Interviews News - Page 8

Paul Lazenby recently caught up with Bas Rutten and asked him about Alistair Overeem, who recently split with Team Golden Glory. There is no one in MMA with more colorful stories than Bas. For example, when he was a bouncer in Holland someone did something really bad at the door, so he choked them out, and then heel hooked each leg. In this interview, Bas does the verbal equivalent to Overeem. Oh no, you didn't go there! (laughs) I thought that if nobody asks, I won't say anything, but now that you ask me I have to! It's been bothering me a lot! OK, here I go. It's a money thing. He simply doesn't want to pay the people who made him. When he lost three fights in a row...well, like pretty much five, I mean, he lost, won, lost three times in a row, won, and lost again...and nobody wanted to have him. But his management kept pushing and using the power that they have because they have other great fighters. Like, for example: "If you want Semmy Schilt to fight, then you have to take Alistair as well." It's funny how fighters think. When it goes bad with them, their team is everything to them, and they love their team. In interviews after they win a fight, they say: "I owe everything to my team". Then when the management starts to put great fights together for them, directing their careers and the fighter gets better and better, some of them simply can't handle it, and it gets to their head. I had a bad feeling already when he called himself, after he won the K-1 Grand Prix, a "legend". He actually said in an interview right after he won: "I am a legend now". I don't think a fighter can ever make that comment about himself. And talking about the Grand Prix, let's face it, he had a great deal of luck as well there. He fought Peter Aerts who had a WAR with Semmy Schilt [previously that night] and was completely banged up, and then he fought [Gokhan] Saki, who had a broken arm AND hand, in the finals! At that moment when you win, you should say: "I'm very happy with the result, the stars were in line for me tonight, I also got a little bit of luck". Because everybody is going to say that about you anyway, you might as well simply say it yourself to keep the people respecting you, but NOT: "I'm a legend".

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As with any successful professional, mixed martial artists eat, sleep and breathe their craft. They put everything on the line when they wake up, hit the gym and pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport we all love. When they enter that cage, for the fan, it's all about the entertainment, but these athletes go through the daily rigors with more in mind. For some fighters, it's a paycheck. For others, it's the glitz and glamour, but for some it's a lifestyle fueled by a deep passion and connection to the sport of mixed martial arts. In our newest site feature, MMAPlayground would like to introduce you to some of these men and women of MMA that you may not know much about. Our mission? To introduce. To educate. To spread the word. For anyone familiar with Women's MMA, you've likely heard the name "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey before. If not, you most certainly will. Rousey's MMA record stands at 3-0-0 with all 3 wins coming by way of submission (armbar). And get this...the total combined time of those three fights? 99 seconds - nearly the same amount of time it took me to do the math... Rousey was kind enough to spare some of her personal time and agreed to participate in the MMAPlayground Interview Series with our own, Kyle Galvin (aka Kpro). The full interview is below. * * * * * MMAPG: Ronda, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions! You're scheduled to take on Julia Budd on the Strikeforce Challengers card on November 18th. How is your training going? ROUSEY: Training is going great. I'm in the best shape of my life, and after competing in two Olympics, that's saying a lot. MMAPG: For readers who may not know, you've won multiple Judo gold medals at the Pan American games and also became the first female American to medal in Judo at the Olympics. As you could have easily continued training for the 2012 Olympics, what made you decide to turn to MMA? ROUSEY: I just wasn't happy with the lifestyle required to be a world class judoka. I reached a point where I knew what it would take to win the Olympics, and I just wasn't willing to be miserable for 4 years so I could be happy on one day. Doing MMA, I enjoy every day of training, love where I live, love the team of people working to help me win, and am just a more content person in general.

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“I was reminded by something that happened many, many years ago. I think BJ was probably about 17 at the time, we were at a tournament and I was giving one of my guy’s instructions. At the time there was an alliance, it was my school and Ralphs school and we where one team and BJ was on that team. I was giving one of my guys instructions and I looked over to my left a little bit and I saw BJ’s eyes focused on every word I was saying and he kind of smiled and said, ‘You always have the best advice, that’s why I always listen to you.’ And it just reminded me, years and years have passed since then, but BJ, take my advice now, it’s time to make something new happen. “ These are the sentiments of famed coach and leader of the Gracie Fight Team, Cesar Gracie, as he tells it exclusively to BJPENN.COM this afternoon...

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As with any successful professional, mixed martial artists eat, sleep and breathe their craft. They put everything on the line when they wake up, hit the gym and pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport we all love. When they enter that cage, for the fan, it's all about the entertainment, but these athletes go through the daily rigors with more in mind. For some fighters, it's a paycheck. For others, it's the glitz and glamour, but for some it's a lifestyle fueled by a deep passion and connection to the sport of mixed martial arts. In our newest site feature, MMAPlayground would like to introduce you to some of these men and women of MMA that you may not know much about. Our mission? To introduce. To educate. To spread the word. Michelle "The Karate Hottie" Waterson is the subject of this week's interview. MMAPlayground's own, Kyle Galvin (aka "Kpro") recently had a chance to interview Waterson who currently sports a mixed martial arts record of 8-3-0. Check out the interview below to read Waterson's thoughts on training while raising a newborn child, what she thought of Jon Jones' victory over Quinton Jackson, and more! * * * * * MMAPG: We really appreciate you taking the time to chat with us, Michelle. How did you get interested in transitioning from point sparring in Karate to competing in combat sports on a professional level? WATERSON: It was a challenge for me and I wanted to see if I could overcome that challenge. Plus it was a major adrenaline rush.

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LAS VEGAS – UFC lightweight contender Donald Cerrone (16-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) currently has his hands full with German striker Dennis Siver (19-7 MMA, 8-4 UFC), but that doesn't mean "Cowboy" isn't already planning out his next move. He's giving up Milk Duds and Hot Tamales. Cerrone said after his bout with Siver at this weekend's UFC 137 event in Las Vegas, he's making a drop down to 145 pounds for one specific reason: to silence Nam Phan. "I'm about to go to 145 (pounds) after this fight," Cerrone today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I'm going to go after Nam Phan. He's talking [expletive], and now I'm pissed off."

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As with any successful professional, mixed martial artists eat, sleep and breathe their craft. They put everything on the line when they wake up, hit the gym and pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport we all love. When they enter that cage, for the fan, it's all about the entertainment, but these athletes go through the daily rigors with more in mind. For some fighters, it's a paycheck. For others, it's the glitz and glamour, but for some it's a lifestyle fueled by a deep passion and connection to the sport of mixed martial arts. In our newest site feature, MMAPlayground would like to introduce you to some of these men and women of MMA that you may not know much about. Our mission? To introduce. To educate. To spread the word. Pablo “The Scarecrow” Garza is a WEC and UFC veteran who has fought in both the lightweight and featherweight divisions. He was the first featherweight, along with Fredson Paixao, to compete under the UFC banner. He is also the first fighter in UFC history to pull off a flying triangle submission. He’s a versatile fighter, a humble man, and a closet nerd. Garza is scheduled to take on fellow UFC featherweight Dustin Poirier on November 12 on UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos. * * * * * MMAPG: Pablo, thanks so much for taking time to answer some questions. You’re scheduled to take on fellow featherweight Dustin Poirier at UFC on Fox 1. How are you feeling right now? How’s your training going? GARZA: My training is going good and I’m feeling great! MMAPG: You’re coming off two of the most spectacular finishes in the UFC in the past year. You’ve received submission of the night and knockout of the night in back-to-back fights. Which one did you find to be more rewarding? GARZA: I think the flying triangle was more rewarding. Some people thought that I just got lucky in landing a flying knee against Paixao. A lot of people questioned whether I belonged in the UFC at all. So after I landed the flying triangle in UFC129, I felt like people finally saw that I actually hold my own in the UFC.

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As with any successful professional, mixed martial artists eat, sleep and breathe their craft. They put everything on the line when they wake up, hit the gym and pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport we all love. When they enter that cage, for the fan, it's all about the entertainment, but these athletes go through the daily rigors with more in mind. For some fighters, it's a paycheck. For others, it's the glitz and glamour, but for some it's a lifestyle fueled by a deep passion and connection to the sport of mixed martial arts. In our newest site feature, MMAPlayground would like to introduce you to some of these men and women of MMA that you may not know much about. Our mission? To introduce. To educate. To spread the word. Chris "Kamikaze" Cariaso is a 5-year mixed martial arts veteran and can currently be found competing in the Bantamweight division of the UFC. His current record stands at 11-3-0 with 4 stoppage victories and 7 wins by decision. Cariaso is currently scheduled to face Vaughan Lee at UFC 138 in Birmingham, England. Read the interview below to find out why he thought he won his most recent fight against "Mayday" McDonald, what to expect at UFC 138 and more! * * * * * MMAPG: Thank you for the interview, Chris. How’s training going for you? CARIASO: Training is going great. I have expanded my team. I have been working with strength and conditioning specialist John Pena at Power and Physique. I have spent the last month training in Montreal with Firas Zahabi, the Tristar Team and John Chaimberg. MMAPG: You’re currently scheduled to fight Vaughan Lee at UFC 138 on November 5th, in Birmingham, England. Can you tell us a little bit about him? He’s a relative unknown in the US. Have you been able to find much to research? CARIASO: I don’t know much about him. There is not much video on him; just a few videos on YouTube. He looks strong and has some submission skills.

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As with any successful professional, mixed martial artists eat, sleep and breathe their craft. They put everything on the line when they wake up, hit the gym and pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport we all love. When they enter that cage, for the fan, it's all about the entertainment, but these athletes go through the daily rigors with more in mind. For some fighters, it's a paycheck. For others, it's the glitz and glamour, but for some it's a lifestyle fueled by a deep passion and connection to the sport of mixed martial arts. In our newest site feature, MMAPlayground would like to introduce you to some of these men and women of MMA that you may not know much about. Our mission? To introduce. To educate. To spread the word. UFC welterweight contender, Rich Attonito, is a seven year veteran of mixed martial arts. He’s best known for his stint on the eleventh season of the Ultimate Fighter. Attonito is coming off a successful welterweight debut against Daniel Roberts in June. He is currently scheduled to take on Claude Patrick at UFC 140. The Raging Bull took some time to answer some questions for us. * * * * * MMAPG: First of all, thanks so much for taking time to answer some questions, Rich! I’m sure you have to be one busy man. I know it’s late, but congratulations on your victory over Daniel Roberts back in June. That marked your welterweight debut? What was your motivation to drop down, and how comfortable are you feeling at 170 lbs? ATTONITO: Thanks, I still appreciate the congratulations. That was my first fight at welterweight and I felt great. It's the weight class I should be competing in. When I was fighting at middleweight I felt short and undersized compared to most of the guys in the division, so that's why I decided to drop down. MMAPG: So you’re scheduled to take on Claude Patrick in December. How are you feeling right now? ATTONITO: I feel good. After my last fight I only took a short rest and then was back in the gym working on getting better. I've had a lot of time to develop and improve my skills since a few months ago. MMAPG: How do you feel about having to fight Claude in his hometown of Toronto, of all places? Is that something you think makes a big difference? ATTONITO: It doesn't really make a difference to me who I fight and where I fight them. It's just him and I in the cage, that's all I need to concern myself with, everything else is secondary. I will say that being in his hometown I know I have to win the fight decisively, you can never leave anything up to those screwy judges. So I’m gonna do everything in my power to avoid letting them have anything to say about the outcome.

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As with any successful professional, mixed martial artists eat, sleep and breathe their craft. They put everything on the line when they wake up, hit the gym and pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport we all love. When they enter that cage, for the fan, it's all about the entertainment, but these athletes go through the daily rigors with more in mind. For some fighters, it's a paycheck. For others, it's the glitz and glamour, but for some it's a lifestyle fueled by a deep passion and connection to the sport of mixed martial arts. In our newest site feature, MMAPlayground would like to introduce you to some of these men and women of MMA that you may not know much about. Our mission? To introduce. To educate. To spread the word. Brian Foster is a mixed martial artist who is also a five time UFC veteran. He has recently recovered from some terrible setbacks in his health, and has successfully resumed his career with a victory against Jack Mason at Cage Warriors 44. Brian was granted two tune-up fights by the UFC in preparation for his return. He will be taking on Laverne Clark at CCCW 7 on Saturday October 15. He took time out of his training schedule to answer some questions. * * * * * MMAPG: Brian, thanks for taking some time to answer a few questions. First off, congratulations on your win last weekend against Jack Mason. You’re coming off some brutal setbacks. How are you feeling, and how good did it feel to get back into the cage? FOSTER: It felt great! It's a good feeling to get a win after overcoming some injuries. I mean it sucks it wasn't for the UFC but a win’s a win not matter the organization. MMAPG: The UFC has granted you the opportunity, given your long lay-off, to compete in a couple “tune-up” fights. That’s not something you see a whole lot in the UFC. How did the idea come about? FOSTER: I think it had a lot to do with my coach as well as the UFC. They wanted to make sure I was totally healthy and capable of competing at a high level without being such a liability to the UFC.

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Guilherme Cruz: I’ve heard you and Sonnen were on the same locker room (at UFC 136). How was it like? Demian Maia: Yeah, we did... I met him many times before and it wasn’t any different, he was respectful. I have no troubles with him. I know it’s all a marketing plan, he’s trying to sell his fights. Each one of us was warming-up, with our minds on our bouts. GC: And he applied a submission. What are your thoughts about his Jiu-Jitsu skills? DM: He’s training Jiu-Jitsu, it’s obvious. He went for his back, tried to fit a punch not only to hit him, but to grab him, and got him. GC: There was a joke about you training together and he said he would like that... DM: It was a joke, it ain’t serious (laughs). We fight on the same division, we could fight each other, so there’s no reason why. He’s a really tough guy, a guy to be defeated on this weight division. He likes talking a lot, but he’s tough. Anyone in this division would have a tough fight against him. GC: The next on the line can be Anderson... How do you see this rematch? DM: I guess Anderson would be harder to submit on the ground than Stann, because Anderson trains with experts, but Chael doesn’t depend on the submission, he can work on the ground and pound. He’ll be training his takedown defenses so he doesn’t get in trouble like it happened to him before.

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As with any successful professional, mixed martial artists eat, sleep and breathe their craft. They put everything on the line when they wake up, hit the gym and pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport we all love. When they enter that cage, for the fan, it's all about the entertainment, but these athletes go through the daily rigors with more in mind. For some fighters, it's a paycheck. For others, it's the glitz and glamour, but for some it's a lifestyle fueled by a deep passion and connection to the sport of mixed martial arts. In our newest site feature, MMAPlayground would like to introduce you to some of these men and women of MMA that you may not know much about. Our mission? To introduce. To educate. To spread the word. Brian Ebersole is a veteran mixed martial artist, who after years on the other circuits, has finally found his way to the UFC. He is 2-0 in the Octagon and is coming off two impressive performances against Chris Lytle and Dennis Hallman. Brian recently sat down to answer some questions from MMAPlayground. * * * * * MMAPG: First of all, thanks for taking time to answer some questions. I’m sure your schedule must be hectic. Also, we’d like to congratulate you on your win against Dennis Hallman in August. How are you feeling since that win? EBERSOLE: I came out healthy, so I'm very pleased. A quick return to the Octagon (3-6 weeks later) would have been possible, but as it stands, I've had to wait quite a while. So now, I'm feeling fat because dieting proper for that long is just not in my nature. MMAPG: You’ve been around the sport for quite some time now. How and when did you start getting involved in mixed martial arts? Was there something in particular that piqued your interest? EBERSOLE: Can I point you to previous interviews? Teasing.... I saw UFC 1, like most teenagers in 1993. I had my first submission grappling experience at 15 years old and continued ever since. I was a wrestler, so it appealed and was a simple/natural extension of thought/technique/goals/rules from what I'd always done.

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As with any successful professional, mixed martial artists eat, sleep and breathe their craft. They put everything on the line when they wake up, hit the gym and pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport we all love. When they enter that cage, for the fan, it's all about the entertainment, but these athletes go through the daily rigors with more in mind. For some fighters, it's a paycheck. For others, it's the glitz and glamour, but for some it's a lifestyle fueled by a deep passion and connection to the sport of mixed martial arts. In our newest site feature, MMAPlayground would like to introduce you to some of these men and women of MMA that you may not know much about. Our mission? To introduce. To educate. To spread the word. Nik Lentz is a mixed martial artist hailing from the great state of Minnesota. He's a veteran of seven fights undre the UFC banner, and is still yet to surrender a loss. He is currently 5-0-1-1, with a draw coming against Thiago Tavares and a no contest being rendered after the controversial fight with Charles Oliveira which saw him take an illegal knee while downed, breaking his eye socket. Lentz has recovered, and he took time out of his busy schedule to answer questions. * * * * * Interview Started MMAPG : Nik, first of all, thanks for taking time out of what must be a ridiculously busy schedule, to talk to us. We really appreciate it. LENTZ : Yeah, no problem. Anytime I get a chance to reach a wider audience, I enjoy it. Thanks for interviewing me and thanks to everyone else for reading. MMAPG : You’re a few months removed from your controversial fight with Charles Oliveira. How are you feeling physically? How’s your training going? LENTZ : I feel normal. The eye healed quite quick, the neck is still a little sore, but it is strong and back to normal. The pain does not really matter, all that matters is that I can work out and fight properly, which I can now. MMAPG : Do you harbor any resentment toward Oliveira for that illegal knee? How relieved were you that the PSAC overturned the decision? LENTZ : No, I don’t really think of him as an individual. I don’t think of people I have fought really as people at all. They are more like objectives or things that I have to overcome. Once I'm done with the fight I will analyze what went right and wrong, but I don’t care or choose to look into what they are like in their everyday life. So no, I have no hard feelings, I really couldn’t care less about Oliveira until I'm scheduled to fight him again. At that point, I will just know that once he sees that I don’t get finished as easy as everyone else, be ready and watch out for his illegal tactics. I'm very glad that the decision was overturned, but I think who is allowed to be a ref should really be looked into and fixed.

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As with any successful professional, mixed martial artists eat, sleep and breathe their craft. They put everything on the line when they wake up, hit the gym and pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport we all love. When they enter that cage, for the fan, it's all about the entertainment, but these athletes go through the daily rigors with more in mind. For some fighters, it's a paycheck. For others, it's the glitz and glamour, but for some it's a lifestyle fueled by a deep passion and connection to the sport of mixed martial arts. In our newest site feature, MMAPlayground would like to introduce you to some of these men and women of MMA that you may not know much about. Our mission? To introduce. To educate. To spread the word. Julie “Fireball” Kedzie is a female mixed martial artist fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a current record of 16-9-0. Kedzie has never been one to turn down a fight, which is apparent with a single glance at her resume where one can find such names as Gina Carano, Tara LaRosa and Jan Finney, among others. Julie recently took time out of her busy schedule to sit down and answer a few questions for our MMAPlayground.com Interview Series. Read below to find out why she’d love to be matched up against Floyd Mayweather, how she got the name “Fireball” and more! * * * * * MMAPG: We appreciate you taking the time to chat with us, Julie. How’s the rehab coming? KEDZIE: Much better, thank you! I have been taken very good care of and am able to (finally) jog again. I will hopefully be back in sparring and grappling fully in the next few weeks. MMAPG: Can you give the fans some insight in to how it happened? KEDZIE: Ha! The REAL answer is that I didn't show enough respect for my body and over-trained to the point of injury. Don't ever do that - train your ass off but take the time to recover! I'll try to explain these the way they were explained to me, although you have to bare with me because I get hit in the head for a living. The long of the short of it is that I originally suffered a patella subluxation (my kneecap popped out) in training and tried to push through it to the point of stupidity...

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As with any successful professional, mixed martial artists eat, sleep and breathe their craft. They put everything on the line when they wake up, hit the gym and pour their blood, sweat and tears into the sport we all love. When they enter that cage, for the fan, it's all about the entertainment, but these athletes go through the daily rigors with more in mind. For some fighters, it's a paycheck. For others, it's the glitz and glamour, but for some it's a lifestyle fueled by a deep passion and connection to the sport of mixed martial arts. In our newest site feature, MMAPlayground would like to introduce you to some of these men and women of MMA that you may not know much about. Our mission? To introduce. To educate. To spread the word. Nam Phan is an Asian American fighter, who has also competed as a professional boxer. He is most known for his time spent in the Ultimate Fighter household during the twelfth installment of the series. He failed to reach the final, but impressed enough to earn a shot in the Octagon, facing Leonard Garcia and losing what is widely regarded as one of the biggest robberies in recent mixed martial arts history. With a recent loss to former featherweight champ, Mike Brown, Phan was given what he wanted. On October 8, in Houston, Texas, Nam will get a chance to step into the cage and exact his revenge on Garcia. Phan caught up with us while in his gym, gearing up for some kickboxing. * * * * * MMAPG: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, Nam. You have a fight scheduled right around the corner against a familiar opponent in Leonard Garcia. The look on your face when the decision was announced the first time around pretty much expressed what pretty much everyone was thinking…you got robbed. Do you plan on switching up your game plan this time around? I know you don’t want to go in to much detail, but did you go back to the drawing board in preparation for a rematch with Garcia or did you just fine tune your previous strategy? NAM PHAN: I always try to show some support! The only thing is I gotta try to finish this fight. I feel like if I don’t finish this guy in 15 minutes, just count is as a loss. MMAPG: How do you feel about the judging in the Garcia fight, and how the judges seem to award his aggressiveness so much? NAM PHAN: It kind of pisses me off. You gotta be aggressive, it’s cool, but you gotta score points. It’s frustrating.

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As it turns out, "The Thrashing Machine" might of just needed a little oil change. Eight months after Tim Hague (12-5) was released from the UFC for a second time, the Canadian heavyweight says he's undergone a total overhaul and is looking to make his way back into the octagon. Personal problems have been dealt with and training reinvigorated. Hague embarks on a journey at Friday night's Aggression MMA VIII event that he says should take five fights and less than a year to earn his spot back in the world's biggest MMA promotion.

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Michael Bisping: "Mayhem Miller's Mouth Is Bigger Than His Brain" Michael Bisping coached against Jason "Mayhem" Miller on the season of The Ultimate Fighter that was filmed this summer and will air on Spike TV this fall, and for fans of the show who enjoy seeing conflict between the coaches, Bisping has some good news: There was friction during filming between the two of them. Bisping said on The MMA Hour that he and Miller had several encounters during the taping of the show, and he came away from them with less respect for Miller than he had before. "Miller's mouth is bigger than his brain," Bisping said. "I definitely get the upper hand throughout the entire season. I'm not talking about the fights, I'm just talking about the one-on-one interaction with Miller."

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“I called Cesar and said, ‘What would you think about Nick and BJ Penn?’” White said. “And Cesar said, ‘If you’re offering us that fight, we’ll take it.’” White admitted that dealing with both camps was an arduous process that’s left him a bit worn down, but that, at the end of the day, Diaz is a fighter’s fighter and and a match-up between he and Penn is one that promises fireworks

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At this past weekend's poorly attended Strikeforce event, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal was one of the few to say it – even though most people were thinking it. Strikeforce appears all but dead. "I (had) thought Strikeforce was a cancer patient," he told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "Man, it's a damn AIDS patient instead – with Dr. Jack Kevorkian in the background ready to pull the plug." Lawal's criticism began even before the event, "Strikeforce Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov," which took place Saturday at Cincinanti's U.S. Bank Arena. Lawal (8-1 MMA, 3-1 SF) defeated fellow light heavyweight Roger Gracie (4-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) via first-round knockout on the Showtime-televised main card.

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Highly touted prospect Douglas Lima (19-4 MMA, 1-0 BFC) recently advanced to the semifinals of Bellator's season-five welterweight tournament, but the win was anything but easy. In fact, "The Phenom" was nearly ousted from the bracket in the opening round of his Bellator 49 bout with Steve Carl when a right hand clipped him behind the ear. It was a lesson for Lima, who admitted the early blow affected his performance throughout the fight. However, he said he also learned a few valuable lessons along the way, including his new favorite dance move: the stanky leg.

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Despite his recent, well-publicized troubles, which have included being suspended for steriods and receiving a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to money laundering charges, ESPN have seen fit to place him alongside host Jon Anik for the past two weeks running. Sonnen has seized the moment, almost entirely dispensing with his standard UFC persona in favor of something far more professional, sincere, and, dare we say, truthful? “The bottom line – Anderson Silva did an awesome job,” Sonnen said in his assessment of ‘The Spider’s’ performance at UFC 134 in Rio last weekend. “He continues with his dominance. He’s such a good striker. And what he’s really good at is keeping guys at range and having guys fight his fight, and he showed it again.” Jon Anik then tested just how much he could get Sonnen to admit on national TV by asking him if his rival was the best in the business. “I’m not ready to say he’s the best ever,” Sonnen said before conceding, “but he’s certainly special.” There were flashes of the “old” Chael though, such as when he was asked who Silva can beat. “For me personally it comes down to this – if you want the job done right, apparently I’m going to have to go out and do it myself.” i also enjoyed his analysis of Anderson mocking opponents.... “When he drops his hands and mocks you, that’s when he’s getting ready – that’s his set-up. So you gotta make him restart. Either take a couple steps backwards [and] make him come to you, or charge him, but you’ve gotta reset him. That’s when he’s starting to get his footwork down.”

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