The Official UFC Thread!
#661
05-06-2011, 04:18 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
Maybe i spoke to soon...damnit...lol
Press release announces Nick Diaz to box Jeff Lacy
Press release announces Nick Diaz to box Jeff Lacy, manager says GSP fight still possible | MMAjunkie.com
At first glance, it appears boxing has won the battle for Nick Diaz's heart.
A press release issued today announced that the Strikeforce welterweight champion has signed to fight former IBF champion Jeff Lacy in the fall of this year.
Yet Diaz's representative today told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) that the fighter is willing to forgo a trip to the ring in the event that a fight materializes with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
"Barring something like (UFC president) Dana White telling us, 'Hey, we really need you to fight GSP at such-and-such a date and it conflicts with [boxing] – barring that, we're going to fight Lacy," said Diaz manager and trainer Cesar Gracie.
Of the possibility of Diaz vacating the bout with Lacy for a fight with St-Pierre, Gracie said he'd informed Chagrin about the contingency and the promoter would "have to be cool with that."
Chagrin could not be reached for comment at the time of this writing.
A date and venue is set for Diaz vs. Lacy but is being kept under wraps.
Diaz aligned himself with boxing promoter Don Chagrin two years ago but continued to fight and flourish in MMA, winning the Strikeforce welterweight title and defending it three times. This past December, he signed a new multi-fight contract with Strikeforce that allowed him one professional boxing match in 2011.
That was four months before the UFC purchased Strikeforce. However, Diaz's original contract stayed intact, and White has said his promotion will honor the deal. White nonetheless said this past week that he planned to meet with the fighter in his hometown of Stockton, Calif., to discuss future plans.
But that meeting has not materialized, Gracie said, and getting word from the UFC appears to be the missing piece of the current booking puzzle.
Following St-Pierre's methodical defeat of Jake Shields this past Saturday at UFC 129, Diaz's has been bandied about as perhaps the only fighter under the Zuffa umbrella that would make an entertaining fight with the welterweight champ.
The Diaz camp hopes that both the Lacy and St-Pierre will happen this year.
"My whole thing has been to have Nick box and then fight GSP," Gracie said. "If [the UFC] is serious about Nick fighting GSP, and if the fight happens in the fall, then yeah, we're probably going to go with that fight."
Diaz, who this past month defended his belt with an impressive TKO of Paul Daley, has often railed against a disparity in pay between boxers and MMA fighters and complained that he is underpaid despite several six-figure payouts in his time with Strikeforce. Of his deal to fight Lacy, Gracie declined to give a specific number but said the Strikeforce champ will "definitely make more money than he does in MMA."
And though Diaz's boxing career is closer than ever to being a reality, Gracie said a big-time MMA fight still has the pull to bring him back to the sport in which he began his career.
"We're trying to work with the UFC and not step on any toes over there," he said. "It's been a work in progress, and they probably at this point have the ultimate say."
The 34-year-old Lacy has hit rocky times since losing his IBF super-middleweight title to Joe Calzaghe in March 2006. The Floridian is 3-3 in recent competition and is coming off back-to-back losses against former champ Roy Jones Jr. and Dhafir Smith
Press release announces Nick Diaz to box Jeff Lacy
Press release announces Nick Diaz to box Jeff Lacy, manager says GSP fight still possible | MMAjunkie.com
At first glance, it appears boxing has won the battle for Nick Diaz's heart.
A press release issued today announced that the Strikeforce welterweight champion has signed to fight former IBF champion Jeff Lacy in the fall of this year.
Yet Diaz's representative today told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) that the fighter is willing to forgo a trip to the ring in the event that a fight materializes with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
"Barring something like (UFC president) Dana White telling us, 'Hey, we really need you to fight GSP at such-and-such a date and it conflicts with [boxing] – barring that, we're going to fight Lacy," said Diaz manager and trainer Cesar Gracie.
Of the possibility of Diaz vacating the bout with Lacy for a fight with St-Pierre, Gracie said he'd informed Chagrin about the contingency and the promoter would "have to be cool with that."
Chagrin could not be reached for comment at the time of this writing.
A date and venue is set for Diaz vs. Lacy but is being kept under wraps.
Diaz aligned himself with boxing promoter Don Chagrin two years ago but continued to fight and flourish in MMA, winning the Strikeforce welterweight title and defending it three times. This past December, he signed a new multi-fight contract with Strikeforce that allowed him one professional boxing match in 2011.
That was four months before the UFC purchased Strikeforce. However, Diaz's original contract stayed intact, and White has said his promotion will honor the deal. White nonetheless said this past week that he planned to meet with the fighter in his hometown of Stockton, Calif., to discuss future plans.
But that meeting has not materialized, Gracie said, and getting word from the UFC appears to be the missing piece of the current booking puzzle.
Following St-Pierre's methodical defeat of Jake Shields this past Saturday at UFC 129, Diaz's has been bandied about as perhaps the only fighter under the Zuffa umbrella that would make an entertaining fight with the welterweight champ.
The Diaz camp hopes that both the Lacy and St-Pierre will happen this year.
"My whole thing has been to have Nick box and then fight GSP," Gracie said. "If [the UFC] is serious about Nick fighting GSP, and if the fight happens in the fall, then yeah, we're probably going to go with that fight."
Diaz, who this past month defended his belt with an impressive TKO of Paul Daley, has often railed against a disparity in pay between boxers and MMA fighters and complained that he is underpaid despite several six-figure payouts in his time with Strikeforce. Of his deal to fight Lacy, Gracie declined to give a specific number but said the Strikeforce champ will "definitely make more money than he does in MMA."
And though Diaz's boxing career is closer than ever to being a reality, Gracie said a big-time MMA fight still has the pull to bring him back to the sport in which he began his career.
"We're trying to work with the UFC and not step on any toes over there," he said. "It's been a work in progress, and they probably at this point have the ultimate say."
The 34-year-old Lacy has hit rocky times since losing his IBF super-middleweight title to Joe Calzaghe in March 2006. The Floridian is 3-3 in recent competition and is coming off back-to-back losses against former champ Roy Jones Jr. and Dhafir Smith
#662
05-06-2011, 06:20 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
#663
05-07-2011, 12:41 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
Montreal’s Tristar Gym is becoming a second home for MMA’s elite
Montreal
Canada is home to some of the best mixed martial artists in the world. Canadians are arguably the best MMA fans in the world. And, now, the Great White North is home to one of the premier MMA facilities in the world, the Tristar Gym in Montreal.
At UFC 129 in Toronto, Tristar was well represented with six of its fighters participating on the biggest card in UFC history. Although Yves Jabouin and Sean Pierson came up short at the Rogers Centre, Georges St. Pierre, Rory MacDonald, John Makdessi and Ivan Menjivar all picked up wins.
MacDonald says that Tristar has helped him immensely and that it’s beneficial to have so many top-level fighters training together in the same space consistently. “It’s great because everyone’s in the gym with the same mindset everyday,” MacDonald told Examiner.com. “We’re working hard together and if we see one guy dragging his butt, we help him pick it back up, so it’s a good atmosphere in the gym.”
At just 21 years old and coming off a dominant win over Nate Diaz, MacDonald is one of the fastest rising stars in the sport. The B.C. native says that both the people and atmosphere at Tristar are helping him develop into a true professional inside and outside of the cage. “I moved there in August actually to Montreal. It’s a great atmosphere. The guys are 100 per cent dedicated,” said MacDonald. “They show up everyday; I never have an issue with training partners. There’s a lot of older guys, more experienced guys that I get to learn from, not only with technical advice, but outside the ring, you know, things I have to be prepared for [in my career], so it’s very helpful.”
Most of the fighters at Tristar are Canadian, but the gym is becoming so successful that it’s now a stomping ground for elite fighters of all nationalities. Many of the top athletes from all over North America, such as Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans and Nate Marquardt among others, flock to Montreal for the chance to train with Firas Zahabi, the top dog at Tristar.
Advertisement
Current UFC bantamweight and former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres is one of the new arrivals at the gym. Torres feels like he has found a home away from home in Tristar. Since he began training in Montreal in 2010, Torres has completely changed his style, resulting in a 2-0 record following a two-fight losing streak that started in 2009. “When I hooked up with Firas, I knew from the first day I met him I wanted to train [at Tristar],” Torres told Examiner.com. “He’s like a football coach. He does everything separately. He figures out what your weaknesses are, what your strengths are, and that’s the biggest thing he has done for me.”
Torres says his goal is to constantly improve and he believes Firas is the man and Tristar is the place to help him reach his full potential. “As far as improving as a fighter, what I do is I always seek knowledge,” said Torres, who fights Demetrious Johnson at UFC 130 on May 28. “Before I hooked up with Firas, I was always training at different gyms, training with Robert Drysdale, Demian Maia, I’d go down and train with Kurt Pellegrino, Mark DellaGrotte, Kenny Florian, so I was always training with different guys and it’s just hard because you’re going to all different parts of the country, coordinating times and training camp is very hard.”
“So, with Firas, all he does is train people and he’s the kind of guy that he does what I do, he gets the best trainers in the world, the best fighters in the world all in one place,” Torres added. “He’s like a mad scientist.”
Montreal
Canada is home to some of the best mixed martial artists in the world. Canadians are arguably the best MMA fans in the world. And, now, the Great White North is home to one of the premier MMA facilities in the world, the Tristar Gym in Montreal.
At UFC 129 in Toronto, Tristar was well represented with six of its fighters participating on the biggest card in UFC history. Although Yves Jabouin and Sean Pierson came up short at the Rogers Centre, Georges St. Pierre, Rory MacDonald, John Makdessi and Ivan Menjivar all picked up wins.
MacDonald says that Tristar has helped him immensely and that it’s beneficial to have so many top-level fighters training together in the same space consistently. “It’s great because everyone’s in the gym with the same mindset everyday,” MacDonald told Examiner.com. “We’re working hard together and if we see one guy dragging his butt, we help him pick it back up, so it’s a good atmosphere in the gym.”
At just 21 years old and coming off a dominant win over Nate Diaz, MacDonald is one of the fastest rising stars in the sport. The B.C. native says that both the people and atmosphere at Tristar are helping him develop into a true professional inside and outside of the cage. “I moved there in August actually to Montreal. It’s a great atmosphere. The guys are 100 per cent dedicated,” said MacDonald. “They show up everyday; I never have an issue with training partners. There’s a lot of older guys, more experienced guys that I get to learn from, not only with technical advice, but outside the ring, you know, things I have to be prepared for [in my career], so it’s very helpful.”
Most of the fighters at Tristar are Canadian, but the gym is becoming so successful that it’s now a stomping ground for elite fighters of all nationalities. Many of the top athletes from all over North America, such as Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans and Nate Marquardt among others, flock to Montreal for the chance to train with Firas Zahabi, the top dog at Tristar.
Advertisement
Current UFC bantamweight and former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres is one of the new arrivals at the gym. Torres feels like he has found a home away from home in Tristar. Since he began training in Montreal in 2010, Torres has completely changed his style, resulting in a 2-0 record following a two-fight losing streak that started in 2009. “When I hooked up with Firas, I knew from the first day I met him I wanted to train [at Tristar],” Torres told Examiner.com. “He’s like a football coach. He does everything separately. He figures out what your weaknesses are, what your strengths are, and that’s the biggest thing he has done for me.”
Torres says his goal is to constantly improve and he believes Firas is the man and Tristar is the place to help him reach his full potential. “As far as improving as a fighter, what I do is I always seek knowledge,” said Torres, who fights Demetrious Johnson at UFC 130 on May 28. “Before I hooked up with Firas, I was always training at different gyms, training with Robert Drysdale, Demian Maia, I’d go down and train with Kurt Pellegrino, Mark DellaGrotte, Kenny Florian, so I was always training with different guys and it’s just hard because you’re going to all different parts of the country, coordinating times and training camp is very hard.”
“So, with Firas, all he does is train people and he’s the kind of guy that he does what I do, he gets the best trainers in the world, the best fighters in the world all in one place,” Torres added. “He’s like a mad scientist.”
#664
05-07-2011, 05:53 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
#665
05-07-2011, 07:25 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
#666
05-09-2011, 10:28 AM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
#667
05-09-2011, 03:38 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
DAMNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow...such bad timing...
Edgar-Maynard title fight scrapped, Jackson-Hamill tapped new UFC 130 main event
This month's UFC 130 event has lost its championship headliner.
Due to injuries sustained by both fighters, a lightweight title fight and third bout between champion Frankie Edgar (13-1-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) and Gray Maynard (10-0-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) has been scratched.
UFC officials today announced the change.
UFC 130 takes place May 30 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view, and Spike TV airs a one-hour "UFC Prelims" special beforehand.
A light-heavyweight bout between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (31-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Matt Hamill (10-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has been tapped the new headliner.
Additionally, a welterweight fight between Thiago Alves (18-7 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Rick Story (12-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has been promoted to the main card. That bout, which initially was slated for the "UFC Prelims" special, has been replaced by middleweights Tim Boetsch (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) and Kendall Grove (12-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) on the Spike TV card.
Edgar and Maynard recently fought in the headliner of UFC 125, where Edgar attempted to defend his belt and avenge the only defeat of his career. Although Maynard jumped out to an early lead with a first-round knockdown, Edgar survived and ultimately took the fight the distance. The bout ended in an anticlimactic draw and prompted officials to book the third meeting.
No reschedule date has been set for the title fight.
The loss of the title fight is a huge hit to the Memorial Day-weekend show, which often are some of the UFC's bigger events.
The latest card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
* Matt Hamill vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
* Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson
* Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve
* Jorge Santiago vs. Brian Stann
* Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
* Demetrious Johnson vs. Miguel Torres
* Tim Boetsch vs. Kendall Grove
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Bart Palaszewski vs. Gleison Tibau
* Chris Cariaso vs. Michael McDonald
* Renan Barao vs. Cole Escovedo
Edgar-Maynard title fight scrapped, Jackson-Hamill tapped new UFC 130 main event
This month's UFC 130 event has lost its championship headliner.
Due to injuries sustained by both fighters, a lightweight title fight and third bout between champion Frankie Edgar (13-1-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) and Gray Maynard (10-0-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) has been scratched.
UFC officials today announced the change.
UFC 130 takes place May 30 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view, and Spike TV airs a one-hour "UFC Prelims" special beforehand.
A light-heavyweight bout between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (31-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Matt Hamill (10-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has been tapped the new headliner.
Additionally, a welterweight fight between Thiago Alves (18-7 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Rick Story (12-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has been promoted to the main card. That bout, which initially was slated for the "UFC Prelims" special, has been replaced by middleweights Tim Boetsch (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) and Kendall Grove (12-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) on the Spike TV card.
Edgar and Maynard recently fought in the headliner of UFC 125, where Edgar attempted to defend his belt and avenge the only defeat of his career. Although Maynard jumped out to an early lead with a first-round knockdown, Edgar survived and ultimately took the fight the distance. The bout ended in an anticlimactic draw and prompted officials to book the third meeting.
No reschedule date has been set for the title fight.
The loss of the title fight is a huge hit to the Memorial Day-weekend show, which often are some of the UFC's bigger events.
The latest card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
* Matt Hamill vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
* Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson
* Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve
* Jorge Santiago vs. Brian Stann
* Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
* Demetrious Johnson vs. Miguel Torres
* Tim Boetsch vs. Kendall Grove
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Bart Palaszewski vs. Gleison Tibau
* Chris Cariaso vs. Michael McDonald
* Renan Barao vs. Cole Escovedo
#668
05-10-2011, 01:38 AM
I'm not really excited by Hamill/Jackson, but there are some other bouts which look fun:
Mir/Nelson - I think Roy's ground game is pretty decent, so this one could be a nice war of big palookas. No idea what Mir can throw that will dizzy Nelson, but somebody, sometime, for the love of all that's holy, someone must KO that sweaty bowling ball of a fighter, dammit!
The Struve fights are always interesting, guy's an alien, skinny, tall freak who looks like a super-sized 11yr-old boy. I'd like to watch him fight some NBA guys, and then maybe that Choi fella at 7ft plus.
Stann, ya gotta like him. He looks like Duke Nukem but with brown hair and he's a damned fighting machine. I think he should be cloned and comprise the entire US armed forces. Santiago's going for a nap on this one.
Alves/Story. Yawn. Next.
Mighty Mouse/Torres. This will be very active. I think Torres' head is getting softer, I'm going with TKO for Demetrious.
Boetsch/Grove. Grove's not really advancing his skill level, IMO. I think Tim's either going to get sub'd in a stupid fundamental mental lapse or he's going to KO Kendall.
Go Bartimus! I think he's an uderrated fighter, he's going to maul Tibau. I'll always root for Bart.
That's all I care about on this card.
Mir/Nelson - I think Roy's ground game is pretty decent, so this one could be a nice war of big palookas. No idea what Mir can throw that will dizzy Nelson, but somebody, sometime, for the love of all that's holy, someone must KO that sweaty bowling ball of a fighter, dammit!
The Struve fights are always interesting, guy's an alien, skinny, tall freak who looks like a super-sized 11yr-old boy. I'd like to watch him fight some NBA guys, and then maybe that Choi fella at 7ft plus.
Stann, ya gotta like him. He looks like Duke Nukem but with brown hair and he's a damned fighting machine. I think he should be cloned and comprise the entire US armed forces. Santiago's going for a nap on this one.
Alves/Story. Yawn. Next.
Mighty Mouse/Torres. This will be very active. I think Torres' head is getting softer, I'm going with TKO for Demetrious.
Boetsch/Grove. Grove's not really advancing his skill level, IMO. I think Tim's either going to get sub'd in a stupid fundamental mental lapse or he's going to KO Kendall.
Go Bartimus! I think he's an uderrated fighter, he's going to maul Tibau. I'll always root for Bart.
That's all I care about on this card.
#669
05-10-2011, 10:53 AM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
#670
05-10-2011, 04:39 PM
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montreal, Qc
Posts: 23,831
The new MMA HOUR is up...
interviews with...
* Mark Hominick, fresh off his exhilarating title fight against Jose Aldo at UFC 129, will update us on his health and what's next for him.
* Frank Trigg, who faces John Phillips at BAMMA 6 on May 21.
* Former NHL enforcer Donald Brashear will discuss his MMA debut at Ringside MMA 11.
* MMA nutritionist Mike Dolce, who has been working closely with UFC 130's Thiago Alves.
* Matt Mitrione will grace us with his presence for his popular "Mitrione Minute" segment.
The MMA Hour With Mark Hominick, Frank Trigg, Donald Brashear, Mike Dolce -- MMA Fighting
interviews with...
* Mark Hominick, fresh off his exhilarating title fight against Jose Aldo at UFC 129, will update us on his health and what's next for him.
* Frank Trigg, who faces John Phillips at BAMMA 6 on May 21.
* Former NHL enforcer Donald Brashear will discuss his MMA debut at Ringside MMA 11.
* MMA nutritionist Mike Dolce, who has been working closely with UFC 130's Thiago Alves.
* Matt Mitrione will grace us with his presence for his popular "Mitrione Minute" segment.
The MMA Hour With Mark Hominick, Frank Trigg, Donald Brashear, Mike Dolce -- MMA Fighting