Dana White UFC 98 Video Blog 5/20 & 5/21

ESPN's MMA Live UFC 98 Preview & More

Dana White UFC 98 Video Blog 5-19-09

Dana White UFC 98 Video Blog 5-18-09

Dana White Teaches Jimmy Fallon How To Punch

Jimmy Fallon, the gangly host of a his self-titled late-night show on NBC, received some boxing lessons from UFC president Dana White on Tuesday.

White made the appearance as part of a media blitz for the UFC's new video game, "Undisputed," which hit stores the same day.

After a brief history of modern MMA time, White helped Fallon strap on gloves and throw punches (and a few roundhouses) at the UFC branded bag.

Audience members, perhaps not accustomed to the sight of two men grappling, tittered at a video clip of a sample game between UFC 98 main eventers Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans.

Fallon, looking incongruous in a dapper suit and boxing gloves, first gave himself the nickname, "The Gentleman," before White dubbed him "Slim Jim" Fallon.

While Fallon touted his reach, he wouldn't be fighting any time soon.

"I'm scaring the audience members," he said.

Overeem Suffers Hand Injury, Summer Return Possible

News of a heavyweight match-up between Andrei Arlovski and Brett Rogers arrived at Tuesday's press conference for Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler in St. Louis, quashing reports that Rogers would face heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem on the event's main card.

Strikeforce Director of Public Relations Mike Afromowitz told MMAWeekly.com that the bout had been close to finalized, but a hand injury to Overeem scuttled its possibility.

Afromowitz says the Dutch heavyweight will likely return this summer, likely in August. The promotion is taking a much-needed break in July.

Overeem fought last November in his home country, taking out Gary Goodridge by submission.

UFC Disputed - Get It While It's Hot!

The UFC 2009 Undisputed video game has already gone on sale across the country, beginning with select GameStop locations across the United States. Fans who purchase the video game at GameStop also gain immediate access to Ryan Bader and Efrain Escuedero.

UFC 2009 Undisputed, a highly anticipated release for both gaming and MMA fans, has been rebuilt from the ground up with many new features never before included in a mixed martial arts video game, including a vibrant career mode.

For more information on the game, go to UFCUndisputed.com.

Dennis Hallman vs. Duane Ludwig Possible for June 19 Strikeforce

The second installment of Strikeforce Challenger Series may have another main card bout added soon.

A welterweight match-up between Dennis Hallman and Duane Ludwig is under consideration for the Showtime series, according to a source who chose not to be named.

If Ludwig is confirmed, the up-and-comers' main card will carry a half-dozen fighters with over ten fights on their record.

Hallman (40-12-2) last appeared at the Roy Jones promoted "March Badness," ending almost a year and a half of inactivity.

Ludwig (18-8) defeated fellow vet Yves Edwards by decision at Strikeforce: Destruction last November.

The June 19 event is scheduled for the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash. Middleweights Joey Villasenor and Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos clash in the main event.

How Bruce Lee Changed the World... and MMA... Tonight!

PRESS RELEASE COURTESY OF RING OF FIRE:

To mark the 35th anniversary of Bruce Lee's death, the History Channel will air a new two-hour documentary, HOW BRUCE LEE CHANGED THE WORLD on May 17th, 2009 at 8pm ET. (6:00 pm Mountain)

Produced in cooperation with Lee's family, this documentary looks at how the actor and martial artist's legacy has shaped and influenced the world since his death.

Bruce Lee is universally recognized for prying open the doors of ancient Chinese martial arts to the mass market. The history of Lee's life, and death at the age of only 32, is shrouded in mystery, but his influence on popular culture continues to be felt today.

This special pieces together rare family archival footage owned by the Bruce Lee Foundation, together with in-depth interviews with individuals who have cited inspiration from Lee.

Viewers will journey across the US, Asia and Europe exploring Lee's influence on popular culture worldwide--even joining Shannon Lee on a trip back to her father's roots in Hong Kong; nearly fifty years after Lee arrived to make his first kung fu film. Also features in-depth interviews with actor Jackie Chan, comedian Eddie Griffin, rappers LL Cool J and RZA, Marvel Comics' Stan Lee, and renowned film directors John Woo and Brett Ratner. Lee's friend and business partner famed Hong Kong film producer, Raymond Chow gives a rare interview.

During the filming the producers spent numerous hours with Ring Of Fire color commentator and post fight interviewer, Joey "VEGAS" Varner. Varner is also a professional MMA fighter and trainer at Randy Couture's Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas.

"I think that this couldn't be more fitting. I know 100% that I would not be in the MMA industry if I wasn't such a huge Bruce Lee fan growing up. And to have my buddy Joey Vegas be a part of this project is really phenomenal. Joey is a true professional, and extremely knowledgeable about Martial Arts. I am very happy and proud of him, and I will be glued to the TV tonight for sure." said ROF promoter Sven Bean.

Kerry Vera vs Leslie Smith - Full Bellator Fight Video

Watch the full fight between Kerry Vera and Leslie Smith from Friday night's Bellator VII event.

Round 1:


Round 2:


Round 3:

Highlights from the Bellator VII Welterweight Semi-Finals

Highlights from the May 15 Bellator VII welterweight semi-finals featuring Omar De La Cruz vs. Dave Menne and Lyman Good vs. Jorge Ortiz.

Lyoto Machida's Karate from UFC 98 Countdown

A short segment from the UFC 98 Countdown show with Lyoto Machida talking about Karate and his father's influence on his life and fighting style.

B.J. Penn's Video Blog - 5-16-09

Find more videos like this on BJPENN.COM

The May 16th edition of B.J. Penn's video blog as he prepares to defend his UFC lightweight championship against Kenny Florian at UFC 101 in Philadelphia.

Forrest Griffin Talks Everything from Fame to Jesus

Forrest Griffin joins ESPN Radio 1100's Steve Cofield to talk everything from fame to Jesus.

UFC on Dr. Phil: It's Not About Street Fighting

UFC president Dana White, former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, and No. 1 lightweight contender Kenny Florian, were guests for a brief spot on Friday's episode of Dr. Phil.

The major theme of the show was the dangerous things that teenagers are involved in these days. The segment with the UFC centered around kids who think they're going to get into the fight game by participating in their own backyard fight clubs, video recording them, and loading them up on YouTube.

The trio of White, Griffin, and Florian quickly shot down any ideas that the youngsters may have had about getting into the cage via the backyard. Even Dr. Phil pointed out that the fighters that compete at the level of the UFC are "highly trained athletes."

It was all of about a five-minute segment on the 1-hour show, but as the sport grows in popularity, it's a good, if not small, step in clearing up the misgivings of just what type of fighter is able to compete at the professional level of mixed martial arts.

MMA Live Talks Atencio vs. White, Rashad Evans, and More

MMA Live recaps all the news of the week, including Tom Atencio war of words with Dana White, Chuck Liddell's uncertain future, a highlight reel KO at Bellator, and much more. Also, interviews with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans and UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn.

Is Jose Canseco Nuts or Just Desparate?

Former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco is going to fight in his first mixed martial arts bout on May 26 at Dream 9 in Japan. The above video is of his opponent, Hong Man Choi. The Korean fighter is seven feet two inches tall and weighs in the neighborhood of 350 pounds. He's only 1-2 in MMA, but Choi also has an extensive background in kickboxing, where he has amassed a record of 12-6. This is not going to be pretty.

Canadian UFC Vets Return To Action

Canadian UFC vets Victor Valimaki and Joe Doerkson have been absent from the MMA scene in 2009, but that's soon to change.

According to a source close to the fighters, the two will return to action on separate cards late this month.

Edmonton, Alberta native Valimaki will face Palace Fighting Championships vet Isaiah Larson (6-3) at Canadian Fighting Championships on May 30nd in his hometown. Larson trains alongside EliteXC and Strikeforce veteran Brett Rogers at Team Bison in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Valimaki is on a four-fight win streak, having last fought at M-1 Challenge 10 last November, where he submitted Rodney Glunder in the first round.

Winnipeg, Manitoba native Joe Doerkson will also keep it local, facing Greg Babene (6-4) at "The Fight Club" on May 22. The jiu-jitsu specialist has racked up a two-win streak, having last appeared at Sengoku Sixth Battle, where he defeated Izuru Takeuchi by TKO.

Author's note: the dates of Valimaki and Doerkson's were reported incorrectly as the 22nd and 30th of May, respectively, and changed to reflect the accurate dates.

Bisping Talks About Sleeping Through The Ultimate Fighter

Michael Bisping was MIA in a recent episode of The Ultimate Fighter, completely missing one of his fighters' bouts. Would you believe that it was a simple case of oversleeping?

Matt Hughes Calls on the Opposition to Train for Serra

Matt Hughes and Matt Serra are fighting at UFC 98 next week, and Hughes appears to be taking the fight very seriously.

It's been basically a year since either has fought, and both are coming off of losses. Hughes enters the bout off of a devastating flying knee from Thiago Alves, which followed his second loss to Georges St. Pierre. Serra faces Hughes after losing his rematch with St. Pierre at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

As the time for UFC 98 draws near, Hughes has branched out of the confines of his H.I.T. Squad gym. In a post on his official blog, he indicated that not only has he sought out a familiar face in former teammate Jeremy Horn, but he also traveled to Minnesota to train with former opponent Sean Sherk.

Last week, Matt Pena and I went up and trained with Sean Sherk and several other fighters at Greg Nelson's Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. We were there from Monday through Saturday afternoon. I had a great training session and also a good time. One thing about that gym is that they've got some tough guys in there. No wonder Sean has done as good as he has. The week before that, I was in Salt Lake City training with Jeremy Horn.

Hughes and Sherk fought at UFC 42 several years ago. Sherk lost his bid to take the UFC welterweight title away from Hughes, but took him the duration of their five-round championship bout.