Jon Jones Submits Ryan Bader at UFC 126, Earns Title Shot

by Michael David SmithJon Jones has proven that he's the best young light heavyweight in mixed martial arts. Now he'll get a chance to prove that he's the best light heavyweight of any age.

In a battle of the UFC's two best light heavyweight prospects, Jones dominated Ryan Bader at UFC 126, thoroughly controlling him in the first round and then forcing him to tap out with a guillotine choke in the second. Then, after the fight, UFC announcer Joe Rogan revealed that Jones will get the next shot at light heavyweight champion Shogun Rua, replacing the injured Rashad Evans.

"It's my time, I'm hungry and I'm going for it," Jones said after the fight.

 

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What Might Have Been: Fedor Emelianenko in the UFC

by Michael David SmithOn July 28, 2009, the Los Angeles Times reported that Fedor Emelianenko and the UFC were finalizing a deal that would result in an announcement by the end of that week of the top heavyweight in mixed martial arts finally agreeing to step into the Octagon.

That report was wrong, Fedor went to Strikeforce instead of the UFC, and now Fedor has lost two fights and lost the mantle of Best Heavyweight in MMA. The heavyweight division in the UFC, meanwhile, has moved on and looks a lot different now than it did a year and a half ago.

But what if the report had been correct? What if Fedor had accepted the UFC's contract offer and had been with the UFC over the last year and a half? Some thoughts on what would have happened are below.

 

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Bernard Hopkins Shane Mosley Juan Manuel Marquez

After moments lost in translation, Silva and Belfort talk of UFC 126's importance in Brazil

Brazil has a long, rich history in mixed martial arts. Gracie jiu-jitsu was one of the backbones of the sport and since then the South American nation has produced dozens of champions around the world, including three of the current seven UFC champs. Anderson Silva, ranked best pound-for-pound fighter in the world , leads the brigade. He along with fellow Brazilian Vitor Belfort, his opponent at UFC 126, have a chance to push MMA to new levels in their home country.

It's hard to believe, but the sport still struggles in Brazil for mainstream exceptance. There seems to be a disconnect between the sport and many potential viewers. With their upcoming fight and their prefight media work, Belfort and Silva have a chance to close that gap.

Wednesday's press conference provided a big opportunity, but it almost fell apart before the fighters got to spread their message.

The UFC decided it was time to bring a Portuguese translator (pictured below with microphone) for Silva.

To this point in his career, the middleweight champ's manager Ed Soares has always served in that role. Soares was placed amongst the media on Wednesday, sitting next to (on the left) the newly appointed translator.

It was awkward. Silva, wearing dark sunglasses for much of the presser, didn't appear very happy about the change. The new translator didn't help his cause or ease Silva's lack of comfort. He struggled with the basic concept of first fielding the question, then relaying it to Silva and most importantly relaying Silva's answer back in English.

John Morgan from MMAjunkie opened with some of the early questions for the champ (VIDEO - 4:15 mark).

Morgan: A lot of people are saying Vitor is the best striker he's faced. Does feel that way or where does he feel Vitor falls in that mix?

Silva through the translator: No.

Morgan: Anderson had to deal with a lot of fan criticism over a couple of his fight, but obviously the last one was a thriller. Does he feel all that is behind him now or does he have something to prove to the fans?

Silva through the translator: No

Dana White: It’s gonna be one of those press conferences.

The translator stumbled, bumbled and seemed uncomfortable. He was allowed to translate one more exchange. When he described something as the "essence" of what Silva said, that was it. An annoyed White re-installed Soares as the translator for the remainder of the presser.

It was a good thing because there was a good-sized Brazilian media contigent on hand and the opportunity to spread the message back home could've been wasted.

Belfort, who speaks English pretty well, talked about the journey for MMA in Brazil from 1997 to 2011 

"People were saying the sport is violent. So I went through a lot in Brazil," Belfort said of the reaction he got as a 19-year-old. "So now is a time, people are accepting our sport."

The UFC will turns thing up a notch after this event by landing in Rio de Janeiro late in the summer.

"Dana bringing the UFC to Rio is amazing, but now we need the open channel. We need the network (television). So people need to open their mind, the sponsorships," Belfort said. "They need to come. They need to enjoy. They need embrace the UFC. It's just like soccer. We need all the channels (wanting to air) the sport."

Silva was excited about more people being exposed to the sport.

"I think it's a great opportunity for the Brazilian fans. Myself, as an mma fighter representing the UFC and I can remember growing up as a kid. I think this is going to break down a lot of barriers not only in Brazil, but break down around the barriers throughout the whole world and give opportunities to kids that they may not have not had before," said Silva.

White said later that we still don't have a feel in the U.S. for how big this fight is in Brazil. Hopefully Silva and Belfort will open up a little more today during open workouts. It sounds like there's a good buzz in the home country for this legend vs. legend battle.

Celestino Caballero Miguel Cotto Ivan Calderon

Sergei Kharitonov Knocks Out Andrei Arlovski

by Michael David SmithIn the first fight of the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament, Sergei Kharitonov exposed Andrei Arlovski's glass chin, knocking him unconscious in the first round.

Although Arlovski's boxing looked crisp in the early going, it wasn't long before Kharitonov connected with a hard punch, and when he did, Arlovski was stunned. A few more hard punches and Arlovski was out cold, and it looked ugly to see Arlovski asleep on the canvas.

"I trained very hard and saw so many people around here from Russia," Kharitonov said, saluting the Russian fans who had come out to see him. "I was nervous because Andrei is a very, very tough fighter. I hope we will become friends after the fight because I respect him."

 

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Trainer Has Nonito Donaire, Brandon Rios Fighting For Titles

Filed under: WBA, WBC, WBO, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, HBO, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Trainer Robert Garcia will be very busy in February

On Feb. 19, in an HBO televised bout at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Garcia will work the corner of WBA interim super flyweight (115 pounds) titlist Nonito Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs) against WBO and WBC bantamweight (118 pounds) king Fernando Montiel (44-2-2, 34 KOs).

Garcia also works with rising lightweight (135 pounds) star, Brandon Rios (26-0-1, 19 knockouts), who is coming off of an HBO pay per view televised, Top Rank Promotions Nov. 13, fourth-round knockout of Omri Lowther (14-3, 10 KOs) that took place at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Rios (pictured above, on the left) will next compete in a Showtime televised, Feb. 26 appearance opposite WBA champ Miguel Acosta (28-3, 22 KOs), who has a 19-fight winning streak the includes 12 knockouts, and stoppages in his previous three bouts.

 

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Manny Pacquiao's Sparring Partner David Rodela

Filed under: WBO, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

David Rodela has been a sparring partner for eight-division king Manny Pacquiao, who has faces three-division, five-time titlist, Shane Mosley, when the Filipino super star defends his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt against Mosley on May 7, in a Showtime pay per view televised, Top Rank Promotions clash from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.

FanHouse caught up to Rodela to talk about Pacquiao.

 

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Strikeforce heavyweight GP: Del Rosario remains unbeaten with armbar

Shane del Rosario continues to impress. In six of seven previous fights, his crisp standup was on display, but tonight it was his jiu-jitsu that earned him a win as the first alternate in the heavyweight Grand Prix.

Del Rosario and Lavar Johnson slugged it out standing and also worked the clinch game along the cage for control of the fight.

When the Filipino-American decided to take it the ground, Johnson was in big trouble. With just over two minutes left in the first, Del Rosario (11-0) scored a takedown. Almost immediately, he transitioned from side control to the mount. Johnson was underneath del Rosario and had 2:01 to go to reach the end of the round.

Johnson (15-4) did a solid job of avoiding major damage, but did little to extricate himself from the awful position. He allowed del Rosario to slide up his body. With 40 seconds left, del Rosario got on one knee and went for the armbar. Johnson tried to roll, stand and pull out of the hold. The attempt made things worse. Del Rosario fell to his back and yanked on the arm for the finish.

Del Rosario, 27, is a solid prospect and could make it into the main field if there's an injury that knocks one of the eight fighters from the tournament. It may be a little early for del Rosario to step up to that class, but he'd definitely pose some problems for those experienced fighters.

Celestino Caballero Miguel Cotto Ivan Calderon

Eleven Ways of Looking at Fedor Emelianenko's Latest Loss

Filed under: Strikeforce

After Fedor Emelianenko's second consecutive defeat rocked the MMA world in the opening round of the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix, it's hard not to ask, what does it all mean? What happened on Saturday night against Antonio Silva, and how does it change our understanding of future and past events?

There are many (sometimes directly contradictory) answers to these questions, so we might as well lay them out one by one and make the best case we can for each. Feel free to mix and match where possible.

I. Fedor is the best there ever was. One loss -- or even two straight losses -- doesn't change that. Who else has that kind of win streak? Who else is as well-rounded, or as dominant? Who walked through Cro Cop's hardest shots and shook off a Kevin Randleman suplex? One man, and his name is Fedor. The more the UFC heavyweight strap gets passed around like an iPod at a white elephant gift exchange, the more you'll come to realize just how glorious Fedor's run was.

Ivan Calderon Rafael Marquez Israel Vasquez

Do you still care if David Haye fights a Klitschko?

Yet again one of the Klitschkos (Wladimir) has "called out" David Haye, not long after he "called out" the pair of them. It could be a great fight. But is all the posturing getting too much?

Sergio Martinez Timothy Bradley Juan Manuel Lopez

Japanese stars Omigawa, Yamamoto to fight at UFC 126

UFC 126 will feature the Octagon debut debut and return of two fighters who have made names for themselves in Japanese MMA: Michihiro Omigawa and Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.

Omigawa will face Chad Mendes, a rising star from Urijah Faber's camp with a strong wrestling background. Omigawa comes into the fight on a five-bout winning streak, including this unorthodox armbar submission of Cole Escovedo. Skip to around 2:30 to catch it: 

At 35, he stands in stark contrast of Mendes' youth. He has a background in judo, so when that is paired with Mendes' wrestling, a ground fight will ensure. Don't expect for this bout, scheduled to air on Spike before the pay-per-view card, to turn into a slugfest.

UPDATE: Somehow, I forgot Omigawa's first stint in the UFC. Go easy on me -- I'm in the middle of Snowpocalypse.

Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto will make his UFC debut after an up and down streak few years in Japan. The son of an Olympic wrestler, Kid didn't fight in 2008 so that he could try for a spot on the Japanese Olympic team. His dreams of wrestling in Beijing were crushed when he dislocated his elbow in a qualifying tournament. 

When he did return to MMA in 2009, he suffered a shocking loss to Joe Warren, who was fighting just his second bout. That was followed by a loss to Masanori Kanehara on New Year's Eve. He finally got back in the winning column with this knockout of Federico Lopez. (Skip to the last 30 seconds of the video for the good stuff.)

Kid, who went to high school and won three state wrestling championships in Arizona, will face Demetrious Johnson on the undercard. 

Miguel Cotto Ivan Calderon Rafael Marquez

UFC 126 PPV opener: Torres tears up Banuelos with his jab

Jab, jab, jab ... that was the story of the night in Miguel Torres' UFC debut. After suffering back-to-back knockout losses in 2009 and 2010, the former WEC bantamweight champ is a more measured fighter now. The 5-foot-10 Torres peppered Antonio Banuelos unmercifully with his jab for 15 minutes and rolled to a unanimous decision victory, 30-27 on all three cards, in bout No. 1 on the pay-per-view portion of UFC 126.

"You know he's real tough. He took a lot of punches. I know I broke his nose," Torres said. "I know I broke his nose. I heard it crunch a couple of times. I didn't want to commit too much and get hurt because I know he's a dangerous fighter on the inside. I had to stick to my gameplan."

During a 17-fight win streak between 2004-2009, Torres (39-3, 1-0 UFC) built a reputation as a brawler and finisher. As the competition closed the gap at 135 pounds, Torres discovered it was time to start fighting to his strengths. He has excellent boxing skills with a mammoth reach for the weight class. The UFC matched him up with the diminutive 5-3 Banuelos, so Torres used his length to confuse and beat up the smaller fighter.

"I did what my coach wanted me to do. I fought to a gameplan," Torres told UFC analyst Joe Rogan. "Antonio's a very, very dangerous fighter on the inside. I wanted to get into a brawl, but I couldn't so I fought him from the outside." 

According to FightMetric.com, Torres posted a 73-10 advantage in strikes. Torres made good on 66-of-181 punches. The former champ was 48-of-125 on jabs. Banuelos landed one jab the entire fight and was 9-of-120 on his punches.

Floyd Mayweather Paul Williams Bernard Hopkins

Surf Artist - Leandro Silva

Introducing Brazilian surf artist Leandro Silva. Leandro is a self-taught artist based in Rio de Janeiro. He says; "I have struggled to gain traction in the market for art, often by not being famous, many doors are closed before my work is even considered". Let's help change that! If you like Leandro's work share it with your friends and get Leandro the recognition he deserves…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/leandro-silva.php



Image below: Kelly Slater with one of Leandro Silva's paintings at the Billabong Pro at Santa Catarina, Brazil…



http://leandrosilva.carbonmade.com
http://leandrosilvaart.blogspot.com

Vic Darchinyan Steve Molitor Celestino Caballero

Chad Griggs Knocks Out Gian Villante in Wild Slugfest

by Michael David SmithMost of the time, an MMA bout looks like a competition between two technically proficient martial artists. But sometimes an MMA bout looks like a bar fight.

Chad Griggs vs. Gian Villante on Saturday night's Strikeforce card falls into the latter category.

In a wild mess of a fight that lasted only a few minutes, Griggs and Villante stood in front of each other and threw wild haymakers until Griggs landed one punch hard enough to knock Villante senseless, then pounced on him and landed a couple more punches on the ground before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

 

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UFC 126 Post-Fight Press Conference Video

by Michael David SmithThe UFC 126 post-fight press conference will happen right after UFC 126, and we'll carry the live video right here at MMAFighting.com.

The post-fight press conference is an opportunity to hear from the fighters after their fights have finished, and it's also the place where the winners of the Fight of the Night, Submission of the Night and Knockout of the Night bonuses are announced.

The UFC 126 post-fight press conference will begin about 15 minutes after the main event ends and and the video is below.

 

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Sergei Kharitonov Hopes Victory Will Help Gain More Fans in America

Filed under: MMA Videos, Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, Videos

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- MMA Fighting spoke to Sergei Kharitonov about his Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix win over Andrei Arlovski, his thoughts on Fedor Emelianenko's loss and how he expects the tournament to play out.

Mikkel Kessler Luciano Bute Felix Sturm

Gina Carano returns to training MMA at Xtreme Couture

Well, would you look at who is back training at Xtreme Couture again? According to their blog, Gina Carano.

The fighter whose last bout was an August 2009 loss to Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos sparred at Randy Couture's gym. Since that bout, she's spent time filming the movie "Haywire." The folks at Xtreme Couture didn't share any information on a return to fighting date for Carano, but it's good to see her sparring again.

As one of the first women (along with Santos) to ever headline a nationally televised MMA card, she is a proven draw and an exciting fighter. Strikeforce must be dancing in the streets over images of wearing boxing gloves.

Welcome back, Gina.

Floyd Mayweather Paul Williams Bernard Hopkins

UFC 126 weigh-in: Silva wears mask and nearly starts a brawl

Turns out Dana White was right about the polite press conference on Wednesday. He called it 30 minutes of bull[expletive]. Vitor Belfort and Anderson Silva said little, but White said there was a lot of anger beneath the surface that we weren't seeing.

At today's weigh-in in Las Vegas, the angst between the fighters boiled over. 

Silva weighed in, hustled across the stage, put on a mask and got right in Belfort's face. Belfort didn't want to back down and pushed forward. Eventually, Silva took of the mask and the jawing began.

Belfort said Silva was reacting to a comment he made this week. Belfort suggested that Silva puts on a facade in public and in the cage.

"I just know one thing, when you say silly things, when you do silly things, it’s because you’re worried and you’re trying to wear a mask," Belfort said during Thursday’s media workouts. "The way I fight, and the way I am, I have respect. I just need to wear one mask, myself."

Belfort said he wasn't falling for Silva's mind games. 

"His actions speak louder than his words. I think he respects me. I just think he wears the mask, trying to intimidate me," Belfort said of Silva’s attempt to spook him. "He can see it in my eyes. I’m on fire. I’m not getting intimidated by anyone."

Silva, as usual wouldn't admit what he said when was trash-talking. He simply indicated that he wasn't happy with Belfort's talking.

Forrest Griffin was shredded as he weighed in at 205 pounds. That's good considering, he gets as heavy as the low 240's between fights. Griffin's also had the last 14 months off  recovering from shoulder surgery.

UFC newcomers Donald Cerrone, "Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and Miguel Torres got some of the loudest roars of the afternoon.

The most intense fighter was Jon Jones. His staredown with Ryan Bader was classic, as Jones got right in his face and was breathing heavily.

Mike Pierce didn't make weight on his first attempt even though he stripped down to nothing in front of the big Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd.

UFC 126 weigh-in (Courtesy MMAjunkie)

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

Anderson Silva (185) vs. Vitor Belfort (185)
Forrest Griffin (205) vs. Rich Franklin (203)
Ryan Bader (205) vs. Jon Jones (206)
Jake Ellenberger (171) vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha (170)
Antonio Banuelos (136) vs. Miguel Torres (136)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
Paul Kelly (155) vs. Donald Cerrone (155)
Chad Mendes (146) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (146)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
Demetrious Johnson (136) vs. Norifumi Yamamoto (135)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Untelevised)
Gabe Ruediger (155) vs. Paul Taylor (156)
Kyle Kingsbury (205) vs. Ricardo Romero (205)
Mike Pierce (171)* vs. Kenny Robertson (170)

Fernando Montiel Jorge Arce Mikkel Kessler

MMA Marketplace: The ridiculously-priced Jonny Bones hoodie

Urijah Faber's Form Athletics has made a big splash in MMA clothing in this past year with cool designs and an impressive stable of fighters, including Anthony Pettis and Jon "Bones" Jones. For Jones' fight at UFC 126, they designed this hoodie:

Pretty sweet, right? Understated, interesting stitching and best of all? It doesn't look like a standard-issue MMA design. Unfortunately, it's $87.99, a price out of reach for many MMA fans who are already shelling out $45 to just watch the fights this weekend.

Giovani Segura Vic Darchinyan Steve Molitor

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva Weigh-In Results

Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, and the rest of the "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva" main card have successfully weighed in for Saturday's Showtime-televised event in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Emelianenko vs. Silva and Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov kick off Strikeforce's heavyweight grand prix.

Oscar DeLa Hoya Giovani Segura Vic Darchinyan

Gina Carano Announces Strikeforce Return for 2011

After nearly 18 months away from MMA action, Gina Carano will return the Strikeforce this year.

During Saturday's "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva" broadcast on Showtime, Carano said she would fight "soon" after recently returning to training at Xtreme Couture.

Felix Sturm Amir Khan Roman Gonzales

Miguel Torres Agrees to Fight Brad Pickett at UFC 130 on May 28

Fresh off a winover Antonio Banuelos last Saturday at UFC 126, former WEC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres has agreed to face Brad Pickett at "UFC 130: Edgar vs. Maynard 3" on May 28 in Las Vegas.

The UFC 130 fight card is headlined by a third meeting between lightweight champ Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.

Rafael Marquez Israel Vasquez Chris John

Jon Jones Submits Ryan Bader at UFC 126, Earns Title Shot

by Michael David SmithJon Jones has proven that he's the best young light heavyweight in mixed martial arts. Now he'll get a chance to prove that he's the best light heavyweight of any age.

In a battle of the UFC's two best light heavyweight prospects, Jones dominated Ryan Bader at UFC 126, thoroughly controlling him in the first round and then forcing him to tap out with a guillotine choke in the second. Then, after the fight, UFC announcer Joe Rogan revealed that Jones will get the next shot at light heavyweight champion Shogun Rua, replacing the injured Rashad Evans.

"It's my time, I'm hungry and I'm going for it," Jones said after the fight.

 

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Devon Alexander vs. Timothy BradleyDevon Alexander vs. Timothy Bradley

Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley face off this Saturday on HBO in a matchup of undefeated junior welterweights! Who do you think wins, and is Manny Pacquiao or another big fight down the line for the winner.

Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley face off this Saturday on HBO in a matchup of undefeated junior welterweights! Who do you think wins, and is Manny Pacquiao or another big fight down the line for the winner.

Shane Mosley Juan Manuel Marquez Sergio Martinez

MMA Top 10 Welterweights: Where Does Nick Diaz Rank?

by Michael David SmithNick Diaz is one of the hardest fighters to rank in mixed martial arts.

Some folks argue that Diaz is a Top 5 welterweight, and maybe even the guy with the best combination of skills to dethrone the consensus No. 1, Georges St. Pierre. His win over Evangelista Cyborg Santos was Diaz's ninth straight victory, and he's finished eight of those nine opponents. It's been a long time since Diaz stepped into the cage and turned in an unimpressive performance.

But others argue that Diaz isn't even a Top 10 welterweight because the quality of his opposition has been less than stellar. None of those nine wins has come against anyone who's even close to a Top 10 opponent himself. And Strikeforce has matched Diaz up with opponents who play to his strengths, while never testing what may be Diaz's greatest weakness by putting him in the cage with a wrestler.

So where do we rank Diaz? I have my answer below. Your answer may differ.

 

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Chuck Liddell on the sidelines for Green Bay's Super Bowl win

The UFC vice president of business development spent Sunday in Dallas, watching the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl with his fiancee Heidi Northcott. Liddell adopted Northcott's team, and even dyed his mohawk green to support the Pack. No word on if he advised Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who is known to celebrate by pantomiming putting on a championship belt, on proper belt-wearing techniques.

Amir Khan Roman Gonzales Oscar DeLa Hoya

Amir Khan will defend WBA title against Paul McCloskey in April

? Fight against Northern Irishman in Manchester on 16 April
? European champion from Dungiven has 22-0 pro record

Amir Khan will defend his WBA light-welterweight title against the European champion, Paul McCloskey, on 16 April. The Bolton fighter will face the Northern Irishman at the MEN Arena in Manchester in his first fight on home soil since 2009.

Khan, 24, had been linked with various names for his next defence, with McCloskey at one stage ruled out following a breakdown in negotiations.

"I'm delighted that this fight has finally been put together following some tough negotiations," said Khan. "This is a match-up the British public want to see and will be a fantastic fight between two of the best light-welterweights in the country."

While McCloskey carries clout as the European champion, his name will be unfamiliar in the United States where Khan spent 2010 trying to establish himself. Victory over Paulie Malignaggi and the thriller against Marcos Maidana in December were held in America and Khan had always maintained his next contest would be in Britain.

On paper McCloskey is qualified to take on the 2004 Olympic silver medallist, despite a lack of impressive names on his 22-fight perfect record. The 31-year-old Dungiven southpaw had been scheduled to defend his European title against Michele Di Rocco in March.

• Amir Khan
• Boxing

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Nelson Mandela very well after health scare, says daughter

Former South African president, 92, in good humour and looking forward to boxing, says Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane

Nelson Mandela is "very well" after his recent health scare and maintaining his sense of humour, according to his daughter, Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane.

The former South African president was hospitalised last month with an acute respiratory infection, sparking internet rumours and panic over his condition.

But the 92-year-old has since returned to his home in Johannesburg, where he continues to receive treatment.

Zindzi, currently in the US, told Reuters: "He is recovering very well. Sense of humour, he eats, spends time with his grandchildren. He's very well thank you."

The upbeat assessment was echoed by Jacob Zuma, the South African president, during his state of the nation address to parliament on Thursday.

Referring to Mandela by his clan name, Zuma said: "We want to assure the nation that Madiba is receiving very good medical care, and is comfortable."

He urged South Africans: "We need to accept the reality that President Mandela, who is loved by all of us, young and old, men and women, black and white, is not young any more.

"He will, from time to time, visit medical facilities for checkups, which is normal for a person of his age.

"We should allow him to do so with dignity, and give the family and the medical team the space to look after him, on our behalf, in privacy."

The near media blackout during Mandela's two nights in hospital provoked fierce criticism of the government and of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which was forced to deny claims that its spokesman lied to the public. The sudden dismissal of Themba Maseko as head of government communications was no coincidence, according to some commentators.

Unlike last year, Mandela did not attend the opening of parliament and will not be making any public appearances to mark the 21st anniversary of his release from apartheid-era imprisonment.

But there is one item in his diary, Zindzi revealed: fight night. She said Mandela remains an avid boxing fan and will be watching Filipino pugilist Manny Pacquiao's next world title defence on 7 May.

"My father is still very much aware of who the fighters are," said Zindzi, who was at a press conference with Pacquiao and American Shane Mosley, his challenger for the WBO welterweight crown, at a hotel in Beverly Hills.

"I was just telling both Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao ... my father sits up to watch a fight and he still loves the sport with a passion."

Mandela himself started boxing while at Fort Hare University in Eastern Cape province and shadowboxed during his 27 years in jail. He is also a friend of former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali.

"I grew up knowing that my father was a boxer," said Zindzi, who is in Los Angeles to promote Mandela Day ? 18 July.

"We always had those pictures at home of him shadowboxing and I knew the gym where he used to go and practise and spar and so on.

"When he came out of prison, he was already a grown man and he couldn't go back to the sport but we used to go to boxing bouts together."

Mandela was particularly impressed by eight-times world champion Pacquiao, who won a seat in his national congress last year and is revered for his humanitarian work in the Philippines.

"My father has a respect for anybody like Manny who stands up and takes a stand and is willing to serve his people, because that is what he [Mandela] represents," she said.

• Nelson Mandela
• South Africa
• Jacob Zuma
• Manny Pacquiao
• Muhammad Ali
• Boxing

David Smith

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Vote for Club Of The Waves!

We're excited to announce that Club Of The Waves has been shortlisted as a nominee at the prestigious 2010 Pixel Awards in the Art category. The public can vote on their favourite nominee in each category, and we would love your vote!

You can see all the nominees here. Club Of The Waves is listed under the Art category! You can vote for the "People's Champ" every day through November 30th. Winners will be announced in December.

Vote for us in the ART category!


Background art above by Phil Roberts

www.pixelawards.com/nom_win_2010.php

Timothy Bradley Juan Manuel Lopez Andre Ward

Junior Dos Santos on Anderson Silva's Win at UFC 126, Brock Lesnar and Coaching TUF - Junior Dos Santos

MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant was able to spend a few minutes with UFC heavyweight contender Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos backstage at UFC 126, and she got the Brazilian fighter to answer a few questions about coaching The Ultimate Fighter, his opinion of champion Cain Velasquez and his opinion on whether or not Anderson Silva is, in fact, human.�Cigano also talks about the special guests he's invited to TUF- including Shogun and Jose Aldo- and how he feels about spending time in Las Vegas. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryant

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Gina Carano returns to training MMA at Xtreme Couture

Well, would you look at who is back training at Xtreme Couture again? According to their blog, Gina Carano.

The fighter whose last bout was an August 2009 loss to Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos sparred at Randy Couture's gym. Since that bout, she's spent time filming the movie "Haywire." The folks at Xtreme Couture didn't share any information on a return to fighting date for Carano, but it's good to see her sparring again.

As one of the first women (along with Santos) to ever headline a nationally televised MMA card, she is a proven draw and an exciting fighter. Strikeforce must be dancing in the streets over images of wearing boxing gloves.

Welcome back, Gina.

Steve Molitor Celestino Caballero Miguel Cotto

Supporter: Manny Pacquiao Needs Haircut Before Shane Mosley Bout

Filed under: WBO, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive, IBO

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.


A throng of 300 or so reporters were in attendance on Thursday at the Beverly Hills Hotel where eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, was in Los Angeles for the first top in a four-city promotional tour by Top Rank Promotions, gearing up for a May 7, Showtime pay per view televised defense of his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt against Shane Mosley.

Long time Pacquiao friend and confidant, Winchell Campos, told FanHouse that he is a fan of Mosley's.

 

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Arreola Loses to AdamekArreola Loses to Adamek

Chris Arreola recently lost a decision to Tomasz Adamek. After this defeat, as well as his loss to Vitali Klitschko, has his boxing career peaked.

Chris Arreola recently lost a decision to Tomasz Adamek. After this defeat, as well as his loss to Vitali Klitschko, has his boxing career peaked.

Jean Pascal Nonito Donaire Fernando Montiel

Strikeforce Fans, MMA Personalities Predict Heavyweight GP Winner

Filed under: MMA Videos, Strikeforce, FanHouse Exclusive, Videos

NEW YORK -- MMA Fighting talked to a whole host of Strikeforce fans and MMA personalities at Tuesday's Strikeforce fan experience event at the Roseland Ballroom in New York about who they think will win the upcoming Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix and which organization is home to the best big men.

Juan Manuel Marquez Sergio Martinez Timothy Bradley

UFC 126: Miguel Torres Post-Fight Interview - Miguel Torres

MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant spends a few moments backstage at UFC 126 with former WEC bantamweight champ Miquel Torres after his unanimous decision victory over Antonio Banuelos. Torres talks about the game plan he was able to impose in the fight, how he used his reach advantage to frustrate and keep Banuelos at bay, and how he feels about pleasing the crowd with his fighting style.Be sure to visit http://www.MMAheat.com for more interviews and archived episodes of our 1/2 hour show. N�s falamos Portugu�s! * We're on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAheat * Follow MMAheat on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAheat * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryant

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Chuck Liddell on the sidelines for Green Bay's Super Bowl win

The UFC vice president of business development spent Sunday in Dallas, watching the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl with his fiancee Heidi Northcott. Liddell adopted Northcott's team, and even dyed his mohawk green to support the Pack. No word on if he advised Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who is known to celebrate by pantomiming putting on a championship belt, on proper belt-wearing techniques.

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Best Fighter Outside the UFC? Dana White Picks Nick Diaz

by Michael David Smith

My own list of the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts doesn't include anyone outside the UFC, and I'm sure Dana White's list wouldn't either. But when White was asked in Toronto on Wednesday to name the best pound-for-pound fighter he doesn't have under contract, he named someone who had a 6-4 record inside the Octagon before leaving the promotion four years ago.

"The pound-for-pound best fighter outside the UFC? That's a good question," White said. "Probably Nick Diaz. Nick is nasty. Nick's a tough kid and probably should be in the UFC, but he's too crazy. He does crazy stuff."

 

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Richard Schaefer on Amir Khan, Tim Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez

Filed under: WBA, WBC, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer (pictured at right), spoke to FanHouse regarding WBO and WBA lightweight (135 pounds) king, Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as WBA junior welterweight (140 pounds) titlist Amir Khan and the potential for Khan to face WBO and WBC counter partTim Bradley, who is promoted byGary Shaw.

Khan has an upcoming April 16 defense against Paul McCloskey.

 

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Chris Lytle Meets Brian Ebersole at UFC 127 with Carlos Condit Hurt

With Carlos Condit out with a knee injury, welterweight Chris Lytle will meet newcomer Brian Ebersole at UFC 127 on Feb. 27 in Sydney, Australia.

UFC 127 is headlined by welterweight contenders BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch and also features Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera and George Sotiropoulos vs. Dennis Siver.

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Best Fighter Outside the UFC? Dana White Picks Nick Diaz

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce

My own list of the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts doesn't include anyone outside the UFC, and I'm sure Dana White's list wouldn't either. But when White was asked in Toronto on Wednesday to name the best pound-for-pound fighter he doesn't have under contract, he named someone who had a 6-4 record inside the Octagon before leaving the promotion four years ago.

"The pound-for-pound best fighter outside the UFC? That's a good question," White said. "Probably Nick Diaz. Nick is nasty. Nick's a tough kid and probably should be in the UFC, but he's too crazy. He does crazy stuff."

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Gina Carano returns to training MMA at Xtreme Couture

Well, would you look at who is back training at Xtreme Couture again? According to their blog, Gina Carano.

The fighter whose last bout was an August 2009 loss to Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos sparred at Randy Couture's gym. Since that bout, she's spent time filming the movie "Haywire." The folks at Xtreme Couture didn't share any information on a return to fighting date for Carano, but it's good to see her sparring again.

As one of the first women (along with Santos) to ever headline a nationally televised MMA card, she is a proven draw and an exciting fighter. Strikeforce must be dancing in the streets over images of wearing boxing gloves.

Welcome back, Gina.

Jorge Arce Mikkel Kessler Luciano Bute

Ellenberger holds on to beat Rocha at UFC 126

Welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger (23-5) held off Carlos Eduardo Rocha (9-1) in a split decision at UFC 126 in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Ellenberger won with the bizarre score of 27-30, 29-28, 29-28.

For much of the first round, Rocha smothered Ellenberger, switching from side control to top control, trying for a leg lock and chokes, but Ellenberger survived and returned to his feet. He landed a few strikes before Rocha got him back on the ground, and in the last 30 seconds of the round, Rocha locked on a Kimura. He turned and cranked on Ellenberger's arm, switching it to an Americana, but the round ended before the submission could be secured.

Ellenberger recovered in the second round, with the action slowing down considerably. After both engaged in tentative stand-up for much of the round, Ellenberger scored a takedown with 20 seconds left. Rocha tried to secure a triangle choke but didn't have enough time. 

By the third round, Rocha was diving for takedowns, which Ellenberger shook off easily. Ellenberger landed more power shots and then a takedown with 30 seconds left in the fight. He didn't do much with the takedown, but held off any submission attempts by the grappling wizard Rocha.

The 27-30 scorecard is puzzling, as it's surprising to see that a judge gave every round to the loser. Rocha fought well early on but seemed to lose steam, while Ellenberger did not.

Ellenberger was slated to fight Jon Fitch, but lost the chance to fight for the title shot when Fitch was given a fight with B.J. Penn. 

Israel Vasquez Chris John Manny Pacquiao

Borderline insane Nick Diaz isn't the only reason to watch Strikeforce tomorrow night

The main event at tomorrow night's Strikeforce is guaranteed to deliver a dramatic finish. Nick Diaz brings a classic volume boxing style to the cage against Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos. Santos is your typical brawler, who swings from the hip. Someone is losing via KO or TKO. But as Cage Potato notes, the Diaz fight isn't the only thing that makes Strikeforce's latest offering intriguing. CP lists the other reasons to tune in:

Herschel Walker, Genetic Freak
[...] Did I mention he’s 48? Now, in MMA that may not seem special as we have our own version of a 48-year old wonder in Randy Couture, but Couture looks every year of 48. Walker, on the other hand, could pass for a man in his early 30s and has the physique that men in their athletic primes dream to attain. Herschel Walker, at 48, might be the greatest physical specimen to step foot in an MMA ring or cage…ever.

Roger Gracie, Ground Wizard
The Gracie name is synonymous with the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Their legacy extends back to the inaugural UFC some 17 years ago. [...] Fans of BJJ should take notice of his skills, especially when it gets to the ground…and if Gracie wants it to, it will. Gracie is only 28 years of age and still has a future in MMA and potential matchups at 205 with Dan Henderson, “King Mo” Lawal, and the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, Rafael Cavalcante.

Momentum
Strikeforce has been able to pick up some much needed momentum after a subpar 2010. It began with the December 4th show that went up head-to-head with the UFC. Though the UFC show won the ratings war, Strikeforce had overwhelming shown itself as the better show that night. Then an announcement of a Heavyweight Tournament with 8 of the top 25 heavyweights in the world was made. [...] There’s a lot of momentum behind the Strikeforce brand, the question is, can they keep it up?

There's one more we'd like to add, regardless of a win or loss, Nick Diaz's postfight press conference comments are a must listen. He's been unbelievable in the lead up to the fight.

Diaz is tired of hearing about a possible against middleweight Jason Miller. 

"I’d be happy to move up, I’d like to get paid for it you know? I don’t like how people try to say that I didn’t accept the fight with (Mayhem) Miller because I was too small. I never said anything about that," Diaz said. "I said if I’m going to go off track and screw with my whole season, it’s going to screw with my whole year, it’s going to screw with my capabilities of fighting at 170lbs. If I’m going to do that I’d like to get paid in full. I would like to have a reason for doing that. Not just do it at everybody else’s convenience.”

Diaz isn't making a ton of money for these fights and he's had enough.

“I’d like to get paid something extra. Double, triple, something crazy for me to do something extra that would screw up my weight to fight at that weight," Diaz said. "[...] “(Manny) Pacquaio’s making 40 [expletive] million dollars, GSP’s making a couple million dollars. I’m over here [expletive] driving a Honda and my [expletive] breaking down? [expletive] all you mother[expletive]."

Diaz is also tired of hearing about Georges St. Pierre's dominance.

"That’s what I’m saying. They’ve made easy fights for those guys. These guys have got like six or seven fights. Like all easy fights. I’ve never got to fight a guy like (Paul Daley) they brought into fight Josh Koscheck," Diaz said during the Strikeforce teleconference. "So when you bring up fighters like that and tell me they are the best fighters in the world it’s a [expletive] joke. Those guys are all ranked now but I was here first. So let’s fight then. Let’s make it happen, you know?"

According to Diaz, the UFC is propping up phony contenders for GSP.

“People think this guy is better than me and it’s [expletive]. He went five rounds with Josh Koscheck," Diaz said. "I just told you about Josh Koscheck, right? Why shouldn’t I get to fight him? Why are you saying he’s unavailable? Because we fight for different companies?”

We know Diaz is nutty, but this is where he has completely off his rocker. The fighter should be well aware of the fact that the UFC will never co-promote a fight with another organization. He was with the UFC in the past and is fully familiar with the ways of the powerful promotion. If his goal is to push for change, fine, but stop acting like this is boxing with promoters like Gary Shaw, Lou DiBella, Golden Boy, Top Rank and Don King working together on fights.

Bernard Hopkins Shane Mosley Juan Manuel Marquez

UFC 129 Toronto Press Conference Video

Filed under: UFC

Two UFC champions will meet the media in Toronto Tuesday to promote their upcoming fight at the Rogers Centre, and we'll carry their press conference live right here at MMAFighting.com.

UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will both be in attendance, as will UFC President Dana White. April's UFC 129 will be the promotion's first event in Toronto, and it's expected to draw upwards of 40,000 people and break the UFC attendance record.

Tuesday's press conference begins at 1 PM ET and will stream live below.

Roman Gonzales Oscar DeLa Hoya Giovani Segura

Gleason's Boxing GymGleason's Boxing Gym

I recently stopped by world famous Gleason's Boxing Gym in Brooklyn,New York to get a lesson on the gyms history and learned some boxing basics myself.

I recently stopped by world famous Gleason's Boxing Gym in Brooklyn,New York to get a lesson on the gyms history and learned some boxing basics myself.

Mikkel Kessler Luciano Bute Felix Sturm

Happy Fedor-ary! Strikeforce Grand Prix kicks off on Saturday

Though you still may be flying high from seeing Anderson Silva kick Vitor Belfort in the face, we have more amazing fights to look forward to this week. Fedor Emelianenko will be back in the cage on Saturday night, taking on Antonio Silva in the opening round of Strikeforce's heavyweight Grand Prix.

Fedor will be making the rounds in New York City this week to promote the bout, answering questions about who is the best heavyweight, fighting Silva and, of course, who he will vote for in the Sochi 2014 mascot contest. His bout with Silva, as well as Andrei Arlovski's fight with Sergei Kharitonov and three GP reserve bouts, will air Saturday on Showtime, with the preliminary fights airing on HDNet.

Jorge Arce Mikkel Kessler Luciano Bute

You tell us: where does Silva's KO kick rank?

Even Vitor Belfort was impressed with the kick Anderson Silva threw to knock Belfort out at UFC 126. Belfort tweeted, "I just saw the kick. It was fantastic even then I think this will land once in a million."

A front kick by itself is not that impressive. It's usually thrown to the body to create space, but can be dangerous because your opponent could catch it, and use it for a takedown. This kick was unique because of where Silva landed it and the speed he used in throwing it. Silva placed the kick perfectly on Belfort's chin, snapping his head back. He also threw it so fast that Belfort had no chance at catching Silva's leg.

But where does it rank among other head kick knockouts?

Do you put it above Anthony Pettis' Matrix-like, off-the-cage kick of Ben Henderson at the final WEC event? Or the head kick that Rashad Evans used to knock out Sean Salmon and signal that Evans was more than "just a wrestler?" Maybe it's Gabriel Gonzaga using the Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's signature head kick against him, knocking the Pride legend to the canvas? Or Dan Hornbuckle stiffening Akihiro Gono at Sengoku's Ninth Battle?

Considering the circumstances of the bout, Silva is above them all. He was defending his belt in the main event of a sold-out, Super Bowl weekend UFC card. He knocked out someone who was last knocked out in 2004, and that was via a doctor's stoppage.

Do you agree? What that your favorite head-kick knockout?

Shane Mosley Juan Manuel Marquez Sergio Martinez

UFC 126 picks, Vegas-style: Does Belfort have the winning formula?

UFC 126 betting odds (Courtesy Lagasse's Stadium):

Vitor Belfort (+220) vs. Anderson Silva (-300) - UFC middleweight title
Forrest Griffin (+130) vs. Rich Franklin (-160) - Light heavyweight
Ryan Bader (+300) vs. Jon Jones (-400) - Light heavyweight
Carlos Eduardo Rocha (+280) vs. Jake Ellenberger (-360) - Welterweight
Antonio Banuelos (+325) vs. Miguel Torres (-450) - Bantamweight
Demetrious Johnson (-110) vs. "Kid" Yamamoto (-120) - Bantamweight
Michihiro Omigawa (+190) vs. Chad Mendes (-240) - Featherweight
Paul Kelly (+190) vs. Donald Cerrone (-240)- Lightweight
Kenny Robertson (+170) vs. Mike Pierce (-200) - Welterweight
Gabe Ruediger (+110) vs. Paul Taylor (-140) - Lightweight
Kyle Kingsbury (-115) vs. Ricardo Romero (-115) - Light heavyweight

Also check MMAFix.com to shop the odds.

Roman Gonzales Oscar DeLa Hoya Giovani Segura

After Manny Pacquiao, Would Shane Mosley Consider the MMA?

Filed under: WBO, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.


On May 7, in a Showtime pay per view televised bout that is being promoted by Top Rank Promotions from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, southpaw WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) will defend his WBO crown against Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) in pursuit of his 14th straight win, and his ninth KO during that run.

FanHouse caught up to Mosley, who has expressed some interest in becoming an MMA fighter. Last year, however, former world champion, James Toney, was unsuccessful in his MMA attempt.

But what would it take for Mosley to enter the Octagon?

 

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Rafael Marquez Israel Vasquez Chris John

Boxing proves a hit for French sociologist

The experience of being a novice boxer in a gym in Chicago encouraged a French sociologist to punch out a book

Loic Wacquant, perhaps the only French sociologist who spent at least three years in the Woodlawn Gym in Chicago, Illinois, boxing with both amateurs and professionals, emerged from the experience strong, spry and of a mind to punch out some books and papers.

Wacquant is now a researcher at the Centre de Sociologie Europ�enne in Paris, and a professor of sociology at the University of California at Berkeley.

His book, Body Soul: Notebooks of an Apprentice Boxer, published in 2003 by Oxford University Press, serves up more than 200 pages of detail. Wacquant writes that, prior to entering "a boxing gym in a neighbourhood of Chicago's black ghetto, I had never practised that sport or even considered trying it. I thus found myself in the situation of the perfect novice". That was in 1988.

Three to six sessions a week he trained ? shadowboxing, working the speed bag, sparring ? and eventually fought in a Golden Gloves tournament. "I even thought for a while of aborting my academic career to 'turn pro'," he writes, "and thereby remain with my friends from the gym and its coach, DeeDee Armour, who had become a second father for me."

The book grew in part from a paper Wacquant scribbled during his first summer there, "when getting my nose broken during a sparring session had forced me into a period of inactivity propicious to a reflexive return on my novitiate in progress".

We get analysis, but best of all we get a fist/hand account of the action: "Jabs from me, blocked by his fists, versus jabs from him, blocked by my nose. I'm better able to see his punches coming, but I still don't move fast enough. He lands another punch on my face, a right that makes my headgear turn sideways. DeeDee growls 'Move yo' head, Louie!' I'm trying!"

A second book, to be called The Passion of the Pugilist, will, Wacquant says, address "the dialectic of desire and domination in the social genesis of the boxer's vocation", "the work of the trainer as virile mothering", "confrontation in the ring as a homoerotic ritual of masculinisation", and other topics that did not fit or had not matured in time to go into Body Soul.

But one needn't entirely wait. Waquant has published monographs galore. The titles, like the text, are sweaty admixtures of sociologicalese and pulp non-fiction. Among his more hard-hitting papers one finds A Fleshpeddler at Work: Power, Pain, and Profit in the Prizefighting Economy and Pugs at Work: Bodily Capital and Bodily Labour Among Professional Boxers.

A paper called Whores, Slaves, And Stallions ? Languages Of Exploitation And Accommodation Among Prizefighters, in the journal Body and Society, hard-boils down to this:

"The boxer's experience of corporeal exploitation is expressed in three kindred idioms ... The first likens the fighter-manager combo to the prostitute-pimp duet; the second depicts the ring as a plantation and promoters as latter-day slave masters; the third intimates that boxers are used in the manner of livestock".

? Marc Abrahams is editor of the bimonthly Annals of Improbable Research and organiser of the Ig Nobel prize
? The original picture used to illustrate this article was removed on 12 January as it had been captioned wrongly and was not relevant.

• Sociology
• Boxing
• Higher education

Marc Abrahams

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