“It’s a bit of a stretch to say Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic looked good against Patrick Barry on Saturday at UFC 115. He was dropped twice in the first round, which would normally be cause for an opponent to take advantage, but Barry just blinked at him. He turned it on later in the third round, though sinking a choke against someone of limited ground ability doesn’t provide a USA/Russia hockey level of adversity.
None of this is intended to discount his victory, by any measure impressive considering his recent performances, but it was not the display that would cement his status as a contender among his fans.
In a move that is spectacularly out of character for a fighter, Filipovic himself seems to recognize this. Back in Croatia, he told a local newspaper (translated by Fighter’s Only) that “I am now too old for this … I have no motivation for the fight, no mental strength for all the Spartan training. I am no longer so hungry for victory.”
Fighting is such a grind that it takes either an obsession or a fear of poverty to push yourself through the months leading up to bouts. Filipovic seems to have neither: if he commits to an exit, it would mark one of the very few times a high-profile MMA athlete has chosen a decent performance as his last. The current trait isn’t walking away, but getting wheeled away.

What makes “Cro Cop” so self-aware? He seems to be heavily invested in Croatian politics, which means he’s able to define himself in ways other than by fighting. He’s financially secure after years as a star when Japan could afford to be generous. He doesn’t appear to have the same insistence over wringing every last bit of effectiveness from his body that other fighters do. And he seems to realize that if you’re not angling toward a belt in the UFC, you’re spinning wheels.
Filipovic’s attitude is in stark contrast to that of Chuck Liddell, who has suffered a steady succession of TKO losses in the past three years but insists on ignoring what his body is trying to tell him. Odd, too, that “Cro Cop” would have the maturity to reflect on retirement after a win while some expect Liddell could angle for a third fight with Tito Ortiz.
Filipovic may not have to consider it, but there’s something to be said for remaining a little enigmatic at the late stages of your career. If you’re still perceived as a dominant participant, endorsements and seminar revenue are going to swell more than if you get tied into knots. It’s also a pretty revealing piece of character: you’ve got other things going on besides fighting. It’s what you do and not who you are.
Once an athlete displays a decline in skills, becoming a trophy head for younger fighters is inevitable. Why exhaust every last ounce of skill and effort in allowing it to play out? What fighter has ever plodded into a ring, reflexes eroding, and managed to squeeze out another five or six victories? When the body is kind enough to warn you of pending trouble, you should take it as a clue not to sign a contract extension.
Naturally, much of what a fighter has to say about their career in the hours and days following a fight should be ignored: it’s usually contradicted once they have time to settle their head. Filipovic might change his mind again. But he’s made this noise before, and this time seems pragmatic about his fatigue. If he’s looking for an exit, it means he’s an anomaly among his peers: he knows when the show is over.”

Post made by : By Jake Rossen/Sherdog.com, from http://espn.go.com/extra/mma/blog/_/name/mma/id/5288683/old-cop-art-graceful-exits

“May 23, 2010 – In the main event of the first Moosin card Friday night former multiple time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia defeated multiple time World’s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski. Sylvia was a narrow favorite when betting lines opened but by fight time was up to -260. It seemed clear that barring a complete collapse it should have been an easy win for Sylvia given that he had definable MMA skills (even though he had bloated up to over 300 pounds), Pudzianowski only had stength.
It wasn’t shocking to see a guy with as much muscle who was forced to work so hard gas out badly and crumble once his cardio was gone. Once Pudzianowski turned red, and then purple, it was clear that he just couldn’t get enough air to support his massive physique.
It wasn’t pretty but Sylvia did a good job of just remaining composed while Pudzianowski flailed around early on. Once Mariusz gassed Sylvia just blasted him around the ring before the finish early in the second.”

By Brent Brookhouse, from : http://www.sbnation.com/2010/5/23/1484058/tim-sylvia-defeats-mariusz-pudzianowski

Middleweight contender and jiu-jitsu phenomenon Demian Maia gets the chance of a lifetime at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, when he goes up against UFC world middleweight champion Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva, regarded as the No 1 mixed martial artist in the world.

He suffered a setback when he was beaten by Nate Marquardt in his penultimate contest, but he insists he is back with avengeance. “It is no secret that I will try and use my jiu-jitsu to win the fight. I always try and use my jiu-jitsu to win fights. That’s my favourite method of securing victory.”

“This fight with Anderson is no different. He is the best fighter in the world, but that doesn’t change my mindset or gameplan going into the fight. I will still look to take him down and submit him.”
Maia says his wrestling has improved, something he will need. “In order to actually take Anderson down, I’ve been working a lot on my wrestling and my takedowns. I know what to do once we get on the floor, but I need to give myself the best opportunity of taking him there. That’s why I’ve spent a lot of time improving my wrestling.”

“My loss to (Nate) Marquardt was just one of those things. I made a mistake and got caught. I think I had a lot more to offer in that fight, but he caught me before I had a chance to show it,” said the Brazilian of his shock defeat several months ago.

“Since that fight I’ve been working very hard on my striking – as well as all aspects of my game – in the hope that I’d eventually one day fight Anderson for the championship. I was happy with my win over Dan Miller in February and now my chance has arrived. I couldn’t be happier right now. This is what I’ve always dreamed of.”

Maia wishes to follow the line of the Gracie family. “My hero is Royce Gracie and now I’ve got the chance to emulate him and win the UFC championship. It’s a very exciting time for me, and an opportunity that I simply must take.”

“I’ve been working on keeping my distance and knowing when I’m in and out of striking range. Striking isn’t just about kicking and punching. It’s far more complex than that. It’s also about timing and range. You can’t lose concentration when you get in range, otherwise you’ll get caught with something and knocked out. You definitely can’t take those kind of risks against someone like Anderson.”

“Although I stood a lot against Miller, my main style and passion will always be jiu-jitsu. That is my favourite method of fighting and it is something that will be important in this fight. I know my jiu-jitsu is good enough to beat the best guys in the world. I need to improve my striking and my wrestling, but I will always be best at jiu-jitsu. That doesn’t meant I don’t work my jiu-jitsu, either. I am always looking to improve all aspects of my game.”

from: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/garethadavies/100006885/ufc-112-maia-wants-to-emulate-gracie-family-by-submitting-anderson-silva/
By Gareth A Davies

Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship will show bouts from “UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez” in a bid to counter program the live CBS broadcast of the “Strikeforce: Nashville” event on April 17th.

The announcement was made today by Spike TV officials who will air the UFC event at 9p.m. ET/PT, the same time as the CBS broadcast. The original PPV broadcast for UFC 110 took place on Feb. 20 from the Acer Arena in Australia featuring bouts such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez, Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping, and Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos.

The “Strikeforce: Nashville” event is headlined by a middleweight title bout between newly signed Dan Henderson vs. champ Jake Shields, with other CBS bouts including Shinya Aoki vs. Gilbert Melendez and Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal.

The UFC 110 bouts that will make the Spike TV broadcast are as follows:

- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
- Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping
- Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos
- Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader
- Mirko Cro Cop vs. Anthony Perosh
- Chris Lytle vs. Brian Foster

from: http://www.ifight365.com/2010/04/update-april-strikeforce-event-to-be-countered-by-ufc-110-on-spike-tv/
by : BY ifight365

Mixed martial arts isn’t any different. We could analyze a match-up for days and come to the conclusion that nine times out of ten, the champion defeats the challenger. Unfortunately, MMA has that factor that could quite possibly be one of the sole reasons why it is so popular. Anything can happen at any time between two fighters. Ray Mercer knocks out Tim Sylvia, Matt Serra TKO’s Georges St. Pierre, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou KO’s Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Saturday night’s UFC Welterweight Championship showdown between Georges St. Pierre (19-2, 14-2 UFC) and Dan Hardy (23-6, 4-0 UFC) will likely need to end in one of these fantasy-turned-reality outcomes in order for the title to change hands. Some might call my analysis a bit overstated in favor of Georges St. Pierre, but let’s look at the facts.

St. Pierre enters this contest following six straight victories against the who’s who of the UFC’s welterweight division. He dominated Thiago Alves, made B.J. Penn quit on his stool, punched Jon Fitch’s face until he was nearly unrecognizable, walloped Matt Serra into tapping from knees to the body, submitted Matt Hughes, and beat Josh Koscheck.

Dan Hardy barely beat Akihiro Gono, and some would say Gono won. He out punched, in my opinion, an overrated Mike Swick, split decision’d Marcus Davis, and impressively knocked out Rory Markham. I don’t really care for the side-by-side comparison as both men have different styles, but the names on these lists is something to take into account. Obviously, Georges St. Pierre has battled the best of the best while Hardy is only now entering those waters.

Stylistically, Hardy has the counter punching ability to be a menace on the feet while Georges St. Pierre has had some issues in the past with his chin and striking. As we’ve seen over the course of the last couple of years however, St. Pierre has improved incredibly on his feet. He’s dynamic, quick, and powerful, and Hardy will need to be very accurate and time his punches well to have a chance at exposing St. Pierre’s chin.

On the ground, Georges St. Pierre has an incredible advantage. While plenty of fans will tell me that Hardy’s training at 10th Planet with Eddie Bravo and his status as a solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu grappler shouldn’t be overlooked, it’s inevitable that it will be forgotten. St. Pierre is the epitome of what a controlling wrestler with grappling knowledge and immense strength can do to opponents. He’s dominating in top control, devastating in his offense on the ground, and strong enough to counter reversals and submit opponents. It’s going to be a long night once St. Pierre wrestles an opponent to the floor.

On paper, Georges St. Pierre crushes Dan Hardy inside two rounds in my opinion. The only shot, much like my opinion of Shane Carwin, is a “puncher’s chance”. If Hardy can time St. Pierre out of the gate, which he has never proven to be true as it took him quite some time to feel out Mike Swick, he could put his knuckles on St. Pierre’s chin and stun the world as Matt Serra once did.

Is there a chance it could happen? Of course, but I’ll take the odds in this fight. I’ve always liked the fact that Hardy’s defense is high and solid among all of the Team Rough House members, but I’m more worried about his abilities on the floor. Can anyone stop the menacing power of Georges St. Pierre as he pounds on his opponents from top control? I’d venture to say that a better Josh Koscheck stands a chance if he can outwrestle St. Pierre, but Dan Hardy? I’m not sold.”

by Leland Roling , you can watch the original here : http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/3/27/1391593/ufc-111-preview-can-dan-hardy-beat

“I am always afraid,” St. Pierre said. “No matter what. A guy who is not afraid is a liar.”

St. Pierre (19-2) is without parallel in his 170-pound division, a supreme athlete who might move up a weight class or switch sports in the near-future. In the direct present, he will headline UFC 111 tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark against Britain’s Dan Hardy (23-6).

Yet he retains his apprehension. He practices positive visualization to dull his worries, but he still loses sleep. He loathes waiting for fights. The octagon does not provide catharsis, either.

“I’m uncomfortable,” St. Pierre said. “You’re never in a comfort zone, because the fight can change in a split second.”

Fans might wonder why St. Pierre, a 28-year-old French-Canadian ranked near the top of most pound-for-pound lists in the sport, feels fear. But fear is part of what drives him. It keeps him sharp. He is a man who avenged both of his losses in UFC — Matt Hughes in 2004, Matt Serra in 2007 — with knockout victories in the rematches. He manhandled B.J. Penn in their superfight at UFC 94 last January.

Tonight, St. Pierre is a prohibitive favorite. During a question and answer session with fans on Wednesday, a boy asked Hardy if he was nervous. “I’m aware of the possibilities at the end of the fight on Saturday night,” Hardy said. “But I’m not afraid of them.”

Hardy sports a raspberry-red Mohawk and a crooked row of bottom teeth. St. Pierre’s head is shaved clean. Besides a blemish above his left eye and a scar near his hairline, his face is unmarked. His straight teeth gleam.

St. Pierre is a clinical, precise fighter. Mistakes are rare. He excels at taking opponents to the ground and imposing his will. Some fighters talk about heart. They talk about faith. St. Pierre talks about odds. He talks about science.

“If I had to point out the ultimate Ultimate Fighter, that would be Georges St. Pierre,” said Robert Drysdale, the jiu-jitsu instructor of Frank Mir, who fights Shane Carwin for the interim heavyweight title on the undercard. “It’s the mindset. It’s the technique. It’s the mentality — he doesn’t have an ego. He trains hard.”

For this fight, St. Pierre added five pounds of muscle. He spent Christmas in the United Arab Emirates to avoid distractions, he said.

After tonight, more challenges loom. Earlier this year, St. Pierre caused a stir when he mentioned trying out for the Canadian Olympic Wrestling team. There is talk he could move up to face Anderson Silva, the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and the middleweight (185-pound) champion since 2006.

UFC president Dana White will consider it. The company stands behind St. Pierre. The Newark show sold out in minutes. “People love this guy,” White said.

For now, St. Pierre thinks about Hardy. The fight crowds his thoughts.

As a boy growing up in Quebec, he fantasized about being a fighter. He saw his future. He still does that.

In his mind, he has already won this fight thousands of time. He met reporters during a Manhattan workout session on Thursday. There was a lull in questions, St. Pierre would say later. He began to visualize the fight during the interim.

“The closer the fight gets, the more I do it,” St. Pierre said.

He sees the octagon. He anticipates Hardy’s moves. He considers the options, then counters. He wins and sleeps well after the fight.

Then, at least for a moment, the fear subsides.”

By Andy McCullough/The Star-Ledger
you can read the original here : http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/03/georges_st_pierre_looks_to_def.html

Weigh-ins for this month’s “UFC on Versus 1: Vera vs. Jones” event take place Saturday, March 20, at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield (near Denver), Colo.

The same venue hosts the following night’s first-ever Versus-broadcast UFC event, which features a headliner of Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones and three other televised bouts.

The weigh-ins begin at 6 p.m. ET (4 p.m. MT local time), and doors open at 5 p.m. ET.

As always, the event is free and open to the public.

The promotion has not yet announced any additional activities, such as an autograph session or UFC Fan Club Q&A, planned for the afternoon.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) will be on scene and reporting live from the upcoming event. We’ll also have our traditional live video feed of the fighter weigh-ins.

The latest UFC on Versus 1 card includes:

MAIN CARD

* Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera
* Junior Dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
* Paul Buentello vs. Cheick Kongo

PRELIMINARY CARD

* James Irvin vs. Alessio Sakara
* Shannon Gugerty vs. Clay Guida
* Eliot Marshall vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
* John Howard vs. Daniel Roberts
* Chase Gormley vs. Brendan Schaub
* Julio Paulino vs. Mike Pierce
* Jason Brilz vs. Eric Schafer
* Darren Elkins vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig

by MMAjunkie.com Staff, you can read the original here : http://mmajunkie.com/news/18192/ufc-on-versus-1-vera-vs-jones-weigh-ins-set-for-march-20-1stbank-center.mma

Here is what Sergio Non has told us about UFC 110:

Up-and-coming heavyweight Cain Velasquez (8-0) scored the biggest win of his career with a first-round technical knockout of the legendary Nogueira (32-6-1) at UFC 110 in Sydney. Velasquez dropped Nogueira with a right-hook and followed it with five solid punches to the head of his stunned opponent on the mat before referee Herb Dean could step in to stop the affair just 2:20 into the bout.

The bout between Nogueira, the No. 4 heavyweight in the USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus rankings, and No. 6 Velasquez was the main event for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Australian debut.

Nogueira found himself under pressure from the start. Although Velasquez often relies on his wrestling to control opponents on the ground, this time he chose to trade strikes rather than risk being caught by the jiu-jitsu of Nogueira, who has 20 submission wins.

“I just tried to keep focus, and when I got into good positions, tried to beat him to the punch,” Velasquez said.

He did that consistently, with constant movement and relatively sharp boxing technique for an MMA fighter. The final exchange started with Velasquez’s glancing left hook, followed by a right hook that found its target even as Nogueira was trying to throw a right-hand counter of his own.

“He had fast hands tonight,” Nogueira said. “He deserved to win. … He was an upcoming guy. He’s now one of the best fighters in the heavyweight division. He’s a good guy.”

Nogueira won titles in UFC and Pride Fighting Championships with high-level jiu-jitsu and an unmatched capacity to recover from punishment. But he has lost two of his last three fights via technical knockout, and in both defeats he appeared slow and unable to shake off solid blows as easily as he did a few years ago.

Velasquez’s victory could lead to a title shot. UFC President Dana White this week said that the winner of Nogueira-Velasquez might be the next challenger for heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar if the winner of Shane Carwin-Frank Mir next month suffers injuries that require a lengthy medical suspension.

By Sergio Non (original at http://content.usatoday.com/communities/mma/post/2010/02/velasquez-topples-nogueira-in-ufc-110-heavyweight-clash/1)

Steve Cofield explains way Kampamman gave a no-go to UFC 111 in hist article from yahoo sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Kampmann-wants-to-make-sure-you-understand-why-h?urn=mma,218957)

Martin Kampmann was looking forward to getting back in the title chase with another win at UFC 111 against Ben Saunders in March. That won’t happen because apparently someone took a hatchet to his eyebrow (photo after the jump). It has to be one of the nastiest cuts we’ve ever seen.

Here’s hoping for a quick recovery and that Martin didn’t try another one of his home stitch jobs (pictured on the right).

Kampmann stitched up a cut around the same eye back in 2008. That time it was just above the eyelid.

Jake Ellenberger steps up now to face Saunders.

We are very eager to see again Kampmann again fighting.

Here you can see Randy Couture (who is 46) and Mark Coleman (who is 45).

These two guys have combined 27 years of prizefighting experience accrued.

They have been around MMA for more than a decade though exceeding the typical life expectancy for a combat sports athlete.

Read more about them here http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4886258&name=mma