Life is Good When You're the New York Bad Ass

Think the life of an MMA fighter is all flash and glitz? Perhaps for some, but not for the "New York Bad Ass", Phil Baroni. Watch this Rockstar fight tonight at 9PM EST on CBS.

Kimbo Slice: From Homeless to Household Name

The first time I saw Kimbo was on YouTube and I must admit, I thought he was just another derelict street thug. To my surprise Mr. Slice, real name Kevin Ferguson, is a gentle soul. He has a street edge, yet is soft spoken and polite. And though he was homeless in 1994, he still managed to raise a family of six kids, one of them named Kevlar. It's a befitting name to the child of a street fighter.

However, despite all the interviews and behind the scenes training videos, Kimbo's MMA skills are still questionable. Granted, he's an MMA neophyte and his recent opponents haven't really tested his mettle. Still, for the hardcore MMA fan, questions remain. Can Kimbo stuff a takedown? Will he overpower a submission attempt? Will his unkept beard serve as a buffer or will he fold like a cheap suit if he gets clocked on the chin?

EliteXC is banking that Kimbo knocks out James Thompson, a British brawler who fought in the now defunct Pride FC organization. But what will it prove? Thompson's fighting skills are unrefined, brutish and offer little technique. Thompson's known for "gong and dash", a berserk style of attack where he rushes in with reckless abandon. He's also lost three out of his last four fights.

For Thompson, it's a crap shoot. It's either hit or miss and if he misses, it'll be a quick and easy paycheck for Kimbo. Come Monday, Kimbo's ghetto-fabulous knockout of James Thompson will be the talk at the water cooler. But it'll be no surprise. Thompson won't test Kimbo's mettle. Or will he?

For the CBS audience who's never heard of Fedor or fighters named Silva, it'll hardly matter. They'll get to see fights for free. Kimbo vs. Thompson won't be the best example of MMA, but unlike the last couple of UFC events, I can guarantee these fighters won't run away from each other.

This is What Happens When You Get Punched in the Face

Not exactly MMA, but just as painful!

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Michael Jackson Spotted At Ultimate Fighting Event Wearing Ninja Mask

According to tabloid website TMZ.com, Michael Jackson was spotted at UFC 84 bound to a wheelchair and wearing a Ninja-like mask.

The King of Pop rolled in just in time for the Ortiz/Machida bout.

Photo of the Day: B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk

B.J. Penn answered critics with a thorough thrashing of Sean Sherk at UFC 84.

Mac Danzig Shows You What it Takes To Be An Ultimate Fighter

Elite MMA fighters train hard, perhaps harder than any other athlete. They also train differently than any other athlete. They don't just lift weights, they lift them to simulate an actual fight.

In the current issue of Men's Fitness, The Ultimate Fighter Show season six winner, Mac Danzig, demonstrates a unique set of exercises that separate the champs from the chumps.

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From Jobs To Jabs, UFC Fighters and the Jobs They Held Before Turning Pro

An MMA fighter's career depends on their win record. If they lose too many fights they run the risk of getting cut from their contract. Fortunately, many of these fighters have job skills to fall back on. Here is a list of fighters who will be competing this weekend at UFC 84, along with the jobs they held before becoming professional fighters.

• Sean Sherk was a machinist at a factory and worked in the flooring business.
  
• B.J. Penn was a student.
  
• Keith Jardine was a wildland firefighter, football coach, miner and bounty hunter.
  
• Wanderlei Silva worked in his father's bar and served in the military.
  
• Lyoto Machida taught and competed in Karate.
  
• Tito Ortiz worked as a bouncer, worked on sport fishing boats and framed houses.
  
• Goran Reljic was a student.
  
• Wilson Gouveia was a valet at a golf resort.
  
• Thiago Silva taught Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
  
• Antonio Mendes was a prison guard.
  
• Ivan Salaverry was a welfare case manager.
  
• Rousimar Palhares worked on a farm.
  
• Rameau Sokoudjou worked as a security guard.
  
• Rich Clementi owns a tanning salon.
  
• Terry Etim was a painter and decorator.
  
• Yoshiyuki Yoshida was PE teacher at Seijo High School in Tokyo, Japan.
  
• Jason Tan was training to be a chartered accountant with KPMG.
  
• Christian Wellisch worked as a front desk clerk, trainer, a bouncer, and a network engineer.
  
• Shane Carwin is currently still an Engineer.

Source: ufc.com

UFC 84 "Ill Will" Preview Video

Brian Stann Can Kill a Room Full of People in Under Three Minutes

WEC's Light Heavyweight Champion, Brian Stann, was on the Howard Stern Show this morning. Brian was on the show to present a $5,000 check, on behalf of the Versus Channel, to the winner of the Hottest Chick with the Ugliest Scar contest.

Howard was fascinated with Stann's military and MMA background, so he began interviewing him. Stann, a decorated Marine, was asked about his tours in Iraq, and how long it would take him to kill everyone in the room. Brian said it would take him about three minutes.

Brian Stann (6-0) knocked out Doug Marshall on March 26 to win the WEC's Light Heavyweight title. Brian's next fight is against Steve Cantwell on August 3rd. In regards to WEC/MMA, Howard said "...it's the most exciting sport out there."

Busting a Fingerprint Security System

Biometrics is a set of technologies used to distinguish unique physical characteristics or behaviors, such as fingerprints or voice patterns. Utilized by the government and commercial industries, a biometric system can automate security clearance. But, in the not too distant future, such technology may be adapted for home security. With that in mind, realize that no security system is fool proof, and Discovery Channel's Mythbusters team knows this all too well. Watch what happens when a fingerprint lock's algorithm is "tricked."

LFC 25 Double Knockout!!!

This is rarer than Halley's Comet, but it goes to show that anything can happen in MMA. This is a fight between Tyler Bryan and Shaun Parker at Legends of Fighting 25 this past Friday. The guest referee was Shonie Carter and his reaction was priceless. You'll want to view this one a few times.

Photo of the Day: UFC 80 Rivera vs. Grove

Jorge Rivera squishes "Da Spyda" Kendall Grove at UFC 80.

MMA Fighter Figurines, Collect Them All

Round 5: The Official MMA Collection

Kaitlin Young is a Knockout!

Gina Carano is getting a lot of attention these days, but let's not forget her opponent, Kaitlin Young. Kaitlin's a tough gal and Gina will definitely have her hands full. Here is a brief bio on Kaitlin and a few fight videos, including one of her insane training regimen!

Kaitlin Young
Age: 23
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 140lbs
Style: Muay Thai/MMA

Trains at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy and
Athletic Performance Inc.
College Major: Kinesiology
Enjoys watching the Iron Chef and the Secret Lives of Women
Status: In a relationship
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Official Website: www.KaitlinYoung.com

For Kaitlin Young, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. She's got the looks and beating Gina will open many doors for her. Last November, Kaitlin won a HooknShoot tournament by defeating three girls, all under one minute! As for Gina Carano, it can propel her career even further and plant the flag firmly for women's MMA. It's a win-win situation for these girls, and it's a safe bet that these girls will put on a great show.

The world will be watching.

Kaitlin Young training at Athletic Performance Inc.



HooknShoot/BodogFight Tournament 11/24/2007, Fight 1:
Kaitlin Young vs. Suzi Smith



HooknShoot/BodogFight Tournament 11/24/2007, Fight 2:
Kaitlin Young vs. Miesha Tate



HooknShoot/BodogFight Tournament 11/24/2007, Fight 3:
Kaitlin Young vs. Patti Lee

Gina Carano, America's New Sweetheart

This is incredible. According to Yahoo! Buzz, Gina Carano searches are up 6000% this week! No wonder female MMA fighters are jealous of her. Gina appears to be America's new sweetheart, as every single state in the nation is searching her on the web. Talk about pressure. Who knows if all this attention will work in her opponent, Kaitlin Young's favor.

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B.J. Penn Asks Sean Sherk if He's Using Steroids in Preparation for Their Upcoming Fight

B.J. Penn and Sean Sherk fight next weekend. No doubt this fight will be a war. Click below to listen to an audio clip of a press conference for UFC 84. As you listen you'll get a taste of the bad blood these two fighters have toward each other. B.J. Penn played the role of reporter and started his own line of questioning:

"Sean Sherk did you take any steroids for this fight? What about growth hormone? What about blood doping? Let me know, let me know."

You'll also hear some classic Dana White as he rags on Tito Ortiz:

"I've never wanted to see anybody get their ass kicked worse than I want to see Tito get his kicked on Saturday night."

Women's MMA: Barefoot and Dangerous

Last year Time Magazine caught on to the mild interest in women's MMA and wrote a piece entitled, It's Ladies' Fight.

I'll admit it. I don't mind seeing a beautiful girl punch someone in the face and giggle about it during their post fight interview.

Some may prefer to see the beautiful girl get punched in the face. But what if they're both beautiful? What if they're not? Others may cringe at the thought of women fighting at all. The way I look at it, if women can fight in a war, women can fight in a cage.

Well EliteXC is going to test these waters as they plan to bring women's MMA to the masses. They are discussing the possibility of an all women's fight card taking place next year and creating championship bouts for their roster of female fighters.

Last year EliteXC and Showtime made history by being the first to air a live women's MMA bout on cable television. The women's fight between Gina Carano and Julie Kedzie stole the show as it was considered the fight of the night. On May 31st, EliteXC will take it a step further with a live women's MMA bout on a major network as Gina Carano takes on Kaitlin Young. In fact, it's the first time any type of live MMA event airs on a major network.

Besides Gina, there's a substantial pool of talented women fighting today. There's Tara Larosa, Shayna Baszler, Cristina Damm, Roxanne Modafferi, Satoko Shinashi, Marloes Coenen and many others. It's a shame that I can only follow their careers through poor quality internet videos. So I look forward to what EliteXC has in store.

In case you missed it yesterday, here's Gina "Crush" Carano on ESPN's sports news show, E:60. Also interviewed are top women MMA fighters, Tara Larosa and Shayna Baszler, both of which are gunning for Gina. They express their discontent about Gina being the "face of women's MMA". Gina laughs it off.

Photo of the Day: Alvarez vs. Hansen

This was an excellent fight, Eddie Alvarez vs. Joachim Hansen at Japan's DREAM.3 event over the weekend. It displayed some good striking throughout, but what stood out for me was the great submission escapes. You can watch the full fight at MMATKO.com. It's also interesting to note that DREAM will co-promote future events with EliteXC.

Bodog Girls, Rear Naked Whoa!

Bodog Fight is out of the MMA picture, but they did leave us with some beautiful memories. Here are a couple of the Bodog Girls giving new meaning to the rear naked choke. If you'd like to see more beauties, check out the Top 10 Sexiest MMA Ring Girls.

Check Out These Hi-Tech Self Defense Gadgets You Can Hide In Plain Sight.

MMA Coming to Madison Square Garden?

I live in New York City and look forward to the day when I can go watch an MMA event at Madison Square Garden. It would take me minutes to get there. But it goes beyond my selfish reasons.Having events take place in New York would symbolize MMA's widespread acceptance and the golden seal of approval. New York, and the 17 states currently outlawing MMA, are leaving millions of dollars on the table. With New York getting on board, the remaining states may have no choice but to follow suit. But for the current (outdated) laws to change, New Yorkers need to be heard.

Here's a letter by UFC fighter, Matt Serra, explaining what can be done.

Dear Reader,

As a native New Yorker, nothing would make me happier than fighting right here in New York.

But I need your help. New York has an antiquated law on its books that prevents any respectable MMA event from being held anywhere in the state. We want that to change, and I’m sure you do too.

These things happen because of pressure from local residents on their legislators, letting the people who pass the bills know that the people they represent care about particular issues.

So we need to get a lot of people to email their legislators. So, please go to www.MMAFacts.com and click on my picture on the left, follow the instructions and send an email or two to your local legislator.

Then forward this email to as many people as you can who you think will also be willing to write and take action.

With your help, we will get MMA to New York. And we will hope to see you at the fights.

Thank you,

Matt Serra

Photo Credit

Dana White on the Cover of Men's Fitness

UFC boss, Dana White hit the gym, lost 20lbs and got in great shape for the cover of June's issue of Men's Fitness Magazine.

Massive UFC 84 Wallscape Ad in Times Square

New York City is lovely this time of year. There's a cool crisp feeling in the air as temperatures hover around 60 degrees. Though today is a little cloudy, I decided to take a leisurely stroll around midtown Manhattan during my lunch break.So I head on over to where I can do lots of window shopping, Times Square. Then suddenly, I stop in my tracks and gasp in amazement. I look up and see "The Prodigy", B.J. Penn.

Whoa! He has big fists!

I realize I'm looking at a massive wallscape advertisement for the upcoming UFC 84 event on the side of the Marriot Hotel. There is an infinite amount of media displays, billboards and flashing ads throughout Times Square, but this UFC ad appeared to be the largest one! Eh, maybe I'm just biased. Anyway, I took this snapshot. Click the image for a larger view.