MMA Thread

[CrimsonGhost56]

no official MMA discussion thread here? for shame. feel free to discuss why or why not dana white is the devil or how fedor is the baddest mofo to ever step foot on the planet. any MM MMA thread regulars that still have access please tell the others to come here. my e-life isnt complete without discussing and arguing MMA with the usuals.

and of course, the obligatory pics of carano....

[CrimsonGhost56]

great night of fights all around. maia looked real impressive, some of the best bjj in the world today. wonder if marqaurdt gets the next title shot, or perhaps a #1 contender fight between maia and marquardt.

end of the neil grove fight was gross. ankles are not meant to bend that way.

[Herm]

I was hoping to see more from Markham, that was definitely a shitty showing by him. lol @ Joe Daddy acted suprised when they announced the decision

[Kuzzy Powers]

Im pretty sure I did make an Official MMA thread there just wasnt much interest here at the time.

[Liquidrob]

Silva will be in trouble now, here comes Akiyama!

The Ultimate Fighting Championship today announced that it has signed top-ten middleweight contender Yoshihiro Akiyama to an exclusive promotional contract that will see him step into the UFC Octagon for the first time this summer.

“I’m excited to bring Akiyama into the UFC and I can see him making an immediate impact in the middleweight division,” said UFC President Dana White. “Besides his great judo and submission game, he’s a finisher, and UFC fans are going to love watching him because he always shows up to fight.”

Born of Korean descent in Osaka, Japan, Akiyama first made his name in the international sports world as a decorated black belt in judo who collected numerous titles, including a Gold medal in the 2002 Asian Games.

By 2004, Akiyama sought a new challenge in the world of mixed martial arts, and he made an immediate impact on December 31, 2004 when he debuted with a first round submission win in his bout against former world heavyweight boxing champion Francois Botha.

Over the next three years, the 5 foot 10 Akiyama built a stellar reputation as one of the best fighters in the world, submitting highly-touted knockout artist Melvin Manhoef, knocking out UFC middleweight Denis Kang, and engaging in battles with the likes of Kazushi Sakuraba and Kazuo Misaki. In 2008, the 33-year old continued his run of excellence, submitting Katsuyori Shibata and Masanori Tonooka to up his stellar MMA record to 12-1 with two no-contests, with none of his bouts going the distance.

Press conferences in Japan and Korea will take place in the coming days; details to be announced shortly.

No opponent or date has been determined for Akiyama’s UFC debut.

[Bigpapa42]

Interested to see how Akiyama does in the UFC.

[Liquidrob]

New Gina maxim pics

[Liquidrob]

how do I post a vid mfers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3WJEyuZsJc&eurl=http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/?go=forum_framed.posts&forum=1&thread=1422229&page=1&pc=7&feature=player_embedded

[Kuzzy Powers]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3WJEyuZsJc&eurl"]YouTube - Greatest Fedor Tribute Ever[/ame]

[Liquidrob]

Looks like Strikeforce added Josh vs Gilbert II on the April 11th card for the LW title

Shamrock/Diaz
Thomson/Melendez
Riggs/Shields
Radach/Smith

Very nice card for Showtime

Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson will face the man he wrested the title from, Gilbert Melendez, in a five-round rematch at Strikeforce “Shamrock vs. Diaz” on April 11 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz confirmed the matchup to Sherdog.com on Tuesday. The bout was first reported as a possibility by FiveOuncesofPain.com on Monday.

Thomson’s five-round shutout decision over Melendez last June is considered one of the high points of the San Jose fighter’s career.

As a 3-to-1 underdog, the American Kickboxing Academy product established confidence with the Pride Bushido star early, and actively used lateral movement to keep Melendez at bay throughout the 25 minutes. The loss marked only the second in the highly touted Melendez’s career, and solidified what many suspected of the 29-year-old Thomson’s potential in the lightweight division.

Thomson (16-2) made quick work out of an overmatched Ashe Bowman in a non-title bout last September, cutting down the Lion’s Den prospect in only 74 seconds at Strikeforce’s second event at the Playboy Mansion. He told Sherdog.com that he had "mixed emotions" about the rematch with Melendez.

"All those people who saw the first fight -- don't expect the same thing from either fighter," Thomson wrote via text message, "[but] it's gonna be fight of the year."

Melendez (14-2) hasn’t stepped back into the cage since his loss to Thomson. The voracious 26-year-old wrestler holds key victories over standouts Clay Guida and Tatsuya Kawajiri.

"Not too many (fighters) get this opportunity," Melendez wrote via text message to Sherdog.com on Tuesday. "I feel very lucky and now all that's left is to take advantage of it."

Though it’s a well-matched lightweight tilt comprised of two top-10 entries, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker hasn’t hidden the fact that the pairing wasn’t the first one he had in mind for Thomson’s first title defense. The promotion offered the fight to former EliteXC 155-pound champ K.J. Noons in early February, but Noons turned down the opportunity to honor previous commitments to his pro boxing career.

Former UFC lightweight Jorge Gurgel and Japanese star Caol Uno were also rumored to have been under consideration for the slot.

Thomson-Melendez 2 joins a previously announced roster that includes a featured welterweight non-title matchup between EliteXC 170-pound champion Jake Shields and heavy-hitter Joe Riggs. In the main event, former UFC middleweight champion Frank Shamrock will take on the equally outspoken Nick Diaz at a 179-pound catch-weight.

Strikeforce “Shamrock vs. Diaz” will be broadcast live on Showtime.

[Bigpapa42]

That's actually a really nice card for Strikeforce. Looking forward to the show. Hopefully they can avoid some of the mistakes that Elite XC made.

[CrimsonGhost56]

Silva will be in trouble now, here comes Akiyama!

The Ultimate Fighting Championship today announced that it has signed top-ten middleweight contender Yoshihiro Akiyama to an exclusive promotional contract that will see him step into the UFC Octagon for the first time this summer.

wow thats huge news. he was basically Dream's biggest draw. cant wait to see him fight. hopefully they give him a good first matchup.

[Liquidrob]

silvas nightmare

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PNnhXsl350c&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&featur e=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PNnhXsl350c&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&featur e=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Liquidrob]

[Kuzzy Powers]

So apparently Tim Sylvia and Ray Mercer are going to be havin a Boxing Match at the next "Adrenaline" Show (never heard of Adrenaline?). Im REALLY excited for that..

/sarcasm