Brock Lesnar has officially pulled out of his UFC 131 title contender bout with Junior dos Santos. The news came after Lesnar had another violent flare from his ongoing battle with diverticulitis.
Lesnar had surgery in November 2009 to recover from a flare from the intestinal disease that hospitalized him and left him near death. The surgery was a temporary fix. Lesnar opted for the fix over the treatment because treatment requires detaching a portion of his colon and reattaching it.
The former heavyweight champ assured fans that this would not be the end of his fighting career.
In for Lesnar is former UFC Interim-Heavyweight Champion, Shane Carwin. Carwin’s last fight was a loss to Lesnar at UFC 116 in Lesnar’s comeback from his first battle with diverticulitis. The fight began exciting, with Lesnar fans on the edge of their seats, worried no doubt. Carwin unleashed barrage after barrage of his toaster-sized hands. Lesnar managed to hang on, and an exciting first round came to a close. Carwin, clearly gassed, and not ready for a five-round fight (rightfully so, he had finished everyone of his opponents prior) was outmatched in the second round and succumbed to an arm triangle choke from the champion.
Even with the loss, Carwin’s supporters were encouraged. The conditioning problems were obvious for the 36-year-old engineer, but he showed intense power in the first round. Raw power cannot be taught, but a fighter can run miles and miles every day.
The matchup between dos Santos, better known as JDS, and Carwin isn’t as intriguing as many think. What it seems is that here are two impressive knockout artists, and there is going to be a war on the feet in the Octagon.
Maybe not completely untrue, as they are both excellent at finishing fights, but there will be no war on June 11. The best possible matchup for Carwin has already happened, Lesnar. Two wrestlers, both with the ability to end the fight with a (T)KO, and both possessing the biggest hands in the UFC, that’s as good as its going to get for Carwin.
Throwing Carwin into the cage on two weeks notice after preparing for some guy whose name resembles Elmo? This is a terrible idea for Carwin. He wants to get back into the title picture, but he is rushing into it too soon. One loss removed from the title race, and with one loss total, the former interim-heavyweight champ has plenty of time to get his name back into the pot.
As for JDS, he could not be a happier man. The trash talk and flying hatred that is supposed to exist on The Ultimate Fighter has been non-existent between he and Lesnar. The most flak on the show has been thrown between dos Santos and his own trainer, Lew Polley. It is nice to see Lesnar not trash-talking the foreigner who has broken English, and improves his image to most, but it hasn’t seemed like the fight between the two has been on for a while now. This is no conspiracy theory; it’s just that it wouldn’t have been a very interesting fight, much as dos Santos-Carwin won’t be.
Junior dos Santos is one of the better strikers in the UFC. He doesn’t quite have the insane knockout power of Carwin or Velasquez, but he is as technical as Lyoto Machida. A scary thought, a heavyweight that can counterstrike like the shadow that is Lyoto Machida. This fight will be quickly decided, as the taller, better fighter, dos Santos will slowly pick apart his opponent.
The fight will be as artistic as any, and one of the best of the year for those who appreciate the technicality of the sport. For the many bloodthirsty UFC fans looking for a scrap fest, they might have to look elsewhere. The operative word here is might. This could be a barnburner, where we could see either guy rip the other’s head off (maybe take an ear too ala Tyson) and throw it into the crowd. That would certainly please Mr. White. Look for this fight to end early as dos Santos cruises to a second round knockout. Even JDS said so.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Pablo Garza- Impressive at UFC 129
For UFC featherweight Pablo Garza, the list of firsts just keeps on growing. Garza was in the first UFC featherweight fight, was the first winner of a UFC featherweight fight, earned the first Knockout of the Night as a featherweight in the UFC and now stands as the first UFC featherweight to win submission of the night.
If all that isn’t enough, the flying triangle choke and submission of the night he used to secure his victory over Yves Jabouin at UFC 129 was the first of its kind in the UFC. The man is after UFC record books, and will stop at nothing less than being the first to defeat champion José Aldo inside the UFC and take his belt. He is rather modest and would not say such things, but it is clear he is on his way up.
“I just want to stay in the UFC right now,” he said. “A lot of people think it is getting to the UFC that is the toughest, but it is staying here that’s tough. You’re constantly surrounded by top competition and there is a lot of pressure to constantly perform.”
The fight between Garza and Jabouin began with Garza on the short end of striking. It became clear early on that his UFC debut knockout of Fredson Paixão with a flying knee might not be an indicator of a strong standup game. The two fighters eventually clinched up and both seemed to be catching their breath, then it happened.
“I was prepared to do the submission if (Jabouin) went in for a single-leg,” Garza said. “The game plan was if he has one leg, shoot for the triangle. It just worked out that we were in the clinch and I was like ‘Okay I’ll do it from the clinch.’”
Garza grabbed hold of Jabouin’s right arm with his right, grabbed Jabouin by the back of the head with his left and gracefully launched himself into the air. In the process of sailing through the air, the MMA savvy crowd erupted as they saw him tuck both legs around the back of his neck and sink in the triangle choke before lightly hitting the mat.
After a brief struggle in which Garza shifted to the mount while maintaining the triangle hold, he rolled over to his back and Jabouin tapped at 4:31 of the first round.
“For a while there I was worried he was going to slip out of it,” Garza said. “That’s why I switched over to the mount, I loosened up the hold and started to focus on using elbows and my hands to end the fight. I started to feel him trying to push me off so I used us momentum to roll over and sink in the choke.”
Garza had quite a comical post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan that culminated with him yelling, “Give me my money Dana!” referring to the Submission of the Night bonus he was all but certain he would receive. He also thanked his new sponsor Revgear, who also sponsored Mark Bocek at UFC 129.
“They have benefitted me in so many ways,” he said. “Just the fact that I know they believe in me, that someone believes in me, motivates me to get out there and perform. It’s also nice to not have to buy any of my own equipment anymore.”
As for what’s next for the newcomer, he said he has no plans to focus on fighting for the next few weeks.
“I just want to relax for a while,” he said. “I had Taco Bell for the first time in months yesterday. I got halfway through a soft taco and I almost threw it up, so I guess I’ll have to recondition my body to handle that stuff again.”
As for where he fits in the featherweight division in the UFC, Garza said he isn’t sure.
“I’ve raised some eyebrows,” he said. “But I’m not like a dominant force in the division or anything right now. I’ve got so much work to do and so much to improve on. I’m going to go back and look at this last fight in a few weeks and its going to go from being a highlight right now to a really bad fight that I have to dissect and get better from.”
If all that isn’t enough, the flying triangle choke and submission of the night he used to secure his victory over Yves Jabouin at UFC 129 was the first of its kind in the UFC. The man is after UFC record books, and will stop at nothing less than being the first to defeat champion José Aldo inside the UFC and take his belt. He is rather modest and would not say such things, but it is clear he is on his way up.
“I just want to stay in the UFC right now,” he said. “A lot of people think it is getting to the UFC that is the toughest, but it is staying here that’s tough. You’re constantly surrounded by top competition and there is a lot of pressure to constantly perform.”
The fight between Garza and Jabouin began with Garza on the short end of striking. It became clear early on that his UFC debut knockout of Fredson Paixão with a flying knee might not be an indicator of a strong standup game. The two fighters eventually clinched up and both seemed to be catching their breath, then it happened.
“I was prepared to do the submission if (Jabouin) went in for a single-leg,” Garza said. “The game plan was if he has one leg, shoot for the triangle. It just worked out that we were in the clinch and I was like ‘Okay I’ll do it from the clinch.’”
Garza grabbed hold of Jabouin’s right arm with his right, grabbed Jabouin by the back of the head with his left and gracefully launched himself into the air. In the process of sailing through the air, the MMA savvy crowd erupted as they saw him tuck both legs around the back of his neck and sink in the triangle choke before lightly hitting the mat.
After a brief struggle in which Garza shifted to the mount while maintaining the triangle hold, he rolled over to his back and Jabouin tapped at 4:31 of the first round.
“For a while there I was worried he was going to slip out of it,” Garza said. “That’s why I switched over to the mount, I loosened up the hold and started to focus on using elbows and my hands to end the fight. I started to feel him trying to push me off so I used us momentum to roll over and sink in the choke.”
Garza had quite a comical post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan that culminated with him yelling, “Give me my money Dana!” referring to the Submission of the Night bonus he was all but certain he would receive. He also thanked his new sponsor Revgear, who also sponsored Mark Bocek at UFC 129.
“They have benefitted me in so many ways,” he said. “Just the fact that I know they believe in me, that someone believes in me, motivates me to get out there and perform. It’s also nice to not have to buy any of my own equipment anymore.”
As for what’s next for the newcomer, he said he has no plans to focus on fighting for the next few weeks.
“I just want to relax for a while,” he said. “I had Taco Bell for the first time in months yesterday. I got halfway through a soft taco and I almost threw it up, so I guess I’ll have to recondition my body to handle that stuff again.”
As for where he fits in the featherweight division in the UFC, Garza said he isn’t sure.
“I’ve raised some eyebrows,” he said. “But I’m not like a dominant force in the division or anything right now. I’ve got so much work to do and so much to improve on. I’m going to go back and look at this last fight in a few weeks and its going to go from being a highlight right now to a really bad fight that I have to dissect and get better from.”
The Natural Looks to Slay the Dragon
A 47 year old getting punched in the face, sounds like a crime doesn’t it? Its not, its just MMA legend and Hall of Famer Randy Couture’s way of life, and has been for a very long time.
For Lyoto Machida, while 15 years Couture’s junior, this has actually been his way of life much longer. Beginning at age three, Machida already had his karate black belt by the age of 13, a feat many fighters don’t achieve until their mid-twenties.
Couture did not start fighting out of the womb, but he does have a relatively impressive background. He isn’t called “The Natural” for no reason, after all. Couture began wrestling while in high school, and dabbled in boxing and wrestling while he served in the Army from 1982 until 1988 when his six-year service ended. He then attended Oklahoma State, which bolsters an incredible wrestling program. After earning three All-American awards, he moved on to the UFC and made his debut at UFC 13, winning the four-man tournament. This tournament was the first show of Couture’s incredible heart, as both of his opponents outweighed him by over 100 pounds.
While Couture was in the US winning UFC tournaments, and multiple heavyweight championships, Machida was in Brazil competing in karate as an amateur. In 2001, one year after Couture had captured his second UFC Heavyweight title, he won the 2001 Pan American Karate tournament. Machida finally put all of his many martial arts together and began competing in MMA in 2003 in Japan’s New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Both Machida and Couture have some of the most impressive records in all of MMA. Between them, they have 18 title fights, 15 of them being Couture’s, and each holds several notable victories.
Machida has beaten the likes of Stephan Bonnar, Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans to only name a few. Couture has compiled an impressive record, beating Vitor Belfort, Jeremy Horn, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman. Each fighter has beaten too many impressive opponents to list, and these are two of the most impressive records in the UFC. Machida as he currently stands is 16-2 and Couture holds a record of 19-10.
Couture is riding a three-fight win streak, including Coleman, but his other two opponents in that span can be seen as cans. Brandon Vera, who has flirted with expulsion from the UFC several times, and only remains signed because of a technicality, and former boxer James Toney round out the streak.
Machida, according to UFC President Dana White, is on the hot seat and in a “must win” situation. Machida was on a 16 fight undefeated streak, until he lost his rematch with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in May of 2010. He rattled off eight wins in a row under the UFC banner and is now slumping with back-to-back losses.
His split decision loss to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was highly controversial, as not much action happened in the fight, until the third round where it was almost universally agreed that Machida had won. The judges saw different, and handed Machida his second consecutive loss, and second of his career. Rampage saw the fight much as everyone else did, very close. He offered an immediate rematch to Machida as he felt their fight did not constitute a clear winner. White saw different as well, and agreeing whole-heartedly with the decision, denied the rematch.
It was then decided that Machida would face six-time UFC titleholder Randy Couture in hopes of ending his slide. While this may be a matchup Couture wanted, it is a nightmare for The Natural.
Couture will want to utilize his wrestling and ground and pound, maybe even a choke to end the fight. Machida is the absolute most elusive striker in the UFC so to even get him to the ground will be tough. The Octagon is only so big so it will go to the ground eventually, but Couture will have to be careful. Machida has one of the best submission games in the UFC, and is very dangerous out of his guard.
Machida’s style may seem boring, but it is actually the most artistic and fluid style in MMA today. Each attack is carefully planned out, and while he may be a “boring fighter” because he grinds out a lot of decision victories, they are just that, victories. Machida has also shown the ability to finish a fight when he gets the opportunity as he did to win the UFC Light Heavyweight title over undefeated challenger Rashad Evans.
Machida is the most veteran in a certain breed of fighters in the UFC today. He, along with welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and Jon Fitch have all been labeled as some of the most boring fighters in the UFC. They may appear boring, but they are some of the most technical and best fighters in the UFC. Look for this fight to be another long one in Machida’s career, and look for him to do everything in his power to avoid the wrestling of Couture, even if that means straight backpedaling. Machida wins by decision.
For Lyoto Machida, while 15 years Couture’s junior, this has actually been his way of life much longer. Beginning at age three, Machida already had his karate black belt by the age of 13, a feat many fighters don’t achieve until their mid-twenties.
Couture did not start fighting out of the womb, but he does have a relatively impressive background. He isn’t called “The Natural” for no reason, after all. Couture began wrestling while in high school, and dabbled in boxing and wrestling while he served in the Army from 1982 until 1988 when his six-year service ended. He then attended Oklahoma State, which bolsters an incredible wrestling program. After earning three All-American awards, he moved on to the UFC and made his debut at UFC 13, winning the four-man tournament. This tournament was the first show of Couture’s incredible heart, as both of his opponents outweighed him by over 100 pounds.
While Couture was in the US winning UFC tournaments, and multiple heavyweight championships, Machida was in Brazil competing in karate as an amateur. In 2001, one year after Couture had captured his second UFC Heavyweight title, he won the 2001 Pan American Karate tournament. Machida finally put all of his many martial arts together and began competing in MMA in 2003 in Japan’s New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Both Machida and Couture have some of the most impressive records in all of MMA. Between them, they have 18 title fights, 15 of them being Couture’s, and each holds several notable victories.
Machida has beaten the likes of Stephan Bonnar, Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans to only name a few. Couture has compiled an impressive record, beating Vitor Belfort, Jeremy Horn, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman. Each fighter has beaten too many impressive opponents to list, and these are two of the most impressive records in the UFC. Machida as he currently stands is 16-2 and Couture holds a record of 19-10.
Couture is riding a three-fight win streak, including Coleman, but his other two opponents in that span can be seen as cans. Brandon Vera, who has flirted with expulsion from the UFC several times, and only remains signed because of a technicality, and former boxer James Toney round out the streak.
Machida, according to UFC President Dana White, is on the hot seat and in a “must win” situation. Machida was on a 16 fight undefeated streak, until he lost his rematch with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in May of 2010. He rattled off eight wins in a row under the UFC banner and is now slumping with back-to-back losses.
His split decision loss to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was highly controversial, as not much action happened in the fight, until the third round where it was almost universally agreed that Machida had won. The judges saw different, and handed Machida his second consecutive loss, and second of his career. Rampage saw the fight much as everyone else did, very close. He offered an immediate rematch to Machida as he felt their fight did not constitute a clear winner. White saw different as well, and agreeing whole-heartedly with the decision, denied the rematch.
It was then decided that Machida would face six-time UFC titleholder Randy Couture in hopes of ending his slide. While this may be a matchup Couture wanted, it is a nightmare for The Natural.
Couture will want to utilize his wrestling and ground and pound, maybe even a choke to end the fight. Machida is the absolute most elusive striker in the UFC so to even get him to the ground will be tough. The Octagon is only so big so it will go to the ground eventually, but Couture will have to be careful. Machida has one of the best submission games in the UFC, and is very dangerous out of his guard.
Machida’s style may seem boring, but it is actually the most artistic and fluid style in MMA today. Each attack is carefully planned out, and while he may be a “boring fighter” because he grinds out a lot of decision victories, they are just that, victories. Machida has also shown the ability to finish a fight when he gets the opportunity as he did to win the UFC Light Heavyweight title over undefeated challenger Rashad Evans.
Machida is the most veteran in a certain breed of fighters in the UFC today. He, along with welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and Jon Fitch have all been labeled as some of the most boring fighters in the UFC. They may appear boring, but they are some of the most technical and best fighters in the UFC. Look for this fight to be another long one in Machida’s career, and look for him to do everything in his power to avoid the wrestling of Couture, even if that means straight backpedaling. Machida wins by decision.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Brian Foster- Fighting with a Purpose
Brian Foster, one of the UFC’s rising welterweights, may seem like just an average guy. Well, that’s because he is. The fighter who grew up in eastern Oklahoma, in a town with so few people that his entire town could come to his fight at UFC 129 at the Rogers Centre, and there would still be tens of thousands of seats left, is new to Mixed Martial Arts.
Foster who says he likes to relax with friends, play basketball and eat pizza is exactly the definition of a fighter. Always a hard worker, Foster worked with his brother at Comfort Coils, a bed manufacturer. They loaded the supply trucks together until one tragic day, neither showed up to work.
“My brother died April 30 , 2006, when I was 21 years old,” Foster said.
The pair were hiking up a local trail to their favorite swimming hole, and once they reached the top, Brian went for a swim. His brother, Brandon sat on the edge of a rock ledge, and looked out over their hometown of Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Seconds later, the rocks gave way, sending Brandon hurtling 200 feet to the ground below. Brandon died shortly after the fall.
“I needed a way to cope with his death,” Foster said. “I turned to helping a childhood friend, Jeremiah Caves train for a fight.”
At 21 years of age, Brian Foster decided to take his anger from the loss of his brother out in the gym.
“I went into the gym with (Jeremiah) and just never came out,” he said.
Foster began his training as a boxer, and later moved on to training in wrestling so as to become a more rounded fighter. He made his pro debut on July 14, 2006, winning by knockout. In his second professional fight, which took place on the same night for Oklahoma City’s Masters of the Cage promotion, he lost by submission in the beginning of the third round. Foster, who began his career late in life with no experience, had fought seven professional fights by the end of his first year inside the cage.
From October 2006 to May 2008, Foster compiled a seven-fight win streak, finishing all of his opponents. Four of the wins in that time span came by way of knockout. Then, on June 27, 2008 Foster lost a fight to Brazilian, Diego Brandão in his hometown. The fight, for Brandão, was the first in the US.
Before his next fight, Foster left his hometown and began to train at The H.I.T Squad in Granite City, Illinois. The H.I.T Squad, which stands for Hughes Intensive Training, was started and owned by UFC Hall of Famer, Matt Hughes until mid-March of 2011, when Strikeforce fighter, Jesse Finney purchased it. Foster said that nothing is much different with the ownership changing hands. “We’re still running on the same training regimen,” he said. “It’s a great move business-wise, and I plan to continue here for the rest of my career.”
Foster won his first three fights after beginning training at The H.I.T Squad, and after finishing all of his opponents in yet another win-streak, Dana White of the UFC came calling.
In his UFC debut, Foster was originally set to face highly touted Englishman, Paul Daley, who later took a fight to replace Mike Swick in another bout. Foster, who had been training for the right-handed striker, Daley, received a southpaw wrestler in Rick Story.
“I’ll fight anyone the UFC puts in front of me,” he said. “But, when you train for six weeks expecting a certain fighter and get somebody totally opposite in style, that’s a really bad thing.”
After losing his UFC debut, Foster knew the heat was on. White, who is notorious for cutting fighters at the drop of a hat —Paul Daley was cut the fight after he stepped in for Swick because he punched opponent, Josh Koscheck after the bell — undoubtedly had his eye on the prospect.
“I love this sport, I’ll never stop” Foster said. “There will always be a winner and there will always be a loser. I love being a professional athlete, and I’m never going to stop fighting.”
Foster didn’t give up; he went back to the H.I.T Squad and regrouped. He looked at the things he did wrong, corrected them and began to put in work on his next opponent, solid wrestler Brock Larson. In the first round of the fight, Larson was docked two points for an illegal knee and an illegal kick to the head. Foster, determined to not win off of point deductions, ended the fight at 3:25 of the second round, winning by TKO via strikes.
“I just wanted everyone to know, including Brock, that it’s going to take a lot more than illegal strikes to take this guy down,” Foster said.
Foster’s next fight is on April 30, 2011, exactly five years after his brother’s untimely death at 20 years old.
“Its pretty weird that the dates worked out that way,” he said. “I’ll just take it as a sign and go out there and win this one for him.”
Foster will square off against Canada’s own Sean Pierson at UFC 129 at the Rodgers Centre in Toronto, Ontario. It is expected to be the largest event in UFC history, featuring Canada’s golden-boy, Georges St-Pierre, featherweight champ, José Aldo as well as MMA legend, Randy Couture. A card stacked with Canadian-born fighters, the crowd is sure to be heavily leaning in their favor. Foster said he isn’t worried at all about the 55,000 screaming fans, fans who will probably be screaming at him rather than for him.
“They’ll hate me walking in, but they’ll love me walking out,” he said.
Foster said his game plan going into the fight might surprise the fans, and hopefully Pierson.
“I’m going off of a hunch,” he said.” He is going to want to show the fans, and the UFC that he is more of a well-rounded fighter than people think. I think he is going to try and wrestle me, but he has never fought anyone as tough as me and he is going to get knocked out trying to do so.”
The fighter with such humble beginnings becomes more and more confident every time he steps into the cage.
“I want to fight the best at 170 and 185 pounds,” he said. “I’ve said it a bunch of times, I’ll fight anybody.”
The Ultimate Fighter kicked off its 13 th season recently, featuring fellow welterweights, Foster said he tuned in to watch and shared his thoughts.
“The UFC knew that these guys weren’t good fighters so they brought in Brock (Lesnar) for good ratings,” he said. “The first fight on that show was really boring. The fans want finishers, and if you look at my résumé that’s what I do. None of those guys on TUF can touch me.”
People may say that Brandon Foster is gone, but if you look closely, you’ll see that it isn’t true at all. Every time Brian Foster steps into the cage, his brother is with him, watching over him, willing him to win. Brandon and Brian Foster enter and exit the cage as one.
Foster who says he likes to relax with friends, play basketball and eat pizza is exactly the definition of a fighter. Always a hard worker, Foster worked with his brother at Comfort Coils, a bed manufacturer. They loaded the supply trucks together until one tragic day, neither showed up to work.
“My brother died April 30 , 2006, when I was 21 years old,” Foster said.
The pair were hiking up a local trail to their favorite swimming hole, and once they reached the top, Brian went for a swim. His brother, Brandon sat on the edge of a rock ledge, and looked out over their hometown of Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Seconds later, the rocks gave way, sending Brandon hurtling 200 feet to the ground below. Brandon died shortly after the fall.
“I needed a way to cope with his death,” Foster said. “I turned to helping a childhood friend, Jeremiah Caves train for a fight.”
At 21 years of age, Brian Foster decided to take his anger from the loss of his brother out in the gym.
“I went into the gym with (Jeremiah) and just never came out,” he said.
Foster began his training as a boxer, and later moved on to training in wrestling so as to become a more rounded fighter. He made his pro debut on July 14, 2006, winning by knockout. In his second professional fight, which took place on the same night for Oklahoma City’s Masters of the Cage promotion, he lost by submission in the beginning of the third round. Foster, who began his career late in life with no experience, had fought seven professional fights by the end of his first year inside the cage.
From October 2006 to May 2008, Foster compiled a seven-fight win streak, finishing all of his opponents. Four of the wins in that time span came by way of knockout. Then, on June 27, 2008 Foster lost a fight to Brazilian, Diego Brandão in his hometown. The fight, for Brandão, was the first in the US.
Before his next fight, Foster left his hometown and began to train at The H.I.T Squad in Granite City, Illinois. The H.I.T Squad, which stands for Hughes Intensive Training, was started and owned by UFC Hall of Famer, Matt Hughes until mid-March of 2011, when Strikeforce fighter, Jesse Finney purchased it. Foster said that nothing is much different with the ownership changing hands. “We’re still running on the same training regimen,” he said. “It’s a great move business-wise, and I plan to continue here for the rest of my career.”
Foster won his first three fights after beginning training at The H.I.T Squad, and after finishing all of his opponents in yet another win-streak, Dana White of the UFC came calling.
In his UFC debut, Foster was originally set to face highly touted Englishman, Paul Daley, who later took a fight to replace Mike Swick in another bout. Foster, who had been training for the right-handed striker, Daley, received a southpaw wrestler in Rick Story.
“I’ll fight anyone the UFC puts in front of me,” he said. “But, when you train for six weeks expecting a certain fighter and get somebody totally opposite in style, that’s a really bad thing.”
After losing his UFC debut, Foster knew the heat was on. White, who is notorious for cutting fighters at the drop of a hat —Paul Daley was cut the fight after he stepped in for Swick because he punched opponent, Josh Koscheck after the bell — undoubtedly had his eye on the prospect.
“I love this sport, I’ll never stop” Foster said. “There will always be a winner and there will always be a loser. I love being a professional athlete, and I’m never going to stop fighting.”
Foster didn’t give up; he went back to the H.I.T Squad and regrouped. He looked at the things he did wrong, corrected them and began to put in work on his next opponent, solid wrestler Brock Larson. In the first round of the fight, Larson was docked two points for an illegal knee and an illegal kick to the head. Foster, determined to not win off of point deductions, ended the fight at 3:25 of the second round, winning by TKO via strikes.
“I just wanted everyone to know, including Brock, that it’s going to take a lot more than illegal strikes to take this guy down,” Foster said.
Foster’s next fight is on April 30, 2011, exactly five years after his brother’s untimely death at 20 years old.
“Its pretty weird that the dates worked out that way,” he said. “I’ll just take it as a sign and go out there and win this one for him.”
Foster will square off against Canada’s own Sean Pierson at UFC 129 at the Rodgers Centre in Toronto, Ontario. It is expected to be the largest event in UFC history, featuring Canada’s golden-boy, Georges St-Pierre, featherweight champ, José Aldo as well as MMA legend, Randy Couture. A card stacked with Canadian-born fighters, the crowd is sure to be heavily leaning in their favor. Foster said he isn’t worried at all about the 55,000 screaming fans, fans who will probably be screaming at him rather than for him.
“They’ll hate me walking in, but they’ll love me walking out,” he said.
Foster said his game plan going into the fight might surprise the fans, and hopefully Pierson.
“I’m going off of a hunch,” he said.” He is going to want to show the fans, and the UFC that he is more of a well-rounded fighter than people think. I think he is going to try and wrestle me, but he has never fought anyone as tough as me and he is going to get knocked out trying to do so.”
The fighter with such humble beginnings becomes more and more confident every time he steps into the cage.
“I want to fight the best at 170 and 185 pounds,” he said. “I’ve said it a bunch of times, I’ll fight anybody.”
The Ultimate Fighter kicked off its 13 th season recently, featuring fellow welterweights, Foster said he tuned in to watch and shared his thoughts.
“The UFC knew that these guys weren’t good fighters so they brought in Brock (Lesnar) for good ratings,” he said. “The first fight on that show was really boring. The fans want finishers, and if you look at my résumé that’s what I do. None of those guys on TUF can touch me.”
People may say that Brandon Foster is gone, but if you look closely, you’ll see that it isn’t true at all. Every time Brian Foster steps into the cage, his brother is with him, watching over him, willing him to win. Brandon and Brian Foster enter and exit the cage as one.
Bellator Season 4 - Weekly Recap #5
The Bellator Fighting Championships put on a wrestling clinic on Saturday from the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma.
Well, that’s what it seemed was going on. It was actually the main card of Bellator 40, which featured the highly anticipated matchup between Bellator season 2 welterweight tournament winner, and current champion Ben “Funky” Askren and former UFC and MMA veteran Nick “The Goat” Thompson.
First was a battle to remain undefeated in Michael Chandler versus Lloyd “Cupcake” Woodard. In the lightweight semi-final bout, Chandler, a former University of Missouri wrestling standout, put the Cupcake in the blender early. Using his dominant wrestling background, he was able to tire Woodard quickly. Maybe becoming a little too confident was Chandler, as he was almost finished in the closing seconds of the second round. The third round was much the same as the first as Chandler put Woodard through the mat with wrestling slam after slam and grinded out the unanimous decision. Chandler will move on to the final against Patricky “Pitbull” Friere, with the winner moving on to face current champion and one of the best lightweights in the world, Eddie Alvarez.
In the second tournament fight of the night, Jay Heiron took on Brent Weedman and came away with a unanimous decision victory. The only fight of the night to feature a lot of stand up striking, it was a true fight of the night. The first round was close as Heiron played it safe. In the second, Hieron came out of the gate swinging, and landed combinations from the clinch. Weedman stayed aggressive, but to his demise, Hieron showed off his impressive counter striking as the second round drew to a close. The final round was similar to the first, with both fighters putting up a solid round, but the dominant performance in the second combined with just being able to eke out a win in the first and last rounds, earned Herion the win. The win puts him one step closer to facing Bellator Welterweight Champion, Ben Askren. First, Heiron must get past Rick Hawn in the season 4 welterweight final.
With Heiron undoubtedly watching carefully, Askren put on an impressive performance to solidify himself as a tough obstacle for any would-be challengers. The fight, Askren versus Thompson, was a non-title Superfight. Askren talked before the fight about how he would take Thompson to the ground with ease, and he backed up his talk superbly. Adding to his already illustrious list of accolades, Askren won by unanimous decision to improve his record to 8-0.
That list, comprised of four All-American nominations and two national championships at the University of Missouri, a 2008 Olympic berth and his current standing as Bellator Welterweight Champion show only one side of Mixed Martial Arts. Askren is an incredible wrestler, who moved with ease all around on top of The Goat. His offense from those positions was suspect, and his stand up striking game was non-existent.
As Askren manhandled Thompson on the ground, Thompson was frustrated and unable to do anything to stop him. Askren passed his guard, and when Thompson would manage to get Askren back in guard, Askren would easily pass yet again. The frustrations culminated in The Goat announcing his wish to end his eight-year, 53-fight career and retire to his law firm in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The fight was a perfect instruction on flawless wrestling, but not so much on Mixed Martial Arts. Askren has a long road to go before he can take a step up in competition, which would ultimately lead him out of the Bellator Fighting Championships.
Well, that’s what it seemed was going on. It was actually the main card of Bellator 40, which featured the highly anticipated matchup between Bellator season 2 welterweight tournament winner, and current champion Ben “Funky” Askren and former UFC and MMA veteran Nick “The Goat” Thompson.
First was a battle to remain undefeated in Michael Chandler versus Lloyd “Cupcake” Woodard. In the lightweight semi-final bout, Chandler, a former University of Missouri wrestling standout, put the Cupcake in the blender early. Using his dominant wrestling background, he was able to tire Woodard quickly. Maybe becoming a little too confident was Chandler, as he was almost finished in the closing seconds of the second round. The third round was much the same as the first as Chandler put Woodard through the mat with wrestling slam after slam and grinded out the unanimous decision. Chandler will move on to the final against Patricky “Pitbull” Friere, with the winner moving on to face current champion and one of the best lightweights in the world, Eddie Alvarez.
In the second tournament fight of the night, Jay Heiron took on Brent Weedman and came away with a unanimous decision victory. The only fight of the night to feature a lot of stand up striking, it was a true fight of the night. The first round was close as Heiron played it safe. In the second, Hieron came out of the gate swinging, and landed combinations from the clinch. Weedman stayed aggressive, but to his demise, Hieron showed off his impressive counter striking as the second round drew to a close. The final round was similar to the first, with both fighters putting up a solid round, but the dominant performance in the second combined with just being able to eke out a win in the first and last rounds, earned Herion the win. The win puts him one step closer to facing Bellator Welterweight Champion, Ben Askren. First, Heiron must get past Rick Hawn in the season 4 welterweight final.
With Heiron undoubtedly watching carefully, Askren put on an impressive performance to solidify himself as a tough obstacle for any would-be challengers. The fight, Askren versus Thompson, was a non-title Superfight. Askren talked before the fight about how he would take Thompson to the ground with ease, and he backed up his talk superbly. Adding to his already illustrious list of accolades, Askren won by unanimous decision to improve his record to 8-0.
That list, comprised of four All-American nominations and two national championships at the University of Missouri, a 2008 Olympic berth and his current standing as Bellator Welterweight Champion show only one side of Mixed Martial Arts. Askren is an incredible wrestler, who moved with ease all around on top of The Goat. His offense from those positions was suspect, and his stand up striking game was non-existent.
As Askren manhandled Thompson on the ground, Thompson was frustrated and unable to do anything to stop him. Askren passed his guard, and when Thompson would manage to get Askren back in guard, Askren would easily pass yet again. The frustrations culminated in The Goat announcing his wish to end his eight-year, 53-fight career and retire to his law firm in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The fight was a perfect instruction on flawless wrestling, but not so much on Mixed Martial Arts. Askren has a long road to go before he can take a step up in competition, which would ultimately lead him out of the Bellator Fighting Championships.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Tigers shine in Missouri Relays
The Missouri Tigers track squad opened the home portion of its 2011 outdoor schedule Friday at Audrey J. Walton Stadium with the Missouri Relays.
The Tigers fared well in only their fourth meet of the outdoor season. In total, Missouri captured 10 titles. The women won three titles and the men won seven.
The women did particularly well in the hammer throw event, taking five of the top six spots. Freshman Kearsten Peoples took first overall with a distance of 52.83 meters. Peoples also took first in the shot put while competing unattached. In third was sophomore Megan Collins at 51.56 meters. In the men’s hammer throw, Chris Holly took third with a throw of 59.28 meters.
The Tigers did well in all aspects, but really shined in the field events. In the long jump, Tucker Bounds took the best finish for the men in second place at 6.91 meters. For the women, Erika Miller took the top finish in the event at 5.47 meters.
Freshman Camille Hayes cleared a final height of 1.64 meters to take second place in the women’s high jump and fellow freshman Hailey Twietmeyer took second in the javelin. She threw 42.06 meters to claim the runner up spot.
In the men’s triple jump, freshman Jeremy Lampley won the event with a distance of 13.87 meters. Sophomore Brooks Mosier won the men’s shot put with a distance of 17.67 meters. Mosier achieved his person best at the meet.
Moving on to the track, three Tigers earned second place finishes in the sprints. Freshman Trés Chambers took second in the men’s 200-meter with a time of 21.56. He would have taken first overall if not for team Nike’s Ivory Williams. He was the fastest collegiate runner in the event.
“Taking first out of all the college runners feels great,” he said. “Ivory is an Olympic caliber athlete. He’s a tough guy.”
Freshman JT McCarthy, who finished second for the Tigers in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, said that as a team, they showed a lot of improvement.
“At the Stanford Invite, we had three top ten finishers, and here we took seven first place spots,” He said. “That’s a huge improvement, and I think we’re only going to keep getting better.”
As for his individual performance, he said he hopes to do better in the future.
“I took sixth place overall," he said. "I think I can do better than that. I’ll just keep working for that No. 1 finish.”
In the men’s pole vault, senior All-American Brian Hancock cleared 4.90 meters to take first place. He was accompanied in the top three by fellow Tigers Matt Krogman and Kyle Wessel who both cleared heights of 4.60 meters and 4.45 meters respectively. For the women, it was Heather Green who won the event. She cleared 3.65 meters to take the title for the Tigers.
Missouri placed first in both the men’s 4x400-meter and 4x100-meter relays. Chambers said he is proud of the team.
“Winning a relay is a big thing as a team,” he said. “To go out and take two relays in our first home meet is a big statement.”
The women took second in the 4x100-meter relay with their team consisting of Shawntè Middlebrook, Sierra Gant, Cara Fortè and Lauren Flaker. They finished with a time of 47.55, just under a minute behind top finisher South Dakota State.
The Tigers will be back in action at home this weekend for the Tom Botts Invitational.
The Tigers fared well in only their fourth meet of the outdoor season. In total, Missouri captured 10 titles. The women won three titles and the men won seven.
The women did particularly well in the hammer throw event, taking five of the top six spots. Freshman Kearsten Peoples took first overall with a distance of 52.83 meters. Peoples also took first in the shot put while competing unattached. In third was sophomore Megan Collins at 51.56 meters. In the men’s hammer throw, Chris Holly took third with a throw of 59.28 meters.
The Tigers did well in all aspects, but really shined in the field events. In the long jump, Tucker Bounds took the best finish for the men in second place at 6.91 meters. For the women, Erika Miller took the top finish in the event at 5.47 meters.
Freshman Camille Hayes cleared a final height of 1.64 meters to take second place in the women’s high jump and fellow freshman Hailey Twietmeyer took second in the javelin. She threw 42.06 meters to claim the runner up spot.
In the men’s triple jump, freshman Jeremy Lampley won the event with a distance of 13.87 meters. Sophomore Brooks Mosier won the men’s shot put with a distance of 17.67 meters. Mosier achieved his person best at the meet.
Moving on to the track, three Tigers earned second place finishes in the sprints. Freshman Trés Chambers took second in the men’s 200-meter with a time of 21.56. He would have taken first overall if not for team Nike’s Ivory Williams. He was the fastest collegiate runner in the event.
“Taking first out of all the college runners feels great,” he said. “Ivory is an Olympic caliber athlete. He’s a tough guy.”
Freshman JT McCarthy, who finished second for the Tigers in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, said that as a team, they showed a lot of improvement.
“At the Stanford Invite, we had three top ten finishers, and here we took seven first place spots,” He said. “That’s a huge improvement, and I think we’re only going to keep getting better.”
As for his individual performance, he said he hopes to do better in the future.
“I took sixth place overall," he said. "I think I can do better than that. I’ll just keep working for that No. 1 finish.”
In the men’s pole vault, senior All-American Brian Hancock cleared 4.90 meters to take first place. He was accompanied in the top three by fellow Tigers Matt Krogman and Kyle Wessel who both cleared heights of 4.60 meters and 4.45 meters respectively. For the women, it was Heather Green who won the event. She cleared 3.65 meters to take the title for the Tigers.
Missouri placed first in both the men’s 4x400-meter and 4x100-meter relays. Chambers said he is proud of the team.
“Winning a relay is a big thing as a team,” he said. “To go out and take two relays in our first home meet is a big statement.”
The women took second in the 4x100-meter relay with their team consisting of Shawntè Middlebrook, Sierra Gant, Cara Fortè and Lauren Flaker. They finished with a time of 47.55, just under a minute behind top finisher South Dakota State.
The Tigers will be back in action at home this weekend for the Tom Botts Invitational.
Bellator Season 4 - Weekly Recap #4
n Bellator’s most exciting card of the year, former UFC welterweight, and Ultimate Fighter season six winner, Ben Saunders looked to resurrect his career and arguably the best lightweight to not fight under the UFC banner, Eddie Alvarez attempted to defend his title.
Fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut saw one of the bloodiest beatings this year when Ben Saunders took on 39-year-old Matt Lee. Lee, who had lost his last fight in the Bellator Fighting Championships, was pummeled into a bloody mess by the UFC reject. Saunders wanted to use the fight as the beginning of his road back to the UFC, and he definitely made a statement on Saturday.
The fight opened and Saunders connected with two left high kicks early. Saunders picked when and where to strike, and landed with ease. Eventually, Saunders clinched up with Lee and landed massive knees to the body and legs. At the close of the first round, Lee’s face was bruised badly and there was a cut open under his right eye.
In the second, Saunders threw everything in his arsenal at Lee, tiring in the process. Lee ate knee after knee and punch after punch and somehow just didn’t go down. After almost two rounds of being a human heavy bag, the round ended and the doctor was forced to take a look at his face. The fight was allowed to continue and in the third round, Saunders opened another cut under Lee’s left eye with deadly elbow strikes. In the opening minutes of the final round, the doctor finally deemed Lee unable to continue.
Saunders improves to 10-3-2 overall in his second fight outside the octagon since being released from the UFC in August of 2010.
In the first of Bellator’s traditional tournament fights, submission specialist Toby Imada squared off against Patricky “Pitbull” Freire.
The fight surprisingly began with a lot of standup fighting, and technical footwork. Imada circled and dodged, while the Pitbull stalked his opponent. Not many knockout strikes were traded until middle way through the first round, when Imada ducked and put his hands low to defend the body. Imada was crushed with a big knee that sent him wobbling across the cage. Friere followed up with a punch on the mat to finish the fight. With the win, Friere moves on to the lightweight final to face the winner of Chandler versus Lloyd.
In the welterweight semifinal, Lyman Good and Rick Hawn waged a war in the clinch. The two clinched up early, and Good landed a lot of knees. Hawn escaped and got caught with a right uppercut that rocked him and almost sent him to the mat. In desperation, Hawn clinched and attempted a takedown, but was stuffed.
In the second, the fighters clinch yet again, and Hawn, a black belt Judoka, managed to trip Good and land a few shots from the top. Working to advance his position, and striking from the top, Hawn clearly won the second round.
With both fighters having won a round, the third was a decisive one. Good looked worried about the takedown, so he avoided the clinch. Hawn finally managed to stalk Good and gain the clinch. Good quickly escaped and later caught Hawn’s leg on a kick and landed a few punches. Good clearly won the standup battle, and pretty much any battle that was had in the third round, but Hawn earned a takedown with seconds left in the round. That was enough for the judges to award Rick Hawn the split decision. Hawn now awaits the winner of Weedman versus Heiron.
In the most anticipated matchup of the night, Eddie Alvarez carefully defended his lightweight title against Pat Curran with a unanimous decision victory to retain his title.
Alvarez is considered the best lightweight not fighting in a promotion owned by Zuffa. Gilbert Melendez formerly held that title, but with Zuffa’s recent purchase of Strikeforce, Alvarez is the best lightweight to not fight in any of Zuffa’s promotions.
Alvarez defended his title winning it in a safe fashion with the decision, but he did anything but play it safe. Alvarez dominated the fight with scores of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46. Alvarez simply out worked and out hustled Curran for 25 minutes. Landing brutal punches to the body that left Curran gassed heading into each round worked heavily in Alvarez’s favor, as he was able to strike to the head at will.
Alvarez was able to secure a few takedowns as well, demonstrating his well roundedness. A true mixed martial artist, Alvarez landed strikes to the body, legs and head with precision. In the fourth and fifth rounds, Alvarez picked up the pace and unloaded, bloodying Curran’s nose in the process. Curran was able to counter somewhat effectively when he chose to, but the awesome power of Alvarez was just too much.
Alvarez will take on the winner of this season’s lightweight tournament, and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney hopes to see him back in the cage in August.
Fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut saw one of the bloodiest beatings this year when Ben Saunders took on 39-year-old Matt Lee. Lee, who had lost his last fight in the Bellator Fighting Championships, was pummeled into a bloody mess by the UFC reject. Saunders wanted to use the fight as the beginning of his road back to the UFC, and he definitely made a statement on Saturday.
The fight opened and Saunders connected with two left high kicks early. Saunders picked when and where to strike, and landed with ease. Eventually, Saunders clinched up with Lee and landed massive knees to the body and legs. At the close of the first round, Lee’s face was bruised badly and there was a cut open under his right eye.
In the second, Saunders threw everything in his arsenal at Lee, tiring in the process. Lee ate knee after knee and punch after punch and somehow just didn’t go down. After almost two rounds of being a human heavy bag, the round ended and the doctor was forced to take a look at his face. The fight was allowed to continue and in the third round, Saunders opened another cut under Lee’s left eye with deadly elbow strikes. In the opening minutes of the final round, the doctor finally deemed Lee unable to continue.
Saunders improves to 10-3-2 overall in his second fight outside the octagon since being released from the UFC in August of 2010.
In the first of Bellator’s traditional tournament fights, submission specialist Toby Imada squared off against Patricky “Pitbull” Freire.
The fight surprisingly began with a lot of standup fighting, and technical footwork. Imada circled and dodged, while the Pitbull stalked his opponent. Not many knockout strikes were traded until middle way through the first round, when Imada ducked and put his hands low to defend the body. Imada was crushed with a big knee that sent him wobbling across the cage. Friere followed up with a punch on the mat to finish the fight. With the win, Friere moves on to the lightweight final to face the winner of Chandler versus Lloyd.
In the welterweight semifinal, Lyman Good and Rick Hawn waged a war in the clinch. The two clinched up early, and Good landed a lot of knees. Hawn escaped and got caught with a right uppercut that rocked him and almost sent him to the mat. In desperation, Hawn clinched and attempted a takedown, but was stuffed.
In the second, the fighters clinch yet again, and Hawn, a black belt Judoka, managed to trip Good and land a few shots from the top. Working to advance his position, and striking from the top, Hawn clearly won the second round.
With both fighters having won a round, the third was a decisive one. Good looked worried about the takedown, so he avoided the clinch. Hawn finally managed to stalk Good and gain the clinch. Good quickly escaped and later caught Hawn’s leg on a kick and landed a few punches. Good clearly won the standup battle, and pretty much any battle that was had in the third round, but Hawn earned a takedown with seconds left in the round. That was enough for the judges to award Rick Hawn the split decision. Hawn now awaits the winner of Weedman versus Heiron.
In the most anticipated matchup of the night, Eddie Alvarez carefully defended his lightweight title against Pat Curran with a unanimous decision victory to retain his title.
Alvarez is considered the best lightweight not fighting in a promotion owned by Zuffa. Gilbert Melendez formerly held that title, but with Zuffa’s recent purchase of Strikeforce, Alvarez is the best lightweight to not fight in any of Zuffa’s promotions.
Alvarez defended his title winning it in a safe fashion with the decision, but he did anything but play it safe. Alvarez dominated the fight with scores of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46. Alvarez simply out worked and out hustled Curran for 25 minutes. Landing brutal punches to the body that left Curran gassed heading into each round worked heavily in Alvarez’s favor, as he was able to strike to the head at will.
Alvarez was able to secure a few takedowns as well, demonstrating his well roundedness. A true mixed martial artist, Alvarez landed strikes to the body, legs and head with precision. In the fourth and fifth rounds, Alvarez picked up the pace and unloaded, bloodying Curran’s nose in the process. Curran was able to counter somewhat effectively when he chose to, but the awesome power of Alvarez was just too much.
Alvarez will take on the winner of this season’s lightweight tournament, and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney hopes to see him back in the cage in August.
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