Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/sports-vbookie/106483-nfl-denver-vs-cincinnati.html
Oleg Taktarov Jon Olav Einemo John Lewis Jeff Joslin Jay Silva
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Steelers vs. Giants: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread, Radio, Game Time and More
The Pittsburgh Steelers are finally playing quality football, and the New York Giants have won four games in a row.
Their matchup on Sunday will be one of the weekend’s most competitive games. Both teams carry playoff expectations, and both know what it takes to knock off a fellow contender.
Pittsburgh enters after a decisive win over the Washington Redskins in Week 8. The Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys in a white-knuckle thriller:
This is going to be a good one, folks. Let’s preview the matchup from top to bottom.
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
When: Sunday, November 4 at 4:25 p.m. ET
Watch: CBS
Radio: Steelers Radio, WFAN Fan 660 (Giants)
Live Stream: NFL.com Game Rewind; DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket (Subscriptions Required for Both)
Betting Line: Giants (-3), Over/Under 47.5, according to covers.com
Pittsburgh Injury Report (via USA Today)
S Ryan Clark—Concussion—Questionable
LB Brandon Johnson—Hamstring—Questionable
DT Alameda Ta'Amu—Suspension—Questionable
RB Rashard Mendenhall—Achilles—Questionable
C Maurkice Pouncey—Leg—Questionable
RB Isaac Redman—Knee—Questionable
T Marcus Gilbert—Ankle—Out Indefinitely
S Troy Polamalu—Calf—Out
G David DeCastro—Knee—Out
LB Sean Spence—Knee—Out
TE David Johnson—Knee—Out
NY Giants Injury Report (via USA Today)
RB Ahmad Bradshaw—Foot—Probable
WR Victor Cruz—Calf—Probable
DT Rocky Bernard—Quadricep—Probable
LB Chase Blackburn—Hamstring—Questionable
S Antrel Rolle—Head—Questionable
LB Jacquian Williams—Knee—Questionable
S Kenny Phillips—Knee—Questionable
S Will Hill—Suspension—Out
RB Da'Rel Scott—Knee—Injured Reserve
T Brandon Mosley—Ankle—Injured Reserve
DT Shaun Rogers—Leg—Injured Reserve
DB Terrell Thomas—Knee—Injured Reserve
What's at Stake?
The Giants aren’t in any danger of falling out of first place in the NFC East, but Pittsburgh can maintain its pace in the AFC North.
These teams are in two different positions right now. New York is red hot—taking advantage of a very inconsistent division while it’s at it. Pittsburgh is playing much better as of late and could catch Baltimore should the Ravens falter against the Browns on Sunday.
Either way, these are two proud franchises. Expect both teams to bring it on Sunday, as two playoff contenders usually do.
Fantasy Plays
Must Start: Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roethlisberger is playing extremely well this season, and he should have no trouble handling New York’s secondary.
Stevie Brown’s five interceptions could give Big Ben problems, but don’t expect it to make a difference. New York definitely has its strengths, but its 26th-ranked pass defense isn’t one of them.
Roethlisberger has plenty of weapons to work with, and he’s not turning the ball over this year. Expect the normal rash of screen passes, but Mike Wallace should be able to get free for a deep ball or two as well.
Expect a big day from Pittsburgh’s passing attack whether it wins or loses.
Sit 'Em: Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, New York Giants
Bradshaw is listed on the injury report, but he’d be a shaky play even if he weren’t. Putting him against the Steelers’ ninth-ranked run defense is risky. Pittsburgh pins its ears back, and it will force Manning to win the game through the air.
The Giants have enjoyed a much-improved ground game this season, but this isn’t a week to go with it, fantasy owners. Sitting Bradshaw is necessary unless you have no other options due to bye-week nightmares.
Pittsburgh rarely struggles to stop the run, and this year is no different. Look for Manning to throw the ball 30 to 40 times, taking the pressure off of Bradshaw’s ailing body.
Sleeper: Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Three weeks ago, calling Dwyer anything but a bum would have been crazy. Now, with two straight 100-plus-yard games under his belt, he’s an interesting play should he be able to go. Here is the latest from Chris Adamski of CBS Sports:
Dwyer has 229 rushing yards and has had consecutive 100-yard games -- the first time that's happened since Willie Parker in 2008. But he emerged from Sunday's 27-12 victory against Washington with a right quad strain.
'He is tentatively scheduled not to practice [Wednesday],' Tomlin said. 'He is being evaluated. Hopefully, Thursday will be a practice day for him.'
The Giants allow 113 rushing yards per game. It’s not like he’s facing a run-defending juggernaut. Pittsburgh will try to offset the Giants’ pass rush by giving him carries early, allowing him to wear down the Giants defensive line with his bulky frame.
This bodes well for fantasy owners. If you have him stashed on your bench normally, this might be a good week to start him. He’s proved himself capable of carrying a heavy workload in the past two weeks, and the Giants are vulnerable in this area.
What They Are Saying
Ben Roethlisberger had this to say to ESPN New York’s Kieran Darcy concerning the Giants defense:
They've got a crazy amount of turnovers, interceptions. I think that (credit) usually goes to the back end, the guys intercepting it, the DBs and stuff. But I think you have to give a lot of credit, and we're gonna give a lot of attention to, the front four -- and really the front six or seven that they rotate in and linebackers -- because they're the ones that create a lot of those turnovers with pressure on the quarterback.
In light of Hurricane Sandy, Bloomberg News’ Eben Novy-Williams reports that “New Jersey Transit may not run the train that brings 10,000 people to MetLife Stadium when the New York Giants host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 4 as it continues to assess damage from Hurricane Sandy.”
The game is still on, but attendance could be affected. Thankfully, things are not any worse than they already are.
Steelers Player to Watch: Will Allen, S
With Ryan Clark’s status in question and Troy Polamalu out, the Steelers need someone to step up at safety.
Enter veteran Will Allen. He’s played well so far this season, and he will be charged with quarterbacking the defensive backfield against Victor Cruz and Co.
Pittsburgh’s pass defense hasn’t taken a step back, even without Polamalu, but that could change at any time. New York has the weapons and the quarterback to make that change happen.
Allen isn’t ever going to be Polamalu, but he’s a smart player who plays sound in run support and pass coverage.
Giants Player to Watch: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE
Pierre-Paul is a physical specimen, and he can single-handedly demolish an offensive line. With 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown, the dynamic defensive end has made his mark already this season.
If you’re looking for someone who can hit Ben Roethlisberger and actually bring him down, this is your guy. He’s strong enough, fast enough and mean enough to do the job.
The Giants need a defensive difference-maker, and this is the guy. Pressuring Big Ben will play a major role in determining the outcome of this one.
Key Matchup: Eli Manning vs. Steelers Pass Defense
The Steelers are No. 2 in the NFL at stopping the pass, but Manning won’t be easy to slow down. He has a lot of weapons to work with on the outside, making his arm even more dangerous.
Pittsburgh only has 12 sacks this season. It’s not the Steelers’ normally dynamic pass rush, but teams must always be wary when Dick LeBeau is at the controls.
Manning has over 2,300 yards and 12 touchdowns this year, leading the league’s sixth-ranked passing attack. With Bradshaw hobbled, his role must be even bigger on Sunday.
The Steelers don’t have elite corners, but their physicality will challenge New York’s wideouts.
Prediction
Pittsburgh has enough to get it done in this one, but it’s going to be a nail-biter. Because of the Giants’ issues defensively, Roethlisberger will turn in a big day, and Dwyer could as well.
Expect Manning to struggle against the Steelers’ pass defense, allowing them to pin their ears back and attack.
Coming off two straight wins, the Steelers finally feel like themselves again. Beating the 6-2 Giants will take them one step further.
Pittsburgh 24, New York 20
Michael Bisping Marcelo Brito Wagnney Fabiano Johnnie Morton Randy The Natural Couture
Bellator FC 79: Thiago Santos vs Richard Hale
Image: http://www.tapology.com/system/headshot_images/8725/large/Thiago-Santos-hs.png?1331404315 Image:...
Elvis Sinosic Ron The Monster Sparks Marzagui Ayoub Brock Lesnar Scott Lighty
Stephan Bonnar calls it a career
After fighting UFC middleweight champ and all-around-tough-guy-to-fight Anderson Silva and losing, Stephan Bonnar is hanging up his open-fingered gloves. UFC president Dana White mentioned Bonnar's retirement during an online chat on Tuesday night, and...
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/stephan-bonnar-calls-career-191815903--mma.html
Gleison Tibau Pedro Rizzo Randy Couture Tony DeSouza Oleg Taktarov
5 Things Drastically Wrong Early on with L.A. Lakers
After a busy offseason that featured a trade for Dwight Howard and the signing of Steve Nash, the Lakers entered the 2012-13 season as strong contenders for an NBA championship. Yet, in losing 99-91 to the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks in last night's season opener, the team looked like anything but one of the elite.
Careless mistakes, poor free-throw shooting and a lack of on-court chemistry sunk the team from the second quarter and on.
Granted, this was the first game of the season after a winless preseason, and star guard Kobe Bryant started after not practicing for a week due to a strained and bruised foot, but that's not the point. This team now is deeper than it has been in years and should have taken the Mavs to school last night.
It's just one game and way too early for fans to be freaking out, especially given the fact that the Miami Heat lost the first game their Big Three played together. Still, the basketball the Lakers played last night is so unlike what we as fans have grown used to seeing from them that it's only natural that people are concerned.
Needless to say, coach Mike Brown needs to make some adjustments so that the season isn't prematurely labeled a disappointment.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1391243-5-things-drastically-wrong-early-on-with-la-lakers
Victor Valimaki Fedor Emelianenko Bao Ligao Mikey Burnett Antoine Jaoude
T.J. Dillashaw injured, Bryan Caraway in against Mike Easton at UFC on Fox 5
 |
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
There's been a shakeup to one of the more intriguing undercard bouts for the UFC on Fox 5 card this December, as T.J. Dillashaw has suffered an injury, taking him out of his scheduled bout against Mike Easton on the card.
In his place steps Dillashaw's fellow Ultimate Fighter 14 castmate Bryan Caraway, who will fight for the second time in the UFC's bantamweight division. The UFC announced the change on Tuesday.
Caraway is riding a three fight winning streak, including two straight inside the UFC. Following his time on TUF, Caraway submitted Dustin Neace at the Finale event. He then dropped to the bantamweight division, where he submitted Mitch Gagnon at UFC 149 in July.
Easton's won three straight inside the Octagon, most recently taking out Ivan Menjivar by decision in July at UFC 148. The win was his eighth straight overall, moving his career record to 13-1.
UFC on Fox 5 takes place on Dec. 8 in Seattle, headlined by a Lightweight Championship bout between Ben Henderson and Nate Diaz.
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14824.shtml
Daniel Lima Liu Jinwen Sean Salmon Kenny Florian Min Soo Kim
MMAWeekly Radio Tuesday: Tyrone Spong, Lance Palmer and Ky Hollenbeck
MMAWeekly Radio is back for Tuesday's edition of the big show with guests including Tyrone Spong, Lance Palmer and Ky Hollenbeck and more of the best debate in all of MMA.
Source: http://www.mmaweekly.com/mmaweekly-radio-tuesday-tyrone-spong-lance-palmer-and-ky-hollenbeck
Don Barr Jon Jones Kiyoshi Tamura Mike Van Arsdale Sam Hoger
Conditioning and Strength Training
Conditioning, one of the most important aspects of your training. Strength, everyone needs it. Discuss what works for you?
Statistics : 104 Topics || 1803 Posts Last post by Berserker jr
Statistics : 104 Topics || 1803 Posts Last post by Berserker jr
Source: http://www.mmalinker.com/forum/conditioning-and-strength-training-f105.html
Caol Uno Sean Sherk Renato Babalu Sobral Yoshihiro Takayama Houston Alexander
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Linker Get-Together
Wanna meet up with your Linker pals to watch some MMA? Or how about for a friendly training session? Even just for a beer or two? Well now you can.
Statistics : 34 Topics || 181 Posts Last post by Funme7al
Statistics : 34 Topics || 181 Posts Last post by Funme7al
Source: http://www.mmalinker.com/forum/linker-get-together-f160.html
Kultar Gill Valentijn Overeem Jake O Brien Dos Caras Jr Anthony Pettis
MMALinker - News
Latest news from MMALinker
An MMA community for the fans, by the fans.
An MMA community for the fans, by the fans.
Source: http://www.mmalinker.com/forum/
Lyoto Machida Luciano Azevedo Mike Kyle Daiki DJ taiki Hata Caol Uno
Josh Koscheck wants to fight Nick Diaz on Super Bowl weekend 2013
 |
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Josh Koscheck is expecting to return in early 2013 after an injury took him out of a bout against Jake Ellenberger planned for UFC 151. He gave a few names recently that he'd like to square off against, and on Sunday he tried to move things further towards one bout in particular.
"I'd like to fight before February, but Cesar [Gracie] is calling for me [to] fight [Nick] Diaz in February Super Bowl weekend," Koscheck wrote. "What you guys think? I am down! Don't be scared homie."
The UFC's Super Bowl weekend event is expected for Feb. 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unfortunately for the idea of this fight, Diaz isn't eligible for licensure until his suspension expires on Feb. 4. Unless his suspension is overturned in court in a case that's currently pending, Diaz will not be available for the Super Bowl weekend event.
Penick's Analysis: It wouldn't be the first time Koscheck's used Twitter to try to get himself into a bout. He attempted to set up a fight with B.J. Penn that way, only to have Penn turn him down and take a fight with Rory MacDonald, and though he says it's Cesar Gracie calling for him to fight Diaz, it's not clear when and where that challenge was laid out. Still, it's not a fight that can happen on Super Bowl weekend right now, so until something changes with Diaz's status there's nothing here.
[Josh Koscheck art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14814.shtml
Murilo Ninja Rua Frank Shamrock Gilbert Yvel Tom Howard Takeshi Inoue
Following Disappointing MFC Run, Brian Cobb Starts Anew at World Series of Fighting
Following a disappointing run in the MFC, Brian Cobb is ready to try his hand at the new World Series of Fighting.
Shane Carwin Mike Nickels Rashad Evans Keith Hackney Kultar Gill
Baltimore Ravens Progress Report: Where Do Things Stand Headed into Week 9?
The Baltimore Ravens had a sorely-needed bye week in Week 8, buying them some time to fix the many issues that have been plaguing them over the first half of the season. From a seeming inability to stop the run to quarterback Joe Flacco looking shaky on the road and all manners of problems in between, seven days isn't a lot of time to turn around what ails them.
However, it's more time than they would have had otherwise. With just 16 games guaranteed every NFL team every season, things seem to fly by. A week to step away, evaluate the situation and make changes—and just to rest—could do a lot to set things right in Baltimore.
Let's take a closer look at what the Ravens need to focus on in the second half of the season. At 5-2, Baltimore has the lead in the AFC North; here's how it can keep it.
Health Concerns, Depth Concerns
A number of key Ravens positions have been decimated by injuries this year. Linebacker Terrell Suggs is just one game back from his offseason Achilles' tendon tear, Ray Lewis is done for the season with a torn triceps and cornerback Lardarius Webb is also out for the year with a torn ACL.
Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is also dealing with an MCL sprain that the Ravens are hoping does not get worse before it gets better.
They cannot afford to lose yet another one of their defensive stars, especially considering the myriad problems they are having on that side of the ball. The week away from the field should have helped his healing, but with a sprain literally being a partial tear, he'll still need to keep the knee stabilized for the remainder of the season.
The Ravens are in a precarious position in the AFC North. Though they lead the division with a 5-2 record, the Pittsburgh Steelers are fast on their heels. More injuries to their starters would make it that much harder for them to maintain their lead, especially with three divisional contests in the next five weeks.
After eight weeks, no team in the NFL is healthy—there are merely degrees of health. In that sense, the Ravens are in no different a boat than the other 31 squads in the league. However, with the season that Baltimore has had—even when Lewis, Ngata and Webb were completely healthy—losing any more players will bring added stress to a team that is stretched extremely thin.
It wouldn't be as big of an issue if the Ravens' depth, particularly at defense, was stronger. At linebacker, Baltimore has amassed a number of pass-rushers, but it has few who specialize at stopping the run. It's why Baltimore has found itself near the very bottom in terms of rushing yards allowed per game, and it was a problem it had before the injuries started piling up.
The Ravens aren't likely to make any moves prior to Thursday's trade deadline, but that doesn't mean they won't make some changes. They'll need to take a more rotational, situational approach to their defensive front seven to help put them in a better position to stop the run. And no matter who is on the field, a greater attention to tackling will go a long way.
Paul Kruger has the worst tackling efficiency among 3-4 outside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus, and ranks 10th against the run. Jameel McClain is the league's worst run-stopping inside backer and ranks 24th out of 36 in tackling. If just these two linebackers could get their hands on running backs, it would do a lot to help the Ravens' ability to stop the run. A renewed focus on this most basic of football fundamentals hopefully comprised much of the team's bye week work.
Remember Ray Rice?
Ray Rice is rated third overall among running backs by Pro Football Focus, but of his 390 snaps, only 109 have come in obvious running situations—177 are in passing downs, and the remainder are split between run and pass blocking.
On those 109 run-play snaps, 106 of them have been carries by Rice, for a total of 524 yards, 273 yards after contact and five touchdowns. He's played the fourth-most snaps of any back in the league but has the 20th-most rushing attempts, a baffling disparity considering his talent. Now that the second half of the season is here, the Ravens must get Rice and the run game more involved in their offensive game plans.
It's one thing if the Ravens are stuck playing from significantly behind, as they were in Week 7 against the Houston Texans, but even in that scenario, head coach John Harbaugh said they turned away from the run too soon. With the defense struggling, the offense has had to carry more weight, with the majority of that responsibility falling to quarterback Joe Flacco.
This has produced mixed results. On one hand, Flacco's week-to-week numbers are more consistent this season than in the last, but on the other, he's still having some significant issues that only become magnified when asked to carry the team on his shoulders.
Flacco ranks just 30th in the league in accuracy as well as in passing under pressure, and he's 18th when it comes to completions of 20 or more yards all while throwing the 16th-most passes of any quarterback thus far. Most disconcerting of all is the fact that Flacco has the ninth-most play-action pass attempts in the league, but ranks 28th in play-action completions.
This further magnifies just how much the Ravens must run more in the second half of the season. It's not to set up play-action, where Flacco is weak—it's to simply have Flacco pass less, period. Running the ball more will also keep Baltimore's offense on the field longer. It is last in the league in time of possession, making every on-field appearance for its offense that much more urgent.
More carries for Rice will up its time of possession while still yielding the desired results. Rice is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, more than enough yards to warrant more running. If he was averaging 2.3 yards per carry, it would make sense that the Ravens would elect to pass more, but with production like that, it's clear he needs the ball in his hands more often.
As a receiver, Rice can also help Flacco. Of the 39 passes thrown his way, he's caught 29 of them for 245 yards. The Ravens needed to turn away from Rice being their most-targeted receiver, and they've succeeded at that, but in pressure situations, Flacco needs to check down to his back more often. Anything the Ravens can do to extend drives without forcing Flacco to throw it deep, play after play, the more it will help their offensive bottom line.
What's Next: The Cleveland Browns
A passing glance at the respective win-loss records of the Ravens and their Week 9 opponent, the Cleveland Browns, and it seems like the outcome of this game is easy to predict. At 5-2, the Ravens look like the strong AFC North contender they've been year after year, while at 2-6, the Browns are again in the league's basement.
To look at it that way wouldn't be fair to the more nuanced aspects of this matchup. The Browns have won two of their last three games, the first win a shootout against the Cincinnati Bengals and the second a defensively-strong, run-heavy, low-scoring affair against the San Diego Chargers in poor weather conditions.
The Ravens, on the other hand, are in triage mode after numerous injuries to important defenders and a season-long inability to effectively stop the run, rush the passer and, to a lesser but very real extent, keep pass games at bay.
It helps significantly that Baltimore is coming off of its bye, but it is facing the Browns in Cleveland, where the home team has a decided advantage. Further, this isn't the same Cleveland team the Ravens faced in Week 4.
The Browns managed to hang around in that game, but ultimately fell 23-16. Since that time, rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden has improved his accuracy, his ability to make fewer mistakes under pressure and hasn't turned the ball over in the past two weeks. Running back Trent Richardson had his best game of the season thus far in Week 8, with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown, and a receiving corps that was once a liability seems to have found its identity.
It won't be an easy out for the Ravens. Terrell Suggs will need to bring heavy pressure on Weeden, while the defense as a whole will have to keep Richardson under control. On offense, Flacco must be mindful to not take too many risks—Cleveland's secondary is rife with talent, not limited to cornerback Joe Haden.
Baltimore cannot go into this game assuming the Browns are an easy out, or else it could find itself upset in an extremely important divisional contest. The Ravens must play strongly off of their bye week and not repeat the same mistakes they made two weeks ago against the Texans. The Browns aren't the Texans, no, but any opponent could capitalize on Baltimore's errors the way Houston did, so the key is to limit the flaws and again work to improve its run-stopping ability.
Sean O Haire Victor Valimaki Fedor Emelianenko Bao Ligao Mikey Burnett
Conditioning and Strength Training
Conditioning, one of the most important aspects of your training. Strength, everyone needs it. Discuss what works for you?
Statistics : 103 Topics || 1802 Posts Last post by Fearless6691
Statistics : 103 Topics || 1802 Posts Last post by Fearless6691
Source: http://www.mmalinker.com/forum/conditioning-and-strength-training-f105.html
Stand Up
Punch, jab, and combinations. MMA standup technique. What works for you?
Statistics : 206 Topics || 2287 Posts Last post by detfilteg
Statistics : 206 Topics || 2287 Posts Last post by detfilteg
carwin was jds toughest fight for sure
lets face it he beat a skinny carwin via a gsp jab-n-run gameplan. carwin was jus there in the pocket wanting to exchange with him but all dos santos...
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/106432-carwin-jds-toughest-fight-sure.html
Yoshihiro Takayama Houston Alexander Sean Sherk Cain Velasquez B J Penn
WWE 13 Review: Gameplay Impressions, Roster and Features for Hit Wrestling Game
The pre-release hoopla is done. WWE 13 was released at midnight all over the United States. WWE fanatics that pre-ordered the game have probably already played countless matches, created tons of custom content, and submerged themselves in all things WWE games over the last few hours.
Yes, the release of this game is that big of a deal.
For wrestling/gaming fans, this is equivalent to a Madden, FIFA or NBA 2K release. I've been playing the game for about four days. I've analyzed every nook and cranny in an attempt to craft an in-depth analysis of the game.
There are tons to explore here, and plenty to see. I really needed four days—and possibly more—to touch on everything in the game. What I offer you in the next five detailed slides doesn't equate to spoilers for in-game storylines, so no need to worry about that.
However, when you're done reading, watching the videos, and scanning over the exclusive screenshots included, you'll be equipped to make a decision on your feelings for this game.
That is, if you haven't already copped it.
Here's my take on WWE 13.
(All images and videos from WWE 13 by THQ)
Antônio Rogério Nogueira Maurice Mo Smith Yoshiyuki Yoshida Ivan Titenkov Clay Guida
How would the world look like ?
If god had decided instead of making it like it is making an amount of people who are all at the same age. dont reproduce. and are immortal. and dont...
Source: http://forums.ufc.production.sparkart.net/showthread.php?t=128923&goto=newpost
Wang Guan Robert Berry Aldrin de Jesus Karl James Noons Josh Barnett
K1 Kickboxing and Boxing
Kickboxing and boxing talk only
Statistics : 3009 Topics || 26752 Posts Last post by BestWayKilla
Statistics : 3009 Topics || 26752 Posts Last post by BestWayKilla
Source: http://www.mmalinker.com/forum/k1-kickboxing-and-boxing-f6.html
Siyar Bahadurzada Wes Soldier Combs Glover Teixeira Jan Nortje Karo Parisyan
Breaking Down the Many Faces of the New England Patriots Running Game
The New England Patriots have successfully integrated four running backs into their offense in 2012. All of them have scored multiple touchdowns during the first half of the season as runners or receivers.
By sheer volume of plays, there is enough work to go around for plenty of players to get stats. New England has run 91 more plays (613) than any other team in the NFL this season.
The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets are tied for second with 522.
Yet, the Patriots lead the NFL by just three attempts on third down (117; the Jets have 114) and boast the second-best third-down conversion percentage (49; the Pittsburgh Steelers converted 52) when they do get to those situations.
Unsurprisingly, New England’s offense is the highest scoring unit in the NFL—this machine is humming.
Brandon Bolden, Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and Danny Woodhead have all contributed to the Patriots offense with their respective allotment of touches.
Here’s a look at their individual numbers.
Rolles Gracie Kerry Schall Cheick Kongo Travis Lutter Tom Murphy
Monday, October 29, 2012
If the UFC Decided to Make Another TUF Comeback Season, Who Would You Want in it?
Which weightclasses would you guys prefer as well?
Denis Kang Fabiano Scherner Phillipe Noer Eddy Rolon Rey Phillip Santos
UFC Fighters Donald Cerrone and Mike Pyle Take Some PBR Riders to School (Video)
Colby Yates, Brendon Clark, and Ross Coleman of PBR go through some MMA training and sparring with Donald Cerrone and Mike Pyle.
Anderson Silva Tokimitsu Ishizawa Masakatsu Funaki Fabricio Werdum Harold Howard
Jeff Blatnick, former Olympic Gold medalist and prominent MMA figure, dies due to complications from heart surgery
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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Very sad news in the world of MMA on Wednesday, as former Olympic Gold medalist, UFC commentator, and prominent MMA judge Jeff Blatnick passed away due to complications from heart surgery at the age of 55. WYNT in Albany, New York was the first to report news of his passing.
Blatnick won the Gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling back in 1984, just two years after being diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. Blatnick bested cancer before competing in the Olympics, and took home the Gold.
From the mid 1990s to the early 2000s, Blatnick served as a commentator for the UFC under the previous owners, Semaphore Entertainment Group. He had that role from UFC 4 up until UFC 32. He was instrumental in bringing about the Mixed Martial Arts Council Manual, a rule set for the sport of MMA that would be followed by the now official Unified Rules of Mixed Martial arts. Following that, Blatnick served as an MMA judge and referee, and was one of the most well-respected judges working in the sport.
The UFC released a statement on Wednesday following news of his death, which you can read below:
"The UFC sends its sincerest condolences to the family and friends of former commentator and judge Jeff Blatnick, who passed away Wednesday after complications following heart surgery. He was 55.
A 1984 Olympic Gold medal winner in Greco-Roman wrestling AFTER battling cancer, Blatnick was a pioneering force in mixed martial arts who introduced countless people to the sport as a UFC commentator from UFC 4 through 32. Blatnick also worked closely with athletic commissions regarding the sport he loved, and he would later serve as an MMA judge, even working several UFC events. His presence around the Octagon and in the sport will be sorely missed.
Blatnick is survived by a wife and two children.
Penick's Analysis: This is very sad news indeed. Blatnick played a very big and very real part in bringing the sport to where it is today. He was one of the most consistent and knowledgeable judges in the sport, and his unexpected passing has saddened the MMA community immensely today. We here at MMATorch also express our sincere condolences to his family today, and wish them the very best in the wake of this news.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14779.shtml
Jason Lambert Ronaldo de Souza Shane Carwin Mike Nickels Rashad Evans
JDS, 'He Is Pretty Good On His Feet, But...'
---Quote---
BURBANK, Calif. -- As someone who nearly had to decline the biggest opportunity of his professional life, Junior dos Santos can...
BURBANK, Calif. -- As someone who nearly had to decline the biggest opportunity of his professional life, Junior dos Santos can...
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/ufc/106423-jds-he-pretty-good-his-feet-but.html
Daniel Puder Brock Lesnar Kenichi Yamamoto Andrei Arlovski Ken Shamrock
UFC 154: Georges St-Pierre on criticism of him not finishing fights - "I agree"
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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
As Georges St-Pierre gets set to make his return to action next month at UFC 154, he's addressing past criticisms of his fighting style. The long-reigning 170 lb. champ hasn't stopped an opponent since forcing B.J. Penn's corner to throw in the towel after four rounds in 2009, and that was the only stoppage of his current reign outside of the fight in which he recaptured the belt from Matt Serra.
But St-Pierre's not blind to the perception of his style in recent years, and as he nears the bout with Carlos Condit, he's very aware of the issue.
"I agree with the criticism [regarding not stopping enough fights]," St-Pierre said in an interview with the New York Post on Wednesday. "I want to do better. I want to give more entertainment to the fans... I've been training to jump more on opportunites that are open to me. I'm still gonna fight my fight, but I'm going to be more opportunistic."
Of course, it seems every interview for St-Pierre has to feature some comment on Anderson Silva, and it's a topic St-Pierre is getting tired of addressing as he tries to concentrate on Condit.
"I hate that," St-Pierre said. "They talk to me about the next fight and I'm not there. Like I'm supposed to win easy, like it's a joke. Carlos Condit is a dangerous guy. I always respect my opponent. My life is on the line."
"I don't know [about that fight]. I haven?t thought about it. I know he's a big guy. I have to sit down and analyze it."
Penick's Analysis: Finding a moment to capitalize on may be difficult against Condit. The Interim Welterweight Champion is as tough as they come, and has survived some really bad spots throughout his career. He's durable, hard to finish, and just as dangerous on the ground as he is on his feet. This is going to be a very difficult fight for both competitors, and that makes it a fantastic championship bout.
[GSP art by Travis Beaven (c) MMATorch.com]
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14786.shtml
Umer W Chheena Thiago Alves Anthony Torres Chris Lytle Kristian Rothaermel
British MMA: A Free-to-Air Fight Fest for Cage Contender Fans
British MMA is on the agenda once again, and with the help of Premier Sports’ free-to-air weekend, we’re going back in time a week or so to the King’s Hall in Belfast for Cage Contender 15.
Cage Contender 15 was shown this past Saturday night in two parts, with part one concentrated on the preliminaries. The first three fights were amateur encounters, fought over three three-minute rounds, beginning with Gerard Gilmore against Conor White in the welterweight division.
This certainly proved to be an action-packed opener. They began with a couple of exchanges, and it was apparent from these that White was the more technical striker.
This was more evident when White began to connect with a series of knees in the Thai clinch, a sequence that caused Gilmore no end of trouble, particularly in the first round.
Everything White did just looked so good, from his striking to his ground work, and he came close to ending the fight on a couple of occasions towards the end of the first and second rounds, but as the old saying goes, Gilmore was saved by the bell.
Sadly, the only thing missing from this fight was a finish, which meant a bit of work for the judges as they gave everything to White.
Then it was down to flyweight as Paddy Copeland took on Darren Watkins.
Copeland put in a dominating performance in this one, taking the fight to the ground early on and controlling the action from there. Watkins briefly went for a gogoplata, but Copeland quickly moved to side control so he could deliver a largely unanswered display of ground and pound.
The end came in the second round. Copeland scored with another early takedown before quickly transitioning to his man’s back so he could lock in a rear naked choke for the submission win.
The flyweight action continued as Daniel Thompson took on Karl McNally.
This one lasted just over a minute. The action quickly went to the ground, and as soon as they arrived there, McNally went looking for a choke with a power guillotine attempt. When that didn’t work, he switched over to a regular guillotine, which Thompson quickly tapped out to.
The professional fights began with bantamweight action between Stevie Kilbin and Luke O’Neill.
This one lasted under a minute. After the initial feeling out period, Kilbin took the fight to the ground. A brief moment of grappling followed as they both went for submissions before Kilbin applied a heel hook for the submission win.
Middleweight action followed as Ronan McKay faced Rich Gorey.
This was a very enjoyable encounter. We had a brief feeling out period at the beginning before Gorey scored with the takedown. However, McKay soon reversed the positions, going on to dominate the rest of the round with some sound grappling, and although Gorey went looking for a kimura at one point, McKay didn’t look like he was in any danger.
It was the same story in the second round as McKay dominated on the ground again. It looked like he was going to get the win with a rear naked choke at one point until Gorey managed to escape.
It appeared all over again a few moments later when McKay took the high mount looking for some ground and pound.
Things began to look up for Gorey when he managed to reverse the positions, but that proved to be a bad move on his part as McKay locked in a triangle choke for the highly impressive submission win.
The main show began with bantamweight action between Steve McCombe and Barry McGuigan. (No, not that one!)
We had quite an extensive feeling out period in this one, and it wasn’t until nearly two minutes into the fight when the action really got going as McCombe scored with the takedown.
It was then that McGuigan played the part of the spoiler perfectly, showing sound defensive skills from the bottom. Whenever McCombe moved from half guard to full guard, McGuigan nearly always managed to put him back in his original position, basically shutting McCombe down and stopping him from doing anything meaningful.
After the referee stood the fighters up, McGuigan quickly scored with a takedown of his own. It proved to be the beginning of the end for him though, as McCombe immediately locked in a guillotine with McGuigan tapping out just three seconds from the end of the first round.
Then it was up to featherweight with Ricky Edgeworth taking on Alan Philpott.
His was another one that lasted less then a minute. They began by swinging for the fences before a slip from Philpott saw Edgeworth follow him down to the ground.
Philpott quickly went to work with the submission attempts, going for various holds before synching in a triangle for the submission win.
Championship action followed as Arni Isaksson faced Wayne Murrie for the interim welterweight title.
This proverbial game of two halves saw Murrie putting in a sound performance in the first round. A series of kicks reddened the Icelander’s thigh early on, and whenever Isaksson went for a takedown from the clinch against the cage, Murrie showed sound defensive skills.
When the second round began, though, it was an entirely different story. Isaksson began to look the better striker of the two, and it seemed as if he’d abandoned his plan to take the fight to the ground, as his crisp striking rocked Murrie on more than one occasion.
Murrie tried to counter with a takedown at one point, but it wasn’t long before Isaksson was swinging again, a big right sending Murrie crashing. Isaksson followed him down for a spot of ground and pound before the referee stepped in to give Isaksson the TKO win.
The final fight of the show featured middleweight action, as Conor Cooke went up against former UFC star Ross Pointon.
To say that this fight was action packed would be an understatement. As soon as the bell sounded, these two went at it full pelt, and it made for an amazing spectacle.
This was one of those fast-paced back-and-forth encounters you couldn’t take your eyes off in case you missed something.
First, Pointon had some success with a couple of submission attempts, then Cooke would come back into it with his striking, and then Pointon would counter with more grappling.
It was as if the action was going round in cycles until Cooke began to unload with the heavy leather for the final time. Pointon was against the fence on rubber legs when Cooke connected with a right kick to the head. Pointon crashed to the ground like a sack of spuds as the referee quickly stepped in to give Cooke the TKO win.
In conclusion, it’s been a while since I’ve seen any Cage Contender show, mainly because I don’t subscribe to Premier Sports and they’ve hardly appeared on Sky Sports. I was glad I caught this show, though.
The amateur bouts were all quite impressive, and the performances from those involved showed that they’ve all got bright futures ahead of them.
As for the professionals, they certainly delivered big time. There were some excellent fights there— encounters that could easily have graced the bigger stages in the MMA world—and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of those fighters on those stages in the future.
As for my fight of the night, it was a close call going into the final fight, but then Cooke and Pointon gave us one of the best fights outside of the UFC I’ve seen this year. Giving them my No. 1 prize was kind of a no brainer.
So, with that being said, it’s time to wrap this review up by giving Cage Contender 15 the thumbs up.
Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedreview.blogspot.com. It’s been online in one form or another for over 12 years now!
Wes Soldier Combs Glover Teixeira Jan Nortje Karo Parisyan Roberto Traven
Is Bellator really a close #2 to the UFC?
now let me say upfront that bellator puts on great fights, but really how close are they to the UFC?
i thought that twitter may decide for us.
Dana white 2,276,109
bjorn rebney 8,937
HW:
JDS 425,703
cole konrad 986
Frank mir 167,972
thiago santos 461
LHW:
jon jones 493,990
M'pumbu 303
shogun rua 433,705
King mo 27,942
Rampage 359,348
MW:
anderson 2,714,102
storm schlemko 1,011
chael sonnen 248,435
miquel falco 1,942
vitor belfort 663,418
WW:
GSP 515,518
ben askren 11,558
bj penn 252,793
ben saunders 14,920
Kos 152,347
LW:
ben henderson 77,157
michael chandler 15,696
nate diaz 138,603
eddie alvarez 2,966
FW:
jose aldo 147,025
pat curran 3,032
frankie edgar 230,914
BW:
dominick cruz 66,384
eduardo dantas 2,124
discuss.
i thought that twitter may decide for us.
Dana white 2,276,109
bjorn rebney 8,937
HW:
JDS 425,703
cole konrad 986
Frank mir 167,972
thiago santos 461
LHW:
jon jones 493,990
M'pumbu 303
shogun rua 433,705
King mo 27,942
Rampage 359,348
MW:
anderson 2,714,102
storm schlemko 1,011
chael sonnen 248,435
miquel falco 1,942
vitor belfort 663,418
WW:
GSP 515,518
ben askren 11,558
bj penn 252,793
ben saunders 14,920
Kos 152,347
LW:
ben henderson 77,157
michael chandler 15,696
nate diaz 138,603
eddie alvarez 2,966
FW:
jose aldo 147,025
pat curran 3,032
frankie edgar 230,914
BW:
dominick cruz 66,384
eduardo dantas 2,124
discuss.
Source: http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f44/bellator-really-close-2-ufc-2247255/
Kazuyuki Fujita Tim Sylvia Jung Chan Sung Antônio Rogério Nogueira Maurice Mo Smith
CFB: Texas vs Texas Tech
Image: http://gundyslettuce.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/techstadium.jpg
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/sports-vbookie/106410-cfb-texas-vs-texas-tech.html
Antônio Rogério Nogueira Maurice Mo Smith Yoshiyuki Yoshida Ivan Titenkov Clay Guida
Oi, Me_Against_The_World...
How'd you get on in your fight bro?
InB4ModChangesTitleOutOfPureHatredForMe
InB4ModChangesTitleOutOfPureHatredForMe
Source: http://forums.ufc.production.sparkart.net/showthread.php?t=128874&goto=newpost
Patrick The Predator Côté Chris The Pitbull Myra Rani Yahya Daniel Lima Liu Jinwen
CFB: Alabama vs LSU
Image: http://www.renegadebs.com/miscjunk/LSU-Tiger-Stadium-Night.jpg
Source: http://www.mmaforum.com/sports-vbookie/106412-cfb-alabama-vs-lsu.html
Yoshihiro Takayama Houston Alexander Sean Sherk Cain Velasquez B J Penn
Rampage Jackson wants Forrest Griffin bout, says UFC matchmaker Joe Silva "can't match shoes"
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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
"Give me Forrest, why they won't give me Forrest? The fans think we get to choose who we fight. I'm calling my manager right now. I told Dana I would fight Forrest and Glover the same night. [Forrest Griffin vs. Phil Davis] is gonna be a boring fight! No disrespect to anybody but that's gonna be a boring fight. I'm sorry. This is why I'm leaving the UFC, I don't understand what Joe Silva is doing. You know what I'm saying? Joe Silva have a complex, something's wrong with him, the guy can't match shoes. What kind of matchmaker is this guy? What is he thinking? Give me Forrest! Everybody want that, that will sell, everybody want to see me and Forrest again. Everyone wants to see that but Forrest. Forrest don't want to fight me again because Forrest knows I beat him the first time. He know it, the whole world know it. The only people that think Forrest beat me are haters."
-Rampage Jackson talks to Bas Rutten on AXS TV's Inside MMA regarding his frustration with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and wanting to fight Forrest Griffin once more (transcribed by MMAMania.com).
Penick's Analysis: If you were still surprised that there's tension between Rampage and the UFC, this is a very clear example of the issues between the two sides. Jackson in one breath wants favors from the UFC, then bashes them in the next. With one fight left on his contract, the UFC isn't going to give him a favorable matchup, and they aren't inclined to give him what he wants either. There's nothing in it for the UFC if they book Rampage vs. Forrest II. If he defeats Griffin and walks away it only benefits him. At least with the Phil Davis fight a win for Davis boosts him up the rankings for the UFC. There's something to gain for the organization, and nothing to gain for them with Rampage at this stage.
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14794.shtml
Marcelo Brito Wagnney Fabiano Johnnie Morton Randy The Natural Couture Royler Gracie
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Cung Le says he's going into "biggest fight" of his career against Rich Franklin at 80%
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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The UFC hits Fuel TV in less than two weeks with their first event in China, headlined by a bout between former Strikeforce Champ Cung Le and former UFC Champ Rich Franklin. Le made his UFC debut last November, losing to Wanderlei Silva in an action-packed fight. Though he lost that bout, he returned to action earlier this year, scoring a decision win over Patrick Cote at UFC 148.
Le feels like he had a lot of doubters regarding his future in the UFC after his bout with Silva. However, he's been given a major opportunity after his first UFC win, with another former UFC Champion standing across from him.
"A lot of people thought after I fought Wanderlei [Silva] I was going to be done," Le said in an interview with Ariel Helwani on Monday's The MMA Hour. "But look at me now: two fights into my contract and I'm getting ready to fight the biggest fight of my life against Rich Franklin. It doesn't get any better than this. It's like a dream come true for me."
That "dream come true" comes in China, an opportunity Le could not pass up. However, that also means he's coming into the fight less than 100%. Le said he's been battling a foot injury, which will hinder him into the fight, but it was something he couldn't walk away from.
"Definitely if this fight wasn't in Macau, China, even if I was in a main event somewhere else, I'd give myself the right amount of time so my foot could really heal... I feel like martial arts basically started from China and my roots are the Chinese martial arts."
"This is why I do it. I could just be doing movies, but I love to compete. I love to train martial arts. This is what I love to do. Here's my opportunity. To do it in China, it's awesome."
Penick's Analysis: It's obviously not advisable to fight injured, though many fighters do quite often, and hopefully that doesn't render him totally ineffective in the fight against Franklin. It should be an entertaining fight, and having a chance to fight in China is something he didn't want to pass up. That's entirely understandable. Hopefully he's still able to put together a solid performance win or lose on Nov. 10, otherwise the decision to fight will be a mistake in retrospect. But if he can still do what he needs to do to put on a good fight, he may give himself a chance to win, and that's really all that matters.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14809.shtml
Jake O Brien Dos Caras Jr Anthony Pettis Hector Ramirez Murilo Ninja Rua
Hades hath truly frozen over!
*The Des Moines Register, the left-of-center and most influential newspaper in Iowa that endorsed President Barack Obama in 2008, endorsed Mitt...
Source: http://forums.ufc.production.sparkart.net/showthread.php?t=128841&goto=newpost
Takeshi Inoue Nam Phan Jordan Radev Logan The Pink Pounder Clark Martinsh Egle
The Latest Update On Maryse & Her Recovery Time
Maryse stated on her official website Saturday night that she has recovered from her abdominal hernia surgery on August 24.
“I met with my surgeon today and she said everything is perfect,” she wrote. “There’s a little bit of fluid inside by the incision and where the repairs were done, but its totally normal apparently. The scar healed really good and there is no infection. So the surgery was a total success. I’m sooooooo happy!!!”
The former WWE Divas Champion last competed on the July 25 episode of RAW. She was advertised ...
“I met with my surgeon today and she said everything is perfect,” she wrote. “There’s a little bit of fluid inside by the incision and where the repairs were done, but its totally normal apparently. The scar healed really good and there is no infection. So the surgery was a total success. I’m sooooooo happy!!!”
The former WWE Divas Champion last competed on the July 25 episode of RAW. She was advertised ...
Source: http://www.ifight365.com/2011/09/the-latest-update-on-maryse-her-recovery-time/
Gegard Mousasi Dennis Siver Leonardo Lucio Nascimento Matt Hughes Nick Serra
BELLATOR 78 LIVE RESULTS: Hansen's round by round coverage of welterweight semifinals
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By: Rich Hansen, MMA Torch Columnist
BELLATOR 78
OCTOBER 26, 2012
LIVE FROM DAYTON, OHIO
Finalists for Bellator's seventh season welterweight will be determined tonight, as the semifinals in the 170 lb. division will head up a four fight main card on MTV2 from Dayton, Ohio. Additionally, a featherweight feature bout will see waiting title challenger Daniel Straus take on UFC vet Alvin Robinson, and middleweights Brian Rogers and Dominique Steele will square off. We'll have live round by round coverage of all the action as it airs tonight, so join us right here as the MTV2 main card begins at 8PM ET!
FIGHT ONE: BRIAN ROGERS VS. DOMINIQUE STEELE (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
- Interesting stat; all of Brian Rogers? victories are first-round stoppages
ROUND ONE: Rogers lands a short right from a clinch which staggered Steele momentarily. Steele managed to regroup without any further harm. Steele lands a nice right uppercut which landed on Rogers? chin. The feeling out process seems to have kicked in after an initial flurry. Steele with another nice right hand. Rogers seems tentative, which could be described as patient if he lands. Rogers with a nice flurry, a non-tentative flurry thank you, ending with a head kick upon a retreating Steele. Steele with a nice stiff jab that backed Rogers off. Steele?s doing well with the jab. There?s been a lot of circling so far, with brief exchanges. Nice exchange of kicks there from both men. Steele is trying to land to the body, and almost ate and uppercut as a result. Entering the final minute. Rogers engages for the first time, doesn?t land hard, and almost gets taken down by Steele. Rogers lands a nice standing knee and a standing elbow. 10-9 Steele
ROUND TWO: Not a lot of action in the first minute of this round. Lots of circling, but Rogers is determined to be the counter striker here. Steele comes forward and eats a couple of punches, but he drives through and pushed Rogers into the fence. Rogers pushes him off, and lands an elbow as well. Steele is bleeding from the mouth. I may have missed some power shots from Rogers in the first, because Steele?s lip and left eye are swelling up. Steele comes forward, and eats another big knee. Rogers is pawing at his own right eye now. Maybe a poke? He?s certainly got blood on his right cheek, but it might be Steele?s. Steele tries to land a lead right to the body, but retreats fast to evade an uppercut. Lots of circling in this fight. Steele?s engaging first, but not successfully at all this round. Rogers lands a leg kick. Steele throws a flying knee, but it didn?t land flush. Rogers is wiping at the blood under his right eye again. It might not be Steele?s after all. 10-9 Rogers And to be fair he might?ve won the first, as well.
ROUND THREE: Steele?s left eye is almost a mess. Rogers does have an abrasion under his right eye. Steele going to the boy again, and quickly backs off to avoid the uppercut. Steele catches a body kick and presses Rogers into the cage, but can?t do anything with it and eats an over the top elbow as they separate. Steele pressing forward, and eats a counter right. Rogers is unloading heavily, and Steele lost his mouthpiece. Steele on his bike, eating a ton of punches to the chin. Surprising to see him still on his feet. The referee handed him the mouthpiece and the fight was only paused for half a second. Steele?s got his wits back, but he?s not far away from being finished here. Steele presses Rogers into the cage. Steele?s spitting up blood onto Rogers? shoulder. They separate uneventfully. Steele got battered in the beginning of this round. Big left hook by Rogers, and Steele landed a big right of his own. Oneminute left. Steele ducks under a wild hook and throws a jump knee that missed. He?s still coming forward despite the damage Rogers has inflicted. Clinching in the middle, and Steele landed a nice elbow. The fight ends with them clinched on the fence. 10-9 Rogers. 29-28 Rogers I?ll bet if I rewatch the first round I?d give it to Rogers.
WINNER: Brian Rogers by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**+) Rogers was as aggressive as ever, but he fought as an aggressive counter striker this time. When he hit, he was really effective. Steele ate a ton of shots in the third round, and bunch in the second. Once Rogers found his range, it was all over for Steele.
FIGHT TWO: ALVIN ROBINSON VS. DANIEL STRAUS (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Straus catches a kick and gets a fast takedown, but Robinson caught his neck and is working for a guillotine. He won?t get it. Straus has Robinson down against the fence. Robinson gets back up, and is again fishing for the guillotine. It?s still not there, and Straus threw him to the mat by the neck. That was pretty. Straus is working a standing kimura or straight armbar here. He lost it, and Robinson is on top in full guard now. Straus isn?t down here much, so this will be interesting. Straus powers out, but Robinson adjusts and keeps a dominant position. Straus is on all fours, and Robinson is trying to take his back. He?s not getting it, but he?s velcroed to Straus nonetheless. Straus back to his feet, and gets a lateral drop takedown. Side control for Straus. Straus landing short elbows to the ear of Robinson. He?s trying to slide his knee across Robinson?s stomach in an attempt to get to mount. He almost got it, but Robinson scrambled out. Robinson caught Straus? neck again, but there was no guillotine happening there. Straus rolls for a guillotine of his own as the round ends. Great round. 10-9 Straus
ROUND TWO: Robinson lands a quick leg kick and a couple of head kicks. Straus responds with a head kick of his own, and he gets a takedown near the cage. Robinson is trying to work for a kimura with his back against the cage, but he gave it up. Nice short elbows by Straus. Straus is on his feet holding the neck of Robinson who is on his knees against the cage. Straus muscles Robinson up and then drops Robinson back down in the same position. Robinson gets up, but eats a couple knees now that he?s onl his feet. This is a more typical Straus round. Straus pulls him off the fence and trips Robinson back on his butt. Side control for Straus with two minutes left. He?s landing some big lefts. Robinson is turtled up trying to get up. He gets up, but Straus threw him back down with a belly to back suplex. Straus is on top of Robinson, trying to get a rear naked choke on the Royce Gracie black belt. Straus only had one hook in, and let go of the choke. Robinson is cut in his left eyebrow. Straus still has Robinson?s back. He?s working for the RNC again, loses it, gets it again and Robinson taps out late in the second.
WINNER: Daniel Straus by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:51 of round two.
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (***-) I?m being generous, but this is my kind of fight; a really active grappling match. Robinson was very impressive in the first, but got all blowed up by the better fighter in the second. Straus was extremely in the second round, in part because he wasn?t fighting against Pitbull or Curran?
FIGHT THREE: MARIUS ZAROMSKIS VS. ANDREY KORESHKOV (WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS)
- The undefeated Koreshkov is four inches taller than Zaromskis, and has a five inch reach advantage.
ROUND ONE: Zaromskis comes forward fast. Koreshkov tagged him, and Zaromskis backed off. Head kick from Koreshkov. He?s got a massive speed advantage here. Zaromskis isn?t making use of angles. He?s circling to Koreshkov?s power hand. Nice uppercut from Koreshkov, who is having his way so far. Right hook and right body kick by Koreshkov. Zaromskis plodding forward, but he can?t find his range. Big left hand from Koreshkov staggers and drops Zaromskis. It was a left to the temple. Koreshkov landed eleven unanswered shots to the face of the prone Zaromskis.
WINNER: Andrey Koreshkov by TKO at 2:14 of round one.
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**) The better, bigger, longer, faster striker KO?d the lesser fighter. This is the one guy in Bellator who could unseat Ben Askren. The big story is that someone has a contract out on Marius Zaromskis, and Jerry Poe tried to collect. That was either the worst or the second worst late stoppage of the year, depending on what you think of the Weidman ? Munoz stoppage. If you ever decide to become a cage fighter and you see Jerry Poe in the cage, I strongly suggest you win, lest Jerry Poe try to get your ass murdered.
FIGHT FOUR: MICHAIL TSAREV VS. LYMAN GOOD (WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS)
- My blood is still boiling at what Jerry Poe let happen under his watch. Just a disgusting display by Jerry Poe.
- The boys are calling the main event fight with Muhammad Lawal. You may know him as King Mo.
- Tsarev has a three inch reach advantage, despite being an inch shorter than the former champion Good.
ROUND ONE: The referee for this fight is Greg Franklin. Of course, the one night I don?t write the name of the referees for each fight, a referee becomes the story of the night. Good with an immediate takedown, less than five seconds in. Tight half-guard. Lawal lets us know that it?s smart to takedown Siberian fighters.. Knees to the body by Good, who is now in side control. Tsarev still has Good?s head controlled. More knees to the ribs by Good. Good standing over Tsarev and is landing left hands to the temple. Good comes back down, and is in a really snug full guard here. Good powers out and lands a big punch from his feet. Tsarev is stuck between the fence and a really imposing fighter in Lyman Good. Good to half-guard. Tsarev sweeps to his hip, and Good responds by punching Tsarev in the ribs and passing to side control. Nice transition to full mount. Franklin gave Good a final warning about holding the fence, and when Good grabbed the fence again, Franklin politely asked him not to do that again, please, sir. Whatever. 10-9 Good
ROUND TWO: The second round starts out as a kickboxing match, with both competitors landing several kicks and punches in the first minute. Good is finding a home for the jab. Lead uppercut by Tsarev pushes back Good a few feet. Good landed a double jab that almost knocked Tsarev down. Good?s about 42 levels better than Tsarev on the feet. His hands are too fast. Tsarev is on his bike, circling away, but Good is landing straight punches at will. Good charges in behind a couple more straight punches and gets the world?s easiest double leg. Side control. Two minutes left. Tsarev pushes off the cage and gets some distance, and Franklin tells Tsarev to stand when Good doesn?t dive back in. Good throws a left hand to the eye of Tsarev, and Tsarev recoils and asks the ref to stop the fight due to an eye poke. Franklin meekly put his hands on Good but didn?t make a converted effort to stop the fight. Good responded with a Thai plum, a knee to the body, and six or seven solid punches, and this fight is over as Tsarev crumpled to the ground.
WINNER: Lyman Good by TKO at 3:54 of the second round.
STAR RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS: (**-) This was a total and complete slaughter. The moment the eight participants for this tournament were announced, it was better than even money that Koreshkov vs. Good would be the finals. As to the eye poke, whether or not it was a poke or a glancing punch to the eye, Franklin tried to stop the fight and then changed his mind, akin to what Miragliota did to Pat Barry in the Kongo fight last year. It?s just.. I need a drink.
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Bellator_Events/article_14802.shtml
Dan Cramer Jai Bradney Wanderlei Silva Rolles Gracie Kerry Schall
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