The Shoot - Evan Dunham - Discipline, finishing and more!

Chael Sonnen trashes Alistair Overeem (VIDEO)

Kenny Flo out of UFC Fight for the Troops with injury

Kenny Florian's is out of the UFC "Fight for the Troops 2" with a knee injury.  Melvin Guillard steps in to face Evan Dunham.

Kenny Florian's statement;

"It is with deep regret that I will not be able to compete in my scheduled fight against Evan Dunham on January 22nd, due to a knee injury I sustained during training this morning. Although I have not had an MRI as of yet; the doctors are cautiously optimistic that it will not require surgery. I want to express my sincere apologies to the fans, the UFC and Evan for not being able to compete at UFC Fight Night 23: Fight for the Troops 2. Since early September, I have been training for this fight. Evan is a great fighter and has undoubtedly been working very hard towards this fight as well. Plus, it is a big disappointment that I will not be able to fight in the octagon for the brave soldiers that fight for us. I am determined to return to the octagon in the first half on 2011. Accordingly, I will keep you all updated."

[source]

UFC 118 Payroll - Toney makes $500k!

MAIN CARD FIGHTERS:

-Frankie Edgar: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus) def. B.J. Penn: $150,000
-Randy Couture: $250,000 (no win bonus) def. James Toney: $500,000
-Demian Maia: $68,000 (includes $34,000 win bonus) def. Mario Miranda: $8,000
-Gray Maynard: $46,000 (includes $23,000 win bonus) def. Kenny Florian: $65,000
-Nate Diaz: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus) def. Marcus Davis: $31,000

PRELIMINARY CARD (NON-TELEVISED) FIGHTERS:

-Joe Lauzon: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) def. Gabe Ruediger: $8,000
-Nik Lentz: $22,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) def. Andre Winner: $10,000
-Dan Miller: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. John Salter: $8,000
-Greg Soto: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus) def. Nick Osipczak: $10,000
-Mike Pierce: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) def. Amilcar Alves: $6,000

UFC 118 DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $1,428,000

Kenny Florian’s Analytical Approach Brings Success

Kenny Florian Isn’t Afraid to Adapt
Adapt and survive.

Kenny Florian’s philosophy is simple: “If you don’t adapt in this sport, you’re going to die. You’re going to lose.” There was a time Florian thought he had all the answers. He was on a six-fight win streak that earned him a shot at UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn. The last time Florian had lost was his first chance at glory, when Sean Sherk defeated him in a unanimous decision at UFC 64.

He learned a lot from that loss. The problem was Florian thought he had learned it all. He entered the Penn fight determined to “kill the master” and that’s when complacency came to collect. The Prodigy dismantled Ken-Flo in four rounds, putting him at a crossroads and a time when his entire regimen was completely re-evaluated. When Florian responded with two straight dominant victories, Dana White noticed. While condemning Diego Sanchez from leaving the lightweight division for a return to welterweight, the UFC president cited Florian as an example of learning from failure.

Saturday night Zuffa debuts in Boston, Florian’s turf, where a win over Gray Maynard virtually guarantees a title shot at the winner of the champion Frankie Edgar’s title defense and rematch against Penn in the main event.

“Since the beginning of time when it came to combat, it was the people who had the better technology, the better training, the more organization, the better weapons and the more discipline, those are the guys who won,” Florian told Heavy.com.

On an episode of “The Deadliest Warrior,” Sun Tzu, a master strategist, was bludgeoned by Vlad the Impaler in a simulated battle because Vlad III Dracula and his artillery were centuries ahead in terms of weaponry. If you keep shooting stones at people and bows and arrows and people, guys will eventually come around with guns. Failure to operate and manage a gun, to get to that next phase of evolution, you’re done.

“I have to constantly look even past guns and look for the latest and greatest in the technique, and really analyze myself as a fighter without bias,” Florian said.

Thanks to his brother Keith, Florian’s training is approached from a scientific standpoint until it’s second nature. Keith analyzes the time spent on each discipline every day. Everything is computed, punches are counted, kicks and drills are accounted for. If something goes wrong they review numbers and data to see which area had too much and too little emphasis. Their system is similar to what L.A. Lakers head coach Pat Riley and assistant Bill “Bert” Bertka created at the start of the 1986-87 NBA season still stinging from a disappointing loss to the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.

As Riley wrote in “The Winner Within,” Career Best Effort was a numbers and measurement system built around the concentrated improvement of five trigger points for each player. A one-percent upgrade in five areas for 12 players gave the team as a whole a 60 percent improvement. Career Best Effort measured effort areas like taking charges, diving for loose balls and crashing the board to grab a rebound.

Riley’s goal was to eliminate complacency, which felled his Lakers much like it swallowed Florian against Penn. In Maynard, Florian sees a bigger, better and stronger version of Sherk. “The Bully” is unbeaten in 10 MMA fights (with one no contest) and is the only one to have defeated Edgar. Maynard’s heart, courage and tenacity also earned him wins over notable opponents Jim Miller, Roger Huerta and Nick Diaz, the last two in split-decision wars, the latter that may have disappointed onlookers but was an example of how Maynard can grind anyone to a halt.

“This is the biggest challenge of my career, my way of proving to myself how far I’ve come,” Florian said. “My striking is at higher level. My jiu-jitsu, conditioning, and even wrestling are all better. I’m going to play the same game I always play. I’m going to be aggressive, go forward and wait for a mistake. Hopefully that mistake will come at some point and hopefully I’ll be there to capitalize on it.

“I’m a much better fighter than I was in my last fight, which is the goal for every fight. I’m always learning, always getting better and always evolving. I try to focus more and more on myself than my opponent. If Gray Maynard’s trained hard and is well-prepared it’ll be a great fight.”

Florian’s increased stamina may be what puts him over the top. His work in Montreal with strength and conditioning coach Jonathan Chaimberg has given what he believes is a new engine, upgraded from a V6 Turbo to a “very high horsepower V8,” one that allows him to train more and train better with superior quality. One may wonder how Florian’s second job as a UFC and WEC analyst that on the weekend of June 19-20 saw him work in Las Vegas (Ultimate Fighter Finale) and Edmonton (WEC 49) on consecutive nights, along with a panelist on ESPN’s “MMA Live,” doesn’t run him beyond exhaustion. In reality, the loaded calendar has helped him focus more on his training, which is taken to new levels when he puts the secondary jobs on hold the last six weeks before a fight.

“I know I don’t have time to screw around,” Florian said. “It means I have to manage my time and I do it very well. Training is still my No. 1 priority and ‘MMA Live’ on ESPN is my second priority, along with my commentating duties for either the UFC or the WEC.”

There’s a third priority Florian is taking home to Boston: Proving to some lawmakers that data studies and hard facts have shown every UFC show has made a profit for the company and host cities and states to go with a strong safety record. “The UFC’s record and professionalism really speaks for itself,” Florian said. “Wherever they go they put on a successful show and a safe show. Ignore the heresy and really get educated in the sport and really find out what’s going on. I think that’s the key.”

Hard analytical research has carried Florian this far while helping him reach new stages of evolution at the age of 34, so why start doubting him now?

[author: Jon Lane - source]

Kurt answers Questions from Twitter fans while in the shower

ESPN MMA LIVE!

ESPN's MMA Live!

ESPN's Post Fight Review of UFC 113

"A Hero's Journey" - BJ Penn (VIDEO)

"Heroes are not born they are made. Hawaiis Hero, BJ Penn was born with god given talent, but talent alone does not equal greatness. Follow BJ Penn on his journey as he works hard to combine talent with the fruits of labor, and witness his transformation from a Prodigy into an MMA Legend."




(taken from YOUTUBE channel "shownig")

UFC Primetime St. Pierre vs Hardy- Episode 2

This got us SO EXCITED FOR this fight!!!!

Dana White Video Blogs

UFC 101 Predictions

Here is where we say who we think will win.

First of all though, Dana White will probably announce Tweeto Whortiz and most of the Affliction Fighters that have now signed with the UFC. Tweeto will probably be brought in the octagon and Tweeto can say something inappropriate, call someone out with his little girly voice and proudly display his trophy pornstar girlfriend. Awesome.

Ok, on to the predictions. Let's start from the bottom of the card, on up!


1. Jesse Lennox vs. Danillo Villefort - This is both their 2nd fight in the UFC. They both fought no-namers for their first fights, but Villefort looks tougher, so let's go with that one!
2. George Sotiropoulos vs. George Roop - Georgy boy reminds me of that politician that used to hang out with Bill Clinton and George Roop used to work in a Pharmacy. Um....we don't care who wins.
3. Matthew Riddle vs. Dan Cramer - Mr. Riddle looks like a little boy and the only homosexual UFC fighter in history! Dan Cramer however seems to be well rounded and extremely agressive. We think he'll own the Chip n Dales dancer.
4. Thales Leites vs. Alessio Sakara - This should be a fight to watch! Alessio Sakara, hailing from Italy is a tough competitor but can be overcome. Thales Leites, although coming from a loss to Anderson Silva, we think will beat Sakara within the first 2 rounds.
5. Tamdan McCrory vs. John Howard - huh?
6. Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley - Aaron Riley looks like a pedophile. Nuff said.

Main Event Fights:

7. Josh Neer vs. Kurt Pellegrino - Talk about two explosive fighters! Pellegrino, coming from the Jersey Shore (fo-get aaabout it!) has a great ground game and good on his feet, but we're claiming Josh Neer will take the fight at either referee stoppage within the first 2 rounds OR he will go the distance and he'll win the split decision. Tough one to call!

8. Kendall Grove vs. Ricardo Almeida - We're hoping Kendall Grove will take this fight. Most likely, it will go the full distance and he'll win by split decision.

9. Amir Sadollah vs. Johny Hendricks - Why are these guys in the main card????

10. Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin - Alright......we hope Forrest can pull it off! He has never been a technician, but has improved tremendously. His biggest asset is his heart. Unfortunately for him though, we think Anderson Silva is too technical and well rounded for him. Forrest won't give up, but will take an ass whoopin like he's never received. This is a hard fight to say how it will end, but Anderson Silva will take it. (hope we're wrong!)

11. BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian - Although BJ Penn has been portrayed lately as the "bad guy", BJ is an incredible well rounded fighter. We were watching BJ back when he had hair. Kenny Florian - uhhhhhhh, is losing! Although Kenny Florian is a crowd favorite and really is a great athlete, BJ is going to catch Florian in either a technical lock or win by referee stoppage!

This should be an exciting UFC!






(information used from ufc.com)