Stiff Jab

siphotos: Joe Frazier looks up at George Foreman after being...

gnagesh — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:21:35 -0400

Joe Frazier looks up at George Foreman after being knocked down in the second round of their Jan. 1973 fight in Kingston, Jamaica. Frazier was knocked down three times in the first round and another three in the second before the referee stopped the fight. (Neil Leifer/SI)

SI VAULT: Foreman clobbers Frazier in earning TKO victory (2.5.73)

showtimesports: Training camp update from undefeated...

gnagesh — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:54:58 -0400

showtimesports:

Training camp update from undefeated cruiserweight Lateef Kayode, who fights 5X champion Antonio Tarver in the main event of SHOWTIME Championship Boxing on June 2, “My body can take anything he throws at me. If he wants to trade, I will trade and if he wants to box, I will box. I can go 12 rounds without a problem, but there is no way he will be able to withstand the kind of punishment I will give him unless he plans on running away all night. Either way, I am knocking this man out. If it goes the distance, they might try to rob me, so I am going to put Tarver to sleep before the 12th round. That way I am the judge and the jury.”

Kangaroo Court: Nick Diaz Suspended One Year For Marijuana, Chael Sonnen Gets To Juice

droctagonmd — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:05:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Proving once again what a bunch of worthless idiots they are, the Nevada State Athletic Commission recently suspended Nick Diaz a year for marijuana use, while allowing Chael Sonnen a medical exemption for his low testosterone.

Mr. Diaz’s transgression poses no danger to his opponents, or to Diaz for that matter, as the test only proved that he had been high in the past, not during a fight. On the other hand, consider the NSAC’s punishments for mixed martial artists caught taking steroids, resulting in their opponents being locked in a cage to fight someone unnaturally strong and aggressive as a result of performance enhancers:

Josh Barnett: Caught after UFC 34, Reportedly got a stern warning

Barnett again: Caught after his fight with Randy Couture, 6-month ban

Tim Sylvia: 6-month ban after UFC 44

Alistair Overeem: Caught taking steroids in the lead-up to a championship fight in APril and banned for nine months.

Chael Sonnen: ”Failure to disclose a medical treatment” resulted in a six-month suspension.

Nate Marquardt: First positive test, six-month ban reduced to five months.

So basically, it’s pretty uncommon for a fighter to get a one-year suspension in Nevada for steroid use. Of course, suspending a fighter for six months is like suspending a pitcher for five games. They might fight a little later than planned, but it’s really not much of a punishment. Overeem, for example, took a nine-month break in 2010.

The only time I could find another fighter treated as harshly as Diaz by the NSAC was Thiago Silva’s submission of something other than human urine following one of his fights. I suppose you have to assume the worst when something like that goes down, but they really should have clear sentencing guidelines to make their quasi-judicial kangaroo court seem slightly more legitimate.

Which brings me to my next point: in the same hearing, the NSAC permitted Chael Sonnen a therapeutic use exemption for his twice-weekly steroid injections. They should look a little more closely at this ridiculous “low testosterone” epidemic that is apparently afflicting a record amount of muscular, elite athletes. Here’s one thing they often don’t tell you about the testosterone test. The typical testosterone to epitestosterone ratio is pretty close to 1:1. The Olympics allow a ratio of 4:1. Any more than that and they assume that you are cheating.

The NSAC allows 6:1. So the therapeutic use exemption, which fighters say gets their testosterone up to “normal levels,” actually allows them to dial their testosterone up about six times the level of the average person. Take a look at that chart below. You see that big spike? That’s around where I’m at.

Hopefully anyway, this particular study was done with athletes, who might be a little more hormonally talented than gentlemen bloggers. That’s why I can pump iron every day, take tons of vitamins, eat nothing but health food, and still have no hope of seeing my abs. Todd Duffee, on the other hand, has a hard time staying at 254 pounds of solid muscle and is permitted a therapeutic use exemption so that he can stay among the hormonal one-percenters. There are plenty of fighters I like that use Testosterone Replacement Therapy. Some of them are older guys like Dan Henderson, who have a much more plausible reason for having low testosterone. I’m only using Duffee as an example because he is so young and has always been so muscular. You can’t blame a fighter from trying to get every edge possible. They don’t show the T/E results for fighters who are below 6:1, but I would be willing to wager that the majority of fighters are coming in above average.

Chael Sonnen might just be leveling the playing field with his therapeutic use exemption, but it seems surreal to me that the same commission that suspends Nick Diaz for one year permits athletes to inject themselves with steroids to the point they would be stripped of a medal at the Olympics. To be very clear, Chael isn’t doing anything wrong, and is totally playing by the rules. He should take every advantage available to him, legally, when locked in a cage with a dangerous man like Anderson Silva. But there is a major problem with the rules, and they really need to change.

Ah yes, you might say, but you have to have a medical doctor diagnose you with low testosterone. These are learned professionals whose licenses are on the line. Yeah, well one of these dudes injected Overeem with some testosterone for knee pain and “couldn’t recall” whether or not he told him. There are doctors out there running anti-aging clinics who are sketchy as hell and make all their money prescribing roids, HGH and whatever other blood-spinning regenokine nonsense athletes use to get an edge. An M.D. alone isn’t proof of character.

So maybe the governing bodies that overseas combat sports could try treating an illegal substance that makes you freakishly strong a little differently from an illegal substance that makes you giggle. Years from now, when they look at the effects of getting punched in the head by a big man with tiny gloves, they might also wonder if those big men really needed to also have their testosterone dialed up to unnatural levels.

Diaz is stupid for testing positive, but besides being an obstinate asshole, he wasn’t doing any harm. This needs to change. At the very least, they need to knock down the allowable level to 4:1 so it’s a little harder for fighters that are doping to test clean before a fight. Something needs to change, because right now the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s official stance is that smoking pot is a greater offense for a cage fighter than juicing, and that’s just wrong.

Jon Jones Totals Bentley in Binghamton: Arrested for DUI

droctagonmd — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:20:00 -0400

The Washington Post reports Jon Jones wrapped his Bentley around a telephone pole in Binghamton, NY at 5:00am this morning. It is probably the one in the picture above, unless he bought another. I’m guessing he’s not going to be appearing in any more Bud Light ads. Enjoy Responsibly.

Josh Barnett vs Daniel Cormier

droctagonmd — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:15:00 -0400

Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Before this fight I was like, damn, Josh Barnett (left) is old as hell, but it just seems that way because he won the UFC championship when he was 24. He was caught juicing soon after for the first of his three positive tests. Barnett maintains his innocence, but one look at his body now that he is being tested regularly shows otherwise.

Daniel Cormier (above right) is about the same age as Barnett, but also a former Olympian. Barnett has been fighting a ton of bums lately, so I’m not impressed by his recent resurgence. Cormier gets better every fight; if he can avoid getting caught by the always-tricky Barnett, he should be able to win this one. Round-by-round updates after the jump:

Round 1: Barnett has a seven-inch reach advantage and is moving forward with a jab. Cormier is unloading his big right. It looks like Cormier is landing much more solidly than Barnett so far. Cormier landed a nice knee. Barnett got a hold of Cormier, but Cormeir shrugged him off. Barnett looks gassed already. The rotund Cormier seems a lot fresher and rocks Barnett again.

Barnett is much taller, but can’t use his reach advantage at all so far. He’s going to get knocked out if he keeps standing in the pocket. Also, there is no motherfucking way that Barnett can keep up a non-embarrassing pace for five rounds. The fighters lock up and Cormier lands a knee. Cormier lands another big right. Barnett swarms and lands a big punch, Cormier looks hurt. Cormier pushes Barnett against the cage and eats several knees.

Cormier 10-9.

Round 2: Cormier is landing at will. Barnett seems to have no sense of range. He is standing way closer than he needs to. But Cormier’s left eye is fucked. Barnett ate a couple of punches, but landed a big knee. Barnett locks up Cormier, but Cormier lands a nice uppercut from the clinch. Cormier to the body.

Cormier gets the single leg and has a takedown. Not sure if that’s a good move. Barnett is dangerous on the ground. Cormier is landing some nice elbows though. Barnett went for a triangle, but Cormier got out of it easily. Cormier has a crucifix position and Barnett grabs an arm, but Cormier gets out of it. Barnett’s face is looking terrible. A bloody fucking mess. This is a great fight so far.

Cormier looks like he has learned a lot in his short MMA career. Barnett has all kinds of cuts on his face. Cormier gets a few more punches in.

10-9 Cormier.

Round 3: The fighters exchange, but I couldn’t see what happened. Cormier looks hurt. Barnett is going for the single, but Cormier is defending it well. Cormier’s pants are falling down. He pulls them up. Barnett keeps coming forward, but he’s not getting much done.

Cormier lands a nice right and picks up Barnett, turns him upside down, and slams him to the ground. Cormier is just so strong. Barnett is able to work to his feet though. Cormier lands a nice pair of punches. Cormier shoots, but Barnett is kicking. Cormier lands a head kick and is swarming. Barnett is messed up against the fence, but he isn’t out of it and he returns fire. Cormier has Barnett’s back from a standing position and Barnett is leaning on the cage, creating a puddle of blood.

10-9 Cormier.

Round 4: Barnett lands a big knee to Cormier’s face. The fighters clinch and Barnett lands an elbow. I take back what I said about Barnett’s conditioning. He is still pretty active. Cormier lands a nice right hook. Barnett needs to finish this fight. There’s no way he’s won even a round. Cormier lands another nice uppercut. Cormier is throwing headkicks and his hands are pretty low.

Cormier shoots, has a single, and gets the takedown. Barnett rolls into a heelhook, but Cormier is too slippery and gets out of it. That was the best chance Barnett has had at winning the fight right there. Barnett is working some nice elbows from the bottom, but his face is fucked to the max. Referee Rosenthal stands them up. Fighters clinch against the fence as the round ends.

10-9 Cormier.

Round 5: Ah, the announcers just referred to Barnett as a Top-3 heavyweight. Nice. Love the ridiculous Strikeforce propaganda. Barnett moving forward, but Cormier ties him up. Barnett lands a knee. Cormier knows he has the fight in the bag and is playing it safe. Barnett throws a spinning backfist and Cormier takes him down. Barnett gets up and Cormier tries to throw him again, but Barnett is able to stay on his feet. Cormier shoves Barnett up against the cage and is trying to keep him there until the round ends. Cormier runs away as the round ends.

10-9 Cormier.

Judges score it 49-46 and 50-45 (twice) for Cormier. Not sure which round Barnett could have won, but whatever. Cormier wins, I believe he has to fight one more guy in Strikeforce before he can move to the UFC.

Gilbert Melendez vs Josh Thomson

droctagonmd — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:34:00 -0400

Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

This fight was all I needed to see to remove Gilbert Melendez (above) from the discussion of top lightweights. His boxing looked terrible. His wrestling was ineffective. He did his worst damage eye-pokes, while Josh Thomson was landing clean shots that rearranged Melendez’s face. But the judges scored for Melendez, 47-48 and 48-47 (twice).

Thomson, who looked awful while putting on a positively Fitchian lay-and-pray clinic against K.J. Noons, looked great against Melendez, the Strikeforce lightweight champ. We previously expected that Gil would get an immediate title shot whenever he finally moves over to the UFC. Now, it looks like he would have a tough time handling a fighter like Donald Cerrone.

As I saw it, Gil won the first two rounds and Thomson won the last two. The third round was close as hell, but I gave it to Thomson. Still, it was a reasonable decision from the judges. I’m guessing they differed on round three, since even I might change my mind upon review.

Announcer Mauro Ranallo referred to the fight as one of the top MMA trilogies of all time. Someone needs to tell Mauro that Strikeforce is now owned by Zuffa and he doesn’t have to pump this BS at all times anymore. Next he’ll be saying that the winner of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix is the top heavyweight in the world.

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Rafael Cavalcante vs Mike Kyle

droctagonmd — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:00 -0400

Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Rafael Cavalcante defeated Mike Kyle by submission in just 33 seconds Saturday night on the Strikeforce undercard. Cavalcante opened by catching Kyle’s lowered head with a huge knee. Kyle staggered as Cavalcante whiffed on his next few punches, allowing Kyle to work to his feet. But Cavalcante jumped up and locked in a tight guillotine choke on the standing Kyle, who gamely tried to tough it out. He was unable to escape and ended up falling to the ground and tapping out, just half a minute into the opening round.

Live: David Rickels vs Karl Amoussou

droctagonmd — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:38:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

No elbows to the head allowed. That’s some fucking bullshit right there.

Round 1: Karl Amoussou with a big head-kick. Karl throws a combination and got kicked so hard his jock strap broke. Yowzers. Never seen that happen before. They’re going back to the locker room to get the man a spare jock strap. Looks like someone is going to have to share. Eww. Pretty fucking awkward bra. I guess there’s not much else you can do.

They’re fucking taping this thing on. I don’t know if I would trust my cock to some medical tape. That shit comes unstuck and the next inside legkick could turn your junk into a sack full of mush.

The action restarts and Karl is throwing huge kicks, he gets the takedown. Karl is swinging for the fences with every shot. He’s very explosive and reminds me of Melvin Guillard. David Rickels sweeps and gets a tight closed guard going, the ref stands them up. Rickels goes for a flying knee and Karl gets him on the ground, then lets him up.

Karl throws two big punches and throws Rickels to the ground, then falls into the crucifix position. I bet Karl is wishing he could throw some elbows here, he’s really not doing much damage. Amoussou gets poked in the eyes and Rickels stops punching, but the ref tells them to start again. That was weird. Weird fucking fight. Rickels is boxing Karl’s ear, I guess because he’s not allowed to elbow from the bottom.

Karl won that round 10-9.

Round 2: Leg kick by Rickels. The fighters trade and Karl gets the takedown by a throw. Rickels is going for ear slaps from the bottom. This fight is pretty terrible so far. The ref stands up the fighters. Amoussou landing the better shots again this round. But Rickels lands a nice left. Amoussou comes foward with a punch-punch-knee combination and has Rickels against the cage. Rickels lands a knee as the fighters disengage.

The fighters exchange again and both land. Karl looks winded as Rickels lands a bunch of punches. Amoussou comes through and gets another takedown. Rickels is going for an omoplata, but doesn’t get anything. Amousssou gets out of it and is back in the mount, though he isn’t doing any damage. Rickels lands two nice punches from the bottom and goes for an armbar, but Karl slams him twice to try to get out of it. Rickels lets go of the armbar as the round ends.

That round was close, but I think Rickels stole it with the more effective fighting. These Taco Bell commercials are awful.

Round 3: The fighters come out and Rickels lands an immediate nutshot via push-kick. Karl landed a punch, but Rickels goes for a leglock and transitions to the top position. Rickels is working the body from inside the guard. Rickels is very active here. He’s doing a lot more damage from the top than Karl did. Nice ground and pound. Rickels is putting a beating on Karl.

Ref tells them to keep working after they stopped for a second. Rickels is working his ass off here. Karl’s face is fucked and I bet his stomach doesn’t feel very good either. David Rickels throws a double hammerfist from the top position. Karl’s face is fucked. Rickels dispensing a savage beating from the top position. Karl lands an upkick. Rickels dives in with a punch and Karl goes for a heel hook, but isn’t even close with it. Karl lands a kick to the head when Rickels is down. This could be a 10-8 round for Rickels, who landed a ton of shots.

10-9 Rickels.

That second round was close and I have a feeling Rickels isn’t going to win it, but we’ll see. Yup. Split decision for Karl Amoussou.

Megumi Fujii vs Jessica Aguilar

droctagonmd — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:14:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Jessica Aguilar recently revealed that she is bisexual, which makes her the first bisexual fighter that I am aware of. But I’m sure I will be corrected by the commentariat in our bustling comments section.

Anyhow, it’s a good thing for the sport, which has had some issues with homophobia in the past. According to Bellator’s rankings, Bellator pretty much owns the ladies’ 115 pound weight class. Round-by-round scoring after the jump:

Round 1: Aguilar lands a right. Megumi Fujii shoots and gets a takedown, but Aguilar is able to struggle to her feet and lands some knees in the clinch. Aguilar is landing her right hand pretty well. Aguilar lands the right again. Megumi goes for a head kick, but Aguilar catches it and works the takedown. Aguilar has top position, but Fuji has an arm and is going for an armbar with 40 seconds remaining. Aguilar rolls out of it and is no longer in trouble. Nice defense as Aguilar rolls out.

10-9 Aguilar.

Oh man. I thought the commercials during UFC are bad, but this is MTV2, so the commercials are targeted at the very dumbest among us.

Round 2: Aguilar is landing that right nonstop. She doesn’t really throw the left, but the right is doing some damage. Aguilar with the right again. Aguilar is winning this fight with just one punch. Megumi throws a head kick. Aguilar is way more accurate with her striking. Megumi throws a head kick, but it doesn’t land.

Nice two-punch combo from Aguilar. Megumi’s eye is fucked up. Aguilar is mixing in the jab now and it is making a big difference. Megumi is getting outstruck and she should really try to take it to the ground. This is a brawl that she doesn’t want to be in.

10-9 Aguilar.

Round 3: Megumi’s head kicks are not getting through. She needs to get this fight to the ground. Aguilar looks like she just walked out. Megumi shoots and Aguilar is fighting, but Megumi is able to get Aguilar on her back. Aguilar is working from the bottom, but Megumi is showing some nice ground and pound. It looks like Megumi is also putting her hand over Aguilar’s mouth.

Aguilar is getting the legs up and Megumi is kicking her in the ass. Aguilar is going for an armbar, but doesn’t get it and Megumi is right back on top. Fujii working the ground and pound. Aguilar with the upkicks as Megumi falls into the guard while punching. Really great technique with the ground and pound by Megumi. This is the most damage Megumi’s done all night. Too bad she wasn’t able to do that in the first two rounds, which were close. This fight could go either way.

10-9 Megumi.

Jeez. That fight wasn’t very good. These fighters are not really on the same level as Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. If this is the best the division has to offer, the folks over at Bellator should be worried.

Judges score it 29-28 (thrice) for Aguilar. That’s the correct decision. Apparently this isn’t for a belt or anything, despite the fact these two women are supposedly the best in their weight class. A little weird. A belt would make things a lot more meaningful.

Bellator 69 Live: Mark Holata vs Abe Wagner

droctagonmd — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:54:00 -0400

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Round 1: Mark Holata lands a left, shoots and takes down Abe Wagner. Haven’t seen Wagner since TUF, but I remember his lack of cardio. Wagner is moving his guard up high and is going for an armbar. Holata is pretty chunky, and smaller than Abe, but seems to be outmuscling him so far. Holata isn’t getting anything done at all.

Holata goes for a foot lock and Abe counters with a foot lock of his own. I didn’t see a tap, but the ref said Abe tapped. I just watched it again and I’m not seeing a tap, maybe it was a verbal tap. Abe isn’t complaining and is walking light on his leg. Yup, there it is. Replay shows a verbal tap. Holata by heel hook.

Dusty Harrison & Ty Barnett Prop Up DC Boxing

gnagesh — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:58:03 -0400

by Gautham Nagesh

WASHINGTON, D.C.—It’s been a rough month for boxing in the nation’s capital.

Most of the momentum gained in recent months appears to have been squandered, after a series of events connected to December’s Khan-Peterson fight. That night’s big winner Lamont Peterson is facing intense scrutiny and possible suspension after testing positive for a banned substance, leading to the cancellation of the rematch scheduled for Saturday.

In addition, Amir Khan’s promoter Golden Boy has pulled out of a scheduled June 30th card at the Verizon Center, reportedly still smarting after some hometown officiating helped Peterson upset the British 140-lb titlist. Finally, NoVa junior middleweight and crowd favorite Jimmy Lange injured his left in training, forcing the postponement of the June 23rd card at the Patriot Center headlined by Lange vs Tony Jeter.

That means the only action in town this summer will be at the Convention Center, where local welterweight prospect Dusty Harrison (above) and lightweight Ty Barnett are quickly becoming staples of the local fight scene. The pair won lop-sided bouts as headliners on May 12 in front of a packed house; fans will have four more chances to catch the duo in action this year at the same venue under the banner of Keystone Boxing.

Harrison’s team formerly billed him as the youngest professional fighter in America, but the almost-18-year-old Dusty doesn’t need gimmicks to enhance his marketability. The Beltway Boricua is just a nice kid that can really fight, who happens to have grown up in a town that loves the Sweet Science. Harrison’s appearance on the posters last Saturday night helped draw a healthy number of fans, many of whom left after he obliterated Joey Ortega with a series of right hands in the second round. Dusty scored a knockdown early and was simply too much for Ortega, a professional tomato with a record of 3 wins against 22 losses.

This win doesn’t say much about Dusty, but he looks like he could have the goods. The plan is to bring him along slowly and keep him very busy, fighting 6-8 times both this year and next. Eventually Harrison will run into another prospect or a grizzled veteran with something left, and that’s when we’ll find out if he can really fight. Until then, it looks like a growing number of DMV locals will be spending the summer tracking his progress in person.

Barnett is a fighter I’m less familiar with, but his record shows he’s gotten close to where Dusty eventually hopes to be. At 29, Barnett appears to have enjoyed a nice run of knockouts while climbing the ladder, before getting stopped himself twice in a span of four fights. In between he secured the best win of his career against Tyrese Hendrix, but Barnett has shown he lacks the beard to contend. That didn’t seem to matter to the large crowd on hand at the Convention Center, most of whom were there to cheer on Barnett against Robert DaLuz.

Barnett’s last two opponents have had a combined record of 22-74-5, so you can imagine what took place. DaLuz was noticeable smaller in the ring and easily bullied by Barnett, who took control immediately. Barnett scored a knockdown with two hard body shots in the second round, but failed to press his advantage. A few rounds of toying with the game DaLuz came next, culminating in another knockdown in the 7th. DaLuz valiantly stood up to the onslaught, but eventually another right hand hurt him badly and forced the ref to step in.

Barnett did as he was expected, delighting his fans in the process. That will likely be the formula for the rest of the year, as his handler truck in opponents to serve their purpose without posing too much danger. Barnett could potentially make another run at the top, but perhaps accepting his role as a ham-and-egger would be wiser for his long-term health. Few fighters at his level are currently positioned as consistent box office attractions in major American cities.

I missed local welterweight Dillon Hayman’s professional debut (TKO-1 over Mike Arnold) but arrived in time to see local featherweight Shadeed Floyd win his first fight by stopping TayShawn Autry in the opening round. Floyd hurt Autry with an overhand right before trapping him against the ropes, where a barrage of body shots forced the ref to step in after just 54 seconds. We’ll be keeping an eye on Floyd, who won the regional Golden Gloves title in 2010 and is trained by local legend Darryll Tyson at Langdon Boxing Center.

Next up came a junior lightweight matchup between Renaldo Gaines of District Heights, Md. and debutante James Young of North Carolina. Most fighters from the Carolinas are brought in to lose, but no one told Young that before his first pro fight. He fought well, catching Gaines in the second, and probably could have earned a draw in a more neutral setting. Instead, a late barrage by Gaines helped him bring home the fourth round and end any doubt. The judges scored it for the hometown fighter 39-37 (twice) and 40-36, the latter card a clear case of home cooking.

Local junior middleweight Harold “Sweet Lee” Parker made his long-awaited debut by stopping of fellow debutante Marcus Bess of South Carolina. Parker was an amateur star roughly ten years ago before getting side-tracked from his ring career. A strong body attack forced Bess to capitulate in third of four scheduled rounds.

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Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung "The Korean Zombie"

droctagonmd — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:02:00 -0400

The Korean Zombie comes out to Zombie by the Cranberries. Terrible song, but totally hilarious under the circumstances. God, some of the shit they played on the radio in the nineties was horrible, but I guess it is better than the shit the kids are listening to on the internets nowadays. Next time he should go for Astro Zombies by the Misfits, which is a way more badass tune. Danzig is one of my favorite small people of all time. Poirier is the favorite here, but I don’t know why. I don’t see him winning this one. The Zombie is better on the ground, has heavier hands and is impossible to knock out.

Round 1- Zombie gets the takedown on the kick. Landing nice elbows. Poirier has the Zombie pinned against the cage and the Zombie works a nice trip. Zombie’s got a crucifix, which is the last place you want to be with this fucker, who is sick on the ground, but Poirier is able to get back into full guard. Zombie is landing short elbows from the top. Dustin’s head is cut, and the Korean smells brains and is going in for the kill, trying to open that skull up, as he is starving after cutting so much weight for this fight. Poirier almost lands an upkick and gets a sweep on the Korean, but the Zombie is sitting up on the cage and looks fucking bored. Love the Zombie, but I hope he doesn’t fall asleep. He seems content to wait the round out on the cage. The Korean is up and Poirier lands a nice elbow as they separate. Poirier goes for a takedown, but the Zombie sprawls and forces Poirier to the mat.

10-9 for the Zombie

Round 2- Zombie with leg kick. Catches Poirier’s leg and gets the takedown. Pounding Poirier from the top position. Zombie now in full guard and the crowd is loving it with a Zombie chant. Zombie postures up and lands a big left lets Poirier stand. Poirier is landing a few shots, but the Zombie comes forward with a massive flying knee and is killing Poirier. Poirier shoots, but the Zombie flips out of it and is in a full mount and trying to break Poirier’s skull open and get to his delicious brains. This is a really dangerous position for Poirier to be in. Zombie gets an arm and real quick goes for the arm bar. Transitions to triangle. Shit is tight as fuck. Throwing elbows from the triangle so he must not have it perfect. Zombie back to armbar, but Poirier gets out of it (to USA chants) and is in the Korean’s open guard Zombie sinks another dope triangle, but Poirier is saved by the bell.

10-9 Zombie

Round 3- Front kick by Zombie. Poirier looks like he landed there. Not sure Poirier should stand and trade with the Zombie, but I guess he’s got a better shot here than on the ground. Zombie lands a few shots. Zombie lands a left. Poirier is landing a few shots. Zombie keeps coming forward and landed a nice right. Poirier is landing with the left, but the Zombie takes him down and has a crucifix and is landing, but Poirier is able to rolle off the cage by walking up with his feet. Zombie is beating the shit out of Pirier against the fence, but Dustin comes back with a nice elbow of his own. both fighters look really tired. Zombie lands a kick and then comes forward. Landing a nice combination. Korean Zombie has his hands down totally and Poirier is starting to land, but the Zombie comes forward with a few strikes of his own. The Zombie has a nice chin and comes forward throwing bombs as the round ends.

That was the closest round so far. I think Poirier landed more shots there.

10-9 Poirier

Round 4- Zombie throws a head kick. Poirier is landing punches, but the Zombie just keeps coming forward. Zombie with the uppercut and a flying knee. Poirier is hurt badly and goes for a takedown/falls on his face. Korkean has a D’arce choke and Poirier is out as the fight is stopped.

Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez

droctagonmd — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:30:00 -0400

Round 1- Not a lot going on so far, but Jorge looks way bigger than Amir. Jorge has Amir pushed up against the cage and Amir is struggling to get control of the clinch. Amir is able to get Jorge off him. Amir throws a kick, which was blocked. Jorge throws a leg kick. Lopez goes for the takedown. Jorge picks him up and slams Amir and is now on top in the full guard. Amir knows what he is doing on the bottom position and is landing some shots. Jorge has advanced to half guard, but Amir is standing up against the cage. Jorge has an arm, but I don’t think he is going to be able to sink the Kimura with Amir against the cage like that. Amir has a clinch against the cage, but Jorge is defending. Amir is landing knees to the buttocks and gets a few more knees as the round ends.

10-9 Jorge

Round 2- Lopes throws a kick and then pushes Amir against the cage. Amir is defending the single leg well and is boxing Jorge’s ears. Jorge has Amir pushed up against the cage, but isn’t really working. Amir is able to get some separation. Amir looked like he landed a right that hurt Jorge. Amir lands a nice front kick. Amir comes forward and Jorge pins him against the cage again. Lopez is really strong, but Amir has a nice grip on his neck and is going for the standing guillotine. Lopez rolled out of it though and is now on the ground and has Amir’s back. Lopez goes for a kimura, but doesn’t get anything out of it. Amir needs to get some offense going if he wants to take this round. Bodyshot by Sadollah. Leg kick by Sadollah. Jorge looks tired. Amir throws a kick and Jorge takes him down with thirty seconds left. Sadollah is landing nice elbows from the bottom, but I don’t think it is enough to take the round. Closer than the first, but I still think Jorge took that one.

10-9 Jorge

Round 3- Jorge is landing. Amir is coming forward, but Jorge ties him up again against the fence. Amir needs to keep his distance. Jorge is way stronger than he is. Amir is doing a good job of defending and isn’t taking a ton of damages, but is getting outmuscled. Lopez is still going for the single leg. Amir falls, but gets back to his feet. Lopez goes for a kimura, but Amir turns him around aginst the fence. The fighters separate. This fight stinks so far. You’ve got a strong guy who isn’t too technical at all against a more technical striker who isn’t keeping his distance enough to land effectively. Amir gets in a few shots right there, a nice front kick and a punch, but now Jorge has Amir against the fence and Amir is going for another guillotine, but can’t get it and Lopez drags Amir to the ground. If he can stay on top for the rest of this round he should win the fight. Florian keeps talking like Amir has a shot at winning this fight. He has a lot of respect for great striking on the back. The ref stands them up. That’s stupid, but whatever. Lopes is gassed, but has Amir pinned against the fence again. Amir tries for another standing choke, but doesn’t do shit with it and the crowd boos as the fight ends.

10-9 Lopez. Terrible fight. Amir needs to hit the weight room.

Judges score it 29-28 Lopez 29-28x2 Amir Sadollah. I don’t agree with that decision, but Amir probably landed a few more strikes while getting dragged all over the ring. Lopez didn’t do any damage at all, and I’m not usually a big fan of lay and pray, but it wasn’t like Amir ever landed anything that looked decent. Boring fight and I don’t really care if I see either of these guys again.

Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens

droctagonmd — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:00:38 -0400

Cowboy Cerrone looked like shit in his last fight against Nate Diaz, but Diaz has been making everyone look like shit lately. Hopefully Cerrone has improved his defense since the Diaz fight, when he ate a record-breaking 258 of 314 punches 82%. Jeremy Stephens punches a lot harder than Nate Diaz so if he lands a few clean ones on Cerrone, the fight could be over quickly. Stephens is not really a sophisticated striker. He just throws haymakers, whereas Cerrone throws a variety of strikes and is much taller.

Round 1- Stephens lands a leg kick and a left. Stephens throwing combinations getting in on the taller Cerrone. Stephens is throwing bombs and Cerrone is keeping his hands down. Not a great combination. Hope he keeps his distance. Cerrone is throwing some weak kicks, but isn’t really doing much. Cerrone shoots in high and it is stuffed. Stephens just misses with the right. Cerrone getting a nice punch kick combo in there. Cerrone landed a shot and it looks like Jeremy Stephens got poked in the eye. He’s blinking, but maybe he just got punched in the eye. I’d like to see a replay of that. Cerrone landing a nice combination. Stephens eye looks bad. Cerrone thros a flying knee. Cerrone is picking Stephens apart with strikes. Looks like Stephens is hurt and is just backing up the whole time. Stephens needs to push the action. Cerrone goes for a big flying knee as the round ends.

10-9 Cerrone, who is looking good, but needs to watch out for the big shot.

Round 2- Cerrone throwing a big head kick. Stephens needs to charge in. He’;s not close enough to do any damage. Cerrone is throwing a lot of fance strikes and misses the spinning elbow. He landed another shot to the eye and Stephens is blinking again. Cerrone is putting a beating on Stephens. Don is putting on a muay thai clinic. Stephens’ face is fucked. Cerrone is not worried about getting hit at all and is working Stephens bad from a safe range. Cerrone works a takedown as the round ends, but isn’t able to do anything with it. Eats an upkick to the face.

Round 3- Massive nutshot by Cerrone to start the round. Cerrone looks like he has a cut on the top of his head. I don’t know where that came from. Stephens is taking his time after getting his dick mashed, hopefully getting his wind back to throw some more haymakers. Cerrone gets back down to business landing combinations at will. Cerrone has landed a ton of heavy leg kicks. Stephens looks like he has had enough. Another big leg kick by Cerrone. Stephens landed a punch there, but there wasn’t much behind it. Stephens throws a big uppercut, but it is too far away to do any damage. Stephens is saying that he can’t see, but Yamasaki tells him to get back at it and they don’t stop the fight at all. That was weird. Stephens is still throwing, he’s just not landing much. Stephens tries for a flying knee, but Cerrone ducks under it.

10-9 Cerrone, who is certainly going to win this one and looked great in his comeback fight. They have an advertisement for the Snow White film with the Twilight chick in it. I am willing to wager that they wasted their money on that one, given the audience for Tuesday-night cagefighting.

30-27x3 for Donald Cerrone. Cerrone is always exciting to watch and is probably ready to fight again next week.

Jeff Hougland vs. Yves Jabouin

droctagonmd — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:28:18 -0400

Round 1- Yves threw a leg kick. Yves lands a left. Hougland throws a leg kick and gets hit with a right and a spinning back kick. Big leg kick by Yves. Hougland throws a kick, which is blocked. Yves returns the favor with a head kick and it is also blocked. Another head kick checked by Hougland. Another head kick, also blocked by Hougland. Hougland throws a leg kick. Not much has happened in this round with a minute left to go. Yves throws a side kick that knockes Hougland back. Hougland moves forward with a leg kick, but eats a spinning back kick to the liver and goes down. Yves throws some shots from the top. I thought the ref was going to end it after the kick. The ref actually got between them and Yves backed off and then the ref decided to let him go again. That was a fucking terrible move by the ref. You need to end the fight once you get involved like that. Hougland looked like he was going to puke. Yves throws an axe kick to Hougland’s stomach and then throws a few more punches.

10-9 Yves

Round 2- Yves is attacking the stomach with kicks. Hougland shoots, but Yves jumps out of it. Spinning backfist from Hougland missed. Yves is coming through with more kicks. Hougland shoots and it is stuffed again. Lots of kicks, not many landed. Yves lands a jab to the face. Again, this is a round Hougland can steal if he gets a little more active here. Yves throws another bodykick, but it doesn’t land to hard. Yves lands a punch. Hougland comes through with a kick. Yves lands a light head kick. Hougland is not trying to win this round. Yves lands another leg kick. What a boring round. Yves should have already won the fight if the .

10-9 Yves

Round 3- Hougland’s eye is fucked. Yves lands a left hook and Hougland is hurt. The ref tells Yves not to hit in the back of the head, but Hougland is really spinning around there. Can’t believe the ref is giving him shit for that. Yves is pouring on the shots from the top and the ref is still letting it go. This guy might yell at the fighters, or get between them, but he doesn’t seem aware that he is allowed to stop the fight. Hougland gets a hold of Yves and is able to get to his feet, but takes another kick to the body. Yves is back on top and is landing a ton of shots. Hougland is getting his ass beat bad. Yves is in the closed guard and Hougland is trying to spin out, but Yves is staying on top and is in half guard. Ref stands them up. Yet another terrible call from the ref. Probably not going to affect the outcome of the fight though. Yves lands another bodyshot and a headkick to what may have been a downed opponent, but it is hard to tell from the camera angle and the ref doesn’t seem to know the rules anyway and Yves has Hougland down on the ground again as the round ends.

30-27x2 and 30-26 for Yves Jabouin, who thanks St. Pierre for being in his corner. Nice win for the Canadians.

Fabio Maldonado vs Igor Pokrajac

droctagonmd — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:51:36 -0400

These Harley commercials are corny as fuck. Every time I change to the Yankees game my TV goes back to the thing where it shows the giant black frame around the tiny standard definition picture. Does anyone know how to fix this? Please tell me in the bustling comments section below. The people at Fox should be shot. I have fucking Fios. Lasers are shooting this signal to my giant television and I have to watch this shit in standard definition. These light heavyweights are the biggest guys you’re going to see all night as there are no heavyweights on this card. Fabio looks soft as hell, which is never a good thing. Igor is a Cro Cop protege so expect some croatian kickboxing.

Round 1- Fabio throws a punch and is taken down easily. Igor is in half guard and is having a hard time getting the second leg out. Igor seems to be content to land a few punches. Fabio turns out and Igor has his back. Fabio flips and Igor has the full mount. Throws an elbow, but gets bucked off and is in the half guard again. Igor has good position, but isn’t doing much with it. Fabio is hanging on for dear life. Igor is landing some decent shots from the top. Fabio escapes and Igor jumps on his back, but falls off and Fabio lets him stand. Maldonado lands a huge shot and it looks like Igor is hurt. Fabio lands some more shots, but Igor has his wits about him again. Maldonado lands another left hook, but Igor lands a nice knee from the clinch. Fabio is landing some heavy shots up against the cage, but Igor grabs the head again and lands a few more knees. Igor is going to be shitting blood tomorrow. He’s taken a bunch of shots to the stomach.

10-9 Igor due to being on top the whole round although Fabio could have stolen it on some judges’ cards with the more effective striking at the very end.

Round 2- Fabio lands a left. He’s definitely getting the better of the boxing, he just needs to keep his distance and avoid the clinch. Just as I said that the Croat pops Fabio with a one two combo, but then tries for a single leg. I don’t know what the fuck Igor thinks he is going to do with this fight on the ground other than win a decision. He really didn’t look like he had what it takes to finish the fight on the ground. Igor spends a while working for the takedown and doesn’t get shit. Igor has Fabio pushed against the cage and lands a nice knee from the clinch. Maldonado pushes igor against the cage and is landing some heavy punches. these guys are both taking a ton of punishment. Igor looks tired and is getting worked against the cage. Nice body head combo by Fabio there. Wow. Igor is getting popped. The fighters break and Fabio gets another nice knee in from the clinch. Igor lands a terribly slow spinning backfist. He looks really tired. Igor goes for the takedown and Fabio just pushes him over on his back. The bodyshots and the failed takedown attempts have really worn Igor out.

10-9 Fabio for sure. Fabio’s corner tells him he needs this one.

Round 3- Fighters hug to start the round. Haven’t seen that since Cro Cop fought Pat Barry. Fabio pushes Igor up against the cage and they get back down to business trading punches. Igor lands a nice knee. Fabio hasn’t seemed to mind them thus far, but I don’t know how many more of those he can eat. Nice flying knee from the clinch by Igor. Very impressive. Ref breaks them up and they’re back to the center of the cage. Fabio lands a few, but Igor comes back and pops him with a left. Igor lands a huge right and Fabio looks hurt. Both these guys can take a shot. Fabio working the body again and tries for the takedown, but it is stuffed. Igor loses his mouthpiece and they stop fighting while he picks it up. This round is really close. Fabio with a great left. Igor shakes it off. Fabio counters a right kick with a left hook. Igor lands a straight left. Fabio swarming and trying to end it, but Igor takes it and keeps throwing back. Both guys trying to end the fight here. Amazing fight.

10-9 Igor.

Both of them are most likely going to get a fat bonus from Dana for that one.

Judges score it 29-28 30-27 and 29-28 for Igor. I don’t know how they gave Igor the second, but I agree with the other two scores. Now we know that one of the judges is a dumb fuck.

UFC on Fuel TV 3: Jason MacDonald vs. Tom Lawlor

droctagonmd — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:20:00 -0400

Free card tonight so lots of little guys. Nothing wrong with that though, the little guys usually put on an awesome show. What does suck is that this shit is in standard definition, which is unacceptable in this, the year 2012. Get your shit together Fox. You’re wasting your HD channels on fucking Glee. The Facebook feed is a hundred times better than this piece of shit. It is pathetic.

I didn’t watch the undercard, so scope out mmajunkie.com as they usually have pretty good recaps. Looks like a lot of decisions and Cody McKenzie by guillotine, which is totally unexpected as McKenzie has one of the best guillotines in MMA. The way he explains it is that he gets both sides of the neck or something like that. You’d think people would be ready for it

Jason “the athlete” MacDonald here. What a stupid fucking nickname. I can’t really explain why it is stupid, it is just uncreative and doesn’t roll off the tongue and sort of makes me angry. Filthy Tom Lawlor is going to kill this clown.

Round 1- Lawlor looks like he landed a right. MacDonald tries for a takedown and Lawlor stuffs it easily. Not a very athletic takedown, that. Lawlor catches MacDonald with a left to the chin and a right behind the ear. MacDonald falls on his face and the fight is over. Short and sweet. 50 seconds and a knockout.

Double Stout Black Ale, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA,...

bcbdc — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:11:00 -0400

Double Stout Black Ale, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA, 8.8% abv.

This really stands out from other imperial stouts. It’s fermented at higher temperatures, which gives it a slight tartness that blends smoothly with the toasty malts.

"The most impressive male prospect of the night was probably Marcus Browne, 20, who has already..."

gnagesh — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:29:00 -0400

“The most impressive male prospect of the night was probably Marcus Browne, 20, who has already qualified for the 2012 Olympic trials. He won the 178-lb. open division by out-boxing the courageous DeVaun Lee, 23, of Queens.”

- My assessment for TQBR after watching Staten Island’s Marcus Browne win the New York Golden Gloves champions last year at Madison Square Garden. Browne qualified for the 2012 Olympics on Tuesday by winning his quarterfinal bout at the Americas Qualifier in Rio de Janeiro. He is the fifth American to secure a spot a spot in London this summer. We’ve already reached out to him for an interview, more coverage coming.

Philly junior welterweight Danny Garcia tells Stiff Jab how his...

gnagesh — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:38:00 -0400

Philly junior welterweight Danny Garcia tells Stiff Jab how his life has changed since beating Mexican legend Erik Morales for the WBC 140-lb strap in March.