Boxing Links (8-20-11)

Posted on | August 20, 2011 | No Comments

Boxing News, MMA, UFC, Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather 15rounds.com It was a very impressive showing for Andrade, who took the fight on very short notice, and silenced many boxing insiders who felt he was in over his head, winning the bout easily on all three judge’s scorecards 99-91, 99-91, 98-92. … See all stories on this topic »

One Step Closer to the Pole TMZ.com Octomom was the featured attraction at Playhouse Gentlemen’s Club in Hollywood, FL last night — but she wasn’t there to take it off … she was there to promote her celebrityboxing match. Octo was in the house with Damon Feldman (seen above), … See all stories on this topic »                                                                                         TMZ.com

Boxer wins fight for Irish team selection Irish Independent By Ray Managh and Mark Hilliard THE champion boxer who yesterday won a court battle to be put back on a selection panel for the forthcoming European championships will find out later today if he has made the Irish team. Michael O’Reilly (18) had … See all stories on this topic »

Johnson a better fit for Bute than Pavlik ESPN (blog) That $100 mil a year is nearly three times what HBO approximately spends on boxing license fees in a year and is probably about double what HBO and Showtime spend combined in a year. Boxingpromoters should take note and aspire to the kind of deal made … See all stories on this topic »

Pacquiao claims he “will fight Mayweather next year” Examiner.com Mayweather, a spectacular talent who has captured nine world titles in five different boxing weight classes, is scheduled to enter the squared circle for the first time in over a year against Victor Ortiz on September 17 in a clash for the WBC … See all stories on this topic »

Despite the odds, boxing promoter back for Round 2 The Virginian-Pilot Boxing promoter Diane Lee Fischer dons gloves during a news conference at Hybrid Training Center, prior to her second event in Virginia Beach, Beach Brawl II, which is set for 7:30 tonight. (Vicki Cronis-Nohe | The Virginian-Pilot) By Ed Miller Diane … See all stories on this topic »                                                                                          The Virginian-Pilot

Boxing News 24: What makes Vitali so tough to defeat? Kyiv Post It is pretty clear to boxing fans in Germany and the Ukraine that WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (44-2, 39 KO’s) does not get the recognition he truly deserves in the west. Vitali will face former cruiserweight and light heavyweight champion … See all stories on this topic »

UFC grabs spotlight New York Post In recent years Golden Boy and Top Rank, the top promoters in boxing, have discussed ways to return their sport to network television. It has been mostly fantasy with no real blueprint for seeing those hopes to fruition. Imagine how they must have felt… See all stories on this topic » New York Post

WWE Isn’t Serious About a Boxing Match at WrestleMania, Are They? Bleacher Report I have nothing against WWE going against the status quo, especially during WrestleMania season, as they have already featured two memorable boxing matches. WrestleMania II featured an epic, worked clash between “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Mr. T, … See all stories on this topic »                                                                                                  Bleacher Report

El Paso area boxers Escalante, Roman join world champion Gonzalez on Sept. 15 … El Paso Times by Bill Knight \ El Paso Times World champion Jhonny Gonzalez, El Paso’s Antonio Escalante and Juárez favorite Miguel Roman will wake up the echoes – stepping center ring, stepping into the footprints of boxing legends – in a Sept. … See all stories on this topic »

 

Blogs

Asura’s Wrath preview: Drunken boxing on the moon | Joystiq By Ben Gilbert And this is where the drunken boxing comes in — Asura and Augus went on to repeatedly charge each other, swinging fists at Matrix-esque speeds, eventually prompting Matsuyama to manage some QTEs to dramatic effect. … Joystiq

Friday Global Boxing Results: Matthew Hatton and Cesar Seda Win … By Scott Christ Matthew Hatton, Cesar Seda, Demetrius Andrade, and Hank Lundy were among Friday’s winners inboxing. Bad Left Hook has results from around the world. Bad Left Hook

Gleason’s Gym: Next Amateur Shows are September 8 and 10, 2011

Posted on | August 20, 2011 | No Comments

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The show on Thursday, September 8, 2011 will be at St. Ann’s Warehouse and will feature a NYPD boxing team against a Gleason’s team.

We are looking for boxers to be on this show!

The show will feature Juniors, Seniors and Master Boxers.

If you want to participate call Gleason’s Gym at719 797 2872 or email us at gleasons75@aol.com. You can also text Angela Querol at 646 283 9939.

The weigh in will begin at 5:30PM and the first bout will begin at 8:00PM.

 

The show is sanctioned by USABoxingMetro. All boxers must have their boxing book with them in order to participate.

 

Enjoy a fun evening at the fights!

 

The ticket price is $25 per person.

See the attached link for more information.

Dumbo’s Fight Night

 

 

 

The show on Saturday, September 10, 2011 will be at Gleason’s Gym and is part of our monthly boxing series.

RE: Our Next Amateur Show is Saturday Night, May 14, 2011.

 

The show is open to any registered amateur boxer. This includes Juniors, Seniors and Master boxers.

If you wish to compete, please contact New York’s number one matchmaker Angela Querol at 718 797 2872 or gleasons75@aol.com.

The weigh in will begin at 4:00PM and the first bout will begin at 6:00PM.

 

All our bouts are pre-matched. They are sanctioned by USABoxingMetro. All boxers must have their boxing book with them in order to participate.

 

The ticket price is $20 per person. Children 6 and under are not charged. All gym members and registered amateurs with their books in hand pay $15 per person.

 

This show will be shown live and free of cost on:www.gofightlive.tv . The blow by blow for these fights will be done by our very own Champion Sonya Lamonakis.

Wrestling Links (8-20-11)

Posted on | August 20, 2011 | No Comments

‘Tackle-shy’ Walker turns on Storm’s wrestling tactics Sydney Morning Herald Photo: Nine Network FORMER Melbourne star Chris Walker has unleashed a savage attack on his former club, claiming the Storm’s wrestling techniques are a blight on the game. Walker posted a series of explosive comments on Twitter after watching the… See all stories on this topic »                                                                                               Sydney Morning Herald

Benton Franklin Fair princess a champion arm wrestler TheNewsTribune.com By Andy Perdue, Tri-City Herald The 19-year-old Pasco woman began competing five years ago in arm wrestling competitions – and has accumulated 14 state titles. When she was just 14, she entered a state arm wrestling tournament – held each August during … See all stories on this topic »

Jamestown College wrestling coach resigns Houston Chronicle JAMESTOWN, ND (AP) — Jamestown College wrestling coach Cisco Cole has resigned about three weeks after he fired a gun during a domestic dispute at his home. Cole, 34, submitted his resignation on Thursday, saying he did not want to be a distraction … See all stories on this topic »

13 Arrested in Bulgaria in ‘Wrestlers‘ Special Ops Novinite.com Photo by Interior Ministry A special police operation, codenamed The Wrestlers, has been conducted Saturday in Bulgaria’s southern Blagoevgrad Region, the Interior Ministry press center informed. The operation was executed by policemen from the … See all stories on this topic »                                                                                        Novinite.com

Rapids wrestling accusations refocus central Wisconsin school districts on … Wausau Daily Herald In light of the criminal charges filed against four Lincoln High School wrestlers in Wisconsin Rapids, schools throughout the area are increasing reinforcement of their codes of conduct, especially with coaches and athletes. / Dan Young/Wausau Daily … See all stories on this topic »

TNA Impact! Wrestling: Review and Thoughts Bleacher Report Wrestling begins with a video package of last week’s episode recap. Sting opens the show and begins to suddenly act in a very bizarre behavior. This is truly a different Sting. He says he has gone insane and had to reenact last week’s attack by Hulk … See all stories on this topic »                                                                                             Bleacher Report

State wrestling with insurance exchange setup Scranton Times-Tribune By Erin L. Nissley (Staff Writer) As they move toward fulfilling a federal mandate that will help individuals and small businesses find affordable health insurance, state officials are wrestling with dozens of questions about how to proceed. … See all stories on this topic »

Long leaves PSU wrestling team Centre Daily Times By Guy Cipriano gciprian@centredaily.com Andrew Long has decided to the leave the Penn State wrestling team and will not enroll in classes for the fall semester. Long’s name has been removed from the official roster. The fall semester begins Monday. … See all stories on this topic » Centre Daily Times

Smackdown: Turning the page CANOE Wrestling The hot potato game between Randy Orton and Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship continued at SummerSlam, and new champ Orton gets to flaunt the gold tonight in Bakersfield, CA. With Christian absent from the show, … See all stories on this topic »

Why Samoa Joe Should Go to the WWE Bleacher Report If you were a talented pro-wrestling performer and you had the opportunity to compete on the highest level, would you? I would hope so. Why would you enter into a competitive field you love, not to live out your full potential? … See all stories on this topic » Bleacher Report

 

Blogs

Wrestling: Totten Steps Down at Delaware Valley College « CBS Philly By Ed Fischer Totten amassed a 130-38-3 record at Del Val, with four Middle Atlantic Conference championships, four NCAA Midwest Regional championships, and six top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division III Championships. CBS Philly

TNA ratings for Impact Wrestling show on Aug. 18 – Cageside Seats By Geno Mrosko TNA pay-per-view buys are still in the toilet but the television ratings remain largely the same, which is to say, not the worst in the world. PWTorch brings word of the numbers for last night’s episode of Impact Wrestling: … Cageside Seats

 

Web

World Championships preview in freestyle wrestling at 55 kg/121 lbs. TheMat.com will be previewing the World Championships over the next 21 days in freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. The Worlds are Sept. themat.com/article.php?ArticleID=23970

Chris Cisneros Replaces Injured Rick Hawn in Bellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament

Posted on | August 20, 2011 | No Comments

 CHICAGO, Ill. (August 20, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships confirmed today that Chris “The Maverick” Cisneros will replace an injured Rick Hawn in Bellator’s upcoming Season 5 Welterweight Tournament. Hawn suffered a knee injury during a training session, and will be unable to compete in the September 10th Welterweight Quarterfinals airing LIVE on MTV2. Cisneros will replace Hawn, and face UFC veteran Ben Saunders in opening round action.

Cisneros joins Bellator with an impressive 11-3 record, including a current five fight win streak. A former kickboxer and skilled striker, “The Maverick” has had a tremendous amount of success within the Hawaiian MMA circuit and is looking forward to showing off his skills under the Bellator banner.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for me, and I’m looking to make some noise in this tournament,” Cisneros said. “It’s always a tough thing to see another fighter go down because of injury, but it happened, and now I have a chance to fight for an unbelievable promotion like Bellator.”

“Rick had a tremendous run for us in our Season 4 Welterweight Tournament, and was really looking forward to seeing him back in this tournament,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Unfortunately Rick suffered an injury that will keep him out for a few months, and I expect him back with Bellator in short order. I know Chris is going to come into this tournament hungry, and his fight with Ben should be a great one on September 10^th LIVE on MTV2.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

 

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago.  Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

 

About MTV2

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

Mixed Martial Arts Links (8-20-11)

Posted on | August 20, 2011 | No Comments

MMA Today: Fox Sports jumps into UFC StandardNet By Bob Emanuel Jr. Zuffa LLC, the owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, announced a seven-year deal with FOX Sports Media Group on Thursday to bring its brand of mixed martial artsto a variety of FOX networks. The deal will allow FOX to … See all stories on this topic »

Friends, family gather to remember MMA trainer Shawn Tompkins Vancouver Sun By Dave Deibert, Postmedia News August 19, 2011 10:03 PM Hundreds of loved ones – friends, family, those from the mixed–martial–arts world where he became famous – came together Friday in London, Ont. to share laughter and tears at the funeral of … See all stories on this topic »

Will UFC on Fox Boost Female Demographic? Yahoo! Sports How did you get interested in mixed martial arts? “I started following MMA in the late 1990’s. My friends in medical school (they were mostly guys) had just started doing jiu jitsu and they were really into it. My then-boyfriend LOVED UFC. … See all stories on this topic »                                                                                            Yahoo! Sports

MMA to return to Brazilian roots for UFC 134 Yahoo! Sports Sports 3 hours, 12 minutes ago There are many who consider Brazil the birthplace ofmixed martial arts, but on Aug. 27, when UFC returns to the country after a 13-year absence with a show at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, it will be presenting … See all stories on this topic »                                                                                             Yahoo! Sports

Fox and mixed martial arts in agreement Kansas City Star Just Fox adding mixed martial arts‘ Ultimate Fighting Championship to its broadcast lineup. There will be four live shows a year on Fox, and a UFC reality series that includes live shows on FX. In addition, Fox’s Fuel network will offer UFC programming … See all stories on this topic »

Tompkins helped get Winnipegger’s career off the ground Toronto Sun By Kirk Penton ,Winnipeg Sun Shawn Tompkins, a renowned mixed martial arts trainer, died in southern Ontario last weekend at age 37, reportedly because of a heart attack. Shawn Tompkins didn’t just play a role in getting Krzysztof Soszynski to where he … See all stories on this topic »

Ben Fowlkes: What’s next for Spike after UFC-Fox contract SI.com The UFC’s seven-year contract with Fox networks will likely have broad aftereffects on the future of mixed martial arts. One paragraph. Three sentences. That’s how Spike TV bid farewell to the UFC after six lucrative years for both. … See all stories on this topic »

MMA fighter Michael Whitehead to make no-contest plea in sexual assault case Las Vegas Sun By Dave Toplikar (contact) Heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter Michael “Iron Mike” Whitehead reached an agreement today with Clark County prosecutors to make a no-contest Alford plea for allegedly attempting to sexually assault a woman about a year … See all stories on this topic »

 

Blogs

Student dies after blow from MMA champ — RT By RT A Moscow student who was severely injured in a street fight with MMA Lightweight Champion, Rasul Mirzaev, has died in one of the capital’s hospitals. News RSS : Today

Official Weights from Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA

Posted on | August 19, 2011 | No Comments

‘Broadway Boxing’

Edwin Rodriguez 173 1/2 lbs., Chris Traietti 173 lbs.

WORCESTER, MA. (August 19, 2011) – The official weigh-in for tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 20) night’s “Broadway Boxing” card was held today at Perfect Game Sports Grill & Lounge. Undefeated super middleweight sensation Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez takes on intra-state rival Chris Traietti in the 10-round main event at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Below find the official weights for each participant:

10 ROUNDS—LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

EDWIN RODRIGUEZ (18-0, 13 KOs), Worcester, MA173 ½ LBS.

CHRIS TRAIETTI (10-2, 6 KOs), Quincy, MA174 ½ LBS.

 

8 ROUNDS –JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS

RYAN KIELCZEWSKI (10-2, 2 KOs), Quincy, MA129 LBS.

JAMES LESTER (9-5, 4 KOs), Detroit, MI134 LBS.

 

6 ROUNDS –FEMALE HEAVYWEIGHTS

SONYA LAMONAKIS (5-0, 1 KO), New York, NY223 LBS.

TIFFANY WOODWARD (4-4-1, 3 KOs), Wilson, NC205 LBS.

 

8 ROUNDS –MIDDLEWEIGHTS

JOACHIM ALCINE (32-2, 19 KOs), Laval, Quebec, Canada 159 ½ LBS.

JOSE MEDINA (14-9-2, 6 KOs, Quincy, MA160 LBS.

 

6 ROUNDS –SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS

LUIS ROSA (7-0, 5 KOs), New Haven, CT121 ½ LBS.

SHAWN NICHOL (5-5, 5 KOs), Denver, CO121 ½ LBS.

 

6 ROUNDS –HEAVYWEIGHTS

 

KELVIN PRICE (10-0, 6 KOs), New Iberia, LA234 LBS.

JOSEPH RABOTTE (11-16-1, 3 KOs), Atlanta, GA236 LBS.

 

4 ROUNDS –JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS

GABRIEL DU LUC (1-0, 0 KOs), Quincy, MA143 LBS.

NOEL GARCIA (2-10-1, 1 KO), Springfield, MA143 LBS.

(ALL FIGHTS AND FIGHTERS SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

“BROADWAY BOXING” FACT SHEET

WHAT:“East-West Showdown” professional boxing show

 

WHEN:Saturday, August 20, 2011

 

WHERE:Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA

 

PROMOTER:DiBella Entertainment.

 

BROADCAST:“Broadway Boxing” is being taped live for future airings.

TICKETS: $55, $75, and $125. Rear Balcony tickets are $35 and $75. Tables for groups of 10 are priced at $1,000. Tickets can be purchased by calling DiBella Entertainment: (212) 947-2577 and through the Mechanics Hall box office at (508) 752-0888. More information can be obtained by visiting www.dbe1.com.

 

INFORMATION:Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout at 7:00 PM/ET.

 

For more information about DiBella Entertainment, including a list of all upcoming bouts, please visit www.dbe1.com, or follow Lou DiBella on twitter, @loudibella.

Results of Bellator 48 Weigh-In

Posted on | August 19, 2011 | No Comments

 

 

MEDIA ALERT

 

Results of Bellator 48 Weigh-In

 

Uncasville, CT. (August 19, 2011) — Bellator 48 is taking place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut this Saturday, and the official weigh-ins have just been conducted.

 

Bellator 48 will be broadcast LIVE on Saturday, August 20 at 9:00 pm ET/8:00 pm CT exclusively on MTV2.

 

The official results of tonight’s weigh-in are as follows:

 

MAIN CARD:

Featherweight Tournament Final: Pat Curran (145 lbs.) vs. Marlon Sandro (145 lbs.)

Heavyweight Fight: Cole Konrad (264.5 lbs.) vs. Paul Buentello (255 lbs.)

Heavyweight Fight: Ricco Rodriguez (229.75 lbs.) vs. Seth Petruzelli (224 lbs.)

Lightweight Fight: Juan Barrantes (155.25 lbs.) vs. Renê Nazare (156 lbs.)

 

UNDERCARD:

Featherweight Local Feature Fight: Saul Almeida (146 lbs.) vs. Tateki Matsuda (145.25 lbs.)

Welterweight Local Feature Fight: Brett Oteri (170 lbs.) vs. Ryan Quinn (170 lbs.)

Lightweight Local Feature Fight: Andrew Calandrelli (155.5 lbs.) vs. Matt Nice (155.5 lbs.)

Light Heavyweight Local Feature Fight: Nik Fekete (205 lbs.) vs. Mark Griffin (205 lbs.)

Middleweight Local Feature Fight: Dan Cramer (205 lbs.) vs. Jeff Nader (204 lbs.)

 

For more information, visit Bellator.com; follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

 

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago.  Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

 

About MTV2

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

 

Trash talk, Fedor’s legacy and MMA news

Posted on | August 19, 2011 | No Comments

Fighters voice their opinions

By: Nick O’Dea

MMA is becoming widely known as one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

Compared to others, however, MMA is still in its infancy and is still fine tuning all of the aspects of the system.

Since the UFC’s boom in the early 2000’s, with the success of the TUF series and after the recent movements of ZUFFA, many MMA fans are beginning to see a transition in the sport. Shifting from the once obscure no-holds-barred odd spectacle, the sport is becoming a more refined and mainstream business juggernaut.

The success of the UFC and Strikeforce have shown that new fans are ready and willing to embrace the sport, and a wealth of great competitors from around the globe have shown what the new generation of fighters are capable of.

Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt fought some of the top dogs in MMA during his career, from the likes of former UFC champion Carlos Newton to top contenders Josh Koscheck and Chris Lytle. He started in the sport more than 12 years ago.

Enson Inoue fought a number of MMA icons, such as former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy Couture and former Pride & UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He’s a 15-year veteran of the sport.

Bill “The Butcher” Mahood has tough contender Patrick Cote (x2) and former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin on his fight resume.

Fight News Unlimited talked with these fighters and got their opinions on some of the recent events that have happened in MMA news.

FNU: How do you feel about the new generation of fighters coming up and who is the most promising/best fighter in your opinion who currently fights now?

Spratt: The new generation guys in MMA are just revolutionizing the game right now! They are younger than ever, more talented, more athletic and more focused on making great careers! As for who I feel is the best fighter right now in MMA, I would have to say Anderson Silva.

Promising studs Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, Tarred Saffiedine, Chad Mendes, Dominick Cruz, Jose Aldo, Rory Macdonald…I mean there are too many to name! The young crop out there is limitless!

Inoue: I like Cain Vasquez and Ben Henderson!

FNU: Judging in MMA has been an issue for fans and fighters alike. With all the recent talks of bad judging decisions, do you believe that the judging system in MMA should be refined or changed?

Spratt: I don’t think that the judging system needs to be changed more so than the judges need to be more educated. Many times you have these boxing judges that don’t have a clue about the other aspects of fighting. There definitely needs to be judging clinics and a minimum amount of hours watching MMA fighting to be certified as an MMA judge.

Inoue: Yes, it would be nice if the judges had a little hands on experience doing MMA.

Mahood: When it comes to judging and officiating in general I have become MUCH more deeply involved now that I’m retired from fighting. I think, what needs to happen is a bigger emphasis on judge training. There are many judges that do not know the subtleties of our sport well enough to judge it. The thing is, 80% of judged fights are very obvious as to who won. It’s the other 20% where things get difficult. Judges are required to be able to decide a winner in extremely close fights. These close fights are the ones were better judge training would help.

Another thing is people will always complain on close decisions. Judging is subjective. Also on close fights, spectators are emotionally involved in the moment and are not concentrating on judging the outcome, rather they are involved in enjoying the fight (as they should be).

FNU: With the recent retirement of Chris Lytle and him stating that this is the right time for him to leave the sport; Do you believe it is better for a fighter to continue fighting after he/she has suffered a sequence of KO’s, such as Chuck Liddell, or do you think a company/management has the right to tell a fighter when he needs to stop?

Spratt: When it comes to the health of a fighter like Chuck’s situation, I think the promotion or management has every right to step in and make that call. We love and live to compete no matter what the cost at times and don’t always make the best decision. ZUFFA made the right decision with Chuck. Now Lytle on the other hand, what a storybook ending. That’s a script that you can’t write. What a way to end a career! He went out like he wanted and wasn’t forced to leave because of age or injuries. He chose to leave at this time to be with his family and I can’t do anything but applaud that!

Inoue: The management can suggest the fighter is at the end of the line but the final decision is the fighter’s.

Mahood: I believe fighters should decide what is right for them. In any good decision, people will listen to the advice of those close to them, but in the end your life and the decisions you make are yours, as are the consequences.

FNU: With the recent acquisition of Strikeforce by ZUFFA, people are claiming that the UFC hopes to obtain a monopoly on the sport. Do you believe it is good for the sport to have all the top competition in one organization, or is it better for fighters to fight in multiple organizations?

Spratt: Monopolizing the sport limits opportunities for fighters as far as having a bargaining chip and other options. Right now ZUFFA is the place to be, but there are a limited amount of roster spots. Fighters can still make decent livings fighting at other shows but to truly make the type of money to live comfortably you have to be at the UFC. Especially with the new insurance they are providing. It’s the best place to be. Other shows are the building places to get to the big show!

Inoue: A monopoly isn’t usually good for any sport but the way Dana is promoting and helping the sport grow I’m not about to say anything but “thank you, Dana” for sticking with our sport and making it what it is today!

Mahood: I think MMA is too big to be completely controlled by one organization. The UFC has been the flagship for our sport and its direction into the mainstream. The UFC is MMA’s “Coke,” but there will always be a “Pepsi” or “7-Up.”

FNU: With the recent losses and subsequent release of Fedor Emelianenko from his Strikeforce contract, there is a certain degree of criticism towards his legacy. Do you believe Fedor was the greatest heavyweight of all time?

Spratt: I can’t say I think he’s the greatest heavyweight of all time. He definitely had a great run but wasn’t facing the top competition on a consistent basis. He should be a light heavy in my opinion.

Inoue: His recent losses proves that he isn’t THE greatest heavyweight of all time, but he is definitely still one of the best fighters out there today. I hope he continues and gets back on track.

FNU: I don’t know if you have been keeping up with Chael Sonnen and his campaign against Anderson Silva, but he states that he believes he beat Silva for 23 minutes and deserves to be called the middleweight champion, even though Silva tapped him in the final minutes of the fight. How do you feel about trash talk and fighters causing controversy in order to sell a fight?

Spratt: I don’t really care for the trash talking. Sonnen did beat an injured Silva for 23 minutes but he came up one triangle choke short of being the champ. That’s his own mistake. 23 minutes just wasn’t good enough for that fight. Nobody really cares about Sonnen, but he had to do what was necessary to get his name out there in order to sell tickets, and he did just that. Had he not talked so much trash, there definitely would not have been a buzz for that fight, so he did his job outside of the cage, but not inside!

Inoue: He fought well but tapped in the end. Silva tapped him…. what’s the controversy?

Mahood: I think that Chael is really good at creating buzz. People love to talk about his latest interview or tweet. Conflict is what the fight sports are all about!! Ali was the best at pre fight hype and Chael is doing an excellent job getting people to talk about what he says, and that’s a powerful ability.

All major sports have “characters” for fans to love or hate. Either way, the fans are drawn and that’s good for the sport.

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