I got the above screen shot from page 11 of the latest issue of Norfolk's Good Times Magazine. The important information is that starting July 1st, Northside Skatepark will be free, unmanned and open sunrise to sunset. No word on helmets... Thanks to Brendan for finding this gem.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MostlySkateboarding/~3/D6Vux45yxGM/northside-free-at-last.html
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, Videos
LAS VEGAS -- MMA Fighting spoke to Carlos Condit about his UFC 132 fight against Dong Hyun Kim, whether a win over Kim should lead to title shot, whether he would have any problem fighting current champion Georges St-Pierre, his thoughts on Nick Diaz getting a UFC title shot and his response to Kim's claim that he is "overrated."
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/06/29/carlos-condit-believes-ufc-132-should-lead-to-title-shot/
Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Preview Video by StrikeforceSource: http://mmalice.com/strikeforce/strikeforce-overeem-vs-werdum-preview-video_68946046e.html
PITTSBURGH -- Before their bout, John Howard predicted that he and Matt Brown would get the Fight of the Night bonus, but that seems unlikely after their fight on Sunday night. Brown won the grappling-filled bout 29-28 on all three judges' cards.
Howard used lots of snapping leg kicks to start the round, until they moved into the clinch. Howard swung the fight to the ground for a second, but they returned to their feet quickly, where Brown made headway with striking. He hit Brown with a kick and two strikes before Howard took Brown down. They stood back up, and Brown continued to show impressive striking, until Howard threw Brown down on his back.
Brown's legs were reddened by the second round from Howard's leg kicks, a weapon Howard continued to use. The fight oddly went to the ground about halfway through the round, as Howard tried for a takedown and ended up on his back. Brown joined him there for a grappling session to finish out the round.
Again, Howard used the leg kick to start the third round, but then tried for higher kicks after that. To stop the onslaught of kicks, Brown got a takedown, but he let Howard reverse his position and take Brown's back.
Brown finally got loose and tried to work his stand-up game, but it didn't work, as Howard got another takedown. Brown finished the round with as much ground and pound as he could.
"I feel amazing on the win.� My team really keeps me on my game, especially mentally. I've got the skills, but now I'm fighting smarter," Brown said. "I think this may have been my smartest fight. But I still have a lot of work to do on my wrestling and grappling. I loved fighting here. I always fight better around my home. Always have, always will.� I wanted a win, even if it meant a decision."
This win straps a losing skid for Brown, who had three losses in a row. Howard is now the one with the three-fight losing streak. He has recent losses to Thiago Alves, Jake Ellenberger and now Brown.
The scale doesn't lie, so often times how you look on weigh-in day can be a huge indicator of how fight night will go down. Five fighters on the UFC on Versus 4 card are dropping down to a new weight class and they all looked healthy on the scale in Pittsburgh. A sixth was expected to weigh-in, but Nate Marquardt was dumped from the card for failing his medicals and subsequently fired from the promotion.
Two former UFC lightweight contenders were really worth monitoring on the scale (full weigh-in video).
Both Tyson Griffin and Joe Stevenson, dropping 10 pounds to 145, looked good. Neither looked drawn in the face or sickly from a physique standpoint. Stevenson simply lost some mass on his upper body and Griffin was shredded around the waist. Rich Attonito, coming down from middleweight, looked good as well at welterweight. And featherweight absolutely looked like the correct move for Ricardo Lamas and Matt Grice.
The heavyweight staredowns were intense. Matt Mitrione had words for Christian Morecraft, who actually appeared a little thrown off by the exchange.
Cheick Kongo got right in the grill of Pat Barry. The Kongo-Barry fight is now the main event. Charlie Brenneman stepped up to fight Rick Story, the original opponent of Nate Marquardt. Brenneman and TUF 12 runner-up Michael Johnson both played to the Pittsburgh crowd. Brenneman wore a Steelers' hard hat and Johnson weigh-in with a "Terrible Towel" on his head.
UFC on Versus 4 weigh-in (Courtesy MMAjunkie):
MAIN CARD (Versus)
Pat Barry (243) vs. Cheick Kongo (234.4)
Charlie Brenneman (170.6) vs. Rick Story (170.4)
Matt Brown (170) vs. John Howard (170.2)
Matt Mitrione (261.1) vs. Christian Morecraft (261.4)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
Manny Gamburyan (145.8) vs. Tyson Griffin (145.8)
Joe Stevenson (146) vs. Javier Vazquez (145.8)
Joe Lauzon (156) vs. Curt Warburton (155.6)
Rich Attonito (170) vs. Daniel Roberts (170.6)
Nik Lentz (155.6) vs. Charles Oliveira (153.8)
Matt Grice (145.2) vs. Ricardo Lamas (145.4)
Edward Faaloloto (155.4) vs. Michael Johnson (155.2)
Demian Maia Fighting With New Purpose Since Birth of First Child Video by UFC 131Brian Gubby André Guelfi Miguel Ángel Guerra Roberto Guerrero
Filed under: UFC
The first bantamweight title fight in UFC history will take place at UFC 132, with Dominick Cruz, the 135-pound champion from World Extreme Cagefighting, set to make his Octagon debut against the only man ever to defeat him, Urijah Faber. That's the headliner on what promises to be a solid top-to-bottom card, and we've got the predictions right here.
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/06/29/ufc-132-predictions/
PITTSBURGH -- If the other fighters on UFC on Versus 4 have plans for the Fight of the Night bonus, they should think again, according to John Howard. He and Matt Brown have the FOTN locked up.
"Matt Brown's really tough. He's got a chin and he comes out banging. He's going to bang with me and not lay and pray. Win or lose, we both get fight of the night. I called it," Howard said.
Like Brown, Howard is on a losing streak. He was TKOed by Jake Ellenberger in August and then dropped a decision to Thiago Alves in December. Both fighters are also known to be sluggers.
"It's going to be a good fight to watch. He's an awesome striker, I'm an awesome striker."
But beyond the fight with Brown, Howard has one fighter in his crosshairs: Anthony Johnson. "Rumble" and Howard have been trashtalking each other for months over two canceled fights.
"I cannot stand that kid. I do not like that kid. He doesn't like me. It's hard to be in the same room as him. I saw him yesterday in the media room, and it was hard not to start something with him. That kid has serious problems. Hopefully, we can fight in the UFC, but if not, there's going to be a streetfight. We have a score to settle for sure."
In their talk, Howard said that Johnson crossed a line.
"He called me a cotton picker. I took that personally. You don't go that far. That's personal."
Before he can get his hands on Johnson, Howard has to get through Brown.
"I'm a professional. At the end of the day, I do have to fight for a living. Look past that, and know that I've got to deal with it later. Good things come to those who wait."
Source: http://www.dailyscubadiving.com/diving-in-cornwall-england/
Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MostlySkateboarding/~3/HWXLFfhRnA4/vancouver-homies-montage.html
If you are a Nate Marquardt fan, clear the decks on Sunday. Set your DVR, order some dinner and dig in for a NATE-tastic evening.
As the headline for UFC on Versus 4, Marquardt will face Rick Story. This will be Marquardt's first bout at welterweight, and Story's second bout in less than a month. But that's not all, Marquardtians.
He will also be the focus of an all-day marathon on Spike, with UFC Unleasheds and full replays of events that will feature Marquardt's bouts with Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen, Martin Kampmann, Ivan Salaverry, Wilson Gouveia, and Rousimar Palhares.
The marathon starts 1 p.m. ET and will end at 11 p.m. ET, which means it will overlap with the live fights on Versus. It's a curious strategy for Spike to use, since few people would rather watch an old fight than a new one unfolding before their eyes. Perhaps the Spike programming execs are really huge fans of Nate the Great.
* Not actually official.
Emmanuel de Graffenried Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green Keith Greene
Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/19006/ufc-132-prelims-to-stream-on-facebook/
MMA judges continue to come under scrutiny at the biggest cards around the world. Fans, fighters and even promoters are frustrated with decisions like the one handed down at UFC 131 when Michihiro Omigawa lost a unanimous decision to Darren Elkins. The Japanese star lost his fourth straight in the UFC.
Two judges gave Elkins a 29-28 decision while Dave Hagen scored it 30-27 for the winner. The 29-28's were far from embarrassing. After all, Elkins outlanded Omigawa 78-65 according to Fight Metric. Giving the third round to a fading Elkins was a little shaky since Omigawa outlanded the American 21-7.
Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole checked in on the judging discussion and pointed out that the officials may be taking the wrong things under consideration when scoring a fight.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MostlySkateboarding/~3/srFlMANqiqQ/242-x-indy.html
Paco Godia Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN
Overall thoughts on the match:
Luckily, somehow, we were ahead in that game. Because from the way we were most of the second half we should have been losing. Somehow, we found a way to get another goal, but our ability with the lead is just not good enough. We have a long way to go.
In the first half it looked like we had some good chances, we should have probably been ahead ? but [Houston] had some good chances too. We are still giving up a lot of opportunities.
Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr
Tournaments are tremendous, but the one downside may be the fighters trying manage fights a little too much. Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett admitted to fighting smart fights, but not very exciting.
Overeem didn't want to take any risks on the ground against Fabricio Werdum. In the video below, he apologizes for the pace of the fight. Barnett admitted there was a methodology behind his mount without many strikes against Brett Rogers.
"We emphasis a lot with hip pressure and taking the wind out of people. My mount, the drive from my hips was really killing his wind," Barnett told Showtime. "While not super exciting to watch, ultimately [it was] very beneficial to me. It was a matter of setting things up."
Barnett faces a more experienced mixed martial artist in the semifinals. Sergei Kharitonov is 18-4 and has been in there with guys like Semmy Schilt, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Pedro Rizzo. He's also 1-1 against Overeem.
"Better all around fighter, sharp boxing and good kickboxing. [He's] very tough, granite chin and better ground game, but I know I have the tools to beat him as well. It's just going to be a different look," said Barnett.
The 33-year-old Barnett also revealed that he's no longer "The "Baby-Faced Assassin." He's now "The War Master."
Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota
That's not the way you want to start a high level MMA broadcast. Valentijn Overeem, with a spotty 29-25 record coming in, bailed mentally from his fight against Chad Griggs. Overeem submitted due to strikes at 3:28 of the first round of the first Showtime fight on the Strikeforce card in Dallas.
The American prospect scored a takedown and fell into half guard. Overeem did a nice job of controlling Grigg's left arm. Once "The Grave Digger" freed his arm, he unloaded on Overeem. The older brother of Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem, turned to his side where Griggs pounded away. Seconds later, Overeem tapped to alert referee Kerry Hatley that he'd had enough.
Griggs landed 28 of 40 shots and picked up win No. 3 of his Strikeforce career.
Griggs (11-1) first exploded onto the scene with a 2010 victory over Bobby Lashley. Showtime announcer Mauro Ranallo foreshadowed the happenings when he said Overeem's less than stellar record was due to the fact that he hasn't always handled rough situations well.
Source: http://www.ireneskayakingblog.com/events/professor-paddle-ball-2011-videos/
Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith José Froilán González
Source: http://www.dailyscubadiving.com/what-you-need-to-know-before-you-go-scuba-diving/
The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix is now more than half finished, with just three bouts left to decide a champion. The Final Four of Silva, Kharitonov, Barnett and Overeem isn't exactly what was expected, but every great tournament needs a few wrenches thrown in to make it compelling. Take a look at the first four matches.
Emelianenko gets overpowered by Silva: In his first fight after sustaining his first loss in nearly a decade, Emelianenko had to fight the much larger Antonio "Big Foot" Silva. He couldn't hold off attacks from Silva, and took several hammer fists when Silva was able to gain full mount. The fight was stopped before the third round could start.
Kharitonov makes quick work of Arlovski: A veteran of PRIDE and DREAM, the Russian fighter had no problem with the Belarussian Arlovski. A knee and an uppercut ended the bout in the first round, advancing Kharitonov to the semifinals.
Barnett smothers his way to submission of Rogers: Like Kharitonov, Barnett made his Strikeforce debut in the GP. He had no problem with Rogers, a fighter who has one-punch knockout power, but hasn't shown it in two years. Barnett barely let Rogers move in the first round before submitting him with an arm triangle early in the second round.
Overeem wins weirdly over Werdum: The match-up between Overeem, someone with unbelievable strength and striking, and Werdum, a world-class jiu-jitsu practitioner, should have made an interesting fight. Instead, it featured a frustrated Overeem, who couldn't land the shots he wanted to because Werdum spent much of the bout daring him to fight on the ground.
Now, having watched the four quarterfinal bouts, are your predictions on who will win the GP the same as when it started? Tell us who you think will win.
PITTSBURGH -- Matt Brown is on a three-fight losing streak, something that rarely happens in the UFC. Fighters with just two losses expect an unpleasant phone call from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, so Brown was surprised when Silva told him that he wasn't cut.
After he was submitted by Brian Foster at UFC 123, Brown was convinced that he would be released, and that experience forced him to grow as a fighter.
"It may have helped me because I've been there. I know what it feels like to be released. I was 100 percent under the impression that I've been released. I've gotta figure out something else to do. I feel like I've already seen the worst," Brown said.
Now, in preparing for his fight with John Howard at UFC on Versus 4 in Pittsburg Sunday evening, he knows that he is on borrowed time.
"I think having that in the back of my head helps a little. This is like a second chance. I'm looking at this fight like my first fight in the UFC. My first and last fight in the UFC."
Brown has grown to define himself as more than the guy whose chewing tobacco was messed with on "The Ultimate Fighter."
"One of the things I've learned in my fight career is that, fighters, all we ever do is fight and train. That becomes all you are. Now I'm a father. I own a home. I've grown up a lot, and I've come to realize that my self-worth is not based on if I win fights."
That doesn't mean he isn't craving a win on Sunday night over Howard. With both fighters' hard-hitting styles, Howard said the Fight of the Night bonus is "locked down," but Brown's main concern is a win and getting back on track.
"I think all my fights have potential to be fight of the night. Not to insult my past opponents, but they've all backed down when it comes time to do it. I don't see that in John Howard. I don't care about Fight of the Night. I'm here to do what I'm trained I'm to do. I'm not here to get bonus checks. Winning is what gets you somewhere. Winning is what makes you money. "
Brown said that he respects his opponent and got to know him at the UFC Fighter's Summit, but that won't keep him from "whooping his ass."
"When you're standing next to him, it humanizes him. It should chill our nerves a bit.� Then we'll be in there and be ready to bang right off the bat, instead of thinking, are you trying to kill me? Do you have a knife in your pocket?"
André Guelfi Miguel Ángel Guerra Roberto Guerrero Maurício Gugelmin
Scott Coker put together another solid Challengers card that lands in Kent, Wa. The television friendly slate features what could be some nasty striking fights. The best could be a female fight featuring two muay thai specialists in Julia Budd and Germaine de Randamie. The bout also marks the first time females have fought under the Zuffa banner. The parent company of the UFC bought Strikeforce back in March.
On the surface, a 1-1 fighter facing someone who is 2-1 seems a bit ridiculous until you track what these ladies have done on the muay thai scene. De Randamie is 46-0 and Budd sports a respectable 6-1 mark. They faced off back in 2009 with de Randamie scoring a first-round stoppage.
"I still have to learn a lot in the MMA game. I want to continue to make my ground game better and better so I try to stay focused on my MMA game right now," de Randamie told the Canadian Press. "Definitely, it challenges me. I'm like a newborn, a baby, that needs to learn how to walk. I feel very good. Every day I go to the gym with a smile. I learn so much every day. I'm enjoying it very much."
De Randamie was soccer player as a youth and turned to kickboxing at 15 years old.
Tonight's Strikeforce card also features pro fight No. 3 for Randy Couture's son, Ryan. Keep an eye on Lorenz Larkin against Gian Villante. Larkin looked spectacular in his Strikeforce debut against Scott Lighty. Larkin's scored seven straight KO or TKO finishes.
Strikeforce Challengers 16 weigh-in (courtesy MMAjunkie)
MAIN CARD
Caros Fodor (155.5) vs. James Terry (156)
Ryan Couture (155.5) vs. Matt Ricehouse (155.5)
Lorenz Larkin (205.5) vs. Gian Villante (205.5)
Jason High (171) vs. Quinn Mulhern (169)
Germaine de Randamie (145) vs. Julia Budd (145.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Derek Brunson (186) vs. Jeremy Hamilton (186)
Eduardo Pamplona (170.5) vs. Jerron Peoples (170.5)
Trevor Smith (206) vs. Keith Berry (205.5)
Matt Brown entered Sunday's UFC Live event on a three-fight losing streak. John Howard entered on a two-fight losing streak. Both men were looking at a situation where they may have needed a win to keep their spots on the UFC roster.
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/06/26/ufc-results-matt-brown-beats-john-howard/
Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne
Emerica has collected up a bunch of links to Wild In The Streets coverage all over the world in one place.
Source: http://theskateboardmag.com/blogs/templeton-elliott/2011/06/24/wild-in-the-streets-recap/
Source: http://www.chrispressler.com/?p=1600
Jean Marc Gounon Emmanuel de Graffenried Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green
PITTSBURGH -- Mark Cheick Kongo down as a candidate for Knockout of the Year, as he survived a barrage of Pat Barry punches to knock out Barry in the first round of their main event bout at the Consol Energy Center for UFC on Versus 4.
The fight started slowly, with both fighters tentatively throwing leg kicks at each other. Then, Barry appeared to be on his way to a win with a right hand that staggered Kongo. Barry jumped on top to try to finish the bout, but Kongo survived and scrambled to stay on his feet. From there, he delivered two punishing rights that sent Barry straight to the canvas. Barry was out cold. The bout was stopped at 2:39 of the first round.
Both fighters had talked about how this bout would show off their more well-rounded games, but it still ended up a battle of two great strikers. Kongo showed off the strength of his chin in surviving Barry's strikes, and that he could stay calm and persevere for the win.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Fan makes hairy tribute to Twins' Mauer
? NASCAR wreck of the week: Tony Stewart gets served
? Ten most awkward NHL draft rookie photos
? Fans riot after team suffers relegation
Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth
Slam has a sick road trip video called Walk The Plank.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MostlySkateboarding/~3/tMXyVpoOe0U/walk-plank.html
Georges Grignard Bobby Grim Romain Grosjean Olivier Grouillard
Back in 1978, Stacy Peralta appeared as a skateboarding spokesperson in a 'safety' commercial that played on nationwide television. The office of the U.S. Surgeon General produced it. We are looking for a copy of this TV commercial so it can be considered for the Documentary. If you have a copy of the commercial, contact us at ppfb@skateone.com
Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley Frank Gardner
Kenny Florian on Cut to Featherweight: 'I've Never Felt Better' Video by UFC 131
Source: http://www.prideofmaui.com/blog/cruises/maui-sunset-cruises-the-perfect-end-to-a-perfect-day.html
Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil
Neil Melanson has helped some of MMA's best learn the art of grappling. From now on, he'll have to do that training with one less toe. Melanson, the head grappling instructor at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, was given the choice of getting his toe removed or staying off the mats for a year. He said goodbye to the toe.
During years of competing in catch wrestling and coaching such fighters as Randy Couture, Gray Maynard and Forrest Griffin, Melanson had broken the toe several times. It finally wouldn't heal straight, and doctors told him that the toe needed surgery.
"The only thing they could try, is put screws in it to straighten it out, but that would be up to a year of downtime," he said. "The doctor thought I was a little nuts because he was like, 'Well, don't you want to keep that thing?' I just said, 'I can't take a year off.'
"He didn't cut through any bone. They cut into the foot at the lowest joint possible and then sow all the webbing between the toes. So, it looks like a Ninja Turtle foot or something."
Melanson isn't the first to lose a body part to sports. NFL Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Lott had his pinkie cut off after it was crushed in a playoff win for the 49ers. Pro surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her arm in a shark attack, but is still competing.
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Couture-coach-loses-toe-to-MMA?urn=mma-wp3889
Source: http://www.prana.com/blog/2011/06/26/connected-an-autoblogography-about-love-death-technology-video/
Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota
If you are a Nate Marquardt fan, clear the decks on Sunday. Set your DVR, order some dinner and dig in for a NATE-tastic evening.
As the headline for UFC on Versus 4, Marquardt will face Rick Story. This will be Marquardt's first bout at welterweight, and Story's second bout in less than a month. But that's not all, Marquardtians.
He will also be the focus of an all-day marathon on Spike, with UFC Unleasheds and full replays of events that will feature Marquardt's bouts with Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen, Martin Kampmann, Ivan Salaverry, Wilson Gouveia, and Rousimar Palhares.
The marathon starts 1 p.m. ET and will end at 11 p.m. ET, which means it will overlap with the live fights on Versus. It's a curious strategy for Spike to use, since few people would rather watch an old fight than a new one unfolding before their eyes. Perhaps the Spike programming execs are really huge fans of Nate the Great.
* Not actually official.
Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer Zaxby s Chevrolet Brad Keselowski
Source: http://scubadivergirls.com/blog/?p=8850
Toyota Kimmy Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne
It's not looking good for female fighters with the biggest promotions. This week's Strikeforce Challengers card in Washington and next month's Strikeforce cards in Las Vegas and Chicago feature some female fights. After that, who knows?
The two biggest female names under the Strikeforce banner still don't have fights scheduled.
We're now a few weeks removed from Gina Carano bailing on her Strikeforce: Dallas fight and there's still official no word on what the injury was, or a timetable for her return. When Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker spoke with AOL, he still had no answers.
"Gina is feeling much better after having undergone some medical attention and is looking forward to getting back into training very soon. She would like to express thanks to Team Jackson for a wonderful training camp, Strikeforce and the fans," said Coker, reading from a text message he received from Carano's management team.
Beyond that the boss didn't have any details.
"She evidently had some medical attention provided and she looks forward to getting back soon. So that's everything I know," said Carano.
Coker couldn't even answer if the medical issue was career threatening, saying the text was all he's seen.
The situation with Strikeforce's No. 1 female star is just as unclear, or is it?
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos is currently without a contract.
"Absolutely. I'm pretty sad not to be fighting and I'm trying to renegotiate my contract for a year, but Strikeforce doesn't want to made a deal, they want to keep paying me what they paid before, but now I'm the event's champion and I've never been defeated in Strikeforce. I just wanted to be recognized," Cyborg said.
She also told Tatame that she has taken an August fight in Brazil and just has to wait until her Strikeforce contract runs out this month.
One has to wonder if this is the end of the line for Cyborg in Strikeforce. If Dana White has zero interest in female fighting in the UFC, why would he allow a company that he owns to lock itself into any more long-term contracts with female fighters?
Tip via Fightlinker
If you are a Nate Marquardt fan, clear the decks on Sunday. Set your DVR, order some dinner and dig in for a NATE-tastic evening.
As the headline for UFC on Versus 4, Marquardt will face Rick Story. This will be Marquardt's first bout at welterweight, and Story's second bout in less than a month. But that's not all, Marquardtians.
He will also be the focus of an all-day marathon on Spike, with UFC Unleasheds and full replays of events that will feature Marquardt's bouts with Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen, Martin Kampmann, Ivan Salaverry, Wilson Gouveia, and Rousimar Palhares.
The marathon starts 1 p.m. ET and will end at 11 p.m. ET, which means it will overlap with the live fights on Versus. It's a curious strategy for Spike to use, since few people would rather watch an old fight than a new one unfolding before their eyes. Perhaps the Spike programming execs are really huge fans of Nate the Great.
* Not actually official.
Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer Zaxby s Chevrolet Brad Keselowski
Strikeforce in Dallas this weekend is highlighted by the heavyweight battles but one of the sleeper fights is KJ Noons and Jorge Masvidal.
This inside video look at Noons shows the lightweight contender taking care of a crucial prefight task. He checks in with the stylist. Apparently, Noons wiping away his bangs against Nick Diaz annoyed the hell out of the fighter's trainers (1:40 mark).
The Noons' video series is well made and this one provides a bonus with an appearance by the fighter's wife, Melany Lorenzo. Lorenzo is also an athlete having logged time in the Lingerie Football League.
Noons' could be fighting for a shot at Strikeforce 155-pound champion Gilbert Melendez. Does he have a chance against Melendez? Of course. Noons' boxing is as good as anyone's in the business. He's faced Diaz twice. Noons is a true lightweight, who finished Diaz on one occasion and also went the distance with the welterweight champ last year.
The first task at hand though is Masvidal, a well-rounded fighter, who may be able to slow Noons' striking game by getting the fight to the floor. Noons is listed as a minus-320 favorite. With Gina Carano dropping off the card, Noons-Masvidal is now part of the Showtime telecast (10 p.m. ET/PT).
Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rock-climbing-blog/~3/US4y7aAlJk8/philsheard
Emmanuel de Graffenried Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green Keith Greene
D.C. United faces the Houston Dynamo at RFK Stadium this evening in the first of three consecutive matches against Eastern Conference rivals. To start off our usual media round-up, we begin by looking at Charlie Davies' special feature on CNN International and CNN.com.
Source: http://snowboardaction.net/roxy-ride-the-waves-pants-true-black/
Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. ? It was Major League Soccer?s all-time leading scorer Jaime Moreno?s first game at the helm of United?s newly formed Under-23 Academy team. Early on it was easy to see his new club resembled its head man?s game, hustling its way into early scoring chances.
In the first minute, D.C. United forward Marco Mangione deflected a pass in front of the Hotspur goal which forced Fredericksburg Hotspur goalkeeper Ryan Taylor to make a diving save. They threatened again just four minutes later, drawing a penalty kick which was shot wide by midfielder Paul Torres.
You used to have to pay for full-length movies, but now days there are tons of free features, like "Going Green" from the might Midwest, where the only thing to ride is handrails and the only thing to shotgun is Yoo-hoo, apparently.
Going Green (Full Movie) from Sam Jorgensen on Vimeo.
Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya
Source: http://www.hikingcamping.com/blog/2011/05/advice-from-30000-miles-on-the-trail/
The night of the weight cut! That's not a really a catchy title for a fight card, but it certainly represents a big part of the story at Sunday's UFC on Versus 4 card.
Nate Marquardt, Tyson Griffin, Joe Stevenson, Rich Attonito, Ricardo Lamas and Matt Grice are all dropping in weight. That could wreak havoc on bettors. How many of these guys get crushed by the weight cut?
Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole joined us to give his picks on the fights using the Las Vegas betting lines.
UFC on VERSUS 4 betting odds (courtesy Venetian Resort Hotel Casino Las Vegas):
Nate Marquardt (-115) vs. Rick Story (-115) - Welterweight
Pat Barry (+170) vs. Cheick Kongo (-200) - Heavyweight
Matt Brown (+190) vs. John Howard (-240) - Welterweight
Christian Morecraft (+150) vs. Matt Mitrione (-180) - Heavyweight
Manny Gamburyan (+150) vs. Tyson Griffin (-180) - Featherweight
Javier Vazquez (+190) vs. Joe Stevenson (-240) - Featherweight
Curt Warburton (+250) vs. Joe Lauzon (-330) - Lightweight
Rich Attonito (-115) vs. Daniel Roberts (-115) - Welterweight
Nik Lentz (+210) vs. Charles Oliveira (-270) - Lightweight
Matt Grice (-115) vs. Ricardo Lamas (-115) - Featherweight
Edward Faaloloto (+300) vs. Michael Johnson (-400) - Lightweight
Joe Stevenson and Tyson Griffin are playing what could be their final cards. Once upon a time, they were both title contenders at lightweight in the UFC. With bigger and more well-rounded fighters coming from all over the world feeding the division in 2011, both fighters have fallen on hard times. Stevenson's lost three straight and 5-of-7 while Griffin has dropped three in a row. They both make their featherweight debut on Sunday at UFC on Versus 4.
Surprisingly, both UFC vets are big favorites. Stevenson (31-13, 8-7 UFC) is minus-270 in some spots against Javier Vasquez. Griffin (14-5, 7-5 UFC) is minus-180 over Manny Gamburyan. Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole checked in with us and didn't sound super confident that either fighter would roll to a victory.
