Tag: UFC 129

Quote of the Day: Hughes Calls St-Pierre’s Performance Against Shields the Worst of His Career


(“Come on, Georges. If you keep this up I’m going to rescind my offer to join me for a country breakfast.”)

Matt Hughes is not impressed by GSP’s performance in his last fight.

Now, before you jump to conclusions and say that Matt is only saying that Georges stunk the joint up in his UFC 129 fight against Jake Shields at Rogers Centre because he’s still sore that “Rush” laid a beating on him in their last two bouts, Hughes did say that he likes St-Pierre just fine.

Check out what the former UFC welterweight champ had to say in a recent blog post he wrote about the Shields-St-Pierre bout after the jump.


(“Come on, Georges. If you keep this up I’m going to rescind my offer to join me for a country breakfast.”)

Matt Hughes is not impressed by GSP’s performance in his last fight.

Now, before you jump to conclusions and say that Matt is only saying that Georges stunk the joint up in his UFC 129 fight against Jake Shields at Rogers Centre because he’s still sore that “Rush” laid a beating on him in their last two bouts, Hughes did say that he likes St-Pierre just fine.

Here’s what the former UFC welterweight champ had to say in a recent blog post he wrote about the bout:

“As for the GSP/Shields fight, I really believed GSP was going to tear Shields up. The fight didn’t go like I thought it would at all. Let me tell everybody now, I like GSP, he’s a good guy and he’s somebody I wouldn’t mind sitting next to on a plane ride or at a supper table. So don’t think that I’m talking out of bitterness for the two losses, I’m speaking through experienced eyes that have been in these situations. GSP actually looked worse in this fight than I’ve ever seen him before. I really feel like Georges fights not to lose, he just doesn’t fight to win anymore. I like Georges, I like watching him fight, I wish there was some way I could help him to get that hunger back inside of him. Georges has the potential of being so much better than what we’ve seen recently. If Jake had won one more round he would have won the fight, based on how the judges scored it. So an interesting fight and a little disappointing at being the last fight of the night.”

I guess we’re not the only ones who are getting a bit fed up with GSP’s inability to finish (or reluctance to engage for fear of getting caught like he did against Serra) lately. Maybe Matt needs a rematch to remind us that Georges can cause a stoppage.

Mark Hominick Says It’s Bittersweet to Get Congratulated After a Loss

Filed under: UFCOn Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour, Mark Hominick had a message for fans who were concerned about the softball-sized lump growing out of his forehead by the end of his featherweight title bout against Jose Aldo at UFC 129: it looked wo…

Filed under:

On Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour, Mark Hominick had a message for fans who were concerned about the softball-sized lump growing out of his forehead by the end of his featherweight title bout against Jose Aldo at UFC 129: it looked worse than it felt.

And yeah, he knows it looked pretty bad.

“I remember watching fights, like the [Hasim] Rahman [vs. Evander Holyfield] fight, and it was like, oh my God. I could just imagine what the crowd and everybody else was feeling when they saw that, because it’s definitely disturbing to see that,” Hominick told Ariel Helwani. “But again, it’s a superficial injury. It’s not affecting my vision; it’s not affecting my performance. After I had an icepack on it after the fight, it went right down.”

After 5 Hours at the Dentist, Randy Couture is A-OK Following Career-Ending KO

(YouTube/MMA30tv)

Any time you watch a 47-year-old man get kicked in the face by a levitating karate master – man, if we only had a nickel for every time that happens, right? – you have to wonder how the elder statesman is going to bounce back from it. In the case of Randy Couture, he appears to be recovering nicely. Aside from a small bruise under his eye, the newly retired “Natural” seems in great spirits when he meets up with MMA30’s Dave Fara at a gala event for the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, which seeks to raise money for wounded vets. Couture also looks fully in control of his faculties, as evidenced when he correctly uses the word “assimilate” in casual conversation.

The teeth however, were more of a problem. In the above vid, listen to Couture discuss the five-plus hours he spent at the dentist getting his pearly-white Hollywood-level choppers realigned. All that, and he even has to go back for more. Nonetheless, The Old Man is taking it in stride, relating to Fara that Lyoto Machdia put in a personal phone call to him a couple of days after the fight to make sure he was OK. Couture laughs off the Steven Seagal angle, keeps right on using the word “cat” as much as possible (which is only slightly less annoying than when guys in MMA insist on calling everyone “kid”) and even comments on rumors he personally took out Osama bin Laden. “It was a long plane ride,” says Couture. So you know, (if you’ll excuse the phrase) business as usual. Now if we could just do something about the epaulets on his dress blazer …

The rest of Couture’s quotes are after the jump, followed by a bevy of other Las Vegas-based fighters making appearances to pay homage to the 14-year vet. And damn, check out the jacket on Ray Sefo at 4:15. Looking good.

(YouTube/MMA30tv)

Any time you watch a 47-year-old man get kicked in the face by a levitating karate master – man, if we only had a nickel for every time that happens, right? – you have to wonder how the elder statesman is going to bounce back from it. In the case of Randy Couture, he appears to be recovering nicely. Aside from a small bruise under his eye, the newly retired “Natural” seems in great spirits when he meets up with MMA30’s Dave Fara at a gala event for the Xtreme Couture  GI Foundation, which seeks to raise money for wounded vets. Couture also looks fully in control of his faculties, as evidenced when he correctly uses the word “assimilate” in casual conversation.

The teeth however, were more of a problem. In the above vid, listen to Couture discuss the five-plus hours he spent at the dentist getting his pearly-white Hollywood-level choppers realigned. All that, and he even has to go back for more. Nonetheless, The Old Man is taking it in stride, relating to Fara that  Lyoto Machdia put in a personal phone call to him a couple of days after the fight to make sure he was OK. Couture laughs off the Steven Seagal angle, keeps right on using the word “cat” as much as possible (which is only slightly less annoying than when guys in MMA insist on calling everyone “kid”) and  even comments on rumors he personally took out Osama bin Laden. “It was a long plane ride,” says Couture. So you know, (if you’ll excuse the phrase) business as usual. Now if we could just do something about the epaulets on his dress blazer …

The rest of Couture’s quotes are after the jump, followed by a bevy of other Las Vegas-based fighters making appearances to pay homage to the 14-year vet. And damn, check out the jacket on Ray Sefo at 4:15. Looking good.

“I had a rough day yesterday,” Couture says. “Got the teeth fixed yesterday. Five and a half hours in the dental chair. My lip is still a little swollen (and) I still feel like I’m talking a little funny, but (it’s) temporarily fixed now. The real bridge comes in a week and we’ll be back up and running.”

When asked by Fara what it was like to be feted by 55,000 strong at Rogers Centre during his final fight, Couture admits it was hard to wrap his mind around the whole thing. Especially that last part. The part with the flying crane kick.

“It was a little surreal,” he says. “It almost doesn’t sink in when it’s happening, you have to kind of sit back and reflect on it later. It was an amazing experience. Lyoto was a terrific competitor, obviously he’s a tremendous athlete. He’s everything he was billed to be, he’s elusive (and) he’s hard to get a handle on. That kick, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone set up that kick in competition. It’s been kind of the year for those strange kicks.”

Stick around for the full nine minutes and you’ll also get to hear from Ryan Couture, Sefo, Tyson Griffin, Frank Mir, Jay Glazer and some dude who looks like he just wandered off the set of “21 Jump Street” who claims to be Mike Pyle.

Mark Hominick Reflects on his UFC 129 Game Plan and the Korean Zombie

“Never underestimate the heart of a champion.”—Rudy Tomjanovich Last weekend at UFC 129 in Toronto, Ontario, Mark “the Machine” Hominick proved without any shadow of a doubt that he absolutely possesses the true heart of a…

“Never underestimate the heart of a champion.”—Rudy Tomjanovich

Last weekend at UFC 129 in Toronto, Ontario, Mark “the Machine” Hominick proved without any shadow of a doubt that he absolutely possesses the true heart of a champion.

After suffering a serious knockdown in the third round of his fight, Hominick somehow managed to keep his composure intact, and courageously battled his way back by nearly defeating the UFC Featherweight Champion, Jose Aldo, in the final minute of the fifth and final round.

Imagine if you can—55,000 fans, all on their feet, screaming and cheering at the top of their lungs for Hominick to destroy the battered and vulnerable champion. It almost happened.

The energy in the final moments of Hominick’s fight was nothing short of electric and amazing. I can only imagine that if Hominick had actually won the championship belt that night, the roar from the crowd would have certainly blown the roof off of the Rogers Centre (or at the very least, shredded my ear drums).

Today, I was fortunate enough to be able to speak with Mark, now that he has had some time to relax and reflect on the entire experience.  

Enjoy.

 

James Ryan: Hi Mark, how are you today?

Mark Hominick: Doing great, James! What’s going on?

 

JR: Not too much. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today.

MH: Not a problem.

 

JR: Did I catch you at an alright time? I understand that you and your wife are expecting your first child any day now.

MH: Yeah, it’s just any minute right now. We’re gonna go for a walk after this.

 

JR: Right on. So, do you know if it’s going to be a boy or a girl?

MH: A girl.

 

JR: A girl, eh?

MH: Yeah, all fighters have girls.

 

JR: [Laughs] Is that the unwritten rule?

MH: It is the unwritten rule. [Laughs]

 

JR: Cool. Alright, well then, let’s get right to this…I would love to get your take on your performance from last weekend. Overall, how do you feel about your performance and how things went?

MH: You know what? Obviously, I’m disappointed, you know? I didn’t win the title and that was what I went in there to do. A lot of people are happy by the performance that I put in though. I made it a competitive fight, and almost took it at the end. But I went in there to win, you know?

I know I was the underdog, but I still…there was nothing in my mind that was saying that I wasn’t going to win that fight.

I think I can beat that guy, you know? A few changes and I think I have the tools to do it.

 

JR: Well, based on your performance, I would have to agree with you.

Does it feel odd when people congratulate you on your performance, but in your mind, you know that you lost and you didn’t maybe fulfill your goal?

MH: Oh, for sure. Like, it’s definitely rewarding to know that the hard work that I put in—into the training camp and into the fight, is getting rewarded even though I didn’t come out on top. And people respect what I put out there, and the performance that I did put out there, but yeah, like I said, I went there to win.

 

JR: True enough.

Mark, I recently watched a video of your fight preparations. I guess Shawn Tompkins had put it together?

MH: Yep.

 

JR: I watched it on MMeh Fighter and in terms of understanding your preparations and what you go through, I thought it was a really great video. It gave some really cool insights into how you break the fight down, round by round, and how that might be implemented into an actual game plan.

Looking back, how do you feel about the preparations? Do you feel that you went in there with the best possible game plan?

MH: Oh yeah, my training camp is what made me so calm leading up to the fight. There was such a build up for the fight, and such a build up for the show in general, just because it was such a huge thing for Ontario MMA, and MMA in general.

But I think what kept me so focused and calm, was just the training camp that I went through, because I knew I did everything I could in training camp.

There was no stone left unturned. I put my effort—my heart and soul into training camp, so I knew all I needed to do was to go out there and perform because I knew I had put in the work.

 

JR: Right. So, in the video, they talked about you going in there and just implementing your own game plan, and not worrying about your opponent so much. Do you feel that sort of…is that how things went? Or as the fight went on, were you…?

MH: Yeah, for sure, like, I mean, I backed him off. I did the things that I wanted to do.

The only thing…the momentum that I was taking over in the second and third rounds, I felt I was really…that it was starting to become my fight.

I thought I was winning a lot of the exchanges, but then there was the knockdown. He had good punching power and that’s something that’s God-given, and he definitely has that, and the knockdown that he scored in the third kinda took the wind out of my sails a bit until I came back in the fifth.

 

JR: Right, okay. And so how would you compare fighting in the WEC to the UFC?

MH: Oh, the event is just that much more respected. It’s so big, you know? Everybody associates MMA with the UFC and there’s such a build up, and there’s so much anticipation for all the fights.

Meanwhile, with the WEC, it almost felt like you were at a fight club type of thing, you know? There was a cult following, and you know, every time you tuned into the WEC, you were gonna get a great fight, so it was pretty special to be a part of that, but the build up—the media build up and the anticipation for the UFC card is second to none. The UFC has done such a great job at marketing themselves and promoting the events properly.

 

JR: Definitely.

In terms of yourself, once you were in the cage, did you even notice the difference in the size of the crowd?

MH: No, that’s one thing that I’ve always prided myself on, is that I am always focused on the task at hand, and my opponent.

But with that being said, I’ve never fed off of the crowd like I did in that last minute of the fight.

 

JR: Is that right?

MH: They were so loud, and they were just cheering me on so much, that I was fighting for the crowd, and they were carrying me through that last round and last minute of that round, trying to finish.

But you know, I remember right when they were calling our names, like right before we started fighting, I was just thinking in my head that this is the same as any other fight. It’s just two guys, fighting in a cage, you know? That’s it!

To me, it doesn’t matter how many people are there. I’m just focused on the job in front of me and the task at hand.

 

JR: Cool, awesome. Last question—the idea of fighting the Korean Zombie…how did that come about?

MH: You know, a lot of people had been mentioning it to me, and that got me thinking about how it would be a great fight.

He just came off of a big win against Leonard Garcia, and he likes to go to war, you know? I know he’d put on a ‘fight of the night’ type of performance, and we both like to go at it, so it’s a fight that makes a lot of sense—not just from the fans point of view, but also from a rankings point of view.

He’s coming off a win, he’s climbing the ladder, and I want to prove that I’m still there and I’m deserving of another title shot after a couple more fights down the road.

 

JR: Excellent. Have you had any communication at all with the UFC about the possibility of this fight actually happening?

MH: Well, I’m currently under medical suspension for 60 days, so I know I’m not on the top of their list, but if it’s a fight that they want, I’ll sign tomorrow.

 

JR: Right on!

MH: So, I mean, it’s a fight that I think we both would like. He has shown interest, and I am definitely interested in that fight, and if the UFC wants to sign that—I think it’s one that makes sense, and let’s get on it!

 

JR: Fantastic Mark! I couldn’t agree more. I would personally love to see that fight happen.

Is there anything else that you would like to mention before I let you go?

MH: Just that the amount of support leading up to the fight, and after the fight has been overwhelming, and it’s just very much appreciated to know that I have people behind me, backing me, and supporting me in all aspects of the game.

 

JR: Terrific. Well, have a great night and enjoy your walk. Thanks again for your time, Mark.

Best of luck with the new baby.

MH: Sounds good, James. Thank you as well.

 

 

This is my interview. If you don’t like it…I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre: A Tale of Two Champions, Two Title Fights

“Writing is about making connections,” taught Carol Bly, the critically acclaimed American creative nonfiction author.And it’s easy to make connections between Georges St-Pierre and Manny Pacquiao, who fought on the consecutive Saturday nig…

“Writing is about making connections,” taught Carol Bly, the critically acclaimed American creative nonfiction author.

And it’s easy to make connections between Georges St-Pierre and Manny Pacquiao, who fought on the consecutive Saturday nights of April 30 and May 7, respectively. Disregarding the fact that one successfully defended his world title in MMA while the other one of his very own in boxing, we can acknowledge several similarities.

This slide show presents parallels between the two great champions and, since no two things are exactly the same, also their differences—from which we can glean more lessons about the world of professional combat sports. (As Yogi Berra quipped, “Their similarities are different.”)

Begin Slideshow

George St. Pierre Following UFC 129: Is Nick Diaz All That’s Left at 170?

Consensus top 10 rankings in the mixed martial arts world have a lot of names that are in George St. Pierre’s win column. At No. 2, there’s Jon Fitch. The former Purdue Boilermaker has only lost once in his last 23 bouts—a lopsided decision …

Consensus top 10 rankings in the mixed martial arts world have a lot of names that are in George St. Pierre’s win column.

At No. 2, there’s Jon Fitch. The former Purdue Boilermaker has only lost once in his last 23 bouts—a lopsided decision to GSP at UFC 87. Although Fitch has been working his way back to a title shot ever since, his latest fight—a draw with contender B.J. Penn—has delayed him yet again, as a rematch will need to take place before he ever does so. In addition, a shoulder injury that requires surgery will have him out an additional 4-6 months.

The majority of rankings have Jake Shields at No. 3. In case anyone was in a coma for the last several months, UFC 129 was one of the biggest events in MMA history.

GSP easily dispatched Shields despite an eye poke that left him without the use of his left eye. Shields did not really threaten at any point in the fight and there is no reason to believe that a rematch would be considered any time soon.

Thiago Alves is in at No. 4, and while he stood no chance against St. Pierre at UFC 100, he is a constantly improving fighter at only 27 years old. The issue, however, is that injuries have only allowed him to fight twice since his July 11, 2009 bout with the welterweight champion, losing to Jon Fitch and winning impressively against John Howard. On May 28th, he will be taking on Rick Story, whom he will need to dominate in order to start fighting contenders again. Either way, Alves is several fights away from another shot at the title.

At No. 5 is Josh Koscheck. After a great deal of hype with the help of the Ultimate Fighter, Koscheck’s title shot at UFC 124 involved a broken orbital bone and a subsequent trip to the hospital. Although Koscheck showed some impressive defensive wrestling, it was another lopsided decision for St. Pierre. Koscheck has yet to fight since their bout on December 11, 2010. Obviously, he is far away from a title shot.

Nick Diaz, at No. 6, is the only current legitimate contender at welterweight for St. Pierre that he hasn’t already disposed of. Although the majority of the mixed martial arts world believes that Diaz’s lack of wrestling will result in him spending the evening on his back, he does have a tendency to put on exciting fights that rarely go the distance, something that GSP desperately needs at the moment. Diaz has only gone to decision once in his last 11 bouts.

BJ Penn is the man in the No. 7 spot. Again, he is tied up in a rematch with Jon Fitch and has already lost to St. Pierre twice. There aren’t too many people who would care to see Penn fight for the title again and there really isn’t much of a reason to believe anything would be different. Penn was completely overwhelmed by the bigger, stronger champion and was forced to throw in the towel after four rounds.

Although most of the rankings have names like Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez, Paul Daley and Martin Kampmann, none of these fighters have ever fought GSP for one reason—consistency. Condit has lost to Kampmann; Kampmann has lost to Shields and Sanchez (although Diego’s face would probably disagree); Sanchez has lost to Penn and Hathaway; and Daley has lost to Koscheck and Diaz.

Besides a relatively low-threat contender in Nick Diaz, George St. Pierre has completely cleared out the welterweight division.

I can understand his hesitance to jump up in weight by 15 pounds to middleweight—a loss to Anderson Silva would be detrimental to his stay there and his career—but this move is inevitable, barring some massive influx of talent to the 170 pound division. Either way, Anderson Silva is 36 years old and has been bringing up the prospect of retiring in recent years.

Whether St. Pierre fights Silva or not, he should be at 185 for the longevity of his career—for both the potential fights and the increased ease in cutting weight as he ages.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com