MMA Insider Blog RSS Feed


Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Train And Live With Cowboy Cerrone & Leonard Garcia

The road to being a well trained and successful mixed martial artist can be very long and arduous, but thanks to two WEC superstars, the path just got a little shorter, and probably a lot less expensive as well. Top WEC lightweight contender, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, and featherweight, Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia, have opened up their home in New Mexico to young, up and coming fighters to stay with them and train with the legendary Jackson's team in Albuquerque.

The offer was extended by both Cerrone and Garcia, who just recently invested in a new house in New Mexico, to help young fighters work and train with a top team, for a minimal cost considering the world-class team they'll be working with.

"We did this to be able to offer our house as a fighters house to pros and amateurs looking to take their fight games to the next level," Cerrone said via his Facebook page on Monday. "We already worked out a deal with Greg to have you live with us at our house, and also train at Jackson's. We will only be offering this to a few people each month. The total cost for the month, which includes a month of training at Jacksons, and a month of living at our house is $ 500.00."

Many top fighters have already flocked to Jackson's school to work under his expert tutelage, and now many young pros and amateurs will have the same system to excel under as champions such as Georges St. Pierre and Rashad Evans have been doing over the last few years.

"We designed this with the idea of having up and coming fighters live and train with us to get a feel for what it takes to train and compete at one of the top camps in the world," Cerrone commented.

This unprecedented offer comes on the heels of the news that Cerrone will be training for a WEC title fight on Sept 2 against Ben Henderson, while Leonard Garcia prepares for an August match-up against Jameel Massouh.

For more information on taking part in this new opportunity please contact Donald Cerrone's manager, Bryan Hamper, at: bryanhamper@gmail.com

Labels: , , , , ,

posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:47 PM 





Friday, June 26, 2009

Varner Responds To Cerrone, Picks Henderson

Donald Cerrone left little to the imagination regarding his feelings for lightweight champion Jamie Varner and the hand injury that's keeping him from defending his title in September.

"Maybe Varner will come back in 2010 to unify the belt," he said. "But they might have to break his arm off and get him a new one. Can I add that Jaime Varner is a (expletive)?”

Varner wasn't too happy about that when contacted by MMAInsider.

"This (expletive) kicked his ass for five rounds with a broken hand and a broken foot," snapped Varner. "So I'm glad we're resorting to name-calling, you can tell he comes from an educated family. He definitely solidified himself as a true hillbilly. A classless hillbilly. And I look forward to stomping his face in again."

Varner said he will release x-ray images of his damaged hand next week. At the moment, there is no concrete timetable for his return.

As for the match-up that would determine the next challenger to his belt, an likely interim title bout between Cerrone and Ben Henderson, Varner went with his Arizona brethren.

"I think it's going to be a great fight, but I see Ben Henderson winning that one," he said. "Cerrone is just too easy to take down, and Henderson's a pretty decent wrestler. He's still a good wrestler, very explosive. He's also got great jiu-jitsu, trained with Alvin Robinson. He's a southpaw, so the fact that Cowboy likes to use his left leg kicks a lot, really aren't going to help him too much against that southpaw. I just see him getting taken down and ground out for a three-round decision."

Labels: , , ,

posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 2:59 PM 





Wednesday, April 15, 2009

WEC Champ Varner Returning for More Hand Surgery

It appears that WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner has suffered another setback in recovering from injuries stemming from his Jan. 25 bout against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.

Apparently, his right index finger healed at a bad angle - 30 degrees - so he will go back in for a second surgery on his right hand, according to a report by MMAMadness.com.

The second surgery is scheduled for April 20. Varner will have a piece of bone removed and a steel plate and screws will be inserted in an attempt to correct the problem.

The procedure is expected to add at least another month to his return to the ring.

Labels: , ,

posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:00 PM 





Thursday, February 19, 2009

Bartimus Could Be In Line For Title Shot With Win

As the WEC event in Corpus Christi, TX fast approaches, Bart "Bartimus" Palaszewski is focused and ready to face tough lightweight competitor, Richard Crunkilton.

The bout is pivotal in the WEC's growing lightweight division as either fighter could be seen as future contender in the division, but while champion Jamie Varner has said he would be honored to fight the former IFL stand-out it's Palaszewski who is only looking at the fight directly in front of him.

"I'm not looking past Crunkilton right now but I am looking to get in and finish this fight" Bart said on the Suckerpunch Entertainment site. "Of course I’m looking for the KO but if it goes to the ground I may have to show my Team Curran BJJ."

"I want to win this for my teammates and my family who have always supported me, I want to thank my sponsors as well, they have really stepped up for me in this fight and I don’t want to let them down."

With a win, Bart may be in line for the title shot, although many believe that a rematch between Varner and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone could happen as soon as the champion is cleared to fight again after suffering multiple injuries in their last bout in January.

As for Bartimus, he's ready to get "Crunk" and then he'll worry about his title shot.

Bart Palaszewski will be a special guest tonight on MMAWeekly Radio to talk about the upcoming fight and the future of the WEC's lightweight division. Also UFC newcomer, Ryan "The Lion" Madigan will stop by the show to talk about his fight against Tamdan McCrory at UFC 96.

Labels: , , , ,

posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 10:46 AM 





Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Could Gilbert Melendez End Up With The WEC?

The lightweight division is widely regarded as one of, if not the deepest weight class in the world, and every promotion is working to add more top names to their respective rosters.

One big name that could become available following his next fight is former Strikeforce lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez, who has stated on numerous occasions that he has a single fight left on his current contract and will weigh his options at that time.

But could Melendez be on the WEC's speed dial for a future 155lb contender?

According to lightweight champion, Jamie Varner, he believes the promotion may be looking at Melendez as a viable addition to the roster at some point in the near future.

"There's a couple guys out there that I could rumble with a little bit that the WEC's talking about getting. One of the big names that they're talking about is Gilbert Melendez, who sat in the top ten, in the upper echelon of the top ten in my division for a long time and now he's nowhere to be found," Varner told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "I think he's got one more fight with Strikeforce, and then after that, there's been talk of the WEC getting him."

Varner says he's ready for the top ten challenges that will get him the recognition he's been working for so long.

His first challenge is of course coming up against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, but after that Varner is open to whatever happens next.

"I may have to fight a Bart Palaszewski or a Richard Crunkilton, but then who knows, maybe I will get a shot at a top ten guy."

Labels: , , ,

posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:52 PM 





Saturday, January 17, 2009

Jamie Varner vs. Donald Cerrone WEC 38 Video Promo

posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 11:46 AM 





Sunday, December 28, 2008

WEC Best of 2008 on Versus Sunday Night



VERSUS will air WEC Best of 2008, a two-hour special presentation tonight - Sunday, December 28 - at 9 p.m. ET. The hard-hitting night includes four spectacular fights: Miguel Angel Torres vs. Yoshira Maeda, Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver, Carlos Condit vs. Hiromitsu Miura and the never before seen on television bout between Donald Cerrone and Rob McCullough.

VERSUS will re-air the special on December 31 at 11 p.m. ET and January 1 at 3 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET.

Labels: , ,

posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 6:35 PM 





Tuesday, December 2, 2008

WEC 38 Official - Faber Returns, Varner Defends in San Diego

PRESS RELEASE:

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – World Extreme Cagefighting® today announced that for the first event of 2009, the cage will head west to the hotbed of mixed martial arts - California - to hold the first ever WEC® event in San Diego. Two blockbuster matchups will lead the main card, with the World Lightweight Championship fight between Jamie Varner and undefeated Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone as the main event, and the mega-rematch pitting Urijah Faber against Jens Pulver in the co-main event. World Extreme Cagefighting, featuring Varner vs. Cerrone and Faber vs. Pulver 2, takes place live from the San Diego Sports Arena on Sunday, January 25, 2009.

World Extreme Cagefighting will be televised live nationally on VERSUS beginning at 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT. All live WEC events will be presented in Hi-Definition (HD) where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.

Tickets for World Extreme Cagefighting go on sale at 10 a.m. PT Thursday, Dec. 4 and will be priced at $175, $125, $75 and $35 (not including applicable services or taxes). Tickets will be available for purchase through the San Diego Sports Arena Box Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 619-220-8497.

Don't blink when WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner (15-2, 1 NC) meets up with No. 1 contender Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (9-0, 1 NC). Varner has finished his last four opponents, and now the Tempe, Arizona fighter will face his greatest test in the red hot Cerrone.

"I have a lot of respect for Cerrone, but I consider him just one more undefeated fighter that I have to put in his place," said Varner. "I think it's awesome to have this fight in Southern California; there is a huge MMA following there, so I think this event will be huge, and a big step for the growth of WEC."

Undefeated lightweight contender Cerrone ( 9-0,1 No Contest) is one fight away from securing his place as the new champion of the WEC, and he plans on doing everything in his power to get there. The Albuquerque, New Mexico trained mixed martial artist, who is known for his relentless stand-up attack and equally effective ground game, most recently scored a Fight of the Night win against world class striker and former champ "Razor" Rob McCullough.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to fight for the title, and to take on Jamie Varner," said Cerrone. "He's well rounded and very athletic, but I'm going to work hard in training camp and on my game plan to win the title. I'm looking forward to fighting in San Diego, and to headline the first WEC event there."

Urijah "The California Kid" Faber (21-2) is the former WEC Featherweight Champion, a title he has owned since March of 2006. Faber was upset by Mike Brown in November, but he is on a mission to reclaim his status as best featherweight fighter in the world. But first, he has to fight his way through a rematch with Jens Pulver. The two first met in June 2008, fighting toe-to-toe in a five round battle that became one of the best WEC fights to date.

"I know this is going to be another classic for the fans," said Faber. "Jens is always ready to fight, he's a competitor, and I expect a tough battle, but I'm going to try to finish it this time - I don't want it to go the distance."

Former UFC® lightweight champion Jens Pulver (22-10-1) looks to rebound from two consecutive losses at the expense of Faber. And with a new team behind him, the 33-year-old with the legendary left hand is refocused and ready to continue on his road back to the top.

"Now that I train with Matt Hume, I'll be doing things a lot differently," Pulver said comparing his first fight with Faber. "Did I show it against Leonard Garcia? No, it takes time. But I know I'm still competitive... Great fights are still in me."

All bouts subject to change. For more information about current WEC fight news, visit www.wec.tv.

Labels: , , , ,

posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 2:58 AM 





Wednesday, November 5, 2008

WEC 36 Spoiler: Fight of the Year? Maybe...

In what was easily the fight of the undercard at WEC 36 in Hollywood, Fla., Jamie Varner finally found out who he will likely be fighting at the end of January, possibly in San Diego.

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and "Razor" Rob McCullough scored FOUR knockdowns between them - two apiece - in the opening round alone... and this fight went the distance!

Cowboy and Razor rocked each other throughout their three minute war, but it Cerrone's reach and speed that put him ahead on more of the exchanges than not, leaving McCullough's face a bloody mess at the end of three rounds.

Cowboy remained undefeated - going the distance for the first time in his MMA career - but it was hardly a boring affair. As he said afterwards, "Rob, thank you very much, that was fun... Whoo!"

Jamie Varner, the current WEC lightweight champ, had to be thinking that the fight was entertaining, but you have to question anyone's sanity that could walk out of that cage thinking the fight was FUN!?

Hat's off to the Cowboy and Razor Rob for one of the best fights of the year thus far!

QUICK NOTE: Reports from one WEC official are that Cerrone broke his hand on the first punch of the fight!

Check out the live results, play-by-play and photos at MMAWeekly.com.

Labels: , , ,

posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 7:49 PM 





Monday, November 3, 2008

WEC Start Time On Versus at 8pm EST/5pm PST

Just a heads up for everybody tuning into Versus on Wednesday night to check out the latest World Extreme Cagefighting show, that the broadcast will begin at 8pm EST/5pm PST.

This is an hour earlier than the normal showtime so just want to make sure everyone is aware of the time difference.

The main event pits WEC featherweight champion, Urijah Faber, against American Top Team stand out, Mike Brown, for the 145lb title.

The co-main event will be a rematch between champion, Paulo Filho, and top contender, Chael Sonnen.

Full Card:

-Urijah Faber (#1 Featherweight in the World)* vs. Mike Brown (#6 Featherweight in the World)*
-Paulo Filho (#3 Middleweight in the World)* vs. Chael Sonnen
-Jens Pulver vs. Leonard Garcia
-Rob McCullough vs. Donald Cerrone
-Jake Rosholt vs. Nissen Osterneck
-Yoshiro Maeda vs. Rani Yahya
-Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Brookins
-Carmelo Marrero vs. Steve Steinbeiss
-Danny Castillo vs. Rafael Dias
-Johnny Hendricks vs. Alex Serdyukov
-David Avellan vs. Aaron Simpson

Labels: , , , , , ,

posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 3:34 PM 





MMA Insider Blog Archives



Copyright 2009 MMA Weekly LLC. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of MMA Weekly content is expressly prohibited without expressed written consent of MMA Weekly. MMA Weekly will not be liable for any errors in content or any action taken in reliance thereof.














} ?>  

rss feed Make Us Your Homepage