22-1.
The streak is over as Zoila Frausto upsets Megumi Fujii via split decision at Bellator 34 on Oct. 28 in Hollywood.
Jason Miller and Nick Diaz have had beef ever since Strikeforce: "Nashville," when "Mayhem" jumped in the cage to call out then champion Jake Shields and ended up getting jumped by the boys from the 209. He has been calling for a fight with Diaz ever since.
Those calls went largely unanswered, but the San Jose-based promotion may face more pressure to set up the fight after yet another confrontation, this time backstage after Strikeforce: "Diaz vs Noons II" earlier this month.
Plenty of stories came out regarding what went down that night. Now we can hear it straight from the horse's mouth courtesy of MMAFighting.com.
Here's a snip:
"I had just finished doing interviews in the back room, and I was walking the same way that he was coming down, and I was actually going to be like, 'Hey, good job, Nick.' But he's coming towards me and he starts mad-dogging me! I was like, really? You're really going to mad-dog me right now? You just fought for 25 minutes! Before I knew it, he had a water bottle hidden down by his side and he threw it at me. I moved out of the way and it hit [training partner] Ryan Parsons in the stomach. I was like, 'Man Ryan, he doesn't like you.' Then we got into some kind of juvenile 'F--- you' match. I was like, 'F--- you bro, you're not even going to do anything.... Actually, as he was walking off or being ushered off, I was like, 'Hey, it's cool, just stay at 170.' Since that's his whole thing is, he won't fight me because he's at 170 [pounds]. Even though he'll fight KJ [Noons], who's not at 170. That's cool for KJ to have to come up, but he won't fight me even though he's talking all this sh-t on me for like five years now, and jumped me on national television."
He also goes on to say that the only one holding up a fight between the two is Diaz himself.
Mayhem is coming off an arm-triangle submission victory over MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba and has now won two in a row since his decision loss to Shields. Diaz, meanwhile, has strung together eight consecutive wins of his own and is the current Strikeforce welterweight champion.
Will Strikeforce President and CEO Scott Coker finally figure out a way to put together this fight? Or will we continue to have to listen to Miller tell Diaz, "Don't be scared, homie?"
Thanks to FightMetric.com for the stats. Check out the total performance rating for "Bisping vs. Akiyama" and the anemic grappling report after the jump.
For complete UFC 120 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.
UFC 120: "Bisping vs. Akiyama" is set to take place LIVE today (Sat., Oct. 16, 2010) from the O2 Arena in London, England. It is scheduled to air via five-hour tape delay in the United States, beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Spike TV.
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the tape-delayed main card action later this evening, However, for those who want to know the outcomes and/or discuss the fights as they happen, this is the place to do it.
We will not be updating this post with results -- it's all up to you, the readers, to make this post work.
So have at it in the comments section below -- the first preliminary card fight is expected to go off around 1 p.m. ET. Please keep all SPOILERS here and not in our main UFC 120 results post.
CHICAGO, Ill. (October 14, 2010) — Huntington Beach-based knockout artist "Razor" Rob McCullough has signed an exclusive contract with Bellator Fighting Championships and will compete in the upcoming Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament.
The former WEC Lightweight Champion enters the promotion riding a two-fight win streak and boasts a professional record of 19-6, with 10 of those wins coming via KO or TKO. The fan favorite, due to his consistently entertaining performances, holds impressive victories over Rich Crunkilton, Nam Pham, Marcus Hicks, and most recently, UFC veteran Corey Hill.
"Razor Rob is a dangerous lightweight with championship experience who has consistently displayed an ability to end fights throughout his career," said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "If you are a fan of the Lightweight division in MMA, you’ve got to be a fan of Razor’s. I’m looking forward to watching him compete in our Season 4 Lightweight Tournament."
There is no question that it was McCullough’s life outside of the cage that made him the fighter he is today. Leaving home at age 14, he spent a large part of his adolescence on the streets of Huntington Beach, bouncing from friend’s couches and getting involved with gangs.
"I grew up with a pretty crazy family life as a kid. I separated from my family at a fairly young age," said McCullough. "I ended up telling my Mom that I was going to the beach, and I packed my bags, knowing that I wasn't coming back. I ended up getting mixed up in a lot of gang stuff after I left home."
However, "Razor" eventually found security and guidance in a local kickboxing gym where he started training in 1995.
"I started thinking to myself, 'Dude, this is not the road I pictured my life going down.’ I was packing knives and fighting all the time, and I was just like, 'Man, this sucks.’ That's when I started training kickboxing. Shortly after that I hooked up with Tito Ortiz, who was fighting for the UFC in its early stages, and just totally dedicated myself to training," said McCullough."I absolutely feel like martial arts saved my life."
McCullough went 35-2 in his amateur kickboxing career, eventually transitioning to training MMA fulltime and going pro in 2001. McCullough rose quickly in the sport. By 2007 he amassed an eight fight win streak, eventually capturing the WEC Lightweight title.
However, after winning the belt the dangerous striker admittedly lost focus and motivation, going 2-3 in his next five fights.
"I never grew up with a silver spoon in my mouth, and then all of a sudden I started making some money after becoming successful in my fighting career," said McCullough. "I was going to clubs all the time…flying to Tokyo…hanging out at the Playboy Mansion and next thing I knew, I was completely and totally distracted from my career as a professional mixed martial artist."
A year and a half ago McCullough felt himself losing grip on his life again and decided it was time to make a change, he has been clean and sober since that time. Getting married and having a little boy all within the last year, McCullough has found himself with a new dedication and drive for the sport.
"Before I was fighting just because I loved to do it and I couldn't believe I was getting paid to do what I love, but now it's a lot more serious," said McCullough. "The guy that I'm fighting is trying to take food off my kid's table. It's entirely different now. I've found a new focus and a new motivation, so I'm ready to get in there and get buck wild in Bellator."
"I'm really glad to be part of a promotion as great as Bellator. I'm ready to get back to work, and finish fights. Getting in the cage and being able to mix it up with the best of the best is what I'm in this sport for. I've been doing this for 15 years for a reason, and it's to test myself against the best competition in the world. I'll be able to do that at Bellator," said McCullough.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.
So, how do you celebrate BROCKTOBER?
If you answered "By going to MMAmania.com and winning an Ultimate Collector Series 4 Brock Lesnar Championship Edition Figurine," then friend, you've come to the right place. That's right, we're back yet again with another UFC contest give-away featuring none other than UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.
In association with Round 5 MMA, the high end retailer responsible for mixed martial arts' most recognizable collectible figurines and merchandise, we will award one lucky Maniac with a full set of Ultimate Collector Series 4 figurines including the Brock Lesnar Championship Edition.
Heck, we'll even throw in a couple of prize packages for the runner-ups because this is an MMAmania.com contest, and you wouldn't expect anything less.
So what do you have to do to get your hands on the "Toughest S.O.B. in the UFC? It's quite simple, really. Check out complete contest entry details after the jump!:
How do you win the Round 5 Brock Lesnar Prize Package?
STEP 1: You must "Like" Round 5 on Facebook to be eligible for this contest.Click here.
STEP 2: Predict the following winners for UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" by leaving your predictions in the comments section below (ONE submission per fan member):
STEP 3: Post your entry in the comments section below BEFORE 7 p.m. ET on October 23, 2010.
That's it!
As with any contest, certain stipulations must be met in order to become and remain eligible throughout the duration of the contest.
PLEASE NOTE: *One submission per fan member only and if more than one submission is posted, ALL posts for that member will be void. *If you leave the Round 5 Facebook Fan Page at any time after submitting your prediction, your submission will be invalid -- even if you qualify as the winner.
The first FIVE fan members to correctly predict ALL the UFC 121 main card winners will be awarded with the following Ultimate Collector Series prize packages, in this order:
GRAND PRIZE: Full Set of Ultimate Collector Series 4 with Brock Lesnar Championship Edition
SECOND PLACE: Full Set Ultimate Collector Series 4
THIRD PLACE: Full Set Ultimate Collector Series 4
FOURTH PLACE: Full Set Ultimate Collector Series 3
FIFTH PLACE: Full Set Ultimate Collector Series 3
Since you have to correctly identify all the winners from the UFC 121 main card in order to win, prizes will be awarded in the order they were received.
What does that mean?
It means you need to get the heck outta Dodge and leave your predictions ASAP. Time is of the essence and you don't want to find out after the event that you placed sixth and won squat because you took your sweet time entering the contest!
Good luck and have fun!
For more information on Round 5 MMA and to check out their stellar line-up of mixed martial arts figurines and merchandise click here. In the meantime, let's hear from all you Lesnar fans! Remember, submission deadline is 7:00 p.m. EST on October 23, 2010.
Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons II" went down earlier tonight from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, and company welterweight champion Nick Diaz finally got his chance to avenge a controversial loss to the former Elite XC lightweight title holder, KJ Noons, from nearly three years ago.
And that's exactly what he did.
The Cesar Gracie black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu elected to get his revenge by standing a trading with the ex-pro boxer, which wouldn't seem like a good idea from the outside looking in, especially considering the results of their first encounter.
But the champion showed that his hands have improved by leaps and bounds since that fight, and he proved that he can stand with just about anybody by out-boxing Noons en route to a unanimous decision victory in what proved to be one hell of a fight.
The stats afterward showed that it was Noons who was the busier fighter, throwing and landing over a hundred more strikes than Diaz, not to mention stuffing four takedown attempts. But Diaz still came away with the decision after dropping Noons early and then pushing the pace and standing toe to toe with one of the top strikers in the business for five full rounds.
It was an absolute great fight, and the hard fought battle seemed to settle the bad blood between the two, as they embraced afterward and spoke respectfully of each other. But even with that being so, I have no doubt in my mind that we haven't seen the last of these two punching each other in the face.
At least I hope not.
In the co-main event, former K-1 Hero's standout Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante made his promotional debut opposite one-time division champion Josh Thomson. The fight lived up to lofty expectations, as both fighters laid it on the line and produced a fantastic back and forth war of attrition.
Things didn't end up quite as planned for the American Top Team trainee, though, as "The Punk" came out on top with a unanimous decision win. But "JZ" has no reason to hang his head. The Brazilian came out strong and finished even stronger.
I thought he did enough to win the decision, but it was certainly close enough to go either way. How one of the judges scored the fight 30-27 for Thomson is beyond me, though.
The first round was a toss up. "JZ" dropped Thomson early and then worked on a guillotine choke for most of the round before Thomson turned the tables for the last minute and almost finished the fight himself with an arm triangle before Cavalcante was saved by the bell.
The second frame was all Thomson as he controlled most of the fight on the ground. But the AKA product spent most of the third round on his back being controlled by "JZ." It was a very good fight that could have gone either way, but it really bothers me that one of the judges scored that last round for Thomson. I'd love to hear the explanation behind that awful bit of judging.
Regardless, it was a big win for Thomson, and Diaz vs. Noons may not be the only trilogy on the table for a future Strikeforce event. We may be seeing Melendez vs. Thomson III very soon as well. I have no complaints about that.
Female welterweight champion Sarah Kaufman was also in action, putting her title on the line for the second time since capturing the gold earlier this year. Dutch submission specialist Marloes Coenen stepped in as the number one contender, making her debut at 135 pounds, and she made it a memorable one, stopping the Canadian midway through the third round with a beautiful armbar submission.
Kaufman had a hard time with the challenger's length in the early going and likely dropped the first round on the cards after being out-struck for the majority of the first five minutes. She came back strong in round two, however, and ended the round with some vicious ground and pound.
The third round appeared to be going the same way after Coenen ended up on her back early on with Kaufman on top of her raining down punches. "Rumina" defended the onslaught well, though, and when Kaufman's aggression reached a boiling point, Coenen turned the tides and found an opening for the armbar to steal the title.
Meisha Tate was sitting cageside, and after winning the one-night, four-women tournament earlier this year at Challengers 10, she earned her spot opposite the Dutch damsel as the next top contender.
Coenen left her with four words: "Let's get it on."
In a classic jiu jitsu versus wrestling match-up, world renowned BJJ black belt Andre Galvao and two-time All-American wrestler Tyron Woodley locked horns in what looked like an intriguing welterweight contest on paper.
It didn't turn out to be much of a fight, though.
Galvao came out looking for takedowns, but Woodley was more than ready for that attack, as he stuffed each of the Brazilian's shots and then made him pay with well placed precision punches. Galvao looked sluggish from the start, and Woodley basically walked right through him.
"T-Wood" rocked him early with straight punches and then finished him off in less than two minutes of work with more of the same. Afterward he talked about his future title aspirations, and by the way he dominated tonight, he may not be too far away from making that a reality.
That's a wrap from the "Golden State."
Next up for the San Jose based organization is Challengers 11 on October 22 from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. A dynamite rematch in the welterweight division between Roger Bowling and Bobby Voelker is set to headline the event. Billy Evangelista, Lavar Johnson and others are slated for the card as well.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more coverage on that developing fight card and all other Strikeforce related news.
Props: CombatLifestyle.com (Click the link to check out the complete gallery)
For complete Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Noons 2" weigh in results click here. To watch video highlights of the festivities click here.
Anyone care to disagree?
'EA Sports MMA' collector's edition hologram Slurpee cups, featuring the Strikeforce Premier League, are now available in 7-11 stores nationwide.
Will you drink from the cup of Fedor or cup of Couture? You must choose, but choose wisely...
Cyborg who?
Megumi Fujii cements her status as world's baddest female by submitting Lisa Ward at Bellator 31 on Sept. 30 in Louisiana.
The win pushes "Mega Megu" to a record setting 22-0.
Parts 2 & 3 after the jump.
After missing weight twice (UFC 103, UFC Fight Night 22) and losing twice (Evan Dunham, Charles Oliveira). From "Hecho en Mexico:"
Hello true fan I was released by the Ufc today speaking to strikeforce and bellator. Taking a week off and make my way back!!!!!
Did Escudero, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 winner, get a fair shake? And what kind of impact can he make in the Strikeforce (or Bellator) lightweight division?
Melendez? Huerta? Bueller?
Cue Cindy Lauper because that's all the former champion really waaaaaaaaaaants ... some fun (via Montreal Gazette):
"These last couple fights, I’ve really, really had a good time. The walk-out, in the locker-room. It’s all just been extremely fun. I think I’ve found a way, and I can’t explain it, where I’m just having a good time out there. I’m just having fun with it.... I don’t know who would be in front of me [in regard to a future title shot]. I don’t know who would be behind me as far as on the ladder for the title shot. I’m still fighting because I still enjoy getting in there."
A refreshed Matt Hughes, who is apparently really enjoying his current three-fight win streak, provides some insight into his current state of mind as he prepares to take on BJ Penn for the third and likely final time at UFC 123 in two months. The most dominant welterweight champion of his era, Hughes now does what he does because it's a good time. He's not concerned with adding another belt to his collection, just another Hawaiian pelt to hang above his fireplace. Is Hughes in for yet another fun night on Nov. 20 or will "The Prodigy" rain on his parade in "Motor City?"
Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller says he wants to knock some sense into voters. He is teaming up with UFC for a voter registration rally called "Fight for Your Ultimate Right" at noon on Wednesday in Pida Plaza, which is part of a campaign aimed at inspiring voter turnout. Two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir and Roy "Big Country" Nelson will speak at the event. Read full article here.
