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Thursday, March 12, 2009
ESPN's MMA Live Breaks Down UFC 96 "Jackson vs. Jardine"
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:45 PM
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Rashad Evans in the Broadcast Booth at UFC 96
 Saturday night's UFC 96 main event between Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine is a fight with strong implications on the UFC's light heavyweight division.
Jackson lost the UFC light heavyweight championship in a close fight with Forrest Griffin, then bounced back by knocking out longtime nemesis Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92. Jardine has been on a roller coaster ride going 3-2 in his past five fights, most recently winning a split decision over Brandon Vera.
Jardine's teammate, UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, will have a premium seat when Jackson and Jardine fight. He will be Octagonside, joining UFC broadcasters Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan, to do commentary on the fight. As well he should. The fight will determine his next opponent.
If Jackson wins, UFC president Dana White has said that he will fight Evans, getting a shot at gaining the belt that he lost to Forrest Griffin back. If Jardine wins, No. 2 ranked Lyoto Machida will be next up for Rashad.Labels: Keith Jardine, Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, UFC 96
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:22 PM
Friday, March 6, 2009
UFC Video Game Preview: Jardine vs. Jackson
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 2:51 PM
UFC "Primetime" Plans Depend on Jardine/Jackson
 The UFC's Spike TV special, "UFC Primetime," helped propel UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn 2 into one of the most successful cards in the promotion's history. The series averaged just over three quarters of a million viewers over the course of three episodes, costing a reported 1.7 million to produce. The live gate, just shy of $4.3 million, made its mark as the fifth highest box office in Nevada's MMA history.
At the post-fight press conference for 94, White said he enjoyed the experience and would do it again, up to three times a year.
With one of the specials in the can, reporters at the pre-fight press conference for UFC 96 asked White if Lesnar vs. Mir 2 would get the "Primetime" treatment. The first meeting of Goliaths did a live gate of approximately $2.4 million, and drew a reported 650,000 pay per view buys.
The answer was maybe, maybe not.
"It's going to depend," said White. "I've got to see what's going to happen this weekend."
White seemed more keen on a scenario where Quinton "Rampage" Jackson emerge victorious this weekend.
"If this weekend it ends up being Rampage and Rashad, I'll probably do primetime on that fight."
But first, Jackson needs to get through Jardine, and as White said earlier, that's not an easy task.
(Watch the UFC 96 pre-fight press conference.)Labels: Keith Jardine, Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, UFC Primetime
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 10:30 AM
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Dana White on Jardine's Chances (Updated)
 Following the pre-fight press conference for this weekend's UFC 95 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, UFC President Dana White answered questions for members of the media.
In recent days, White has voiced his disapproval on main eventer Keith Jardine's stance that friend, training partner, and light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans was off limits if he won on Saturday.
From the sound of it, though, White believed Jardine had a good chance of putting him in an awkward position.
"Jardine is a tough, durable guy," he said. "He's very unorthodox, and his style is pretty much the style that Forrest beat Rampage with. He's very good a kicks to the legs and kicks to the body.
"Chuck Liddell is one of my friends. For twelve or thirteen years I've been to fights with him all over the world. I've never seen his body look like it looked after the Keith Jardine fight. I don't think you guys saw it because he was back int he locker room. His whole body from under his arm pit to below the legs, he was covered in bruises. Jardine can kick and Rampage is susceptible to the leg kick and body kick."
In an earlier conference call for the fight, Jackson bristled at those who thought the same fate would befall him.
"I'm really glad that people think that I have a low kick defense, because I used to be a kick boxer so that's how I trained in boxing," he said. "And I didn't work on my kickboxing anymore. So now we're just working on everything. I'm kind of happy if you think I have a low kick defense problem."
White said Jardine's style made him impossible to count out. Going back to their first meeting at the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter," he expected big things out of the Albuquerque resident. And interestingly enough, it wasn't Jardine's kicks that drew attention.
"I knew coming into the fight that he was a tough guy," said White. "I had heard a lot of buzz about him before he even came in. What I had heard a lot about was his wrestling, his ground game. Obviously he's been working on his stand up. He's really an unorthodox fighter - the way he punches and kicks, the way he moves - He's a tough guy to fight. That's why I think for bookies to make him a 3 to 1 dog, he's a live dog. That's a good bet.
On Saturday, fans will see how many bruises Jackson walks away with, and, if White has a future as a bookie.Labels: Dana White, Keith Jardine, Quinton Jackson, UFC 96
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:58 PM
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine Video Preview
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:20 PM
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Jackson and Jardine on Greasegate
Light heavyweights Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine had different takes on the scandal du jour of greasing allegations against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre by lightweight champ BJ Penn during their UFC 96 conference call.
As a teammate of St. Pierre's, Jardine's thoughts on the matter came as little surprise.
"I think it's pretty silly, actually," he said. "Not too many fights are dominated like that. You never see a high level fight where one guy just completely reaches in and takes the other guy. That's what happened with Georges and BJ. I think they've still got to fight because of the headlines...they've got to save some face with that. So they're trying to make a controversy with the Vaseline which is just silly. Everyone who knows Georges, knows that he would never want to win that way. He's a true competitor and a true athlete."
After initially shying away from the topic, Jackson gave his two cents.
"I've heard of fighters using Vaseline and stuff like that. I never used it. So I don't know. Most my opponents haven't used it. I never witnessed any of my opponents using it.
"Me, I'm the type of fighter, I don't deal with other types. I want to be able to whoop somebody's ass knowing that I whooped their ass because I whooped their ass, not because I needed help whooping their ass. That's the type of ass-whooper I am, you feeling me?"Labels: BJ Penn, Georges St. Pierre, Keith Jardine, Quinton Jackson, UFC 96
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 3:38 AM
Jardine And Jackson on Middleweights
Keith Jardine and Quinton Jackson come from different schools of thought when it comes to getting the lay of the MMA land, sharing their thoughts during a recent teleconference for the upcoming UFC 96.
Jardine, along with his Greg Jackson teammates, liked to watch tape and break down opponents, whether they were his or others.
Jackson, on the other hand, watched little tape and relied on his coaches to provide him the Cliff's Notes of his opponents' strategy.
Both have been successful, but when it came down to the 185lb. division, and how hot prospect Demian Maia fit into the title picture, they didn't have much to say.
"You know, to tell you the truth, I don't even know," said Jardine. "But if you guys saw Nate Marquardt the other night, ever since he lost to Anderson Silva he's a different person. He's just been taking apart everybody he's fought. He just beat up a really good Wilson Gouveia. I think that he's ready for that title shot."
It was clear middleweight's weren't Jackson's thing.
"I don't even know who Demian Maia is," he said.
Jardine was quick to note where Marquardt fell short in his UFC 73 fight with Silva, though.
"As I saw it, he was too concerned with getting that takedown," he said. "He didn't need to do that. I think at the beginning of the fight he was doing all right on his speed. And he stepped up trying to get takedowns. I think the way he approaches fights, the way he attacks, the way he relaxes and attacks at the same time, it would be a far different fight."
Jackson, who lost his light heavyweight crown to Forrest Griffin, one of Jardine's greatest upset victories, said if given a choice between facing the TUF 1 winner or current champ (and Jardine teammate) Rashad Evans, he'd likely take on Evans.
So much for second chances.Labels: Demian Maia, Keith Jardine, Quinton Jackson, UFC 96
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 2:59 AM
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine Talk UFC 96
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 12:01 AM
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Quinton Jackson Title Shot With a Win Over Jardine
 "Yeah, I think if Quinton beats Jardine, he'll get the next shot at the title," said UFC president Dana White following Wednesday's UFC 94 pre-fight press conference in Las Vegas.
And that is regardless of the outcome of a key battle at UFC 94. Lyoto Machida, the No. 4 ranked light heavyweight fighter in the world, and No. 10 ranked Thiago Silva are slated for a showdown in the top undercard fight at UFC 94. Both have been on a tear through the 205-pound division and both are undefeated.
But while the winner of Machida vs. Silva is likely to narrow the field of contenders to the title currently held by "Sugar" Rashad Evans, it appears that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson -- with a win over Keith Jardine at UFC 96 on March 7 -- will jump to the head of the line.
White has stated in the past that Jackson vs. Evans might have already been on tap, but Evans was not fully recovered yet from his title victory over Forrest Griffin at UFC 92, so they put Jackson and Jardine together for the Columbus fight card.Labels: Dana White, Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida, Quinton Jackson, Rampage, Rashad Evans, Thiago Silva, UFC 94, UFC 96, UFC President
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 7:48 PM
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Jardine Pushed To UFC 97
UFC light heavyweight Keith Jardine will not make an appearance at UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio after all. Jardine was widely rumored to be in the running for a rematch with former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, but MMAInsider in late December confirmed that was not the case.
On Wednesday, a source close to Jardine said the Greg Jackson-trained fighter was recently moved back to UFC 97 on Apr. 18 in Montreal, Canada. No opponent has been named for his appearance.
So far, no match-ups have been confirmed for the UFC's second incursion into Canadian territory, but a rumored bout between Anderson Silva and Thales Leites remains a possibility. Canadians David Loiseau and Jonathan Goulet are also expected to be on the card. Goulet is rumored to face Tamdan McRory.
Jardine last took home a split decision victory over Brandon Vera at UFC 89. He is 6-3 in the organization after his stint on the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter."Labels: Chuck Liddell, Keith Jardine, ufc 97
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 7:52 PM
Friday, January 2, 2009
Greg Jackson Reflects on Team Turnaround
Greg Jackson's camp, Jackson's MMA, is riding high after a stellar showing in 2008. Two champions now reside there, welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and new light heavyweight champion Keith Jardine, and standouts Keith Jardine, Nate Marquardt, Leonard Garcia, and Donald Cerrone are all coming off victories.
In mid-2007, things looked bleak. Jardine was knocked out by Houston Alexander. Evans drew with Tito Ortiz, and Nate Marquardt was stopped by Anderson Silva at UFC 73. For a stretch, it looked like Jackson had lost his touch.
"We were just making mistakes," Jackson told MMAInsider. "We were winning, winning, winning--I think we still have one of the best records, I forget exactly--and I was overtraining people. I'm pushing a little too hard. So we had a summer where everybody just lost. We didn't lose like 100 fights. I know our younger guys were winning, but stuff was going wrong there."
Jackson says the turnaround came after a session of good old fashioned brainstorming.
"I had to be a little introspective, and try to figure out with the help of my other coaches what we were doing, and I think we just solved the problem," he continued.
Now that the team is successful again, Jackson says there's no guarantee the team will continue to win. Since enduring the first slump, he's taking a Zen attitude about the future.
"It's just been our night a couple times," he said. "That might reverse again. But if it does, I know that I can look inside and say, 'what do we need to do to get better?' And just constantly try to grow and be reflective. As long as I can do that, I think we'll be ok."Labels: Georges St. Pierre, greg jackson, Keith Jardine, Rashad Evans
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 6:48 PM
Monday, October 20, 2008
Jardine Unsure Who's No. 1 Light Heavy
 Typically, most people automatically say whoever holds the title in the UFC is the No. 1 guy in that division, at least in the UFC, right?
Well, Keith Jardine isn't so sure... and that's not because he's bragging and saying that he is the No. 1 guy in the UFC's 205-pound division.
Obviously referring to a crazy round-robin of wins and losses, the UFC's light heavyweight division does make for some strange MMA math. Rampage beat Liddell who beat Wanderlei who beat Jardine who beat Forrest who beat Rampage and is the champ. Say what?!
"This was a huge fight," said Jardine after his win over Brandon Vera at UFC 89 before adding, "The division is weird. Forrest (Griffin) is the champ right now, but who knows who the best guy is? It could be the number one guy. It could be the number ten guy. There's a lot of undefeated guys. There's a lot of guys coming up. I think it's going take a year or so to sort this thing out."Labels: Brandon Vera, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Keith Jardine, Quinton Jackson, Rampage, UFC, UFC 89, Wanderlei Silva
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 6:54 PM
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Video: Keith Jardine Talks UFC 89
Keith Jardine talks about facing Brandon Vera at UFC 89 on Saturday, Oct. 18, in Birmingham, England. He carries a lot of respect for Vera, but is excited for the match-up and ready to put himself back in the hunt for the light heavyweight title.
MMAWeekly.com will have live play-by-play of UFC 89, but it will also air in the U.S. on a tape delayed basis on Spike TV on Saturday night.Labels: Brandon Vera, England, Keith Jardine, UFC 89, Video
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 11:54 AM
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
BetUs.com Betting Odds for UFC 89
 Our friends over at BetUs.com have odds up for many of the upcoming UFC and WEC fights. Of course, they've got a couple of lines for Saturday's UFC 89 event in Birmingham, England.
The latest odds for UFC 89 as of Tuesday evening have Michael Bisping favored over Chris Leben, and Brandon Vera over Keith Jardine.
Michael Bisping: -220
Chris Leben: +185
Brandon Vera: -185
Keith Jardine: +145
Click here for the latest UFC 89 odds, and here for the latest MMA lines.Labels: Betting, BetUs.com, Brandon Vera, Chris Leben, Keith Jardine, Michael Bisping, UFC, UFC 89
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 7:43 PM
Saturday, October 11, 2008
UFC 89 Bisping vs. Leben Promo Video
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 9:00 PM
VIDEO: Brandon Vera Talks Keith Jardine
ESPN.com has a UFC video interview with Brandon Vera, who is slated to face Keith Jardine in a light heavyweight showdown at UFC 89 in England next week.
As he told MMAWeekly.com, weight cutting was a problem for Vera in his last fight, he hadn't cut weight in nine years, fighting primarily at heavyweight. Vera says he's ready for Jardine's awkward style and has a game plan for the Greg Jackson-trained fighter.Labels: Brandon Vera, ESPN, Keith Jardine, UFC, UFC 89, Video
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:00 PM
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