October 24th, 2007
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By Jesse Holland
Episode six opens with a fight announcement and Matt Serra selects Ben Saunders to fight Dan Barrera. Considering the amount of drama we’ve been subjected to in the past five weeks, opening the show with a fight pick is a welcome change.
If Ben wins, Team Serra will be 5-1 and control the quarterfinal picks. I’m not sure if Hughes’ blood is boiling just yet, but it’s definitely started to simmer.
Team Hughes gears up for training and Dan promises God he’s going to go “balls out“. Hopefully Dan doesn’t try to implement the North/South choke with that philosophy.
It seems Dan is also getting a little overzealous in training. Aside from mauling Blake, he gives Jared the patented B.G. James knee drop right to the Yam Bag. Because Jared already has such a high-pitched voice, no one can immediately tell if he’s been hurt.
Paul returns from his cousin’s funeral and is quickly shuffled off camera. Some of the guys are wondering why Dan is always in the bathroom during training. Drugs? OAB? Nope. Latrine-cam reveals it’s vanity, or should we say Danity, as D.B. finds the best training partner to be his own reflection.
As punishment for roughing up his teammates, Dan gets Coach Hughes for his next training partner. Lest there be any doubt as to the difference between coaches and contestants, Hughes was on him tighter than the Virgin of Nuremberg.
While I appreciate the lesson, Hughes actually did his team a disservice by injuring Dan’s hand. By the time he left the gym it looked like a Boxing glove dipped in a bowl of pigs-in-blankets.
Mac compared it to a latex glove that’s blown full of air. I was kind of hoping he would put one of his head and inflate it as an homage to Howie from Maui.
Team Serra gets wind of the injury and Serra himself gets a little too excited at the prospect of Dan’s hand falling off. Coach Longo telepathically diagnoses it as a broken hand.
Despite a negative X-Ray, Dan pulls a fast one on his teammates by pretending he’s off the show. Judging from the forced laughter, not everyone was glad to see him stay.
In a tender moment, Dan whips out a picture of Mrs. Barrera and the first question he gets is whether or not she is Jewish. I don’t see the relevance but I guess you never know when you’re going to need a good recipe for kosher brisket.
In our second consecutive family emergency, Dan calls home to have his wife scream at him. While her description sounds similar to a panic-attack, Mrs. B is certain she’s at death’s door. A sympathetic Dan advises her to eat some cottage cheese or Cheetos.
I probably would have recommended an anti-depressant but hey I’m sure curdled milk is just as good.
A part of me feels bad for Dan, who must now fight with both a physical and mental distraction. Dan’s ability to mute his angst has me wondering if he’s been down this road before.
It’s fight day and Ben admits to being as giddy as a schoolgirl. I can only hope he doesn’t fight like one. He also claims he’ll take care of Dan’s dog, his horse, and his woman.
He might want to hear the audio replay from that last call before making that kind of commitment.
Like many religious zealots, Dan declares that God is on his side. Why it always has to be one or the other is something these guys can never explain with any coherence.
Round one is underway and a quick look at the clock reveals it’s 10:40pm. Two rounds! A brief lock-up and a nice standing knee from Ben who follows that with a nice kick. He misses the next one and Dan lands an inside shot. Another knee from Ben who then misses with a soft kick and Dan makes him pay with a crushing hook.
Ben folds up like a cheap lawn chair and Dan pounces on him. Ben quickly recovers and tries to lock Dan into a submission. Dan wiggles free and stands over him. Hughes is screaming to let him up but Dan just stands there. Time ticks away and Herb Dean finally stands Ben up.
Ben resumes the kicks. Dan closes in and a hit/slip sends Dan to the mat but he stands right back up. No damage. Dan gets a hold of Ben and throws him down. More standing and circling. Dan misses another opportunity. Herb stands Ben up once again.
Ben immediately shoots and gets the takedown but a wily Dan is on his feet almost instantly. Both exchange good shots but Ben is pushing the action. Ben slips on a kick attempt. Round one ends.
Wow. Lots of action but it was a very close round and a tough one to score. Ben was the more aggressive of the two and landed more shots, but the few strikes Dan landed caused 10x more damage. I give it to Ben 10-9 but just barely.
Round 2 starts and Dan is oozing blood. Ben lands a nice stiff jab. Then a low kick, Then another. Dan eats a huge knee. Ben connects with a jumping kung-fu kick. Then a low kick. Then a high kick. Dan is taking real punishment. Two more low kicks and another huge knee after Dan tries to clinch.
Dan is getting picked apart and looks lost. Herb stops the action to check Dan’s vision. Serra doesn’t like the break in momentum and lets Herb know it. The fight resumes and Dan continues to get creamed until the buzzer. This round was all Ben. I give the fight to Ben on a close first round and a dominating second.
Everyone looks surprised when the judges announce there is a decision. Ben wins by majority. Team Hughes is dissatisfied with the decision. Coach Hughes walks over to Keith Kizer (NSAC Director) and asks him if he got the referees from a classified ad.
Hughes 1, NSAC 0
Dana calls it the worst decision he’s ever seen. Apparently he missed the Din Thomas/Clay Guida fight. The first round was very close and probably could have gone either way, but calling it the worst of all time is a bit much.
Afterwards Serra pops into the Team Hughes locker room and congratulates Dan on a war. He also admits to expecting it to go another round. Meanwhile Hughes finds a quiet place to reflect on his string of losses and wonders if he made the right picks.
Stay tuned next week as Matt Hughes stomps through his team like Godzilla in Tokyo, Dana eggs him on, and Team Serra looks to keep the humiliation going.
See you then!
Written by admin on October 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on TUF 6 and Jesse Holland: Eight Sides to Every UFC Story and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and UFC The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and MMA.
If you are unable to make it to Las Vegas tomorrow for Randy Couture’s press conference tomorrow, then that’s not a problem. ProElite.com has announced that it will be televising Couture’s press conference live starting at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT.
You will need to register for the site in order to access the video but registration at ProElite.com is free.
Written by admin on October 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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I will be joining Luke Thomas of Bloody Elbow this evening at 9 PM ET on his LIVE radio show, Any Given Saturday.
We will be talking about UFC 78 and 79, Fedor and M-1, Randy’s and Dana’s press conferences tomorrow, and we will be taking YOUR CALLS LIVE.
Number To Call: 646-478-5091
Click here to listen live at 9 PM!
Written by admin on October 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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A published report surfaced today making the claim that a match between James Thompson and Jon Murphy has been confirmed for EliteXC’s next major show on Nov. 10 in Corpus Christi, Texas.
While FiveOuncesOfPain.com has confirmed that there have been discussions for Thompson to appear on the card, we can report that Murphy has not been signed as an opponent.
When contacted by FiveOuncesOfPain.com, Murphy indicated that no one with EliteXC has contacted him about the possibility of fighting Thompson. He went on to add that he’s currently suffering from a serious shoulder injury and does not believe he’d be able to take the match even if it is offered.
Murphy went on to indicate that a match with Thompson is one he’d welcome in the future and that he hopes it’s a bout available to him once he’s healthy again.
The same report that claimed Murphy would be fighting Thompson also stated that Murphy defeated Scott Bickerstaff at XFO 20 on Oct. 9. That report is also not entirely accurate. Murphy’s last fight was on Aug. 25 on a ShoXC card when he defeated Dave Huckaba via knockout at 0:19 of round 2. The fighter who fought Bickerstaff is a different fighter with the same name that competes in a different weight class.
It will be interesting to see if Thompson is in fact added to the card. Kimbo Slice confirmed to us several weeks ago that Thompson was a candidate to be his first opponent in EliteXC but Mike Bourke was eventually signed to fight Slice, whose birth name is Kevin Ferguson.
FiveOuncesOfPain.com contributing writer Matt Kaplan spoke with EliteXC live events president Gary Shaw on Monday during the M-1 Global press conference in New York and Kaplan reported that Shaw hinted at another big name being added to the Nov. 10 show. The fighter Shaw was hinting at could be none other than Thompson.
Written by admin on October 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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The UFC has announced a conference call with the media on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT to announce a new television deal. No details were provided so it is unclear if the new deal is a renewal with Spike TV or if there is something else that has been agreed upon with another outlet.
Also, Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell, and Wanderlei Silva will all be on the call as well.
In addition to announcing the new TV deal, UFC president Dana White will be introducing Lesnar to the media following his recent addition to the UFC’s heavyweight division.
Liddell and Silva will be available to the media for the first time since White officially announced last night that the long-awaited showdown between the two light heavyweight icons is scheduled for Dec. 29 at UFC 79.
And yes, I don’t think it’s more than a coincidence that the UFC has scheduled a conference call to go head-to-head with Randy Couture’s press conference in Las Vegas. While the UFC will be starting their conference call a half and hour before Couture’s press conference, it’s a safe bet that the UFC will not be done after 30 minutes.
If they were holding a press conference on the same day but at a completely separate time, I’d say it would be a smart move on the UFC’s part because there will be a lot of media in Vegas to cover Couture and by holding a press conference the same day, you make it real easy for the media to cover both press conferences. However, Couture is having a press conference in which the media has to appear in person while the UFC is holding a conference call, where the only way to access is via phone. Out of all the days to schedule a conference call?
As a writer, I’m not complaining. There’s no such thing as a media overload to me. The more I have to write about, the better. But you better believe that the UFC’s decision to hold a conference call to discuss three major developments is going to take some of the spotlight off of Randy.
Written by admin on October 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Props: MassLive.com
Quoteworthy:
“Gabriel Gonzaga put Ludlow on the mixed martial arts map. His manager, Marco Alvan, is trying to make sure it stays there. Alvan has added two renowned fighters to his Team Link stable, which already includes Gonzaga - a top heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Thiago Silva is 11-0 and will fight at next month’s “UFC 78″ in Newark, N.J., while Paulo Filho is the middleweight champion of UFC’s sister promotion - World Extreme Cagefighting.”
Interesting aside: In the article Filho confirms his rumored WEC 185-pound title bout against former UFC welterweight contender Frank Trigg on December 12. Good fight.
Written by admin on October 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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UFC veteran Ricardo Almeida recently signed a six-fight contract to return to the middleweight division and will fight sometime in early 2008, according to GracieMag.com.
The good news was confirmed over the weekend during the UFC 77: “Hostile Territory” post event press conference.
Almeida — a Renzo Gracie-trained jiu-jitsu black belt — has been absent from professional mixed martial arts competition since 2004. His resume of opponents prior to the layoff is impressive, however, including notables such as Ryo Chonan (win), Nathan Marquardt (win) and Kazuo Masaki (win), among others.
The Brazilian debuted inside the Octagon against Matt Lindland in 2001, which resulted in a loss via disqualification (multiple fouls). Almeida redeemed himself with a submission win (triangle choke) over Eugene Jackson four months later, but was defeated by Andrei Semenov via technical knockout in his third and final UFC bout in 2002.
Now he’s back … and it couldn’t come at a better time. The 185-pound division is desperate for an opponent to step up and declare himself the number one contender to challenge Anderson Silva for his middleweight crown.
With a few impressive wins — and a shiny new contract — Almeida has that opportunity.
Written by admin on October 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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As a part of our content agreement with The Bubba the Love Sponge Show® website, BTLS.com, our content is not only featured in their MMA section but BTLS will also be providing us with content from time-to-time.
I’ve covered the NFL for many years and followed the career of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers DE Marcus Jones for several years. Jones has retired from the NFL but has not retired as an active athlete. He’s currently working towards a career in professional MMA and is training with Rob Kahn at Gracie Tampa.
Gracie Tampa houses several pro MMA fighters such as Alan “Monsta Lobsta” Berube from the fifth season of TUF and Matt Arroyo from season six of TUF. Brent Hatley, Bubba’s executive producer, also trains at the school and has one amateur Muay Thai match under his belt.
I’ve yet to see Jones in action but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a professional athlete who stands 6′6” and weighs 262 lbs. that’s also getting the proper training is going to definitely be a prospect to watch in a weight class that is thin when it comes to up and coming talent.
Special thanks go out to Jaeger, the webmaster of BTLS.com, for not only making the interview available here on 5 Oz. but for also conducting it.
Marcus Jones interview by Jaeger from BTLS.com
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with former NFL player Marcus Jones the most recent Gracie Tampa student to turn professional MMA fighter.
Marcus Jones along with his trainer Rob Kahn were recent guests on The Bubba the Love Sponge Show®. What I expected was a former professional athlete in search of the glory days of yesterday, what I found was a dedicated mixed martial artist with a different approach than many former professional athletes attempting to make their transition to MMA.
Jaeger: With the recent rise in popularity of MMA in the U.S. it seems as if many former NFL players are looking to try their luck in the ring/cage. What makes your approach different than say a Johnnie Morton’s?
Marcus Jones: First off, I’ve been a long time fan of the sport, and I have followed in seriously for a long time. I think what makes me different is the fact that I knew it would be important that I learn on the ground first.
Jaeger: You’re a big guy, 6’ 6” 262lbs, it is just natural that most people will expect you to favor a stand up fight, you train with Rob Kahn at Gracie Tampa and have really been working on your ground game, how comfortable are you at this point on the ground?
Marcus Jones: At this point I’m very comfortable on the ground, on my back…
Rob Kahn: When Marcus first came to the gym, the first thing we worked on was him working off his back. He is very fast, and has very good submissions from his back. With a guy as strong as Marcus he is a real handful, the amount of torque he can create is amazing. I have rolled with some big men such as Shaq, who are legendary for their strength, and that is nothing in comparison to rolling with Marcus at this point.
Jaeger: Was there any one certain moment when you knew that you had to do this, and decided to commit yourself to training and eventually fighting?
Marcus Jones: Yes, my friends and I were long time fans of MMA. We were out at Shepherd’s (a local Tampa hot spot) and had a few drinks. We decided to wrestle around a bit and decided that we would use punches and kicks and knees. We moved all the furniture from the area and began. My best friend didn’t tell any of us that he had been training Kenpo. He caught me with an uppercut that made my jaw swell, and then double under hooked me and threw me in back of some cabinets. We went to breakfast after that and I couldn’t open my mouth. The next day I called Gracie Tampa and told them I wanna learn Jiu-Jitsu right now.
Jaeger: How does your MMA workout compare against the workouts you did as member of the Tampa Bay Bucs?
Marcus Jones: They are completely different. If I knew what I know now back then, I would have been a better all around football player. I would have never been tired. It’s two different beasts, in football it’s all about explosive, this stuff you go all out for 5 minutes it’s non stop movement, it’s the most unbelievable cardio workout I’ve ever experienced in my entire life.
Jaeger: You will be making your Professional MMA Debut on October 26 at WFC Cage Wars V, are you starting to experience any nerves as that date draws closer?
Marcus Jones: I wouldn’t say I am nervous, I’m excited. I’m excited to be validated.
Jaeger: Have you set any career goals for yourself as an MMA fighter?
Marcus Jones: Yes, I’d like to go as far as I can. I’d like to win it all. I also have to thank my wife for being very supportive of my decision to do this. We have made a deal, if I lose 2 fights it’s over… LOL.
I want to thank Marcus Jones and Rob Kahn from Gracie Tampa for taking time out of their busy schedules to sit down with me today. I would encourage anyone in the greater Tampa Bay area to stop by and witness the professional MMA debut of Marcus at WFC V: Cage Wars at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Tampa, FL Fri, Oct 26, 2007 08:00 PM
In addition be sure to check out The Bubba the Love Sponge Show® heard exclusively on Sirius Satellite Radio channel Howard 101 every Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. ET to 7 p.m. ET and Fridays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET.
Written by admin on October 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Props: NBCSports.com
During the in-ring UFC 77 post-fight interview “The Maine-iac” called out Cheick Kongo after he defeated Brandon Vera. He did it again in the UFC 77 post-event press conference.
In the video above (also just after UFC 77), however, he says he’s fighting Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. “Minotauro” says he’s fighting Sylvia at UFC 81 in February on SuperBowl weekend.
What gives? Does Sylvia want Kongo but is facing “Big Nog” instead? Confusion.
Written by admin on October 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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