A Year Later, It’s the Same Place but a Different Scene for Cain Velasquez


November 10th, 2011 by

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Cain VelasquezROSEMEAD, Calif. — If it feels like we’ve been here before, that’s because we have. Just a little over a year ago, in fact, and in this same exact place. That was a very different fight week — big for different reasons. It was the Brock Lesnar show, and that show went where it pleased and performed on its own terms.

Back then, when it was time for the main card fighters at UFC 121 to go through the plodding PR paces of the open workout, Lesnar was nowhere to be found. But Cain Velasquez, then the challenger for the heavyweight title, still had to show up at the UFC gym in Rosemead and be a good soldier, which is exactly what he did.

Nearly 13 months later, Velasquez is back here against a very different opponent in a very different fight, but some things haven’t changed.

At around noon on Thursday afternoon the UFC heavyweight champ strolls into the same exact gym with the same unassuming air that he had last year. And, just like last year, he had his fans there waiting for him, waving Mexican flags and cheering him on as he stepped in the cage to throw a few perfunctory punches and kicks at the air for the sake of the cameras.

More Coverage: UFC on FOX Fight Card | UFC on FOX Results

But this time it’s not about the celebrity of one of the participants. Bizarrely, it’s not even really about the heavyweight title. Sure, it’s there. It’s a part of the package, but it feels more like an accessory than the real prize. How can you tell? Just listen to the questions he’s peppered with as he moves down the seemingly endless media assembly line.

Are you nervous about representing the UFC and the sport of MMA itself on network TV? Are you feeling the pressure from your boss, from the fans? In other words, are you freaking out yet, or are you going to wait until later?

And for whatever reason — maybe because it’s true, or maybe just because his fighter’s instinct is to resist pressure rather than succumb to it — the champ refuses to play along. He’s not especially nervous, he says. It’s just another fight. He doesn’t think about the stakes involved or the millions who’ll be watching. He won’t even admit to feeling the pressure of the champion or the betting favorite.

“I feel like every time I go out to fight, I’m always the underdog,” he insists.

His trainer, Javier Mendez, stands nearby chatting with reporters and looking up with genuine surprise when nearby fans want their pictures taken with them.

“This is all your guys’ fault,” he grumbles to the reporters before going over to fulfill his obligations as a newfound semi-celebrity. This didn’t happen back before he was known as the champ’s trainer, but such is the brave new world he finds himself in, for better or worse.

Velasquez’s opponent, Junior dos Santos, who shows up for his workout more than an hour later, also won’t admit to feeling the heat. If anything, he does an even better job of selling his media tormenters on how relaxed he is, smiling through the multitude of interviews as if he’s actually having an okay time.

“When you are nice, nice things happen to you,” he explains, as if it’s the simplest, most obvious philosophy in the world. Like, haven’t you guys figured that out by now?

When asked how he managed to go from MMA neophyte to heavyweight title challenger on live network TV in just six years, he answers quickly: “Work. And be nice.”

You want outsized egos and superstar personalities? You want guys at each others’ throats? Too bad. Regardless of what you want, this is what you’re getting. It’ll have to be good enough, at least for now.





UFC Pioneer Art Jimmerson Calls Out Kimbo Slice


November 10th, 2011 by

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ROSEMEAD, Calif. — MMA Fighting spoke to UFC 1 star Art Jimmerson on Thursday about working at the UFC Gym, how he ended up fighting on the UFC 1 card, why he chose to only wear one glove, his memories of the event, the rise of the UFC, his failed attempt at a rematch against Royce Gracie and why he wants to fight Kimbo Slice in boxing.






Nothing Bothers Junior dos Santos


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ROSEMEAD, Calif. — MMA Fighting spoke to heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos on Thursday about if he ever gets upset, why he’s always smiling, dealing with his newfound fame, where he thinks he has the advantage over Cain Velasquez and whether or not this fight feels any different than the others because it’s on FOX.






Cain Velasquez Missed Fighting During Time Off, Not Media Obligations


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ROSEMEAD, CALIF. — MMA Fighting spoke to UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez about whether he enjoys dealing with the media on fight week, whether he missed the buzz of the UFC during his time off, how long it took for him to feel back to his normal self after surgery, the challenges Junior dos Santos brings to the table and more.






Clay Guida Believes He Has Better Cardio, MMA Wrestling Than Benson Henderson


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ROSEMEAD, Calif. — MMA Fighting spoke to Clay Guida on Thursday about Saturday night’s fight against Benson Henderson, being left out of Wednesday’s press conference, why he was simply happy to be there, his rise up the 155-pound ranks, where he thinks he is better than “Bendo,” and keeping his eye on the prize.






Benson Henderson Doesn’t Feel Slighted by Lack of Exposure on FOX


November 10th, 2011 by

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ROSEMEAD, Calif. — MMA Fighting caught up with Benson Henderson on Thursday to discuss his upcoming fight against Clay Guida, not fighting on FOX, whether he feels disrespected that he’s not on FOX, Guida’s run in the UFC and whether the winner of this will fight for the lightweight title.






Golden Glory Responds to Alistair Overeem’s Lawsuit


November 10th, 2011 by

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Alistair Overeem‘s former management team has thrown a counterpunch at the current UFC fighter, alleging that he owes them money from their work and slamming his lawsuit as “scurrilous.”

A statement released to MMA Fighting by Roderick J. Lindblom, legal counsel for Knock Out Investments (KOI) and Golden Glory — Overeem’s former management team — claims that Overeem filed his lawsuit as a preemptive action after KOI informed him of numerous violations of their deal, including his failure to pay commissions for past fights and endorsement deals.

“KOI and Golden Glory are respected organizations committed to securing the best fight deals and training for their team of fighters,” the statement read. “Mr. Overeem’s continued suggestions to the contrary are scurrilous and will be vigorously defended in the proper forum.”

On Thursday, MMA Fighting also obtained a copy of Overeem’s lawsuit, which was filed in California Superior Court. The 10-page complaint characterizes his management contract, which was signed in July 2007 and scheduled to run for five years, as “exceedingly one-sided,” and claims that KOI and Golden Glory “failed to provide the required management services and have failed to pay Overeem monies that are now due and owing.”

Among the breaches alleged by Overeem is failure to review, properly negotiate and advise him of his fight contracts, pressuring him to sign contracts that were not always in his best interest, failing to look after his best interests, and failure to remit payments of fight purses and other payments, among others.

He also charges that they engaged in deceptive practices to conceal income from him. By virtue of their actions, he alleges that he is owed over $151,000. He is also asking the court to terminate his management deal and determine any future rights of compensation.

Lindblom’s statement says the management team is in recent of his lawsuit and currently assessing all available defenses and counterclaims.

“Alistair Overeem is a striker — he wants to throw the first punch. But this misguided decision to file a lawsuit as a preemptive strike leaves Mr. Overeem vulnerable in ways our clients wished to avoid,” the statement closes out.





Video: How Mainstream Is MMA?


November 10th, 2011 by

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HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — With the UFC set to make its network debut on Saturday, MMA Fighting took to the streets of Hollywood to find just how mainstream the sport really is and whether people were aware of Saturday night’s historic fight.






UFC on FOX: By the Odds


November 10th, 2011 by

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UFC on FOX is no ordinary event, so this is no ordinary odds breakdown. Normally we have a main card full of favorites and underdogs to sort through and pick away at. This time? It’s the main event, a lightweight contender bout, and then a lot of stuff that (at least by comparison) feels like filler designed to keep the fans in their seats until it’s time.

With the abbreviated TV offering just a few days away, it’s time to take a look at the action that really matters.

Cain Velasquez (-190) vs. Junior dos Santos (+155)

It hasn’t gotten a lot of attention so far, but before we get crazy can we talk about Velasquez’s injury layoff for a minute? Not only is a torn rotator cuff kind of serious, but it kept him out of the cage for almost 13 months. He hasn’t gone that long between fights since the first year of his career, so maybe we shouldn’t assume that it’ll be no big deal for him to jump right back into the cage against one of the world’s top heavyweights just like that. Ring rust is real, and it doesn’t help that one of Velasquez’s main sparring partners — former Olympic wrestling team captain Daniel Cormier — has been sidelined with a broken hand lately. You factor in the possibility that the champ might be feeling some pressure to brawl in order to give the FOX audience (and his boss) a show they’ll remember, and suddenly dos Santos starts to look like a very strong underdog pick, right? Maybe, but that is an awful lot of faith in a few intangibles. On paper, Velasquez’s speed and wrestling skills should make the difference. He ought to be able to get in close, negate dos Santos’ ability to box from the outside, and either put him down or rough him up in the clinch. It’s hard to feel terribly confident after the lay-off he’s had, but it’s also hard to pick against the champ at this point in his career. This is one fight where dos Santos will not be able to take his foot off the gas in the later rounds.
My pick: Velasquez. If you were smart, you jumped on this line back when it was -150. Then again, if you’re smart you don’t bet on fights this tough to call to begin with.

More Coverage: UFC on FOX Fight Card | UFC on FOX Results

Clay Guida (+220) vs. Ben Henderson (-280)

I admit that I’d be salivating over this underdog line on Guida if not for one thing: Henderson’s last fight. Jim Miller was riding a seven-fight win streak and looked for all the world like the next major lightweight title challenger, and Henderson absolutely demolished him. If he can do that to Miller, who’s a solid all-around fighter, what can Guida threaten him with? It sounds as if Guida’s pinning his hopes on his wrestling and his non-stop motor here, and why not? It worked against Anthony Pettis, and if we want to start playing the transitive property game, we could point out that Pettis beat Henderson. At the same time, Henderson’s takedown defense keeps getting better, and he can be absolutely brutal when his striking game starts to click. Guida has outworked superior athletes before, but this is a tall order even for him.
My pick: Henderson. I still think it’s a closer fight than these odds would suggest, but it’s a tough style match-up for Guida.

Quick picks:

- Ricardo Lamas (-130) over Cub Swanson (even). I’m afraid Swanson’s best days may be behind him. Lamas is just good enough to get the job done.

- DaMarques Johnson (-280) over Clay Harvison (+220). Johnson’s getting a much easier bout after stepping up late to face Sadollah. Expect him to make the most of it.

- “Kid” Yamamoto (-370) over Darren Uyenoyama (+280). Kind of seems like the UFC might be tossing Yamamoto an easy one to keep him around for at least a little while longer. Oh well.

Crazy underdog pick of the night:

Pablo Garza (+220) over Dustin Poirier (-280). People may be getting a little too hot on Poirier just a tad too soon. There aren’t a lot of attractive underdog lines on this card, so this one will have to do.

The ‘For Entertainment Purposes Only’ Parlay: Velasquez + Henderson + Johnson + Yamamoto





UFC to Bring Back Octagon Girl Brittney Palmer


November 10th, 2011 by

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Last seen at UFC 132 in July, UFC Octagon girl Brittney Palmer won’t be absent from UFC events much longer.

UFC president Dana White late Wednesday asked his Twitter followers if the UFC should bring back Palmer and within the hour, White had an answer.

“Done! The votes have been counted and Brittney Palmer is back.”

White told Heavy.com in August that Palmer never officially parted ways but pointed to Palmer’s artistic aspirations as a reason for her absence.

“Nothing happened with Brittney Palmer. It’s one of those situations where Brittney has moved onto other things. She’s living in L.A. now. She wants to be an artist and she’s going to art school.”

Arianny Celeste and Chandella Powell are the two other active UFC Octagon girls. During Palmer’s absence, model Vanessa Hanson was brought in once as a guest Octagon girl at UFC 136 as a prize for winning a Transworld Surf open model search.

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