Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Rampage: I'm Done Fighting

The rift between UFC president Dana White and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson over Jackson's participation in the upcoming movie remake of "The A-Team" may not be over after all.

After White told reporters last weekend that he and the former light heavyweight champion had mended fences, Jackson wrote a post on his official blog stating that he is retiring.

Here is the blog entry, dated Sept. 22 at 4:43 p.m. P.S.T., in its entirety:

"The UFC has done a lot for me but I think I have done more for them. The UFC bought WFA to get my contract & they saved my life, so I felt loyal to them. They pushed me into a fight with Chuck Liddell even when I clearly stated I wasn't ready to fight for the belt because the American fans didn't know me but I took the fight and didn't complain & after I won the American fans booed me for the first time which changed the way I saw them & it hurt me deeply.

"Then before I can even get out of the cage they announced that I was fighting Dan Henderson without even asking me. After I beat Dan Henderson, I made history in becoming the first undisputed champion in MMA but was never even given the pride belt in the cage & I was never promoted as the undisputed champ. Later Anderson Silva was.

"Then they had me coach TUF season 7 and fight Forrest and the fight was very controversial & normally when a fight is that close & controversial there is normally an instant replay. I can name a couple of instances. Instead they offered me the Vanderlei Silva fight which I gladly accepted even though I know it was a very risky fight for me to take because of all the drama that was happening to me at the time. I fought that fight with a jaw injury and then a couple weeks later Dana called me and asked me to fight Rashad. For the first time I said no, I didn't want to fight because it was such short notice & I wouldn't have had a long break between camp. Dana talked me into fighting Rashad anyway but Rashad refused the fight and so I had to fight Jardine as a favor to the UFC instead of getting my belt back (which wasn't even worth it to me financially).

"Then I reinjured my jaw in the fight with Vanderlei & Jardine. Frank Mir gets hurt so they wanted to switch my fight from UFC 100 to the fight Frank couldn't make it to but I couldn't fight cause I needed jaw surgury. So they give Machida the fight against Rashad & they told me they want me to coach TUF season 10 against Rashad. That's why I wanted Rashad to win so bad but when Rashad got knocked out I told them I wanted to fight Machida for the belt but Dana told me if I coach TUF against Rashad that I could fight Machida afterwards cause this was a different type of ultimate fighter show they were doing. After I signed the contract Dana then changes his mind & says I have to fight Rashad & even told me what to say in the press & so my fans think I was scared to fight Machida. After all that I still never complained & I did it all.

"Then this movie role came about that I have been trying to get for over a year & as soon as I found out I was close to getting it, I called Dana right away & asked to push the Memphis fight back just a month or so. I told him what this movie role meant to me. I told him that I used to bond with my father watching the tv show as a kid when my parents where still married & it represents the memories I had with my father when we lived together. My dad became an alcohalic & addicted to drugs & we grew apart. But after my dad got his life back together, I was so proud of my dad & I told him I would always take care of him in the future & make him proud of me. My dad & I are still very big fans of the show & I am basically doing this for the childhood memories I had spending time in front of the tv with my dad. Dana went on the internet & mocked me because of that & I still did nothing. Dana & I finally talked & we made up & then after that he went back on the internet & said some bullshit & he was talking bad about the movie when information is not even supposed to be released & talking about payments which is not even true could really hurt my future acting career, which could very well last longer than my fighting career. I'm not like Randy Couture. My body has been getting so many different injuries that I wont be able to fight until my forties & neither do I want to fight that long. So I feel like my second career could be in jeopardy.. so I'm done fighting. I've been getting negative reviews from the dumb ass fans that don't pay my bills or put my kids though college. So I'm hanging it up. I'm gonna miss all my loyal fans but hopefully they'll follow me to my new career & I will gain more loyal fans along the way. & all you hater fans out there can kiss my big black hairy ass! & anybody that don't like what I just said can come try to kick my ass!

"I still feel the UFC is a great organization and I felt like I was very loyal to them but they didn't respect my loyalty but I wish the UFC the best. I did a lot of things for them. I wish no bad blood between us but I have kids & a family back in Memphis to provide for & thats all that matters to me!"

Vitor Belfort's Fight Day and Post-Fight UFC 103 Video Blog

Here are Vitor Belfort's final video blog entries for the day of the fight with Rich Franklin at UFC 103 and the following day...




Monday, September 21, 2009

Preview Cung Le's Upcoming Move "Pandorum"

Below is the video trailer for former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le's new movie, "Pandorum."

Click here for an exclusive interview with Cung Le talking about his new movie and his thoughts on giving up the Strikeforce belt.

For a clip from the movie that focuses more on Cung Le, click here.


UFC Fight Night 19 Attendance and Gate Revenue

The Oklahoma State Department of Health Boxing Commission on Monday released final gate revenue and attendance numbers for "UFC Fight Night 19" held Wed., Sept. 16 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

The Spike TV event drew 9,490 fans to the Cox Convention Center, with 6,687 tickets sold and 2,803 tickets issued as "comps." The official box office tally was $577,996.72.

UFC Fight Night 19 saw Nate Diaz defeat Melvin Guillard in a come from behind victory, reversing a two-fight slide for the submission specialist. In the fight of the night, Nate Quarry and Tim Credeur went toe-to-toe for three rounds, delivering an electrifying decision for Quarry, an alum of the original "Ultimate Fighter."

UFN Medical Suspensions Issued

The Oklahoma State Department of Health Boxing Commission on Monday released medical suspensions for "UFC Fight Night 19" held Wednesday, Sept. 16 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

Below is a list of suspended fighters and the term of their suspension:

Nate Diaz--suspended until 10/17/09 due to cuts.

Carlos Condit--suspended until 9/30/09 due to cuts.

Brian Stann--suspended until 10/14/09 due to cuts.

CB Dollaway--suspended until 10/17/09 due to cuts.

Justin Buchholz--suspended until 10/17/09 due to TKO.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Dana White Mad at Rampage, Not On Talking Terms

UFC president Dana White was on the Dave and Mahoney Radio Show on Tuesday talking about how upset he is with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson ditching a fight with Rashad Evans to portray "Mr. T" in a Hollywood remake of the 1980s TV hit "The A-Team."

Oh yeah, he updated everybody on his company too.



(Thanks to Cagewriter.com for turning us on to this interview.)

Andrei Arlovski on This Week's Bully Beatdown on MTV

Former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski fights on this week's episode of "Bully Beatdown" on MTV. The show is hosted each week by professional fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Check out clips from this week's episode, which airs Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Andrei prepares to fight...


Andrei enters the ring...


Andrei fights Nathan the Bully...

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

A Day of Training with Tito Ortiz

Check out these video's taking you inside a day in the training life of Tito Ortiz as he prepares for his UFC 106 bout against Mark Coleman.




Monday, September 14, 2009

Extended Sneak Preview of Ultimate Fighter 10

An extended preview of the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Season 10 features the heavyweights, including the introduction of Kimbo Slice to the fold, and coaches Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans.


Sunday, September 13, 2009

Friday, September 11, 2009

Boxing's Bob Arum Says UFC Fans Are Skinheads, Fighters "Like Homosexuals"

Bob Arum, one of the most well known promoters in the boxing world, did his best in a recent interview with AOL Fanhouse's Ariel Helwani to characterize MMA, and UFC in particular, fans and fighters, as the worst common denomanator in combat sports.

"UFC fans are a bunch of skinhead white guys who are watching a bunch of people in the ring who also look like skinhead white guys," said Arum. "For me and people like me, it's not something they ever care to see... guys rolling around like homosexuals on the ground. It is not a sport that shows great, great talent. The guys who throw punches can't throw a punch to save their ass. When the punches land, the guys have no chins.

"(The Fertittas and Dana White) have done a marvelous job promoting UFC, but for me it's junk, it's garbage."

(Below is the video interview that Helwani conducted. The UFC comments begin about 4:10 into the interview.)


Thursday, September 10, 2009

Kimbo Slice in Studio with MMA Live

Kimbo Slice is in-studio to talk about the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. In addition, a breakdown of UFC Fight Night 19 and all the latest news from around the world of Mixed Martial Arts.


UFC Pres Dana White Rails On Floyd Mayweather and Boxing

UFC president Dana White rails on Floyd Mayweather Jr. and boxing for their fear of mixed martial arts...


Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Cro Cop Says Every True Fighter Should Be In UFC, Including Fedor

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic doesn't know why the world's largely regarded top heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, refuses to fight in the UFC, but he did make it clear that he thinks Fedor and every other top fighter should focus their efforts on the MMA juggernaut.

"I don't know if somebody controls (Fedor), if he has the power to express his wishes to go wherever he wants. Maybe he has to do what some other people tell him to do, I don't know situation," said Cro Cop during a UFC 103 media conference call on Tuesday.

"I really don't why he doesn't want to enter UFC. Definitely UFC offered him, I know for sure, they offered him the best possible deal today, much more than Dream can offer or Strikeforce can offer, but he's just refusing to go there.

"I think that every true fighter should fight in the UFC today because UFC definitely the only worldwide organization today."

Cro Cop says his own reasons center on competition, wanting to prove that he is still to be feared among the world's best, the way he was in his heyday while fighting for Pride Fighting Championships.

"I liked Pride more than anything, but those days are gone and UFC is the main on the MMA market today. I think my place is to fight in the UFC and that is it," he told reporters.

"I don't think that (Fedor is) afraid of someone and maybe he just wants to keep his perfect score... I don't know."

Fedor recently signed with Strikeforce. He will face Brett Rogers in his first bout for the promotion, but a date and venue have yet to be revealed.



(Audio courtesy of Steve Cofield - ESPN Radio 1100)

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort Extended Video Preview

The Phenom, former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon to face UFC superstar Rich Ace Franklin in the main event of UFC 103. Also featured on the biggest MMA event to ever hit Texas will be perhaps the most explosive heavyweight battle of the year when one of the sports most feared strikers, Mirko Cro Cop, takes on Brazilian knockout artist Junior Dos Santos.

Check out the extended preview...

Wanderlei Silva Talks About Facial Surgery, New Tattoo, and More

Wanderlei Silva releases the first video blog episode talking about his facial surgery, his new tattoo, the upcoming tryouts to become a part of his team and more. More info at: www.wandfightteam.com

Extended Preview of TUF 10

Spike TV has released an extended preview of "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 10, which debuts Sept. 16 at 10 p.m. following Ultimate Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City.


Sunday, September 6, 2009

Gina Carano To Star In Soderbergh's Knockout

MMA fighters all seem to be clamoring for a shot at the silver screen as just on the heels of the news that former UFC light heavyweight champion, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, would likely star in the upcoming film remake of the 80's TV series, "The A-Team", women's MMA superstar, Gina Carano, has signed on to be the lead in director Steven Soderbergh's latest opus.

The film will be called "Knockout" and Carano will play "a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who is given a second chance to use her skills for constructive purposes" according to Variety.

Carano is no stranger to stepping out of the cage for various roles including her stint as "Crush" on the NBC series "American Gladiators."

Now it looks like the face of women's MMA will get the chance to measure acting chops against some of Hollywood's best, and one of the industry's top directors.

Soderbergh has been known to look outside of traditional Hollywood ties for his actors and actresses. His last effort called "The Girlfriend Experience" cast adult film star, Sasha Grey, in the lead role in her first mainstream acting effort.

The film is slated to start filming in late January which brings up the question of Carano's fighting career, who lost her first professional fight in August, dropping by TKO to new 145lb women's champion, Cris "Cyborg" Santos.

With the movie filming all over the world including Ireland and Turkey, the expectations for Carano to be out of action for the first part of 2010 is very likely, and no reports have surfaced leading to her return in 2009 either.