UFC ON FOX PRIMETIME SPECIAL

How exciting is it to know that the UFC will be on FOX in just two short weeks?  MMA has come a long way as a sport and while it has been featured on network television before, it's never been done like this.  In anticipation of the UFC's debut, Fox will be airing the 3 part Primetime Special that is customarily shown on Spike TV.  This was the first original UFC programming to ever air on FOX.

KNEEBAR REACTIONS SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK

What an exciting weekend of fights. 


Both Bellator and the UFC put on amazing shows on Saturday night, so it wasn't difficult to find this weeks KneeBar Reactions Submission of Week.  The seriously difficult part about making a selection this week was choosing which Rear Naked Choke to feature.  Why, do you ask?  There were 2 events held this weekend.  Between the two events there were 21 fights total.  Of those 21 fights, there were 4 Submission finishes.  All 4 of those submission finishes were Rear Naked Chokes.  Go figure.  

RESULTS UFC 137 PREDICTION CONTEST

I know I said I would only post the results on Monday, but since I already know who the winner is, I figured I would just announce it today and quell everyone's anticipation.  In the end, it went down to the wire as there was a 5 way tie up until the Nelson vs. CroCop fight.  The last three fights turned out to be the deciding factor in this one.


So, without further adieu, the winner of their choice of UFC 137 walk out t-shirts is no other than.......(DRUM ROLL PLEASE).....

9 THINGS I LEARNED FROM UFC 137, RESULTS, AND REACTIONS

What a historic night this turned out to be. 


Although the event as a whole was not the most exciting in recent memory, it proved to be one of the more important UFC events of 2011.  All in all, the night ended with an amazing main event and two legends calling it quits after years of being at the forefront of the development of MMA as a sport.  


Thank you to B.J. Penn and Mirko Filipovich for paving the way for future stars of the sport.  You will truly be missed!

QUICK RESULTS FOR UFC 137

Wow! Although for the most part, this event was nothing to write home about, the main event might go down in history as one of the most entertaining fights ever.  B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz gave the fans everything they could ever want in an MMA fight and more. 


Unfortunately, it ended with B.J. Penn announcing his retirement.  


Thank you B.J. Penn for what you've done for the sport of MMA.  You truly are a legend!  WAR PENN!!


Tune in Monday for the results of the KneeBar Reactions UFC 137 Prediction contest.  It went down to the wire people!

BETTING ODDS, BREAKDOWNS, AND PREDICTIONS FOR UFC 137

It's been so long I almost don't remember how to do this.  The last major MMA event was just about 3 weeks ago, and if you remember correctly, it was f****** awesome!  UFC 137 was poised to be just as exciting as it's predecessor.  Unfortunately, an injury left us minus one fight and without an epic main event.  I was really looking forward to GSP vs. Carlos Condit too.  No worries though, this card was so stacked from top to bottom that the main card is still killer.  Fortunately for us, the new main event of Nick Diaz vs. B.J. Penn should be a barn burner.  If the weigh ins are any indication of what we're in store for tomorrow, then I'm ready.  

UFC 137 PREDICTION CONTEST **Amended**

UFC 137 is almost upon us!

In honor of two of my favorite fighters of all time fighting in the main event, I've decided to host the first ever KneeBar Reactions prediction contest!  So I hope you're all ready to make your picks!

Whenever we host a UFC party at my house, we always play a prediction game for the main card.  I'll be using that game as the basis for this contest.

WATCH YOUR FAVORITE FIGHTERS TAKE ON...POLICE DOGS?

I guess the life of an MMA fighter is not exciting enough for some these guys.  At the 21st Annual K-9 dog trials, some of your favorite fighters help a few very well trained police dogs demonstrate tactical obedience.  Frank Mir, Dan Hardy, Forrest Griffin, and Stephan Bonnar all participate.

B.J. PENN TALKS UFC 137 WITH ARIEL HELWANI

Before his upcoming fight at UFC 137, B.J. Penn took some time out to talk to Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting.  B.J. discusses his upcoming fight with Nick Diaz, the events leading up to his fight, whether he could potentially drop back down to lightweight, and calls out Cesar Gracie. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

TUF 14: EPISODE 7

AIRED 10/27/2011

CRIS CYBORG KNOCKS OUT REPORTER

Be it woman, man, grizzly bear, there's no shame in getting knocked out by the reigning Strikeforce Women's 145 lbs champ, Cris "Cyborg" Santos.  There are very few female fighters in the world with the kind of skills that she has in her arsenal.  Watch as "Cyborg" puts on a clinic and dominates Aaron Tru of the Tru MMA Show.

COUNTDOWN TO UFC 137 VIDEO

Just in case you still haven't had a chance to watch the countdown special for UFC 137.  It's basically your standard countdown special, but these are always fun to watch. 

CHAEL SONNEN AND TOM ATENCIO: PREDICTIONS FOR UFC 137

When is it ever a bad thing to listen to Chael Sonnen speak?  He is hands down the world Heavyweight Champion of trash talk and self promotion.  If he ever decided to become a stand up comedian, he would make a boat load of money.  Maybe some day we'll see the Chael Sonnen show on Fox News.  Wouldn't that be something?  And to top it all off, the man is an absolute savage in the cage.  It's not often that you meet a guy who can talk the talk, and then back it up.  So if you're looking for some predictions for UFC 137, why not hear them from the man himself?  

WANDERLEI SILVA TALKS CUNG LE AND UFC 139

Why is it that Wanderlei Silva is the only guy who still needs subtitles even when he's speaking English?  In one of the first interviews in recent memory that you actually have to try and understand him, MMA legend and all around fan favorite, Wanderlei Silva, talks with Karyn Bryant of MMA H.E.A.T about UFC 139 and his upcoming fight with Cung Le.  

CNN PRESENTS: FIGHTER GIRLS

CNN gives us a fascinating look in to the still developing world of women's Mixed Martial Arts.  Great to see that major news organizations are taking time to document and report on our fast growing and amazing sport.  Women's MMA is still in its developing stages, but its well on its way to becoming as popular as its male counter part. 

A LOOK AT ROUSIMAR PALHARES

It seems like every time Rousimar Palhares, better known as "Toquinho", is competing, its shrouded in controversy.  I don't remember the last time I watched one of his fights where he didn't do something very unusual by conventional standards.   Even his grappling matches have become some what of a side show as of late.  There's no denying the talent and strength that this man possesses.  He's amazing on the ground and has been rounding out his game methodically.  He may very soon be a contender in the UFC Middleweight division.  

KNEEBAR REACTIONS SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK

To find our KneeBar Reactions Submission of the week, we were forced to travel all the way to Orlando, FL. In an event that featured the return of Jamie Varner, Elijah Harshbarger made himself known with a beautiful first round submission of Nicolae Cury. The American Top Team product put on an absolute clinic both with his standing Judo and Submission grappling. Watch as he takes his opponent down and transitions into mount before securing a beautiful fight ending ArmBar.

ALL THE FIGHTS FROM BELLATOR 55

Bellator 55 aired live on MTV 2 on 10/22/2011.  It featured the semi-finals of the Bantamweight tournament as well as a non-title fight for the reigning Bellator Lightheavyweight Champion, Christian M'Pumbu.  See for your self how this exciting night of fights turned out.

FABRICIO WERDUM TALKS UFC AND ABU DHABI

Good interview with Fabricio Werdum where he discusses potentially re-signing with the UFC as well as his loss to Vinny Magalhaes at Abu Dhabi.  

Interview with Karyn Bryant from MMA Heat.  

XFC 14: Jamie Varner vs. Nate Jolly

Looks like the ex-WEC champ is not retiring after all.  Check out Jamie Varner's XFC main event from 10/21/2011.  If nothing else, it's worth watching for the finish.  

B.J. PENN: THE ROAD TO UFC 137

Even though UFC 137 has taken some hits because of injury, I still believe it will turn our to be one of the best events of the year.  There are still a lot of potentially amazing matchups.  Penn and Diaz are two of the most popular fighters in the world and this fight is so evenly matched I don't know if there's anyway to predict who the winner will be.  Whether it be standing or on the ground, both fighters are cable of ending the fight at any time.  

GSP DISCUSSES HIS INJURY AND PULLING OUT OF UFC 137

Unfortunately, Georges St. Pierre will not be able to defend his UFC Welterweight Championship on 10/29/2011 because of an injury suffered during training.  In his first interview since pulling out of the fight, GSP discusses the details behind his injury as well as a timeline for his recovery and next fight.  

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

TUF 14: Episode 5


Aired 10/19/2011

THE ENTIRE UFC 137 CONFERENCE CALL

This is the entire UFC 137 conference call that took place this morning. 

Fighters include B.J. Penn, Nick Diaz, Matt Mitrione, and Cheick Kongo.

HONORING THE NEW UFC 137 MAIN EVENT

I'm sure you've all heard the news at this point.  GSP vs. Carlos Condit will no longer be the main event of UFC 137.  Unfortunately, GSP recently suffered an injury to his knee that will not allow him to fight on next Saturday's card.  As a result, B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz will now serve as the main event for the card.  It's sad that we're losing such a high profile fight, but Penn vs. Diaz is as worthy of a main event slot as any fight out there.  Both fighters are exciting and both bring it at all time in the cage.  They're so evenly matched that there's absolutely no way this will be a boring fight.  If rumors are true, we might even get a five rounder out of it.  

CHAEL SONNEN: WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY?

I don't even know what to say about Chael Sonnen anymore.  It seems like every time I turn around, he's saying something even more ridiculous.  I'm actually a big fan of his and his style of fighting.  I was happy to see him finish against Brian Stann and I hope that his game continues to evolve in that direction.  There are very few guys out there who can punish their opponents the way he can, and with the exception of Josh Barnett, no one talks trash like he does.  He may quite possibly be the single best self promoter in any sport...ever.  

EDDIE BRAVO AND JOE ROGAN TALK BJJ AND MMA

You may not agree with his life style choices or with his advocacy of certain illegal substances.  Say what you want about Eddie Bravo, but his knowledge base when it comes to MMA and Brasilian Jiu-Jitsu is amazing.  For those of you unfamiliar with Eddie Bravo, he is a 2nd degree Blackbelt in Brasilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jean-Jacques Machado and the creator of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu.  In 2003, as a brown belt, he competed in the Abu Dhabi Sumission Wrestling Championships and submitted Royler Gracie by triangle choke in a massive upset.  

WHY ANDERSON SILVA'S FOOTWORK IS SO GOOD

Have you ever watched an Anderson Silva fight and wondered how it's possible for someone to move that well?  I often find myself mesmerized by how fluid his movement is when he transitions from punch to punch.  His footwork is probably the best there is at this point, and its half the reason he's so hard to hit.  Watch his utter domination of Forrest Griffin and tell me it doesn't feel like he's moving at one speed while everyone else is moving in slow motion.

KNEEBAR REACTIONS SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK

In the first ever KneeBar Reactions submission of the week, we take a look at this weekend's M-1 Challenge 27.  There were plenty of submission victories this week from all the various events that were held.  In an event where four fights ended with a submission victory, this one stood head and shoulders above the rest in my eyes.  Watch as Arthur Guseinov shows amazing awareness when his opponent gives him the opportunity to finish the fight.  Once he grabs the leg, it's only a matter of time before he gets the tap.

FULL FIGHT VIDEOS FROM BELLATOR 54

Bellator 54 aired live on MTV 2 on 10/16/2011.  Turns out that Bellator managed to put on a pretty exciting show while all the other major MMA promotions were taking a break.  Check out all the main event fights from Bellator 54, plus one prelim, and enjoy the many KO's, Submissions, and back and forth battles.

M-1 CHALLENGE 27 - VINNY MAGALHAES VS. MIKHAIL ZAYATS

Vinny Magalhaes has had quite a 2011.  Not only did he recently win the +99KG  ADCC title by defeating the likes of Fabricio Werdum, he is also on a four fight win streak in MMA where he currently fights under the M-1 banner.  You may remember Vinny "Pezao" Magalhaes from his stint on the Ultimate Fighter where he made it to the final as a member of Team Mir and was knocked out by the season winner Ryan Bader.  While his career in the UFC was less than successful, he's been on a tear since leaving the organization and has put together wins in 8 of 9 fights.  In the process, he captured the M-1 Light Heavyweight Championship by defeating his opponent via third round Mounted Gogoplata.  

GRACIE BREAKDOWN - SONNEN VS. STANN

After every major MMA event, the boys from the original Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy up in Torrance, CA breakdown how jiu-jitsu was used in particular situations during a fight.  In this case, they are taking a look at the Chael Sonnen domination of Brain Stann during UFC 136 last Saturday.

NICK THE FACE PROMO FOR SHOGUN VS. HENDO

Once again, Nick the Face shows us why he's the best at making unofficial fight promos.  I can't wait to see what he does with Machida vs. Jones and Lesnar vs. Overeem.  I wonder if the UFC or any other MMA organization would ever consider putting this guy on the payroll.  He may be doing just as much to promote big matchups as they are.  

UFC 137 EXTENDED PREVIEW

The first of what I'm sure will be many UFC 137 previews. This is the usual teaser that is released by the UFC prior to the countdown special for all the major events. UFC 137 will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV on 10/29/2011. Scheduled bouts include:

ABU DHABI WORLD PRO 2011: RAFAEL LOVATO JR. VS. RODOLFO VIEIRA

It's important to recognize all the styles that contribute to Mixed Martial Arts.  With that in mind, check out this video from Abu Dhabi World Pro 2011 where Rafael Lovato Jr. and Rodolfo Vieira battle it out.

These are two of the best grapplers in the world, and it shows in this back and forth match.        

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

TUF 14

Aired 10/12/2011

CONDIT VS. GSP TRAILER

The New and Official Trailer for UFC 137.

JONES VS. MACHIDA TRAILER

This is one of the fights I'm most looking forward to this year.  Mostly because I think Machida will present the toughest stylistic match up for Jones thus far.  Styles make fights people and I anticipate this one being a barn burner!  

9 THNIGS I LEARNED FROM UFC 136, RESULTS, AND REACTIONS

Well then....... Don't I feel silly......


Looks like I underestimated a lot of people, and gave some others entirely way too much credit.  


All in all, I still had a pretty good winning percentage considering.  Going 4 and 3 is damn good, especially since one of those fights was a massive upset.  I

QUICK RESULTS FOR UFC 136

What a night of fights!!! Although I only went 4 for 7, I could care less.  This was the kind of night that was made for the fans.  


Tune in tomorrow for my Reactions to UFC 136. 


Thanks again for the support!!!  

BETTING ODDS, BREAKDOWNS, AND PREDICTIONS FOR UFC 136

I can barely contain myself, I'm so excited!


I've literally been counting down the days.  When they meet at the center of the Octagon on October 8th, I will have counted 280 days to be exact.  We thought the Edgar vs. Maynard saga was coming to an end in early May, but unfortunately injuries sidelined both fighters until further notice.  But it's finally here!  The moment you've all been waiting for......."THE MAIN EVENT OF THE EVENING!"

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

The Ultimate Fighter: Season 14 Episode 3

EDGAR VS. MAYNARD 2 - REPLAY

This weekend we'll finally get to see the resolution of the Edgar vs. Maynard saga.  These two have fought twice before, and their second fight was easily the fight of the year for 2011.  Comically enough, the fight took place on January 1st.    I don't know about you, but I've been looking forward to this fight for months and months now.  With that in mind, I decided to prepare myself for the weekend by re-watching the fight that got us here.  

COUNTDOWN TO UFC 136

Is anyone else as excited as I am for this weekend? 

9 THINGS I LEARNED FROM UFC ON VS 6, RESULTS, AND REACTIONS

One more week,  one more belt on the line, one more entertaining night of fights.  


As always, the UFC and its fighters pulled through with another solid card, and this time is was free!  Obviously, there's only so much you can expect from a free card, but all in all I think it was a raging success.  Although overall, there wasn't a ton of excitement, there were plenty of exciting moments and enough finishes to keep everyone talking for a few days.  

FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT!!

UFC on VS 6 Replay:

QUICK RESULTS FOR UFC ON VERSUS 6

BETTING ODDS, BREAKDOWNS, AND PREDICTIONS FOR UFC ON VS 6

And so we meet again.....

Week two of the seven week free for all is upon us.  UFC on Versus 6 marks the second of the five UFC titles that will be defended over the next few weeks.  This will also be the only FREE card shown until the mother load.  The mother load, in case you're unaware, will be the UFC on FOX.  As I've always said, "Free MMA is Good MMA."  So lets get excited for a what will most surely turn out to be a great night of fights!