Is Rashad Willing to Slug It Out With Forrest?

Everyone knows Rashad Evans for his obvious strength in wrestling, as displayed in most of his fights, but most prominently against Tito Ortiz. Coming off of his stunning knockout of Chuck Liddell, will the winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 2 chance slugging it out with UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 on Saturday night?

He sure might.

"When you have a major wrestling background, you learn to use it as a defense. So you know you're not going to get taken down by somebody and you can take a little bit more chances on your feet and slug it out," said Evans.

"The hard part is just getting yourself to be comfortable enough to stand up and throw the blows. Sometimes you throw a couple of shots and someone catches you with one and the next thing you know is you want to wrap them up. You've just got to ignore that instinct and you've just got to just fight through it."

So in the first championship battle between Ultimate Fighter winners, will we see an epic battle similar to the Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin fight that launched The Ultimate Fighter franchise?

Who knows? But we'll find out Saturday night at UFC 92.

Arlovski 360: Count Down to Day of Reckoning

Check out more on Andrei Arlovski at his official website.

UFC vs Pride Rules: Rampage Says, "A Fight Is A Fight."

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson takes on "The Axe Murderer," Wanderlei Silva, at UFC 92 Saturday night in Las Vegas. It will be their third fight but their first under Unified Rules. Their two previous bouts took place under Pride rules with ten-minute first rounds, yellow cards, stomps, soccer kicks, knees to the head on the ground, no elbows, and took place in a square ring.

This time around, they will compete for three, five-minute rounds, inside the world famous Octagon with no knees to the head on the ground, no stomps, no soccer kicks, but they are allowed to use elbows.

Seems like a big difference, but Jackson doesn't think so. "A fight is a fight," says the former UFC light heavyweight titleholder.

"Wanderlei is a warrior... Wanderlei fought in the UFC before he fought in Pride," he pointed out. "I don't think it makes a difference. A fight is a fight. I'll fight Wanderlei in a phone booth if I had to.

"It don't matter what the rules are or what the advantages is. A fight is a fight," Jackson added. "I do like the Pride rules, and I do like some of the UFC rules. I wish that, if there was a perfect world for me, I wish we could mix them up and have both rules. That would be cool."

At the end of the day, Rampage commented, "I'm just thinking about staying within the rules and having a good fight."

Cage Rage Champ Talks Cage Rage and EliteXC Demise

Mostapha Al Turk, who makes his UFC debut against Cheick Kongo at UFC 92, spoke with MMAWeekly.com about the demise of ProElite and subsequently, Cage Rage.

"It's always sad to see any organization sort of come to their knees. But hey, you know, there's not one person or one organization that's bigger than the sport itself. And where as one door closes, another one opens for anybody," said the former Cage Rage British heavyweight titleholder. "I'm disappointed to see that happen for Cage Rage and EliteXC, but hey, life carries on.

"Cage Rage, they're a great bunch of guys. A very professional organization. I've got nothing bad to say about the guys that ran Cage Rage and the time I've had at Cage Rage, nothing bad what so ever really. It's all been positive," added Al Turk.

"It was the main show in the U.K., so it had a massive fan base. It was huge in the U.K."

Dana White's UFC 92 Blog - Episode 1

The first installment of Dana White's UFC 92 blog. In this episode Dana gives fans an inside view for the "Video Game Awards" on Spike TV.

Affliction "Day of Reckoning" LA Press Conference

The Affliction "Day of Reckoning," featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski, press conference from Dec. 17 in Los Angeles...

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:

Ultimate Fighter Predicts the Ultimate UFC Championship

For the first time in UFC history, two winners of The Ultimate Fighter reality series on Spike TV will square off for a UFC championship. Forrest Griffin won the inaugural season of the show and defeated Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to capture the UFC light heavyweight title, while Rashad Evans won season two of the show. Now they will face each other on Dec. 27 at UFC 92 in Las Vegas.

Ryan Bader won the light heavyweight division of the most recent edition of The Ultimate Fighter, the show's eighth season. On a recent episode of MMAWeekly Radio, The Ultimate Fighter gave his thoughts on the UFC 92 title bout, the first ever "All Ultimate Fighter" championship if you will.

"It's hard to say. I think if Rashad uses his wrestling, he could definitely, probably win a decision," said Bader. "If he tries to stand the whole time, I think Forrest is just going to stay on the outside and pick him apart a little bit and also win a decision.

"Rashad is coming off his knockout of Chuck (Liddell) and he's pretty confident in his hands. I think Forrest is going to nitpick at him the whole time, but if Rashad goes back and takes him down at least once a round, I think he can definitely win," Bader continued. "So it's going to be hard, but I'm going to say, I'm actually going to say Rashad is going to take the belt.

"It's a scary thing when a wrestler has boxing."

Now there's an overly committed pick that makes you want to go out and bet the house.

VIDEO: BJPenn.com Show 4

Episode 4 (five parts) of the BJPenn.com Show...

BJPenn.com Show 4 - Segment 1



BJPenn.com Show 4 - Segment 2



BJPenn.com Show 4 - Segment 3



BJPenn.com Show 4 - Segment 4



BJPenn.com Show 4 - Segment 5
Find more videos like this on BJPENN.COM

The Holiday Wish List for Affliction Fighters

PRESS RELEASE:

With the holiday season in full swing, some of the top MMA fighters in the world fighting on the extraordinary Affliction "Day of Reckoning" fight card have made their holiday wish list, checked it twice and set their sights on goals and resolutions for the New Year. From cars to sushi dinners, a victory on January 24th isn't the only thing these fighters are hoping for this holiday season.

Holiday Wish List

Andrei Arlovski-
"Gift card to Dolce & Gabbana. Seriously, I just want to make my family and friends proud for the upcoming fight, and do my best for all my fans."

Josh Barnett-
"That everyone I care about can have the awareness and the ability to be better human beings."

Babalu Sobral-
"I want to enjoy the holiday with my family and friends."

Vladimir Matyushenko-
"A nice gift card to a sushi place. I love sushi."

Chris Horodecki-
"A car...black Jeep Wrangler. I want to put the top down and cruise around. Or a date with Halle Berry."

Brett Cooper-
"A laptop to use for my classes at Long Beach City College would be great."

Dan Lauzon-
"A car...that moves."

Jason High-
"Xbox 360."

Albert Rios-
"A new cell phone because I dropped mine in the toilet. I tried to dry it off but it is going crazy. I can't tell who is calling me anymore."

New Year's Resolutions
Andrei Arlovski-
"Beat Fedor, for my family to stay healthy, and for peace in all of the world."

Josh Barnett-
"To hold my own destiny."

Babalu Sobral-
"I want to continue the success of my gym in Cerritos, California, stay healthy and I have a child coming so I'm really looking forward to that."

Vladimir Matyushenko-
"Make a lot more money than I did last year. Also keep improving my gym VMAT MMA and PT Training Facility in El Segundo. And spend more time with my son who is about to turn 18."

Chris Horodecki-
"Continue the success of my gym Adrenaline Training Center in London, Canada."

Brett Cooper-
"Don't let girls get the best of me. Be a pimp and don't get pimped."

Dan Lauzon-
"Give up fast food. Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut."

Jason High-
"I don't make them. They are stupid and nobody ever keeps them."

Albert Rios-
"Stop eating Thai food in the middle of the night. I eat a bucket of noodles after training and it's not good when I'm trying to lose weight."

UFC 92 Title Bout Proves Reality Works

At UFC 86 back in July, Forrest Griffin took the first step in solidifying the worth of The Ultimate Fighter reality series as a fight factory for the UFC. He beat Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in a five-round war, and in the process, took his UFC light heavyweight belt, making Griffin the first Ultimate Fighter alum to win a UFC championship.

On Saturday night at UFC 92 in Las Vegas, another Ultimate Fighter milestone will be reached when Ultimate Fighter Season 1 winner Forrest Griffin and Ultimate Fighter Season 2 winner Rashad Evans fight for the title. The bout marks the first time two veterans of the reality series have battled for a belt.

"I think it's a great compliment to Forrest and myself," Evans noted of the distinction of the fight and The Ultimate Fighter ties. "Since I came off the show, I've been trying to keep up with Forrest because he set the tone coming off the show. He did excellent. But I have to show everyone that I can do my thing as well and it just wasn't a reality show."

Evans went on to comment about how he believes that The Ultimate Fighter is producing top tier talent, the superstars of the future for the UFC. "We're in a position right now, to really show that the show works to get the best talent out there and these fighters are going to be the fighters of the future. We're going to be the Chuck Liddells and the Randy Coutures because we have a following because the fans were watching us from the ground up."

GSP Talks B.J. Penn, UFC 94 with MMAWeekly.com

Georges St. Pierre discusses his upcoming UFC 94 mega-fight with B.J. Penn.

Princess of Pain Brings Women's MMA to the Movies

From The Smashing Machine, which aired on HBO as part of the network's documentary series, to Hollywood fare such as David Mamet's Red Belt, there have been opportunities for fans of many facets of the MMA world, but rarely has the female side of the sport been explored to much depth.

This is something that Princesses of Pain promoter Belinda Dunne hopes to change this coming film festival season with the release of a documentary shot during the promotion's May show.

"It's more about educating people about what female fighters are," said Dunne of the documentary. "In the end it's going to be very powerful because you're going to see some sad moments, happy moments, and angry moments -- mostly from me -- you're going to see the highs and lows of what it takes to put a television production and film together."

Belinda discussed the decision to submit the movie to the film festival circuit, including the Cannes Film Festival, possibly the most influential and prestigious platform for independent film.

"Right from the very beginning I had a very clear outline of what I wanted to achieve," she said. "It was always a target, what we always wanted.

"Also the reason I chose to go the film festival route instead of TV, because if I sent it to a network it would be changed too much. I needed to put the real story out there, that is what we set out to do and that is what we've done."

Dunne hopes the documentary will allow the promotion to expand beyond its New Zealand routes and truly become an international female fight league for women fighters both elite and novices, as well expand into the growing television market for MMA-based programming.

"I do believe with the production partners that we have and the direction that we've researched quite clearly, I do think we are onto a good direction and that you'll see some big things from us soon," she stated.

Bas Rutten's Top 5 MMA Gifts

With Christmas right around the corner and people still looking for last-minute gifts, MMAInsider spoke to legendary fighter, commentator and entrepreneur Bas "El Guapo" Rutten to get the rundown of his Top 5 gifts for the MMA enthusiast looking to up their game the way the pros do.

5 -- Fight Shorts with Non-Slip Material Inseams
"If I were competing right now I would like to have fight shorts that go to your knees or just a little bit over them with the inside gi-like (non-slip) material. I think those are better than anything else because you have traction because it's more difficult for your opponent to escape submissions like arm bars and triangle chokes."

4 -- Good Music to Listen to During Training
"Some people say it's not important, but for me it's one of the priorities. Techno to warm you up and when you want to get really aggressive go for music like Rage Against the Machine; that really gets me worked up."

3 -- Heavy Padded Training Gloves with Open Palms
"It's a little more difficult to do submissions with these - especially rear naked chokes - but you can actually spar with these gloves. If you injure your hands, training is over, and hand injuries are the worst because you can't hit or do submissions."

2 -- Dentist-Fitted Mouthpiece
"One that locks into your upper teeth and an under-bite for your lower teeth, this is very important. This makes a big difference when wanting to keep your teeth or between getting knocked out or not. You can resist a way bigger blow with a properly fitted mouthpiece than without."

1 -- Instructional DVD Sets
"If you want to focus on fighting in a cage, ring or MMA career I would say buy the Big DVDs of Combat. Even BJ Penn told me personally it was the best instructional he's seen. Or, if you're out with your girlfriend and need to protect yourself on the street get the Lethal Street Fighting DVD."

"This whole list is a great start, but in the end you need motivation and determination to make it all work. These gifts will be sure to get a smile and you'll be on your way to a fine 2009; Godspeed and party on!"

Arlovski 360: On the Road to Reckoning Episode 1 (Arlovski vs Fedor)

Check out more on Andrei Arlovski at his official website.

Kickboxing Champ Kathy Long Plans Jump to MMA at 44

Crossover success like that achieved this past year by female fighter Gina Carano is nothing new. In the early to mid 90's a handful of women involved in combat sports enjoyed a brief period of mainstream attention, among them Kathy Long.

Long, a five-time world kickboxing champion, parlayed her success in the ring and marketability into a multitude of media opportunities, such as acting in Oliver Stone's cult favorite Natural Born Killers and performing as Michelle Pfeiffer's stunt double for the role of Catwoman in Batman Returns.

Kathy was also witness to the creation of what became MMA as a color commentator for the very first UFC event, and in an interesting twist, looks to bring her involvement with the sport full circle by making her MMA fighting debut early in 2009.

"In watching some of the women and the exposure they're getting, I thought if there's a chance I could help the women get better purses and recognition, I want to," said the 44-year-old Long of her decision to come out of retirement to fight MMA.

"I've had a lot of exposure in the past when I was kickboxing. I was on Showtime PPV events, ESPN and, in that regard, I just want to be able to help women get better recognition and purses in the sport. I figure now is the time -- I'm not going to get any younger -- if I'm going to do it I've got to do it now."

Having watched the genesis of American MMA first hand at UFC 1, Kathy is amazed by how what was originally spectacle has become a legitimate sport.

"I wasn't too wild about it at the time, but since then it's grown, evolved and become something very different," she admitted. "It's incredible the amount of talent and knowledge that goes into each fighter and their abilities now."

Achieving a level of success and mainstream exposure in the past has allowed Long the experience to be able to give this generation's crop of breakthrough athletes advice on how to handle themselves in the spotlight.

"I would say this to any fighter who would be in the public eye; know yourself, stay humble and kick ass beautifully," she said. "Let your actions be your words. You can say whatever you want, but the proof is in the pudding."

Carwin Vs. Gonzaga Not Signed Yet

Despite several reports to the contrary, a bout between heavyweight prospect Shane Carwin and Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96 has not been signed.

A source from Carwin's camp told MMAInsider that Carwin had not received word of the bout, nor had he received any bout agreements for a fight with the top ranked Brazilian fighter.

Recently, Carwin was presented with a list of names of possible opponents, in which Gonzaga was at the top of the list. Though Colorado native Carwin would be open to such a bout, it is far from a done deal.

The source did say, however, that Carwin had recently inked a new extension to his UFC contract, and though the exact number was not disclosed, it is certain that Carwin will be with the promotion for at least four more fights. As of late, the UFC has increased the number of minimum fights for its extensions, with the average deal for between four and six fights.

UFC 92 Video Interview with Frank Mir

Arlovski/Sylvia From The Cutting Room Floor

MMAWeekly's recent video interview of Andre Arlovski proved his feud with Tim Sylvia is not quite over.

A few minutes into the conversation, Arlovski referred to the man that took his UFC crown as a "pee-pee taster," an homage of sorts to an earlier quip he made in July to MMARated. When asked how he felt about Sylvia getting cozy with ex-girlfriend Patrycja Mikula, he posed this question to "the Maine-iac": "How's taste my big pee-pee?"

Well, that wasn't all he said.

It was about halfway into the interview when Arlovski was asked how he would succeed where Tim Sylvia failed.

As soon as Arlovski heard the word Sylvia, his body tightened and his face turned to a scowl.

"First of all, Tim Sylvia and Andre Arlovski is something personal," Arlovski said. "He start all this bullshit, and honestly, I don't even want to talk about Tim Sylvia. He's like, I don't respect him. For me, he's nobody, he's piece of shit, and I don't respect him like a fighter and I can't respect him like a man. Because he has a big mouth, and honestly, piece of shit and Tim Sylvia, for me, is the same."

Steering Arlovski back to the question proved somewhat fruitful. When it was clarified Sylvia faced Emelianenko and was defeated quickly, Arlovski tried to get back on track.

"He faced Fedor and had a great opportunity back in July in the first Affliction, and he just got beat," he continued. "That's it. First of all, Tim Sylvia doesn't have great trainers like I have. And I'm not sure that he train like I train. Yeah, he's a fighter, he was a five-time UFC champion, he beat me twice, and it's the most worst part. I'm sure I will show different fight."

With that subject out of the way, Arlovski went back to the subject at hand--beating Fedor.

But seriously, these two may need to work things out in ring sometime soon.

Watch MMAWeekly.com's video interview with Andrei Arlovski.

UFC 92 Video Interview with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Video: Frank Mir on Fight Day