no computer fix still...the plumbing underneath my bathroom has apparently sprung a leak and i had to wait around for plumbers to come today. they just forgot to arrive, i guess. now my computer monitor is flashing in and out like it did the last time it blew. oh yeah, good times.
anyway, a couple of good fights on unleashed tonight, huerta vs. garcia and aurelio vs. guida. good preview for the upcoming finale.
looking forward to tonight. could be a good match, should be lots of "drama", and plenty of bleeping from the censors when dana comes to give the obligatory speech after the war machine / jared incident.
hoping this computery thingy hangs on until the end of the show...
That might have been the silliest, most frat boy "incident" in all the seasons. :cool:
indeed. kind of gross, but punishment enough for the to have to clean it up, i suppose.
pretty good first round. it was close, but i think tommy might have been pulling ahead at the end. i thought ben had him the triangles and that armbar had me tapping here! kind of like tommy's fight with war machine. he escapes the early tight submissions to get on top and start landing shots. this time he didn't get nearly as many in, though.
tommy's round completely in the second. easy one for the judges. tommy wins the decision. i'm surprised he was able to keep ben down, but ben looked like he didn't have the strength to even think about trying.
it's surprising they didn't leave us with a cliff hanger there about who be facing each other in the semi's, but it does look like the rumours that were going around are true. somebady's coming back to replace one of the semi-finalists. i'm guessing it has to be tommy with the cuts.
looks also like they're trying to get a george vs. mac final, which would be an outstanding fight, i think. probabaly the one most of us expected. we'll have to wait and see what happens...
Good fight tonight. Ben was soooooo close with those triangles and armbars. I have to hand it to Tommy for really sticking with it to get the decision.
I was surprised they picked the semis so quickly. These are the matches I would have picked.
Matt v. MAC DANZIG
George v. Tommy
I wonder who isn't going to be able to fight. I'm guessing Tommy. I'm crossing my fingers that it isn't Mac
Good fight tonight. Ben was soooooo close with those triangles and armbars. I have to hand it to Tommy for really sticking with it to get the decision.
I was surprised they picked the semis so quickly. These are the matches I would have picked.
Matt v. MAC DANZIG
George v. Tommy
I wonder who isn't going to be able to fight. I'm guessing Tommy. I'm crossing my fingers that it isn't Mac
true enough. that's two fights now where tommy has been in situations where the fight looked certain to be over and he got through them both.
tommy's definitely the most banged up of the four, so that's my guess too. i'm wondering who they bring back.
just started thnking. if these guys are already announced in the final....Jared Rollins, Jon Koppenhaver, Paul Georgieff, Troy Mandaloniz, Richie Hightower, Dorian Price...it would make sense that none of them are the one selected to come back, as the outcome of the semi-final would already be known, right?
pretty good first round. it was close, but i think tommy might have been pulling ahead at the end. i thought ben had him the triangles and that armbar had me tapping here! kind of like tommy's fight with war machine. he escapes the early tight submissions to get on top and start landing shots. this time he didn't get nearly as many in, though.
granted, i was drifting in and out a little during the fight, but from the bits i saw, i would have given the first round to Ben... although i do admire Tommy for not tapping right away, like we've seen ALL the other guys do as soon as someone even remotely sinks in a hold....
looks also like they're trying to get a george vs. mac final, which would be an outstanding fight, i think. probabaly the one most of us expected. we'll have to wait and see what happens...
.
yah, their intensions seem pretty obvious.... i feel bad for Matt A. though... i feel like they just fed him to the wolves... :(
i agree that none of the guys who have been announced for the show will be the replacement fighter... who does that leave? Kolosci maybe?
~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
too funny, "all man-ador" is. good one, ceg. i was just reading that ben saunders is facing dan barrera in a rematch at the finale, so billy miles, maybe?!?! kolosci probably won't be able to go, after his fight with mac. billy might be the only one healthy enough at this point.
the preview for next week was on and dana says at one point that he couldn't believe how easily the guy who couldn't continue gave in, so that makes it all the more odd. you just reminded me too, that maybe it's actually tommy's arm and not the cuts that force him out. i could see him not showing a lot of emotion if the doctors say he can't continue...so many questions for next week!
looks like gray will have a different opponent at the UFC fight night show in january...
Gray Maynard vs. Dennis Siver Set for UFC Fight Night 12
November 29, 2007
“The Ultimate Fighter 5’s” Gray Maynard will take on German fighter Dennis Siver (11-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at a UFC Fight Night 12 event planned for Jan. 23.
A source close to Maynard told MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) of the bout this afternoon. Additionally, a representative from Siver’s camp confirmed the bout.
UFC Fight Night 12 features a main event between Mike Swick and Josh Burkman and airs live on Spike TV.
As MMAjunkie.com reported last week, Maynard was expected to fight fellow collegiate wrestler Matt Grice at the event, but the former University of Oklahoma Sooner apparently turned down the bout.
Instead, Maynard will fight a submission specialist from the German-based OC Fight Team.
Maynard, part of Randy Couture’s Xtreme Couture team, was a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter 5,” where the 28-year-old posted victories over Wayne Weems in a preliminary fight and Brandon Melendez in the show’s quarterfinals. However, eventual show winner Nate Diaz defeated Maynard in the show’s semifinals.
Maynard, a wrestling teammate of Rashad Evans at Michigan State Univerity, next fought 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 most recently scored an impressive nine-second KO of newcomer Joe Veres at UFC Fight Night 11 in September.
His opponent, Siver, made his octagon debut at UFC 70 with a first-round submission loss to Jess Liaudin. However, he bounced back at the UFC’s next U.K. show with a second-round KO of Naoyuki Kotani at UFC 75.
Six of Siver’s 11 victories have come via submission. He’s won four of his past five fights.
I was literally just coming here to post that article!!
Vas-y Gray!
i'm sniffing out the stories and rumours like an ole hound dog!
just got back from getting my computer "fixed". it's only four or five years old, and already they don't make this particular fan anymore. therefore i'm on a hunt on ebay to find the right one, or buy a new tower for about 275$. i'm thinking i'll hold old for a bit, run this one into the ground and get a new system when i can.
frustrating to spend a few hours only to find out they can do anything for you but clean it, and it sounds pretty much as bad as it did. feckin' feck! :mad:
anyhoo...
sounds like matt grice had to decline because he's joing the police academy and couldn't get the necessary time off for the fight, so dennis siver steps in. i think gray wins both fights, but both guys are very talented fighters. i can't decide which one is the better match for gray. siver might be the easier match, despite his experience. i'm willing to bet gray has made vast improvements over the past several months.
sorry you couldn't get your puter fixed, mook! :( i hope it holds out for a while for you!
btw... i had totally forgotten that Kolosci just fought Mac... oops!
i think that does really only leave Billy...
i was going around wracking my brain trying to think who might be healthy enough, and then i remembered that mac said the only one cleared for him to spar with was billy, but tht he made a poor sparring partner. i think everyone else is banged up or already confirmed for the finale.
kolosci would likely be game to go, but he took a beating against mac and i'm sure he wouldn't be cleared in time for contact.
thanks for the kind wishes on the devil machine here. it's starting to quiet down again, but it's only a matter of time before it goes kaput. :(
i was going around wracking my brain trying to think who might be healthy enough, and then i remembered that mac said the only one cleared for him to spar with was billy, but tht he made a poor sparring partner. i think everyone else is banged up or already confirmed for the finale.
kolosci would likely be game to go, but he took a beating against mac and i'm sure he wouldn't be cleared in time for contact.
thanks for the kind wishes on the devil machine here. it's starting to quiet down again, but it's only a matter of time before it goes kaput. :(
I agree that Billy is the only one left. we'll see how it goes, eh?
I'm sorry too about the devil computer, mooks. As long as it hold up for the TUF finale!
missed your post last night, releash, so i missed the shows. i think i must have fallen asleep pretty early, and woke up to a winter wonderland today!
they probably didn't have time to show gray's ko due to time contstraints, eh?
one more week until the finale!
you didn't miss a whole lot, mooks. Pretty standard knockout highlights. Alas, no Gray Maynard. :( I watched part of the fight night on mute, but ended up falling asleep pretty early too.
Oooohhh, I miss snow!! and mountains!! and skiing! Enjoy your winter wonderland.
I'm looking forward to the finale. It's free and I have the whole weekend off!
Rampage Jackson is known for his punishing stand up and wrestling inside the cage and his down right hilarious demeanor outside of it. Check out some excerpt from a recent interview conducted with Jesse Holland at MMAmania.com:
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): What’s up Rampage, how’s the hand? When are we going to see you back in the Octagon?
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson: It feels good, I should be ready to start punchin’ in a few weeks. I’m gettin’ back to training and all that. As far as my return I don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on. You guys will probably find out before I do.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): Dana White mentioned that he’s got “big plans” for you in the near future. What’s he alluding to?
Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson: I love Mexicans. I love tacos, burritos…I don’t know man, I don’t know what the hell Dana’s talkin’ about.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): So you’re not prepared to announce your role as coach on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter?
Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson: I can’t announce none of that. I can’t announce the new Rampage energy drink that’s coming out, I can’t announce my new deal with Affliction, I can’t announce the Rampage rims for your ride. I can’t announce nothin’.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): How would you do in that type of role as a guy who notoriously loathes training?
Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson: I hate training. I’m not sayin’ I don’t train - I’m the hardest training guy in this sport but I don’t like it. I hate it. That’s why I have to whoop so much ass. That fool standing across from me in the Octagon made me train for so long just to fight them. Now they have to pay. It’s punishment dammit.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): What’s your prediction for the Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva fight at UFC 79?
Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson: I think it’s gonna be a good fight. (Yawns) Damn I need a Rampage energy drink right about now. I wish they would have done it a few years ago back in the day. They both lost two fights but they were against good people - well, Chuck lost to Jardine let me check that - it don’t matter. Two fights don’t end a career.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): How do you feel about fighting a friend? What if they offered you Tito?
Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson: I might not want to do it, but I guess I would fight a friend if they wanted the belt or if they needed the money that comes with fighting the champ. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t? I’ll do anything for my friends. Well, almost anything. I ain’t dyin’ for them. I ain’t Jesus Christ man, I got kids.
Hurry up with those questions homeboy I gotta take a mean crap. You wanna come into the bathroom and finish this?
Evan Tanner Rethinking the Sponsorship Model
Posted by MMA Junkie on December 2, 2007 at 12:51 pm ET
Tired with the current model of fighter sponsorship, former UFC middleweight champion and 10-year MMA veteran Evan Tanner has developed a new way to generate sponsorship dollars.
Tanner (32-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC), who made his octagon debut nearly nine years ago at UFC 18, recently signed a new four-fight deal with the organization. The 36-year-old hadn’t competed professionally since April 2006, but he’s now planning a return to the UFC in early 2008.
But when he does, he won’t take the normal approach toward his sponsorship. Although he’s been pleased to see the sport grow from an underground club to a mainstream sport, he’s turned off by one byproduct of its success.
“I feel the sport is being overly commercialized,” Tanner wrote on his official site, evantanner.net. “I don’t like the idea of stepping back into that game, begging companies for sponsorship, negotiating the size and placement of logos on my shirt and shorts, the plugs during interviews, and finally selling out to the highest bidder regardless of whether or not I use their product. That is the standard game most MMA athletes are obligated to play.
“Playing that game doesn’t suit me.“
Instead, Tanner is taking his sponsorship directly to fans — in a program he calls “Team Tanner.” And despite the nearly two-year layoff, Tanner remains one of the sport’s most popular fighters, so he has a huge pool of potential sponsors.
Tanner has developed “sponsorship packages” that range from as little as $50, which includes special access to online resources and an autograph card, all the way up to $4,000, which promises a smorgasborg of merchandise and a unique opportunity to train with Evan Tanner, attend a UFC event and hob knob with MMA’s elite around Las Vegas.
Starting at the $100 level, all sponsors get a limited-edition, high-quality “Team Tanner” T-shirt (the T-shirt design will change from fight to fight).
Additionally, Tanner has a special package available once per fight for an individual sponsor who essentially becomes a cornerman for Tanner. The sponsor will accompany the Tanner to the weigh-ins the day before the event, and on fight night, he or she will be in the dressing room and accompany him to the octagon for the fight. The sponsor gets all the goodies from the other sponsorship packages, as well.
“I don’t want to cash in on the fans, but money is necessary to cover training expenses,” Tanner stated. “It’s extremely important to me that everyone who becomes involved is completely satisfied with their investment in the team. It is important that this is something that everyone can be proud to be a part of.“
some tragic news, as sammy vasquez succumbs to his injuries sustained in october. my thoughts are with his friends and family.
MMA fighter Vasquez dies weeks after fight
By Dave Meltzer, Yahoo! Sports
December 2, 2007
Sam Vasquez of Houston may have become the first fighter to die from injuries sustained in mixed martial arts competition in North America.
A report by The Fight Network cited the Harris County (Texas) medical examiner's office confirming Vasquez's death at 8:15 p.m. Friday. The cause of death was not released.
Vasquez had been battling for his life since taking a hard right to the chin from 21-year old Vince Libardi on Oct. 20 during a Renegades Extreme Fighting show at the Toyota Center in Houston. The blow knocked Vasquez out and he was rushed to St. Joseph Medical Center, where he stayed until moving to hospice care on Monday.
The 35-year-old Vasquez was competing in the featherweight division (145 pound weight class) in the third match of a 12-match card promoted by Saul Soliz, the longtime boxing coach of Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Tito Ortiz. The show was overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Calls to the department on Sunday were not immediately returned.
After taking a flurry of punches from Libardi, Vasquez collapsed in the ring and the fight was waved off at 2:50 of the third round. Emergency medical technicians worked on him in the ring for several minutes until he suffered what appeared to be a seizure and was rushed to the hospital.
Vasquez's condition worsened from there. On Nov. 4, two weeks after being admitted, he underwent the first of two surgeries to relieve the pressure of a large clot in his brain, then had a massive stroke on Nov. 9 and was placed in a medically induced coma.
Vasquez, who had a seven-year-old son, came into the match with a 1-1 record, and had not fought in 13 months. Libardi, 14 years Vasquez's junior, entered the match with seven pro fights and 10 rounds of action over three fights in the time since Vasquez had last fought in Sept. 2006.
"There was nothing out of the ordinary," Paul Erickson, who was at ringside taking photos, said in an interview with The Fight Network. "They scrambled and hit the cage. Sammy stood up and looked a little wobbly. Then he went down and the referee called the doctor in. It didn't seem like anything was out of the ordinary. Sammy was winded and looked exhausted, but he wasn't unconscious when they carried him out. Everyone was puzzled at the time because no one could tell when or where he was injured."
MMA had until recently been considered highly controversial, and a group of critics led by Sen. John McCain caused it to be banned in several states in the mid-to-late 1990s and pressured cable companies to not air its pay-per-view events.
In the past two-and-a-half years, though, the sport exploded in popularity due to television exposure of UFC, the sport's major league franchise. UFC's success has spawned hundreds of smaller promotions around North America with many states now holding more MMA events than boxing events.
Mixed martial arts officials and fans have long noted that there had never been a death in a sanctioned MMA match, a statistic no other combat sport could claim.
The only confirmed death prior to government oversight came when 31-year-old Douglas Dedge of Chipley, Fla. passed away on March 18, 1998, from severe brain injuries suffered in a match two days earlier at a non-sanctioned event called World Super Challenge in Kiev, Ukraine. Dedge had passed out in a training session leading up to the fight, but went through with the match anyway.
edit: Texas MMA Fight Shop is taking donations for sammy's wife and children...
For those of you wanting to help out Sammy and Sandra Vasquez, we here at TEXAS MMA FIGHT SHOP are going to collect funds to help out with their hospital bills, etc. Sandra is very Thankful. Please stop by 5720 Mobud, in San Antonio, Texas. There will be a place where you may make your contributions. Thank you for your help and support. Keep Sammy in your thoughts and prayers. You may make checks out to Sandra Vasquez and we will mail them to her. http://www.texasmmafightgear.com
Sammy Vasquez Fund
C/O TEXAS MMA FIGHT SHOP
5720 Mobud
San Antonio, Texas 78238
210-842-3667
Evan Tanner Rethinking the Sponsorship Model
Posted by MMA Junkie on December 2, 2007 at 12:51 pm ET
Tired with the current model of fighter sponsorship, former UFC middleweight champion and 10-year MMA veteran Evan Tanner has developed a new way to generate sponsorship dollars.
Tanner (32-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC), who made his octagon debut nearly nine years ago at UFC 18, recently signed a new four-fight deal with the organization. The 36-year-old hadn’t competed professionally since April 2006, but he’s now planning a return to the UFC in early 2008.
But when he does, he won’t take the normal approach toward his sponsorship. Although he’s been pleased to see the sport grow from an underground club to a mainstream sport, he’s turned off by one byproduct of its success.
“I feel the sport is being overly commercialized,” Tanner wrote on his official site, evantanner.net. “I don’t like the idea of stepping back into that game, begging companies for sponsorship, negotiating the size and placement of logos on my shirt and shorts, the plugs during interviews, and finally selling out to the highest bidder regardless of whether or not I use their product. That is the standard game most MMA athletes are obligated to play.
“Playing that game doesn’t suit me.“
Instead, Tanner is taking his sponsorship directly to fans — in a program he calls “Team Tanner.” And despite the nearly two-year layoff, Tanner remains one of the sport’s most popular fighters, so he has a huge pool of potential sponsors.
Tanner has developed “sponsorship packages” that range from as little as $50, which includes special access to online resources and an autograph card, all the way up to $4,000, which promises a smorgasborg of merchandise and a unique opportunity to train with Evan Tanner, attend a UFC event and hob knob with MMA’s elite around Las Vegas.
Starting at the $100 level, all sponsors get a limited-edition, high-quality “Team Tanner” T-shirt (the T-shirt design will change from fight to fight).
Additionally, Tanner has a special package available once per fight for an individual sponsor who essentially becomes a cornerman for Tanner. The sponsor will accompany the Tanner to the weigh-ins the day before the event, and on fight night, he or she will be in the dressing room and accompany him to the octagon for the fight. The sponsor gets all the goodies from the other sponsorship packages, as well.
“I don’t want to cash in on the fans, but money is necessary to cover training expenses,” Tanner stated. “It’s extremely important to me that everyone who becomes involved is completely satisfied with their investment in the team. It is important that this is something that everyone can be proud to be a part of.“
hey releash, thanks for sharing this. there have been a lot of good responses from the fans, but from reading a few of the reactions on message boards and some responses to the article, i get the feeling that a handful of people are missing the point of the whole thing, or haven't read evan's blogs about it. i hope that the respect that has gone back and forth from evan to his fans over the years will make this a success for him.
obviously, i'll be a member of "team tanner", so it will be cool to see evan thank the fans and supporters only, not companies, after he wins in his return to the octagon!
Tanner has developed “sponsorship packages” that range from as little as $50, which includes special access to online resources and an autograph card, all the way up to $4,000, which promises a smorgasborg of merchandise and a unique opportunity to train with Evan Tanner, attend a UFC event and hob knob with MMA’s elite around Las Vegas.
Starting at the $100 level, all sponsors get a limited-edition, high-quality “Team Tanner” T-shirt (the T-shirt design will change from fight to fight).
Additionally, Tanner has a special package available once per fight for an individual sponsor who essentially becomes a cornerman for Tanner. The sponsor will accompany the Tanner to the weigh-ins the day before the event, and on fight night, he or she will be in the dressing room and accompany him to the octagon for the fight. The sponsor gets all the goodies from the other sponsorship packages, as well.
wow!! that's really cool! that $4000 package seems like good value! i mean, good tickets to the event can run you almost half of that... and then all the goodies, and the training, and a chance to hang out with other athletes? if one had the extra cash, i'd say that sounds like a fun time!!
~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
i hadn't really thought of it that way ceg, but now that you mention it, it's a pretty decent deal. if there are people out there who are willing to spend as much as some do for tickets, then surely there are a few out there who would pay the extra amount for what would probabaly be a once in a lifetime experience.
there's a "best of 2007" show on spike tonight at 9 eastern that's slated for three hours! i'm hoping to get to see an unaired match or two. i'm sure they won't fill any space with commercials and video games previews...:D
there's a "best of 2007" show on spike tonight at 9 eastern that's slated for three hours! i'm hoping to get to see an unaired match or two. i'm sure they won't fill any space with commercials and video games previews...:D
tuned in after House last night.... caught the very end of the Huerta/Garcia fight (again)... best ending ever, the two of them kneeling and hugging in the ring...
saw Mirko get kicked in the head :(, but had to turn it off after seeing him twist his ankle eight times on replay... *shudders*
also getting ready to leave for Calgary for the weekend... so had to do dishes and put laundry away... blah!
~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
there was a fantastic picture of that moment after the fight that i've been trying to find since i saw it posted in a news article / blog...i should have thought to save it, but didn't. there are ither great shots of it, but this one captured the moment very well.
i think if you could use an image to answer someone asking what the competition of mma was about, you would use that image to explain it.
sorry again that you won't be joining us for the finale, but at least you'll see the final episode tonight. the preview says that someone walks away from the show, so maybe there us no injury involved?! i happened upon a spoiler for the show about who the replacement is...but i won't say who so as not to ruin it...:D
edit: then again, the spoiler could be totally false, too. i may have, however, just figured out how one of the rumours that has been ongoing got started, but i won't know if my theory is correct until after tonight...;)
if my preview guide is correct, and sometimes it is , it looks like there's a good episode of releashed on tonight...a couple of miracle comebacks with nogueira vs. herring and marcus davis vs. paul talylor, then perhaps the most transitions from submission to submission attempt i can recall with matt serra vs. kelly dulanty (granted, dullanty is not in serra's league with jiu-jitsu, but this is a crazy display of what a good bjj guy can do to someone who has a lower level of knowledge on the ground)
oh, and one of wanderlei's silva's wins in the ufc. they had not much to choose from.
Comments
anyway, a couple of good fights on unleashed tonight, huerta vs. garcia and aurelio vs. guida. good preview for the upcoming finale.
looking forward to tonight. could be a good match, should be lots of "drama", and plenty of bleeping from the censors when dana comes to give the obligatory speech after the war machine / jared incident.
hoping this computery thingy hangs on until the end of the show...
half hour left in the show, so it could be a longer fight coming up. that may not bode well for ben if he's sick...
That might have been the silliest, most frat boy "incident" in all the seasons. :cool:
indeed. kind of gross, but punishment enough for the to have to clean it up, i suppose.
pretty good first round. it was close, but i think tommy might have been pulling ahead at the end. i thought ben had him the triangles and that armbar had me tapping here!
it's surprising they didn't leave us with a cliff hanger there about who be facing each other in the semi's, but it does look like the rumours that were going around are true. somebady's coming back to replace one of the semi-finalists. i'm guessing it has to be tommy with the cuts.
looks also like they're trying to get a george vs. mac final, which would be an outstanding fight, i think. probabaly the one most of us expected. we'll have to wait and see what happens...
I was surprised they picked the semis so quickly. These are the matches I would have picked.
Matt v. MAC DANZIG
George v. Tommy
I wonder who isn't going to be able to fight. I'm guessing Tommy. I'm crossing my fingers that it isn't Mac
true enough. that's two fights now where tommy has been in situations where the fight looked certain to be over and he got through them both.
tommy's definitely the most banged up of the four, so that's my guess too. i'm wondering who they bring back.
caught the last two rounds of Roger's fight...
granted, i was drifting in and out a little during the fight,
yah, their intensions seem pretty obvious.... i feel bad for Matt A. though... i feel like they just fed him to the wolves... :(
i agree that none of the guys who have been announced for the show will be the replacement fighter... who does that leave? Kolosci maybe?
too funny, "all man-ador" is.
the preview for next week was on and dana says at one point that he couldn't believe how easily the guy who couldn't continue gave in, so that makes it all the more odd. you just reminded me too, that maybe it's actually tommy's arm and not the cuts that force him out. i could see him not showing a lot of emotion if the doctors say he can't continue...so many questions for next week!
Gray Maynard vs. Dennis Siver Set for UFC Fight Night 12
November 29, 2007
“The Ultimate Fighter 5’s” Gray Maynard will take on German fighter Dennis Siver (11-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at a UFC Fight Night 12 event planned for Jan. 23.
A source close to Maynard told MMAjunkie.com (http://www.mmajunkie.com) of the bout this afternoon. Additionally, a representative from Siver’s camp confirmed the bout.
UFC Fight Night 12 features a main event between Mike Swick and Josh Burkman and airs live on Spike TV.
As MMAjunkie.com reported last week, Maynard was expected to fight fellow collegiate wrestler Matt Grice at the event, but the former University of Oklahoma Sooner apparently turned down the bout.
Instead, Maynard will fight a submission specialist from the German-based OC Fight Team.
Maynard, part of Randy Couture’s Xtreme Couture team, was a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter 5,” where the 28-year-old posted victories over Wayne Weems in a preliminary fight and Brandon Melendez in the show’s quarterfinals. However, eventual show winner Nate Diaz defeated Maynard in the show’s semifinals.
Maynard, a wrestling teammate of Rashad Evans at Michigan State Univerity, next fought 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 most recently scored an impressive nine-second KO of newcomer Joe Veres at UFC Fight Night 11 in September.
His opponent, Siver, made his octagon debut at UFC 70 with a first-round submission loss to Jess Liaudin. However, he bounced back at the UFC’s next U.K. show with a second-round KO of Naoyuki Kotani at UFC 75.
Six of Siver’s 11 victories have come via submission. He’s won four of his past five fights.
http://mmajunkie.com/2007/11/29/gray-maynard-vs-dennis-siver-set-for-ufc-fight-night-12/
Vas-y Gray!
i'm sniffing out the stories and rumours like an ole hound dog!
just got back from getting my computer "fixed". it's only four or five years old, and already they don't make this particular fan anymore. therefore i'm on a hunt on ebay to find the right one, or buy a new tower for about 275$. i'm thinking i'll hold old for a bit, run this one into the ground and get a new system when i can.
frustrating to spend a few hours only to find out they can do anything for you but clean it, and it sounds pretty much as bad as it did. feckin' feck! :mad:
anyhoo...
sounds like matt grice had to decline because he's joing the police academy and couldn't get the necessary time off for the fight, so dennis siver steps in. i think gray wins both fights, but both guys are very talented fighters. i can't decide which one is the better match for gray. siver might be the easier match, despite his experience. i'm willing to bet gray has made vast improvements over the past several months.
btw... i had totally forgotten that Kolosci just fought Mac...
i think that does really only leave Billy...
i was going around wracking my brain trying to think who might be healthy enough, and then i remembered that mac said the only one cleared for him to spar with was billy, but tht he made a poor sparring partner. i think everyone else is banged up or already confirmed for the finale.
kolosci would likely be game to go, but he took a beating against mac and i'm sure he wouldn't be cleared in time for contact.
thanks for the kind wishes on the devil machine here. it's starting to quiet down again, but it's only a matter of time before it goes kaput. :(
I agree that Billy is the only one left. we'll see how it goes, eh?
I'm sorry too about the devil computer, mooks. As long as it hold up for the TUF finale!
Maybe they'll show Gray Maynard first punch knockout of Veres ...followed by his all too cute wink,
missed your post last night, releash, so i missed the shows. i think i must have fallen asleep pretty early, and woke up to a winter wonderland today!
they probably didn't have time to show gray's ko due to time contstraints, eh?
one more week until the finale!
you didn't miss a whole lot, mooks. Pretty standard knockout highlights. Alas, no Gray Maynard. :( I watched part of the fight night on mute, but ended up falling asleep pretty early too.
Oooohhh, I miss snow!! and mountains!! and skiing! Enjoy your winter wonderland.
I'm looking forward to the finale. It's free and I have the whole weekend off!
Any luck with the computer fan?
Rampage Jackson is known for his punishing stand up and wrestling inside the cage and his down right hilarious demeanor outside of it. Check out some excerpt from a recent interview conducted with Jesse Holland at MMAmania.com:
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): What’s up Rampage, how’s the hand? When are we going to see you back in the Octagon?
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson: It feels good, I should be ready to start punchin’ in a few weeks. I’m gettin’ back to training and all that. As far as my return I don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on. You guys will probably find out before I do.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): Dana White mentioned that he’s got “big plans” for you in the near future. What’s he alluding to?
Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson: I love Mexicans. I love tacos, burritos…I don’t know man, I don’t know what the hell Dana’s talkin’ about.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): So you’re not prepared to announce your role as coach on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter?
Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson: I can’t announce none of that. I can’t announce the new Rampage energy drink that’s coming out, I can’t announce my new deal with Affliction, I can’t announce the Rampage rims for your ride. I can’t announce nothin’.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): How would you do in that type of role as a guy who notoriously loathes training?
Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson: I hate training. I’m not sayin’ I don’t train - I’m the hardest training guy in this sport but I don’t like it. I hate it. That’s why I have to whoop so much ass. That fool standing across from me in the Octagon made me train for so long just to fight them. Now they have to pay. It’s punishment dammit.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): What’s your prediction for the Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva fight at UFC 79?
Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson: I think it’s gonna be a good fight. (Yawns) Damn I need a Rampage energy drink right about now. I wish they would have done it a few years ago back in the day. They both lost two fights but they were against good people - well, Chuck lost to Jardine let me check that - it don’t matter. Two fights don’t end a career.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): How do you feel about fighting a friend? What if they offered you Tito?
Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson: I might not want to do it, but I guess I would fight a friend if they wanted the belt or if they needed the money that comes with fighting the champ. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t? I’ll do anything for my friends. Well, almost anything. I ain’t dyin’ for them. I ain’t Jesus Christ man, I got kids.
Hurry up with those questions homeboy I gotta take a mean crap. You wanna come into the bathroom and finish this?
Jesse Holland (MMAmania): Uh, no thanks!
Evan Tanner Rethinking the Sponsorship Model
Posted by MMA Junkie on December 2, 2007 at 12:51 pm ET
Tired with the current model of fighter sponsorship, former UFC middleweight champion and 10-year MMA veteran Evan Tanner has developed a new way to generate sponsorship dollars.
Tanner (32-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC), who made his octagon debut nearly nine years ago at UFC 18, recently signed a new four-fight deal with the organization. The 36-year-old hadn’t competed professionally since April 2006, but he’s now planning a return to the UFC in early 2008.
But when he does, he won’t take the normal approach toward his sponsorship. Although he’s been pleased to see the sport grow from an underground club to a mainstream sport, he’s turned off by one byproduct of its success.
“I feel the sport is being overly commercialized,” Tanner wrote on his official site, evantanner.net. “I don’t like the idea of stepping back into that game, begging companies for sponsorship, negotiating the size and placement of logos on my shirt and shorts, the plugs during interviews, and finally selling out to the highest bidder regardless of whether or not I use their product. That is the standard game most MMA athletes are obligated to play.
“Playing that game doesn’t suit me.“
Instead, Tanner is taking his sponsorship directly to fans — in a program he calls “Team Tanner.” And despite the nearly two-year layoff, Tanner remains one of the sport’s most popular fighters, so he has a huge pool of potential sponsors.
Tanner has developed “sponsorship packages” that range from as little as $50, which includes special access to online resources and an autograph card, all the way up to $4,000, which promises a smorgasborg of merchandise and a unique opportunity to train with Evan Tanner, attend a UFC event and hob knob with MMA’s elite around Las Vegas.
Starting at the $100 level, all sponsors get a limited-edition, high-quality “Team Tanner” T-shirt (the T-shirt design will change from fight to fight).
Additionally, Tanner has a special package available once per fight for an individual sponsor who essentially becomes a cornerman for Tanner. The sponsor will accompany the Tanner to the weigh-ins the day before the event, and on fight night, he or she will be in the dressing room and accompany him to the octagon for the fight. The sponsor gets all the goodies from the other sponsorship packages, as well.
“I don’t want to cash in on the fans, but money is necessary to cover training expenses,” Tanner stated. “It’s extremely important to me that everyone who becomes involved is completely satisfied with their investment in the team. It is important that this is something that everyone can be proud to be a part of.“
MMA fighter Vasquez dies weeks after fight
By Dave Meltzer, Yahoo! Sports
December 2, 2007
Sam Vasquez of Houston may have become the first fighter to die from injuries sustained in mixed martial arts competition in North America.
A report by The Fight Network cited the Harris County (Texas) medical examiner's office confirming Vasquez's death at 8:15 p.m. Friday. The cause of death was not released.
Vasquez had been battling for his life since taking a hard right to the chin from 21-year old Vince Libardi on Oct. 20 during a Renegades Extreme Fighting show at the Toyota Center in Houston. The blow knocked Vasquez out and he was rushed to St. Joseph Medical Center, where he stayed until moving to hospice care on Monday.
The 35-year-old Vasquez was competing in the featherweight division (145 pound weight class) in the third match of a 12-match card promoted by Saul Soliz, the longtime boxing coach of Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Tito Ortiz. The show was overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Calls to the department on Sunday were not immediately returned.
After taking a flurry of punches from Libardi, Vasquez collapsed in the ring and the fight was waved off at 2:50 of the third round. Emergency medical technicians worked on him in the ring for several minutes until he suffered what appeared to be a seizure and was rushed to the hospital.
Vasquez's condition worsened from there. On Nov. 4, two weeks after being admitted, he underwent the first of two surgeries to relieve the pressure of a large clot in his brain, then had a massive stroke on Nov. 9 and was placed in a medically induced coma.
Vasquez, who had a seven-year-old son, came into the match with a 1-1 record, and had not fought in 13 months. Libardi, 14 years Vasquez's junior, entered the match with seven pro fights and 10 rounds of action over three fights in the time since Vasquez had last fought in Sept. 2006.
"There was nothing out of the ordinary," Paul Erickson, who was at ringside taking photos, said in an interview with The Fight Network. "They scrambled and hit the cage. Sammy stood up and looked a little wobbly. Then he went down and the referee called the doctor in. It didn't seem like anything was out of the ordinary. Sammy was winded and looked exhausted, but he wasn't unconscious when they carried him out. Everyone was puzzled at the time because no one could tell when or where he was injured."
MMA had until recently been considered highly controversial, and a group of critics led by Sen. John McCain caused it to be banned in several states in the mid-to-late 1990s and pressured cable companies to not air its pay-per-view events.
In the past two-and-a-half years, though, the sport exploded in popularity due to television exposure of UFC, the sport's major league franchise. UFC's success has spawned hundreds of smaller promotions around North America with many states now holding more MMA events than boxing events.
Mixed martial arts officials and fans have long noted that there had never been a death in a sanctioned MMA match, a statistic no other combat sport could claim.
The only confirmed death prior to government oversight came when 31-year-old Douglas Dedge of Chipley, Fla. passed away on March 18, 1998, from severe brain injuries suffered in a match two days earlier at a non-sanctioned event called World Super Challenge in Kiev, Ukraine. Dedge had passed out in a training session leading up to the fight, but went through with the match anyway.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=Ag_v1zKgJ91ESnM_92XwAr89Eo14?slug=dm-fighterdeath120207&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
edit: Texas MMA Fight Shop is taking donations for sammy's wife and children...
For those of you wanting to help out Sammy and Sandra Vasquez, we here at TEXAS MMA FIGHT SHOP are going to collect funds to help out with their hospital bills, etc. Sandra is very Thankful. Please stop by 5720 Mobud, in San Antonio, Texas. There will be a place where you may make your contributions. Thank you for your help and support. Keep Sammy in your thoughts and prayers. You may make checks out to Sandra Vasquez and we will mail them to her. http://www.texasmmafightgear.com
Sammy Vasquez Fund
C/O TEXAS MMA FIGHT SHOP
5720 Mobud
San Antonio, Texas 78238
210-842-3667
M- 4:40-8:30
T-F 11:00-2:00 re-opens 4:40-8:30
Sat. 11:00-7:00
hey releash, thanks for sharing this.
obviously, i'll be a member of "team tanner", so it will be cool to see evan thank the fans and supporters only, not companies, after he wins in his return to the octagon!
wow!! that's really cool!
there's a "best of 2007" show on spike tonight at 9 eastern that's slated for three hours! i'm hoping to get to see an unaired match or two. i'm sure they won't fill any space with commercials and video games previews...:D
tuned in after House last night.... caught the very end of the Huerta/Garcia fight (again)... best ending ever, the two of them kneeling and hugging in the ring...
saw Mirko get kicked in the head :(, but had to turn it off after seeing him twist his ankle eight times on replay... *shudders*
also getting ready to leave for Calgary for the weekend... so had to do dishes and put laundry away... blah!
i think if you could use an image to answer someone asking what the competition of mma was about, you would use that image to explain it.
sorry again that you won't be joining us for the finale, but at least you'll see the final episode tonight.
edit: then again, the spoiler could be totally false, too. i may have, however, just figured out how one of the rumours that has been ongoing got started, but i won't know if my theory is correct until after tonight...;)
oh, and one of wanderlei's silva's wins in the ufc. they had not much to choose from.