UFC 116 Predictions

Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin - Lesnar
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Chris Leben - Leben
Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown - Lytle
Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski - Soszynski
George Sotiropoulos vs. Kurt Pellegrino - Sotiropoulous
Brendan Schaub vs. Chris Tuchscherer - Schaub
Ricardo Romero vs. Seth Petruzelli - Romero
Kendall Grove vs. Goran Reljic - Grove
Gerald Harris vs. Dave Branch - Harris
Daniel Roberts vs. Forrest Petz - Petz
Jon Madsen vs. Karlos Vemola - Madsen

WEC 49 Picks

Jamie Varner vs. Kamal Shalorus - Varner
Josh Grispi vs. L.C. Davis - Davis
Mark Hominick vs. Yves Jabouin - Hominick
Chris Horodecki vs. Ed Ratcliff - Horodecki
Eddie Wineland vs. Will Campuzano - Wineland
Karen Darabedyan vs. Will Kerr - Darabedyan
Wagnney Fabiano vs. Frank Gomez - Fabiano
Bendy Casimir vs. Erik Koch - Koch
Raphael Assuncao vs. Diego Nunes - Assuncao
Rafael Rebello vs. Chris Cariaso - Cariaso
Renan Barao vs. Anthony Leone - Barao

The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale Predictions

Court McGee vs. Kris McCray - McGee
Keith Jardine vs. Matt Hamill - Hamill
Aaron Simpson vs. Chris Leben - Leben
Spencer Fisher vs. Dennis Siver - Fisher
John Gunderson vs. Mark Holst - Holst
James McSweeney vs. Travis Browne - McSweeney
Kyle Noke vs. Josh Bryant - Noke
Jamie Yager vs. Rich Attonito - Yager
Brad Tavares vs. Seth Baczynski - Tavares
Chris Camozzi vs. James Hammortree - Hammortree

UFC 113 Picks

Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua - Machida
Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley - Koscheck
Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens - Stout
Kevin Ferguson vs. Matt Mitrione - Ferguson
Patrick Cote vs. Alan Belcher - Cote
Tom Lawlor vs. Joe Doerksen - Lawlor
Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet - Davis
Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Michael Guymon - Guymon
Joey Beltran vs. Tim Hague - Hague
Johny Hendricks vs. T.J. Grant - Hendricks
Jason MacDonald vs. John Salter - Salter

An Inside Look on Money Shot

Chad Mendes is arguably the biggest prospect in Mixed Martial Arts and holds an impressive undefeated professional record of 7-0. He trains with Team Alpha Male with other notable MMA fighters such as Featherweight legend, Urijah Faber, WEC Bantamweight Champion, Joseph Benavidez, WEC fighter, Danny Castillo, and The Ultimate Fighter: Liddell vs. Ortiz contestant, Kyacey Uscola.
Mendes was an All-American wrestler in high school and continued his career to California Polytechnic State University. “MoneyShot” did not waste any time getting to business. Mendes was a two time All- American and won Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year his senior season.
Chad began his Mixed Martial Arts career with Palace Fighting Championship soon after he concluded his senior wrestling season. He was 4-0 with only one fight making it to decision. Soon after this, major MMA organizations began to understand that Chad Mendes was the real deal.
The WEC signed Mendes to a contract months after his last fight in California. He won his WEC debut against Erik Koch at WEC 47 in Columbus, Ohio. His WEC debut was his biggest test in his career to date and Mendes kept composed throughout and controlled the fight on the ground and came out victorious. At WEC 48, Mendes defeated Anthony Morrison in the very first round via submission. The fans who tuned in on Pay-Per-View and Spike TV got to witness MoneyShot’s strong wrestling base and use of technique and soon realized that he will be running through Featherweight division and might be Jose Aldo’s next legitimate test. It will be interesting to see what is next for Mendes but we know that he will be ready for any fight to come his way.

FPFL 2 RESULTS

BARRETT DEFEATED TURNER VIA SUBMISSION (1ST ROUND)
BARRETT DEFEATED TURNER VIA TKO (1ST ROUND)
STEPHENS DEFEATED WATKINS VIA SUBMISSION (1ST ROUND)
FLYNN DEAFEATED THOMPSON VIA TKO (2ND ROUND)

Featured Video

5 Fighters to Look Out for in 2010

1. Phil Davis
2. Ben Askren
3. Kris McCray
4. Tyron Woodley
5. Chad Mendes

Spike Airing WEC Prelims

This Saturday is the biggest day in WEC history with WEC 48 debuting on Pay-Per View. The WEC 48 card is stacked with Urijah Faber and Jose Aldo leading the way for the featherweight championship and Benson Henderson and Donald Cerrone battling for the lightweight title. Other notable fighters stepping into the cage are top featherweight contenders Scott Jorgensen, Mike Thomas Brown, and Anthony Njokuani and also The Ultimate Fighter season 1 veteran, Alex Karalexis, rising star, Chad Mendes, and proven fighter, Leonard Garcia. Spike TV is showing the WEC preliminary fights before the main card starts on Pay-Per-View. This is huge for the organization because this will spread the fan base to many combat sports fans that have never saw one of these action packed WEC fights. Soon the WEC will be respected as a MMA organization throughout the world and mentioned among one of the top organizations of the sport.

WEC 48 - Aldo vs. Faber Predictions

Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber - Faber
Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone - Henderson
Mike Thomas Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan - Brown
Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller - Njokuani
Scott Jorgensen vs. Antonio Banuelos - Jorgensen
Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung - Garcia
Anthony Pettis vs. Alex Karalexis - Pettis
Brad Pickett vs. Demetrious Johnson - Pickett
Chad Mendes vs. Anthony Morrison - Mendes
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Rani Yahya- Yahya
Brandon Visher vs. Tyler Toner - Visher

Strikeforce Nashville Predictions

Jake Shields vs. Dan Henderson - Henderson
Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed Lawal - Mousasi
Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki - Melendez
Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Tim Stout - Miller
Zach Underwood vs. Hunter Worsham - Underwood
Josh Schockman vs. Cale Yarbrough - Yarbrough
Dustin Ortiz vs. Justin Pennington - Ortiz
Andrew Uhrich vs. Dustin West - West
Chris Hawk vs. Ovince St. Preux - Hawk
Tom Campbell vs. Cody Floyd - Floyd

Who's Next for the Spider?

After Anderson Silva’s victory over Damian Maia at UFC 112, the question is who is next in line. The UFC president was not impressed at all with the Spider’s performance and realizes he needs to do something about it. Silva is wiping out every middleweight that is put against him and is not really being challenged as a fighter. I think it is time for Silva to step up to light-heavyweight or heavyweight and fight a legit contender. If Silva steps up to LHW, his possible fights may include Jon Jones, Shogun Rua, Rashad Evans, or maybe even UFC legend Chuck Liddell. Each one of these fights for be a challenge for Silva and would prove that the LHW division is no joke. If Silva made the jump to the heavyweight division his fights may include going toe to toe with Fedor Emelianenko, Pat Barry, Gabriel Gonzaga, Cheick Kongo, or Heath Herring if he ever comes back to MMA. All these fights would be valid challenges to Silva and it would be a test for the Spider to fight someone who is naturally bigger and stronger than him. The UFC has to do something quick or fans will start losing interest because their best fighter’s fights are just plain boring. And I think this will definitely add a twist to the division that Silva joins and also make the UFC a lot more dynamic.

UFC Fight Night 21 Predictions

Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi - Florian
Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve - Nelson
Nate Quarry vs. Jorge Rivera - Quarry
Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver - Pearson
Andre Winner vs. Rafaello Oliveira - Winner
Robert Emerson vs. Nik Lentz - Emerson
Yushin Okami vs. Lucio Linhares - Okami
Caol Uno vs. Gleison Tibau - Uno
Jacob Volkmann vs. Ronys Torres - Torres
Charlie Brenneman vs. Jason High - High
Gerald Harris vs. Mario Miranda - Harris

UFC 111 Picks

Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy- GSP
Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin - Mir
Jon Fitch vs. Ben Saunders - Fitch
Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek - Miller
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Fabricio Camoes - Pellegrino
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown - Brown
Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham - Diaz
Rodney Wallace vs. Jared Hamman - Wallce
Rousimar Palhares vs. Tomasz Drwal - Drawl
Matt Riddle vs. Greg Soto - Soto

Matt Masterson: Quest For The Belt

Matt Masterson went from renting UFC DVDs from Blockbuster in his teenager years to fighting for the UMMAXX Middleweight Championship a decade later. This Saturday will be Masterson’s biggest challenge in his MMA career when he goes toe to toe against Nate Kittredge. Kittredge is the top ranked Middleweight in New England and embraces an impressive record of 9-1. This battle is just one of six title fights on the stacked UMMAXX 10 Collision Course fight card.
` Masterson was a stand out football player in high school and became a fan of Mixed Martial Arts around the same time. Masterson, like many other cage fighters, went from the gridiron to the cage and has found much success in this transition. Masterson needed something to do after high school because he decided that college was not for him. Masterson decided he would turn to MMA and hasn’t looked back.
Masterson began training at Tracy’s Karate, now known as Strong Style. Masterson remembers the gym being a small one studio room with mats and other supplies that just got the job done. Now Strong Style is one of the top gyms in the area and has some of the top fighters and coaches around Northeast Ohio.
Masterson didn’t waste any time making a name for himself in the sport. “My debut was awesome, it was the first time I was ever at a MMA event and I was fighting on the card. It was an incredible experience!” stated Masterson. Ironically UMMAXX matchmaker Josh Hendricks promoted this fight in Mansfield. Let’s just say Hendricks has a good eye for potential. Masterson ended the fight early with a first round win via rear naked choke.
Masterson approaches every fight the same, it could be a small MMA event in a bar or could be on the main stage for the championship belt. He doesn’t think much about the fight, he just lets it happen. He sticks to the game plan and trains hard all the way up to the fight. This simple mind scheme has brought much success to Masterson in his pro fighting career.
When asked about his upcoming fight with “The Animal”, Masterson responded “I know he is a good wrestler and punches hard. That’s about it. I’m just going to go out there and fight my fight and stick to what my coaches have taught me.” Matt likes to keep it plain and simple and so far it has got the job done.
“I had dreams about pro fighting and it was something I just had to do” explained Masterson. “MMA is like a drug, like an addiction. It’s more like a lifestyle than a sport.” Masterson just loves the sport of MMA and takes a lot of pride in fighting. “Everyone thinks MMA is just competition, but I enjoy everything about it.” Matt lives his life one fight at a time and just hopes to keep doing well and finding success. We will all find out Saturday at UMMAXX if Masterson will build on his win streak.

MMA RANKINGS

TOP 5 POUND FOR POUND
1. FEDOR
2. ANDERSON SILVA
3. GSP
4. BJ PENN
5. GEGARD MOUSASI

TOP 10 HEAVYWEIGHTS
1. Fedor
2. Brock Lesnar
3. Shane Carwin
4. Frank Mir
5. Cain Velasquez
6. Junior dos Santos
7. Fabricio Werdum
8. Brett Rogers
9. Cheick Kongo
10. Alistair Overeem

TOP 10 LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
1. Lyoto Machida
2. Gegard Mousasi
3. Shogun Rua
4. Rashad Evans
5. Jon Jones
6. Thiago Silva
7. Quinton Jackson
8. Brandon Vera
9. Randy Couture
10. Forrest Griffin

TOP 10 MIDDLEWEIGHTS
1. Anderson Silva
2. Jake Shields
3. Chael Sonnen
4. Dan Henderson
5. Demian Maia
6. Nate Marquardt
7. Jason Miller
8. Robbie Lawler
9. Rich Franklin
10.Vitor Belfort

TOP 10 WELTERWEIGHTS
1. GSP
2. Dan Hardy
3. Josh Koscheck
4. Jon Fitch
5. Thiago Alves
6. Paulo Thiago
7. Paul Daley
8. Nick Diaz
9. Mike Swick
10. Anthony Johnson

TOP 10 LIGHTWEIGHTS
1. BJ Penn
2. Gray Maynard
3. Shinya Aoki
4. Frankie Edgar
5. Gilbert Melendez
6. Diego Sanchez
7. Eddie Alvarez
8. Kenny Florian
9. George Sotiropoulous
10. Josh Thomson

TOP 10 FEATHERWEIGHTS
1. Jose Aldo
2. Urijah Faber
3. Mike Brown
4. Bibiano Fernandes
5. Leonard Garcia
6. Rafael Assuncao
7. Josh Grispi
8. Wagney Fabiano
9. George Roop
10. Mackens Semenzier

TOP 10 BANTAMWEIGHTS
1. Dominick Cruz
2. Joseph Benavidez
3. Brian Bowles
4. Scott Jorgensen
5. Miguel Torres
6. Rani Yahya
7. Damacio Page
8. Antonio Banuelos
9. Chad Mendes
10. Erik Koch

UFC on Versus 1 Picks

Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera - Jones
Junior dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga - Dos Santos
Cheick Kongo vs. Paul Buentello - Kongo
Daniel Roberts vs. John Howard - Roberts
Clay Guida vs. Shannon Gugerty - Guida
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Eliot Marshall - Marshall
Duane Ludwig vs. Darren Elkins - Ludwig
James Irvin vs. Alessio Sakara - Irvin
Brendan Schaub vs. Chase Gormley - Schaub
Eric Schafer vs. Jason Brilz - Brilz
Mike Pierce vs. Julio Paulino - Pierce

Featured Video

Featured Video

Caged Madness 15

Explosive Fight Promotions yet again had another explosive event with Caged Madness 15. This event defitnitly left the fans happy. The card was filled with sick submissions and some stellar knockouts. Some famliar faces in the crowd included NAAFS Champions Reggie parks and Chris Lazono and also local pro fighter Jason Freeman. George Michael Phillips and his second to none announcing skills was on the mic for this fun night of fights. Caged Madness 15 was for sure an event for the books.

On the undercard, Brian Kerr defeated Nick Cobourn in the 1st round due to TKO. Fred Young defeated John Reed by unamous decision. In the next fight, Norm Carriero beat Jared Carle in a bloody battle in the 2nd round after punishing Carle the whole fight but he would not quit. Next up, Steve Burton defeated Michael Howell in the second round due to TKO. Also victorious on the undercard were Albert Pacosky, Dennis Millsaps, Josh Pyle, and Corey Wamsley.

On the main card, every fight was finished early and no fan was let down with a boring fight. Dylan Deacon, Douglas Brown, David Willis, Justin Murray, Aaron Tice, and Justin Woods all won their bouts. In the co-main event, Tommy Deroia defeated Jon Pipkins by first round by TKO. Deroia looked very good and controlled the fight. He shows slot of potential and might be fighting with a big organization in a few years. In the main event and Middle Weight Title Fight, Zac Gobel defeated Brandon Saling and defended his title successfully. Caged Madness 15 was an exciting for everyone and let's all hope Caged Madness 16 can top this one.

Gus Sako St.Edward Wrestler and Virginia Recruit Interview

1. How did you get started in wrestling?
1. My dad was a college wrestler and then a coach and he got me started when I was 4 years old. I went 0-2 that year.

2. What is your most memorable match in your life? Describe it.
2. My most memorable match would have to be winning my first state title sophomore year at 103 lbs. I won the match 9-1. It was only 1-0 me going into the 3rd and then I got a five count for 3pts. He called an injury time with 1 min left and I still remember my coach (John Heffernan) telling me "This is just like in the room, win this one minute go and you will be a state champ." My opponent then got out but in desperation he made a mistake which I capitalized and managed to put him on his back for five points, and I held him there for the remainder of the match.

3. Was it hard to pick Virginia for next year? What other colleges were after you?
3. Yes, my choice was very hard. the other major schools I was looking at were Cornell and Penn. I made the choice based on where I thought I would not only be successful but also happy to spend the next five years of my life there.

5. Who are some Eagle wrestlers fans should keep an eye out for in the NCAA?
5. I think the guys people should be paying attention to are Danny Gonsor and Shawn Harris. From what im hearing they are putting in the work and should be working their way up there.


6. What is the most embarrassing song on your iPOD?
6. That would probably have to be All Around the World by ATC, not the most manly song out there but never fails to put a smile on my face.


7. Who is your favorite MMA fighter and why?
7. My favorite fighter is Randy Couture because not only was he a wrestler and now a UFC Hall of Famer, but he is definitely getting old and still able to hang with the best. To be in that kind of physical shape in the upper 40's is impressive, I'm just hoping when I'm that old my gut isn't too big.


8. Do you have any plans on getting in the cage when your older like former Eagle Gray Maynard?
8. The thought has definitely crossed my mind. I love to compete and I dont know if I will be able to hang that up right after college wrestling. However I have very little intention of making a living out of it.

9. What is your favorite movie?
9. My favorite movie is Gladiator. Russell Crowe is definitely a bad ass in it and the Gladiator scenes are insane.

10. Do you think MMA is the sport of the future or do you think it will fade away over the years?
10. I see MMA continuing to grow like crazy. There is just something about watching a guy beat another guy into a bloody pulp that entertains the hell out of us.

Nate Meyerrose NAAFS Fighter Interview

1. How did you get started with MMA? Lets see I wrestled for Perry since the 8th grade and started training in the summer at Victory MMA and pretty much fell in love with it.
2. What other sports did you play growing up? I used to play baseball and basketball my whole life and stopped playing baseball because I didnt like it anymore and I got cut from the basketball team in the 8th grade and started wrestling.
3. Who do you train with and how do you like it? I try and train all over just to get the experience from many different views but I have been training at fight house in Wooster but like I said every now and then I go to Victory MMA,Evolve MMA, and Pain Headquaters.
4. What was it like making your MMA debut with the NAAFS? Wow.. I have done a lot of crazy things in my life but I have never felt so nervous and thats where I made my mistake but I mean you cant blame me the place was sold out completely wall to wall.. Now I no what to expect so Im going to come out way stronger..
5. Who is your favorite MMA fighter and why? Anderson Silva for sure because he is a monster.. That man could go to any weight and straight dominate on anyone and everyone he`s so technical in every movement he does.
6. If you could knock out anyone in the world who would it be? It would be Michael Bisping.. I cant stand how good he thinks he is he`s a joke.
7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years in the sport? I really dont no I love the sport so probably holding the title for some kind of organization.
8. Have you played UFC Undisputed? Do you like it? Of course I have.. I like it but Im more of a Call Of Duty type of guy.
9. What do you think about the Lebron situation? Will he stay or will he go? He will hopefully go if he is a smart man.
10. Who are your main influences for fighting? Probably for my mom and to prove to everyone that i can do it and its not as bad as people think its just another sport.

Featured Video

WEC 47 Predictions

Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz- Bowles
Miguel Torres vs. Joseph Benavidez- Torres
Deividas Taurosevicius vs. L.C. Davis - Davis
Bart Palaszewski vs. Karen Darabedyan - Darabedyan
Jens Pulver vs. Javier Vazquez - Vazquez
Scott Jorgensen vs. Chad George - Jorgenson
Danny Castillo vs. Anthony Pettis - Castillo
Leonard Garcia vs. George Roop - Garcia
Chad Mendes vs. Erik Koch - Mendes
Bendy Casimir vs. Ricardo Lamas - Lamas
Courtney Buck vs. Fredson Paixao - Buck

Dominque Thompson from Superior Cage Fighting Interview

1Q. How did you get started in mixed martial arts?
1A. I wanted to do it since I started watching it in high school. Last summer I started looking for a gym to train and a buddy of mine told me about Powerhouse where he trained. I went down to try it out and just liked it and felt comfortable there.
2Q. How do you like training with Powerhouse?
2A. I love it! The guys up there have become my brothers. Everybody is so unique in their own way. With all the talent there I am able to adjust to different things that I want or need to work on.
3Q. What was your MMA debut like?
3A. My debut fight sucked! I made a bad move and took a fight at the last second. I got asked to fight on a Sunday night and the event was that Friday. I had to end up dropping 25lbs before Friday. When it came to the fight, I just got tired real fast. I just got caught with a hook and got KO. It was the worst feeling of my life. After that I have been pushing myself as much as I can so it won’t happen again.
4Q. Where do you see yourself in 5 years in the sport?
4A. to be honest I don’t know, I’m not really worried about it right now. I’m just focusing on one fight at a time till I feel I’m able to go pro and if I’m healthy.
5Q. Who is your favorite fighter and why?
5A. The fighters I like the most are George St. Pierre, Bas Rutten, Anthony Johnson, Jon Jones, and Brock Lesnar. All these guys are just top notch fights and exciting to watch! I think my style comes from all these guys.
6Q. How you feeling about your fight coming up at War in the Heartland?
6A. I feel pretty good. I will be fighting Dave Klima out of Griffonrawl MMA Academy. He is 1-0, hasn’t fought since last march but comes from a good MMA school. Both of us are 6"2 so it’s an even match until we step into the cage and find out who is the better man.
7Q. Who or what are your inspirations for fighting?
7A. just watching the sport inspires me. I love competing. I did sports all my life so I just a competitor and this sport is the top when it comes to competing!
8Q. What is the most embarrassing song on your iPod?
8A. I don’t have anything embarrassing music on my iPod because it’s all stuff that I listen to.
9Q. Whats your favorite movie and why?
9A. My favorite movies is the Halloween movies. I love horror movies and it’s just my favorite out of them.
10Q. Other than MMA, what sports do you follow and who are some of your favorite players?
10A. I played football, ran track, and played basketball all my life so I try and follow basketball when I can. I love my Cavs and King James is a beast!!!

Intimidation Clothing

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Athletes Turn to Mixed Martial Arts

A recent trend in mixed martial arts is pro athletes making the jump to mixed martial arts and using their athletic ability to their advantage in the cage. Some of these pro athletes are making names for themselves in mixed martial arts and becoming quite successful in the sport but others are fading away just as quick as they came. These athletes use their techniques from their previous sport and use it to help themselves achieve success in mixed martial arts. This is very exciting to watch these athletes make this transition and it also benefits the organizations that land these good marketing tools.

Some athletes who made the shift to mixed martial arts and are making big names for themselves include UFC Heavyweight Champion and former WWE Superstar and NFL lineman, Brock Lesnar, Strikeforce Heavyweight and NFL Hall of Famer, Herschel Walker, King of the Cage vet and former Washington Redskin, Michael Westbrook, Strikeforce Heavyweight and former WWE Superstar, Bobby Lashley, and former Miami Dolphin and current UFC fighter, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson. Brock Lesnar played for the Minnesota Vikings and was the front man of the WWE for a short amount of time before he tried mixed martial arts. Many critics and fans doubted that he would find success and said he should have stuck to fake wrestling. Lesnar definitely proved these haters wrong and is currently the UFC Heavyweight Champion and holds notable victories over UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and former World Champion Frank Mir. NFL Legend Hershel Walker is the most recent athlete to make the turn to mixed martial arts and won his debut in an exciting fight at Strikeforce Miami against Greg Nagy. Walker trains at one of the top gyms in the nation, American Kickboxing Academy, alongside Mike Swick, Daniel Cormier, Cung Le, Cain Velasquez, Phil Davis, Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Dave Camarillo, Bobby Southworth and many other notable names in the MMA world. Dana White recently said he doesn’t want Walker in the UFC but I think Walker is comfortable with Scott Coker and Strikeforce. Former star NFL wide receiver and KOTC veteran, Michael Westbrook, is a world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practioner. He made his KOTC debut against former Michigan Running Back, Jarrod Bunch, and defeated him at the end of the first round by rear naked choke. Westbrook has a 1-1 MMA record with 1 NC. He has made multiple appearances on popular MTV show, Bully Beatdown, alongside MMA crazy man Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Former WWE Superstar, Bobby Lashley, has been untouchable ever since he started mixed martial arts. Lashley is an impressive 5-0 with notable victories over Wes Sims, Jason Guida, and former pro wrestler and former NFL offensive lineman, Bob Sapp. Lashley is here to stay and Strikeforce is lucky to have this Heavyweight prospect. Kevin Ferguson aka Kimbo Slice, might be one of the most recognizable faces in the sport due to his YouTube popularity and his long black beard. Slice spent some time with the Miami Dolphins after playing for the Miami Hurricanes in college. Slice has a 4-1 pro MMA record and holds notable victories over Tank Abbott and Houston Alexander. Slice appeared on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights and BET’s The Iron Ring and fought with Elite XC before he signed with the UFC. Kimbo’s next fight is at UFC 113 which he is going toe to toe against fellow TUF 10 cast mate, Matt Mitrione. This will be a very exciting fight to watch these two Heavyweight prospects brawl to secure their UFC spot. These fighters all have made big names for themselves in this exciting sport and let’s hope more athletes like these are on their way because these fighters bring a lot to the table and keep their fans entertained throughout their fights.

Some other athletes turned fighters that also found success include NFL vet, Bobby Jones, former 1st round draft pick, Marcus Jones, former NFL and AFL player, Brandan Schaub, former NFL player Matt Mitrione, and former CFL running back, Marvin "The Beastman" Eastman. Bobby Jones played a few seasons with the New York Giants. He has found success with organizations such as UMMAXX, NAAFS, and was signed with Elite XC. He also tried out for The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights but didn't make it into the house. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Marcus Jones, has a 4-2 pro MMA record and appeared on TUF 10. Jones was one of the most popular fighters of the season and was many people’s favorite to win. Sadly his stay in the UFC was shorter than Eric Crouch's stint in the NFL. Brendan Shaub, TUF Cast Member and former Utah Blaze and Buffalo Bill lineman, has a 4-1 record and found alot of success on TUF. He lost to Roy Nelson in the finals but still received a UFC contract and is going toe to toe against Chase Gormley at UFC on Versus: Vera vs. Jones. Matt Mitrione, played for the Giants, Niners, and Vikings, has an undefeated pro record and is stepping into the octagon against fellow TUF 10 cast mate and NFL vet Kimbo Slice at UFC 113 in Canada. Former CFL superstar, Marvin Eastman, fought with organizations such as the UFC and KOTC. He holds a notable victory over UFC Light Heavyweight Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in his KOTC debut. These fighters bring a whole new element to the cage and so far it has paid off in their mixed martial arts careers.

Some athletes turned fighters who should have stuck to their old sport or just retired include former Kansas City Chief, Johnnie Morton, Tennessee Titan, Wes Shrivers, former Michigan Running Back and New York Giant, Jarrod Bunch, and former homerun king, Jose Canseco. Johnnie Morton has a rough 0-1 record and lost his first match by a brutal TKO coming in the very first round. After his debut, Morton tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and left the sport soon after. Former MLB superstar, Jose Canseco, made his MMA debut against Hong Man Choi at Dream 9. He lost in the first round via submission due to strikes. Canseco has now spoken out that he wants to fight Strikeforce fighter, Herschel Walker. Former Titan and TUF vet, Wes Shrivers was booted early off The Ultimate Fighter after losing his first match and he never returned to cage since. Jarrod Bunch, a former star football player, lost at KOTC Payback against Michael Westbrook and retired from his MMA career shortly after. For these fighters the effort was not worth it and they should have just stuck to their first choice.

This trend is going to become very popular in the near future. Athletes are able to bring their skills from their previous sport and find success in MMA. Even athletes use MMA as their off season tool to stay on top of their game. These athletes include former Heisman trophy winner and current Cardinal QB, Matt Leinart, NFL All Pro linebacker and former Defensive Rookie of the Year, Patrick Willis, and even current Cleveland Cavaliers center and former league MVP, Shaquille O’Neal. Chad Ochocinco, of the Cincinnati Bengals, challenged UFC Middleweight Champ, Anderson Silva to a fight for charity. Gerald Harris, UFC middleweight, played semi pro football before making it to the UFC. Stipe Miocic, an undefeated fighter in the NAAFS, was drafted in the MLB before training MMA. And even Mirko Cro Cop played Wide Receiver for a Croatian football team. In these rare cases, the fighters actually turned to athletes and tried out other sports but clearly they are more suit for mixed martial arts. Keep an eye on this trend before it blows up and the sport of mixed martial arts will become more diverse than ever before. And who wouldn’t want to see guys like Ron Artest, Ray Lewis, or Albert Haynesworth step in the cage and bust some heads.

Featured Video

Featured Video

NAAFS Caged Fury 9

NAAFS Caged Fury 9 definitely lived up to its hype and impressed all the fans that came to watch at Gray’s Armory Saturday night. The night started off with quick action with Bryon McCrowsky (Griffon Rawl), Cory Bresson (Kombat MMA) RJ Buck (Ohio BJJC), Kenny Jackson (Strongstyle) and Reggie Parks (Griffon Rawl) all winning their amateur fights. After the intermission, the big boys stepped out and the pro fights began. Stipe Miocic (Strongstyle) won his pro debut in exciting fashion with a 17 second knockout. Chuck Ellison (Instigator Fight Team) and Mike Nesto (Shrader’s MMA) also won their pro fights by not letting their fights reach decision and getting it done early. Up next was featherweight bout Dustin “The Reaper” Kempf and Donny “Eagle Eye” Walker (Griffon Rawl) going toe to toe for a potential NAAFS Fight of the Year. Donny Walker won in the 2nd round by TKO after dropping Kempf with a leg kick a finishing him right before the bell. These two fighters had much respect for each other and were throwing like it was their last fight ever. These two fighters gave the crowd a show and proved that these they are guys who you should take seriously in the cage. After this fight was the Interim Pro Series Lightweight Title with Daniel Straus (Vision MMA) taking on the title holder Frank “The Tank” Caraballo (Strongstyle). Straus dominated the whole fighter scoring takedowns and punishing Caraballo on the ground. Straus finished the fight in the fifth and final with a brutal TKO. Straus will be taking on UFC vet Jason Dent at Fight Night in the Flats on June 5th. This will be a fight for any MMA fan to see. In the main event of the night John Hawk (Strongstyle) took on Joe McCall (The Hit Squad) for the Heavyweight Title. Hawk retained his belt but a rematch between these two will be coming very soon. The NAAFS keeps fans thinking “Can the next event be any better” and the answer is yes. Each NAAFS event is becoming more and more deep with fighters and exciting with spectacular knockouts and great submissions. Be sure to check out Caged Fury 10 in Uhrichsville, Ohio on March 27th. Check out www.fpmma.weebly.com and www.fpmma-cflynna.blogspot for new MMA news updated daily.

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UFC 110 Predictions

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez- Velasquez
Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping - Bisping
Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos - Stevenson
Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine - Bader
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs Anthony Perosh - Cro Cop
Goran Reljic vs. C.B. Dollaway - Dollaway
Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski - Bonnar
Chris Lytle vs. Brian Foster - Lytle
James Te Huna vs. Igor Pokrajac - Pokrajac

Events Coming To North East Ohio

For all you mixed martial arts fans in North East Ohio, February and March are going to be two incredible months for you! UMMAXX, UEC, Cage Stars, NAAFS, and XFS are all putting on exciting events near the Cleveland area. This is a good opportunity to see the best local fighters, former UFC veterans, and some of the biggest MMA prospects in the game square off right here in our city.

On February 20th at Grays Armory in Cleveland, NAAFS is hosting Caged Fury 9. This is the biggest card so far of 2010 for NAAFS. There is two title fights with John Hawk and Joe McCall squaring off for the Heavyweight Championship and Frank Caraballo and Daniel Straus squaring off for the Lightweight Championship. Former NFL star Bobby Jones and KOTC vet Donny “Eagle Eye” Walker will also be fighting on this stacked card. This is definitely a card for the ages and you can check out the full card at www.naafs.tv for more information.

On February 27th at Midway Mall in Elyria, Cage Stars will be hosting Brawl at the Mall. The first bell is at 7 pm. Cage Stars hopes to keep up the success from last event in Elyria and hopes to keep on improving as time goes on. There will be 20 brutal fights going down and it will be one event to remember. Check out www.cagestars.com for more information on this fantastic event.

On the same night at the Emidio and Sons Civic Center, XFS will be hosting Rude Awakening at 7 pm. Brandon Poindexter and Nate Mango will be going toe to toe for the Featherweight Championship and Jessica “The DNA Princess” Zomcik will also be fighting on this card. Check out www.akronmma.com for the complete fight card and more information on XFS: Rude awakening.

On March 13th in Cleveland at 8 pm, UEC will be hosting Retribution. This is the second event of the new organization will for sure be a must see for MMA fans. UEC’s motto is “Bring Your Best” and that is exactly what they are doing! Check out www.uecmma.com for more info.

And finally on March 27th at the Cuyahoga Convention Center, UMMAXX will be hosting their tenth event Collision Course. This card is absolutely stacked! Torrance Taylor, a Strikeforce Veteran, Jason Riley, a Adrenaline MMA vet, Matthew Masterson, a KOTC vet, and local superstar Paul Compton will all be fighting on this dream card. This event is completely stacked from top to bottom and you don’t want to miss a second of it. Check out www.ummaxx.net for more info.

For more MMA news from local events to events across the globe check out www.fpmma.weebly.com.

Duane "Train" Douglas and the UEC

1Q.What got you started in MMA?
1A. after I was discharged from the navy in 2000, I wanted to do something to stay in shape and feed my competitive nature, I played semi pro football for the Cleveland Lions for a season, but it wasn’t fulfilling enough. I needed more, and one day I turned on spike TV and Forrest Griffin was training to compete for the semifinals and I thought to myself, "This could be it!" 10 yrs later and I’m still here.
2Q. Describe your first fight, what was it like?
2A. Scary, all the months of preparation and training with friends to finally put my skills to the test. My first fight was in Mansfield, OH in this "Hole in the wall" warehouse, everyone had a team shirt, and there teammates with them and here I come rolling in with my entourage full of black t-shirts... My opponent introduced himself, and then quietly escaped out of the back door.
3Q.Who is your favorite MMA fighter and why?
3A. Lately, I have been very impressed by Amir Sadollah. If Forrest Griffin had a twin brother separated at birth, Amir would be him. Very down to earth, very tough and he is a great ambassador for the sport.
4Q. How was it training with Triple Threat MMA?
4A.It’s awesome, you couldn’t ask for a better gym or group of friends to train with. We all walk in as friends and walk out as family. I love the intensity Coach Pizzi brings to the workouts, he really makes you push yourself past what you think your limits are, and focus on progress. You have several gyms with the equipment and the big name fighters, but triple threat is the gym where serious fighters go to learn and get better.
5Q. What is your favorite thing about Mixed Martial Arts?
5A. My most favorite aspect of MMA is the ever changing fighter, if you watch UFC 1 you see all of the fighters are 1 sided, either ground or stand up, now as MMA has evolved we start to see the future of fighting, the Hybrid uni-versed fighters. The real badasses!
6Q. Who are you main inspirations for fighting?
6A. I have 4 Daughters Dayzhia (12), Dehvian (7), Daylian (4), and Destane`(2) They all love to watch daddy train and whenever I put UFC on the run to the TV and ask.. "Daddy, are you fighting today?" and sadly I tell them soon girls, hopefully soon.
7Q. How did you get involved with the UEC?
7A. I started UEC in my living room with a former business partner of mine. He was the Financial Investment and I was in charge of running the show from start to finish. It was a tough job but I managed to make it work with the best executive secretary in the world, my fiancée' Rochelle. We spent at least 12-14 hrs a day matching, communicating with the Ohio Athletic Commission, Advertising, and building a decent show, only for our former business partner to run off with the fruits of our labor and be cut from the organization. The backend of this sport can be cutthroat, but sometimes you have to dust your butt off, and go back to square one. There isn’t always an easy way to do things sometimes you just have to keep getting knocked down, before you can stand high.
8Q. How is it working with the UEC?
8A. I love it, it is my baby but at this point I have put off producing shows to get back into training myself, I have spent 2 yrs out of the cage / ring and I would love to start competing again in the near future.
9Q. Where do you see the UEC in the next few years?
9A. under the right supervision I can see the organization progressing to unlimited levels. Although only time can tell. The best method is to continue to do the right thing, and be straight up with everyone from the fighters to the fans. People see your sincerity and your willingness to do great things, and that doesn’t go unnoticed. I will reclaim UEC in the future and promise to bring bigger and better shows that the MMA community will appreciate.
10Q. Is there any chance you step back in the cage for a UEC event?
10A. Under Ohio guidelines , because I am a licensed matchmaker I can only fight outside of Ohio, if the UEC ventures to other states then it may be a possibility, but for now I am looking forward to traveling and making a career out of the sport I love.

2009 MMA AWARDS

Best Fighter of 2009- BJ Penn (UFC)
Best Fight of 2009- Ben Henderson vs Donald Cerrone (WEC)
Best Knockout of 2009- Anthony Njokuani (WEC)
Best Submission of 2009- Jason Dent (UFC)
Best Comeback of 2009- Scott Smith (Strikeforce)
Best Overall Performance of 2009- Jake Shields (Strikeforce)
Break Through Fighter of the Year- Jon Jones (UFC)
Best Prospect of the Year- Chad Mendes (WEC)
Best Walkout Performance- Jason Mayhem Miller (Strikeforce)
Worst Hair of 2009- Dan Hardy (UFC)
Best Hair of 2009- Scott Jorgenson (WEC)
Promotion of 2009- World Extreme Cagefighting
Best Fight Card of 2009- Strikeforce: Fedor vs Rogers
Best Post Fight Speech of 2009- Brock Lesnar (UFC)
Clothing Company of 2009- Tapout
Best MMA Magazine of 2009- Fight Magazine
Best MMA Website of 2009- FPMMA
Worst Cut of 2009- Diego Sanchez (UFC)
Most Heart in 2009- Urijah Faber (WEC) and Clay Guida (UFC)
Worst Decision of 2009- Rua vs Machida (UFC)
Best Referee of 2009- Herb Dean
Worst Referee of 2009- Steve Mazzagatti
Up and Coming Fight Organization of 2009- NAAFS
MMA Based Show of 2009- The Loco Life
Best Camp of 2009- Team Quest
MMA Personality of 2009- Charles Mask Lewis

Why do men love women’s MMA?

I have been to many MMA events in my day and for some reason whenever the women’s fight come along the crowds seems to get a little bit louder. Maybe it’s the testerone kicking in or these guys just love to see the ladies knuckle up. Billy Lawrence, a MMA fan, stated “I like women’s MMA because they bring it just as hard as the boys and look good doing it.” This statement is very true! Exciting fighters like Jessica Zomcik and Jessica Eye from the NAAFS always leave all that they have in the cage and give the audience a good show event after event. Danny Poutz on the other hand has a few different reasons why he loves women’s MMA, he said “They just go at each other and plus, who doesn’t want to see women in practically underwear on top of each other!” Also in Strikeforce, big names such as Cyborg Santos and Gina Carano always bring all that they have and give the crowd what they came to see. If you haven’t saw a women’s fight live, I strongly suggest it before you start talking crap saying that it wouldn’t be exciting because trust me on this one, its defiantly worth the excitement. These gals can brawl!

Strikeforce Experience

Wow! That is how this article will start. The night opened up with a Rockstar Energy Sample Stand that gave out free hats, drinks, posters, and stickers. We each took about 10 bottles of Rockstar Energy shots and as many posters as we could carry. A long wait outside lead to another long wait at the inside gates before finally at around 5:30, they started letting fans in. Right after the entrance, Strikeforce stars Daniel Cormier and Scott Smith were signing autographs so we jumped on the opportunity for a signature and a picture. The next stop in our adventure was down to the first row, where somehow we stayed the whole night, while buying the cheapest seats in the house.

While in the first row, we encountered fighters such as Gilbert Melendez, Dan Henderson, Clay Guida, Louis Taylor, Jeff Curran, King Mo, Fabricio Werdum, and Andrei Arlovski. We got all of their autographs on the official program, which was also free, and obtained pictures from most of them. The one fighter that we had to walk to meet, Miguel Torres, was a cool guy but the journey took a quick downhill turn. While walking through the isles, Connor spilled a drunk guy's beer and it was not even his fault. The drunk guy threatened Connor's Life and made him pay 10 dollars for the 8 dollar beer. Connor was not too happy about it, and still is pissed off about it. He did end up paying 9 dollars in a fair compromise.

The Main Card was a very exciting part of the event with fights such as, Jake Shields vs Mayhem Miller and Fedor vs Brett Rogers. Jake Shields Captured The Middleweight Title by defeating Miller by Unanamous Decision, and Fedor retained his WAMMA Heavyweight Title By Defeating Rogers by a second round knockout. After the fights, Jake Shields spent some time with us signing some autographs and taking some time to explain his future plans in the world of MMA. He plans on fighting Georges St. Pierre in 2010 and UFC Middleweight Dan Henderson is close to signing a deal with Strikeforce and is interested in fighting Henderson. The Experience was worth the time, money and effort put into the trip.

Jake Digman Interview

1. How did you start your career with the NAAFS?

It was actually a situation of right place right time. I was interning at SportsTalkCleveland.com, running the board for Pro Wrestling Insider when Greg Kalikas said he needed someone to work the PKW booth at an MMA event in Columbus. This was back in 2005 and I'd never been to an MMA event before, so I told him I would do it. As fate would have it, our booth was set right next to Robbie Lawler's booth so I spent the better of the event picking his brain. I didn't know who he was at the time, so I wasn't star struck or anything like that. On the car ride back Greg asked me what I thought, I gave him a few of my ideas. The next day he called to see if I wanted to be the producer of Pro Karate Weekly and a month later I was told he were putting on an event. With that, Fight Nite in the Flats was born.

2. Do you train mma? If yes , where at and who with?

Ha Ha, sadly I do not currently train MMA. However, I have a standing offer from pretty much every gym in the NAAFS if I ever were to decide to do so. I think I will stick with announcing and the business side of things, because I'd probably trip over my own feet climbing into the cage.

3. Who is your favorite UFC fighter and why?

I'm not sure that I can narrow it down to the just one. I'm a big fan a Lyoto Machida and I'm glad to see he's finally earning the respect of all the newbie fans. I'm also a big fan of GSP, because not only is he a hell of a talent, but was a pleasure to deal with every time I used to book him for PKW back in the day. I'm also a fan of Brock Lesnar, because he has real talent and is pretty much despised by the majority of the fan base. If there's one thing that is for certain in any sport, people will pay to see the person they hate lose. Most think that comes from pro wrestling, but it's like that in all sports and with any classic rivalry. I also have a nothing but respect for Randy Couture, because I've been fortunate enough to talk to Randy a few times during our PKW radio days. However, my favorite fighter currently in the UFC has to be NAAFS Pro Series Lightweight Champion and The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 Alumnus Jason "Dynamite" Dent.

4. Who is your favorite NAAFS fighter and why?

This is going to seem like a cop out answer, but they are all my favorite fighters. If it weren't for our fighters, we wouldn't have an NAAFS. I've been fortunate enough to work with some of the classiest individuals I could ever ask for. I've encountered a couple of jerks, but those are usually the guys that don't last to long in this sport. I once heard Jeff Cox say "if you aren't humble, this sport will humble you." It's very true in all aspects of the MMA business, from fighting to announcing to promoting to anything. It's a very cut throat business, but I have been lucky enough to associate myself with some top notch classy individuals and I am looking forward to continuing that in the future. When asked, I ofter tell people that my favorite fighter is Tommy "Gun" Ridenbaugh and there is a funny story behind that. At Caged Vengeance in Cleveland, OH back in 2006 Tommy was taking on Jason "Steeltown" Taylor. It was a controversial finish, where Tommy still insists to this day that he didn't tap out. Steeltown's crew came out waving the terrible towel and after he won the fight, the Cleveland fans were none to happy about. Tommy starts encouraging the fans and a riot almost broke! Needless to say, it was one of the more interesting nights I've ever been a part of. Thus, for making me have to warn the people in the crowd not to fight before every show, Tommy Gun will always be one of my favorite fighters.

5. Do you plan on moving on to bigger events with your announcing career like the UFC, WEC, or Strikeforce?

As they say used to say in the territorial days of the wrestling business, it depends on the money and the miles. As much fun as it would be to announce inside the Octagon, I have more of a thrill seeing the NAAFS grow as an organization. If I can be a small part of that happening, then I'm very happy with that. I recently filmed a small role in the upcoming movie Warrior and had a really good time, so I wouldn't mind dabbling in acting a little bit more. I'm also doing some voice over work as well, so there are many opportunities out there if you know where to look.

6. Whats your favorite thing about MMA?

My favorite thing about MMA is the fact that although it's an individual sport, it's very much a team effort. I grew up a fan of old school NWA wrestling that more of a rustic feel to it. The people were very passionate about who there favorites were and they believed in these guys. As pro wrestling transitioned into whatever it is today, the fans began looking for an alternative. If you remember back in the late 90's both major wrestling promotions were combining for an average TV rating of 10.0 or higher. Now the average rating is in the 3.5, which means that 6.5 rating points have since gone some place else and that's to MMA. The thing with MMA, wrestling, football, or any sport is that as a fan you watch it hoping the person you like is going to win. What I love about MMA is that once the cage door shuts its man-on-man (or woman-on-woman) and the better person will walk out the victor. Are there things I would like to see changed in MMA? Absolutely, but people need to realize this sport is still in its infancy. The future is very bright for MMA and I'm just grateful to have climbed on board at the ground level.

7. Is there any inspiration on the way you dress for events?

I'm going to assume this is in reference to the now infamous pimp suit from Fight Nite in the Flats V. I told Greg that I wanted to do something different because Fight Nite in the Flats is our biggest event of the year, so I ran the idea by him. He told me to go for it, so I did. At first I felt ridiculous, until the people started to react. At that moment I knew it was just time to live the gimmick. I would like to thank American Commodore Tuxedos for providing all of the tuxedos I wear at NAAFS events. You can be a pimp too if you want, just head over to American Commodore and tell them I sent you!

8. What is your favorite movie?

I have a few actually. Of course any movie that I was involved with, including Don't Blink (www.DontBlinkMovie.com) and Warrior will top the list. I've always been a bigger horror buff. I have nothing but respect for guys like George A Romero, Sam Raimi, and Rob Zombie. I also like movies that make you think like Donnie Darko or Religulous. Plus the dark hero films like The Crow or The Dark Knight. I'm pretty much all over the board.

9. What other sports are you a fan of other than mma? Do you play any?

I'm a fan of almost every sport. I grew up going to baseball games at Cleveland Municipal Stadium with my uncle, so I've always had a passion for the Indians. I'm also a fan of the New York Yankees, which isn't too popular with some people. I enjoy NFL and college football, no matter who is playing. I've also been a Cleveland Cavaliers fan since I was kid, so hopefully they can be the team to finally bring a championship to Cleveland. I will play a pick up game here and there with my friends, but nothing in any sort of league. I'm going to be taking part in the Akron Marathon, if that counts as a sport lol.

10. If you could fight anyone in the world, who would it be?
Greg Kalikas! It would be the largest crowd ever at an NAAFS event to witness the worst fight in MMA history haha. In all seriousness, I'll leave the fighting to the all of our great athletes. It works out well, because they don't want to announce either so we are all good.

AJ Aeschlimann Interview

Q.What is your most memorable fight of your career?

A. My night of champions fight when I won the belt against Chris Lozano.

Q.Who is your favorite UFC fighter and why?

A. Wow, Umm Chuck has always been one of my favorites, he was the man for a long time but i would have to go with Henderson

He's tough as nails, and the best grappler in there with crazy strength and cardio.

Q.Where do you train and who with?

A.I train at Victory Martial Arts in canton and fight for Team Instigator. Chuck Ellison, Terry Blackwell, Terry Smith, Zack Sutek, Joe Mccall are all training partners of mine.

Q .If you could knock anyone out in the world who would it be?

A. At this point in time right now? Anderson Silva. He's the man and untouchable on his feet. Would be Absolutely amazing, but also unrealistic.

Q.Do you plan on moving on to bigger mma organizations than the NAAFS and where do you hope to be in 5 years?

A. Absolutely. The NAAFS has always been great to me but I would like it to lead to bigger things. In five years I see myself being a regular UFC fighter.

Q.Do you watch The Ultimate Fighter and do you think that is how you will get in?

A.Yeah, I never miss it. Reality TV for guys. I would love a chance at the Ultimate Fighter. I think I could make it to the UFC from there. If I haven't fought for them before the next middleweight tryouts that will be what I am doing.

Q.What is your favorite movie?

A.Scarface and Vision Quest. I know you asked for one but I can't ever decide.

Q.What about favorite video game? Do you like UFC Undisputed?

A.Undisputed is amazing. My favorite right now. I use Henderson and Marquardt.

Q.How did your mma career start?

A. Oh wow, that one is a little ridiculous.Actually wrestling for about 16 years, had a black belt in tae kwon do. And had a buddy who fought as me if I wanted to try it. I said yeah and they actually filled a spot on a card with me a week later, so I started training full time. And I haven't really looked back since. It took a little over a year from my first fight to my second, just to train and really learn. I got lucky I won. Looking back, it wasn’t the smartest thing to do on a weeks’ notice.

Q.Who are your inspirations for fighting?

A.My daughter Hannah and my Wife Justine are my two biggest inspirations. I always want to do better for them. I get inspiration from everywhere tho from friends and family, to my training partners and the black wells who teach at my school.

Dusty Prall Interview

Q.Who is your favoirte mma fighter and why?

A. My favorite MMA fighter is GSP. His diversity and just the fact that he never wrestled in school, but is still one of the best wrestlers in MMA, inspire me.

Q.Where and who do you train with?

A. I train at Ohio Fitness & Martial Arts in Bellefontaine, OH with the Iron Tiger Fight Team. Under Scott Sheeley, former world-ranked kickboxer.

Q.What is your favorite mma clothing brand?

A. I'm not a fan of a lot of the clothing, but I wear some Hitman Fight Gear from time to time. They've got some cool t-shirts.

Q.What is your most memorable fight?

A. My most memorable fight would be my very last amatuer fight I had before looking to make my pro debut. I lost a split-decision unfortunately, but it was a main event and we put on a show. Three rounds of banging it out on our feet and I tore all the ligaments in my ankle 45 seconds into the fight.

Q.What type of techniques do you use?

A. Whatever feels right at the moment, it just depends on the scenario. My training consists oh muay thai, san shou, BJJ, submission wrestling, boxing, and straight wrestling. So, anything that falls under those categories are always game pending on the situation.

Q.Who are some of your heroes?

A. I don't really have any "heroes" in the fight game. I respect everybody in the sport for the sweat, blood, and tears they dedicate to the world's greatest sport.

Q.Who do you compare to from the ufc?

A. I don't compare to anybody in the UFC right now. If that was the case, I'd be there. A lot of hard work and you never know who you could compare to.

Q. How did your mma career start?

A. At a local show in Bellefontaine. I personally knew the promoter and I just felt like fighting so I said, "throw me on the card."

Q.What is your favorite thing about mma?

A. It's the truest form of modern day competition. You get back what you put in and it all shows to everybody once you step in that cage. There's no backing out. It's you and him. May the best man win.

Q.What other sports do you like other than mma?

A.Wrestling obviously even though I didn't follow through with it in high school. I love all sports, but my favorite would be baseball. If I wouldn't have started fighting, I would be playing baseball in college right now.

Kimbo's Next Move

Kevin Ferguson a.k.a. Kimbo Slice, a famous street fighter from Miami, Florida, is back in the MMA spotlight again. Slice had a contract with Elite XC until the league folded due to bankruptcy. Slice was a free agent for a while and received a contract offer from Strikeforce but declined because he wanted to get to the UFC. Dana White, the president of the UFC, thinks that Kimbo Slice is just a joke fighter, who has no technique what so ever. Kimbo is going to have to prove him wrong to win a contract with the UFC. Slice is going to be on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights. Every single person will be gunning for Slice’s head to prove that he is not worthy of a contract. Let’s see if Kimbo has what it takes to come out on top and finally make it to where many have said he never has a chance. This upcoming season will definitely be an exciting one to watch!

Jason Dent Interview

Jason Dent is a pro mixed martial arts fighter who is participated on Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter and is also a UFC veteran. Here is a closer look at Dynamite Dent.
Q.) What is your favorite food?
A.) pasta
Q.) What is your favorite movie?
A.) The Lord of the Rings
Q.) Who is your favorite athlete?
A.) Randy Couture
Q.) What is your favorite song?
A.) I listen to all types of music so I don’t just have one favorite song.
Q.) Who did you get along with the most on The Ultimate Fighter?
A.) Santanio DeFranco
Q.) Describe your experience in the Ultimate Fighter house.
A.) It was tough being locked up with 16 guys and cameras following every move you make 24/7. It was also hard because I am married and missed my wife. Overall it was worth it for the opportunity.
Q.) When did you decide you wanted to become a pro fighter?
A.) about 8 or 9 years ago
Q.)What are your plans for the future for fighting?
A.) I want to see how far I can take my pro career and I also own my own gym and I want to build its reputation and keep that going successful.
Q.) Out of anybody in the whole world, who would u want to step into the octagon with?
A.) Wanderlei Silva or Fedor Emelianenko
Q.) What is your favorite video game?
A.) I like the new UFC Undisputed game.

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