Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/27/hockey-fight-of-the-day-jim-slater-vs-brooks-laich
mardi 3 avril 2012
Hockey Fight of the Day: Jim Slater vs. Brooks Laich
This fight somehow slipped through the cracks earlier this week but, as they say, eventually the cream rises to the top. In it, the Winnipeg Jets’ Jim Slater and Washington Capitols’ Brooks Laich decide to go at it full force with their initial clash resembling two rams charging forward and butting each other head-on. It [...]
Nick Diaz?s attorney doesn?t take kindly to calling his client a liar
Nick Diaz's disciplinary hearing in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission for allegedly failing a post-fight drug screen after his loss to Carlos Condit on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas at UFC 143 figures to be a doozy.
The hearing isn't scheduled yet, though it's expected to be sometime next month. If things remain as contentious as they have been between Diaz's attorney Ross Goodman and the commission this week, tickets are going to be harder to come by than those for the Final Four.
Goodman is clearly going to fight the case bitterly, and on Thursday, he railed against statements made by the public information officer for the Nevada attorney general's office.
Yahoo! Sports on Monday and Tuesday reached out to Christopher Eccles, the Nevada deputy attorney general who represents the athletic commission, seeking comment on points Goodman raised. Under a new policy instituted by attorney general Catherine Cortez Masto, however, her deputies are not allowed to speak to the media as they have in the past.
As a result, public information officer Jennifer M. Lopez returned the call for Eccles and later released a statement. Via email, Lopez said, "Not only did Nick Diaz violate the law by testing positive for marijuana metabolites, but he also lied to the Commission on his Pre-Fight Questionnaire when he swore that he had not used any prescribed medications in two weeks before the fight."
It is unusual for a spokesperson for an attorney general's office to call a person who will soon have a hearing in front of a state regulatory agency a liar.
Her statement probably wouldn't have been given much notice, though, had she said Diaz must have been mistaken when he checked no to a question asking if he'd taken any prescription medications in the preceding two weeks prior to the Feb. 3 weigh-in.
But saying outright that Diaz lied put Goodman even more in attack mode. He came out swinging on Thursday and insisted that Diaz did not lie when he checked no when he said he had not taken any prescription medications in the preceding two weeks.
The Nevada law that deals with medical marijuana doesn't regard it as a prescription drug. No doctor is able to prescribe it because it is a controlled substance.
Chapter 453A.210 of the Nevada Revised Statutes lays out the requirements to obtain a registry card for medical marijuana. To get the card, patients must comply with the following regulations:
(1) The person has been diagnosed with a chronic or debilitating medical condition;
(2) The medical use of marijuana may mitigate the symptoms or effects of that condition; and
(3) The attending physician has explained the possible risks and benefits of the medical use of marijuana;
(b) The name, address, telephone number, social security number and date of birth of the person;
(c) Proof satisfactory to the Division that the person is a resident of this State;
(d) The name, address and telephone number of the person's attending physician; and
(e) If the person elects to designate a primary caregiver at the time of application:
(1) The name, address, telephone number and social security number of the designated primary caregiver; and
(2) A written, signed statement from the person's attending physician in which the attending physician approves of the designation of the primary caregiver.
"Nowhere in there does it say that the attending physician is prescribing marijuana," Goodman said. "And so, for obvious reasons, before you speak and call someone a liar, you think you'd do a little bit of due diligence and understand what the Nevada law actually says."
Diaz manager Cesar Gracie said in a 2009 interview with MMA Fighting that "Nick has a prescription for marijuana in California. He has had a prescription for the last couple years, so it's a legal drug for him. He has the prescription for ADHD [Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder], and he says it helps him."
But Goodman said it is all irrelevant. He said no reasonable person regards marijuana as either a prescription drug or an over the counter medication.
"It's not like you walk into the pharmacy and start looking around on the shelves and hope to pick up a bag of marijuana," Goodman said. "That's ridiculous. No reasonable person would believe that medical marijuana falls under the category of over the counter medications."
Curiously, though, in his response to the commission, Goodman himself made a big deal about a prescription. He referenced NRS 484C.210, which deals with prohibited substances. Goodman bolded a section which said "if the person who uses the substance has not been issued a valid prescription ... "
Diaz may ultimately be forced to accept a lengthy suspension. He was suspended for six months in Nevada in 2007 for failing a marijuana test. On Jan. 31, boxer Matt Vanda had a hearing after testing positive for a second time. Vanda was suspended for a year and fined 40 percent of his purse.
If Diaz goes down, though, he's not going to make it simple on the commission. This isn't going to be a case where the fighter hangs his or her head, is lectured to by the commissioners and then apologizes profusely and meekly accepts the punishment issued.
Goodman will make certain of that.
lundi 2 avril 2012
Daniel Cormier Explains Why He Didn't Try to Take Down Jeff Monson - Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier Explains Why He Didn't Try to Take Down Jeff Monson Video by Daniel Cormier
WALKER: Top Ten MMA Fighters to Watch in 2012
By: Brad Walker, MMATorch Columnist
Well, since so many people have responded positively to my lists in the past, I have decided to try to do one every week so you all can tell me what you think (or at least how much my lists suck). Whether or not you agree with the picks I make does matter to me, your input is what ultimately balances the whole equation out. So here it is, the 10 fighters to watch in 2012 ? in my opinion, and why. For some I will also add who I would like to see them fight next, or who they are scheduled to fight next.
10. Pat "HD" Barry ? UFC ? Heavyweight
In one of my prior columns ? the heavyweight stock exchange to be exact ? I wrote that Pat was on the brink of dropping to the .500 mark after his fight with Cheick Kongo. Well, Pat does what he gets paid to do and went into the ring with Christian Morecraft and made me look like a clown. He escaped numerous submission attempts, and then landed an incredible knockout win. People often state that because of his size he should be moving down to light heavyweight, but if you look at his very muscular build, that has the same likelihood of happening as Roy Nelson hitting middleweight. It is very clear that the training at Team DeathClutch is molding Pat into much more than just a kick boxer and he has the ability to become the most exciting man in the division.
Next Fight: vs. Lavar Johnson at UFC on Fox 3
9. Pat "Paddy Mike" Curran ? Bellator ? Featherweight
Yes, it is indeed another Pat, but this time a much smaller one, and he wears a shiny new belt. Pat coming right out in the third round of his championship fight and putting a vicious beating on Joe Warren opened a lot of eyes about how dangerous a man he can truly be. His striking is incredibly powerful, and I would love to see a future for him inside of the UFC cage - but for now he will be staying in Bellator. He has risen to the top in quick fashion, winning tournaments in two weight classes, and finally taking home the belt just a couple of weeks ago. His coming fights will show us if he is capable of maintaining his edge while defending his title, and if he can he will only rise higher within the ranks in the division.
Next Fight: vs. Patricio Pitbull
8. Michael Bisping ? UFC ? Middleweight
Bisping proved a lot of his doubters to be fools when he made it to the final bell against Chael Sonnen, and made an extremely strong case for the possible victory. It was an incredibly close fight, and now finally Bisping is in the title picture that he has longed to get into. If he continues to fight at the level he did against Sonnen in Chicago, he will find himself standing across the cage from either Sonnen himself, or Anderson Silva ? only time will tell. Despite his departure from the Wolfslair MMA academy, I expect to see a better Bisping in each fight moving forward, as he is a very dedicated fighter. The question will be looming though, is he truly capable of finally winning that title he's always wanted?
Next Fight: vs. Tim Boetsch at UFC 148
7. Ryan Jimmo ? UFC ? Light Heavyweight
Jimmo is among the newest signees in the UFC, and he is a former champion who hasn't lost a fight since his professional debut in 2007. He has equal ability to knock out and submit his opponents, and his game is extremely well rounded. He has beaten a couple of former UFC fighters in his career and I look forward to him finally debuting in the Octagon. He's not the most intimidating guy inside of the cage, but he has an endless amount of talent. I think a great matchup for him would be a guy like Stephan Bonnar or Cyrille Dibiate.
Next Fight: TBA
6. Stefan Struve ? UFC ? Heavyweight
The "Sky-Scraper" has been on an absolute roll over the past year, and he is quickly making an argument for a spot in the top 15 fighters in the division. Stacking up a 7-3 record in the UFC, and winning four of his last five, Struve has shown improvement in all areas of his game in the cage. His extremely long limbs make him a very dangerous opponent standing and on the ground ? there is no such thing as a safe place in the Octagon with Struve. He submitted Pat Barry and then pounded out Dave Herman, he is still very young and his evolution is very apparent. If he keeps up this level of fighting he will find himself in the top 10 by the end of the year.
Next Fight: vs. Mark Hunt at UFC 146
5. Rousimar Palhares ? UFC ? Middleweight
Since joining the UFC roster in 2008 Palhares has only lost two fights, to Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt, so the reputation doesn't exactly take a hit with losses to names like that. Palhares has shown that he is an absolute killer with his ground game, and will happily amputate your leg for you if given the chance. Coming off of three consecutive wins, he is standing just outside of the top 10, and with a couple more wins could even find himself in title contention. His submission is some of the best in the division and possibly the world, but we are yet to see him master his striking to set up the jiu-jitsu opportunities. If he stays on track I expect to see him across the cage from Anderson Silva before too long.
Next Fight: vs. Alan Belcher at UFC on Fox 3
4. Jake Shields ? UFC ? Middleweight
Shields, having just announced his planned return to middleweight, has excited many to see him return to his former stomping grounds. He has taken apart some of the best in the division at 185 and will look to do the same once he returns to it. He has taken a couple of hard losses since joining the UFC, but I have no doubt he will bounce back. Moving back up was the right move and it really makes for a much more exciting future than he would have at 170; perhaps he will make it to a fight with Anderson Silva, perhaps not, but he will fare much better at his comfortable weight. He took out at least one great fighter while at 185 in Strikeforce, now I expect him to do the same in the UFC.
Next Fight: TBA
3. Johny Hendricks ? UFC - Welterweight
There is not a whole lot to say about Hendricks that isn't absolutely obvious, he has heavy hands, and he knows how to use them. His astoundingly fast knockout of John Fitch garnered him a lot of unexpected attention, and shocked many fight fans around the world. If he can repeat his victory a couple of times he will be the next guy in line for GSP or Condit. His heavy hands are the most powerful in the division and right now he can give anyone at 170 a run for their money inside of the cage. He's already generally ranked as a top five fighter; he can easily climb the ladder in the next few months.
Next Fight: vs. Josh Koscheck at UFC on Fox 3
2. Nate Diaz ? UFC ? Lightweight
Nate Diaz has racked up two consecutive big wins inside of the Octagon against Donald Cerrone and Takanori Gomi. His ability to get inside of his opponents heads and make them fall into his game plan is an asset most fighters don't have. Once you mix in his striking and cardio you have one of the best rounded fighters in the division. I expect Nate to only grow from his last fight with Cerrone and be in line for a title shot inside of the next six months. He's an exciting fighter and one you can love to hate at the same time, which makes him very important in Dana White's sales strategies.
Next Fight: vs. Jim Miller at UFC on Fox 3
1. Glover Teixeira ? UFC ? Light Heavyweight
Yeah, I know right now the rest of the torch staff are preparing punch lines for me on twitter, but I'm writing this anyway. Now that he has entered the elite ranks of the UFC, Glover is going to show the world what he is made of. His heavy hands and well-rounded game make him a threat to anyone at 205, and did I forget to mention he trains out of The Pit with Chuck Liddell and John Hackleman? His game is already very evolved, and with the extreme step up in competition I expect to see his metamorphosis continue. He is an extremely underrated and very talented fighter, so his entrance into the UFC should show us one way or the other what he is capable of doing.
Next Fight: vs. Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 146
Follow me on twitter @BradMMATorch
 |
10. Pat "HD" Barry ? UFC ? Heavyweight
In one of my prior columns ? the heavyweight stock exchange to be exact ? I wrote that Pat was on the brink of dropping to the .500 mark after his fight with Cheick Kongo. Well, Pat does what he gets paid to do and went into the ring with Christian Morecraft and made me look like a clown. He escaped numerous submission attempts, and then landed an incredible knockout win. People often state that because of his size he should be moving down to light heavyweight, but if you look at his very muscular build, that has the same likelihood of happening as Roy Nelson hitting middleweight. It is very clear that the training at Team DeathClutch is molding Pat into much more than just a kick boxer and he has the ability to become the most exciting man in the division.
Next Fight: vs. Lavar Johnson at UFC on Fox 3
9. Pat "Paddy Mike" Curran ? Bellator ? Featherweight
Yes, it is indeed another Pat, but this time a much smaller one, and he wears a shiny new belt. Pat coming right out in the third round of his championship fight and putting a vicious beating on Joe Warren opened a lot of eyes about how dangerous a man he can truly be. His striking is incredibly powerful, and I would love to see a future for him inside of the UFC cage - but for now he will be staying in Bellator. He has risen to the top in quick fashion, winning tournaments in two weight classes, and finally taking home the belt just a couple of weeks ago. His coming fights will show us if he is capable of maintaining his edge while defending his title, and if he can he will only rise higher within the ranks in the division.
Next Fight: vs. Patricio Pitbull
8. Michael Bisping ? UFC ? Middleweight
Bisping proved a lot of his doubters to be fools when he made it to the final bell against Chael Sonnen, and made an extremely strong case for the possible victory. It was an incredibly close fight, and now finally Bisping is in the title picture that he has longed to get into. If he continues to fight at the level he did against Sonnen in Chicago, he will find himself standing across the cage from either Sonnen himself, or Anderson Silva ? only time will tell. Despite his departure from the Wolfslair MMA academy, I expect to see a better Bisping in each fight moving forward, as he is a very dedicated fighter. The question will be looming though, is he truly capable of finally winning that title he's always wanted?
Next Fight: vs. Tim Boetsch at UFC 148
7. Ryan Jimmo ? UFC ? Light Heavyweight
Jimmo is among the newest signees in the UFC, and he is a former champion who hasn't lost a fight since his professional debut in 2007. He has equal ability to knock out and submit his opponents, and his game is extremely well rounded. He has beaten a couple of former UFC fighters in his career and I look forward to him finally debuting in the Octagon. He's not the most intimidating guy inside of the cage, but he has an endless amount of talent. I think a great matchup for him would be a guy like Stephan Bonnar or Cyrille Dibiate.
Next Fight: TBA
6. Stefan Struve ? UFC ? Heavyweight
The "Sky-Scraper" has been on an absolute roll over the past year, and he is quickly making an argument for a spot in the top 15 fighters in the division. Stacking up a 7-3 record in the UFC, and winning four of his last five, Struve has shown improvement in all areas of his game in the cage. His extremely long limbs make him a very dangerous opponent standing and on the ground ? there is no such thing as a safe place in the Octagon with Struve. He submitted Pat Barry and then pounded out Dave Herman, he is still very young and his evolution is very apparent. If he keeps up this level of fighting he will find himself in the top 10 by the end of the year.
Next Fight: vs. Mark Hunt at UFC 146
5. Rousimar Palhares ? UFC ? Middleweight
Since joining the UFC roster in 2008 Palhares has only lost two fights, to Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt, so the reputation doesn't exactly take a hit with losses to names like that. Palhares has shown that he is an absolute killer with his ground game, and will happily amputate your leg for you if given the chance. Coming off of three consecutive wins, he is standing just outside of the top 10, and with a couple more wins could even find himself in title contention. His submission is some of the best in the division and possibly the world, but we are yet to see him master his striking to set up the jiu-jitsu opportunities. If he stays on track I expect to see him across the cage from Anderson Silva before too long.
Next Fight: vs. Alan Belcher at UFC on Fox 3
4. Jake Shields ? UFC ? Middleweight
Shields, having just announced his planned return to middleweight, has excited many to see him return to his former stomping grounds. He has taken apart some of the best in the division at 185 and will look to do the same once he returns to it. He has taken a couple of hard losses since joining the UFC, but I have no doubt he will bounce back. Moving back up was the right move and it really makes for a much more exciting future than he would have at 170; perhaps he will make it to a fight with Anderson Silva, perhaps not, but he will fare much better at his comfortable weight. He took out at least one great fighter while at 185 in Strikeforce, now I expect him to do the same in the UFC.
Next Fight: TBA
3. Johny Hendricks ? UFC - Welterweight
There is not a whole lot to say about Hendricks that isn't absolutely obvious, he has heavy hands, and he knows how to use them. His astoundingly fast knockout of John Fitch garnered him a lot of unexpected attention, and shocked many fight fans around the world. If he can repeat his victory a couple of times he will be the next guy in line for GSP or Condit. His heavy hands are the most powerful in the division and right now he can give anyone at 170 a run for their money inside of the cage. He's already generally ranked as a top five fighter; he can easily climb the ladder in the next few months.
Next Fight: vs. Josh Koscheck at UFC on Fox 3
2. Nate Diaz ? UFC ? Lightweight
Nate Diaz has racked up two consecutive big wins inside of the Octagon against Donald Cerrone and Takanori Gomi. His ability to get inside of his opponents heads and make them fall into his game plan is an asset most fighters don't have. Once you mix in his striking and cardio you have one of the best rounded fighters in the division. I expect Nate to only grow from his last fight with Cerrone and be in line for a title shot inside of the next six months. He's an exciting fighter and one you can love to hate at the same time, which makes him very important in Dana White's sales strategies.
Next Fight: vs. Jim Miller at UFC on Fox 3
1. Glover Teixeira ? UFC ? Light Heavyweight
Yeah, I know right now the rest of the torch staff are preparing punch lines for me on twitter, but I'm writing this anyway. Now that he has entered the elite ranks of the UFC, Glover is going to show the world what he is made of. His heavy hands and well-rounded game make him a threat to anyone at 205, and did I forget to mention he trains out of The Pit with Chuck Liddell and John Hackleman? His game is already very evolved, and with the extreme step up in competition I expect to see his metamorphosis continue. He is an extremely underrated and very talented fighter, so his entrance into the UFC should show us one way or the other what he is capable of doing.
Next Fight: vs. Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 146
Follow me on twitter @BradMMATorch
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Staff_Editorials_19/article_12904.shtml
UFC President Dana White says Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey bout changes his mind about women's MMA
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Dana White's opinion on women's MMA has been very well documented over the last couple years, with his hard line stance that there aren't enough women at a high level to make a viable division in the UFC. On top of that, he's simply not been a fan of women fighting in the first place.
However, following the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship bout between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey earlier this month, White is changing his tune on the sporting aspect of women in MMA.
"When you talk about women's MMA, I say the same thing all the time, there are not enough good women to create an entire division [in the UFC]," White explained again in an interview with MMANytt.se (transcribed by VendettaFighter. "But every once in a while there will be a fight, and Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey was that fight. I mean... Miesha Tate, she's one of the best in the world in her weight class, she's tough and she's nasty man. I mean to sit there, I know what it's like to be in an arm bar, I tell you what, I would have tapped to what she didn't tap to."
"So as much as you heard me say two minutes ago how stupid it is not to tap you gotta respect it too," he continued. "And she got out of that first arm bar, it would be one thing if she got in that first arm bar and was like 'I'm not tapping.' She got out of that first one and when Ronda Rousey gets you in an arm bar, that's serious shit. I'll tell you right now and I will be 100% honest with you, I was never a fan [of women's MMA]. But I will tell you this, being honest, Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate have changed my mind, they have changed my mind. I was excited for that fight, it was an awesome fight, they both looked like two skilled mixed martial artists and they changed my mind."
"So If more Miesha Tate's and more Ronda Rousey's keep popping up, the answer is yes [to a female division in the UFC]."
Penick's Analysis: There's the opening, right there. White is being converted slightly, and if more and more women can put on fights like that one and the Sarah Kaufman vs. Alexis Davis fight on the same event, it's going to bode well for the future of women in the sport. If more and more can make a name for themselves, and if more can put on great fights, it will be the convincing that White needs to go along with Lorenzo Fertitta and give the reins of women's matchmaking to Joe Silva and Sean Shelby.
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However, following the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship bout between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey earlier this month, White is changing his tune on the sporting aspect of women in MMA.
"When you talk about women's MMA, I say the same thing all the time, there are not enough good women to create an entire division [in the UFC]," White explained again in an interview with MMANytt.se (transcribed by VendettaFighter. "But every once in a while there will be a fight, and Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey was that fight. I mean... Miesha Tate, she's one of the best in the world in her weight class, she's tough and she's nasty man. I mean to sit there, I know what it's like to be in an arm bar, I tell you what, I would have tapped to what she didn't tap to."
"So as much as you heard me say two minutes ago how stupid it is not to tap you gotta respect it too," he continued. "And she got out of that first arm bar, it would be one thing if she got in that first arm bar and was like 'I'm not tapping.' She got out of that first one and when Ronda Rousey gets you in an arm bar, that's serious shit. I'll tell you right now and I will be 100% honest with you, I was never a fan [of women's MMA]. But I will tell you this, being honest, Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate have changed my mind, they have changed my mind. I was excited for that fight, it was an awesome fight, they both looked like two skilled mixed martial artists and they changed my mind."
"So If more Miesha Tate's and more Ronda Rousey's keep popping up, the answer is yes [to a female division in the UFC]."
Penick's Analysis: There's the opening, right there. White is being converted slightly, and if more and more women can put on fights like that one and the Sarah Kaufman vs. Alexis Davis fight on the same event, it's going to bode well for the future of women in the sport. If more and more can make a name for themselves, and if more can put on great fights, it will be the convincing that White needs to go along with Lorenzo Fertitta and give the reins of women's matchmaking to Joe Silva and Sean Shelby.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_12891.shtml
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