My Top 5 Most Anticipated Fights Of March 2011

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the start of a brand-new series! Recently I started up another series called ?Sneak Peek?, a once-per-month, end-of-month series designed to give fans a look at what to expect for next month. Today?s new series follows the same vein, except it?ll be once per month at [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/01/my-top-5-most-anticipated-fights-of-march-2011

Rich No Love Clementi  Mark The Hammer Coleman Wes Soldier Combs  Ray Cooper 

Bellator 35 Results: A Pleasantly Surprising, Rather Exciting Debut on MTV2

While it may have been a bit overshadowed by Strikeforce?s ?Feijao vs. Henderson? event, today marked an important date in the history of the upstart Bellator FC promotion. Bellator 35 debuted live on MTV2 tonight, featuring several exciting fights that included a great three-round war to open the show and a great three-round war to [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/05/bellator-35-results-a-pleasantly-surprising-rather-exciting-debut-on-mtv2

Tom Big Cat Erickson Martinsh Egle Eric Butterbean Esch Efrain Escudero

Sanchez feels the ecstasy of going through a war, for that he's also $160,000 richer

No one will mistake Diego Sanchez for Floyd Mayweather or Pernell Whitaker, but the kid is an adventure for MMA audiences to take in. The 29-year-old welterweight stood toe-to-toe last night with Martin Kampmann for 15 minutes. He was bloodied, swollen and beaten, but he got the win. UFC brass was so impressed by his performance they gave him a massive bonus of $160,000.

Sanchez tried to get the fight to the ground, his strongest area, but Kampmann's takedown defense was dynamite. The only recourse was to throw hands and go for the knockout.

"You know what was going through my head the whole fight? 'It's gonna land, it's gonna land.’ I was planning on landing that right hand and dropping him. Keep that mindset on. 'It's gonna land, it's gonna land,'" Sanchez told UFC.com "It landed a couple of times, he didn’t drop. When it comes down to it, I kind of threw the gameplan out the window and made it a street fight."

During the UFC video in the locker room, Sanchez was paid a visit by a very complimentary UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta. Sanchez said this is the kind of fight that he'll remember well after his career is over.

"I'm having the pure ecstasy of having war. A lot of UFC fighters, we dream of going in there and finishing the fights in the first round, but it's the fights like I had tonight that when you’re an old man ‘yeah! that was a war' and then you get to call up Martin Kampmann when we’re like 65, 'remember when we threw all those hooks in the ring?’ Those are the ones you don't forget," Sanchez said. "Whether you’re cut, you’re hurt, you don’t forget these no matter what. They're fun."

Fun, huh? Sanchez is off-the-charts unique, but there are plenty of fighters like the former The Ultimate Fighter champ, who lay it on the line each time they step in the cage. For that reason, passionately arguing about the decision in the fight is fine, but let's all stay away from ripping the performance of one or the other. Frankly, the Louisville crowd booing Sanchez, when he first started speaking in the Octagon, was kind of embarrassing. Appreciate what these fighters are potentially doing to their minds and bodies just to entertain us a little.

Kampmann also suffered a broken hand in the fight (the punch that likely broke his hand pictured below). He tweeted today that he's okay and headed for a vacation in the Netherlands.

Tip via MMAConvert

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Sanchez-feels-the-ecstasy-of-going-through-a-war?urn=mma-329880

Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn Dennis George

Brock Lesnar vs. Junior dos Santos becomes official for UFC 131 this June in Vancouver

A previously announced bout featuring heavyweight stars Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos has since been officially announced by the UFC. Former heavyweight champion Lesnar will be taking on contender in dos Santos for the number one contender spot for the heavyweight crown. The two men are currently filming the thirteenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” which [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/05/brock-lesnar-vs-junior-dos-santos-becomes-official-for-ufc-131-this-june-in-vancouver

Vitor Belfort  Robert Berry David Bielkheden Michael Bisping 

UFC 127 Drug Tests Come Back Clean for ?Penn vs. Fitch?

The UFC's drug tests for "UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch" have come back clean for the February 27 event in Sydney, Australia.Headliners BJ Penn and Jon Fitch were tested after fighting to a majority draw in the UFC 127 main event, as were four random fighters from the card who were not named.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/17852/ufc-127-drug-tests-come-back-clean-for-penn-vs-fitch/

Rickson Gracie Rodrigo Gracie Roger Gracie Rolles Gracie

Henderson wins Strikeforce belt with KO of Feijao

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Dan Henderson is a champion again. He won the Strikeforce light heavyweight belt with a KO of Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante on Saturday night at Nationwide Arena.

Feijao, who trains with Black House fighters Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva, started with snapping leg kicks. The fight went to the ground in a flurry that ended with Henderson on top. Henderson wasn't able to do anything on the ground, so the fight was stood up. They got into a clunch, and again, had to be broken up for a lack of action.

In the second round, Henderson returned to the clinch, then used a lateral to take Feijao to the ground. Feijao reversed him, but also couldn't get anything done on the ground.  They were stood up, and Henderson finished the round with a huge body lock takedown. 

Henderson started the third round by pushing Feijao into the cage with strikes. Feijao pushed him away, but then caught a right hand from Henderson. He fell to the ground, and Henderson pounced and finished off Feijao with a series of strikes to end it 50 seconds into the third round.

The fight had been headed towards a clinch-filled, five-round bout until Henderson was able to land the power shot that he's become known for.

After the bout, Henderson was excited to wear the Strikeforce championship belt.

"I didn't think about the belt until now, because my main focus was winning the fight," Henderson said. "But now it means something."

Henderson now has titles in three different major promotions. He won two Pride belts, at 185 lbs. and 205 lbs., as well as memorable victories in the UFC. Now, at 40, he has the Strikeforce light heavyweight belt. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Henderson-wins-Strikeforce-belt-with-KO-of-Feija?urn=mma-330202

Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo 

Video analysis: Will Bisping get fined, suspended or worse?

Michael Bisping got a win on UFC 127, but he still came out a big loser.

Just seconds after pounding out Jorge Rivera, the Brit lost control of his emotions by spitting at the corner of the American. He also yelled at Rivera. Bisping told him to apologize and said "go home loser."

Let's not forget about the illegal knee Bisping threw earlier in the round. Rivera's camp has gone on record saying they think it was intentional

Twitter was flooded with reaction from fans and fighters. Trainer Keith Florian, the brother of UFC fighter Kenny Florian, said what Bisping did was worse that Paul Daley and his sucker punch of Josh Koscheck at UFC 113.

Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole joined us to give his take on Bisping's outburst. He said anything from a fine to firing is possible from UFC management.  

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Video-analysis-Will-Bisping-get-fined-suspende?urn=mma-327714

Heath Herring Branden Lee Hinkle Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

Best Performance Of The Night: Mark Munoz At "UFC On Versus 3: Sanchez vs. Kampmann"

It?s that time once again, fans and friends. Another major MMA event has come and gone, and it?s time for my unofficial ?Best Performance of the Night? award. Considering how many good fights fans got to see on free TV at ?UFC on Versus 3? (try and say that three times fast), it was pretty [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/04/best-performance-of-the-night-mark-munoz-at-ufc-on-versus-3-sanchez-vs-kampmann

Delson Heleno Dan Henderson Josh Hendricks Ed Herman Heath Herring

Top 5 Best Moments Of "UFC On Versus 3: Sanchez vs. Kampmann"

In many ways, ?UFC on Versus 3? had some weighty shoes to fill. This was the first post-WEC Versus show, and the quality would have to be rather high to make up for the diminished schedule of live MMA on Versus. While it may not have been without its controversies, most of the fights lived [...]

Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/04/top-5-best-moments-of-ufc-on-versus-3-sanchez-vs-kampmann

Jonathan Goulet Wilson Gouveia Jason Grace Crosley Gracie Gregor Gracie