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Saturday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Saturday
3:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
A preview of all the official news, views, and action for FX 7: Vitor Belfort vs Michael Bisping.
3:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
Vitor Belfort gained a 2nd one in the Blackzilians; Urijah Faber celebrates Christmas; Joe Rogan riffs on the upcoming season; Anthony Pettis watches Octagonside.
4:00 a.m. ET AXS: Inside MMA
EPISODE: 275 A preview of the Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping match; Ben Rothwell.
6:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller Prelims
From Nashville, Tenn.
9:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Roundtable
The UFC's top welterweight fighters Renzo Gracie, George St. Pierre, B.J. Penn and Matt Serra.
9:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
Vitor Belfort gained a 2nd one in the Blackzilians; Urijah Faber celebrates Christmas; Joe Rogan riffs on the upcoming season; Anthony Pettis watches Octagonside.
12:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Reloaded
UFC 145: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans
3:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: Forrest Griffin: The Ultimate Fighter
A former Georgia police officer who became a UFC icon, and found fame as a professional athlete when he was just looking for a fight.
4:30 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
A preview of all the official news, views, and action for FX 7: Vitor Belfort vs Michael Bisping.
4:30 PM ET Sportsnet ONE: UFC Central
Hosted by "Showdown" Joe Ferraro. UFC highlights and news.
5:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping Weigh-In
Weigh-ins From Brazil.
6:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping Prelims
Ildemar Alcantara vs. Wagner Prado; Pedro Nobre vs. Yuri Alcantara; Lucas Martins vs. Edson Barboza; Nik Lentz vs. Diego Nunes; Andrew Craig vs. Ronny Markes; Milton Vieira vs. Godofredo Pepey. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
6:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet ONE: UFC Preliminary Fights
Ildemar Alcantara vs. Wagner Prado; Pedro Nobre vs. Yuri Alcantara; Lucas Martins vs. Edson Barboza; Nik Lentz vs. Diego Nunes; Andrew Craig vs. Ronny Markes; Milton Vieira vs. Godofredo Pepey. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Preliminary Fights
Ildemar Alcantara vs. Wagner Prado; Pedro Nobre vs. Yuri Alcantara; Lucas Martins vs. Edson Barboza; Nik Lentz vs. Diego Nunes; Andrew Craig vs. Ronny Markes; Milton Vieira vs. Godofredo Pepey. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet West: UFC Preliminary Fights
Ildemar Alcantara vs. Wagner Prado; Pedro Nobre vs. Yuri Alcantara; Lucas Martins vs. Edson Barboza; Nik Lentz vs. Diego Nunes; Andrew Craig vs. Ronny Markes; Milton Vieira vs. Godofredo Pepey. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Ontario: UFC Preliminary Fights
Ildemar Alcantara vs. Wagner Prado; Pedro Nobre vs. Yuri Alcantara; Lucas Martins vs. Edson Barboza; Nik Lentz vs. Diego Nunes; Andrew Craig vs. Ronny Markes; Milton Vieira vs. Godofredo Pepey. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
7:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet East : UFC Preliminary Fights
Ildemar Alcantara vs. Wagner Prado; Pedro Nobre vs. Yuri Alcantara; Lucas Martins vs. Edson Barboza; Nik Lentz vs. Diego Nunes; Andrew Craig vs. Ronny Markes; Milton Vieira vs. Godofredo Pepey. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
8:00 p.m. ET The Score: The Score Fighting Series
The Score Fighting Series (SFS) features fighters from North America and beyond with a focus on exciting match-ups and developing the next generation of great fighters. Tune in for non-stop action from events across the country.
9:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Live Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping; C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian; Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell; c vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
9:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet West: UFC Live Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping; C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian; Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell; Thiago Tavares vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
9:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Ontario: UFC Live Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping; C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian; Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell; Thiago Tavares vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
9:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet East: UFC Live Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping; C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian; Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell; Thiago Tavares vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
9:00 p.m. ET FX: UFC on FX 7: Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping; C.B. Dollaway vs. Daniel Sarafian; Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ben Rothwell; Thiago Tavares vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. From Sao Paulo, Brazil.
11:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Post-Fight Show UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Postfight show for FX 7: Vitor Belfort vs Michael Bisping, featuring Jay Glazer and top MMA analysts recapping the middleweight battle.
12:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Post-Fight Show UFC: Vitor Belfort vs. Michael Bisping
Postfight show for FX 7: Vitor Belfort vs Michael Bisping, featuring Jay Glazer and top MMA analysts recapping the middleweight battle. Read more -
Ben Rothwell Got Real About Losses, Changed His Habits
By: Sherdog.com Staff
Follow the jump for reader comments. Read more -
Podcast: Rothwell, Knapp
By: Jared Koll
Jeff Sherwood and Greg Savage were back Friday for another edition of 'The Savage Dog Show' on The SRN.
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Joining them was UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell, fresh off his knockout victory over Brendan Schaub. 'Big Ben' discussed where the win leaves him in the UFC landscape and when he wants to fight next.
Also dropping by, Invicta Fighting Championship's President, Shannon Knapp, who talked about her promotion's upcoming, all-female fight card.
The crew also gleaned over the NFL Draft's first day, and voiced their opinion on mixed martial arts judging's proclivity towards 10-10 rounds.
Check out "The Savage Dog Show here.
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Rothwell on Why He Hasn’t Accumulated Much Damage
By: Sherdog.com Staff
Ben Rothwell (Pictured), on “The Savage Dog Show,” giving his perspective on his career:
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“The difference between my fights and say, Pedro Rizzo’s and [Antonio Rodrigo] Nogueira’s, is [they’re] great fighters, but most of the 31 wins I’ve had, I’ve ended in the first round without even getting a scratch. Those guys have had wars, beaten to a pulp, and then they would win the fights. There’s no way around it -- that takes a toll on your body. I’ve had a couple of scraps and I’ve been beat on a bit but not nearly as much as other guys that have had a lot of fights like me. Blame it on the competition level or whatever; I’m fine with it. I’m happy with where I’m at. I just take all those fights as experience. I’m going into the UFC, my next fight I’m 0-0. That’s just how I feel. I’m a new man and I don’t care about the past. It was all a learning experience and I’m just worried about the future.”
Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:29:20). -
UFC 115 Postmortem: Liddell’s Finale, ‘Cro Cop’ Comes Back, More
By: Jake Rossen
Rory MacDonald File Photo: Sherdog.com
If you ever needed any proof that a fight isn’t over until it’s over -- and in Paul Daley’s case, not even then -- UFC 115 should be plenty proof enough.
Rory MacDonald was controlling Carlos Condit on the ground, looking every bit the prospect he was made to be, until Condit turned it around late in the third and wound up getting a stoppage seconds before MacDonald would’ve gotten the decision; Patrick Barry beat Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic to the punch, even knocking him down twice in the first, until Mirko found a stationary target in a fatigued Barry and sunk in a choke; Chuck Liddell defied industry wisdom that he was cooked and looked the best he had in years -- until Rich Franklin threw a short, awkward right that flipped his fuse, his fight, and his career.
The most common explanation for these rallies is that there are simply too many ways to lose in mixed martial arts. But it’s not just that: it’s that there are too many decisions to be made in the heat of the moment, and any one of them could wind up scalding you. Fighters are heckled when they have an opponent hurt and don’t go in for the kill (Barry simply stared at Mirko after dumping him on his butt), but racing in and committing to an attack has problems of its own (Liddell ate that KO right after trying to swarm a stumbling Franklin).
Anyone can strategize over a period of days or weeks, but making the right commitments in the moment is what separates the contenders from the stepping stones. If MMA is “kinetic chess,” as some say, it’s really more a game of speed chess, with no luxury of time involved. Having skill is only as important as being able to deliver it at velocity.
That’s one of many reasons Liddell will never see the inside of the Octagon again. (His retirement is really the first among the Zuffa-era box office attractions.) It’s easier for some fighters to walk away when the money is blue-collar and the audience is lukewarm; it’s going to be harder for men like Liddell who will miss the adrenaline dump of having 15,000 or 20,000 fans happy to see him. It’s not the competition they love so much as the arena.
Some styles age well, and some don’t. Liddell’s does not. Hopefully the peers that will keep him out of the ring tomorrow will have the same conviction a year or two from now.
Next for Liddell: Retirement, unless the UFC wants to be perceived as sadistically as Pride and Dream have been for allowing Kazushi Sakuraba a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the ring.
Next for Franklin: If he wants a proper run at the 205-pound title, fights with Ryan Bader or Jon Jones would be a start.
Next for Barry: Less of the gee-whiz reverence toward opponents and more of the killer instinct he delivers sermons on (“I don’t hit hard -- I hit scary”). Fighting Todd Duffee would guarantee one of them gets back on track.
Next for Filipovic: He looked good but not great against Barry; a rematch with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is more their speed at this point. Read more -
Quick Quote: Rothwell Says Barry Will Beat ‘Cro Cop’ at His Own Game
On the Sherdog Radio Network’s Savage Dog Show, Ben Rothwell called Patrick Barry’s bout against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic on Saturday at UFC 115 a “passing of the torch.” Barry had helped Rothwell prepare for a fight against Cro Cop last year that was canceled. Rothwell said his own approach would have been different from what Barry is going to do: “The way Pat’s going to beat Cro Cop is at what Cro Cop does. I wasn’t going to go in there and throw left kicks at Cro Cop and try to beat him that way. Pat Barry can do that.”
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Poll: Rothwell-Yvel
By: Mike Fridley
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Cro Cop: Not to be Underestimated
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Big Plans: Velasquez Talks Future Opponents
By: Jake Rossen
You’re Cain Velasquez and you’ve just made Ben Rothwell’s mother exit the arena in a hurry, likely earning yourself a title shot. You probably want to sleep. Too bad the media has other plans.
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Velasquez and trainer Javier Mendez spoke to Sherdog.com’s Greg Savage to evaluate the issues involved in facing either Brock Lesnar or Shane Carwin, who fight one another Nov. 21. And unlike some camps that promote the idea their athletes could hang with mace and small-caliber weapons, Mendez was practical.
“[Lesnar] is an extremely hard fight for us,” Mendez said. “We’re going to definitely have to win the standup game and the kicking game. And then the wrestling, the size of Brock could potentially neutralize us, but Cain’s cardio is going to neutralize him, so it’s going to be a really, really interesting fight.”
I’m not sure there’s anything to neutralize in Lesnar’s cardio conditioning: he had no problem staying in Heath Herring’s face in a 15-minute fight, which is downright demoralizing considering his near 280-pound frame. Big men are supposed to wear out easy. That’s how life stays fair. Lesnar doesn’t.
And on Carwin: “Should Carwin get past Lesnar, it’s going to be a little different fight. We can’t attack the same as against Lesnar because Carwin is to be respected because of his incredible power, and his wrestling is top notch also. We will have to take a different path because he is a different fighter with different strengths.”
More ambiguous: Carwin is more or less Lesnar’s mirror. But if anyone’s cardio should be open to debate, it’s Carwin’s, who hasn’t seen a second round anywhere but in a gym. -
UFC 104 Post-Mortem: Split Decisions, Raising Cain, and More
By: Jake Rossen
Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
No amount of complaining, debate or controversy will change the fact that Lyoto Machida entered Staples Center as the light heavyweight champion and exited the same way during Saturday’s UFC 104 event. He’s 16-0, and only a positive drug test -- unlikely at best -- will change that. It is what it is.
But the fight result tells an incomplete story: the “unanimous” decision for Machida doesn’t apply if you count fan reaction, with many in the media and on the couch believing Mauricio “Shogun” Rua had edged him out. (I had the fight 49-47 for Rua, with a rare-but-allowable 10-10 first round and Rua taking all but the third.) Rua found a home for his kicks to the torso with increasing accuracy; Machida parried and landed with less frequency. Watch the entire fight over without trying to measure strikes and see how often Rua comes forward while Machida steps back. Aggression counts.
There was no “robbery” and Lee Murray was not seen fleeing the arena. Rua may have appeared to look better than he did because we’ve grown accustomed to Machida operating in complete control. Rua has a right to be upset, though: he should’ve woken up next to something beautiful and shiny Sunday morning.
Next for Machida: Rounds 6-10 with Rua.
Next for Rua: Rounds 6-10 with Machida.
Next for Cain Velasquez: A shot against the Brock Lesnar/Shane Carwin winner on 11/21. (If Carwin deserves his bid, so does Velasquez.)
Next for Ben Rothwell: A sponsor other than Extenze, and possibly Antoni Hardonk or Roy Nelson.
Next for Anthony Johnson: Stomach stapling. Paul Daley.
Etc…
During the post-fight press conference, Mauricio Rua said his team had assured him he was winning the fight and he didn’t feel the need to press the action. When you want objective scoring, maybe stay away from your own corner…No major media outlet on my radar scored the fight for Machida; athletes Twittering didn’t express any support for the champion, either: Frank Trigg and Jorge Gurgel used the word “robbed.” Strikeforce lightweight Josh Thomson voiced minority attitude: “Machida won. You have to beat the champ to be the champ.”…Patrick Barry knocked out $120,000 in bonus dough, taking $60,000 each for KO of the Night and Fight of the Night against Antoni Hardonk. Read more