MMA News and Tidbits

[JWGunslinger]

Very sad news, Matt Hammil has decided to hang em up after his loss to Gustaffson on saturday. Although I was a huge fan of his recent fights, I liked the guy since seeing him for the first time on TUF 3, he will be missed.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/After-UFC-133-loss-Hamill-retires-from-MMA?urn=mma-wp5607

 

[RAUl Mf. L0wk0]

Woah, I'm really surprised Hamill is hanging them up. I know his fight with Gustaffson he didn't look good at all and not knocking Gustaffson's impressive win but Hamill didn't look quite like "The Hammer". These last two losses must have been tough on him, but he shouldn't be ashamed because he fought the distance with Rampage and lost to a future contender. I think it's been a while since he's been on a losing streak and i still think there is plenty fight in Matt. He's a great fighter and has had many good wins over some names and has had some exciting fights. I'm a fan, he will be missed.

 

[The Best]

That's so sad, Hamill was one of my favorite fighters over the years, and I find his story from being on TUF till now is just truly amazing. I really hope to still see his name around.

 

[jmt225]

"the reason all the GG fighters have been released is, Golden Glory want payment direct to them not direct to the fighter, and they wont countenance any other system. They also have some mad clauses in the Strikeforce contracts requiring Strikeforce to pay for flights and hotel rooms for 'managers' - no other manager, Soares, Cox, Alonso, anyone, gets this. Zuffa is having none of it.

Both Marloes Coenen and Einemo have proved this to be false. I think it was just a bullshit rumor that got carried out of hand. Zuffa never made an official press release stating any of that... it was someone on the UG, and everyone bought it as fact for some reason.

 

[Fizzy]

Both Marloes Coenen and Einemo have proved this to be false. I think it was just a bullshit rumor that got carried out of hand. Zuffa never made an official press release stating any of that... it was someone on the UG, and everyone bought it as fact for some reason.

Just because they posted their checks doesn't mean it isn't true. It just means they talked GG into their way of business for their previous fights. Who's to say GG didn't come into Zuffa's office the next day complaining for Zuffa to follow their demands? The fighters got paid directly for their last fights but I believe GG wasn't happy about it and wanted shit done their way next time. That's my take. Dana and company probably convinced GG to do it their way, then GG changed their mind.

 

[jmt225]

Just because they posted their checks doesn't mean it isn't true. It just means they talked GG into their way of business for their previous fights. Who's to say GG didn't come into Zuffa's office the next day complaining for Zuffa to follow their demands? The fighters got paid directly for their last fights but I believe GG wasn't happy about it and wanted shit done their way next time. That's my take. Dana and company probably convinced GG to do it their way, then GG changed their mind.

The problem with this theory, in my opinion, is if all you said is true, why would Golden Glory be so apprehensive about saying that's the way they want to handle business? If that's how they really want to do things, then why be ashamed of admitting it? That makes zero sense.

Also, with Overeem and Dana White coming forward saying that they're both opened to Overeem going to the UFC only makes this rumor even less true. If GG has policies the UFC are refusing to do business with, then why would Dana be open to Overeem coming to the UFC? Again, makes zero sense.

 

[The Crock]

Rick Story has had an interesting ride thus far inside the octagon.

He made his promotional debut back at UFC 99, where he was overwhelmed by John Hathaway. He rebounded however, racking up an impressive six consecutive wins, including victories over Johny Hendricks and Thiago Alves.

All that wonderful momentum however, disappeared in the blink of an eye, when he met unknown Charlie Brenneman at UFC Live 4.

Story entered the bout a significant favorite; most pundits picked the durable Story to steamroll Brenneman. That however was not in the cards, as Charlie utilized excellent timing, footwork and takedowns to cruise to a relatively easy unanimous victory.

It appears Rick Story is primed to erase that memory, and he’s got an opponent in mind, “"Dong Hyun Kim," Story informed MMAjunkie.com. "I think it will solidify that the last fight was kind of a fluke, and it would [rebuild] some of that lost momentum."

Kim himself will be looking to rebound from a brutal knockout loss at the hands (and knees) of Carlos Condit at UFC 132.

Story is hoping for a UFC 139 date (Nov. 19), and I for one, am in complete agreement.

I'm hoping this fight happens since it ought to be exciting as hell. I wanna see both Story and Kim rebound and this gives them ample opportunity to do so. I'd probably pick Story as the winner in this fight, but you never know, especially when you think about the Brenneman fight. Kim probably has more to gain from this, since he got knocked out by Condit, but this sounds cool.

 

[jmt225]

Horrible match-up for Rick Story.

Story showed in his last fight that his takedown defense is shit. The guy has a good takedown himself, but he can't stop others from taking him down. And if Story couldn't stop fucking Charlie Brenneman from taking him down, he sure as shit won't be able to stop Dong Hyun Kim from taking him down, since Kim is much bigger, stronger, and a much better grappler than Brenneman.

Kim will win a dominating UD, bet the house on it.

 

[wrestlingfan]

I know there are others on the forum that are bigger Fedor fans than me. But trust me when I say this, I love Fedor. I'm allmost a strictly heavyweight fighter watcher, I've said this before. But Fedor was someone who I loved to watch, and I still do. But I don't know what's next for the dude. Sure he's one of the best ever, but I just can't fault SF for cutting him. He lost 3 straight fights over creditable opponets.

He can fight untill he's 50 off his name alone, he will allways have people looking to take him in to fight. He's fucking Fedor, it's just sad to see him in this loss slump.

Newcomers to MMA, or non die-hards are starting to see him as an overrated can-crusher, He's really not that marketable anymore, In terms of drawing power and marketability, he is getting surpassed.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

All this debate about Fedor should be put to rest. The man was on the most legendary winning streaks of all time you can't fault that. His best days obviously are behind him but it doesn't tarnish his legacy, he still put on a magnificent fight against Henderson which is arguably the greatest Strikeforce main event ever put together. All great things come to an end and unfortunately this is the case for Fedor, but that should still not discredit this man's legacy. Like Uncle Phatso said earlier this man can work off his name value alone.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Bellator 48 is going down tonight, I don't really care enough about Bellator or the card but there is one fight i'm interested in. Ricco Rodriguez vs Seth Petruzelli is going down and i'm pretty interested when a former UFC heavyweight champ is facing a guy i've been a fan of since TUF 2.

Although Ricco has put together a nice little 12 fight streak, the two most notable names on his hit list are former TUF castmember James McSweeney and Travis Fulton. Nothing against either of these guys(Travis is a very well respected vet) but I wouldn't quite call them top competition right now.

It sucks being a Petruzelli fan, because when he's outside of the UFC he puts his opponents away almost every time(his only win that went the distance was against Dan Severn), but every time he works his way back up to the big show he falls back down. He is 0-4 in his UFC appearances, and i'm hoping that a win over Rodriguez could send him back towards the UFC.

I'm taking Seth in this fight, not just because I like him but because I think his lack of success in the UFC(especially the Romero fight) are fueling his fire and he is going to come out to kill tonight. Hopin and prayin for Seth Petruzelli by TKO.

 

[INDYjon22]

So the first Pro Elite fight card went down last night in Hawaii. The show featured Andrei Arlovski, Joe Riggs vs. Kendall Grove, Reagan Penn, and Drew McFedries. AA is my boy so naturally I was really interested in this event. AA fought a young guy named Ray Lopez and unfortunately for Lopez he was over matched by the ex champion. AA looked good, his time with Greg Jackson is working out. He used his grappling skills and won the fight by ground and pound in the third. Riggs and Grove had a rematch of a fight years ago when Grove was first getting into MMA. Grove lost then but last night he made Riggs his bitch. Caught him in a standing guillotine and choked him out. Reagen Penn is the younger brother of BJ Penn and looked fantastic last night. He has some serious skills and could follow in his brothers footsteps. And, Drew McFedries picked up a TKO victory. Overall, good show which saw the guys I wanted to win actually do so.

 

[INDYjon22]

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed Lawal tested positive for the steroid Drostanolone in his most recent bout, the Nevada State Athletic Commission disclosed on Tuesday.

Lawal, better known by the ring name “King Mo,” scored a second-round knockout of previously unbeaten Lorenz Larkin at Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Jardine,” which took place Jan. 7 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. While the win seems likely to be overturned, NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer says no ruling has been made on the issue at this time.

“The matter has been referred to the Attorney General’s office for issuance of a complaint for disciplinary action,” Kizer stated when reached for comment by Sherdog.com.

Drostanolone, also known as Drolban, is an anabolic steroid popular in the bodybuilding community and commonly used for weight-cutting. Sold under the trade name Masteron, it is also used in the treatment of certain forms of breast cancer.

A former NCAA Division II wrestling champion, 31-year-old Lawal has compiled a 9-1 record in MMA after debuting in 2008 with a shocking upset of 60-fight veteran Travis Wiuff. The Tennessee native, who recently joined the renowned American Kickboxing Academy, has knocked out Larkin and Roger Gracie since dropping his Strikeforce belt to Rafael Cavalcante in 2010.

All other fighters from the Jan. 7 Strikeforce event, including middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and challenger Keith Jardine, tested negative for prohibited substances.

Well, say goodbye to King Mo for awhile. The former Light Heavyweight champion, and current contender, has tested positive for steroids.This is a fairly big blow to Strikeforce considering he is one of the top fighters left in that company and in that division. Not to mention he is an awesome character. That said, I have lost a ton of respect for Mo if he has in fact been juicing. I mean he is already a massive human being when he isn't on roids, it isn't like he needs them. Just completely unprofessional of him.

 

[Fizzy]

Ha fucking ha, I do not like that guy. I always felt he was overrated and this is just another reason for me to dislike him. Have fun in Bellator, we won't be seeing you for quite a while.

Also, Cyborg is appealing her suspension saying she took a diet pill with a supplement in it without knowledge of it's contents.

 

[INDYjon22]

Ha fucking ha, I do not like that guy. I always felt he was overrated and this is just another reason for me to dislike him. Have fun in Bellator, we won't be seeing you for quite a while.

Also, Cyborg is appealing her suspension saying she took a diet pill with a supplement in it without knowledge of it's contents.

Well I don't think he will go to Bellator, at least not for a while. He is still a decent name and is a pretty solid fighter. I think the UFC will seriously consider bringing him over, granted he looks good upon return. But, I couldn't agree with you more, for the most part. There is no room for cheaters in the sport, and it just makes MMA look bad as a whole. If Mo can reform his image upon return I may give him a second chance, but not until he passes another drug test.

 

[Fizzy]

I doubt the UFC will touch him for a long time. I think they'll either cut him or keep him in SF for quite a while even after he returns just to make sure he isn't juicing again. I don't know how long his suspension will be, but i'm assuming a year, like Cyborg. After that year, I doubt the UFC will pick him up. He'll likely stay in SF for a majority of his time left in the sport, if not all of it. He isn't exactly young at 31 and now this is added to his record, I doubt the UFC will make a move on him.

 

[JWGunslinger]

K-1 has now officially made a deal with Spike TV, good move to get more mainstream exposure and probably snag some new fans in the Spike regulars. I'm mostly curious how their ratings will be and how they stack up next to Bellator since they join Spike several months ago. Good move by Spike, it's not the UFC but they're doing their best to make up for losing them. I don't know how many people will watch but I certainly will.

 

[jmt225]

K-1's 3 round 9 minute system has to change if they ever want to be a true success. Nobody wants to see "Big" fights that damn short all the time. Plus, it forces the fighters go out there and do sloppy shit since they rush to try and get the KO.

Also, I must be honest.... the two K-1 fighters I've ever really given a damn about are now gone, so it's hard for me to keep interest, anyway. Masato has retired (though he has taken an Oscar De La Hoya like role in the company), and Badr Hari's career is most likely done after getting arrested for a serious assault charge. With those two guys, I would be able to ignore my hatred for the 9 minute system, but with both of them out, it will be hard for me to give a damn about this. I'll watch if I remember or if a show gets rave reviews, but I sincerely doubt this ends up being successful.

 

[JWGunslinger]

K-1 does need a few tweaks to really succeed that's for sure, one thing I really like that they're doing is this K-1 Rising Tournament. Their big names have all been fading or hanging it up, the guys who I loved watching like Remy Bojansky,Jerome Le Banner,Cro Cop, Semmy Schilt and Badr Ofcourse. Schilt is still doing fine but he's getting older along with that whole crowd. So them bringing in new exciting fighters and the timing couldn't be better the the Spike deal. I think this tournament how that they have a good eye on building the future of the sport and their promotion, I just hope it works.