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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Evans and Jackson Altercation At UFC Photo Shoot
While UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans might be focused on challenger Lyoto Machida, by no means has he forgotten about Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
He says the two nearly came to blows at a recent UFC photo shoot.
Some intrepid UFC staffers booked them on the same day, and things got ugly for a spell.
"I looked at him and he walked out of the room," Evans told MMAInsider. "He was like, 'that's messed up putting us together.' They tried to separate us, and the UFC walked him out in the hallway and walked me out in the hallway. And they walked me into the same hallway he was at.
"I looked at him and I was like, what, man? He was like, 'Rashad don't talk to me, man! Don't talk to me! Don't say nothin' to me! You don't know me! You don't know me!' The (expletive) I need to know you for?"
Eventually, cooler heads prevailed, and the photo shoot went on. But Evans filed it in the motivation bank for later.
Following UFC 96, the two went nose-to-nose for forty heated seconds to hype a future showdown.
Later, Jackson bowed out of a quick turnaround meeting with the champ at UFC 98, citing jaw surgery that would make him unavailable.
Many fans wrote the encounter and its aftermath off as hype, part of the business of promoting. Evans maintains it was all real.
"(My camp) was laughing about it, but I was pissed," he said. "I felt mad because I felt like he disrespected Keith a little bit. Keith tried his ass off and he had a good fight, and Rampage didn't look all that good to be acting like he killed him or something. I just didn't like that. Whenever you invest in any of your partners, and when it doesn't turn around the way you want it to turn out, it kind of hurts your feelings a little bit. And that's what happened."
Before 96, he says he got along fine with the former champ, which takes him away from all-out hatred. He's happy to face challenger Lyoto Machida on May 23rd, but looks forward to the day he can squash the recent animosity with Rampage.
"I don't dislike him, but I really want to whup his ass, you know what I'm saying?" Evans said. "I don't know where that falls. I like Quinton. He's a funny guy, and a great person, but I really want to beat his ass. Is that too much of a hypocrisy?"Labels: Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, UFC 96, UFC 98
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 2:35 PM
Thursday, March 12, 2009
ESPN's MMA Live Breaks Down UFC 96 "Jackson vs. Jardine"
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:45 PM
UFC 99 in Germany To Be U.S. PPV Event
 The UFC's German invasion has shaped up quickly, with the bulk of the June 13 fighters confirmed in less than a month.
More than half the fighters on the card are either foreign-born or based outside the US, with one fighter, Peter Sobotta, bringing in the hometown crowd as a resident of Balingen, only 272 miles, or 438 kilometers, from the 20,000 seat Lanxess Arena in Cologne.
The UFC recently inked a deal with German sports network DSF to air UFC content, including live or tape-delayed events.
At the festivities for UFC 96 last weekend, UFC president Dana White said the European card would come at a premium for those watching in the US.
"It will be a pay per view event," White told reporters.
In past overseas events, the time difference has not been friendly to pay per view buyrates. So far, none of the Europe based pay events have cracked the 300,000 range. While by no means are those slim numbers, and the promotion has done extremely well in live attendance numbers, there appeared to be a push towards airing the events free for Spike TV viewers. UFC 99 appears to be a break from that strategy.
So far, the only official bout on the card is the main event, between Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva at a catch weight of 195lbs. Tickets for the event go on sale to the public in three days.Labels: Rich Franklin, UFC 96, UFC 99, Wanderlei Silva
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 1:00 AM
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Reffing Controversies Go To Extremes at UFC 96
 There were two fights at UFC 96 on Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio, that took to extremes two of the most debated issues in refereeing in mixed martial arts: stopping fights too early and stopping fights too late.
The night's opening bout -- between Shane Nelson and Aaron Riley -- was widely believed to have been stopped well before it should have. Riley was knocked down, but was already back into the fight before the referee stepped in.
In the case of Pete Sell and Matt Brown, the referee stepped in to stop the fight, appeared to have a change of heart once the fighters were already separated and stopping action, then inexplicably restarted the fight. What followed was what made it a much harder situation to swallow. Sell was clearly in another dimension for most of the rest of the fight, being battered around the cage, with Brown practically begging Yves Lavigne to stop the fight before he finally called a halt to the brutality.
"You've heard me so many times, especially in the last few weeks – wait until The Ultimate Fighter comes out – talking about reffing and judging; it's one of the hardest things in this sport right now. It drives me crazy," said UFC president Dana White at the UFC 96 post-fight press conference.
"Yves Lavigne is usually a very good referee. I hurt my arm tonight, beating on the Octagon screaming to stop that fight. I've never done that in eight years. I don't even know what to say."
There are definitely good referee's in this sport, but White pointed out a difference between those at the top, and those that just aren't quite getting it done.
"I think when they see a guy make a mistake, that it was a brutal mistake, like in the (Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley) fight, it messes with their head. And they think, 'I don't want to do that.' I think these guys just need to be confident and go in and make decisions. Stop the fight. If that's your decision, let them boo you. Who cares? You're the boss," he said, citing the lack of decision making among many officials.
He went on. "There's nobody, I shouldn't say nobody. There's a couple of guys out there that are real good. There's a whole bunch of guys that aren't.
"Yves Lavigne usually does a good job. The fight tonight was horrible. I think Herb Dean is great. Mario Yamasaki is good."Labels: Dana White, Referees, UFC 96, UFC President, Yves Lavigne
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 8:29 PM
Dana White's UFC 96 Video Blog (Episode 5) - Fight Day
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:53 PM
Recession Resistant, UFC Pulls Solid Numbers in Columbus
 The UFC rolled into Columbus, Ohio this week to make its third straight stop on the same weekend as the Arnold Sports Festival.
UFC 96, headlined by a bout pitting former UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton Jackson against Jackson's MMA fighter Keith Jardine, was another resounding success. Attendance for UFC 96 was announced at the post-fight press conference to be 17,033, accounting for a gate of $1.8 million.
UFC president Dana White recounted that he heard on a Columbus radio station that between the Arnold's and the UFC being in town, they brought in an estimated $41 million to the capitol city.
"These hard economic times and doing a huge number like that. I know we're going to do it in Montreal, and everywhere else we go," said White at the post-fight presser.Labels: Attendance, Columbus, Ohio, UFC 96
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:53 AM
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
Dana White's UFC 96 Video Blog (Episode 4)
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 1:46 PM
Friday, March 6, 2009
Dana White's UFC 96 Video Blog (Episode 3)
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:11 PM
ESPN'S MMA Live Previews UFC 96, Reviews WEC 39
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 12:32 AM
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Quinton Jackson Talks Training at Wolfslair, UFC 96, & Wanderlei
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 5:00 PM
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
Countdown to UFC 96 Airs Tonight on Spike
Tonight at 11pm PST/EST, the showdown between Keith Jardine and Quinton Jackson gets a little more light shed on it when Spike airs the latest edition of its "Countdown" series, "Countdown to UFC 96."
The show goes behind-the-scenes to reveal the each fighter's preparation for the March 7 fight in Columbus, Ohio.
The event is the UFC's third in Columbus, part of a growing tradition between the fight promotion and bodybuilding expo "Arnold Classic" that takes place this weekend.
According to Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports, the event has sold over 11,000 tickets.
UFC 96 also features a main card of Shane Carwin vs. Gabriel Gonzaga, Matt Brown vs. Pete Sell, Matt Hamill vs. Mark Munoz, and Gray Maynard vs. Jim Miller.Labels: Countdown to UFC 96, UFC 96
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 2:51 PM
Mark Munoz Talks UFC 96 and Training with Freddie Roach
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 11:46 AM
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine Video Preview
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 4:20 PM
Dana White's UFC 96 Video Blog (Episode 2): The German Press Conference
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 11:54 AM
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Dana White's UFC 96 Video Blog (Episode 1)
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 12:01 PM
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
Gabriel Gonzaga Seminar In Columbus, OH
 UFC heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga and his head coach, Marco Alvan, will head to Columbus, OH to get ready for his weekend showdown against undefeated prospect, Shane Carwin. Before the fight starts, Gonzaga and his coach will first conduct a seminar at the Lashley Jiu-Jitsu Academy on Wednesday, March 4th.
Gonzaga and Alvan will be in attendance for autographs and a MMA & No-Gi seminar for those who attend the session.
The seminar will also include an open training session with Gonzaga for his final preparation for his fight on March 7th against Shane Carwin.
For more information on the seminar visit www.lijja.com or call 740-398-5579.Labels: Gabriel Gonzaga, Shane Carwin, UFC 96
posted by MMAInsiderBLOG @ 1:19 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
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