Thomas Gerbasi, UFC – It may have been the greatest compliment a fighter could receive. When talking about his loss to Eliot Marshall last September, Jason Brilz admitted to being totally surprised at how Marshall went from ground wizard to stick and move artist, leaving the veteran out of sorts as he dropped a three round unanimous decision at UFC 103.
Martins Denis, UFC – Seconds prior to Gabriel ‘Napao’ Gonzaga’s most recent fight against Chris ‘The Crowbar’ Tuchscherer last August at UFC 102, blow-by-blow commentator Mike Goldberg asked the question that everybody wanted to know before the two touched gloves.
Michael DiSanto, UFC – Succinctly stated, Brandon Vera versus Jon Jones is going to be one heck of a scrap.
Vera is a guy who likes to fight on the feet with calculated pressure, picking his spots from the outside as he breaks down an opponent with long-range punches and some of the best leg kicks in the business. He is also excellent in the clinch with both knees and elbows, though he prefers to stay out of that position when fighting anyone with strong wrestling skills in order to avoid suffering a takedown.
Thomas Gerbasi, UFC – When Jason Brilz dropped a three round unanimous decision to Eliot Marshall last September in Dallas, it wasn’t losing for the first time since 2001 that baffled the light heavyweight up and comer, it was the way things played out at American Airlines Center, as Marshall, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, kept matters standing throughout the bout.
Thomas Gerbasi, UFC – Things couldn’t have been going better for Brendan Schaub on December 5, 2009. The unbeaten heavyweight prospect was boxing well, tagging his veteran opponent Roy Nelson with shots and even showing off some good ground defense as he escaped the veteran’s side control position with ease. He even ate a couple flush shots from ‘Big Country’ and brushed them off.
Thomas Gerbasi, UFC – The walk into the Octagon. For some, the trek up those final four steps presents ample time to panic; for others, it’s a signal that it’s time to perform. For Daniel ‘Ninja’ Roberts, it’s when he flips the switch from nice guy to fighter, and by the time he steps through the doorway, he’s not walking into competition – he’s jumping in.
Frank Curreri, WEC – Roughly 2,800 people attended UFC 1 at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Co. One of those intrigued spectators was a 10-year-old Tae Kwon Do student named Tyler Toner. The boy didn’t find the spectacle – which happened to be unregulated at the time — to be disturbing or violent. In fact, the only thing that shocked him, as would be the case for many who watched that night on Nov. 12, 1993, was witnessing a skinny Brazilian named Royce Gracie repeatedly conquer Goliaths to win the 8-man tournament.
Martins Denis, UFC – Despite being in a whirlwind since his UFC debut, Brazilian knockout artist Junior “Cigano” dos Santos still has an amazing recall of all the dates and important happenings in his life that he can pull out at a moment’s notice.
Martins Denis, UFC – Brazil’s Fabricio ‘Morango’ Camoes is going to make his second Octagon appearance on March 27th against ultra-talented Kurt ‘Batman’ Pellegrino at UFC 111 in Newark, New Jersey. The lightweight match has the same implications for Camoes as when he arrived in the UFC last November to face Caol Uno, but without the nuances that he encountered on that day at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Frank Curreri, WEC – Matt Hume has coached numerous fighters with “UFC champion” and “world champion” on their resumes, yet none possessed athletic gifts on par with Demetrious Johnson.
Elliot Worsell, UFC – Ross ‘The Real Deal’ Pearson couldn’t have looked better in winning season nine of The Ultimate Fighter. He defeated Richie Whitson, Jason Dent and then teammate Andre Winner in the final, more than living up to his audacious nickname. Fast-forward five months and Pearson incredibly looked even better, this time mauling veteran American Aaron Riley in his official UFC debut in Manchester.
Elliot Worsell, UFC – If you stand and strike with Andre Winner, you’re likely to lose. That’s the mantra the Leicester lightweight carries into the Octagon each and every time out. Blessed with blazingly quick hands and feet, Winner’s punch expertise is matched only by his confidence.
The hottest ticket in New Jersey just got hotter, as it has been announced that Playboy cover model and UFC All-Access host Rachelle Leah will be returning to her old gig as Octagon Girl for one night only on Saturday, March 27th at UFC 111 in Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center.
It’s the first world championship fight of 2010, and as March 27th’s welterweight title bout between Georges St-Pierre and Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy approaches, Spike TV is going to take you behind the scenes and into the lives of these 170-pound stars with “UFC Primetime”, which premieres tonight at 10pm ET / PT.
At 22, Jon ‘Bones’ Jones may be talked about as the Next Big Thing in the UFC, but the phenom’s eye-popping abilities aren’t an accident. The 6-foot-3, light heavyweight phenom and former All-American Greco-Roman wrestler has a training regimen as unorthodox as the kicks and strikes for which he’s known. Each exercise is designed to push his muscles to the limit while training them to respond explosively.
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