If you still haven’t made it out out to the multiplex to see The Greatest MMA Movie Ever Filmed™, today might be your lucky day. Lionsgate just hooked us up with a box of Warrior-related goodies — free movie passes, Warrior t-shirts, and a copy of The Men of Warrior photo-book — and we’re going to unload it all in a Fight-Picking Fire Sale.

This Saturday, UFC Fight Night 25: Shields vs. Ellemberger goes down in New Orleans, featuring Jake Shields‘s battle against surging contender Jake Ellenberger, and Court McGee‘s return against South Korean middleweight prospect Dongi Yang. Submit your predictions for these two fights in the comments section below, including the winner’s name, the method of victory, and the time/round of stoppage, if any. Your entry should be in this format:

(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!

EMBED-Warrior: Music Video – Watch more free videos

Warrior hits theaters today — will it live up to its “serious MMA movie” hype? (I mean, I think it does, but everybody’s entitled to their own opinion, right?) Come back this afternoon for Nick Newell‘s review of the flick, which will challenge everything you know about film criticism.

(Rosenthal, you scene-stealing son-of-a-bitch.)

MMA history is littered with badass sets of brothers — the Nogueiras, the Shamrocks, the Ruffos — but we wouldn’t necessarily want to see them cage-fight to the death. There are, of course, a few exceptions to that rule. In honor of tomorrow’s release of Warrior, which features two estranged brothers who [SPOILER ALERT!] beat the crap out of each other at the end, we humbly present our top-five dream fights between bros. Enjoy…

Clay Guida vs. Jason Guida

With all the times that Jason has slapped his brother in the face before UFC fights, you’d think that Clay might want to give some of it back, just once. Sure, the Carpenter would be at a solid 50-pound weight disadvantage, but I think he’d take it by decision due to his pace and his wrestling. Besides, it’s been too long since we’ve had a good open-weight freak show fight in this country.

Patricio Freire vs. Patricky Freire

This is basically the 2011 version of “I wonder what would happen if Shogun and Ninja fought each other?” With a 17-1 record and a Bellator Season 4 tournament sweep to his credit, Patricio Pitbull is undoubtedly one of the greatest featherweights outside of the UFC. (Notable moments: His TKO of Georgi Karakhanyan and destruction of Wilson Reis.) Patricio’s lightweight brother Patricky is just as ferocious, as proven by his knockout of Rob McCullough and highlight-reel flying-knee against Toby Imada. Make it happen, Bjorn.

(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.

Warrior hits theaters this Friday, and as you already know, I thought it was a damn good time. Somehow, bjjireland was able to lurk behind the cameras during filming, and got some amazing footage of the movie-making process. For example, these behind-the-scenes videos highlight the fact that co-stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton did all their own stunts for the MMA fight scenes, and have the scars to prove it. Also, neither one of them is from the United States, and yet both of them did passable American accents, which is admirable in itself.

The never-before-seen footage continues after the jump, with director Gavin O’Connor helping his actors find their emotional motivation in the midst of a cage-fight. Very cool stuff.

(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!

The next hungry finalist in our Proving Ground competition is Andrew Carrillo, who sent us a two-part video package containing the closest thing to a celebrity endorsement we’ve seen so far. In part 1 (above), Andrew’s coaches and teammates talk about their experience training with him, and why the featherweight prospect would be a great fit in Shark Fights. Among the well-wishers is UFC veteran and Premier Combat Center co-owner Ryan Jensen, who had this to say:

“Andrew’s one of the hardest-working guys in the gym, he puts in 110% effort every single time, he’s always pushing the guys, and he’s always trying to help the guys that are less-talented than him learn as much as they can. He’s a huge asset to the gym, and I’m just glad he’s part of the team…He is a guy that came in to us with a lot of wrestling, he had a little bit of standup, and now he’s starting to really turn into a true mixed martial artist…Andrew deserves to win this contract because he’s put in the hard work, he’s in every single day, he gives 110, 120% every time he’s in, and he’s not gonna disappoint. He’s gonna bring it in the cage, and he’s gonna throw a good show for you guys and you’ll be impressed.”

After the jump: Part 2 of Carrillo’s finalist video, in which Andrew finally shows his face, and takes us through a rather intense-looking workout. Visit Andrew’s Proving Ground page to watch him kick ass in past fights, and click his Facebook “Like” button if you’d like to see him represent CagePotato.com at Shark Fights 19!

After being selected as one of the four finalists for our Proving Ground competition with Shark Fights, featherweight prospect Jacob Austin decided to film a video shouting out the Potato Nation and giving us a glimpse into his life. So what do we learn about Jacob? Well…

- He comes from a wrestling background and has been competing in MMA professionally since 2008.

- You know his gym is legit because it has an ice bath.

- Tim Kennedy beats him up on a regular basis.

- His dog Lucy seems way healthier than my dog.

Visit Jacob’s Proving Ground page to watch some of his past fights, and click his Facebook “Like” button if you dig what you see.

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!

(Andrew Carrillo def. Charlie DuBray via TKO [arm accidentally snapped in half], 1:05 of round 1)

The latest entry in our “Proving Ground” competition is Andrew Carrillo, a 5-1 featherweight (all wins via stoppage) fighting out of Omaha, Nebraska. After first learning the MMA ropes from LC Davis — who was Carrillo’s assistant wrestling coach at Pratt Community College — his new interest in the sport led him to the Premier Combat Center in Omaha, where he has trained alongside UFC vets including Ryan Jensen, Jake Ellenberger, Houston Alexander, Jason Brilz, and Chad Reiner.

“My career is at a perfect turning point, and I would love nothing more than to represent CagePotato.com in Shark Fights on September 10th,” Carrillo tells us. “I have a baby due in two weeks, and this would be the perfect situation for me and my family-to-be. I’m hungry, baby!”

Check out all of our Proving Ground hopefuls right here, and be sure to follow Shark Fights on Facebook and Twitter.

After the jump: Andrew Carrillo submits David Kalani in an amateur bout last August, plus a highlight reel that Carrillo made just for us.

Ladies and gentleman, the cage doors are now open.

In partnership with Shark Fights and Lionsgate, CagePotato is proud to announce the official launch of Proving Ground. More than just a contest, Proving Ground is a six-week quest to find a rising MMA star and follow his life and training as he approaches what could be a career-changing fight.

If you visit cagepotato.com/proving-ground, you’ll find our first batch of eight applicants; we invite you to watch their videos and get to know them. On August 15th, we’ll announce four finalists who we think best represent the CagePotato brand, featuring their bios and exclusive interviews/video blogs on the Proving Ground page. And with your help, we’ll select a single fighter out of those four — the “Proving Ground #1 Contender” — who will receive a three-fight contract with Shark Fights and make their debut at Shark Fights 19, September 10th in Independence, Missouri.

It’s no stretch to say that Warrior is the greatest MMA movie ever filmed, considering that its rivals for the title are Never Back Down 2 and the upcoming Paul Blart: Cage-Fighter. But even removed from its often-embarrassing peers, Warrior still holds its own as a great sports movie that succeeds by building itself on familiar sports movie hooks then subverting them whenever possible.

The film centers on a pair of estranged brothers, Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton) and Tommy Riordon (Tom Hardy), and their father Paddy (Nick Nolte) — a former abusive alcoholic who drove away his entire family and is playing out the rest of his life as a lonely, sober old man. When Tommy returns from Iraq following a stint in the Marines, he seeks out Paddy partly to exact some emotional revenge, and partly to ask his dad to help train him for ‘Sparta,’ a 16-man middleweight MMA grand prix that promises $5 million to the winner. (Tommy was a wrestling prodigy in high school, and its implied that his father was a Marv Marinovich-esque coach/maniac.)

Heads up, Potato Nation. CagePotato.com is looking for emerging MMA fighters for an online series called “Proving Ground.”

Starting on Monday, July 25th, we’ll be featuring up-and-coming pro fighters on our site, sharing their fight videos and bios. With the help of our readers, we’ll narrow down the entries to a handful of finalists before crowning one winner who we’ll help guide to the biggest fight of their life.

More important details will be announced soon, but the winner will likely be awarded a multi-fight contract with a nationally broadcast MMA promotion. Yes, this is a very big deal.

So, if you’re an unsigned MMA fighter who wants to break out of your local scene and take the first major step in your career, please e-mail ProvingGround@cagepotato.com with the following…