MMA News Thread
- Thread starter Shogun Locc
- Start date
yeah im wondering this too.
regardless of how much of an asshole think dana white comes off as, he is a smart business man and has led the expansion of the ufc. Thus is turn creating many more fans of the sport.
and the best thing about him in my opinion is he fucking loves the sport. hes not someone just looking to capitalize off of it. He loves watching the matches and you can tell that even from the tuf shows on spike.
the only thing i can think of that people say is damagin the sport is the ufc exclusive contracts. but that is a smart business move.
so tell us how he is damaging the sport?
regardless of how much of an asshole think dana white comes off as, he is a smart business man and has led the expansion of the ufc. Thus is turn creating many more fans of the sport.
and the best thing about him in my opinion is he fucking loves the sport. hes not someone just looking to capitalize off of it. He loves watching the matches and you can tell that even from the tuf shows on spike.
the only thing i can think of that people say is damagin the sport is the ufc exclusive contracts. but that is a smart business move.
so tell us how he is damaging the sport?
Most notibly by destroying Pride(FC). Maybe he didn't make all the decisions but he is the face of the UFC. I really thought it (Pride) was a great part of MMA as a whole. Yes he did sign some of the better fighters over there but the way Pride comprised it's fights and tournaments will likely never be see under the same size audience again because of him and the UFC.
Gaining more fans? Maybe, maybe not. But two of the most popular fighters in UFC were Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture. How did he fare with them in regards to gaining fan support? Besides that if you look at ratings, the current buyouts are on par with those 2-3 years ago.
He prevented Fedor from fighting Couture in a match that the entire MMA world wanted to see.
He is holding a fight the same day as affliction out of sheer spite. This is just wrong and does nothing but damage the sport.
He banned affliction from UFC which, although might have little consequence, did nothing but bad for the sport.
He is a great business man but to me that is all he is. You can argue why he did these things but you can only do so from a business perspective.
Gaining more fans? Maybe, maybe not. But two of the most popular fighters in UFC were Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture. How did he fare with them in regards to gaining fan support? Besides that if you look at ratings, the current buyouts are on par with those 2-3 years ago.
He prevented Fedor from fighting Couture in a match that the entire MMA world wanted to see.
He is holding a fight the same day as affliction out of sheer spite. This is just wrong and does nothing but damage the sport.
He banned affliction from UFC which, although might have little consequence, did nothing but bad for the sport.
He is a great business man but to me that is all he is. You can argue why he did these things but you can only do so from a business perspective.
SINCE PRIDE'S DEMISE ALOT OF CARDS THE UFC HAS BEEN PUTTING ON ARE GARBAGE...MOSTLY TUF FIGHTERS AND A SUBPAR HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION...SET ASIDE FROM CHUCK VS WANDY AND SHOGUN VS FORREST...THERE REALLY HASNT BEEN ANY GOOD CARDS THIS YEAR IMO...I DO MISS THE PRIDE TOURNEY'S...PRIDE DID STACK THE SHIT OUT OF SOME THEIR EVENTS...AFFLICTION SO FAR LOOKS LIKE IT HAS THE BEST LINEUP SO FAR THIS YEAR...ALVES VS HUGHES AND GSP VS SERRA CARDS WERE SORRY AND DIDNT GET A PENNY FROM ME...AND I USED TO COP EVERY SINGLE UFC...NOT NO MORE.
It may be due to rules that we won't see these tournaments again but it is due to Dana White that we arn't watching them go down in Japan. I am not a fan of Tito by any means but the point is he is an extremely popular fighter and Dana ran him out of the UFC.
I also forgot to mention that Dana White is trying to hold a UFC fight on the same day as affliction which is a horrible idea in regards to the sport. I'll edit it with that in mind.
I also forgot to mention that Dana White is trying to hold a UFC fight on the same day as affliction which is a horrible idea in regards to the sport. I'll edit it with that in mind.
I dont see how having 2 shows on 1 night is bad for the sport. Make a figure on how many die hard fans are out there. Now out of that figure how many on a regular basis purchase a PPV. Add in some die hard fans that go and watch it at a bar or restaurant or at a friends house. Since Affliction is promoting more on the internet how many fans of MMa actually know this event is going down? Can someone confirm how much tickets they sold. Remember this is being put in SoCal where the first UFC sold out within hours and thats not having the caliber of fights that Affliction is having. What about fans that say they rather watch the UFC on free tv and then watch the Affliction fights on the net for free. How many are actually gonna purchase affliction then watch UFC later on? Factor in these keys and tell me how many fans are saying having 2 shows is bad for the sport.
If Burger King puts a buy one whopper get one free. Is it bad for fast food industry to have McDonalds put a buy one BigMac get one free? Its competition and each of them are gonna have something good brought to the table.
If Burger King puts a buy one whopper get one free. Is it bad for fast food industry to have McDonalds put a buy one BigMac get one free? Its competition and each of them are gonna have something good brought to the table.
Take into account who is holding the fight and why he is doing it. If they were coincidentally scheduled the same day then so be it. And as for the ticket sales for the Affliction event, I went to check the prices and they were $1,000 each. So let not the sales reflect the audience who wants to watch the fight. Furthermore people will be more reluctant to pay to watch a fight on TV when they have one coming on for free.
Its all a business.
Did Affliction buy exclusive rights to hold an mma event the 19th?
UFC is just giving you another choice that night. im sure some people will buy the ppv and others will watch the show on spike. Since when are choices bad for people and for sports.
It just provides one more show for people to watch. i know for one im watching both and looking forward to them both.
Bottom line is business is business.
Cant you also say how dare affliction start their own promotion when the ufc is doing well.
The more mma organizations the better. I watch UFC, wec, dream, strikeforce, elite xc and i even watched the shitty adrenaline card. i dont care who is running it as long as the fights turn out good.
most of the time the no name fighters put on the best fights.
Did Affliction buy exclusive rights to hold an mma event the 19th?
UFC is just giving you another choice that night. im sure some people will buy the ppv and others will watch the show on spike. Since when are choices bad for people and for sports.
It just provides one more show for people to watch. i know for one im watching both and looking forward to them both.
Bottom line is business is business.
Cant you also say how dare affliction start their own promotion when the ufc is doing well.
The more mma organizations the better. I watch UFC, wec, dream, strikeforce, elite xc and i even watched the shitty adrenaline card. i dont care who is running it as long as the fights turn out good.
most of the time the no name fighters put on the best fights.
First off .. Dana White is a promoter, simple as that. Dude is looking out for the UFC just like every other promoter in the any fightsport business.
Second .. Dana didn't kill off Pride, you can blame Sakakibara for shitty business pratices and Yakuza involement for that.
Third .. Have you seen ANY kind of promotion for the Affliction card? I sure haven't. I haven't seen a commercial or anything. If I wasn't into MMA there's a good chance I wouldn't even know this card was taking place.
Fourth .. I like tournaments but it's more of a show than deciding who's the best fighter. It relies way too much on the final matchups than on actual skill. The recent Strikeforce tournament for example. Prangley had a battle with Vitale while Santiago had an under a minute knockout over Salmon and it clearly showed in the finals.
Randy Couture was offered the chance to fight Fedor in BoDog over Matt Lindland before he made his return to the UFC and turned it down. Apparently not even he thought he'd have the success at hw that he did. He could've made that fight happen if he wanted to. He also only had one fight left on his contract I believe but he's too above fighting Nog for some reason to finish off his contract.
Second .. Dana didn't kill off Pride, you can blame Sakakibara for shitty business pratices and Yakuza involement for that.
Third .. Have you seen ANY kind of promotion for the Affliction card? I sure haven't. I haven't seen a commercial or anything. If I wasn't into MMA there's a good chance I wouldn't even know this card was taking place.
Fourth .. I like tournaments but it's more of a show than deciding who's the best fighter. It relies way too much on the final matchups than on actual skill. The recent Strikeforce tournament for example. Prangley had a battle with Vitale while Santiago had an under a minute knockout over Salmon and it clearly showed in the finals.
Randy Couture was offered the chance to fight Fedor in BoDog over Matt Lindland before he made his return to the UFC and turned it down. Apparently not even he thought he'd have the success at hw that he did. He could've made that fight happen if he wanted to. He also only had one fight left on his contract I believe but he's too above fighting Nog for some reason to finish off his contract.
You're right, and we both agree Dana White is a great businessman. But business aside, with respect to the sport and only the sport, he is not doing justice to the fighters or the fans. He could have done this fight the week before or after, had better revenues and recieved more support. But instead he holds it the same day just to get back at another organization. That to me is just foul.
I agree with that. But whats good for business is not always whats good for the consumer/fan.
Nevertheless he could have kept the organization alive and continued the way it operated. In doing so he would have generated more revenues for his company and kept a great fighting program going. Instead he took it down so people would be forced to watch his program. Again, great business practice, bad for the sport.
You're right about that. God knows how they're going to sell out. Still though, the fact that Dana is promoting a fight out of spite speaks volumes about his character.
Is it not still entertaining? Right now, as a fan, can you honestly say that you don't wish Pride was still going? Dana White/UFC IMO are responsible for why we can't watch it anymore.
I personally can not speak on the character of Randy Couture but if he really only has one fight left on his contract then indeed, that is shady business. He probably doesn't want to risk losing before he gets the chance to fight Fedor. He wants to go out either on top or having lost to the best there is, neither of which involves Nog.
In short I just think Dana White is doing more bad for the sport than good. If he conducted himself with the fans/fighters in mind just a little bit more then we might not be having this conversation.
Nevertheless he could have kept the organization alive and continued the way it operated. In doing so he would have generated more revenues for his company and kept a great fighting program going. Instead he took it down so people would be forced to watch his program. Again, great business practice, bad for the sport.
You're right about that. God knows how they're going to sell out. Still though, the fact that Dana is promoting a fight out of spite speaks volumes about his character.
Is it not still entertaining? Right now, as a fan, can you honestly say that you don't wish Pride was still going? Dana White/UFC IMO are responsible for why we can't watch it anymore.
I personally can not speak on the character of Randy Couture but if he really only has one fight left on his contract then indeed, that is shady business. He probably doesn't want to risk losing before he gets the chance to fight Fedor. He wants to go out either on top or having lost to the best there is, neither of which involves Nog.
In short I just think Dana White is doing more bad for the sport than good. If he conducted himself with the fans/fighters in mind just a little bit more then we might not be having this conversation.
Not sure how true it is but they said the books were so fucked up that it would cost millions more just to keep the actual company afloat. Sometimes what's good for the fans can annihilate a company.
Again he's a promoter, this is the character of every promoter alive.
I do wish Pride was still going on, but I don't give a shit about a promotions name. Dream has been putting on good shows in Japan recently. I don't care about a light show or fancy entrances. Fights are why I watch. As for tournaments, I don't mind watching them but I really don't give a shit about them either way. The tournaments mean nothing in the grand scheme of things in establishing legitimacy in a division, which is the most important thing for a combat sport. The tournaments I'm talking about are ones where guys fight more than once in a day btw.
They bought a company that was heavily in debt and made it what it is today. They took a sport that was banned from TV including PPVs are turned it mainstream. None of the scumbag shit that he pulls or retarded quotes he makes can erase that.
Again he's a promoter, this is the character of every promoter alive.
I do wish Pride was still going on, but I don't give a shit about a promotions name. Dream has been putting on good shows in Japan recently. I don't care about a light show or fancy entrances. Fights are why I watch. As for tournaments, I don't mind watching them but I really don't give a shit about them either way. The tournaments mean nothing in the grand scheme of things in establishing legitimacy in a division, which is the most important thing for a combat sport. The tournaments I'm talking about are ones where guys fight more than once in a day btw.
They bought a company that was heavily in debt and made it what it is today. They took a sport that was banned from TV including PPVs are turned it mainstream. None of the scumbag shit that he pulls or retarded quotes he makes can erase that.
Really.. I also heard that it was supposed to be operated seperately, then it moved to more of a merger than an acquisition and that they eventually laid off all Pride staff.
Where/when do they air DREAM fights?
And Pride tournaments to me were, for the most part, legitimate based on the fact that most of the winners still today have successful careers ie. Wandy, Fedor, Shogun etc. But I get what you're saying with those early first round knockouts.
Can't argue with his business tactics as a means to generate money. But how the fuck did Pride go into debt? Must be the lack of revenues from television because from what I understand they have drawn bigger crowds than UFC ever has (I'm talking about ticket sales.).
Where/when do they air DREAM fights?
And Pride tournaments to me were, for the most part, legitimate based on the fact that most of the winners still today have successful careers ie. Wandy, Fedor, Shogun etc. But I get what you're saying with those early first round knockouts.
Can't argue with his business tactics as a means to generate money. But how the fuck did Pride go into debt? Must be the lack of revenues from television because from what I understand they have drawn bigger crowds than UFC ever has (I'm talking about ticket sales.).
Kojima-Yamaguchi Official for Shooto Title
A 123-pound title trilogy is in now on the books for top Shooto promoter Sustain's "Shooto Tradition 2" on July 18 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Shooto world champion Shinichi "BJ" Kojima (Pictures) will make the second defense of his title against the man he wrested it from, Mamoru Yamaguchi (Pictures).
Sherdog.com broke the news of the third clash between Yamaguchi and Kojima last month. Sustain was initially interested in matching Kojima against Yasuhiro Urushitani (Pictures) again, following their second and highly controversial bout in March 2007, which ended in a split draw that most observers felt Urushitani won. However, Urushitani could only muster a draw in May against Ryuichi Miki (Pictures), while Yamaguchi's victories over Yuki Shoujou (Pictures) and Masaaki Sugawara (Pictures) earlier this year have raised him to first in the Shooto world rankings, making him Kojima's title challenger.
The bout is not only the third clash between Kojima and Urushitani, but also the third title tilt between them. The two first met in March 2006, when Yamaguchi was amidst his nearly three-year reign as Shooto world champion. The bout ended in a majority draw. Yamaguchi and Kojima rematched that October, where "BJ" ended the reign of Shooto's afroed ace, taking his back and choking him unconscious in a shocking 98 seconds.
Since claiming the title, "BJ" has been viewed as a disappointment. After his highly questionable draw with Urushitani, Kojima, 29, decided to campaign in Shooto's 132-pound division and attempt to fulfill his goal of being a two-division champion. That dream was severely dashed, as Kojima suffered a pair of miserable losses to young Brazilian Eduardo Dantas (Pictures) and So Tazawa (Pictures) in November and January.
The 31-year-old Yamaguchi is Shooto's only two-division champion, having reigned at both 132 and 123 pounds. As aforementioned, the longtime Shooto king is coming off a pair of victories over young up-and-comers Yuki Shoujou (Pictures) and Masaaki Sugawara (Pictures) in February and March in two of the most thrilling Shooto bouts of 2008.
Sustain has also announced a 154-pound Shooto Pacific Rim title bout between Yusuke Endo (Pictures) and Kenichiro Togashi (Pictures). The Pacific Rim title has been rendered vacant again, following former champion Takashi Nakakura (Pictures) winning the Shooto world 154-pound championship in May.
The 25-year-old Endo suffered a setback in his bid to become Shooto world champion last November, when he was blown out in a lopsided decision against the aforementioned Nakakura, which cost him his chance at a title bout. However, Endo got back into the win column in May, when he took a first-round submission victory over an anonymous Vince Ortiz (Pictures).
The ever-tough Togashi had a chance to make an impact last August when he came stateside to face gritty Brian Cobb (Pictures), but was pounded out in the third stanza. Togashi's last action came in May, when he fought to a draw with up-and-coming lightweight Yutaka Ueda.
Also added to the card is a 132-pound clash between undefeated 21-year-old former rookie champion Hiromasa Ogikubo (Pictures) and Hiroyuki Tanaka (Pictures), and in a 154-pound rookie tournament bout, star Kiguchi pupil Ikuo Usuda will face Junpei Konno.
A 123-pound title trilogy is in now on the books for top Shooto promoter Sustain's "Shooto Tradition 2" on July 18 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Shooto world champion Shinichi "BJ" Kojima (Pictures) will make the second defense of his title against the man he wrested it from, Mamoru Yamaguchi (Pictures).
Sherdog.com broke the news of the third clash between Yamaguchi and Kojima last month. Sustain was initially interested in matching Kojima against Yasuhiro Urushitani (Pictures) again, following their second and highly controversial bout in March 2007, which ended in a split draw that most observers felt Urushitani won. However, Urushitani could only muster a draw in May against Ryuichi Miki (Pictures), while Yamaguchi's victories over Yuki Shoujou (Pictures) and Masaaki Sugawara (Pictures) earlier this year have raised him to first in the Shooto world rankings, making him Kojima's title challenger.
The bout is not only the third clash between Kojima and Urushitani, but also the third title tilt between them. The two first met in March 2006, when Yamaguchi was amidst his nearly three-year reign as Shooto world champion. The bout ended in a majority draw. Yamaguchi and Kojima rematched that October, where "BJ" ended the reign of Shooto's afroed ace, taking his back and choking him unconscious in a shocking 98 seconds.
Since claiming the title, "BJ" has been viewed as a disappointment. After his highly questionable draw with Urushitani, Kojima, 29, decided to campaign in Shooto's 132-pound division and attempt to fulfill his goal of being a two-division champion. That dream was severely dashed, as Kojima suffered a pair of miserable losses to young Brazilian Eduardo Dantas (Pictures) and So Tazawa (Pictures) in November and January.
The 31-year-old Yamaguchi is Shooto's only two-division champion, having reigned at both 132 and 123 pounds. As aforementioned, the longtime Shooto king is coming off a pair of victories over young up-and-comers Yuki Shoujou (Pictures) and Masaaki Sugawara (Pictures) in February and March in two of the most thrilling Shooto bouts of 2008.
Sustain has also announced a 154-pound Shooto Pacific Rim title bout between Yusuke Endo (Pictures) and Kenichiro Togashi (Pictures). The Pacific Rim title has been rendered vacant again, following former champion Takashi Nakakura (Pictures) winning the Shooto world 154-pound championship in May.
The 25-year-old Endo suffered a setback in his bid to become Shooto world champion last November, when he was blown out in a lopsided decision against the aforementioned Nakakura, which cost him his chance at a title bout. However, Endo got back into the win column in May, when he took a first-round submission victory over an anonymous Vince Ortiz (Pictures).
The ever-tough Togashi had a chance to make an impact last August when he came stateside to face gritty Brian Cobb (Pictures), but was pounded out in the third stanza. Togashi's last action came in May, when he fought to a draw with up-and-coming lightweight Yutaka Ueda.
Also added to the card is a 132-pound clash between undefeated 21-year-old former rookie champion Hiromasa Ogikubo (Pictures) and Hiroyuki Tanaka (Pictures), and in a 154-pound rookie tournament bout, star Kiguchi pupil Ikuo Usuda will face Junpei Konno.
New York MMA Bill Shelved for Review
The New York State Assembly's Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development Committee shelved a bill Wednesday that would have signaled the first step on a long road to regulating mixed martial arts in the Empire State.
Bill A11458 proposed to amend chapter 912 of the laws of 1920 to add "professional combative sports participants" to its verbiage, allowing the New York State Athletic Commission to promulgate rules and regulations for MMA and other combat sports outside of boxing. The act would also allow the NYSAC to review existing or future sanctioning organizations for state approval.
A public forum will be scheduled to review the bill sometime between now and January 2009, when the next fiscal session begins.
"This would give the opportunity to have a round table or a public hearing, an opportunity for all sides to weigh in and take a hard look at the issue," said Elizabeth Nostrand, legislative and policy director for Assemblyman Steven Englebright, who authored the bill and chairs the Tourism committee. "Of course, there's a lot of interest in the bill, but there's a lot of confusion too as demonstrated by last week's vote."
The bill was voted down June 9 and then called back for a re-vote after some assembly members voiced confusion and requested to change their votes.
If the bill had passed through Thursday's vote, a lengthy process remained before MMA could pitch its cage or ring in the lucrative state.
The bill would have been presented next to the Assembly as a whole for a vote, while companion bill, S2858-A, would have to begin a similar two-vote process through the Senate.
If both bills were to pass, the amendment bill would be presented to the governor for passage and signing. The NYSAC would then require a review period to organize staff and other considerations to oversee the sport.
The New York State Assembly's Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development Committee shelved a bill Wednesday that would have signaled the first step on a long road to regulating mixed martial arts in the Empire State.
Bill A11458 proposed to amend chapter 912 of the laws of 1920 to add "professional combative sports participants" to its verbiage, allowing the New York State Athletic Commission to promulgate rules and regulations for MMA and other combat sports outside of boxing. The act would also allow the NYSAC to review existing or future sanctioning organizations for state approval.
A public forum will be scheduled to review the bill sometime between now and January 2009, when the next fiscal session begins.
"This would give the opportunity to have a round table or a public hearing, an opportunity for all sides to weigh in and take a hard look at the issue," said Elizabeth Nostrand, legislative and policy director for Assemblyman Steven Englebright, who authored the bill and chairs the Tourism committee. "Of course, there's a lot of interest in the bill, but there's a lot of confusion too as demonstrated by last week's vote."
The bill was voted down June 9 and then called back for a re-vote after some assembly members voiced confusion and requested to change their votes.
If the bill had passed through Thursday's vote, a lengthy process remained before MMA could pitch its cage or ring in the lucrative state.
The bill would have been presented next to the Assembly as a whole for a vote, while companion bill, S2858-A, would have to begin a similar two-vote process through the Senate.
If both bills were to pass, the amendment bill would be presented to the governor for passage and signing. The NYSAC would then require a review period to organize staff and other considerations to oversee the sport.
LISTER CLIMBING BACK UP UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT LADDER
Jiu-jitsu expert Dean Lister will make his return to the Octagon on June 21 at The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale on SpikeTV against fellow tactician Jeremy Horn. Lister and Horn have a history together because they fought back in 2003 where Horn earned the majority decision victory. It was a close fight, but Lister came up short and he’s looking forward to getting some redemption.
“Absolutely. If you are a true fighter, you definitely want to avenge any kind of loss you ever had,” Lister said recently on an interview with MMAWeekly radio. “I definitely want to have a good fight here.”
While that loss did hurt Lister’s career a little bit, he maintained a positive attitude in his defeat. “I care if I win, I care if I lose. But every single fight you have, win or lose, it's something on your path and your journey to become a better fighter. That's all I want to do is become a better fighter. That was just one little stop on my journey. That's all it was. No big deal.”
“The Boogeyman” hasn’t fought since UFC 79 back in December where he defeated Jordan Radev. Prior to that fight, he had an eleven-month hiatus. Part of the reason for the layoff was for Lister to prepare himself mentally to fight and the other part was because of a serious bicep injury before and after his fight with Nate Marquardt.
“Before that fight, I had hurt it sparring,” Lister explained. “I pulled it. And after the Marquardt fight, I completely tore it. Just imagine snapping a rubber band. I felt it and it didn't feel good.”
The San Diego native has had a pretty successful MMA career thus far, but he is well known for his wins in Abu Dhabi. MMAWeekly.com asked Lister if he had any plans to return to competitive grappling in the near future. “Right now, the only grappling one I'd consider is Abu Dhabi,” he replied. “That's my home. If they'd call me and say someone's injured and we'd like you to fight in a super fight, I'd do it. Other than that, I really want to concentrate on my mixed martial arts. I want to focus all my time and energy to that now.”
A lot of jiu-jitsu practitioners have tried to emerge in the MMA world. Some have enjoyed success and some have failed. Lister shed some light on why there are ups and downs with some of the transitions. “Who was it that said, everyone has a plan until they get hit in the face? It's a huge thing to say whether you can take a hit or not. I'm very fortunate. I don't know if I'm part Neanderthal. I can take a hit. I don't want to, but I can. It's either something you can do or you can't.”
However, Lister believes the most invaluable piece of advice he can give is to get involved with a great camp. “It's the number one piece of advice I give. The number one thing you can do consciously as a fighter is find a solid training camp. You can't train yourself. What you can do is trust your training from someone who really knows what they're doing.”
Horn is a legend in the sport and has over 100 fights to his credit. Lately, he has hit a slide losing three out of his last four bouts, all fights that he was finished in. That doesn’t mean much to Lister, as he would never underestimate Horn’s unmistakable ability to show up at any point.
“With Jeremy Horn, he's such a well-rounded fighter that's been around for so long,” Lister commented. “I'd hate to try to identify what he's going through right now. Everyone goes up and down, and has things happen to them. I don't know what's going to happen. The reason I don't know is because he's so well-rounded. I'm just going to try to focus on what I can do. Look at Wanderlei Silva. He lost three fights in a row, and came back and looked great. I don't want to count anyone out or in.”
One priority that the San Diego native has on Saturday night is to go out and have an exciting fight. That’s why he never thinks about the next fight and only concentrates on the task in front of him. “We can't just go in there thinking about our next fight. I have to try to make it a very exciting fight. The UFC being the biggest organization in the world, who knows who can be cut at any point? I’d rather get “Fight of the Night” than “Submission of the Night.”
Lister will admit he’s not the type of guy who goes out and challenges individual fighters. He wants to fight whoever the UFC matches him up with and anyone who gets him one step closer to his professional goal: the UFC middleweight title. “Maybe it would be more exciting if I challenged guys all the time. I'll fight whoever they put in front of me. I'll fight whoever is the right guy for me to fight at the time. I would love to have the UFC middleweight title around my waist at some point. I mean, if that's not my goal, then I shouldn't be fighting.”
When asked for a prediction for the fight, Lister said, “What's going to happen is… I don't like to predict what happens. I see there being action. I see it going to the ground. I see two guys going in who like to finish fights. And I think it's going to go that way, finishing the fight.”
Jiu-jitsu expert Dean Lister will make his return to the Octagon on June 21 at The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale on SpikeTV against fellow tactician Jeremy Horn. Lister and Horn have a history together because they fought back in 2003 where Horn earned the majority decision victory. It was a close fight, but Lister came up short and he’s looking forward to getting some redemption.
“Absolutely. If you are a true fighter, you definitely want to avenge any kind of loss you ever had,” Lister said recently on an interview with MMAWeekly radio. “I definitely want to have a good fight here.”
While that loss did hurt Lister’s career a little bit, he maintained a positive attitude in his defeat. “I care if I win, I care if I lose. But every single fight you have, win or lose, it's something on your path and your journey to become a better fighter. That's all I want to do is become a better fighter. That was just one little stop on my journey. That's all it was. No big deal.”
“The Boogeyman” hasn’t fought since UFC 79 back in December where he defeated Jordan Radev. Prior to that fight, he had an eleven-month hiatus. Part of the reason for the layoff was for Lister to prepare himself mentally to fight and the other part was because of a serious bicep injury before and after his fight with Nate Marquardt.
“Before that fight, I had hurt it sparring,” Lister explained. “I pulled it. And after the Marquardt fight, I completely tore it. Just imagine snapping a rubber band. I felt it and it didn't feel good.”
The San Diego native has had a pretty successful MMA career thus far, but he is well known for his wins in Abu Dhabi. MMAWeekly.com asked Lister if he had any plans to return to competitive grappling in the near future. “Right now, the only grappling one I'd consider is Abu Dhabi,” he replied. “That's my home. If they'd call me and say someone's injured and we'd like you to fight in a super fight, I'd do it. Other than that, I really want to concentrate on my mixed martial arts. I want to focus all my time and energy to that now.”
A lot of jiu-jitsu practitioners have tried to emerge in the MMA world. Some have enjoyed success and some have failed. Lister shed some light on why there are ups and downs with some of the transitions. “Who was it that said, everyone has a plan until they get hit in the face? It's a huge thing to say whether you can take a hit or not. I'm very fortunate. I don't know if I'm part Neanderthal. I can take a hit. I don't want to, but I can. It's either something you can do or you can't.”
However, Lister believes the most invaluable piece of advice he can give is to get involved with a great camp. “It's the number one piece of advice I give. The number one thing you can do consciously as a fighter is find a solid training camp. You can't train yourself. What you can do is trust your training from someone who really knows what they're doing.”
Horn is a legend in the sport and has over 100 fights to his credit. Lately, he has hit a slide losing three out of his last four bouts, all fights that he was finished in. That doesn’t mean much to Lister, as he would never underestimate Horn’s unmistakable ability to show up at any point.
“With Jeremy Horn, he's such a well-rounded fighter that's been around for so long,” Lister commented. “I'd hate to try to identify what he's going through right now. Everyone goes up and down, and has things happen to them. I don't know what's going to happen. The reason I don't know is because he's so well-rounded. I'm just going to try to focus on what I can do. Look at Wanderlei Silva. He lost three fights in a row, and came back and looked great. I don't want to count anyone out or in.”
One priority that the San Diego native has on Saturday night is to go out and have an exciting fight. That’s why he never thinks about the next fight and only concentrates on the task in front of him. “We can't just go in there thinking about our next fight. I have to try to make it a very exciting fight. The UFC being the biggest organization in the world, who knows who can be cut at any point? I’d rather get “Fight of the Night” than “Submission of the Night.”
Lister will admit he’s not the type of guy who goes out and challenges individual fighters. He wants to fight whoever the UFC matches him up with and anyone who gets him one step closer to his professional goal: the UFC middleweight title. “Maybe it would be more exciting if I challenged guys all the time. I'll fight whoever they put in front of me. I'll fight whoever is the right guy for me to fight at the time. I would love to have the UFC middleweight title around my waist at some point. I mean, if that's not my goal, then I shouldn't be fighting.”
When asked for a prediction for the fight, Lister said, “What's going to happen is… I don't like to predict what happens. I see there being action. I see it going to the ground. I see two guys going in who like to finish fights. And I think it's going to go that way, finishing the fight.”
METAL BAND MEGADETH TO PERFORM AT AFFLICTION
Affliction Entertainment, scheduled to make its MMA debut on July 19 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., keeps building this event with the latest news – heavy metal band Megadeth, led by frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Dave Mustaine, will be performing live at the event.
According to a spokesperson for Affliction, Megadeth will be performing a key points during the event itself.
The platinum selling band has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and will perform a special highlight performance. Known for their distinctive, in-your-face guitar solos, snarling vocal style and dark lyrical themes, Megadeth is sure to resonate with the “Affliction Banned” fan base and intensify the already action-packed event.
“Affliction Banned,” a mixed-martial-arts pay-per-view event in association with Roy Englebrecht Events, features former undisputed Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko against former two-time UFC heavyweight titleholder Tim Sylvia.
A four-fight pay-per-view undercard includes Josh Barnett, facing off stateside for the first time in two years, in a grudge match against the only opponent to ever knock him out, Brazilian Pedro Rizzo.
Three-time All-American wrestler Mike Whitehead will battle Brazilian Renato “Babalu” Sobral. 2000 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist Matt Lindland faces Brazilian Fabio “Negao” Nascimento. Former International Fight League titlist Ben Rothwell is scheduled to fight Andre Arlovski.
Affliction Entertainment, scheduled to make its MMA debut on July 19 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., keeps building this event with the latest news – heavy metal band Megadeth, led by frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Dave Mustaine, will be performing live at the event.
According to a spokesperson for Affliction, Megadeth will be performing a key points during the event itself.
The platinum selling band has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and will perform a special highlight performance. Known for their distinctive, in-your-face guitar solos, snarling vocal style and dark lyrical themes, Megadeth is sure to resonate with the “Affliction Banned” fan base and intensify the already action-packed event.
“Affliction Banned,” a mixed-martial-arts pay-per-view event in association with Roy Englebrecht Events, features former undisputed Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko against former two-time UFC heavyweight titleholder Tim Sylvia.
A four-fight pay-per-view undercard includes Josh Barnett, facing off stateside for the first time in two years, in a grudge match against the only opponent to ever knock him out, Brazilian Pedro Rizzo.
Three-time All-American wrestler Mike Whitehead will battle Brazilian Renato “Babalu” Sobral. 2000 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist Matt Lindland faces Brazilian Fabio “Negao” Nascimento. Former International Fight League titlist Ben Rothwell is scheduled to fight Andre Arlovski.