Todd Duffee Cut by UFC; Wound Said to be Superficial

Heavyweight up-and-comer Todd Duffee was reportedly cut by the UFC yesterday, and though first-hand accounts of the assault are unclear, it's said the wound was mostly superficial.  Duffee made a big splash in his UFC debut in August, 2009, earning a seven-second KO over Tim Hague.  But injuries kept him out of the Octagon until May of this year, when, at UFC 114: "Rampage vs. Evans", the towering goliath brutally pounded on Mike Russow for two and half rounds and then was abruptly knocked out himself.  "Of course it comes as a shock," said Duffee's manager, Alex Davis.  "I mean, we thought everything was cool, but when Todd was waiting in the cafeteria lunch line, Dana [White] came out of no where and shanked him a bunch of pencils taped together.  And the guards did nothing!"  What's next for the man with one of the fastest KOs in UFC history?  According to Davis, once Duffee gets out of the infirmary he'll likely get a gig in the library.  "You know, delivering books or something."

UCC 3: A Splendid Time is Guaranteed for All

Installment number three for the Urban Conflict Championship is this Friday at the Armory in Jersey City, and if you brave the treacherous walk from the PATH train to the venue (warning: do not stop to buy crack, even if tempted),  you will be treated to some stellar cage fights.  Daniel Akinyemi is mentioned in a previous post, but there are others worth the price of admission.  They include:

• Luiz Azeredo – A Pride Bushido veteran, Azeredo boasts a win over Brit slugger Paul Daley plus a ton of fights in Brazil.
• Binky Jones – A Baltimore-based jiu-jitsu man, Jones has been around the Northeast scene forever.  His crowning achievement was winning the ROC lightweight “Tournament of Champions”.
• Kevin Horowitz – A ton of spunk and game as hell.  That’s Horowitz, who reps the Rhino Fight Team and has mastered the art of out-boxing wrestlers and out-wrestling boxers (see Horowitz vs. Anthony Abatelli and Horowitz vs. Adam Rosello).
• Claudio Ledesma – Although he ran into a brick wall when he faced TSMMA’s Jimmie Rivera, Ledesma is still a tough jiu-jitsu specialist with KO power.
• Josh Key – Key got screwed in his bout against Hitalo Machado at UCC 1 when the ref stepped in prematurely, and his bad luck continued with a “no contest” at an M-1 Global show in June, but he’s still a powerful, powerful grappler and fierce competitor.  Watch for him to slam opponent Mike Winters into unconsciousness the first chance he gets.

Shine Fights Upcoming Lightweight Grand Prix to Feature Nothing, Absolutely Nothing

In today's installment of "As the Shine Fights Turns", the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission promises to suspend all fighters who compete on the eight-man lightweight tournament planned for Shine Fight's September 10th card, a card that went from the unloving embrace of the Virginia commission to the barren, unsanctioned wasteland of the First Council Casino of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe.  Meanwhile, Shine Fights' Minister of Information Jason Chambers continues to insist that all is well and that the sudden change of venue was prompted by the Virginia commission's insistence that a licensed matchmaker make the lightweight grand prix match-ups - a claim the Virginia commission refutes (Commission Program Director James Holland: "Hey, I don't know much about MMA and licensing shows, but I think you need a bond.  Any idea what that is?  I don't.").  In Brazil, tournament competitor Marcus Aurelio begins sweating over the possible suspension he'll face, worried that it will jeopardize his participation in the DREAM 16 event in Japan and impede his ability to pay for the kidney stone operation his pet cat "Fifi" desperately needs.  And back in Fairfax, fans who purchased tickets are still scratching their heads over what they're going to do on Friday night now that their plans of drinking a twelve-pack of Miller Lite and vomiting on the floor of the Patriot Center's main concourse are kaput.

Everything You Wanted To Know About Zach Makovsky But Were Afraid To Ask

Yeah, so, Bellator last night, Joe Warren getting his ass kicked before knocking Season 1 champ Joe Soto the hell out.  Wahoo.  Anyway, the Season 3 bantamweight tournament is in full effect, and prior to the aforementioned featherweight thriller was Philly-based fighter Zach Makovsky, in all his whirling-dervish grappling glory.  Of all the 135-pounders taking the field, Makovsky’s got edge in technique, skill and experience, and the smart money has him going all the way.  So who is this cat now in the semifinals?  Well, get ready for some knowledge, brought to you by your friendly neighborhood MMA Journalist (who’s been cageside for eight of Makovsky’s 11 fights).

• Makovsky trains out of Philadelphia’s Fight Factory, and like teammate Eddie Alvarez, he blends solid wrestling into a polished overall game.  However, whereas Alvarez has got heavy hands, Makovsky’s got amazingly fluid transitions on the ground.  He is the master of scrambling, and invariably ends up on top and one move away from a submission every time.
• Four jiu-jitsu black belts.  That’s how many Makovsky has fought, and he defeated three of them.
• His only losses were to Wilson Reis at a ShoXC event and to Toshiaki Kitada at DEEP in Japan.  Both were by submission, and Reis went on to become EliteXC’s 140-pound champ.
• The only championship belt Makovsky has won thus far was for the Combat in the Cage promotion.  His opponent was Emerson Souza, and he out-boxed and out-wrestled the Brazilian to snag the unanimous decision.
• Makovsky likes long walks on the beach, apple pie with homemade whipped cream, and is deathly afraid of clowns.
• Okay, I made that last part up.  He loves clowns.

Little Fighter Makes Big Leap

This just in from the Department of Coolness: TSMMA bantamweight stud Nick Pace has just signed a six-fight deal with the WEC.  His first fight will be against Demetrious Johnson at WEC 51: "Aldo vs. Gamburyan" on September 30th.  Pace is a master grappler who sports flawless transitions, yet he's more than capable of scoring KOs (see his flying knee that took out Collin Tebo at Bellator 11, which will be on the Bellator highlight reel forever).  With teammate Lyman Good the current king of the Bellator welterweight mountain, Pace marks the second Team Tiger Schulmann fighter to make it to a national-level show. 

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Nine Out of Ten Crazy People Agree That BJ Penn Sucks

According to a recent phone survey conducted by the Department of Relevant Knowledge (aka, DORK), nine out of ten crazy people polled fully believe that former UFC lightweight champ BJ Penn sucks.  This startling statistic comes on the heels of Penn's defeat at the hands of current champ Frankie Edgar at last weekend's UFC 118 - a clear and convincing loss that stunned many and sent shockwaves through the BJ Penn-nuthugger community.  At times considered a "prodigy", a "phenom" and "the greatest lightweight ever", Penn's career highs have included dominate performances and titles in two weight classes, a coaching stint on the Ultimate Fighter, and a best-selling memoir that detailed how much he thinks Dana White is a tool bag.  But apparently those accomplishments pale in comparison to his inability to overcome the talent and ability of Edgar, who is considered one of the sport's best representatives of the newest generation of MMA fighter.  Unfortunately, now, as per popular crazy person opinion, Penn must face a legacy tarnished with inadequacy and failure.  What's left for a diminutive Hawaiian with questionable jiu-jitsu and Tae Kwon Do-esque boxing skills?     

Observations from My Couch: UFC 118 "Ultimate Dance-Off 2: Electric Bugaloo"

• Months ago a Zuffa insider lamented to me that Joe Silva was “scraping the bottom of the barrel for fighters”.  Hi, Gabe Ruediger!  How’s the arm?
• Nik Lentz apparently thought Andre Winner was a big piece of cheese and the Octagon was a cheese grater.  How else can you explain him trying to push the Brit through the fence for all three rounds?
• Dan Miller’s guillotine: when done right, no can defend.
• Nate Diaz is so adorable.  Even when he’s busting up Marcus Davis’ orbital bone, I have the urge to buy him an ice cream cone and take him to the park to fly kites.
• Gray Maynard is the master of making exciting match-ups into boring ones.  Really, he’s elevated it to an art form.
• There are Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts, and then there’s Demian Maia, who may not be able to sub other black belts, but he damn sure can toy with them.
• Randy Couture defeated a boxer.  In other news, I hear this scrawny Royce Gracie dude is totally smoking these bigger karate and kung fu fighters.  Isn’t that insane?
• It took about two takedowns for Frankie Edgar to convince BJ Penn that every weapon the Hawaiian had at his disposal was useless.  After that, it was twenty minutes of Edgar dancing circles around Penn and Penn wanting to be somewhere far, far away.
• Maynard gets the next crack at Edgar, and Edgar is absolutely going to smash him.  Don’t believe me?  Look at the fighter Edgar was when they first fought and then look at Edgar now.  Okay, compare the Maynard who was with the Maynard from now.  The champ is a totally different fighter these days – a beast with his hands and an ace on the ground – and the challenger is the same human blanket.  Edgar is going to punch “The Bully” in the face for days. 

Observations from My Couch: Bellator 26 "Sometimes Girl Fights Make Me Uncomfortable"

• Tyler Stinson and Steve Carl had a short but sweet scrap.  Two and a half minutes of back-and-forth near-death is worth tuning in to any day.
• Aisling Daly’s performance speaks volumes on the state of Irish female MMA.
• Two chicks in the north/south position.  Dammit, why couldn’t it have been Gina Carano and Meisha Tate in there!
• Jose Vega vs. Danny Tims was fast, furious and fun.  Already this bantamweight tournament is paying off.
• Alexey Oleinik looked okay, but I can’t help thinking that he’d perish under the smothering bulk of the Human Down Comforter (aka Cole Konrad).

August 2010 Women's Independent World MMA Rankings

The August 2010 Women's Independent World MMA Rankings have been released. These rankings are independent of any single MMA media outlet or sanctioning body, and are published on multiple web sites, as well as http://www.independentworldmmarankings.com/.

The members of the voting panel for the Women's Independent World MMA Rankings are, in alphabetical order: Nicholas Bailey (MMA Ratings); Jim Genia (Full Contact Fighter and MMA Journalist Blog); Yael Grauer (MMA HQ); Jesse Holland (MMA Mania); Robert Joyner (Freelance); Zac Robinson (Sports by the Numbers MMA); Leland Roling (Bloody Elbow); Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse); Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion); and Ivan Trembow (Freelance).




Note: Gina Carano, Lena Ovchynnikova, and Emily Thompson are temporarily ineligible to be ranked, due to the fact that they have not fought in over 12 full months.

Note: Carina Damm has regained her eligibility to be ranked because she has fulfilled the terms of her 2008 California State Athletic Commission steroids suspension by paying her fine. Given that she has recent fights in both the bantamweight and flyweight divisions, she is eligible to be ranked in both of those weight classes.

August 2010 Women's Independent World MMA Rankings
Ballots collected on August 24, 2010

Featherweight Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)
1. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (10-1)
2. Marloes Coenen (17-4)
3. Yuko "Hiroko" Yamanaka (9-1-1)
4. Cindy Dandois (4-0)
5. Shana Olsen (4-0)
6. Amanda Nunes (5-1)
7. Jamie Seaton (2-1)
8. Hitomi Akano (16-8)
9. Ediane Gomes (5-1)
10. Yoko Takahashi (14-11-3)

Bantamweight Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)
1. Sarah Kaufman (12-0)
2. Roxanne Modafferi (15-6)
3. Tara LaRosa (18-2)
4. Miesha Tate (11-2)
5. Hitomi Akano (16-8)
6. Shayna Baszler (12-6)
7. Takayo Hashi (12-2)
8. Jennifer Tate (6-1)
9. Julie Kedzie (14-8)
10. Vanessa Porto (10-4)

Flyweight Rankings (116 to 125 lbs.)
1. Tara LaRosa (18-2)
2. Aisling Daly (9-0)
3. Rosi Sexton (10-2)
4. Zoila Frausto (8-1)
5. Rin Nakai (7-0)
6. Megumi Fujii (21-0)
7. Sally Krumdiack (8-3)
8. Monica Lovato (5-1)
9. Jeri Sitzes (3-1)
10. Carina Damm (15-4)

Junior Flyweight Rankings (106 to 115 lbs.)
1. Megumi Fujii (21-0)
2. Yuka Tsuji (22-2)
3. Lisa Ward (13-5)
4. Mei "V Hajime" Yamaguchi (6-2)
5. Jessica Aguilar (9-3)
6. Zoila Frausto (8-1)
7. Kyoko Takabayashi (11-4)
8. Jessica Pene (7-1)
9. Angela Magana (8-4)
10. Emi Fujino (8-4)

The Women's Independent World MMA Rankings are tabulated and published on a monthly basis, with fighters receiving ten points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, and so on.

The rankings are based purely on the votes of the members of the voting panel, with nobody's vote counting more than anybody else's vote, and no computerized voting.

The voters are instructed to vote primarily based on fighters' actual accomplishments in the cage/ring (the quality of opposition that they've actually beaten), not based on a broad, subjective perception of which fighters would theoretically win hypothetical match-ups.

Inactivity: Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months are not eligible to be ranked, and will regain their eligibility the next time they fight.

Disciplinary Suspensions: Fighters who are currently serving disciplinary suspensions, or who have been denied a license for drug test or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to be ranked.

Changing Weight Classes: When a fighter announces that she is leaving one weight class in order to fight in another weight class, the fighter is not eligible to be ranked in the new weight class until her first fight in the new weight class has taken place.

Catch Weight Fights: When fights are contested at weights that are in between the limits of the various weight classes, they are considered to be in the higher weight class. The weight limits for each weight class are listed at the top of the rankings for each weight class.

Special thanks to Eric Kamander, Joshua Stein and Yael Grauer for their invaluable help with this project, and special thanks to Garrett Bailey for designing our logo.

Upcoming Bouts to Look Out For II

Some more clarity on the upcoming Lyman Good bout: he’s fighting Ben Askren at a Bellator event on October 14^th in Kansas City.  There was supposed to be a Bellator show in New Jersey (and it would’ve featured teen pop sensation Lester Caslow on the card somewhere), but that got nixed for whatever reason.  Also, keep an eye out for…

• Jimmie Rivera vs. Abel Cullum, King of the Cage on September 17^th – The MGM Grand at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut is playing host to a King of the Cage event (remember them?), and fighting for a belt is TSMMA’s Jimmie Rivera and DREAM veteran Abel Cullum.  This will be by far Rivera’s toughest test yet, but with solid hands and a knack for turning into a statue whenever someone tries to take him down, he’s certainly got the tools to pull out the win.
• Steve DeAngelis vs. Aguileno Brandao, King of the Cage on September 17^th – Steve DeAngelis may have fallen short against Nick Pace when the two fought for the ROC 135-pound title, but he’s still one of the best “little guys” the Northeast has to offer.  Watch for him to pound Aguileno Brandao into the canvas until there’s nothing left of Brandao but a smear that referee has to clean up with a sponge.

Disinterested BJ Penn Hypes Fight By Saying Edgar Is Short, From New Jersey

The hype for UFC 118's lightweight championship rematch reached a fever pitch today, with ex-champ and now challenger BJ Penn proclaiming that incumbent title-holder Frankie Edgar is short. When posed with a question regarding Saturday's upcoming bout, and after being nudged by UFC president Dana White, Penn rose from his chair at the press conference, put down the sweater he was crocheting, and stammered before finding his words. "Uh, Frankie is a good fighter, but he doesn't deserve that belt. He's, uh, too short. Plus, he's from New Jersey." Added the hard-hitting jiu-jitsu phenom with a yawn, "I'm from Hawaii, myself." Despite the collective gasp the echoed throughout the historic Faneuil Hall in Boston, Edgar remained his usual laconic self, responding to the trash talk with a mumble, a grin and a fist pump.

It's been said that a focused Penn is a dangerous Penn. Well, if the lightweight heat emanating from the UFC 118 press conference is of any indication, Edgar may be in for a rough night on Saturday.

Upcoming Bouts to Look Out For

Hey, do you like mixed martial arts?  Of course you do.  And if you’re reading this blog, you’re most likely either a fan of MMA in the Northeast or hopped up on goofballs (or both).  So for your reading pleasure – and to satisfy a court order that stipulates that I must produce at least one blog post a day – I’ve compiled a handy-dandy list of upcoming bouts worth looking out for. 

• Daniel Akinyemi vs. Rich Bianchi, UCC 3 on September 10^th – The UCC returns to Jersey City, and with it comes middleweight prospect Daniel Akinyemi, who slammed his way to victory on the Iron Ring reality show on BET before taking a two and a half-year hiatus.  A paramedic in the real world, Akinyemi is a well-rounded and aggressive competitor when fists are flying.
• Joe Funaro vs. Nicholas Torres, Aslyum Fight League 30 on September 11^th – Former underground fighter Joe Funaro (twin brother to James) makes his Asylum debut against some kid named Nicholas Torres.  I know nothing about Torres, but every time a UCL veteran fights in a legitimate promotion an angel gets his wings, so, um, yeah.
• Tom DeBlass vs. Tom Velasquez, ROC 31 on September 24^th – There are so many stellar match-ups on the ROC 31 card that it’s hard to pick any single one as the stand-out.  But I will say this: the pairing of Ricardo Almeida black belt Tom DeBlass against “Latino Sakuraba” Tom Velasquez should be damn exciting.  Damn exciting.
• Mike Fischetti vs. Joe Synol, ROC Amateurs II on September 25^th – Joe Synol’s been racking up some wins in the various New Jersey’s amateur MMA promotions.  Unfortunately, he’s facing TSMMA’s unstoppable Mike Fischetti at ROC’s upcoming amateur show, and as Fischetti is the master of sprawl-and-brawl, Synol is likely going to get smashed with a quickness.
• Shawn Obasi vs. Carlos Cline, Brick City FC on October 2^nd – The self-proclaimed “Wing Chun Man” is making his pro debut at the inaugural Brick City Fighting Championship event in Newark, and his opponent is longtime Renzo Gracie disciple Carlos Cline.  Expect a lot of punches to the face in this one.
• Kim Couture vs. Munah Holland, ROC 32 on October 23^rd – Everyone knows Kim Couture as the chick who married and divorced Randy Couture, and some may even know her from her handful of MMA bouts.  But soon people will know her as the lady who was killed by Munah Holland.  Holland will be making her MMA debut in this match-up, but she was a 2007 Golden Gloves boxing champ and she hails from TSMMA, so she specializes in MURDER.
• Lyman Good vs. Ben Askren, at an undetermined Bellator event in October – Bellator welterweight champ and TSMMA star Lyman Good gets to do the man-dance with Ben Askren, the wrestler who won the Season Two tourney.  Sure, Askren is great at takedowns and constant-pressure, but the word on the street is Kurt Pellegrino has been bringing in high-level wrestlers for Good to work with and Good’s been stuffing them all.  Watch for the Human Action Figure to pound out the Man with the Out-of-Control Hair.

Bob Reilly: Unloved and Unappreciated

New York State Assemblyman Bob Reilly hates MMA and has done his best to keep it out of the state.  But not everyone likes Assemblyman Reilly, nor his cause.  Here's James Whalen, who is challenging Reilly for his Assembly seat: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/30880/whalen-to-reilly-enough-with-mma/ .

Observations from My Couch: Strikeforce's "Houston, We Have a Problem"

• Bobby Lashley is no Brock Lesnar.  Nope, not by a long shot.
• The referee standing Lashley up when Lashley had the mount was a disgrace.  However, homeboy was done, and if things didn’t end between rounds they most certainly would’ve ended in the third.  Props to Chad Griggs for making the Lashley/Batista match-up viable.
• KJ Noons is fantastic with his hands and even better with his late punches and illegal kicks.  Please, Nick Diaz, rematch this fool and crush him.
• Jacare deserved the win.  Tim Kennedy looked solid, but it just came down to who scored the most points, and Kennedy’s messed up grill told the tale.
• King Mo got his ass royally kicked and he was dethroned.  He was banished from his kingdom and must now live in exile.  He is a king without a crown.  His rule is over and his subjects are no longer awed by his presence.  He is but a mere commoner now…  Okay, that’s enough of the analogies.
• Feijao looked solid taking out Muhammed Lawal and earning himself the Strikeforce light-heavyweight belt.  But as per Strikeforce rules, he will lose it in his first title-defense.

Top Five Cole Konrad Jokes

Bellator 25 touched down in Chicago last night, and fans who tuned in were treated to 115-pound female tournament darkhorse Zoila Frausto tossing Jessica Pene around like a rag doll, UFC vet Brad Blackburn and Dan Hornbuckle staging a real thriller on the feet, and Polish strongman Damian Grabowski somehow stealing a decision despite having zero takedown defense.  It was an entertaining show… and then heavyweight Cole Konrad came in and stunk up the joint.  Seriously, the dude is bad, so very, very bad, and no amount of name-dropping (“Yeah, he’s Brock Lesnar’s training partner,” “He and Brock Lesnar went to the same pre-school,” “Did you know COLE KONRAD spelled backwards is BROCK LESNAR?”) by the announcers can change that.  Maybe he had success as an amateur wrestler somewhere where people care about that stuff, but in the real world he is a complete MMA show-killer.  So here, without further adieu, are the top five Cole Konrad jokes.

1. Molasses, drying paint and old people screwing – what do they all have in common?  They watch tape of Cole Konrad to find their inspiration.
2. Cole Konrad is so slow, when he walks down the sidewalk there’s a line of snails behind him shaking their fists and yelling, “Hey asshole, speed up!”
3. The US Food and Drug Administration is currently approving Cole Konrad as a sleep-aid.  Unfortunately, the clinical trials have stalled because the test subjects keep falling into comas.
4. Cole Konrad moves so slowly, mountains brag about hiking up him.
5. Cole Konrad walks into a bar.  The bartender says, “What can I get you?”  Cole Konrad thinks about it, then replies, “A coke, please.”  But it’s 30 years later and the bartender is dead.

Brick City Fighting Championship to Feature Epic Gracie vs. Sambo Battle

Brick City Fighting Championship, a newcomer to the New Jersey pro MMA scene, enters the fray on October 2nd at Essex County College in Newark, and the marquee bout of their initial offering is a strong one.  In a pairing between elite grapplers, Igor Gracie of the famous Clan McGracie (think: jiu-jitsu from the Highlands of Scotland) is taking on Ozzy Dugulubgov of K-Dojo, and the match-up promises fireworks.  For those out there under house arrest or confined to a 1950s fall-out shelter, Dugulubgov is some kind of Eastern European badass with a killer sub game, and in his brief amateur MMA career was absolutely beastly in the cage.  Brick City FC scored a big win in securing Dugulubgov for his pro debut, and matching him against a Gracie is nothing short of genuis.