We haven’t seen or heard much from Brock Lesnar since his first round UFC 141 TKO loss to Alistair Overeem and subsequent retirement from MMA. Most of us assumed he was likely off on another possibly illegal hunting trip, or perhaps was spending day and night just getting on top of that smoking hot wife of his. In either case, the former UFC Heavyweight Champ recently popped up in Minneapolis to present Minnesota Gopher freshman wrestler Logan Storley with the 2011 Junior Hodge Trophy. Storley, who recently helped the Gophers clinch half of the Big Ten Dual Meet conference championship (along with Penn State), attended the same high school as Lesnar, who, as we all know, was a NCAA Division I Champion himself. After compiling an incredible 262-3 record, Storley was voted the nation’s best prep high school wrestler by the Amateur Athletic Union and WIN Magazine. Now start training those hands, son.

Join us after the jump for a plethora of videos from around the MMA blogosphere, including a nasty Thai Boxing KO, Thiago Alves‘ first (and incredibly brief) UFC on FX video blog, and more…

Today is truly a sad day for the MMA world, one that no amount of Office Space parodies or Korean television can resolve. For today, a great man has died, and therefore has taken a piece of us all with him. We’re talking, of course, about none other than the unacknowledged gladiator who’s trials and tribulations were once synonymous with the beginning of every UFC event. We’re talking about the nameless, faceless warrior who could grind sand into…well, sand, in the palm of his hand whilst an epic chorus sang in the background. Though we never knew what lied beyond the blinding white he so courageously stepped into night after night, it seems now that the mysterious abyss was in fact the UFC vault. The Underground was the first to break the story:

Tonight, UFC President Dana White revealed exclusively to the Underground that the opening sequence for its PPV broadcast has been redone and the new introduction will be revealed this Saturday for UFC 143. The event will feature Nick Diaz fighting Carlos Condit for the interim welterweight championship in the main event.

The opening sequence, which has shown a Roman gladiator preparing for battle has often been critiqued by fans and although the sequence hasn’t been used by the UFC on its FOX and Fuel TV broadcasts, it had been present as most recent as this past UFC 142.

To quote the UFC President directly: “He’s been cut.”

We know what you’re thinking, what does this mean for Stemm?

(Props: Bracegear via MiddleEasy)

Can you believe that we didn’t include a single women’s match in our tribute to falling tree knockouts? Well, it’s time to give the ladies their due. Here’s a video of Rhiannon Thompson starching Bec Hyatt with a head-kick at a Brace for War event that’s so brutal (and beautiful), it’s like Hornbuckle vs. Gono and Young vs. Tate met and had a baby.

(Video via PerformanceMMA)

Twitter is a marvelous tool. Dana White tells fans where to find free tickets, media outlets break stories, and your friends can share the crazy stuff they find on the inter-webs.

Coach Marc Montoya from Factory X in Denver, CO, decided to tie a tennis ball on a headband with an elastic string. Add this to the list of things you can think up while being bored out of your mind watching Haywire. The “Skull Blaster,” as he likes to call it, allows the fighter to work on striking, knees, and if you’re dumb enough to really put some heat on it, head movement. Too bad it won’t teach Chael how to get out of a triangle.

If you decide to try this at home, please send us the video. We wouldn’t want something that embarrassing to go to waste.

(JM)

Directed by Bobby Razak, whom you may know as the man behind the amazing Tapout short film, The Future of MMA (that video is after the jump), The History of MMA takes a nostalgic look back at the highs and lows of the sport we love oh so much, and includes commentary from several legends of the sport, including Bas Rutten, Frank Shamrock, Mark Coleman, and referee Big John McCarthy among others. And as luck would have it, Mr. Razak decided to drop the trailer yesterday. We would advise that you check it out.

As you can see, the film touches on many of MMA’s most infamous moments; John McCain’s labeling of the sport as “human cockfighting,” its evolution through Pancrase, and the moment Tito Ortiz decided he had what it took to roc da mic right, yeah. On a side note, we bet Tank Abbott is gonna be pissed when he finds out that his name and photo appear whilst Bas Rutten describes how the UFC used to bring in “big guys with no skill.”

Who are we kidding? Abbott sold his computer for Jim Beam years ago.

Anyway, join us after the jump to check out The Future of MMA, as well as an up close and personal excerpt from The History of MMA featuring Fred Ettish, a fighter whom, after getting obliterated in his only professional mixed martial arts contest at UFC 2, came back to claim his first win in 2009. At age 53.

(Anderson’s naughty language begins at 3:54.)

Props to MiddleEasy for turning us on to the SAMURAIFIGHTSPIRITS channel on YouTube, which specializes in post-fight footage from the PRIDE era. Seriuously, this is already my favorite time-suck of the week. Here’s Chuck Liddell predicting that this Alistair Overeem kid is gonna be good. Here’s Kevin Randleman screaming “I SUCK!” after getting caught in a guillotine by Mirko Cro Cop. Here’s Rulon Gardner chillin’ with Dan Henderson. So much awesome.

Maybe the most fascinating bits of footage are the clips of Anderson Silva reacting to his pair of submission losses to Daiju Takase and Ryo Chonan, which ended the Spider’s PRIDE stint on an unsatisfying note. Above, the Takase loss makes Silva fire off a string of Portugeuse expletives that would make a marinheiro blush. After the jump, an obviously-in-pain Silva can barely keep his emotions together after his freak upset loss to Chonan via flying-scissor-leg-takedown/heel-hook. So remember: Before Anderson was an unbeatable UFC champion, he was a crier, just like you.

(Luke Rockhold vs. Keith Jardine full fight video via mmanewsdog)

In case you missed the show on Saturday night, take a look at the main card’s three knockouts. More after the jump…

Related:
- ‘Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine’ — Live Results + Commentary
- ‘Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine’ Aftermath: Going through the Motions, as Usual

Max Holloway highlights, compiled by SideBang Enterprises. By the way, you may want to watch this one without volume. You’re welcome in advance.

If you’ve been paying attention, the name Max Holloway should be familiar to you. If you haven’t, put on that dunce cap and write “Holloway is stepping in for an injured Ricardo Lamas to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC on Fox 2” twenty times on the chalk board. That’ll teach you.

While Poirier is a tough draw, especially for a guy making his UFC debut, Holloway is no slouch himself, despite only having four professional fights to his credit. Here’s what you need to know about “the other Lil Evil”, Max Holloway:

-Holloway is a twenty year old Hawaiian prospect who has compiled a 4-0 professional record. Three of his four victories have come via decision, with his sole stoppage being a first round knockout against then 12-17 Bryson Kamaka in 2010.

-Don’t let the lack of stoppages fool you into thinking Holloway is a boring fighter. Known for his unorthodox striking and exceptional conditioning, Lil Evil blitzes opponents early and often. And despite being six feet tall, Max Holloway prefers to stay in the pocket against opponents.

More on Max Holloway, including more fight vids, after the jump

(Props: allelbows)

Four months after beating the Strikeforce middleweight belt off of Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Luke Rockhold returns to action this Saturday night in a title defense that even he isn’t that psyched about. But considering his 7-0 stretch under the Strikeforce banner — with six of those wins coming in the first round — it’s clear that Rockhold’s biggest accomplishments are still in front of him. If you’re not familiar with the AKA rising star, check out this “Fight Journal” video from allelbows, in which Rockhold makes some media rounds, discusses the downfall of Brock Lesnar, has a run-in with a very humble Keith Jardine, and shows how he puts his championship belt to sleep every night.

Okay, maybe it’s not the card of the year — and four of the five matches are undeniable squash matches — but if you’ll be around on Saturday, come by for our liveblog of the Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine Showtime broadcast, starting at 10 p.m. ET.

(Shane Del Rosario gives Lolohea Mahe one of the grossest kick-faces since Lytle/Taylor. Photo via Strikeforce)

It was announced yesterday that Shane Del Rosario — an 11-0 heavyweight whose record includes 10 first-round stoppages — has been signed to the UFC in their ongoing carcass-picking of Strikeforce’s heavyweight division. The Team Oyama product has gone 3-0 under the Strikeforce banner, most recently scoring an armbar-submission over Lavar Johnson at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva in February.

Del Rosario was scheduled to face Daniel Cormier in a Heavyweight Grand Prix reserve bout at the Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum show in June. Unfortunately, he was forced to pull out of the bout after a drunk driver struck his car in May, which left him with a back injury. Now he’s healed up and heading for bigger challenges in the Octagon. Shane’s UFC debut date and opponent are still TBA. (My prediction/suggestion: The winner of Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft on January 20th.)

After the jump: Videos of Del Rosario’s three Strikeforce ass-kickings.

(Props: UFC.com via MiddleEasy)

Following yesterday’s face-off dust-up with Donald Cerrone, Nate Diaz explained why he was forced to knock off Cowboy’s hat and shove him. In short, Cerrone got too close: “He was just trying to walk forward on me and, y’know, trying to get the jump on me, so whatever. He shouldn’t have walked that close, put his stupid-ass cowboy hat all up on me. I wasn’t trying to be a bully or anything, but he shouldn’t have done that.”

Meanwhile, brother Nick eggs him on as much as possible. Like Cerrone put it before, these two just wake up pissed off all the time for no reason. And remember, Nate and Cowboy still have one more face-off to get through at today’s UFC 141 weigh-ins — and then, y’know, an actual fight. Brace yourselves.

After the jump, a video of the Cerrone vs. Diaz and Lesnar vs. Overeem face-offs from yesterday’s press conference, via Karyn Bryant.

(Props: UrijahFaber0com)

The California Kid has done the unthinkable. As a show of solidarity for his sister Michaella — who had to lose her own long hair to undergo brain surgery after that awful car accident — Urijah Faber has shaved off his trademark surfer-mop. Will he keep the high-and-tight look for his upcoming coaching gig on TUF 15? And sure, I’ll bid $20 for one of those Urijah Faber hair clumps. My financial advisor tells me it’s a good investment.

(Props: IronForgesIron)

FUEL TV aired the latest UFC Countdown special last night, previewing next Friday’s UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem pay-per-view card. The stuff about Brock Lesnar‘s latest recovery from diverticulitis and new love of swimming is fairly straightforward — once again, Pat Barry is on hand talk about what a monster Brock is — but if you’re a fan of Alistair Overeem, the look back at his rise in the sport and his career rebirth after a rough stretch in his personal/professional life is worth watching. Overeem’s sights are now set on a UFC belt to complete his collection; of course, Brock Lesnar is just as motivated to defend his turf and play the spoiler in the Reem’s Octagon debut.

Part two of the special is after the jump, featuring more tough talk from Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Nate “Not Your Friend, Buddy” Diaz, and a look at the redneck paradise of Cerrone’s New Mexico ranch.

(“Look kid, I’m gonna find the man who did this to you. And when I do, so help me God, I’m gonna dock him one point for shorts-grabbing.” / Photo of Stout vs. Edwards aftermath via ESPN)

With a little help from the Potato Nation, we spent the last couple days gathering videos of the nastiest, ugliest, most-painful looking knockouts and submissions from this year. Finding 25 of them was the easy part. (Damn, MMA fighters. You seemed especially angry this year. Problems at home?) Putting them in order was a little more challenging.

Obviously, Frank Mir snapping Nogueira’s arm at UFC 140 was the people’s choice for #1. But how do you rank a head-kick knockout against a spinning-backfist knockout, when they both leave their victims zombie’d on the mat with their eyes open and their arms in the air?

So here’s what we’ll do. Instead of arranging these brutal stoppages in some arbitrary order, we’ll arrange them in groups. Use the links below to navigate through the sections, and take a moment to appreciate the human devastation that our great sport has caused in the last 12 months. And all this without a single death! Enjoy…

(Ben Goldstein)

- Page 1: The Perfect One-Shot (Or Two-Shot) Knockouts
- Page 2: The Savage Striking Onslaughts
- Page 3: The Gruesome Submissions
- Page 4: Fancy Kicks and Other Insanity

(Props: 1tSurge)

Jefferey “Karmaatemycat” Watts continues to let his haters be his motivators. The CagePotato Fight Team captain and fundraising superstar increased his amateur record to 4-1 on Saturday night in a featherweight bout at Raging Wolf XII in Irving, New York.

Jeff’s opponent Josh Lange entered the fight with a 6-0 ammy record, but had no answer to the riddle of Karma. After doing a Jon Jones impression for the first minute, Jeff stands and fires some leg kicks. Lange shoots and takes Karma down (BIG MISTAKE) but can’t do much with the position. Jeff calmly starts working his guard, and before long, he sinks a triangle choke. Sorry, judges.

It was an especially meaningful win for Karma, who spent the last month suffering through a fight cancellation and a knee injury, and was fighting in front of his friends and family for the first time. When Jeff finally goes pro and starts kicking asses in major organizations, remember where you saw him first.

After the jump: Video of Karma’s entrance. How many CagePotato t-shirts can you count?

It was the only stoppage from last night’s Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal card, and it was a nasty one. With no 145-pound contenders in sight, Cris Cyborg plans to shed some muscle and dominate at bantamweight in the future.

(Video via MMA Mania)

Brock Lesnar: “He’s in over his head. He doesn’t really understand the beast that he’s gonna enter the Octagon with…I’m gonna defeat Alistair Overeem. That’s the bottom line, and there’s nothing else to say…At the end of the day, he’s gonna get his ass beat…it’s gonna come down to will, and who wants this fight more, and Brock Lesnar wants this fight more than Alistair Overeem.”

Alistair Overeem: “I’m gonna tear this guy apart, piece by piece…I’m gonna beat up Brock Lesnar, and it’s gonna take me no more than two rounds to do that…Brock definitely doesn’t like to get hit. I’m gonna hit him, and I’m gonna hit him as hard as I can. And I’m pretty good at it…I would put my money on a knockout in the first round, but personally I can guarantee a knockout in the second…If you guys think Cain Velasquez hits hard, wait ’til you see what I’m gonna do to him.”

The UFC 141 video trailer also previews the lightweight feature between Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone. It seems there’s already a bit of tension between the two (starting at the 6:53 mark)…

(Props: sitthongsai via CP reader Andrew W.)

On Sunday, 46-year-old MMA old-schooler Don Frye competed at a Gladiator Challenge event in Lincoln, California, making his first cage appearance since a one-minute TKO loss to Dave Herman in 2009. This one lasted a little longer, but ended the same way, with Don eating punches until he fell over. Poor Don.

Frye was originally supposed to face Mike Gonzales, but ended up throwing leather with journeyman Ruben “Warpath” Villareal; Frye and Warpath had previously fought to a draw at a King of the Cage event back in 2006. Villareal didn’t leave it to the judges this time, KO’ing Frye about two-and-a-half minutes into the fight. The win snapped a five-fight losing streak for Warpath, and earned him the Gladiator Challenge light-heavyweight title.

As co-host of the Opie & Anthony radio show on SiriusXM, comedian Jim Norton has become the designated punching bag for visiting MMA stars. He’s been choked, he’s been kicked, he’s had his foot twisted 180 degrees by Brock Lesnar. And considering what a sick, depraved bastard Norton is, you have to wonder if he enjoys it on some level. Here’s everything we could collect from Jim Norton’s MMA-related body of work. All videos courtesy of opieradio.

Guest: BJ Penn, 4/14/10
Technique: Armbar
In Jim’s words: “That is fuckin’ horrible…Besides the fact that your arm is ready to be ripped out, it puts pressure on your fuckin’ — it stretches you both ways, I didn’t realize it did that.”

(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.

(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…

(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?

[VIDEO REMOVED BY REQUEST.]

After a year in the pokey, War Machine finally returned to competition Saturday night at Ultimate Warrior Fighting 1 in Pharr, Texas, where he faced off against former UFC lightweight darling Roger Huerta in the event’s welterweight headliner. And even though prison ring-rust has to be the worst kind of ring-rust — nutraloaf and sandwich masturbation don’t exactly make for an ideal fighter lifestyle — Mr. Machine handled himself admirably, out-hustling Huerta in a gritty back-and-forth scrap.

Unfortunately, Huerta broke his rib during a scramble in round three, seemingly when War sneaks in that knee at the video’s 15:10 mark. War Machine took advantage of Huerta’s weakened state and laid on punches from the top until the match was stopped. And so, War Machine writes the first chapter of his unlikely comeback story, while Huerta picks up the fifth loss in his last six attempts.

(Props, I guess: Fightlinker on Vimeo)

…because Tom Lawlor and Kyle Kingsbury have. Boy, have they ever. This regrettable booze-fueled moment is the latest example of what I’ve started calling the “Nick Ring Theory” (previously known as the “Seth Petruzelli Theory“): At a certain point, pretending to be gay to get a rise out of people becomes a lifestyle choice in itself. But they seem happy, so who am I to judge?

Related:
- Dana White to Gay UFC Fighters: It’s Safe to Come Out Now
- Strangely Arousing Photos of the Day: Natasha Wicks’s Nasty Road-Rash

(Props: mmapain)

Once in a while, a singular talent will arise and utterly dominate this sport. He comes out of nowhere, immediately starts whipping top-ranked fighters with years’ more experience, and leaves both fans and his opponents in awe of his abilities. Jon Jones is that guy right now. And nobody knows how fleeting that moment is better than Lyoto Machida, whose invincible aura (and “era“) went up in smoke as quickly as it arrived.

That’s what gives Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida such a great storyline for their meeting on December 10th in Toronto. Besides Machida’s unorthodox style, which could be an effective counter to Bones’s own funky attacks, the Dragon stands as a living reminder that nobody is invincible — seriously, not even Jon Jones — and defeat is simply a matter of running into the wrong guy on the wrong night.

(Fight starts at the 2:38 mark. And is that Fedor’s new lady at the 29:22 mark? Alright, buddy. Upgrade. / Props: valetudorus via MMAMania)

It’s been a tough couple of years for heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko. First, a brilliant MMA strategist named Damian Demento went public with a groundbreaking strategy on how to defeat him, which involved putting the boots to Fedor’s belly and intentionally mispronouncing his name. Then, his next three opponents beat him by stoppage. Coincidence? I don’t know. You tell me.

What’s important is that Fedor finally got back in the win column on Sunday, winning a unanimous decision over American grappler Jeff Monson at M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Monson, in front of a crowd of over 20,000 at Moscow’s Olympic Stadium that included Vladimir Putin. The full fight video is above, which shows Fedor in more controlled, measured form than his recent appearances, choosing to stay on the outside and score with leg kicks and long punches for the majority of the fight.

Monson, unfortunately, had nothing for him. In fact, the only times the Snowman was able to get the fight to the ground is when he fell over after getting punched in the face.

FreeFightsforYou is the UFC’s semi-official YouTube shadow account that has given us such gems as The Brazilian Wandering Spider and UFC 133: The Movie Trailer. Their latest effort takes every stupid thing that jackass boxing promoter Bob Arum ever said and stuffs it up his mummified asshole. Saturday’s UFC on FOX event represents the UFC’s mainstream triumph over every closed-minded hater whose mindset is stuck in the middle of last century. “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” is the UFC’s victory lap, and they’ve earned it.

The inaugural UFC on Fox event goes down in less than a week, and to get us amped for the big night, someone out there in them internets whipped up this gem of a video, featuring a mash up of the 2002 remake of The Ring with the greatness that is Bruce Buffer. A man already responsible for showing the world such moves as The Buffer 360 and The Buffer Two-Step, Bruce hasn’t had a challenge to keep him busy lately, and though we would have preferred to hear him introduce some of the undercard fights in Spanish, it seems he’s decided that haunting little children was next in line. And now that you’ve all officially joined The Buffer Hitlist, may we suggest you start bidding your close friends and relatives adieu, because when Bruce strikes, “It’s faster than fuckin’ shit.”

-Danga 

(Ah, 2007. A very fine year for gogoplatas. / Photo via Sherdog)

By Ben Goldstein

Over the last two decades, MMA has evolved so consistently that fighters are still finding new and unexpected ways to destroy their opponents — while causing fans to spit their beers in shock. We decided to take a lil’ spin through MMA history and identify the single most awe-inspiring technique from each year since the sport’s modern inception. We expect you to disagree with us; there’s a comments section just for that purpose. And away we go…

1993: Royce Gracie’s Rear-Naked Choke
vs. Ken Shamrock @ UFC 1, 11/12/93

(Fight starts at the 3:54 mark)

You have to remember that in the early ’90s, a well-placed roundhouse kick to the head was considered the pinnacle of martial arts. What Royce Gracie introduced to fight fans in his early UFC run was something much more practical, less flashy, and a little bit scary. Gracie’s submission of Ken Shamrock — and the similar hold he used to stop Gerard Gordeau in the finals — proved that skill beat size, and pajamas beat man-panties.

1994: Dan Severn’s Suplexes
vs. Anthony Macias @ UFC 4, 12/16/94

(Props: rachelmm3096)

Friday night’s Prestige FC 3 event in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, was headlined by portly slugger Eric “Butterbean” Esch (14-10-1) against Sandy Bowman (3-0), a 40-year-old local fighter who Sherdog identifies as a former lightweight who swelled up to 223 pounds for the opportunity. Esch held a 150-pound weight advantage in the cage, but it wouldn’t be of any help that night.

Ten seconds after the bell, Bowman lands a head-kick that topples ‘Bean like a defective Weeble. After some elbows from Bowman from the top, Esch realizes that he ain’t getting up without assistance, and taps due to strikes at 0:54 of round 1.