wrestling

(Props: BloodyElbow)

Maybe you've followed our coverage of Kyle Maynard's impending MMA debut — which goes down tomorrow at Auburn Fight Night, and can be seen live on KyleMaynardFight.com for $14.95 — but you don't have the whole story if you've never seen this man in action. We wanted to pass along the above clip of an appearance that Kyle did on Larry King Live a few years ago, which shows that yes, he can write his name (and type 50 words per minute), he has insane body control, and he can put you in a very painful keylock, if need be; the entire transcript of the interview can be found here. No matter what happens tomorrow night, we're pulling for him...

After the jump: The poster for Auburn Fight Night, which promises another special guest with a completely different handicap...

(Props: "Card" on the UG. Lots more robo-scraps here.)

Are you sitting down? Good — prepare to have your mind blown. When I started to watch this Japanese robot MMA video, I thought, okay, these little guys are going to throw haymakers until one of their heads pop up. I was not expecting the little gray one to duck the hook then shoot in for the single-leg takedown (1:01), then follow it up with a suplex (1:26). Classic striker vs. grappler battle here. Alright, so it gets a little sloppy after a while, but the PRIDE victory music makes up for it. Skip to 3:42 for another epic slam, and if you watch to end, you'll see that even in robot fights, the Japanese are fond of their freak shows.

(Here comes the pain...)

Cain Velasquez is a former All-American wrestler and undefeated MMA fighter who has yet to see what the second round looks like in his pro career.  This Saturday at UFC Fight Night 17 he faces Octagon newbie Denis Stojnic, and all indications are that Velasquez’s undefeated streak will still be intact on Sunday morning.  

In this exclusive interview, Velasquez talks with us about the choice of opponents, his transition from wrestling to MMA, and his thoughts on AKA’s recent dust-up with the UFC over the video game licensing deal.

CagePotato.com: You’re facing a guy who’s making his UFC debut in Denis Stojnic.  What do you know about him and how have you been preparing for him?

The only thing I know about him is from watching YouTube videos of him.  He’s an aggressive fighter, he throws some wild punches, and he’s an extremely tough dude.  I’m working on turning the corner, not really standing there and banging with him, but looking for shots from there for the takedown.

You’re 4-0 and beat a fairly established UFC fighter in Jake O’Brien your last time out.  Why do you think the UFC decided to put you up against a guy stepping into the Octagon for the first time?

I’m not really sure, but they did.  I’m glad they did because that’s just more ring time for me.  When I get up to the big guys, the big names, I’ll be more ready.

Brock Lesnar's segment on E:60 aired yesterday, and we learned a few things about the WWE-superstar turned UFC heavyweight contender. Namely:

— His childhood on a struggling dairy farm in Bumblefuck, South Dakota, inspired him to achieve something greater with his life.

— He's always liked beating the crap out of people. "Handling another human being and making him feel less than you is, I don't know, something that I got a thrill out of," Lesnar says.

— He never watched "a lick" of pro wrestling before he joined the WWE.

— Being a WWE champion takes its toll, both physically and emotionally. He wrestled for six months with a blown-out knee and three broken ribs, and lost two years of memories to vodka and pain pills, which he was basically addicted to.

— Bret "The Hitman" Hart looks scary-old.

— Steroids are a touchy subject for Lesnar, even though he's never taken them. When the interviewer starts asking him about his unnaturally large physique, Brock sees where the line of questioning is headed and storms off. "I have never failed a fucking drug test," he says later.

— Lesnar doesn't put much faith in Randy Couture's claim that he's stronger now than he was 10 years ago. "My ass, he is. I'm 31 and I'm not as strong as I was 10 years ago. That's a straight-up lie."

After the jump: E:60's full reporter/producer discussion on the Brock Lesnar story.

Gina Carano does her best to play down the various EliteXC controversies in this interview with Steve Cofield. They cover everything from her naked weigh-in (where maybe Jared Shaw tried to sneak a peek) to her very meager pay to the impending investigation into the Seth Petruzelli bonus fiasco to...wait a minute. Is that the national anthem playing in the background? Gina, did you carry on with the interview through the national fucking anthem? The goddamn Star-Spangled Banner!? Jesus, that's worse than wearing a hat during it! And you call yourself an American Gladiator.

But on a serious note, where I get confused is where Carano says she's actually happy that people know how little she made (1/20 of Kimbo's purse, as Cofield points out) because now they'll know she doesn't do this for money. Now, I'm no high-powered sports agent, but I have to think that maybe it's this attitude that's the problem. It's one thing to say you're not only in this for the money, but this is your career. It's not just about what you want; it's about what's fair. I'm sure there are plenty of up-and-coming women fighters who wish that you'd make this point to your employers a little more forcefully. Plus, maybe if you made more to fight you wouldn't have to do all this other shit on the side. Just saying.

Below, check out a clip from Randy Couture's perfectly coiffured days as a wrestler. An extra special bonus surprise awaits you after the jump. Props to MMA Scraps for the find(s).