(“I can’t sit around my whole life trying to make other people’s careers better. I gotta do what’s best for me, and what’s best for me is moving on.” / Photo via ProMMANow.com)

Yesterday, XFC president John Prisco announced publicly that lightweight champion Nick Newell (9-0) had been “stripped of [his] title” after refusing to fight XFC’s top lightweight contender Nate Holtzman (4-0). Following the news, Newell released the following statement on his Facebook fan page:

EVERYBODY CALM DOWN! First of I AM NOT UNDER CONTRACT WITH THE XFC. XFC promoted a fight that didn’t exist yet.

The headlines are misleading and imply that I was stripped of my title because I refused to fight when in fact I just chose not to renew my contract with the XFC. I am not scared to fight anybody. I have been through too much in my life to be scared of any man. All you have to do is look at one of my fights to see my heart & my fearless style. This has nothing to do with me being scared. It is more so just an attempt to bully me into a contract.

XFC trash talking me and trying to slander my name upsets me more then anything but they are promoters. XFC is promoting, thats what they do. They have to try and make their guys look as good as possible and I’m not one of their guys so it is at my expense.

Even though Scott is bad mouthing me as well, I have no ill will towards him. I consider myself to be a professional and as a professional I choose to stay away from negative talk towards other fighters, but I understand that he is an unfortunate victim of circumstance.

Definitely not scared just have my eyes on bigger pastures.

Love you all,
Nicholas G. Newell

CagePotato contacted Nick yesterday evening to further clarify the situation, and he spent a few minutes with us to discuss his version of the events that led to his split with the XFC, as well as his plans for the immediate future. Short version: Newell’s decision to leave was based on his desire to continue moving upward in his career — and had nothing to do with Scott Holtzman specifically — and he’s very close to announcing his next fight contract. Check it out…

CAGEPOTATO.COM: John Prisco blasted you pretty hard for not accepting a fight against Scott Holtzman; he said you were scared, and that Holtzman would have stopped you in the first round. Did that feel like a betrayal to you?

Ever since he was dubbed the winner of our “Proving Grounds” competition a couple years back, we have repeatedly sung the praises of undefeated, congenial amputee fighter “Notorious” Nick Newell. We’ll spare you the obvious cliches, but to say that Newell’s dramatic (also, absolutely devastating) run under the XFC banner — which culminated in a first round submission victory over Eric Reynolds to claim the promotion’s lightweight title – was anything less than inspiring would be a disservice.

Unfortunately, Newell’s influential story has turned into that of controversy recently.

Newell was scheduled to defend his newly-earned title against fellow undefeated prospect Scott “Hot Sauce” Holtzman at the upcoming XFC 24, but according to XFC President, John Prisco, Newell has refused to defend his title against anyone but a UFC veteran and has thusly been stripped of his title. Prisco spoke directly through XFC’s official website and he was rather candid:

(Photo via luckyfinproject.org)

While attending the MMA World Expo last weekend, CagePotato contributor Oliver Chan ran into undefeated lightweight fighter and inspirational figure Nick Newell, who most recently won XFC’s 155-pound title with a first-round submission win over Eric Reynolds in December. “Notorious Nick” was cool enough to give Oliver a few minutes of his time, and discussed his work with Tap Cancer Out, why he deserves a shot in the UFC, and the “rich people’s sports” that are taking over the Olympics. Enjoy, and follow Nick on Twitter @NotoriousNewell.

CAGEPOTATO: I’m here with CagePotato favorite Nick Newell, Nick how are you doing?

NICK NEWELL: Good, good, I’m glad to be on the website again. I’m a huge CagePotato fan, and you guys have always had my back, so I really love the site, and I love that I’m getting more press from you guys.

Well, we’re big fans of you. Let’s talk about Tap Cancer Out, and this organization that you’ve aligned yourself with.

Jon Thomas who runs Tap Cancer Out is a longtime training partner of mine and a good friend. He’s a great guy and he’s got a great cause going. Cancer affects a lot of people, and I’m sure everybody knows someone who’s had cancer. A former training partner of mine had cancer, and I have family members who have had it, and it’s terrible. Any way you can contribute and help people out that have it is great.

During your MMA career there have been a lot of people who just didn’t want to fight you because of your physical attributes. Talk to us about some of the challenges you’ve faced getting to where you are now, as a 9-0 fighter.

It was a crazy journey, it took a long time — a lot longer than I would have liked — but the whole time while I wasn’t fighting, I was training and getting better and better. At first I got fights, and then I started beating people and then no one wanted to fight me. And they said, “Oh, it’s because you have one hand,” or whatever, but they were just trying to duck me, I think. And now that I’m fighting for the XFC, I get to fight really top-level guys, and everybody’s calling me out, so it’s different.

So what’s next, are you going to stay with XFC, or will you start looking at bigger promotions and try to get your name out a little more?

(The Gracie Brothers speak out about the rape case involving Lloyd Irvin students, and explain how an unhealthy training environment could contribute to similar situations. / Props: GracieBreakdown)

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- Nick Newell to Dana White: ‘I Want My Equal Opportunity’ (MMAFighting)

- Why the ‘Frank Mir Curse’ May Spell Doom for Daniel Cormier’s Octagon Career (MMAMania)

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(Video via AXSTV)

Former CagePotato Proving Grounds winner Nick Newell kicked, suplex-slammed and choked his way to victory in Nashville, TN last night, earning the XFC 155 pound title in the process. As you can see in the fight video above, Newell took out Bellator veteran Eric Reynolds quickly and improved his unblemished record to 9-0.

Reynolds himself has before gone the distance with both Jorge Masvidal and maybe UFC-bound Eddie Alvarez. Newell beating Reynolds in such dominating fashion, then, has to put him one step closer to consideration for the big leagues.

The southpaw Newell began his attack against Reynolds with rear and and lead kicks, both low and high, before closing the distance and getting behind Reynolds with a body lock. From there, Newell maintained control and bided his time before lifting his opponent high up into the air and slamming him face down onto the mat. Newell quickly spun around to get his legs around Reynolds and took his back.

In case you haven’t been following the career of CagePotato’s own “Proving Grounds” Winner Nick Newell lately, all you have to know is that he is still an undefeated ass-kicking machine. On the heels of his most impressive victory to date over Adam Mays (see above), Newell will be looking to improve to a perfect 9-0 when he takes on the toughest test of his career, Bellator veteran Eric Reynolds, in the main event of XFC 21, which goes down tomorrow night from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Tennessee.

Sporting a 16-5 record, Reynolds is no slouch to say the least. Although they were ultimately losing efforts, Reynolds made it three rounds with former Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez and former Strikeforce lightweight title challenger Jorge Masvidal in back-to-back efforts during his stint with Bellator in 2009. Now riding a three fight win streak, Reynolds will surely have his hands full with Newell, who proved in his victory over Denis Hernandez at XFC 15 (an event headlined by Reynolds) that he is just as deadly on the ground as he is on the feet.

You can catch the fight live on AXS TV, which is available for free as an app on your iPhone or iPad.

(“First you’re gonna need to buy a piss-goblet from GracieAcademy.com…” More brilliant animated satire from prebek.)

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- A-Rod’s Phone Number Stunt With Kyna Treacy Was an MLB Playoff Low (MensFitness)

- Honest Trailers: Paranormal Activity (ScreenJunkies)

- The 50 Best Video Games To Play While You’re Drinking (Complex)

- High School Player Boots 67-Yard Field Goal (EgoTV)

- Busty Girls With Dogs (WorldWideInterweb)

(That’s nice guys, but we’re just gonna stay out of this one. / Photo by Pattee Mak) 

Although I can’t pinpoint the exact date, at some point last week I found myself in a position that a blogger/writer for any niche site oft finds themselves in: tapping their fingers and waiting for some news to break that anyone would give half a shit about. “You know what you should do,” one of my roommates informed me, “is write an article about disabled athletes in MMA. It would tie in with the Paralympics and be quite topical.” It was a pretty good idea, so I immediately (well, after I set down the bong, I suppose) started drafting up some ideas and angles to approach such a story with. I started thinking about guys like Nick Newell and Matt Hamill, who, despite their disabilities, were still able to break open a can of whoop ass when the occasion called for it.

I also began to think of Kyle Maynard, who, despite being an incredible talent and inspiration, was simply not cut out for the sport of MMA. To put it politely, his amateur debut against Brian Fry was bizarre bordering on embarrassing. This was not due to Maynard’s physical limitations or desire to give the sport a try, but simply because someone out there thought that the fight should be both publicized and videotaped without first considering how it would be received by the general public.

But be that as it may, I began to draft up an article discussing the positives and negatives associated with disabilities in professional sports. I planned to discuss Oscar Pistorius, Im Dong Hyun, and Peter Gray. I planned to ask you, our esteemed readers, whether or not the decision for a disabled athlete to compete in a sport as dangerous as MMA should rest on the shoulders of the athletes themselves or of the commissions that are supposed to be protecting them.

That was, until I came across this article on Fighters Only this morning to find that a promotion in the UK was apparently moving forward with, and I cannot place enough emphasis on the quotes here, “a series of bouts with fighters in wheelchairs and also amputees under MMA rules.”

Full story after the jump.

(Is there anything that Nick Newell can’t do? NO EYE CONTACT! Props: TheRealClayHenry via Karmaatemycat)

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Nick Newell‘s left arm ends at the elbow but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming a damned good MMA fighter. The lightweight has been fighting professionally since 2009 and on Friday he emphatically improved his perfect record to 8-0 with a vicious knee to the head KO win.

Newell took on and took out Adam David Mays at XFC 19 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Newell went for the kill in the first round with head kicks, upper cuts, hooks and, finally, knees to the head.

We’re sure it isn’t politically correct to call Newell a “crazy, one-armed bastard,” as television commentator Michael Schiavello did at the end of last night’s fight, but we have to agree. Nick Newell doesn’t need both arms to whoop you – not sure what’s more bad-ass than that.

Watch video of the finish after the jump.

(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.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/HDNetFights)

Proving Ground winner and Potato Nation member in good standing Nick Newell appeared on Inside MMA on Monday with Ron Kruck to talk about his upcoming XFC fight and the tragic passing of his good friend Abi Mestre back in April.

“Notorious” Nick’s XFC debut will be a bittersweet one as Abi won the XFC contest for a slot on the promotion’s roster and Nick came second. After Mestre was killed in a motorcycle accident in the spring, the XFC reached out to Nick and offered him the contract in Abi’s place and he accepted with the blessing of Abi’s family.

(Wise choice, Nick.)

By Nick Newell

Though I’ve never done a movie review before, I have seen two or three of them in my day, so when CagePotato.com and Break.com asked me to do a review of the new MMA-themed film WARRIOR, I told them I’ll check my schedule. Under ten seconds later I happily agreed.

With the bar on MMA-themed movies being set to an embarrassing low with such Academy Award-worthy gems as Fighting and Never Back Down, I didn’t really know what to expect from WARRIOR. I actually left Never Back Down out of embarrassment after the chubby sidekick told the main character, “You’ve gotta train Mai Thai.”

Regardless, I did my best Bangs impression and took my Shorty to the movies to go see Warrior. After sitting through previews that accused Billy Shakespeare of being a plagiarizing charlatan and dancing gerbils driving ugly cars it was Showtime!

(Photos courtesy of CagePotato/Break Media. Full gallery is after the jump.)

Good news: CagePotato Proving Ground winner Nick Newell is recovering from his gross skin disease and will be able to start training again in a week and a half. We’re still in the process of locking down his make-up match for Shark Fights, but in the meantime, check out this gallery of behind-the-scenes photos taken while he was shooting his promo video for us at Legends MMA. Enjoy, and please show Nick some love on Facebook and Twitter.

(Come on bro, I’m trying to eat breakfast over here.)

By Nick Newell

Unfortunately due to some circumstances that are out of my control I will not be able to make my Shark Fights debut on September 10th. I have a staph infection on my face that will not heal in time to be cleared for combat. This is my first experience with staph and it couldn’t have come at any worse of a time.

Having wrestled in high school and college I am no stranger to the existence and possibility of skin infections, but I have never experienced anything like this. I always make sure to shower immediately after practice and regularly clean my gear. None of my training partners have staph so it truly is a mystery as to how I got it. I used a complementary pillow on a recent airline fight and I believe that may have been the culprit.

It all started on Saturday, August 20th. I was experiencing ear pains, my skin itched and my head was sensitive to the touch. I decide to take action and get it checked out as soon as possible. My regular doctor was away on vacation so I went to the walk-in clinic (big mistake). The doctor gave me a pill to fight infection and a cream to fight fungus. The head and ear pains went away and my skin stopped itching so bad, I was under the impression that I would be all cured in about a week. I was wrong. The entire week I avoided any contact to my face. I focused solely on cardio exercises, strength training and hitting pads. I avoided all wrestling, grappling and sparring as to not spread my infection on myself, to my partners and to allow it to properly heal.

Nick Newell: 2011 CagePotato.com ‘Proving Ground’ Winner – Watch more Funny Videos

With less than two weeks until Nick Newell‘s fight against Jesse Zeugin at Shark Fights 19 (September 10th; Independence, MO), Break Media Creative Lab spent some time with Nick and put together this killer video profile. (Thanks guys!) The undefeated lightweight — and winner of our Proving Ground competition — discusses his competitive nature and the unique challenges he’s faced during his quest for MMA greatness. Check it out, and stay tuned for more exclusives from “Notorious” leading up to the fight. And as always…

- “Like” Nick Newell on Facebook
- Follow Nick Newell on Twitter
- “Like” Shark Fights on Facebook
- Follow Shark Fights on Twitter

CagePotato.com has confirmed with Shark Fights officials that Proving Ground winner Nick Newell (5-0) will make his promotional debut at Shark Fights 19 against fellow lightweight Jesse Zeugin, a 29-year-old fighter from Missouri who holds a 5-2 record with all wins by submission within the first two rounds. Zeugin last competed at Titan Fighting Championship 18 in May, where he lost to Joe “The Nose” Wilk via anaconda choke. He trains out of the Springfield Fight Club alongside TUF 12 finalist Michael Johnson and Strikeforce/Bellator vet Zak Cummings.

Shark Fights 19 takes place September 10th at the Independence Events Center in Independence, Missouri. We’ll release the full fight lineup in the next few days. If you want to come hang out with us at the show, get your tickets here, and follow Shark Fights on Facebook and Twitter.

(Props: facebook.com/nicknewellmma)

After locking down the popular vote by a wide margin last week, we’re proud to announce that undefeated lightweight fighter “Notorious” Nick Newell has been crowned the “#1 Contender” in our Proving Ground competition. With his unique personal story, boyish charm, and the fact that he’s never let an opponent survive past the first round, we thought he was the perfect candidate to represent us at Shark Fights 19, September 10th in Independence, Missouri. (Tickets available here.) It’s an opportunity that could bring Nick steady fights for the first time in his career, televised matches, money, power, and fame. Today marks the beginning of that journey, and we’re incredibly psyched to be a part of it.

Keep your eye on the Proving Ground homepage in the coming weeks as we announce Nick’s opponent and release exclusive videos detailing Nick’s preparation for the big fight. Please become a Fan of Nick Newell on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter. Thanks as always to Shark Fights for making this possible; do us a favor and follow them on Facebook and Twitter as well.

(Please don’t bust on my shaky interviewing skills for this one; we can’t all be Helwani.)

While in Boston for CagePotato’s first (and last) UFC Fan Expo appearance, I had the opportunity to meet Nick Newell, an undefeated lightweight fighter from Massachusetts. After teaching me how to use my microphone, Newell discussed how he got into MMA, and the advantages and disadvantages of being a congenital amputee. The worst part about having one hand? Nobody wants to fight you. Here’s what he told us last year:

“The last five fights I’ve trained for, I’ve only gotten to do two of them, from people pulling out. Last time I was supposed to fight a guy and he never even showed up to weigh-ins. So it’s real hard for me to get fights. I’m not picky with who I fight, I’ll take whoever. And I feel like a lot of leagues are afraid to use me, because they don’t want to be labeled as a ‘freak show’ match. But it’s not like that at all. I train probably harder than anyone else, and I dedicate my life to this.”

For the five men who were actually brave enough to step into the cage with Nick in professional fights…well, they lost. Nick has finished all of his opponents in the first round, submitting the last four in under two minutes. And yet he still can’t find regular work in this sport — which is why a contract with Shark Fights would be so important for his career.

Visit Nick’s Proving Ground page to watch him demolish three of his past opponents, and click his Facebook “Like” button if you want to see him represent CagePotato.com at Shark Fights 19!

After sifting through the first batch of entries for our Proving Ground competition, CagePotato.com and Shark Fights have selected four finalists to advance to Round 2. They are:

Jacob Austin: The 5-1 featherweight from Texas whose elbows make news anchors very uncomfortable.

Andrew Carrillo: The other 5-1 featherweight (and father-to-be) whose body of work includes a Shogun/Coleman-esque arm-snap.

Nick Newell: The 5-0 lightweight from Massachusetts who was into Bieber before any of you.

Andy Uhrich: The 7-3 welterweight/middleweight from Memphis who once TKO’d the dude who played Crockett on Miami Vice. Okay, not really.

So who will get a chance to score a multi-fight MMA contract and represent us at Shark Fights 19, September 10th in Independence, Missouri? Stay tuned and find out. (By the way, BG and possibly even ReX will be attending the event, so start making your travel plans now if you want to hang out with some of the CagePotato brain-trust in person. Tickets can be purchased here.)

We’ll be putting up more videos through the week and alerting you guys when there are updates. For now, check out the Final Four on the Proving Ground page, watch their fights and interviews, and use those Facebook “Like” buttons to show support for the fighters you like best. Thanks so much, and please follow Shark Fights on Facebook and Twitter!

By now, you may have already seen that video going around of Pat Barry kicking the stuffing out of our punch-machine at the UFC Fan Expo. When KLM Vending dropped off the machine at our booth, they gave us strict orders to not let any drunken tough-guy idiot try to kick the bag. But when HD Barry drops by and starts rolling his shorts up, you’re pretty much helpless to do anything except smile nervously and move out of the way.

Of course, Pat wasn’t the only one who was drawn to the punch-machine at the CagePotato.com Fan Expo booth. As VH and ReX already explained, we had a thick crowd of participants and gawkers all weekend, many of whom turned into hooked rubes who couldn’t stop pleading for "one more turn" on the thing. And my God did they take it seriously. So here’s our video tribute to their efforts, edited by Break Media’s Matty Sumida and soundtracked by Fort Minor. Enjoy, and we hope to see you guys at the next one…