called the cops?’ I was like, ‘Yeah,’ and he starts coming at me. It’s funny because he didn’t know how to fight,” he explained to radio host Bob Carson on Carson’s Corner last night. “It was hilarious, actually. I just kind of grabbed him and held onto him with an overhook on the right side and he was trying to hit me with his left. I’m like, ‘Hey buddy, settle down…calm down,’ and all this stuff. He tried to bite at me and then he tried to grab my nuts with his left hand. Then I just had enough, so I did a head-and-arm-throw. [It's] one of my better throws. We hit the concrete and it knocked him out.”

After the brief “fight,” Mezger went to check on the woman to make sure she knew she was safe now and to see if she was hurt. In the meantime, the guy he just KO’ed came to and was even more incensed than he was before.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (403) DIGG THIS

Exclusive: Carlos Condit Talks UFC 143 Matchup With Nick Diaz


UFC 143 Diaz vs. Condit: Video Interview Carlos Condit – Watch More MMA Videos

We’re about two weeks away from UFC 143‘s interim welterweight title bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, a fight that will mark Condit’s first Octagon appearance since he wrecked Dong Hyun Kim in July. In the ensuing months, Condit has had to remain focused while big opportunities appeared and disappeared with maddening regularity. Finally, his wait is over, and the Natural Born Killer will be able to test his skills against a man who many MMA pundits consider to be the #2 welterweight behind Georges St. Pierre. Our buddy Sal Mora caught up to Condit recently to get his thoughts about Nick Diaz and the challenges of balancing fighting with the rest of his life. Thanks so much to Carlos for the time; visit CampCondit.com for more. Some highlights from our interview…

On Diaz’s attitude and antics: “I’ve never met the guy, so honestly I don’t have much of an opinion. I think that we’re fortunate to be doing what we’re doing for a living. We get paid to train, we get paid to fight, and we get paid to do what we like to do. I think he’s got kind of a bad attitude when it comes to being grateful for the position he’s in. But other than that, like I said, I don’t really know the guy.”

On fighters who create a persona to attract more attention: ”When I was younger, I felt like I wasn’t getting the notoriety or the exposure that some of these other guys were getting. But ultimately, when it came down to it, I just gotta be myself, and that’s carried me as far and got me as much exposure and notoriety as somebody acting a fool.”

Read More ADD COMMENTS (430) DIGG THIS

‘UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller’ — Weigh-In Results and How to Watch


(Video via YouTube.com/UFC)

The UFC’s first live event on FX goes down tonight in Nashville, headlined by a lightweight battle between crowd-pleasing contenders Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller — both of whom are trying to rebound from high-profile losses. We’ll be liveblogging the main card broadcast beginning at 9 p.m. ET. (FUEL TV will carry the preliminary card fights starting at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.) All fighters made weight for the event yesterday, although Fabricio Camoes needed two attempts to make it happen. The full weigh-in results are below.

Main Card (FX, 9 p.m. ET/PT)
Melvin Guillard (156) vs. Jim Miller (155)
Duane Ludwig (170.5) vs. Josh Neer (171)
Mike Easton (135) vs. Jared Papazian (135.5)
Pat Barry (242) vs. Christian Morecraft (256)

Read More ADD COMMENTS (165) DIGG THIS

Check Out ‘The Reem Episode 10: Redemption’ and Try Not to Get Goosebumps

Well the makers of “The Reem” have done it again and it looks like this could be the best episode yet of Alistair Overeem’s online web series thanks to the cool footage of fans around the world watching and reacting to his UFC debut.

This time our favorite documentary filmmakers follow our hero to and from his UFC 141 fight with Brock Lesnar.

Check it after the jump.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (305) DIGG THIS

It Looks Like Mike Whitehead Will Call Prison Home for the Next 1 to 4 Years


(Exhibit A for the defense: Whitehead can’t take a punch.)

In a surprising twist in the Mike Whitehead sexual assault case, the former The Ultimate Fighter 2 contestant was sentenced to between one and four years in Nevada State Prison today in Las Vegas. This according to the Associated Press.

Whitehead, who now lives in Tucson, Arizona and was scheduled to fight on Resurrection Fighting Alliance’s March 30 card in Nebraska, burst into tears after the sentence was read in Clark County court. He was immediately handcuffed and taken into custody. A report by the Associated Press states that “Iron” Mike (ironic, huh?) was charged with “attempted sexual assault,” which seems a bit off, considering he was full on having intercourse with a passed out chick while fondling her sleeping friend at his home when the victim woke up and told him to stop back in April 2010. In spite of her protest, Whitehead continued having sex with the 32-year-old acquaintance for several moments before climbing off of her and sitting naked on a chair in the corner while he stared at her and her 28-year-old girlfriend for a couple of hours.

It seemed like he would walk away with probation when it was announced late last year that he had struck a plea bargain with prosecutors to plead “no contest” to all charges against him to avoid the case going to trial, but it looks like the judge agreed with pretty much everyone that Whitehead should do the time for his vile crime.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (20) DIGG THIS

There Will Be Fisticuffs: Houston Alexander Booked to Face Gilbert Yvel in March


(Change our Facebook status to scared shitless.) 

Coming off a DQ (illegal strikes) loss to his 16 year old son (too soon?), it has been announced that notorious brawler Houston Alexander has already been booked for another fight, and will be taking on referee aficionado Gilbert Yvel under a regional Nebraska promotion named Resurrection Fighting Alliance on March 30th. The fight will be contested at 205 lbs.

Aside from that unsanctioned bout with his kin, Alexander also recently suffered a second round Falling Tree KO at the elbows of former hockey enforcer Steve Bosse, which snapped a four fight win streak that included wins over UFC veterans Razak Al-Hassan and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.


(Admire it, Potato Nation. Admire it like a beautiful April morning.) 

Alexander will be taking on fellow UFC washout Gilbert Yvel, who made the drop to light heavyweight in his last bout and scored a first round submission via strikes win over Damian Dantibo. The victory was his first since dropping three straight to Junior Dos Santos, Ben Rothwell, and John Madsen in his short lived UFC run. We managed to find a video of the fight and added it below. Warning: turn down your speakers.

Read More ADD COMMENTS (175) DIGG THIS
CagePotatoMMA