nice work by whoever did the edit on that one. "i am being a dick"...in hughes' own words...i love it!
he says he was just happy to see serra win so that he could fight him, but sean sherk was there with his little giggles too...looked quite different from when georges was breaking his nose with elbows.
thanks, ceg. that was good for a laugh.
i remember georges being questioned about what he thought about hughes and sherk's reaction to his loss and he would only say that he would "keep it in his mind" the next time they faced each other. fuel to the fire, as they say....
georges won't need to do any trash talking going into this one...not that he usually does, but he'll do his talking in the octagon. one of the funnier comments from randy couture came during georges' entrance for the fight with matt serra...they were talking about how georges didn't put hughes down prior to their fight, and randy says "well, he may not have put him down with his words, but he certainly put him down with his left shin!"
just a bit ago i said in a post that luke cummo's name had been mentioned as a possible opponent for mike swick...just found out that is wrong. looks like he'll be facing josh burkman at UFC fight night 12. sounds like an outstanding card so far.
UFC Fight Night 12, January 23, 2008 - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida - Spike TV
Main Card:
Mike Swick Vs. Josh Burkman
Patrick Côté Vs. Drew McFedries
Nate Diaz Vs. Alvin Robinson
Thiago Tavares Vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Pre-lims:
Kurt Pellegrino Vs. Alberto Crane
Cole Miller Vs. Jeremy Stephens
Matt Wiman Vs. Justin Buccholz
Corey Hill Vs. TBA
december and january are both looking like good times for mma fans!
any thoughts on this week's match between ben and tommy? i'm thinking ben has the advantage in most areas, and i'm not sure that tommy will be able to hold him down like he did with war machine. tommy's game plan is obvious, but ben has a style that could give him problems in terms of submissions and his striking abilities on the feet. his reach will be tough for tommy to deal with too. tommy will probabaly be able to get a couple of takedowns, but i don't see ben staying down for long.
i'm thinking ben by tko early in the second, maybe?
as far as the "match" in the house goes, i guess war machine and jared will settle that one at the finale.
It hardly needs to be said but ........ VAS-Y GSP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish we could all watch together too!And I just realized that I may not be watching this event at all! :eek: I'll be taking a red eye flight back to Nashvegas that night.
how did i miss this post, releash?!!? i think my computer is acting up...it's starting to make a weird sound right now...
i hope you get to see the show! it will be a shame to miss this one. replay when you get home, i guess? stay away from the thread as there's sure to be some screaming one way or the other from most of us with the spoilers!
yep, weird sounds and now my fan on the hard drive is pretty much toast. going to have to go "away" for a couple of days, but i think i posted enough yesterday to fill a quota for a few days.
i'm going to be jonesin' for mma news, and i'll owe you a reply when i get it back from the shop, ceg.
why did i buy this thing an hour bus ride away!?!?!
yep, weird sounds and now my fan on the hard drive is pretty much toast. going to have to go "away" for a couple of days, but i think i posted enough yesterday to fill a quota for a few days.
i'm going to be jonesin' for mma news, and i'll owe you a reply when i get it back from the shop, ceg.
why did i buy this thing an hour bus ride away!?!?!
ack!! good luck getting it fixed!! :(
i'll call you if anything exciting happens...
~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
yeah, i'm just waiting to shut it off for a few until the bus comes. i know it only takes a few minutes to replace, but they always claim they have stuff to do. you'd think they were running a business or something!
turns out i wasn't exactly feeling up to spending two hours on the bus today, so i'll try tomorrow. just turned on the "chainsaw" for a second to check back in. could me be a pit junkie? perhaps...:D mma junkie...definitely.
this can't be good for my computer...but it is funny to listen to...
how did i miss this post, releash?!!? i think my computer is acting up...it's starting to make a weird sound right now...
i hope you get to see the show! it will be a shame to miss this one. replay when you get home, i guess? stay away from the thread as there's sure to be some screaming one way or the other from most of us with the spoilers!
I'm sorry your computer is on the fritz. Hopefully it won't be too difficult to get fixed. We'll miss you around here in the meantime.
I'm a little bummed that I'll have to miss this one, at least live. I can buy it and tivo it so I can watch the next day. But I'll have to stay away from the thread like you said :( and talking with you all is half the fun of watching. grrr!
any thoughts on this week's match between ben and tommy? i'm thinking ben has the advantage in most areas, and i'm not sure that tommy will be able to hold him down like he did with war machine. tommy's game plan is obvious, but ben has a style that could give him problems in terms of submissions and his striking abilities on the feet. his reach will be tough for tommy to deal with too. tommy will probabaly be able to get a couple of takedowns, but i don't see ben staying down for long.
i'm thinking ben by tko early in the second, maybe?
as far as the "match" in the house goes, i guess war machine and jared will settle that one at the finale.
I think the general consensus is that Ben has more weapons against Tommy and he's a little nutty too. +1 on Tommy's obvious game plan and he's very well conditioned, but Ben's a pretty big guy so it'll be more difficult to overpower him. I'm predicting Ben by submission late in the first round.
me fail english? that's unpossible! kudos to you, ceg, on your picks. you are learning the game, grasshopper.
ben's fight was the controversial one. it was the two round decision win over dan. dan knocked ben down in the first, and ben knocked him down later in the round, but ben's punch wasn't as hard or effective and dan pretty much just dropped to a knee for a second and regained composure. ben, on the other hand, fell to his back and dan let him recover while standing over him and doing nothing. the rest of the round was pretty close, but ben landed more strikes and dan seemed tentative to throw strikes at times. then, in the second round, ben clearly won the stand up and took the fight.
dana white and matt hughes both were angered by the decision. i felt it was the right one. there's a lot of disagreement about it. matt serra also said that he thought there would be a third round as dan probabaly won the first, but said later on his blog that once he watched the show on tv he was leaning more towards ben winning both rounds.
oh yeah, i couldn't resist turning this thing on one more time. i am a junkie!
thanks for good words, releash. it's just a fan and they said today they should be able to do it while i wait tomorrow. we're on the same side this week, picking ben. i must say i do have a lot of fun running to the computer and chatting with you all too when there's an exciting fight going on. half the fun indeed.
this one goes out to all the ladies in the house... (said in barry white voice )
Gray Maynard Returns at UFC Fight Night 12, Possibly Against Matt Grice
November 26, 2007
Promising lightweights and former collegiate wrestlers Gray Maynard (3-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Matt Grice (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will likely square off at a UFC Fight Night 12 event that takes place Jan. 23.
MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) first learned of the potential bout last week from a source close to Maynard. Additionally, while a recent guest on ESPN’s “Between Rounds” radio program, Maynard confirmed with show host Ken Gonzalez that the UFC planned for him to return at the upcoming event, though he didn’t mention an opponent. (ESPN’s “Between Rounds” is a content-partner site of MMAjunkie.com.)
Calls to Grice were not immediately returned.
If officially booked, the Maynard vs. Grice bout could end up on the televised UFC Fight Night 12 main card, which airs on Spike TV.
Maynard, a Randy Couture-trained fighter who’s part of the Xtreme Couture team in Las Vegas, appeared on the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The 28-year-old posted victories over Wayne Weems in a preliminary fight and Brandon Melendez in the show’s quarterfinals, but he was halted (via guillotine choke) in the quarterfinals by eventual show winner Nate Diaz.
Maynard, who wrestled with Rashad Evans at Michigan State Univerity, was then scheduled to fight Rob Emerson at The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale in June, but the fight was ruled a no-contest when Maynard slammed his opponent to the mat. Emerson worsened a pre-existing rib injury and was forced to verbally submit, but Maynard temporarily knocked himself out in the process, prompting a ruling of a no-contest. Maynard, though, rebounded for an impressive nine-second KO of newcomer Joe Veres at UFC Fight Night 11 in September.
Maynard’s next likely opponent, Grice, is a former University of Oklahoma wrestler who rebounded from a submission loss to Terry Etim at UFC 70 with a split-decision victory over Jason Black at UFC 77 last month.
Grice’s collegiate wrestling career was cut short by injuries he suffered in a car accident prior to his freshman year of college. However, when his health improved, he gave professional MMA shot, and the 26-year-old has now lost just once in 10 pro fights.
UFC Fight Night 12 also features bouts between Cole Miller and Jeremy Stephens, as well as Patrick Cote vs. Drew McFedries. Potential headliner Mike Swick is rumored to be fighting Josh Burkman at the event, though Burkman was being considered for an upcoming fight with a UFC newcomer earlier this month.
this one goes out to all the ladies in the house... (said in barry white voice )
Gray Maynard Returns at UFC Fight Night 12, Possibly Against Matt Grice
November 26, 2007
Promising lightweights and former collegiate wrestlers Gray Maynard (3-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Matt Grice (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will likely square off at a UFC Fight Night 12 event that takes place Jan. 23.
MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) first learned of the potential bout last week from a source close to Maynard. Additionally, while a recent guest on ESPN’s “Between Rounds” radio program, Maynard confirmed with show host Ken Gonzalez that the UFC planned for him to return at the upcoming event, though he didn’t mention an opponent. (ESPN’s “Between Rounds” is a content-partner site of MMAjunkie.com.)
Calls to Grice were not immediately returned.
If officially booked, the Maynard vs. Grice bout could end up on the televised UFC Fight Night 12 main card, which airs on Spike TV.
Maynard, a Randy Couture-trained fighter who’s part of the Xtreme Couture team in Las Vegas, appeared on the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The 28-year-old posted victories over Wayne Weems in a preliminary fight and Brandon Melendez in the show’s quarterfinals, but he was halted (via guillotine choke) in the quarterfinals by eventual show winner Nate Diaz.
Maynard, who wrestled with Rashad Evans at Michigan State Univerity, was then scheduled to fight Rob Emerson at The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale in June, but the fight was ruled a no-contest when Maynard slammed his opponent to the mat. Emerson worsened a pre-existing rib injury and was forced to verbally submit, but Maynard temporarily knocked himself out in the process, prompting a ruling of a no-contest. Maynard, though, rebounded for an impressive nine-second KO of newcomer Joe Veres at UFC Fight Night 11 in September.
Maynard’s next likely opponent, Grice, is a former University of Oklahoma wrestler who rebounded from a submission loss to Terry Etim at UFC 70 with a split-decision victory over Jason Black at UFC 77 last month.
Grice’s collegiate wrestling career was cut short by injuries he suffered in a car accident prior to his freshman year of college. However, when his health improved, he gave professional MMA shot, and the 26-year-old has now lost just once in 10 pro fights.
UFC Fight Night 12 also features bouts between Cole Miller and Jeremy Stephens, as well as Patrick Cote vs. Drew McFedries. Potential headliner Mike Swick is rumored to be fighting Josh Burkman at the event, though Burkman was being considered for an upcoming fight with a UFC newcomer earlier this month.
ben's fight was the controversial one. it was the two round decision win over dan. dan knocked ben down in the first, and ben knocked him down later in the round, but ben's punch wasn't as hard or effective and dan pretty much just dropped to a knee for a second and regained composure. ben, on the other hand, fell to his back and dan let him recover while standing over him and doing nothing. the rest of the round was pretty close, but ben landed more strikes and dan seemed tentative to throw strikes at times. then, in the second round, ben clearly won the stand up and took the fight.
ooohhh yahhhh!! that was the one i watched on mute when i was under the influence of a whole lotta wine at the hotel bar during my seminar!! (it's not my fault, i was in Niagara!) it's all coming back to me now!! i was yelling at Hughes on the screen when he was arguing with the judges... i didn't know what he was arguing about, but i was sure i disagreed! hehehe....
ps. I heart Ralph!
~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
hughes says good things about georges, not so good about matt serra. dana white does a little half curse. :eek: shocker!
HUGHES AND ST-PIERRE READY FOR BATTLE
Monday, November 26, 2007
by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Monday held a conference call with Matt Hughes and Georges St-Pierre, who will be fighting for the third time when they meet on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas. Hughes was originally slated to face current UFC welterweight titleholder Matt Serra, but the champion suffered two herniated discs in his back, leaving him unable to defend the belt at UFC 79.
“It’s bad in the fact that I’m fighting a lot tougher opponent than Matt Serra,” said Hughes of the change in opposition.
“I just feel that Matt Serra is getting the easy way out. If he would have beat me, then he would have fought Georges again; so he would have fought both of us. Now, he's getting the easy way out, fighting just one of us, possibly.”
He continued, “As you can tell, I'm not a big Matt Serra fan right now because of what he's said about me.
The good thing about this fight is I'm not fighting this guy that's been bad-mouthing me, but I’m fighting somebody that I really respect. It'll be a pleasure to fight Georges St-Pierre, a stand-up character like he is, as opposed to somebody like Matt Serra who is just running his mouth.”
As for the relatively short notice for this change, both Hughes and St-Pierre felt that five weeks was ample time to be ready for each other.
“I'm at the top of my game right now. The only thing I was doing wrong is not eating as well as I should, like as well as if I would (be preparing for a) fight,” said St-Pierre.
As for the fight itself, he seemed excited about the opportunity. “I don't wish nobody bad luck ... but for me it is very important to fight for the interim world title. I am glad to fight Matt Hughes. I consider him as the best welterweight on the planet right now.”
Hughes wasn’t overly concerned about his own preparations, saying the biggest change in training will be his focus. “I think I really need to concentrate more and be more focused. There's such a difference in competition when you look at Matt Serra and when you look at Georges St-Pierre. I've publicly said before, Georges St-Pierre knocks Matt Serra out nine out of ten times, so now I've really got to step it up and I’ve got to mentally focus and stay on my game to fight someone like Georges.”
One thing that Hughes apparently has working in his favor is a new training regimen. He discussed his exodus from Pat Miletich’s camp and how things are going now that he has broken away from his longtime mentor. This fight with St-Pierre will be his first without having trained at Miletich’s center in Iowa.
“I’m getting much better workouts than I have in the past. I really think I’m going to be in a lot better shape in this fight,” stated Hughes.
“Up at Pat’s it was kind of the same routine. Nobody really told me what to do; I did what I wanted to do. Here, I've got some great coaches, they tell me what to do. I don't have the option of saying, 'You know, I don't feel like doing all of that today. I'm just going to run on the treadmill.'
“So I've got some coaches that really know what's going on and they are pushing me. It’s human nature to take the easy way out. I’m a nine-time UFC champion, and yet I’m still human in the fact that I will look for the easy way out. I need to be pushed like everybody else does and now I've got people that are going to do that.”
This being the rubber match – Hughes won their first meeting and St-Pierre dominated the second – both fighters have past successes and disappointments to think about. But neither seems to dwell on the past.
“I’ll have a whole different mindset (compared to the loss to St-Pierre),” said Hughes about this fight. “I’m not going to go into what I’m going to do different right now … I just need to get my head screwed on straight and get thinking about Georges and stop thinking about Matt Serra and I'm going to be fine. I've got plenty of time to do that.”
Despite winning their last meeting, St-Pierre knows he has to keep his head “screwed on straight” as well. “I’m not overconfident at all. I remember, Matt beat me once and I beat him once. So now it's equal. We beat each other one time. We’re both going to be different fighters this time. We grew up from our win and loss and it’s going to be a total different fight.”
UFC president Dana White had no qualms about switching gears for what is likely to be the promotion’s biggest event of the year. In fact, he seemed to be rather proud of being able to pull of such a prominent “replacement” fight on short notice.
“If this were boxing we’d be canceling this whole event and every ounce of promotion we did would be for nothing. The fact that we were able to pull an amazing fight like this out of our asses is incredible,” said White.
“Georges stepped up to the plate and said he'd do it. Then Hughes said he’d do it. I found out Serra was out and I was devastated and then the way these two stepped up and jumped into this fight... I was just blown away.
I love the sport when stuff like this happens.”
The fight between Hughes and St-Pierre on Dec. 29 will be for the interim welterweight title. White also verified that it will indeed be the headline bout atop of a loaded card that also features the long-awaited bout between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva.
He continued, “As you can tell, I'm not a big Matt Serra fan right now because of what he's said about me. The good thing about this fight is I'm not fighting this guy that's been bad-mouthing me, but I’m fighting somebody that I really respect. It'll be a pleasure to fight Georges St-Pierre, a stand-up character like he is, as opposed to somebody like Matt Serra who is just running his mouth.”
pffft... :rolleyes: oh sure, look who's the angel now?
~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
ok, since mook's 'puter is out of commission, i thought i'd post some news from mma junkie....
Jorge Gurgel vs. John Halverson Set for UFC 82
Posted by MMA Junkie on November 27, 2007 at 11:22 am ET
UFC lightweight Jorge Gurgel (11-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who runs a mixed-martial-arts training center just north of Cincinnati, and John Halverson (16-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) have agreed to a bout that will take place at a UFC 82 event in Columbus, Ohio. The show is set for March 1 at Nationwide Arena.
A source close to Halverson alerted MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) of the fight earlier this morning. Gurgel’s camp could not immediately be reached for comment.
Gurgel last competed at October’s UFC 77 event. Fighting in front of a local crowd, he suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Alvin Robinson. The defeat snapped a two-fight win streak that Gurgel put together with victories over Danny Abbadi (UFC 63) and Diego Saraiva (UFC 73).
The 30-year-old Brazilian, who appeared on “The Ultimate Fighter 2” despite an extensive knee injury, is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who trains former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, Dustin Hazelett, Marcus Davis and other current UFC fighters.
His opponent, Halverson, competed at UFC 67 and suffered a controversial 19-second TKO loss to Roger Huerta. While Halverson was on the ground, Huerta connected with a knee that may or may not have been an illegal blow to the head. Regardless, Halverson was forced to cover, and the referee stopped it soon after.
Since that February fight, the 35-year-old Iowa native has posted a 3-0 record outside the UFC. All three victories have come via submission — one from a triangle choke, one from strikes, and one from a guillotine choke.
As with UFC 68, UFC 82 takes place during the Arnold Sports Festival, a three-day sports and fitness exhibition. Thanks in part to the festival, UFC 68 shattered Nationwide Arena records for live gate, attendance and merchandise sales last year.
UFC 82 features a title fight between current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former PRIDE fighter Dan Henderson, who dropped to 185 pounds for the fight.
Mookie: I may not be going to the finale after all. The card is mediocre at best and they are charging $150 for nosebleeds so I think unless someone gives me some comps or I win a jackpot I'll be watching SpikeTV in my hotel room. lol
Thats not to say I'm not going to be trying to meet some guys haha. I'll let u know if I am sucessful.
St.Pierre/Serra would be SWEEET for Montreal...but since back injuries take a long time to heal I really can't see Serra being healthy in time for Montreal unless they go there later in the year instead of the rumoured Feb/March.
I'd LOVE to see this live...cause even if its not Hughes wiping the smile off that arrogant SOB's face I'll still enjoy it!
GO ST.PIERRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (yes even over Hughes!)
"Rock and roll is something that can't be quantified, sometimes it's not even something you hear, but FEEL!" - Bob Lefsetz
thanks, ceg, for keeping up with the news! i've added it to the rumours section. i'm kind of surprised they brought halverson back. oh well, i hope jorge can get a win this time out.
still couldn't make it out to the shop because of the crazy weather today, so i'm hoping tomorrow. just took a chance to stop by for a sec and see what was new...
accbootleggoddess, personally i would pay 150$ to see the show just for guida vs. huearta, plus i'm a fan of goulet's so i think i'm probabaly sold just on those. might as well enjoy it for free in your hotel room, like you said, if the card isn't worth it for you. have a blast, in any case. hard not to do in vegas, eh?
speaking of not being worth it...that price on that book is insane! shocking indeed. the price for the finale i would pay, the price for the book...umm...not so much...:D
georges has something "specific" planned for hughes...i'm thinking flying armbar! he's got some pretty damn good training partners for this one once again...
ST. PIERRE, KANG TO UNITE
Canadians Join Forces as UFC 79 Title Bout Nears
By Brian Knapp
thefightnetwork.com
POSTED - 11/27/07
Two of the mixed martial arts world’s brightest young superstars have decided to join forces north of the United States border.
Georges St. Pierre will train alongside former PRIDE stalwart Denis Kang for the first time, as he prepares for his interim UFC welterweight championship bout against Matt Hughes at UFC 79 “Nemesis” on Saturday, Dec. 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. St. Pierre made the revelation Tuesday on Fight Network Radio.
Based out of the American Top Team, Kang (27-9-1) once went 21 fights without a loss. He has been rumored as a potential participant at K-1 “Premium 2007 Dynamite!!” on Monday, Dec. 31 in Japan.
“He’s always [been] somebody I respected a lot,” St. Pierre said. “He called me, because he has a fight coming up at the end of December – probably. I’m fighting, as well, so we’re going to train together.”
St. Pierre (14-2, 8-2 UFC) indicated he would remain close to his Montreal, Quebec home while he gears up for his third – and perhaps final – match with Hughes, a future UFC Hall-of-Famer and one of only two men to beat him. Nathan Marquardt and Keith Jardine, two of his teammates from Jackson’s Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, N.M., will join St. Pierre in Canada.
St. Pierre defeated Hughes by second-round TKO to capture the UFC welterweight crown last November, only to relinquish it in a stunning upset loss to Matt Serra five months later. Ironically, it was Serra’s back injury that paved the way to a rubber match with Hughes (41-5, 15-3 UFC). Serra withdrew from his scheduled title defense against Hughes last week.
“It was the best scenario I could wish for,” St. Pierre said. “I was in pretty amazing shape. I was training for it, just in case that scenario happened. When I learned Serra got hurt, I right away called my manager and told her if [the UFC] needs somebody to step up, I’m ready for it … I’m up for the challenge. My manager let the UFC know, and the UFC called us back.”
Almost universally received as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, St. Pierre rebounded from his TKO loss to Serra to beat rising contender Josh Koscheck at UFC 74 in August. The 26-year-old French Canadian also holds victories over BJ Penn, Frank Trigg, Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Sean Sherk, all of them former or current titleholders. He vowed to wow the crowd in the third chapter of his trilogy with Hughes.
“I have something very specific that I’m going to do against Hughes,” St. Pierre said. “People are going to be shocked.”
An eventual rematch with Serra, provided he recovers from his injury, remains tucked in the back of St. Pierre’s mind. For now, his focus rests solely on Hughes, who submitted him with an armbar at UFC 50 in 2004.
“I want to beat Hughes,” St. Pierre said. “Then after [that], I’m going to take care of Serra. That’s what I want to do. I’m a nice guy, but when I’m going to fight, I’m somebody else.”
Matt Hughes never met an opportunity to rip Matt Serra that he didn't like.
During a Monday conference call to promote the new UFC 79 co-main event on Dec. 29 involving Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight title, Hughes said that he felt Serra was getting the "easy way out."
Hughes explained that he felt that way because now Serra likely won't have to face both Hughes and GSP, a likely scenario in the event that he had won his match against Hughes at UFC 79.
There is some validity to what Hughes said but to imply Serra is "taking" the easy way out is lame when you consider the fact that the reason he pulled out of the match on Dec. 29 is because he's injured.
Way to kick a guy when he's down.
Hughes also took a veiled shot at his former camp, Miletich Fighting Systems. Despite a once close relationship with the camp, Hughes was hesitant in saying he's had a much better camp in comparison to his recent ones at MFS. He indicated that he didn't have anyone telling him what to do at MFS and implied that he's being pushed harder since branching out on his own.
Perhaps it's true? But why even bring it up considering all that MFS has done for him in the past and how they've declined to make any negative comments about Hughes' decision to leave the fold?
Another interesting comment from Hughes was that he indicated he lost a little motivation for Dec. 29 because he will be fighting someone in Georges St. Pierre that he considers a standup guy as opposed to Matt Serra, someone he doesn't feel represents the company well as a champion.
Matt Hughes never met an opportunity to rip Matt Serra that he didn't like.
During a Monday conference call to promote the new UFC 79 co-main event on Dec. 29 involving Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight title, Hughes said that he felt Serra was getting the "easy way out."
Hughes explained that he felt that way because now Serra likely won't have to face both Hughes and GSP, a likely scenario in the event that he had won his match against Hughes at UFC 79.
There is some validity to what Hughes said but to imply Serra is "taking" the easy way out is lame when you consider the fact that the reason he pulled out of the match on Dec. 29 is because he's injured.
Way to kick a guy when he's down.
Hughes also took a veiled shot at his former camp, Miletich Fighting Systems. Despite a once close relationship with the camp, Hughes was hesitant in saying he's had a much better camp in comparison to his recent ones at MFS. He indicated that he didn't have anyone telling him what to do at MFS and implied that he's being pushed harder since branching out on his own.
Perhaps it's true? But why even bring it up considering all that MFS has done for him in the past and how they've declined to make any negative comments about Hughes' decision to leave the fold?
Another interesting comment from Hughes was that he indicated he lost a little motivation for Dec. 29 because he will be fighting someone in Georges St. Pierre that he considers a standup guy as opposed to Matt Serra, someone he doesn't feel represents the company well as a champion.
--
Sam Caplan
the key line is kicking a man when he's down, eh? typical hughes...what some might refer to as passive aggressive, maybe?
Comments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06SN82Dh_ts
nice work by whoever did the edit on that one. "i am being a dick"...in hughes' own words...i love it!
he says he was just happy to see serra win so that he could fight him, but sean sherk was there with his little giggles too...looked quite different from when georges was breaking his nose with elbows.
thanks, ceg. that was good for a laugh.
i remember georges being questioned about what he thought about hughes and sherk's reaction to his loss and he would only say that he would "keep it in his mind" the next time they faced each other. fuel to the fire, as they say....
georges won't need to do any trash talking going into this one...not that he usually does, but he'll do his talking in the octagon. one of the funnier comments from randy couture came during georges' entrance for the fight with matt serra...they were talking about how georges didn't put hughes down prior to their fight, and randy says "well, he may not have put him down with his words, but he certainly put him down with his left shin!"
UFC Fight Night 12, January 23, 2008 - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida - Spike TV
Main Card:
Mike Swick Vs. Josh Burkman
Patrick Côté Vs. Drew McFedries
Nate Diaz Vs. Alvin Robinson
Thiago Tavares Vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Pre-lims:
Kurt Pellegrino Vs. Alberto Crane
Cole Miller Vs. Jeremy Stephens
Matt Wiman Vs. Justin Buccholz
Corey Hill Vs. TBA
december and january are both looking like good times for mma fans!
i'm thinking ben by tko early in the second, maybe?
as far as the "match" in the house goes, i guess war machine and jared will settle that one at the finale.
how did i miss this post, releash?!!? i think my computer is acting up...it's starting to make a weird sound right now...
i hope you get to see the show! it will be a shame to miss this one. replay when you get home, i guess? stay away from the thread as there's sure to be some screaming one way or the other from most of us with the spoilers!
i'm going to be jonesin' for mma news, and i'll owe you a reply when i get it back from the shop, ceg.
why did i buy this thing an hour bus ride away!?!?!
ack!! good luck getting it fixed!! :(
i'll call you if anything exciting happens...
merci, mon amie!
yeah, i'm just waiting to shut it off for a few until the bus comes. i know it only takes a few minutes to replace, but they always claim they have stuff to do. you'd think they were running a business or something!
this can't be good for my computer...but it is funny to listen to...
p.s. GSP!
I'm a little bummed that I'll have to miss this one, at least live. I can buy it and tivo it so I can watch the next day. But I'll have to stay away from the thread like you said :( and talking with you all is half the fun of watching. grrr!
I think the general consensus is that Ben has more weapons against Tommy and he's a little nutty too. +1 on Tommy's obvious game plan and he's very well conditioned, but Ben's a pretty big guy so it'll be more difficult to overpower him. I'm predicting Ben by submission late in the first round.
that's un-possible!
i don't remember seeing Ben fight the last time... did i miss an episode? so i guess i don't really have a prediction... not that i usually do...
no, that's not true! i was 2 for 2 on Matt A. and George... that's right! 100% baby... i'm kicking your's guys'es asses in picks...
ben's fight was the controversial one. it was the two round decision win over dan. dan knocked ben down in the first, and ben knocked him down later in the round, but ben's punch wasn't as hard or effective and dan pretty much just dropped to a knee for a second and regained composure. ben, on the other hand, fell to his back and dan let him recover while standing over him and doing nothing. the rest of the round was pretty close, but ben landed more strikes and dan seemed tentative to throw strikes at times. then, in the second round, ben clearly won the stand up and took the fight.
dana white and matt hughes both were angered by the decision. i felt it was the right one. there's a lot of disagreement about it. matt serra also said that he thought there would be a third round as dan probabaly won the first, but said later on his blog that once he watched the show on tv he was leaning more towards ben winning both rounds.
oh yeah, i couldn't resist turning this thing on one more time. i am a junkie!
thanks for good words, releash. it's just a fan and they said today they should be able to do it while i wait tomorrow. we're on the same side this week, picking ben.
this one goes out to all the ladies in the house... (said in barry white voice
Gray Maynard Returns at UFC Fight Night 12, Possibly Against Matt Grice
November 26, 2007
Promising lightweights and former collegiate wrestlers Gray Maynard (3-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Matt Grice (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will likely square off at a UFC Fight Night 12 event that takes place Jan. 23.
MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) first learned of the potential bout last week from a source close to Maynard. Additionally, while a recent guest on ESPN’s “Between Rounds” radio program, Maynard confirmed with show host Ken Gonzalez that the UFC planned for him to return at the upcoming event, though he didn’t mention an opponent. (ESPN’s “Between Rounds” is a content-partner site of MMAjunkie.com.)
Calls to Grice were not immediately returned.
If officially booked, the Maynard vs. Grice bout could end up on the televised UFC Fight Night 12 main card, which airs on Spike TV.
Maynard, a Randy Couture-trained fighter who’s part of the Xtreme Couture team in Las Vegas, appeared on the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The 28-year-old posted victories over Wayne Weems in a preliminary fight and Brandon Melendez in the show’s quarterfinals, but he was halted (via guillotine choke) in the quarterfinals by eventual show winner Nate Diaz.
Maynard, who wrestled with Rashad Evans at Michigan State Univerity, was then scheduled to fight Rob Emerson at The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale in June, but the fight was ruled a no-contest when Maynard slammed his opponent to the mat. Emerson worsened a pre-existing rib injury and was forced to verbally submit, but Maynard temporarily knocked himself out in the process, prompting a ruling of a no-contest. Maynard, though, rebounded for an impressive nine-second KO of newcomer Joe Veres at UFC Fight Night 11 in September.
Maynard’s next likely opponent, Grice, is a former University of Oklahoma wrestler who rebounded from a submission loss to Terry Etim at UFC 70 with a split-decision victory over Jason Black at UFC 77 last month.
Grice’s collegiate wrestling career was cut short by injuries he suffered in a car accident prior to his freshman year of college. However, when his health improved, he gave professional MMA shot, and the 26-year-old has now lost just once in 10 pro fights.
UFC Fight Night 12 also features bouts between Cole Miller and Jeremy Stephens, as well as Patrick Cote vs. Drew McFedries. Potential headliner Mike Swick is rumored to be fighting Josh Burkman at the event, though Burkman was being considered for an upcoming fight with a UFC newcomer earlier this month.
http://mmajunkie.com/2007/11/26/gray-maynard-returns-at-ufc-fight-night-12-possibly-against-matt-grice/
oooohhh, we've got some competition now!
THANKS MOOKIE!
what can i say? i have the best teacher...
ooohhh yahhhh!! that was the one i watched on mute when i was under the influence of a whole lotta wine at the hotel bar during my seminar!! (it's not my fault, i was in Niagara!) it's all coming back to me now!!
ps. I heart Ralph!
hughes says good things about georges, not so good about matt serra. dana white does a little half curse. :eek: shocker!
HUGHES AND ST-PIERRE READY FOR BATTLE
Monday, November 26, 2007
by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Monday held a conference call with Matt Hughes and Georges St-Pierre, who will be fighting for the third time when they meet on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas. Hughes was originally slated to face current UFC welterweight titleholder Matt Serra, but the champion suffered two herniated discs in his back, leaving him unable to defend the belt at UFC 79.
“It’s bad in the fact that I’m fighting a lot tougher opponent than Matt Serra,” said Hughes of the change in opposition.
“I just feel that Matt Serra is getting the easy way out. If he would have beat me, then he would have fought Georges again; so he would have fought both of us. Now, he's getting the easy way out, fighting just one of us, possibly.”
He continued, “As you can tell, I'm not a big Matt Serra fan right now because of what he's said about me.
The good thing about this fight is I'm not fighting this guy that's been bad-mouthing me, but I’m fighting somebody that I really respect. It'll be a pleasure to fight Georges St-Pierre, a stand-up character like he is, as opposed to somebody like Matt Serra who is just running his mouth.”
As for the relatively short notice for this change, both Hughes and St-Pierre felt that five weeks was ample time to be ready for each other.
“I'm at the top of my game right now. The only thing I was doing wrong is not eating as well as I should, like as well as if I would (be preparing for a) fight,” said St-Pierre.
As for the fight itself, he seemed excited about the opportunity. “I don't wish nobody bad luck ... but for me it is very important to fight for the interim world title. I am glad to fight Matt Hughes. I consider him as the best welterweight on the planet right now.”
Hughes wasn’t overly concerned about his own preparations, saying the biggest change in training will be his focus. “I think I really need to concentrate more and be more focused. There's such a difference in competition when you look at Matt Serra and when you look at Georges St-Pierre. I've publicly said before, Georges St-Pierre knocks Matt Serra out nine out of ten times, so now I've really got to step it up and I’ve got to mentally focus and stay on my game to fight someone like Georges.”
One thing that Hughes apparently has working in his favor is a new training regimen. He discussed his exodus from Pat Miletich’s camp and how things are going now that he has broken away from his longtime mentor. This fight with St-Pierre will be his first without having trained at Miletich’s center in Iowa.
“I’m getting much better workouts than I have in the past. I really think I’m going to be in a lot better shape in this fight,” stated Hughes.
“Up at Pat’s it was kind of the same routine. Nobody really told me what to do; I did what I wanted to do. Here, I've got some great coaches, they tell me what to do. I don't have the option of saying, 'You know, I don't feel like doing all of that today. I'm just going to run on the treadmill.'
“So I've got some coaches that really know what's going on and they are pushing me. It’s human nature to take the easy way out. I’m a nine-time UFC champion, and yet I’m still human in the fact that I will look for the easy way out. I need to be pushed like everybody else does and now I've got people that are going to do that.”
This being the rubber match – Hughes won their first meeting and St-Pierre dominated the second – both fighters have past successes and disappointments to think about. But neither seems to dwell on the past.
“I’ll have a whole different mindset (compared to the loss to St-Pierre),” said Hughes about this fight. “I’m not going to go into what I’m going to do different right now … I just need to get my head screwed on straight and get thinking about Georges and stop thinking about Matt Serra and I'm going to be fine. I've got plenty of time to do that.”
Despite winning their last meeting, St-Pierre knows he has to keep his head “screwed on straight” as well. “I’m not overconfident at all. I remember, Matt beat me once and I beat him once. So now it's equal. We beat each other one time. We’re both going to be different fighters this time. We grew up from our win and loss and it’s going to be a total different fight.”
UFC president Dana White had no qualms about switching gears for what is likely to be the promotion’s biggest event of the year. In fact, he seemed to be rather proud of being able to pull of such a prominent “replacement” fight on short notice.
“If this were boxing we’d be canceling this whole event and every ounce of promotion we did would be for nothing. The fact that we were able to pull an amazing fight like this out of our asses is incredible,” said White.
“Georges stepped up to the plate and said he'd do it. Then Hughes said he’d do it. I found out Serra was out and I was devastated and then the way these two stepped up and jumped into this fight... I was just blown away.
I love the sport when stuff like this happens.”
The fight between Hughes and St-Pierre on Dec. 29 will be for the interim welterweight title. White also verified that it will indeed be the headline bout atop of a loaded card that also features the long-awaited bout between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva.
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5144&zoneid=13
VAS-Y Gray!!
pffft... :rolleyes: oh sure, look who's the angel now?
to steal your line from the other thread ......
AMENT TO THAT, CEG!
Jorge Gurgel vs. John Halverson Set for UFC 82
Posted by MMA Junkie on November 27, 2007 at 11:22 am ET
UFC lightweight Jorge Gurgel (11-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who runs a mixed-martial-arts training center just north of Cincinnati, and John Halverson (16-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) have agreed to a bout that will take place at a UFC 82 event in Columbus, Ohio. The show is set for March 1 at Nationwide Arena.
A source close to Halverson alerted MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) of the fight earlier this morning. Gurgel’s camp could not immediately be reached for comment.
Gurgel last competed at October’s UFC 77 event. Fighting in front of a local crowd, he suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Alvin Robinson. The defeat snapped a two-fight win streak that Gurgel put together with victories over Danny Abbadi (UFC 63) and Diego Saraiva (UFC 73).
The 30-year-old Brazilian, who appeared on “The Ultimate Fighter 2” despite an extensive knee injury, is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who trains former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, Dustin Hazelett, Marcus Davis and other current UFC fighters.
His opponent, Halverson, competed at UFC 67 and suffered a controversial 19-second TKO loss to Roger Huerta. While Halverson was on the ground, Huerta connected with a knee that may or may not have been an illegal blow to the head. Regardless, Halverson was forced to cover, and the referee stopped it soon after.
Since that February fight, the 35-year-old Iowa native has posted a 3-0 record outside the UFC. All three victories have come via submission — one from a triangle choke, one from strikes, and one from a guillotine choke.
As with UFC 68, UFC 82 takes place during the Arnold Sports Festival, a three-day sports and fitness exhibition. Thanks in part to the festival, UFC 68 shattered Nationwide Arena records for live gate, attendance and merchandise sales last year.
UFC 82 features a title fight between current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former PRIDE fighter Dan Henderson, who dropped to 185 pounds for the fight.
http://mmajunkie.com/2007/11/27/jorge-gurgel-vs-john-halverson-set-for-ufc-82/
I'm pretty excited for this! I was blown away by Gurgel in his last fight, even with the loss... i can't wait to see him in winning form!
http://www.octagon-book.com/
if you're brave, click the Purchase link.... :eek:
:eek:!!!
Seriously!?! Someone is awfully proud of the book for it be that expensive! Even if it is a collector's item!
Call me realistic ... but I think I would spend all that money going to an actual UFC event.
Thats not to say I'm not going to be trying to meet some guys haha. I'll let u know if I am sucessful.
St.Pierre/Serra would be SWEEET for Montreal...but since back injuries take a long time to heal I really can't see Serra being healthy in time for Montreal unless they go there later in the year instead of the rumoured Feb/March.
I'd LOVE to see this live...cause even if its not Hughes wiping the smile off that arrogant SOB's face I'll still enjoy it!
GO ST.PIERRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (yes even over Hughes!)
still couldn't make it out to the shop because of the crazy weather today, so i'm hoping tomorrow. just took a chance to stop by for a sec and see what was new...
accbootleggoddess, personally i would pay 150$ to see the show just for guida vs. huearta, plus i'm a fan of goulet's so i think i'm probabaly sold just on those. might as well enjoy it for free in your hotel room, like you said, if the card isn't worth it for you. have a blast, in any case. hard not to do in vegas, eh?
speaking of not being worth it...that price on that book is insane! shocking indeed. the price for the finale i would pay, the price for the book...umm...not so much...:D
ST. PIERRE, KANG TO UNITE
Canadians Join Forces as UFC 79 Title Bout Nears
By Brian Knapp
thefightnetwork.com
POSTED - 11/27/07
Two of the mixed martial arts world’s brightest young superstars have decided to join forces north of the United States border.
Georges St. Pierre will train alongside former PRIDE stalwart Denis Kang for the first time, as he prepares for his interim UFC welterweight championship bout against Matt Hughes at UFC 79 “Nemesis” on Saturday, Dec. 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. St. Pierre made the revelation Tuesday on Fight Network Radio.
Based out of the American Top Team, Kang (27-9-1) once went 21 fights without a loss. He has been rumored as a potential participant at K-1 “Premium 2007 Dynamite!!” on Monday, Dec. 31 in Japan.
“He’s always [been] somebody I respected a lot,” St. Pierre said. “He called me, because he has a fight coming up at the end of December – probably. I’m fighting, as well, so we’re going to train together.”
St. Pierre (14-2, 8-2 UFC) indicated he would remain close to his Montreal, Quebec home while he gears up for his third – and perhaps final – match with Hughes, a future UFC Hall-of-Famer and one of only two men to beat him. Nathan Marquardt and Keith Jardine, two of his teammates from Jackson’s Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, N.M., will join St. Pierre in Canada.
St. Pierre defeated Hughes by second-round TKO to capture the UFC welterweight crown last November, only to relinquish it in a stunning upset loss to Matt Serra five months later. Ironically, it was Serra’s back injury that paved the way to a rubber match with Hughes (41-5, 15-3 UFC). Serra withdrew from his scheduled title defense against Hughes last week.
“It was the best scenario I could wish for,” St. Pierre said. “I was in pretty amazing shape. I was training for it, just in case that scenario happened. When I learned Serra got hurt, I right away called my manager and told her if [the UFC] needs somebody to step up, I’m ready for it … I’m up for the challenge. My manager let the UFC know, and the UFC called us back.”
Almost universally received as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, St. Pierre rebounded from his TKO loss to Serra to beat rising contender Josh Koscheck at UFC 74 in August. The 26-year-old French Canadian also holds victories over BJ Penn, Frank Trigg, Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Sean Sherk, all of them former or current titleholders. He vowed to wow the crowd in the third chapter of his trilogy with Hughes.
“I have something very specific that I’m going to do against Hughes,” St. Pierre said. “People are going to be shocked.”
An eventual rematch with Serra, provided he recovers from his injury, remains tucked in the back of St. Pierre’s mind. For now, his focus rests solely on Hughes, who submitted him with an armbar at UFC 50 in 2004.
“I want to beat Hughes,” St. Pierre said. “Then after [that], I’m going to take care of Serra. That’s what I want to do. I’m a nice guy, but when I’m going to fight, I’m somebody else.”
http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=5507
That's Ridiculous !!!!!
During a Monday conference call to promote the new UFC 79 co-main event on Dec. 29 involving Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight title, Hughes said that he felt Serra was getting the "easy way out."
Hughes explained that he felt that way because now Serra likely won't have to face both Hughes and GSP, a likely scenario in the event that he had won his match against Hughes at UFC 79.
There is some validity to what Hughes said but to imply Serra is "taking" the easy way out is lame when you consider the fact that the reason he pulled out of the match on Dec. 29 is because he's injured.
Way to kick a guy when he's down.
Hughes also took a veiled shot at his former camp, Miletich Fighting Systems. Despite a once close relationship with the camp, Hughes was hesitant in saying he's had a much better camp in comparison to his recent ones at MFS. He indicated that he didn't have anyone telling him what to do at MFS and implied that he's being pushed harder since branching out on his own.
Perhaps it's true? But why even bring it up considering all that MFS has done for him in the past and how they've declined to make any negative comments about Hughes' decision to leave the fold?
Another interesting comment from Hughes was that he indicated he lost a little motivation for Dec. 29 because he will be fighting someone in Georges St. Pierre that he considers a standup guy as opposed to Matt Serra, someone he doesn't feel represents the company well as a champion.
--
Sam Caplan
the key line is kicking a man when he's down, eh? typical hughes...what some might refer to as passive aggressive, maybe?