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Thursday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Thursday
4:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 2 Relive the Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012, from 25 down to number one, as we count down the year's greatest events in mixed martial arts.
4:00 a.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: The Ultimate Fighter
Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson
5:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Unleashed
Rory MacDonald vs. Mike Pyle; Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim; Brendan Schaub vs Mirko Cro Cop; Rashad Evans vs Tito Ortiz.
6:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
Fuel for the Fire Long Island native Chris Weidman tours the town he loves; Alexander Gustafsson sits down with Jon Anik; Nate Diaz's submission game; Chad Mendes' dominating performance.
6:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
Alexander Gustafsson's San Diego training; Joe Lauzon's signature moves; Arianny Celeste poses.
7:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis Prelims
The next generation of UFC stars in a night of unforgettable action.
9:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Presents Benson Henderson: Rising Up
Benson Henderson's mother, brother, girlfriend, coach and Benson, himself, reveal the motivations and desires that drive him.
9:00 a.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 84
10:00 a.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 85
10:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Countdown155
Leading up to the Heavyweight title fight UFC 155: Junior dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez II.
11:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 1 Part one of The Top 50 Moments of 2012. From one-punch knockouts to amazing submissions to come-from-behind victories, UFC TONIGHT's Kenny Florian takes us through moments 50-26 in this week's special.
11:00 a.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 86
11:30 a.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 2 Relive the Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012, from 25 down to number one, as we count down the year's greatest events in mixed martial arts.
12:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 82
1:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 83 George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon; B.J. Penn vs. Matt Hughes; Akiyama vs. Leben.
2:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 89
3:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 90 Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber, bantamweight title match. Sam Stout vs. Yves Edwards, lightweight match.
4:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 91 Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes, featherweight match; Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago, middleweight match; Jake Ellenberger vs. Sean Pierson, welterweight match.
4:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 1 Part one of The Top 50 Moments of 2012. From one-punch knockouts to amazing submissions to come-from-behind victories, UFC TONIGHT's Kenny Florian takes us through moments 50-26 in this week's special.
4:30 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 2 Relive the Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012, from 25 down to number one, as we count down the year's greatest events in mixed martial arts.
5:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 93 Jon Jones takes on Ryan Bader; Junior dos Santos takes on Shane Carwin; Cain Velasquez takes on Brock Lesnar.
5:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Reloaded
UFC 143 Nick Diaz takes on Carlos Condit for the Interim title.
6:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 92 Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami; Mauricio Rua vs. Forrest Griffin; Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve.
7:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: UFC Unleashed
EPISODE: 94 Jon Jones vs. Rampage Jackson; Minotauro Nogueira vs. Brendan Schaub.
8:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Ontario: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
8:00 p.m. ET Ontario: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
8:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 1 Part one of The Top 50 Moments of 2012. From one-punch knockouts to amazing submissions to come-from-behind victories, UFC TONIGHT's Kenny Florian takes us through moments 50-26 in this week's special.
8:30 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012 Part 2 Relive the Top 50 UFC Moments in 2012, from 25 down to number one, as we count down the year's greatest events in mixed martial arts.
9:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Cain Valasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
From the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
9:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet West: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
10:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Countdown155
Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II Leading up to the Heavyweight title fight UFC 155: Dos Santos vs Velasquez II.
10:00 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Countdown
Countdown to UFC 155
11:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Unleashed
UFC 143 Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit; UFC 142 Rousimar Palhares and and Mike Massenzio; Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon at UFC 144.
12:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: Best of PRIDE Fighting Championship
Fastest Fights in Pride History Countdown of the fastest fights. Read more -
Friday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Friday
3:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Reloaded
UFC Rio Jose Aldo defends his Featherweight title against undefeated Chad Mendes.
10:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC 154: St-Pierre vs. Condit - Prelims
John Makdessi vs. Sam Stout; Rodrigo Damm vs. Antonio Carvalho; Chad Griggs vs. Cyrille Diabate; Alessio Sakara vs. Patrick Cote. From Bell Centre in Montreal.
9:00 a.m. ET MTV2: Bellator Fighting Championships 81
Marcin Held vs. Rich Clementi; Dave Jansen vs. Ricardo Tirloni; Marlon Sandro vs. Dustin Neace.
12:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Miller vs. Diaz
Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz; Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson; Josh Koscheck vs. Johnny Hendricks. From New Jersey.
2:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC 154: St-Pierre vs. Condit - Prelims
John Makdessi vs. Sam Stout; Rodrigo Damm vs. Antonio Carvalho; Chad Griggs vs. Cyrille Diabate; Alessio Sakara vs. Patrick Cote. From Bell Centre in Montreal.
4:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 1: Bring It! Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson coach opposing teams of fighters competing for a six-figure UFC contract.
6:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 2: What We Do Sixteen victorious welterweights move into the house; Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin pick their squads; the first two welterweights face off.
7:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 3: We Have Control One fighter engages in noisy late night activities, creating enemies on both teams; Coach Carwin announces his first match-up.
8:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 4: Can't Fix Stupid Dana treats the fighters to a special outing away from the house; Roy uses a bizarre method to pick the next matchup; one fighter's weight problem puts his future in jeopardy; two more welterweights face off.
8:00 p.m. ET MTV2: Bellator's Road to the Championships Season 7
Highlights from the tournaments this season; analysis on the finals.
9:00 p.m. ET MAVTV: Inside MMA
EPISODE: 267 Benson Henderson; Kenny Rice; Bas Rutten; Ron Kruck talks with Dana White.
9:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 5: Unleash the Beast Julian Lane lashes out after being disrespected by another fighter; Team Nelson wants more coaching from Roy; Mike Ricci once again finds himself at odds with Nic Herron-Webb; Coach Carwin chooses two welterweights to fight.
10:00 p.m. ET AXS: The Score Fighting Series 7
Jordan Mein vs. Forrest Petz; from Hamilton, Ontario.
10:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 6: One Mission Team Nelson has doubts about Roy's leadership, Carwin puts his squad through an unusual training session; a prank at the house ignites heated smack talk between fighters; two more welterweights face off in the fifth preliminary fight.
10:00 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.
11:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 7: Summer Camp Coach Roy once again has a fighter choose his own opponent; Forrest Griffin drops in for training; the feud between Hill and Secor reaches its boiling point; Dana White expresses his outrage after the 6th preliminary fight.
12:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 8: Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Trash talk causes a scuffle; Dana visits the house to give the fighters an eye-opening lecture; two more welterweights face off in the 7th preliminary fight. Read more -
Carwin: No Warm-up Fights in UFC
By: Sherdog.com Staff
Shane Carwin (Pictured) will step into the cage for the first time in nearly a year when he squares off with Junior dos Santos in the UFC 131 main event on Saturday at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. During a pre-fight teleconference, the 36-year-old Coloradan discussed moving out of his original fight with Jon Olav Einemo and facing Dos Santos as Brock Lesnar’s replacement:
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“I don’t know if there are any warm-up fights in the UFC. You’re fighting a top group of guys in the world that have competed to get to that level. Jon was no exception. He was a gold medalist in jiu-jitsu and trains with one of the top striking teams in the world. He was a tough opponent. He just hasn’t run the same course that Junior dos Santos has run. Either way, I had to make sure I was prepared to come in there and fight at my best.” -
Here We Go: Carwin's Training Partners
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Here We Go: Camp Carwin
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Carwin Under Fire
By: Jake Rossen
Shane Carwin file photo: Sherdog.com
Every so often, the dormant conversation about the silent-partner role of steroids in mixed martial arts gets a nice kick in the rear -- though now the intervals seem to be getting longer. Is it due to more athletes being dissuaded from using, or simply getting better about finding efficient ways to not get caught? You have to wonder.
The industry hasn’t had a scapegoat since Josh Barnett’s positive test in summer 2009, but the draught is over: Shane Carwin has been named one of the supplied clients of J. Michael Bennett, an Alabama pharmacist who just got sentenced to four years for his participation in a conspiracy to sell anabolic steroids. Carwin allegedly received the stuff sometime in 2006, which would pre-date his entry into the UFC. That his possible use being in the past tense makes this a negligible issue for some is beyond my comprehension.
What if Carwin did use steroids? That would mean fights where he was conceivably aided by the improved strength and recovery opportunities of his “supplements.” Read more -
UFC 116 Postmortem: Lesnar’s Rank Secured, Leben Hits a Double
By: Jake Rossen
Brock Lesnar file photo: Sherdog.com
Calling a bout between two super-heavyweights Fight of the Year material used to be the set-up to a punch line. Being big and athletic meant heading for the NFL; never moving past varsity football and lacking self-preservation meant a stint in Japan or in one of the minor leagues, where promoters expected a solid 30 seconds of action before your lungs shut down. If they got 40, maybe you’d get a bonus.
In terms of an overall MMA game, no one is going to confuse Brock Lesnar or Shane Carwin for B.J. Penn. But part of fighting is tailoring your abilities to what your body does best. For Carwin, it was smashing; for Lesnar, it’s being a Division 1 wrestler with a gas tank, tremendous power and a mean streak.
Was their meeting Saturday a 101 in the game? No. But Lesnar’s unbelievable attrition and the emotional element -- so many people are invested in Lesnar’s results -- made it the most compelling fight of the year.
It was an education. Lesnar, always the hammer, could be the nail without giving up: he doesn’t suffer from demoralization after adversity, which is rare in an athlete who usually enjoys the advantage. He’s developing a submission game that’s tailored to the positional control he forces. And it may take a baseball bat soaked in concrete to knock him out.
Carwin’s scorecard was less flattering. Despite constant claims from his camp that he could go five hard rounds with no problem, he was the walking dead going into round two. (Carwin might be hitting 15 rounds in training, but it’s irrelevant: nothing prepares you for the emotional vacuum of a live fight.) He was unable to conserve either his attack on Lesnar or his energy. He came within seconds of stopping him, but it’s Lesnar who will get the credit for surviving. “Came close” isn’t a notation on a fight record.
Lesnar’s comeback was a fitting end to a night that seemed to be all about will and heart over technique and playing for points. Stephan Bonnar, in danger of dropping four straight, had a palpable desperation he used to finish off Krzysztof Soszynski; Chris Leben, only two weeks removed from a big win, took out a guy above his pay grade in Yoshihiro Akiyama. Everyone bled and everyone was smiling. If that doesn’t sum up the sport of mixed martial arts, I don’t know what would.
The winners were all pleased, obviously -- but it was Lesnar who seemed downright content. Much has been made of his seemingly short attention span, how he jumped from pro wrestling to pro football tryouts to fighting, and whether he won’t soon get bored with his latest interest. But you’ve never seen a man more at peace with getting beaten up.
"If it was legal and I wouldn't get in trouble, I'd pick a fight on every street,” he told ESPN.com in 2004, three years before his debut. “If I wouldn't lose any money or nothing, I would fight. I'd fight every day." It’s legal, he’s not losing any money, and he’s getting into it every day in the gym. No wonder the guy is smiling.
Next for Lesnar: Cain Velasquez, who is going to bring more technical hands than Carwin’s with the cardio to back them up. Read more -
The 5 Best Moments from UFC 116
Chris Leben file photo: Sherdog.com
UFC 116 was like watching “Blade Runner” on mute with Faith No More playing in the background -- unvarnished gonzo awesomeness.
What follows is a collection of the five moments that sum up this doozy of an evening.
Lesnar Stands Up
After losing for the first time in some 10 years, Fedor Emelianenko famously said “The man who doesn’t fall, doesn’t stand up.”
On Saturday night, Brock Lesnar fell and he fell hard. Shane Carwin’s freakish punching power looked like it was too much for the supposedly unstoppable South Dakotan freight train. Both standing and on the mat, Lesnar ate everything Carwin had to offer for nearly five full minutes.
It was near the five minute mark that Lesnar did what no one had done after taking Carwin’s best shot -- he stood up. Now that this most unlikely of UFC heavyweight champions has secured his place atop the division, there is a certain poetic justice to him living up the words of his predecessor.
Leben Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
He was out on his feet, tossed all over the cage and had the face to prove it, but Chris Leben did what he always does -- he kept coming forward. That almost inhuman ability to endure in the face of impossible odds was looking like it may not be enough however, as Yoshihiro Akiyama was inching closer and closer to a decision win.
With just a few scant seconds left on the clock, Leben lived up to his cardiac kid reputation by cinching a fight-ending triangle choke that sent a wildly partisan crowd into nationalistic hysterics. Considering his recent comeback win over Aaron Simpson, it was the perfect closing note to an impossible two-week run of heroics for the alumnus of the very first season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Read more -
Report Card: UFC 116
By: Mike Fridley
Grades are in from Las Vegas, where Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin shook the cage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in front of a sellout crowd.
Brock Lesnar: A+
Lesnar’s hype is the real deal. I figured the champion would fold at some point as Shane Carwin slugged away on the prone and bleeding fighter, but pure heart allowed Lesnar a fresh start against a gassed fighter in round two. Lesnar did what he does best and easily took his prey down, but the true surprise was the kata gatame that cemented his status as the sport’s top heavyweight.
Shane Carwin: B-
The first round went as many expected. Carwin used brute force to blow his opponent away, but obviously punched himself out in the assault. Carwin will be back. Add his first opponent to your prayer list.
Chris Leben: A-
Two wins over a pair of respected opponents in 14 days. Leben is tough as nails and showed a flair for the dramatic in his come-from-behind submission of a judo black belt in Yoshihiro Akiyama. Following the bout, the Oregonian voiced his desire to face Wanderlei Silva, whom Leben replaced on short notice at UFC 116. Silva testing Leben’s chin at break-neck pace? Sign me up. Read more -
Poll: Lesnar-Carwin Pick 'Em
