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The ‘Big Rigg’ Bundle: Tasty, But Not Training-Table Approved
By: Tristen Critchfield
Want to eat like a professional mixed martial artist? Then it’s probably best to avoid the ”Big Rigg” Bundle , a Johny Hendricks-themed meal from Wild Wing, an Ontario-based restaurant chain.
According to the menu, the “Big Rigg” Bundle includes a 60-ounce pitcher of Miller Genuine Draft and a trio wing sampler -- 21 wings with three flavors -- for $39.99. Although Hendricks probably would have preferred a welterweight title shot following his knockout of Martin Kampmann at UFC 154, having a menu item named after you is a sure sign that you have arrived as a professional athlete.
And while Hendricks himself probably won’t be gorging himself on beer and wings as he prepares to meet Jake Ellenberger at UFC 158, there will likely be more than a few fans willing to do the honors for him as he steps into the Octagon in Montreal on March 16.
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Thursday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Thursday
3:00 a.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: The Ultimate Fighter
Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson
3:00 a.m. ET MavTV: King of the Cage: Classics Vol. 6
A historic collection of match ups.
4:00 a.m. ET MavTV: King of the Cage: Greatest KO's 5
Some of the best knockouts in the history of King of the Cage.
4:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight'12 Review; '13 Preview
Relive the year's best moments in UFC; look ahead to UFC in 2013, with a preview of what's in store.
4:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Ultimate Insider
Flashback Seattle; Heavyweights Collide Experience UFC on FOX 5 from a new perspective; The comeback of Cain Velasquez; Randy Couture analyzes the Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez championship fight.
5:00 a.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.
5:30 a.m. ET Sportsnet ONE: UFC Central
Hosted by "Showdown" Joe Ferraro. UFC highlights and news.
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 Ultimate Insider
Flashback Seattle; Heavyweights Collide Experience UFC on FOX 5 from a new perspective; The comeback of Cain Velasquez; Randy Couture analyzes the Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez championship fight.
7:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC 155: Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II - Prelims
Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson, Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland, Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway, Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury, Philip De Fries vs. Todd Duffee, Byron Byron Bloodworth vs. Erik Perez from Las Vegas, Nev.
10:30 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight'12 Review; '13 Preview
Relive the year's best moments in UFC; look ahead to UFC in 2013, with a preview of what's in store.
11:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
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.
11:30 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.
12:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Jim Miller vs. Nate 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: Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic
Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic; Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah; Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin; Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman; John Hathaway vs. John Maguire; Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig. From Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England. (Card subject to change)
5:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman
Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman; Brandon Vera vs. James Te Huna; Jon Fitch vs. Aaron Simpson. From San Jose, Calif.
8:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le
Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le; Stanislav Nedkov vs. Thiago Silva & more. From Macau, China.
10:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: Bellator 360
The Lightweights are highlighted with guest Michael Chandler.
11:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann
Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann; Mackens Semerzier vs. Daniel Pineda. From Sydney, Australia.
11:00 p.m. ET SpikeTV: Bellator 360
The Middleweights Read more -
Johny Hendricks Rooting for Georges St. Pierre Against Nick Diaz
By: Sherdog.com Staff
Johny Hendricks, on “Beatdown,” discussing the UFC 158 welterweight title bout between Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz:
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“I want GSP to win because I want to fight GSP. Don’t get me wrong: If Diaz wins, then I’ll want to fight Nick Diaz. But I would like to really fight GSP right now. ... I’m in it for a belt. He’s done this to me, and if he goes out there and loses, I’m not going to say, ‘I want to fight GSP. I don’t want a belt. I want to fight GSP.’ I want a shot at the title. That’s all that matters to me is taking that belt home.” -
Podcast: Johny Hendricks, Jake Ellenberger
By: Sherdog.com Staff
"Beatdown" was back Wednesday as TJ De Santis and Jeff Sherwood welcomed UFC welterweight fighters Johny Hendricks and Jake Ellenberger to the program. The two men are set to face off against one another at March's UFC 158 card in Montreal.
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"The Bigg Rigg" Johny Hendricks has had an outstanding couple of years inside the UFC's octagon. Defeating perennial top contenders like Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, and his most recent knockout victory over Martin Kampmann. Yet, Hendricks' fight with welterweight champion Georges St.Pierre has been tabled for now. Instead, he will face Jake Ellenberger at UFC 158. The Team Takedown product joined TJ and Jeff to talk about his championship snubbing, his thoughts on GSP-Diaz, and why he feels the Ellenberger match is more dangerous than a fight with St. Pierre.
The other side of that same story is told as Jake Ellenberger joins "Beatdown" to state his case as why he may be next in line for "Rush." The Nebraska native talked with TJ and Jeff about the March fight, if he feels Hendricks is truly the number one contender, and what he would be doing if he weren't competing in mixed martial arts.
De Santis and Sherwood take more year end predictions, answer calls, emails and tweets, and poll the audience on who the best commentating team is mixed martial arts is.
Check it out here. -
Johny Hendricks: I’ve Done Enough for Title Shot
By: Sherdog.com Staff
Johny Hendricks, on “Cheap Seats,” discussing his willingness to wait on a welterweight title shot rather than fight again if he doesn’t get the next crack at the belt:
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“I’ve done enough to get me here. Like I said, all it takes is one mistake, one this, one that, and I know it can happen in a title shot too, but here’s the difference: If you do good in a title shot, you get more publicity, more people, more followers. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to look at it as not only maybe getting a chance at a title shot, but a chance to maybe beat somebody that hasn’t been beaten in a long, long, long time. That’s what I’m excited for.” -
Friday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Friday
3:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic
Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic; Dan Hardy vs. Amir Sadollah; Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin; Paul Sass vs. Matt Wiman; John Hathaway vs. John Maguire; Che Mills vs. Duane Ludwig. From Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England. (Card subject to change)
9:00 a.m. ET MTV2: Bellator Fighting Championships 82
From Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., Lyman Good vs. Andrey Koreshkov; Alexander Sarnavskiy vs. Tony Hervey; Rickels vs. Fischer and Hose vs. Marshall.
10:00 a.m. ET FuelTV: UFC 154: Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos 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.
1:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Reloaded
UFC 144: Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson Relive the action from UFC 144 at Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo.
4:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz
Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz; Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson; Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks. From New Jersey.
6:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Road to the Octagon
Inside the training camps of six UFC fighters as they get ready for UFC Benson Henderson vs. Nate Diaz
7:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Benson Henderson vs.Nate Diaz - Weigh-in
Benson Henderson vs Nate Diaz at Key Arena in Seattle, Washington.
7:00 p.m. ET MTV2: Bellator Fighting Championships 83
From Caesars in Atlantic City, N.J.; Rad Martinez vs. Shahbulat Shamhalaev; Zach Makovsky vs. Anthony Leone; Zoila Gurgel vs. Jessica Eye.
8:00 p.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 p.m. ET AXS: Inside MMA
EPISODE: 269 Randy Couture; Greg Jackson; Tank Abbott; Nick Newell; an underground MMA event.
9:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Unleashed
Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson Lightweight title fight between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson at UFC 144; featherweight face-off between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway at UFC 143; UFC 142's battle between Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson.
10:00 p.m. ET AXS: XFC 21 Night of Champions II
Nick Newell vs. Eric Reynolds.
10:00 p.m. ET FX: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 12: Semifinal Showdown Two semifinal fights determine which two men will move on to fight in the finale for a UFC contract.
10:30 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.
11:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet Pacific: UFC Central
Hosted by "Showdown" Joe Ferraro. UFC highlights and news. Read more -
Podcast: Johny Hendricks Joins 'Cheap Seats'
By: Sherdog.com Staff
Hosts Jordan Breen and Greg Savage returned on Thursday for a new edition of "Cheap Seats" on the Sherdog Radio Network.
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Welterweight contender Johny Hendricks joined them to talk about his recent UFC 154 win against Martin Kampmann and how he feels about a fight between himself and Georges St. Pierre.
The duo also opened up the phone lines and the inboxes to answer any MMA-related questions. Listen to “Cheap Seats” here. -
Sunday MMA: A TV Viewer’s Guide
By: Jeff Sherwood
Sunday
5:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC Tonight
Fighter's Cut Rashad Evans gives you an inside look at his biggest fights.
5:30 p.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.
6:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le
Rich Franklin vs. Cung Le; Stanislav Nedkov vs. Thiago Silva & more. From Macau, China.
8:00 p.m. ET The Score: Bellator Fight Night
Bellator Fighting Championships is the world’s fastest growing MMA organization. “Bellator” is Latin for warrior and was created by sports marketing visionary Bjorn Rebney. The core belief of the organization is that title shots must be earned, not given. Fighters compete in single-elimination tournaments for a shot at the Bellator title and a $100,000 prize.
9:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 10: Coming for You The rift grows between Michael Hill and Mike Ricci; the quarterfinals kick off as Bristol Marunde faces Neil Magny; Colton Smith takes on Igor Araujo with a spot in the semifinals on the line.
10:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: The Ultimate Fighter
Season 16 Episode 11: Fight the Perfect Fight Joey Rivera and Jon Manley face-off to stay in the competition; the tension builds between Michal Hill and Mike Ricci before they enter the octagon; the last two match-ups before the finale are revealed.
11:00 p.m. ET FuelTV: UFC: Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz
Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz; Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson; Josh Koscheck vs. Johnny Hendricks. From New Jersey. Read more -
Top 5 Stories of the Week
By: Brian Knapp
Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks wants a shot at UFC gold. | Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Neither Johny Hendricks nor the men who populate his inner circle want him to get lost in the hubbub surrounding a potential super fight between Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight and welterweight titleholders Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre.
Hendricks has emerged as the top contender for St. Pierre’s 170-pound title, with successive victories against T.J. Waldburger, Mike Pierce, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Martin Kampmann. Steven Wright, Hendricks’ striking coach with Team Takedown, did not mince words when talked turned to who they want next.
“Clearly, after the resume that we’ve put together, we definitely want GSP,” Wright told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show.
Other stories of interest on Sherdog.com this week:
Pursuing ‘Rush’
Call of Duty
Policy Shift
‘Spartan’ Sensation
Moniker Mania
Follow the jump for reader comments. Read more -
Tim Marchman Joins Press Row
By: Jordan Breen
Every Wednesday, Administrative Editor Jordan Breen welcomes a member of the mixed martial arts media into “Press Row” on the Sherdog.com blog. This week, Breen is joined by Wall Street Journal sports columnist and The Classical.org co-founder Tim Marchman.
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Breen and Marchman examine the expectations and outcomes of Georges St. Pierre at UFC 154, how they've changed or intensified people's desire to see the welterweight ruler Anderson Silva and whether or not that superfight is even feasible. The two also delve deeper into the current UFC's business rhythm to assess why superfights are suddenly all the rage for Dana White and others.
The pair also investigate the political ironies of the UFC pushing its superstars for major fights, who and when St. Pierre will fight next, the potential appeal of Johny Hendricks as a title challenger and much more.
Grab your credential and get a seat in “Press Row.”
