Sunne MuayThai

BAMMA 9 video teaser for 'Watson vs Marshman' on March 24 in Birmingham
02/10/2012
A closer look at the upcoming headliner that pits BAMMA-Lonsdale's British Middleweight Champion, Jack Marshman, against Tom Watson for the BAMMA World Middleweight title at the National Indoor Arena on March 24, 2012, in Birmingham (UK).
More on BAMMA 9 right here.

Dan Henderson won't wait for title shot, wants to fight in April or May
02/09/2012
Now that Rashad Evans has successfully staked his claim as the number one contender to Jon Jones light heavyweight championship, with their date booked for UFC 145 on April 21 in Atlanta, that leaves former Strikeforce 205-pound champion Dan Henderson in the lurch.
"Hendo's" plan all along was to wait for the outcome of the Evans vs. Phil Davis bout at UFC on Fox 2 on Jan. 28 to see if "Suga" would emerge victorious and if so, would he have no injuries.
Check and check.
Now that that's settled, old "Hollywood" can get back to the business of tossing that "H-Bomb" around. But he needs a target first. And as he explains to ESPN.com, he would like to get busy around April or May and he even wouldn't mind if that target was a heavyweight:

"I don't know what the plan is, but I'd fight whoever it is they think would be a good match-up. The problem is there's really nobody right now who fits the bill for a title contention fight, that would make sense to fight me. I don't know. Maybe I'd fight at a different weight class. I don't know if they see anybody at heavyweight that would make sense? But I would prefer to fight someone in April or May. … Who do the fans want me to fight at heavyweight? I'd have to think about that. I don't know who at heavyweight would even make sense. The heavyweights that are in title contention right now wouldn't want to fight me. I don't know who is out there, but I did let the UFC know I'd be open to that as well."

Hey, he beat the legendary Fedor Emelianenko at heavyweight. Why not try to do the same inside the Octagon?
The problem, of course, is as he stated. Finding a suitable opponent in a unique situation like this would likely be far more of a headache than it's worth. So what does that leave?
Well, he goes on to say a rematch against Quinton Jackson would make sense, assuming "Rampage" gets past Ryan Bader at UFC 144 on Feb. 25 in Japan. Then again, fight is just two months before Evans vs. Jones.
So while Henderson is ready and willing to fight instead of waiting for a title shot later this year, he may end up on the sidelines simply for the fact that there isn't a fight that makes sense for him right now.
Unless you Maniacs have something in mind.

How Dare Bill Belichick Golf Pebble Beach Just Four Days After Losing The Super Bowl [Bill Belichick]
02/09/2012
Nah, not really. That would be an absurd argument to make, just about as absurd as decreeing Rob Gronkowski and Matt Light can't go party in Indianapolis. It's a slippery slope. How many days after a big loss is it acceptable to have fun? Is a sedate sport like golf more palatable than dancing? How about frolf? [Twitter] More »

Nick Diaz's drug test for UFC 143 returns positive for marijuana
02/09/2012
Where there's smoke, there's fire and there's also Nick Diaz, toking up.
Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) Executive Director Keith Kizer today confirmed that Diaz failed his drug test for "marijuana metabolites" at the UFC 143 event this past Feb. 4, 2012.
Also screened for performance enhancing drugs, as well as drugs of abuse, were Carlos Condit, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Koscheck, Renan Barao, Ed Herman, Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, Matt Riddle, Henry Martinez, Edwin Figueroa, Alex Caceres, Matt Brown, Chris Cope, Rafael Natal, Michael Kuiper, Stephen Thompson and Dan Stittgen.
Those fighters all passed with flying colors.
For Diaz, this marks the second time he's been popped for marijuana in Nevada, having tested positive following his win over Takanori Gomi back in Feb. 2007.

This result mars an event that was already crawling in controversy, thanks to the Diaz vs. Carlos Condit main event bout going to a five-round decision finish that few were satisfied with.
In fact, Diaz retired in disgust after the bout, proclaiming his dislike for the scoring system in place in MMA. His team, led by Cesar Gracie, immediately started campaigning for a rematch, so that didn't last long, of course.
But now he'll be on a mandatory vacation imposed by the NSAC.
After all the insanity surrounding Diaz since he signed a contract with the UFC, from his removal from the UFC 137 main event for missing press conferences all the way up to this drug test failure, one has to wonder if Diaz is worth the headache he's surely given Dana White.
Then again, UFC 143 drew a better than expected 400,000 buys on pay-per-view.
Either way, stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more details on Diaz's drug test results as they become available.

People Dislike Kurt Busch? Go Figure
02/09/2012
Forbes Magazine released a poll on Wednesday ranking America’s most disliked athletes. Making the list were the infamous like Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick and the overexposed like Tiger Woods and Kris Humphries. Joining those mentioned above and others was the only NASCAR driver to register in the top 12, Kurt Busch. Perhaps not surprisingly, [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com

Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!

Video: UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar gets 'Blindsided' by Akira Corassani
02/09/2012
Get out of here, bro!
Before Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar can defend his strap against Ben Henderson at UFC 144 in Saitama, Japan on Feb. 26, 2012, he fell victim to a hidden camera prank show called "Blindsided."
The prank was master planned by former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) participant Akira Corassani, who made a habit of ticking off his housemates in the TUF house during filming of season 14, Team Bisping vs.Team Mayhem.
The setup is simple: After a training session, Edgar comes out to the parking lot to see a tow truck trying to repo "The Answer's" wheels in the form of his beautiful BMW.
Luckily for the brave actor, the calm, cool and collected Edgar, didn't seem to get too heated, but still a nice try on the part of his training partners.

Anderson Silva: Chael Sonnen needs to stop talking and start training
02/09/2012
Now that Chael Sonnen has passed the last barrier separating him from his rematch against Anderson Silva, even if his victory over Michael Bisping at UFC on Fox 2 was uninspired, it's time for the hype to really get underway.
That means reporters get to once again ask the middleweight champion exactly how he feels about his arch nemesis. The result is as you'd expect:

"Chael talks too much. It's not working. … Chael needs to train. No more talking, train. Go to Brazil. Big problem. Man, I don't like to talk too much about Chael. This is bad for the UFC, this is no good for the UFC, it's bad."

Never one to allow anyone to get the last word, Sonnen responded in kind:

"When I want your advice I'll beat it out of you, Stupid. Now go back to singing to hamburgers and telling Segal he's legit."

Note "Stupid" is capitalized. It's the small things, Maniacs.
Y'all ready for another few months of this? After the jump, Silva confirms that he will indeed return in June in Brazil. He even does the entire interview in English, a rarity for the Brazilian knockout king.
Enjoy it while you can.

Anderson Silva and Cung Le lead latest UFC Twitter bonuses award winners
02/08/2012
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today (Feb. 7, 2012) announced the winners of its second-ever Twitter incentive program, cutting checks to the fighters who made the most of their social media outlets over the last quarter (ending Dec. 31, 2011).
Each award, which was initially unveiled across three categories earlier this year at the promotion's annual Fighter Summit, nets a $5,000 bonus.
Riding the enormous wave of UFC 134: "Rio," several Brazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters cashed in at the end of 2011's fiscal third quarter. Some of them are still hanging 10, but the promotion added a few fresh faces this time around, too.
Check it out:

Most followers:Anderson Silva (@SpiderAnderson)Junior dos Santos (@Junior_Cigano)Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) Cung Le (@CungLe185)
Highest percentage of growth in followers:Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (@MinotauroMMA)Roy Nelson (@RoyNelsonMMA) Jake Ellenberger (@EllenbergerMMA)Cung Le (@CungLe185)
Most creative:Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA)Joseph Benavidez (@JoeB135)Duane Ludwig (@DuaneBangCom)Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie)

After Ellenberger's huge knockout upset of Jake Shields late last year, as well as Le's Octagon debut against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 139, which he lost via thrilling technical knockout, it's no surprise to see their accounts swell. Ludwig was also singled out for his "Fastest Knockout in UFC History" campaign that ultimately convinced company president Dana White to re-write the record books.
Anyone think @UFC missed the mark? Any snubs? Anyone think it makes certain fighters (ahem, Miguel Torres and Forrest Griffin, among others) try too hard?
While you're deciding, follow some of the Maniacs including @Jesse_Holland, @TommyMyers, @GenoMrosko, @GotaHemmi and @MMABuffet. Might we also suggest @MMAManiaNews, too.

UFC on FOX 4 set for Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 4
02/08/2012
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) tonight revealed the date and location for its fourth mixed martial arts (MMA) event on network television.
UFC on Fox 4 will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2012. No potential main event or under card matches are known at this time.
UFC debuted on FOX back in Nov. 2011, pitting its heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez, against number one contender, Junior dos Santos. It took dos Santos just 64 seconds to flatten the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)-trained fighter and take the championship belt back to Brazil.
Looking to avoid the one-minute disasterpiece, UFC on Fox 2 offered up three televised fights, two of which — Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Bisping and Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis — determined number one division contenders. Still, most fans came away unimpressed with three ordinary decisions, sitting through nearly 60 minutes of average action.
UFC on Fox 3, meanwhile, is still under construction. However, it features a main event between Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller that will likely determine the next lightweight contender. It is scheduled to take place at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 5, 2012.
UFC and FOX recently inked a landmark deal to deliver up to four MMA events each year, meaning that UFC on Fox 5 could still take place before the 2012 fight campaign comes to a close.
Stay tuned.

Carlos Condit requests rematch with Nick Diaz, official announcement expected this Friday
02/08/2012
Let's run it back.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit has had less than three days to enjoy his shiny new belt. No matter, he's apparently headed back to the scene of the crime, quite literally if you're a Nick Diaz fan, to negotiate a rematch.
One that, according to UFC President Dana White, he requested, despite winning a unanimous decision in the UFC 143 main event inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past Saturday (Feb. 4, 2012).
Condit's manager, Malki Kawa, tonight (Feb. 7, 2012) took to Twitter, revealing that the presence of the "Natural Born Killer" was requested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and then White confirmed that he would be in town to hammer out the details.
Here's the full snip:

the rumor is true. Carlos did accept the fight today and Carlos is coming on Friday not thur…. carlos wanted it.

Condit earned a unanimous decision over the Stockton, Calif., scrapper; however; the lopsided results, for most mixed martial arts (MMA) fans, went over like a led balloon. Many felt that Diaz, who chased Condit for nearly 25 minutes of their five-round fight, as well as nearly finished him in the waning seconds of it, deserved the nod.
At the very least, a split decision.

However, Condit's accurate counter-striking, backpedaling attack was enough to win the bout in the eyes of the ringside judges, as well as earn him a date with the true division champion, Georges St. Pierre, later this year. Prior to the bout, St. Pierre — who can't compete until much later this year because of a knee injury — made it clear that he wanted to fight Diaz, a bout that was originally scheduled to go down at UFC 137 back in Oct. 2011.
But, it never happened for a ridiculous amount of reasons.
And with Condit's win — one that his trainer, Greg Jackson, and even UFC President Dana White, felt wasn't warranted because the judges got it right on fight night — combined with Diaz's hasty/bratty post-fight decision to retire from MMA altogether, it seemed that it may never happen.
Never say never.