UFC Challenge

Posts Tagged ‘Octagon’

A chance meeting with UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar provided Sunderland scrapper Ross ‘The Real Deal’ Pearson with all the answers he was looking for. Over the course of seven days, Pearson quickly realized Edgar would be too strong for BJ Penn in their return match and also discovered just what it takes to reach and remain at the top of the lightweight pile.

“I recently visited Frankie’s camp in New York and had the chance to train and wrestle with him and his Rutgers wrestling team,” says Pearson. “I learned so much from those guys in seven days. The stuff I’ve picked up has improved my game so much and also given me an insight into just how talented and hard-working the current UFC lightweight champ is.

“I wasn’t working too much on taking guys down, but I was learning how to keep things on my feet and deal with a wrestler who wants to take me down. It was a tremendous experience, as Edgar is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC, and the kind of fighter I wouldn’t be able to work with back home in Britain. Frankie and his wrestling team were teaching me simple little things which, I think, may make the world of difference in my next fight.”

Champion Edgar impressively defeated Penn to retain his lightweight belt two weeks ago in Boston. The New Jersey battler shut down Penn’s attack and bettered the talented Hawaiian in every area of the fight. Pearson, of course, saw it all coming.

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Moments after his Octagon debut at UFC 116, Ricardo Romero was back in the locker room of the MGM Grand washing the blood off his.

The rest is here:
How Ricardo Romero Turned a Terrible UFC Start into a Triumphant …

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W2 Shonie Carter – September 24, 2000 – Pancrase 2000 Anniversary Show
Marquardt turned pro in April of 1999, three days before his 20th birthday, and by the end of that year, he was 6-1 and fighting in Japan. It was a whirlwind ride for the youngster, who made an international statement on September 24, 2000 by defeating Kiuma Kunioku and Shonie Carter on the same night to become the first middleweight King of Pancrase. As Marquardt told me back before his 2001 bout against Gil Castillo, “It was pretty unbelievable.

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W2 Shonie Carter – September 24, 2000 – Pancrase 2000 Anniversary Show
Marquardt turned pro in April of 1999, three days before his 20th birthday, and by the end of that year, he was 6-1 and fighting in Japan. It was a whirlwind ride for the youngster, who made an international statement on September 24, 2000 by defeating Kiuma Kunioku and Shonie Carter on the same night to become the first middleweight King of Pancrase. As Marquardt told me back before his 2001 bout against Gil Castillo, “It was pretty unbelievable.

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UFC magazine is looking for outgoing, motivated college students who are tapped into life on campus – online and off — to help spread the word about UFC.

Talk about a cool gig – working as a college rep gives you access to the inside world of UFC, plus it can’t hurt your resume to have experience with one of the fastest-growing brands in the world.

As a part of the UFC College Rep Program, you’ll help introduce your peers to the UFC magazine, promote the UFC name, features, products, lifestyle and — of course — encourage readers and viewers. As a UFC College Rep, you are expected to be a true brand ambassador. By building your own network of fans on campus, you’ll become the “campus gateway” to the UFC. You will be the first to know of upcoming UFC features, while also occasionally receiving merchandise and invitations to exclusive events. Utilizing word of mouth marketing and social media tools, you’ll share the wealth with your peers.

You will also have the opportunity to:
• Promote and execute UFC events, from magazine launches to TUF tryouts to viewing parties.
• Be our “eyes and ears of the Octagon” on your campus, reporting on trends, attitudes, what’s in vs. what’s out.
• Volunteer at UFC events. You might even be able to host your own on-campus viewing party!
•

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BOSTON — After a three-round drubbing with a lightweight title opportunity on the line, Kenny Florian dejectedly walked out of the octagon. By all r.

View post:
Dana White on Kenny Florian: 'He Chokes in the Big Fights' — MMA …

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BOSTON — After a three-round drubbing with a lightweight title opportunity on the line, Kenny Florian dejectedly walked out of the octagon. By all r.

See more here:
Dana White on Kenny Florian: 'He Chokes in the Big Fights' — MMA …

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BOSTON, August 28 – Let the reign truly begin. In what was almost a continuation of their April bout, UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar shut out the man he beat for the belt at UFC 112, BJ Penn, via unanimous decision in the UFC 118 main event Saturday night at TD Garden, silencing any naysayers who called the first win a fluke.

“I want to thank BJ, he truly brought the best out of me,” said Edgar, who took the bout via three scores of 50-45.

“Frankie fought a great fight, he’s the man,” said Penn. “Much respect.”

Penn was emotionless as he made his way into battle; conversely, the champion practically ran up the aisle from his locker room to the Octagon, eager for the fight to begin.

At 12:11am local time, he got his wish, and the action got underway immediately, with the two trading punches and Edgar following up with a takedown of the former champ. Penn locked Edgar’s arms up, and with 3:22 remaining, he scrambled to his feet. Edgar soon settled in, getting back to the rhythm of striking and movement that won him the belt in the first place. This time though, he was throwing more wrestling into the mix, as he put Penn on the mat a second time. Penn rose quickly, and there was heat behind his punches, but he was coming up short when it came to landing them.

Better adjusting to Edgar’s speed and head movement, Penn’s strikes began landing with more frequency early in round two, but the champion was undeterred as he stuck to his gameplan while continuing to mix up his strikes. Midway through the round, Edgar got the bout to the mat, but Penn didn’t allow it to stay there for long as he got upright quickly. “The Prodigy” was unable to capitalize though, as it was Edgar’s quick shots and movement continued to baffle Penn.

Penn came out of his corner with more urgency in round three, and while he had some success early on, by the third minute of the frame, it was Edgar back in control, as the crowd chanted his name. In the final 90 seconds, Penn saw some daylight when he stuffed a takedown attempt and landed some strikes, but it was a short-lived rally as Edgar finished the round strong.

Early in round four, Penn switched gears and took Edgar to the canvas, garnering a roar from the crowd. Edgar grabbed Penn and tried to keep him close, but then suddenly broke free in a lull and got back to his feet.

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BOSTON, August 28 – Hometown jitters? Not for Bridgewater’s Joe Lauzon, who thrilled his local fans at TD Garden with a one-sided submission victory over his Ultimate Fighter season five teammate Gabe Ruediger, who saw his Octagon return spoiled Saturday night by a first round armbar.

Lauzon took the fight to Ruediger at the bell, landing with two quick rights before scoring with a slam to the mat. While on the ground Lauzon got even busier, searching for submissions in between hard strikes to the head. With a little over three minutes left, Ruediger got back to his feet briefly, only to get slammed back to the mat. Moments later, Lauzon ended the bout, sinking in an armbar that produced a tap out at 2:01 of the round.

With the win, Lauzon – who was fighting in Massachusetts for the first time since 2006 -ups his record to 18-5; Ruediger falls to 17-6.

Nik Lentz remained unbeaten in the Octagon, scoring an uneventful three round unanimous decision win over Andre Winner in a lightweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Lentz, who is 3-0-1 in the UFC.

The first five minutes were a war of attrition, with neither man able to impose their gameplans on each other for very long, with Lentz’ ability to control the location of the bout giving him a slight edge. Nothing changed in the second round, and while Winner started letting his hands go in the third, he was locked up shortly thereafter and taken to the mat, where he was pinned for the remainder of the fight, much to the dismay of the Boston fans.

With the win, Lentz improves to 21-3-2; Winner falls to 12-4-1.

In middleweight action, Dan Miller broke his three fight losing streak with a second round submission win over Alabama’s John Salter.

“It’s been a long time,” an ecstatic Miller told UFC color commentator Joe Rogan after the bout.

Salter and Miller battled it out competitively in the first round, with Miller holding the edge on the feet and Salter controlling matters on the ground.

The fight was playing out the same way in round two, but this time, when Salter shot in for his first takedown of the frame, the New Jersey native was ready – not just with his sprawl, but with an anaconda choke that ended Salter’s night via tap out at the 1:53 mark.

With the win, Miller – whose losing skid came at the hands of Michael Bisping, Demian Maia, and Chael Sonnen – improves to 12-4 with 1 NC; Salter falls to 5-2.

Lightweight prospect Greg Soto looked like a different fighter than the one that debuted in the UFC back in March, as he survived a nasty cut over his left eye to pound out a three round unanimous decision win over Nick Osipczak.

Scores were 29-28 across the board for the New Jersey product, who improves to 8-1; Osipczak falls to 5-3.

Soto came out strong in the opening frame, using solid groundwork to control the first half of the round. But once Osipczak got back to his feet and cut Soto over the left eye, he took over, potshotting his foe until the bell sounded.

After a long look from the Octagonside physician, Soto was allowed out for round two, and his sense of urgency was evident. Osipczak, clearly the better striker, hurt Soto with a knee at close range and began teeing off. Soto, undeterred, bounced back with a takedown and was close to securing a rear naked choke before the England native escaped. Soto did maintain control on the mat for much of the remaining part of the round until a late standup surge from Osipczak just before the bell.

With trainer and lightweight contender Kurt Pellegrino cheering him on, Soto opened the third with another takedown, quickly transitioning into side control. From there, he kept moving and kept making Osipczak’s life miserable with knees, punches, and a choke attempt, securing an impressive first Octagon win.

Vancouver, Washington welterweight Mike Pierce made sure that the Octagon debut of Amilcar Alves ended with a loss in the opener, submitting the Brazil native in the third round.

Not surprisingly, Pierce used his wrestling to smother and control Alves throughout the first two rounds, both on the mat and against the fence, keeping his opponent from mounting any offense.

Alves finally got some kicks off early in the third as he tried to turn things around, but after a couple scores, Pierce got his takedown and resumed his methodical attack. This time though, he looked to finish, and at the 3:11 mark he did, forcing his foe to tap out to a cross body armbar.

With the win, Pierce ups his record to 11-3; Alves falls to 11-2.

See the original post:
Lauzon Delivers Boston Beatdown in 118 Prelims

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You don’t know BJ Penn. And according to the former two division UFC champion, neither does the man who Penn is looking to regain his lightweight crown from this weekend in Boston, Frankie Edgar.

But he says we’re about to find out who he is.

“Everyone’s favorite thing to say is that BJ Penn is some rich, lazy kid and they don’t know who I am,” said Penn. “They don’t know me, they never met me. Frankie Edgar doesn’t know me, he never met me, and I feel like I’m reborn. I even want to thank Frankie Edgar for doing this to me because him and the rest of the world are gonna get to see who BJ Penn really is – finally. I’m not trying to be a braggart or blow my own horn, but I really feel that what anyone has ever seen me do in my career, we can top all those things in this fight and in the fights in the future. I’m really excited and I’m pumped. I want to fight.”

It’s what you always want to hear from Penn, because even if he says otherwise, we do know who he is. The most decorated lightweight champion in history, a prodigious talent who has competed against the best in the world from 155 pounds to heavyweight, Penn likely has a place waiting for him in the UFC Hall of Fame one day. But if one thing has been painfully clear over the course of his nine year MMA career is that if he’s on his game mentally and suitably motivated, he’s one of the best ever. When he’s not, he’s merely just another talented fighter.

Some would say that in April, when he lost his belt to Edgar by a close five round unanimous decision, he wasn’t motivated enough, and he paid for it. Others would say he was surprised by the movement and style of the New Jersey product, and wasn’t able to adjust in time. For his part, Penn takes the high road when it comes to both trains of thought.

“I don’t want to take away from Frankie Edgar and say that I didn’t get up for him,” he said. “I’m always up for a fight. I made my own mistakes in preparing for the fight, and those are mistakes I have to live with. I was worrying about my physical body at the time, and now I want my mind, body, and spirit to all be as one and I really feel that they are all one right now.”

“And he didn’t surprise me,” Penn continues. “I knew he was tough, I knew he could box and had wrestling. Him and his team had a great gameplan and they came out and did their thing. Whether they believed in ‘The Secret’ and willed themselves to win that night, who knows, but Frankie Edgar walked away with the victory that night, and props to him. He’s got a UFC belt at home sitting on his dresser, or I don’t know what he does with it, but good for him, and he doesn’t know me, he never met me, but he’s gonna find out.”

The world getting to see the “real” BJ Penn is a recurring theme these days for the pride of Hilo, and if anything, he sounds relaxed yet intense, if that makes any sense, as he prepares for the latest biggest fight of his life. And at 31, he’s picked the right time to straighten his ship’s voyage and truly get down to business, not only in the lightweight division, but in what he hopes is a return trip to the 170-pound weight class.

“I couldn’t be happier in my life, my training couldn’t be better, and I’m very excited,” he said. “Now with the way my training’s going, I’m back to my original goal of wanting to become the lightweight champion and the welterweight champion and I feel like now’s my chance. I really want to be a lot more active in the Octagon and I’m just a very happy person right now in my life. Honestly, without giving too much away, I’m just planning on going out there and being myself and hopefully it’s the best BJ Penn anyone has ever seen and everyone’s gonna end up looking at me and saying, man, this guy is the real deal.”

One of the reasons for Penn’s reinvention of himself this time around may be to prove that despite being one of just a handful of fighters remaining from the early days of Zuffa’s UFC ownership, he is still on top of his game nearly a decade later, and perhaps just entering his physical prime. But an even bigger reason may be to set an example for his nearly two year old daughter Aeva Lili’u. Even the slightest mention of her causes Penn’s voice to soften, and you can tell that he’s glad she doesn’t quite understand what her dad does for a living yet.

“I kinda hope that it still takes her a little while longer to be able to recognize her father on TV,” he said. “I don’t want her to see me get injured; that plays very much on my mind. But I want her to be proud of me and I want her to grow up and be like, ‘you know BJ Penn? That’s my dad.’ I want to do all these things, I want to create a great life for her, and my legacy will be her legacy.”

And he plans on part of that legacy being that he was not only be as one of the most talented fighters to ever grace the Octagon, but one who eventually found consistency.

“Honestly, I feel like I’ve been an amateur all this time,” said Penn, 15-6-1 as a pro. “I want to be a lot more consistent. I don’t want to come out and win two or three and then lose some lackluster fight and everybody goes ‘what the hell? That’s not BJ Penn.’ I’m done being an amateur, it’s time to be a professional. I have everything I need here inside me. I can do it. Anybody can tell me ‘no BJ, you can’t win a fight training like that.’ And I’ll look at them and say, ‘no, YOU can’t.’ I can.”

With that, the fire is back, and as Penn points out, it’s not the fire of an athlete, but of a fighter, and this fighter has some things he wants to get off his chest.

“I look at these guys and I’m not an athlete,” he said. “They’re athletes, and I’m a fighter. I fight, I get emotional, I get pissed off, I cry, I do all these different things, and for them, they’re just out there competing one more day. And for me, it still is a fight and it still is the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It isn’t the Ultimate Fitness Challenge, for me it still is what it always was, and that’s why I wanted to be involved in this sport. There is definitely some animosity when I see Frankie Edgar say something like ‘you know I feel bad for Gray Maynard that he keeps getting passed up on his title shot.’ And I’m looking at him and saying, ‘why do you feel bad?’ Is it because he’s getting passed up for me? I didn’t see you complaining that Gray Maynard was getting passed up when you were getting the shot. But all of a sudden BJ Penn’s getting the shot and you feel bad. And I could say a lot of harsh things when it comes to something like that because we all know how important it is to have that UFC belt. We know what it means in sponsors and paying our bills.”

He pauses and collects himself, knowing that negative emotion is never any good when it comes to building up the positive energy he needs to get his belt back. So we change the subject, kind of, and I ask ‘so what’s the difference between an athlete and a fighter?’

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