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MMARated Radio: The Week’s End Update

Here’s the latest and greatest from MMARated Radio: Each and every Friday we’ll be inviting another member of the MMA media to discuss the week that was and the weekend ahead in the sport we love so dearly.

Today, we kick things off with the uber-talented Ben Fowlkes of cagepotato.com and si.com to talk about a number of different topics:

* Changes in the IFL

* Is there any reason to watch Cage Rage 26?

* The legend that is Ross Pointon

* Will Nick Diaz actually fight for DREAM this weekend?

* Why would Elite XC even allow him to fight on their card in the first place?

* Can this be DREAM’s best offering yet?

* The case for Sean Sherk

* The Kimbo Slice article in ESPN The Magazine

* Bas Rutten’s reaction to the article

* Fowlkes’ take on Kimbo vs. Thompson

LISTEN TO THE WEEK’S END UPDATE

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Nate Quarry To Replace Chris Leben At UFC 84?

Last week, I was tipped off by a reliable source that Nate Quarry was being considered as a replacement for Chris Leben should his legal troubles get worse. Well, I think it’s officially safe to say that Leben’s problems have worsened.

MMAMania.com is reporting that Leben was sentenced today to 35 days in jail. Here are the details:

““The Crippler” turned himself in to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in Portland, Oregon, on April 30 because of an old Driving Under the Influence (DUI) probation violation.

MORE

Posted in Chris Leben, Nate Quarry, UFC, MMA | No Comments »

MMARated.com: A Tough Pill To Swallow For Luke Zachrich

Luke Zachrich is coming off a disappointing, yet spirited, loss to Dan Cramer on last night’s edition of “The Ultimate Fighter” and I can’t help but feel a little bad for him a day later.

You see, Zachrich’s fight was nudged right after the whole Matt Brown-Jeremy May battle with little fanfare, hype or buildup. Now we probably won’t hear much about him for the rest of the show (unless, of course, he returns as an injury replacement which is quite possible).

Regardless, he was kind enough to sit down with us today and was quite honest and sincere throughout the interview. Highlights include:

* His thoughts on the fight

* His lack of conditioning in the fight

* Would he have done anything differently

* The way he was portrayed on the show

* The fact that his fight came right after the Brown-May bout

* Does he regret doing the show in the first place?

* Will we see him in the UFC following the conclusion of the show?

Again, Zachrich had some very interesting things to say about the whole TUF experience. Definitely worth checking out.

LISTEN TO THE LUKE ZACHRICH INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM

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Kurt Angle To Appear In New Spike Show

Our old friend Kurt Angle (shhh don’t tell TNA Wrestling that we are friends) has been tabbed to host a new original series for Spike TV. Here are the particulars courtesy of Variety.com:

“Sharon Levy, senior VP of original series for Spike TV, said that the network has signed Kurt Angle, the TNA champion, to become host of “Caught in the Action,” a hidden-camera show.”

First off, doesn’t Variety know Angle dropped the strap to Samoa Joe at the last PPV. Sheesh, get with it Hollywood.

In all seriousness, though, it’s nice to see Angle land a gig outside of wrestling. We all knew he’s had serious aspirations of spreading his wings outside the wrestling world and this appears to be a step in the right direction.

The following short film that I wrote for him, on the other hand, was not.

Kurt Angle Action Short

Posted in Kurt Angle | 2 Comments »

MMARated.com: Opportunity Knocks For Jon Murphy

“Hey, young fighter! Yeah, you with six fights under your belt. Listen up, I know your last fight was in August and I know you’re recovering from shoulder surgery but, forget all that, I have the proposition of a lifetime for you. How would you like to fight on the televised portion of Elite XC’s debut on CBS. You’ll be sharing the stage with the likes of Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, Robbie Lawler and Phil Baroni. Sounds like the deal of the century for someone in your shoes, right?”

You’re damn right it does and that’s exactly the spot Jon Murphy has been placed in. Murphy is getting ready to face Brett Rogers in a heavyweight swing bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, on May 31st that is unlikely to last very long. If you ask me, the ten or so fighters, including Murphy, that are assured a spot on the CBS card are probably the luckiest MMA fighters around.

Without a doubt, they have a chance to propel this sport into full mainstream acceptance by simply doing what they do best. Furthermore, score a big knockout or slick submission and you’re guaranteeing a spot for yourself in MMA for at least the next couple of of years.

We caught up with Murphy to talk about the most important fight of his life:

* How did he feel when he found out he would be fighting on the televised card

* The responsibilities that come with it

* His mindset going into the bout

* What he’s expecting from Brett Rogers

* The health status of his shoulder

* Losing back-to-back fights in 2007 including a loss to Houston Alexander

* What he learned from that experience

* His contract situation with Elite XC

* Why he cut off all his hair

All that and much more from a fellow Syracuse University student and a heavyweight fighter that we may be talking about for years to come.

LISTEN TO THE JON MURPHY INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM 

Posted in Jon Murphy, Interview, Elite XC, MMA | No Comments »

MMARated.com: Do or Die for Joe Daddy?

Joe Stevenson was featured today on MMARated Radio. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

On his next fight:
“The way I look at it, I’m fighting for the title again in my head because to get another title shot, I got to beat Gleison (Tibau) and not just beat him in a close decision. I’ve got to go out there and finish him.”

On his loss to BJ Penn:
“I practiced to go into his power hand, his right, because I thought his left hook was more dangerous, and he never really throws his right. However, on this fight, I guess he was practicing his right hand a lot more according to his boxing coach and stuff.”

On BJ Penn’s greatness:
“To tell you the truth, in my book it goes, Dan, Randy, and then B.J. Those are all people that I, you know, work and want to aspire to be, so, honestly, he beat me on that day, and was in great shape and did a great job. I can’t take anything away from him.”

On Penn liking the blood off his gloves after the fight:
“I didn’t see it. I didn’t see that until after the fight and watching it on the videotape. I was pissed off for a minute it was like ‘oh you jerk!’”

All that as well as why he turned down a fight against Tyson Griffin and which non-UFC lightweight star would he love to fight next.

Posted in Joe Stevenson, Interview, UFC, MMA | No Comments »

Ali Sonoma To Appear On ABC’s “The Mole”

Without a doubt, MMA fans are a very “what have you done for me lately” kind of bunch. Betray their trust or put up a stinker and they may never forgive you. So, you can imagine my surprise when someone sent me a tip that former UFC Octagon girl Ali Sonoma would be appearing on the fifth season of ABC’s “The Mole.”

When Sonoma and the UFC parted ways at the end of 2007, she told everyone who would listen that she would be back in the limelight sooner rather than later. Of course, most believed that would be modeling at some car expo in Ohio. Au contraire, she has landed the biggest non-UFC gig of any Octagon girl.

I wish I could tell you what “The Mole” is but, sadly, I have never seen the show. That said, I have been able to gather this essential information:

* It airs on ABC

* It premieres on June 2, 2008

* This is its fifth season

* There are twelve contestants on the show

Oh, and the basic premise is that contestants will work together to complete various physical and mental challenges to build up a significant cash prize for the winner. One of them, however, is “the Mole,” a double agent hired by the producers to sabotage the efforts of the group.

READ THE REST OF THIS POST AT MMARATED.COM

Posted in Ali Sonoma, MMA | 1 Comment »

MMARated.com: Ryan McGivern Is Now The Hunted

It’s been almost a year since Ryan McGivern lost a hard-fought battle to Tim Kennedy via guillotine choke. Needless to say, McGivern then found himself at a crossroads in his career. After winning his first six professional fights, the Iowa-native lost five of his next nine including the submission loss to Kennedy.

His next test came in the form of Fabio Leopoldo - the man responsible for the second loss of his career. Thankfully for McGivern, he may have saved himself a job in the IFL by recording his first-ever knockout victory. He was waiting to find out which fighter he would face next when Tim Kennedy, scheduled to fight then-IFL middleweight champion Matt Horwich in February, was called into duty by the U.S. Military.

His replacement came in the form of our friend Ryan Mcgivern and a few weeks later the once struggling fighter was crowned the IFL’s new middleweight champion following a unanimous decision over Horwich.

His first title defense comes on May 16, against Dan Miller, winner of seven of his first nine fights (one no contest). For the first time in his career, McGivern now enters the ring with a bulls-eye on his back.

MMARated Radio caught up with McGivern to talk about a whole host of topics:

* What’s like being a champion?
* Has life changed?
* Has the IFL treated him any differently?
* His upcoming fight against Dan Miller?
* Will he enter the fight with a different mindset now that he is the champion?
* Filling in for Kennedy less than a month before the Horwich fight?
* The Horwich fight
* What he would like to accomplish in his career

LISTEN TO THE RYAN MCGIVERN INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM

Posted in Ryan McGivern, Interview, MMA | No Comments »

Pollock’s POV: September Can’t Come Soon Enough

To the surprise of no one (including his family), Steve Forbes did not throw a wrench into the plans of Oscar De La Hoya for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. later this year as he lost to the Golden Boy Saturday night via unanimous decision.

With “2 pounds” out of the way, De La Hoya now sets his sights on the “147 pound” WBC Welterweight champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr., for a September rematch.

One year ago today, the two were responsible for generating the biggest business in the history of boxing on Pay-Per-View with 2.4 million buys as well as the largest gate in the history of Nevada.

Can these two repeat the kind business that HBO is hoping for in 2008? And, while we’re at it, do people even want to see a rematch?

John Pollock says yes they can and yes they do!

Pollock’s POV: September Can’t Come Soon Enough

You can hear much more from John Pollock weekdays at 3 p.m. ET on Fight Network Radio on Sirius channel 186 or via Hardcoresportsradio.com not to mention every Sunday evening at 11 p.m. ET on Live Audio Wrestling.

Posted in The Fight Network, Boxing | No Comments »

MMARated.com: Kim Couture’s Got Game

So, I got to interview a fighter’s wife the other day. That was a first. Actually, more specifically, I got to interview’s a fighter’s wife who also happens to be an aspiring fighter. You know, Kim Couture…Randy’s wife. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about her lately. Actually, there seems to be a general feeling of ambivalence with regards to her entrance into the world of MMA. Regardless, it’s a pretty fascinating story to follow if only because of her last name.

Some of the topics we discussed included:
* What was it like to get her first amateur fight under her belt
* Why get into fighting in the first place?
* What is she looking to get out of this new career?
* Who got her involved in this mess?
* Is there a fighter out there that she would like to fight?
* Did she get interested in fighting only AFTER meeting Randy?
* Why are people so hesistant to support female fighting?
* Her take on the Dana vs. Randy feud

Alert: Really bad joke/awkward moment at the 4:00 mark. Man, I’m good.

LISTEN TO THE KIM COUTURE INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM 

Posted in Kim Couture, Interview, MMA | No Comments »

MMARated.com’s Cultural & Media Rankings - 04/30/08

Welcome to week four of MMARated.com’s Cultural & Media Rankings. Each week we’ll weigh in on who’s hot and who’s not in the world of mixed martial arts. Take a look…

READ THE REST OF THE RANKINGS AT MMARATED.COM

Posted in Rankings, MMA | No Comments »

MMARated.com: TUF’s Matthew Riddle Interview

When I first saw Matthew “Chipper” Riddle crush Dan Simmler’s jaw on in the second episode of TUF 7, I quickly thought to myself: “That kid’s going far in this tournament.” I think it was a mix between the smug smile on his face and the excessive TV time he received in the following episode that truly made me feel like he would be a force to be reckoned with.

Shows how much I know as Riddle suffered a second round loss via armbar submission to Tim Credeur on last week’s episode of the show. I certainly didn’t see that one coming.

Is this the last time we’ll be seeing that kid who still lives at home with his mom and doesn’t have a driver’s license fight in the Octagon again? Something tells me no. In fact, Riddle even told us that he was one of the few cast members that will be fighting on the Finale in June. A win against his yet to be announced opponent will probably ensure a several fight stay in the UFC.

MMARated Radio caught up with the 21-year-old Riddle to talk about a whole host of subjects:

* His experience on the show
* Having to fight his way into the house
* Breaking Simmler’s jaw
* Has he seen him since?
* What went wrong against Credeur
* Rampage’s reaction after the fight
* Should he have done things a little differently?
* Where he is moving to improve his game
* Will he ever got a shot at Dante Rivera?

All that and more from the not-so-surprisingly chipper Matthew “Chipper” Riddle.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM 

Posted in Matthew Riddle, Interview, The Ultimate Fighter, UFC | No Comments »

MMARated.com Featured G4 TV

Posted in G4, MMARated.com | No Comments »

MMARated.com: The Travis Lutter Saga Continues…

Travis Lutter. Say that name on any MMA forum and you’re bound to strike a multitude of emotions from fans. Some hate him while others remain supportive. Some root for him to fail while others continue to pull for him. Some we’re disappointed in his performance at UFC 83 while others are just ecstatic that the UFC has since released him…wait, what? The UFC released a former TUF winner after two losses in a row? Didn’t Kendall Grove lose two in a row and is now headlining the TUF Finale in June? Yes and yes.

Now, granted, Lutter did fail to make weight in his title shot against Anderson Silva last June but I can’t help but feel like the punishment didn’t fit the crime. Maybe I’m wrong though…

Anyhow, MMARated Radio caught up with the much-maligned Lutter to get his side on how and why he was suddenly released:

* When did he find out?
* How did he find out?
* Has he talked to anyone in the UFC?
* Was he surprised he got released?
* What went wrong in the Franklin fight?
* Has he spoke to any other promotions (hint: they rhyme with DIEFL and Appliction)
* When he expects to fight next
* Which fighter would he like to fight next?

We also gave Lutter the forum to address anything else that was on his mind.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM

Posted in Travis Lutter, Interview, MMA | No Comments »

Phil Baroni: “Instead of Ninja Sushi I’ll be having a Smoking Joe Burrito”

The last time we caught up with Phil Baroni he only had Murilo “Ninja” Rua on his mind. Since we spoke, Rua was replaced by Joey Villasenor as Baroni’s opponent for the May 31st Elite XC on CBS telecast. No official reason has yet to be given for the switch.

Naturally, the moment we found out about the change in opponents we contacted “The New York Bad Ass” to get his thoughts on it all…

Ariel Helwani: When did you hear that Ninja Rua was pulling out of your fight?

Phil Baroni: I don’t know. Same time everyone else did.

Ariel Helwani: What was the reason you heard?

Phil Baroni: He was injured or something. Really what difference does it make? Whatever the reason is he should consider himself lucky. I’ll be coming in top shape for this one guns blazing.

Ariel Helwani: Do you believe he was really injured?

Phil Baroni: Yeah, the guy has fought the best. Lawler, Rampage, Henderson…I have no reason to believe he wouldn’t fight me. The guy is no bitch; he comes to fight.

Ariel Helwani: Is it possible he read our interview on MMARated.com and got scared?

Phil Baroni: I doubt he can even read.

Ariel Helwani: What are your thoughts on your new opponent on May 31st, Joey Villasenor?

Phil Baroni: Instead of Ninja Sushi I’ll be having a Smoking Joe Burrito.

Ariel Helwani: In your opinion, is Villasenor a step up or a step down in competition for you?

READ THE REST OF THIS INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM

Posted in Phil Baroni, MMA | No Comments »

Pollock’s POV: A Black & White Look At Combat Sports

by John Pollock, JarryPark.com Contributor

The topic of racism reared its ugly head this past week with the suspension of Michael Hayes for racial comments directed at Mark Henry over WrestleMania weekend.

Whether we agree or not, racism is a big part of the combat sports industry where the line between acceptable and unacceptable forms of promotion for a fight are often blurred.

This week, I take a look at the racial fingerprints on the combat sports world.

Pollock’s POV: A Black & White Look At Combat Sports

You can hear much more from John Pollock weekdays at 3 p.m. ET on Fight Network Radio on Sirius channel 186 or via Hardcoresportsradio.com not to mention every Sunday evening at 11 p.m. ET on Live Audio Wrestling.

Posted in Mark Henry, Wrestling, WWE | No Comments »

MMARated.com Uncensored: One-on-One with Roger Huerta

Lots of great nuggets here…Check ‘er out.

Posted in MMARated.com, MMA | No Comments »

The Legend Of Kimbo Coles Grows

This clip, courtesy of the great Awful Announcing, is from a TNT broadcast of the Lakers-Nuggets playoff game where sideline reporter, Craig Sager, tells the story of Nugs’ coach, George Karl, showing his squad a video of Kimbo Slice to hype them up before the game. Only problem is he refers to Slice as “Kimbo Coles.” Naturally, he confused the EXC star with former NBA journeyman, Bimbo Coles.

By the way, anyone else find it a little weird that Karl was showing his team footage of Slice in the first place? Clearly, they are the underdog in this series which would not be the best way to describe Slice’s role in MMA right now. I can understand showing a Randy Couture or even Rampage Jackson video but Kimbo?

Posted in Kimbo Slice, MMA | No Comments »

Arianny Selects…Roger “El Matador” Huerta (video)

Are they dating? When is he fighting next? Is there beef with KenFlo?

Posted in Arianny Celeste, Roger Huerta, MMA | No Comments »

MMARated.com: Agent Monte Cox Interview

It’s tough keeping up with Monte Cox these days. He’s with M-1 Global. He’s without M-1 Global. He’s starting Adrenaline MMA. He’s hooking up Affliction with Tim Sylvia to fight Fedor. He’s friends with everyone. He’s calling Ken Pavia, for all intents and purposes, a midget (more on that in our interview). It’s safe to say Cox is the busiest man in MMA.

Thankfully, he granted MMARated Radio an interview (free of charge to boot!) to talk about all the action in his professional career:

* Is Fedor-Sylvia official?
* What’s the deal with this Affliction show?
* Does it have anything to do with Adrenaline MMA?
* Is it weird working on a match involving Fedor?
* More details on Adrenaline MMA
* How many shows will they hold per year
* Fights signed for the inaugural show
* Any beef between him and Pavia
* What went wrong between Tim Sylvia and the UFC?

Oh, and Cox also teases us with the knowledge that one of his fighters has been contacted to fight in the main event of UFC 85. As you will hear, I tried my hardest to find out more but Cox put the kabosh on all my efforts.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM

Posted in Monte Cox, MMARated.com, Interview, MMA | No Comments »