Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Dana White: Carlos Condit Accepts Rematch With Nick Diaz

Random Thoughts and Ramblings

Thoughts, Reflections, And Recaps: UFC 143

Photo

UFC 143 went down last night and delivered some great fights, although it may not have been what you expected. Here are the results from the UFC's annual Super Bowl weekend show!

Main Card

Carlos Condit def. Nick Diaz via unanimous decision

Fabricio Werdum def. Roy Nelson via unanimous decision

Josh Koscheck def. Mike Pierce via split decision

Renan Barao def. Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision

Ed Herman def. Clifford Starks via rear-naked choke

Undercard

Dustin Poirier def. Max Holloway via submission (triangle/armbar)

Edwin Figueroa def. Alex Caceres via split decision

Matt Brown def. Chris Cope via second-round TKO

Matt Riddle def. Henry Martinez via split decision

Rafael Natal def. Michael Kuiper via unanimous decision

Stephen Thompson def. Dan Stittgen via first-round KO

After the jump, check out some thoughts and recaps of the UFC 143 card!

Continue reading this post »

17 comments  | 

Happy 70th Birthday, Muhammad Ali!

Ali evading Frazier during "The Thrilla in Manilla" via johnbatchelorshow.com

Without making too much ado over this, today is Muhammad Ali's 70th birthday. Ali has been battling Parkinson's since 1984 and it truly is a blessing to have this legend of combat sports with us today. Considering the tragic lifespans of boxers, it really is a testament to the heart and grit of this man to have him battle a disease for over 25 years and still be with us today.

For those not acquainted with boxing, it is almost certain that you still have heard of Ali. He stood for much more than just being one of the greatest boxers in history. He transcended sports and was a major figure in the civil rights movement during the 1960's. Ali stood up for his beliefs and his legendary witticisms and gift of gab helped him become an iconic figure around the world.

And for all of his fame outside of the ring, his stuff in-ring was what solidified the legend. With blinding speed and head movement, Ali would run circles around you and punch you all while calling you every name in the book. His bouts with the likes of Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton, George Chuvalo, and Chuck Wepner are things that need to be seen to understand how great this man was inside of the ring. His trash talk was something you could have only seen in pro wrestling at that time (coincidentally, Ali was inspired by the famous pro wrestler of the 40's and 50's, Gorgeous George).

From all of us at Gal's Guide and from so many fans that have been inspired by you inside the ring and out, we'd like to wish you a happy 70th, Mr. Ali. Your legacy lives on in sport and life on a daily basis.

0 comments  |  1 recs | 

Gina Carano's Voice In 'Haywire' Is Really Hers

Finally, we have solved this mystery that I am certain was keeping you up at night as you tried to figure out what the truth really was. TMZ is now following up on their original story that Gina Carano's voice in her new film, 'Haywire', may not have actually been hers at all. It turns out that it really is Gina, although an enhanced version of her, and Gina herself explains what happened:

"Steven Soderbergh wanted Mallory [her character in the film] and Gina to be two completely different entities and I think in the sports world you end up falling in love with, you know, the person that is Gina Carano and it makes it a little bit more difficult to take me and put me into a Mallory Kane type of character. So he did do some, you know, altering and some mixing and we went back into ADR and he really worked hard at making Mallory be a different entity. And, he did a really genius job of that."

So there you go! You can listen to the video with Gina's interview below.

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

3 comments  | 

Was Gina Carano's Voice Dubbed in 'Haywire'?

TMZ continues their solid MMA coverage with a report that Gina Carano's voice in her new film 'Haywire' may not actually be her own. Oh, how scandalous!

Sources connected to the film's production company are allegedly saying that the powers that be behind the movie were not completely pleased with Carano's voice in the film so they doctored it up in post-production. No details are provided on whether it was just digitally enhanced or whether she was completely dubbed over by another voice.

These allegations are not altogether surprising since many viewers of the film's trailer had been commenting that her voice sounded different - in a lower vocal range - when they first watched the trailer months ago. I noticed it but thought maybe she was just making herself speak lower to sound more like her character should. Two examples are provided below (all courtesy of TMZ) so you can judge for yourself if we're hearing the real Gina.

Gina at The Grove in Los Angeles the other day:video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

Gina in a scene from 'Haywire':video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

Poll
Is that the real Gina?
It's totally just Gina!
21 votes
Yes, it's Gina but she's been digitially enhanced.
58 votes
No way - that's definitely someone else.
46 votes
Huh?
18 votes

143 votes | Poll has closed

22 comments  | 

Watch the First Episode of MTV's Caged

Did anyone catch the first episode of Caged on Monday? It's MTV's new reality show based on amateur MMA fighters in a small (really, really small) Louisiana town. Donna and I watched it last night and it wasn't too bad. It definitely has the typical MTV spin, Confessional Videos! Wild Parties! Teen Angst!, but I think if I can get over that it may be interesting to watch these guys as they try to start a career in MMA. Here's hoping that they don't attain a level of Jersey Shore type self-awareness that causes them all to be insufferable d-bags. MTV shows really have a knack for bringing that out in people.

It will be interesting to see if this brings in a new crop of young fans. The (gasp!) cute boys may even bring in some more female fans. I really hope so. MMA is such a sausage party. Won't you watch it below and tell us what you think?


9 comments  | 

The Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos Steroids Scandal - A Brighter Outlook

Cristiane-cyborg-santos-4_medium

In the wake of Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos' failed drug test after her bout with Hiroko Yamanaka last December, the Negative Nancies have come out in droves. "Cyborg's career is over!" they've falsely declared. "Females in Mixed Martial Arts is over!" they've yelled despite the statement's inaccuracies. "The marquee division is done!" they've screamed despite 145 lbs being the thinnest division in the sport. Quite frankly, it's getting quite annoying.

I understand it's funner to declare that the sky is falling than telling your neighbors that the sky is just the sky, but let's step back for a moment a take a look at the reality of the situation. In the infamous words of Walter Sobchak- "Nothing is f*@!ed here, dude.'

The Future of Cyborg Santos

Let me make this extremely clear. This failed test is not the end of Cyborg's career. Josh Barnett's failed test in 2002 (nor 2009) was not the end of his career. Tim Sylvia's failed test in 2003 was not the end of his career. Nate Marquardt's failed test in 2005 was not the end of his career. Vitor Belfort's failed test in 2006 was not the end of his career. Bonnar's failed test in 2006 was not the end of his career. Dennis Hallman's failed test in 2007 was not the end of his career. Chris Leben's failed test in 2008 was not the end of his career. Cristiane Santos' failed test in 2011 will not ruin her career either. Everybody treated her like a roid user before this fight, and everybody will treat her like a roid user after this fight. Especially given that she just came off a year and a half absence from the cage, with now another year off guaranteed- nothing has really changed here people.

I'd argue that this will be, in the long term, a good thing for Cyborg. Although she has indicated that her use of stanozolol to cut weight at the end of this camp, and that she had never used it before and was unaware it was prohibited. I don't buy this. When someone is having trouble cutting weight once, and use something to cut without knowing its illegal, we tend to see them using an easily obtainable diuretic of some sort. Although stanozolol is a cutting agent, it is something used to cut fat without losing muscle mass over a much longer period of time than someone using a diuretic the week of the fight. It's not a last minute, uneducated maneuver to cut those last few pounds,

If Cyborg has been using stanozolol over her career in order to keep her lean muscle mass while cutting fat, getting caught will force her (hopefully) to abandon this tactic moving forward. Without the aid of the drug, she will be forced to cut lean muscle in order to make weight. To me, being forced to take a year off and most likely transform her body to a smaller size in order to make weight without the assistance of this drug will ultimately be good for Cyborg. If she is truly serious about cutting to 135 lbs, she now has a year to do it and an environment in which the lack of steroids won't be unnaturally keeping her muscle mass around. If Cyborg can make 135 lbs, her career will be much much brighter in the long run.


The Future of Female Fights in Strikeforce

I'm not going to disagree with anybody here, the 145 lbs division in Strikeforce is most likely not going to continue. However, this whole notion that the 145 lbs division is the marquee women's division is hogwash. If you are a real casual fan of the female side of the sport, I can understand you seeing the biggest hype for the lady's coming by way of Gina Carano and Cyborg Santos, two 145ers, and link that to this being the big division. But it really truly is not. The 145 pound division is the thinnest division in the sport. If there was to be a division on the woman's end of the sport to be dissipated, it would be 145 pounds.

With luck, Strikeforce no longer promoting 145 pound female fights may end up being a huge positive for the sport. If Zuffa takes this opening to redirect their efforts towards the 125 pound division, arguably the strongest female division in MMA, we will not only have much better fights, but the casual fans will be introduced to a second stacked division instead of one that is thin and weak- which has only come to foster the opinion that women's MMA does not have thick enough divisions. For those of you not too familiar with the 125 pound division, which is currently not being promoted at a national level and has nearly all the top fighters open to be contracted. Gal's Guide to MMA community contributor Chromium created a nice quick list just the other day

-Tara Larosa (20-2; notable wins include Takayo Hashi, Carina Damm, Sally Krumdiack, Alexis Davis, Kelly Kobold, Shayna Baszler, Amanda Buckner, Julie Kedzie, and Hitomi Akano; somehow lost to Roxanne Modafferi)
-Cat Zingano (6-0; notable wins over Takayo Hashi, Carina Damm, and Barb Honchak)
-Rosi Sexton (12-2; notable wins over Sally Krumdiack, Roxanne Modafferi, and Carina Damm; only losses were to Zoila Gurgel and Gina Carano)
-Hitomi Akano (18-8; notable wins over Roxanne Modafferi, Hiroko Yamanaka, and Carina Damm; all but two losses were to heavier fighters including Cyborg and Miesha Tate, and the others were to Tara Larosa and Takayo Hashi)
-Carina Damm (17-6; notable wins over Jessica Aguilar, Miku Matsumoto, and Sophie Bagherdai; all losses have been to top fighters)
-Holly Holm (2-0 mega-prospect out of Jackson’s MMA; five time boxing world champion)
-Barb Honchak (5-1; notable wins over Roxanne Modafferi and Felice Herrig; only loss to Cat Zingano)
-Aisling Daly (13-2; notable wins over Jessica Eye and Maiju Kujala; only losses were to Sheila Gaff and Lisa Ward; I know she was in the Bellator tournament at 115 but I believe that was her only match at that weight)
-Sheila Gaff (9-4-1; recent wins over Hanna Sillen and Aisling Daly and three of her four losses were to people 20 lbs. heavier than her, with her other one coming in just her second fight)
-Sally Krumdiack (9-4; losses were all to good fighters and she has a good win over Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc)
-Zoila Gurgel (technically 11-1 (really 9-3); has legitimate wins over Rosi Sexton and Jessica Pene; only official loss was to Miesha Tate (in reality she also lost decisions to Megumi Fujii and Jessica Aguilar but whatever; W125 is her real home btw as her doctor has advised her not to ever cut down to 115 again; never been stopped)
-Marianna Kheyfets (4-0 prospect)
-Hanna Sillen (5-1; notable win over Maiju Kujala)
-Maiju Kujala (6-3; never been stopped and losses were to Miesha Tate, Aisling Daly, and very good prospect Hanna Sillen)
-Katja Kakaanpaa (5-0 prospect; good win over Karla Benitez)
-Reyna Cordoba (4-0 prospect)
-Angela Magana (10-4; holds wins over Jessica Aguilar and Lynn Alvarez)
-Sophie Bagherdai (5-1; notable win over Michelle Ould; only loss was to Carina Damm)
-Heather Clark (4-1 prospect; only loss was in her very first fight)
-Jessica Eye (5-1 prospect; only loss was to Aisling Daly)

I’m not even including people who are good but on bad losing streaks like Roxanne Modafferi or Takayo Hashi, or women who could and would come up in weight and kick ass if they could sign with SF at 125 like Megumi Fujii, Jessica Aguilar, and Carla Esparza. Or people who are better than their records might suggest like Michelle Ould (5-3).

The demise of the 145 lbs division in Strikeforce is not the end of female divisions. With luck, it may simply be the repositioning of promoting efforts to where they should be. With luck, Zuffa will be promoting the thickest female division in MMA within 2012.

The Future of the 145 lbs Female Division

So, basically what I am saying is that the only loser here is the 145 pound division and the women that can't cut lower than that right? Wrong. Very wrong. ONE FC, Asia's premier Mixed Martial Arts organization, has been very forward with their interest in female fights. A planned open-weight female tournament is in the works for 2012. If Strikeforce dumps the 145 pound division, as they most likely will, the ladies will have the choice to either cut to 135 or to go overseas to ONE FC. That's not a bad choice, as both seem much more fruitful than what Strikeforce has done with their 145ers up til now. They have only been in the business of promoting Cyborg fights. 145 lbers got little to no promotion, very few fights, and overall a pretty raw deal. Moving down to 135 lbs will open up more fights and opportunities, and moving over to ONE FC will also create more fights and opportunities. Either option is much more attractive for a 145 lbs female mixed martial artist that the state of the 145 lbs division in 2011.

So again, I must remind you all. Nothing is f@$!ed here, dude. Everything is going to be ok. So calm down, tweet Dana White, Joe Silva, Sean Shelby, and Scott Coker about the 125 lbs division, and enjoy some fights.

14 comments  |  3 recs | 

Keith Jardine is Still a Great Fighter but Let's Call Central Casting

Keithjardinesoa_medium

There come's a time in every fighter's career that questions whether or not a fighter needs to retire. Usually it's Dana White who brings this up, and usually before the fight is even over. It's not really that the fighter is too old, has lost too many times or been knocked out way more than can be safe, I think it's more the case of this fighter is needed somewhere else more desperately. When that's happens, it's time to call central casting.

After last season's action on Son's of Anarchy, there seems to be a dearth of good Sons. Who better to fill one of these vacancies, than Keith Jardine? He can just slide right in there go to make up for his Samcro tat, grab his cut, hop on his hog and help out this show with what it needs most. Besides it appears that Gemma may be seeking a new man in her life and who better to play Ashton to her Demi than the Dean of Mean himself.

Face it, you know it, I know it, we all know it, Keith was born to play this part. Let him.

We will miss our own personal techno viking, but that was just a you tube gig at best.

Wake up over there at central casting.

4 comments  | 

The Things We Say and Talk About

Wordle0001_medium



Continue reading this post »

7 comments  | 


Manager Gals

Wondertwins_small Donna

000_0022_small Beth

Main Gals

Deadman_purple_small Jackie Maden

Parish_orig_small KatGirl

Gals and Dudes

Download_small RachHeartsMMA

195036_1807629663483_1022176859_2079404_903368_o_small The Midge

302298_276274792412886_100000911036882_805879_1911219323_n_small mountaineers101