MMA Combat - Footnotes for May in the World of MMA

Rampage Jackson can still get it done!

MMA Combat - Footnotes for May in the World of MMA

Keeping in line with our monthly tradition MMA Combat presents to you the May addition of Footnotes for the Month, chronicling the major events and news that passed us by in the last 31 days. Please feel free to join the conversation, adding your own footnotes for anything that I may have missed, or was significant enough for you to feel it should be mentioned.

Footnotes for May in the World of MMA:

• A highly anticipated lightweight match-up pitting Evan Dunham vs. George Sotiropoulos at UFC 132 was thwarted when Dunham was forced to pull out due to an injury suffered while training; Dangerous Brazilian Rafael dos Anjos has replaced Dunham on the card.

• The Score Fighting Series announced its June 10, 2011, card in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, which will feature Strikeforce and UFC veterans in Marius Zaromskis, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Canada's own, Joe “El Dirte” Doerksen.

• **Honorable mention, Manny Pacquiao easily defended his crown against Shane Mosley who threw 5 combinations in 12 rounds of action.... Yes, you heard it right, 5.

• At the Fighter's Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, Zuffa announced it would be extending full medical insurance to all of its contracted fighters, 365 days a year.

• Both Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard pull out of their UFC 130 main-event, 155lbs championship bout, citing injuries sustained during training. Thank God for that insurance.

• Surging heavyweight Brendan Schaub will get his opportunity to add another PRICE FC legend's feather to his cap when he takes on former PRIDE and UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134 in Rio, Brazil.

• Former MFC welterweight champion Douglas "The Phenom" Lima (18-4-0) signs with Bellator FC, joining their ever-deepening roster of 170lbs talent.

• Top 10 lightweights Benson Henderson and Dan Miller sign on the dotted line to face each other at UFC Live 5, August 14, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; this match-up will have title-shot implications.

• Reports surface regarding a conflict between sister of Charles "Mask" Lewis and TapouT apparel executives over the distribution of some cremated remains of the late TapouT co-founder at a service held in his memory.

• It is announced that UFC 131 in Vancouver, Canada will feature ringside monitors for judges to use as an alternative vantage point. The NSAC would follow-suit shortly after granting permission to use them at UFC 130.

• Zuffa announces that they will begin to award fighters with "twitter bonuses" who meet a certain criteria with concern to creativity, followship, and increase in followship quarterly. Read more: http://www.mmacombat.com/content/294...%94-zuffa.html

• Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesner pulls out of his UFC 131 title eliminator against Junior dos Santos as he underwent a second bout with diverticulitis, again requiring surgery. Shane Carwin steps into the main-event vs. dos Santos.

• Bellator 44, Hector Lombard extends his unbeaten streak to 23 appearances with a third round knockout over Falaniko Vitale, while All-American wrestler Michael Chandler was victorious over Patricky "Pitbull" Freire in the Season 4 Lightweight Tournament Finals

• Consequently, we now know Michael Chandler will be Eddie Alvarez's next test for the promotion's 155lbs title

• After a number of options fell through including Shane Nelson, Jamie Varner, and Antonio McKee, Dream - Fight for Japan finally secured UFC veteran Rich Clementi as a short notice opponent for promotion lightweight champion Shinya Aoki.

• Antonio "Big Foot" Silva was in the news when he had critical words for fellow Strikeforce heavyweight Josh Barnett; Silva believes Barnett has always slighted Brazilian fighters, and looks to face him at some point during the Strikeforce HWGP.

• B.J. Penn calls out Jake Shields via twitter; Shields welcomes the challenge

• One-time UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen receives an indefinite suspension from the NSAC for testing positive for excessively high testosterone levels during his fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 117. The penalty would later be reduced to a 12 month suspension.

• Rumors swirl that Nick Diaz will face Georges St. Pierre at UFC 140, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada later this year. UFC preseident Dana White would later deny there is any truth to the speculation.

• Hermes Franca turns himself in on charges of sexual abuse in the State of Oregon and is released by MFC; Franca used to operate a BJJ facility out of Oregon, but now makes his home in Florida.

• Canadian Ryan Ford deals UFC veteran Karo Parisyan another disappointing loss after stopping the Armenian Judo ace at MMA Live 1 in London, Ontario, Canada via doctor stoppage when a thudding knee opened a severe gash on Parisyan's forehead.

• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, despite sporadic activity of late remains in the title picture at 205lbs with an easy decision victory over Matt "The Hammer" Hamill at UFC 130. Rampage was tabbed to fight Jon Jones this fall for the title, but may face a 6-month medical suspension for a fractured hand (pending x-ray results).

• Brian Stann spoiled Jorge Santiago's return to the octagon with a second round TKO stoppage at UFC 130; Stann continues his march up the 185lbs ladder.

• Rick Story also climbed into the welterweight top-five with a solid decision victory over a game Thiago Alves. Story called out Jon Fitch immediately afterward, but Fitch has maintained he's not interested in the match-up (curiously)

• Frank Mir also stayed relevant in the heavyweight division with his second consecutive victory at UFC 130 when he defeated Roy Nelson via unanimous decision

• Dream 17, Shinya Aoki defeats Rich Clementi via neck-crank, while Masakazu Imanari and Hideo Tokoro advance to the Dream Bantamweight Tournament Final.

• Strikeforce announces Dan Henderson vs. Fedor Emelianenko for their July 30, 2011 card. The highly anticipated match-up which has been rumored for months will be contested at heavyweight

• Dream announces that promotion champions Gegard Mousasi and Hiroyuki Takaya will defend their titles at Dream 17, July 16, 2011

• Shooto and Sengoku 143lbs champion Hatsu Hioki announces that he will relinquish his titles under the Japanese promotions to pursue accolades on a 'new stage'. As well, the grappling ace will attend UFC 131 in Vancouver, Canada, hint hint**

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MMA Combat - UFC 130 Payouts: Rampage and Mir Both Score $250K

Click the link (left) to see all of the UFC 130 payouts!

MMA Combat - UFC 130 Payouts: Rampage and Mir Both Score $250K

MMA Combat - White Retracts Recent Criticism of Mir

MMA Combat - White Retracts Recent Criticism of Mir

After the dust settled and another successful Vegas event was in the books, UFC president Dana White took some time to reflect on Saturday night's show and particularly the performance of former heavyweight champion, Frank Mir.

White was critical when speaking to the media about the UFC 130 co-main event, in short, concluding that he was frustrated Mir didn't perform up-to-par; however, on Sunday morning White took some time to talk with mmajunkie.com where he recanted some of those remarks:

"I think I was a little harsh on Mir," White admitted. "He came into that fight with the perfect gameplan, and he nailed Roy with some big shots. Mir dominated that fight from start to finish, and he deserves some credit for that."

Mir (15-5-0), with the win over Nelson Saturday has now posted consecutive victories for the first time since 2008. When he'll appear next and against who is anyone's guess, as the heavyweight division has been a bit of a juggling act of late; with Velasquez recovering from injury, while awaiting the winner of dos Santos vs. Carwin at UFC 131, and Lesner coming out of another surgery, the top of the division is tied up for the time being.

Match-ups against a blossoming Brendan Schaub (should he get through Nogueira first), or Travis Browne would prove solid tests as both men possess great power in their hands, but if this past weekend showed us anything it's that Mir is capable of, and willing to re-invent himself for success. He has, and will hover around the top of the division for some time to come, which is why White expects more from him, simply because he holds him in high-regard.

"Frank Mir has been a two-time world champion," White said on Saturday. "He's been around a long time. He's a super-talented guy. I expect more of him."


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MMA Combat - Rampage Victorious, UFC 130 Results

MMA Combat - Rampage Victorious, UFC 130 Results

Saturday, May 28, The Ultimate Fighting Championship went live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC 130 - Jackson vs. Hamill. The main-event featured a light heavyweight bout with plenty on the line as Quinton "Rampage" Jackson took on Matt "The Hammer" Hamill in what was 15 minutes dictated by the strength and takedown defense of the former 205lbs champion of the world.

Hamill (10-3-0) did a decent job early evading Jackson's hands, but as the contest wore on and desperate outside shots turned up empty, Jackson (32-8-0) started to find his mark with crisp combinations and thudding knees while breaking from the clinch. Dana White suggested that "Rampage" with a win, would be next in-line for a title shot against LHW kingpin Jon Jones; but without a convincing performance here tonight - albeit a clean sweep on the cards - many questions have already been asked regarding the pending match-up.

“Matt Hamill is tough, man,” said Jackson. “I tried to knock him out. I came into this fight with a fractured hand, and I apologize for not fighting the type of fight I wanted to. I tried to knock him out.”

The evening's co-main event saw Frank Mir (15-5-0) outlast Roy Nelson (15-6-0) in what was to become a war of attrition. The former UFC heavyweight champ utilized his strength and reach advantage early, attacking with more dynamic striking patterns, while mixing in takedown attempts that caught a fatiguing Nelson off-guard. Nelson was resiliant when put into some difficult spots, returning to his feet time and time again, but Mir's strength, cardio, and ability to finish the takedown was all the difference in this one as he remains relevant at the top of the heavyweight division with a unanimous decision win.

Keeping in-line with the comradery these guys showed at weigh-ins, Mir was all praise when talking about the fight and his opponent:

“I pushed hard against a tough guy,” he said. “How many times did I hit him in the face? My God, what’s in that guy’s chin?”

Other results can be found below:

1 Renan do Nascimento Mota Pegado def. Cole Escovedo via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
2 Michael McDonald def. Chris Cariaso via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00
3 Gleison Tibau def. Rafaello Oliveira via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd2 3:28
4 Tim Boetsch def. Kendall Grove via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
5 Demetrious Johnson def. Miguel Torres via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
6 Brian Stann def. Jorge Santiago via KO (Punches) rd2 4:29
7 Rick Story def. Thiago Alves via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
8 Travis Browne def. Stefan Struve via KO (Punch) rd1 4:11
9 Frank Mir def. Roy Nelson via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
10 Quinton Jackson def. Matt Hamill via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00


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MMA Combat - UFC 130 Pick em'

MMA Combat - UFC 130 Pick em'

UFC 130 takes place this Saturday, May 28, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is headlined by a light heavyweight tilt between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (31-8-0) and Matt "The Hammer" Hamill (10-2-0).

Here is our pick em' feature for the main-card of the evening:

Brian Stann (10-3-0) vs. Jorge Santiago (23-8-0)

Jorge Santiago has had a very successful run since his departure from the UFC in December of 2006, after being knocked out by Alan Belcher. 11-1 in that stretch, Santiago was only stopped by the hard-hitting Polish National, Mamed Khalidov in November of 2009. Santiago is as well rounded as they come, with solid Muay Thai technique, great Jiu Jitsu, and a strong Judo base; but he does have a tendency to get tagged during exchanges and while working off his back.

Stann is one of those guys, particularly at 185, that you cannot afford to get tagged against; with 10 wins on his resume, "The All-American" has 7 [T]KOs to his name including his most recent work against the notoriously hard-headed Chris Leben, whom he stopped on strikes in the very first round of their January 1, 2011 contest. This will be a competitive fight, with both men threatening at times, but it is Brian Stann's power that will make the difference in this one as he stops Santiago late on strikes, spoiling his promotion return.

Travis Browne (10-0-1) vs. Stefan Struve (21-4-0)

It is no secret that Travis Browne, with 8 [T]KO stoppages to his name, hits very hard. The 6'7" Californian last appeared at UFC 120 where he battled French kickboxer Cheick Kongo to a unanimous draw. Before that he managed a TKO victory over under-sized TUF alumnus James McSweeny at the Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale; but considering his competition to this point in his career, which is collectively well under .500 as a group, it's difficult to say how Browne will hang with the battle-tested, young veteran of the sport that is Struve.

Struve also has difficulty with defense standing, and while that's bound to improve, he has been hit and hit very hard in many of his fights. But the Dutchman has showed incredible heart throughout his UFC stay, amassing a 5-2 record since February of 2009 when Junior dos Santos welcomed him to promotion with thudding hooks en route to a TKO stoppage. With 14 submission victories thus far in his career, the 6'11" "Skyscraper" utilizes his long-limbs well to tie opponents up and I expect that he'll discover that knack again his weekend with a submission win.

Rick Story (12-3-0) vs. Thiago Alves (18-7-0)

Rick Story is a powerhouse welterweight with 5 consecutive wins since his June 2009 loss to John Hathaway. His pressing style will not allow Alves to rest or set his feet and I do expect him to secure more than one takedown throughout the fight with his solid wrestling base. Since 2008, Story has won in 11 of 12 appearances and has an ability to grind on opponents, taking them deep into fights; with impressive wins against Jake Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks in that span, Story is a proven warrior against top flight competitors.

Alves looked phenomenal against John Howard, but that match-up was tailor-made for the one-time title challenger. Howard never presented a takedown threat, and was the noticeably smaller man in that bout, allowing "Pitbull" to get off with combinations from range. One aspect of Alves' training that appears to be back on track is his weight-cut with the help of the ever-popular Dolce Diet, which the American Top Team representative has become a big endorser of. Alves has succeeded against wrestlers in the past, toppling both Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck, but has also fallen short against two of the division's best in champion Georges St. Pierre and Boilermaker Jon Fitch. How effective Alves is with kicks early will dictate the outcome of this match, but don't be surprised to see Story pull off the upset with two of three ringside judges giving him the nod in a razor close split decision win.

Roy Nelson (15-5-0) vs. Frank Mir (14-5-0)

Roy Nelson has established himself as more than just a gate-keeper in the UFC's heavyweight division since making his promotion debut in December of 2009; despite being dubbed underwhelming by UFC president Dana White, Nelson has managed 8 [T]KOs in his seven-year professional career. "Big Country" possesses a strong understanding of submissions with more-than-adequate boxing skills when paired up with the majority of the division. His decision loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 117 was an admirable effort, and prior to that contest, Nelson had stopped both Stefan Struve and Brendan Schaub on strikes.

Mir has traditionally bounced back strong from disappointing results - or when his back is up against the wall - and regardless of his result against Mirko Filipovic at UFC 119, Mir was heavily criticized for the performance by the man in charge, Dana White. The former heavyweight champion also boasts strong boxing ability with a submission game to match, but has been known to wilt when the going gets tough and his wrestling ability has never been strong. A telling stat, is that all of Mir's 5 professional losses have come by [T]KO and the longer this fight goes, the more it sways in Nelson's favor. The loser of this match could very well be fighting for a chance to stay in the promotion in their next bout, a position neither man wants to find himself in, but it will be Nelson's perseverance that seizes the day in this one as he takes it on all three judges scorecards in a competitive match that sees opportunities on both ends.

Quinton Jackson (31-8-0) vs. Matt Hamill (10-2-0)

The main-event, although under-anticipated by the masses of main-stream fans, will prove to be every bit as exciting as the one that preceded it, before lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard had to pull out of the event with injuries suffered in training.

"Rampage" has great hands, although often lacks a jab that could better set-up those powerful hooks. As confidence in his boxing grew, so did Jackson's tendency to plant his feet, relying less on the explosive clinch work and grappling that made him a star during the PRIDE years. Still, at any given moment Jackson has the ability to turn Hamill's lights out with his devastating power. How badly he wants to make another title run for the 205lbs belt he once possessed remains to be seen, but "The Hammer" will answer a lot of questions.

Hamill at 10-2 is just that in this commentators eyes, although the results against Jon Jones and Michael Bisping respectively would be different. The fight against Jones should have been stopped, with Hamill a battered mess barely able to defend himself from the onslaught that was, until Jones - in an effort to land clean and finally get his stoppage - threw that illegal elbow that saw him disqualified; but the champ has done that to everyone in his path thus far. Rich Franklin came too early in Hamill's professional career, and I think we can all agree that Michael Bisping did not defeat Hamill at UFC 75 in Manchester, England. Expect Hamill to push the pace against "Rampage", using his pawing jab to keep him at bay while effectively scoring with a couple important takedowns en route to a unanimous decision nod.


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UFC 130, Edgar and Maynard Out

Monday May 9, following the breaking news of all-encompassing medical insurance being extended to all contracted fighters, the UFC later had a more somber announcement to make; both 155lbs champion Frankie Edgar and undefeated challenger Gray Maynard have been forced to pull out of their UFC 130 rematch due to undisclosed injuries suffered during training.

“Frankie Edgar hurt his back and his rib, and Gray Maynard hurt his knee,” said UFC President Dana White on Monday.

As a result, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (31-8-0) and Matt Hamill (10-2-0) will have their bout bumped to the headliner slot, while heavyweights Frank Mir (14-5-0) and Roy Nelson (15-5-0) will be featured as the evening’s co-main event.\

Unfortunately fans that were anticipating the third part to this thrilling rivalry will have to wait a little longer before realizing its conclusion. Gray Maynard remains the only man to hold a victory over Edgar when he did so in April of 2008 at UFC – Fight Night 13, but Edgar bounced back from sure defeat in round 1 on New Year’s day at UFC 125 when he salvaged a unanimous draw with the showing of some tremendous heart.

UFC 130 will take place on May 28, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.


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