Category MMA

Shinya Aoki, candid and direct, sounds off on Western MMA scene

Shinya Aoki

By: Brian Lopez-Benchimol Shinya Aoki is probably one of the most reserved fighters in the sport. Although his in-ring antics against Mizuto Hirota at “Dynamite!! 2009″³ would inidicate otherwise, the grappling ace usually keeps to himself and refrains from doing…

Wrestling in MMA and the sport’s struggle for identity

mma wrestling

Mixed martial arts has always had a difficult time deciding exactly how much it is sport and how much it is fighting. And while virtually every aspect of the sport needs fine tuning in terms of judging criteria and point…

Ryan Bader Looking To Continue Meteoric Rise

Ryan Bader

Ryan Bader, a light heavyweight prospect climbing the ranks of a stacked division only four fights into his UFC career, has been on a meteoric rise since his time in “The Ultimate Fighter” house. His rise can quite simply be…

The 6 Sickest Amateur Wrestling Slam Moves

With Matt Hughes employing an amateur wrestling headlock to choke his way to victory over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117, I figured the time was right to feature some more nasty amateur action “in this case, some slams. Now some…

MMA Spotlight: Up and coming light heavyweight Ryan “Darth” Bader

Ryan “Darth” Bader

Name: Ryan “Darth” Bader Promotion: UFC Division: Light Heavyweight Height: 6 ft 2 in Reach: 74 in Record: 11-0 Specializes: Wrestling Career summary: Ryan Bader developed most of his game from an excellent collegiate wrestling background. After his amateur wrestling…

Should someone clean up MMA fighting?

BY JENNIFER JACOBS – desmoinesregister.com No one stopped 17-year-old Jerod Botts of Waverly from climbing into the cage for a mixed martial arts fight even though he was underage, didn’t have a parent’s permission and had never fought before. An…

2008 NCAA Champ PHIL DAVIS Makes UFC Debut Feb 6

Phil Davis, 2008 NCAA Division I 184-pound champ for Penn State, will be competing at UFC 109: Relentless at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 6. Davis, who signed with UFC just last month, will…

Dan Gable: The Greatest Fighter That Never Was

by Robert Gardner It is often said that one of the best bases to have as a mixed martial artist is wresting. Wrestling, in all of its forms, is a sport that is all about leverage and control. Many fighters…

Brock Lesnar Credits God for His Physique

The former University of Minnesota wrestling All-American and current Ultimate Fighting Champion heavyweight title holder in an interview credited God — and not steroids — for his physique. By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune Former University of Minnesota wrestling All-American Brock…