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VIDEO: The Ultimate Fighter Season 11

March 16th, 2010 Duane No comments

The 11th season of Spike TVs most popular original series ever, The Ultimate Fighter, will premiere on March 31st on Spike TV in the US. As soon as we hear details for the UK it will be posted to BluRayMMA.com.
The series boasts a new format, which will be introduced to viewers in the shows premiere episode.
UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr
duane@bluraymma.com
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VIDEO: UFC Primetime St-Pierre vs Hardy

March 16th, 2010 Duane No comments

Part 2

This is the first episode, can’t wait to see more.

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

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VIDEO: Alex Reid Interviewed For Cage Rage

March 11th, 2010 Duane No comments

Here’s one for all you Reidernater fans, a funny video from the Cage Rage crew. See the Celebrity Big Bro winner was kinky long before he met Jordan! Enjoy.

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

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VIDEO: The Real SUMO Fighting

March 11th, 2010 Duane No comments

In between typing up MMA articles I like to catch a few youtube videos, this one is thanks to Pride FC legend Josh Barnett. You can follow Josh on Twitter: JoshLBarnett

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

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VIDEO: Alex Reid – The Fight of his Life

March 10th, 2010 Duane No comments

Watch the latest video teaser featuring Celebrity Big Brother 7 winner and BAMMA competitor Alex Reid. Alex Reid -- The Fight of his Life, coming to Bravo soon.

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr
duane@bluraymma.com
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VIDEO: UFC 111: St-Pierre vs Hardy Preview

March 10th, 2010 Duane No comments
On March 27th, two titles will be on the line in the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. You can order the Live event on Pay-Per-View or
Visit http://111.ufc.com for more info.
UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr
duane@bluraymma.com
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THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 11 CAST

March 5th, 2010 Duane No comments

Earlier this week the TUF 11 cast was made public:

A total of 28 middleweight competitors have been chosen to compete on the upcoming 11th season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Spike TV’s long-running reality series, “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Spike TV today released the list of fighters, who range from a 21-year-old with a few fights to a veteran with 33 pro bouts on his resume. Included are teachers, firefighters, a pipeliner, social worker, an “Iron Ring” competitor, “The Crocodile Hunter’s” bodyguard and others.
Check out the full list of competitors, who will be coached by Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell and can be seen on the March 31 “TUF 11″ debut.
Despite beginning with 28 cast members instead of the customary 32, “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz” is expected to use a 32-slot tournament. Sources close to the show tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) at least two opening-round losers, who otherwise would be eliminated from the show, will earn a spot on the cast thanks to their impressive showings in the losing efforts.
Over the course of the 12-week season, two finalists will be left standing. As MMAjunkie.com reported last month, the TUF 11 Finale, a live-event conclusion to the season, is expected to take place June 19 in Las Vegas.
UFC president Dana White also has hinted at some additional tweaks to the format but won’t divulge any of the details.
Below is a list of the competitors and each fighter’s background, courtesy of Spike TV.
RICH ATTONITO
Fighting out of: Deerfield Beach, FL/American Top Team
Record: 7-3
Age: 32
A 2001 graduate of Hofstra University in Long Island, N.Y., Rich Attonito wrestled several different weight classes as a member of the Pride wrestling team including the 167-pound and 197-pound. divisions. Attonito has been training with American Top Team since he moved to Florida in 2006. He is the strength and conditioning coach for UFC veteran Luigi Fioravanti.
SETH BACZYNSKI
Fighting out of: Canyon, AZ/Apex MMA
Record: 11-5
Age: 28
Training partner to “TUF” alumni Santino DeFranco (season nine) and Efrain Escudero (season eight) at Apex MMA in Arizona, Seth Baczynski is a fulltime water inspector at Liberty Water.
CHARLES BLANCHARD
Fighting out of: Coconut Creek, FL/American Top Team
Record: 7-2
Age: 24
A two-time All-State wrestler in high school, this single father is a jiu-jitsu brown belt and a published poet.
JOSH BRYANT
Fighting out of: Tulsa, OK/Absolute Combat Alliance
Record: 10-0
Age: 29
A member of the Absolute Combat Alliance camp in Tulsa, Okla., Josh Bryant sports a perfect 10-0 professional mixed martial arts record. When not training, Bryant works as a manager for Mazzio’s Italian Eatery in Oklahoma.
CHRIS CAMOZZI
Fighting out of: Denver, CO/Gumm MMA
Record: 11-3
Age: 22
Camozzi is a freestyle fighter from Denver that works as a bouncer in his spare time. Two of his three losses are to “TUF” alumni Jesse Forbes (season three) and Jesse Taylor (season seven).
BRENT COOPER
Fighting out of: Long Beach, CA/Team Oyama
Record: 5-1
Age: 31
Of Sioux Indian descent, Cooper is a pipeliner by day for Shell Oil and a devastating striker by night with four of his five wins coming via TKO.
JACEN FLYNN
Fighting out of: Meridian, ID/No camp
Record: 8-2
Age: 31
Jacen Flynn possesses an 8-2 mixed martial arts record that includes wins over UFC vets Dennis Kang and Dean Lister. Away from the octagon, he is a social worker.
JAMES HAMMORTREE
Fighting out of: Ocala, FL/USA Martial Arts
Record: 4-0
Age: 23
Following one season at Weber International, where he starred on the football team as a linebacker and on special teams, Hammortree left the program in order to become a full-time firefighter in Ocala, Fla. The former high school wrestler owns a 4-0 professional record with all four of those bouts taking place in 2009.
JOSEPH HENLE
Fighting out of: Thousand Oaks, CA/Big John McCarthy’s MMA
Record: 3-0
Age: 26
Joseph Henle splits time training at Big John McCarthy’s MMA and working as a substitute teacher and wrestling coach in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Henle earned his MBA in financial planning from California Lutheran University in 2006. He speaks fluent Japanese.
CHARLEY LYNCH
Fighting out of: Mound, MN/Northway MMA
Record: 6-0
Age: 25
The self-proclaimed baddest man in Minnesota, Charley Lynch owns a 6-0 professional record with zero of his bouts going to decision.
KRIS MCCRAY
Fighting out of: Dumfries, VA/Chute Boxe
Record: 5-0
Age: 28
Son of a military father, Kris McCray was raised in Germany, where he excelled on the soccer pitch and garnered All-Europe honors in high school. In 1999, McCray moved permanently to the U.S., where he has served parts of eight years (six active, two inactive) as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve while also finding time to earn his associate’s degree in social studies from Northern Virginia Community College .
COURT MCGEE
Fighting out of: Orem, UT/Throwdown Elite Fight Team
Record: 9-1
Age: 24
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist out of Orem, Utah, Court McGee beat “The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom” runner-up DaMarques Johnson in 2007 by submission.
CLAYTON MCKINNEY
Fighting out of: Orlando, FL/Jungle MMA
Record: 4-2
Age: 27
A teammate of “TUF” (season eight) alumnus Tom Lawlor at Jungle MMA, Clayton McKinney is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who supplements his training by working security at a local bar in Orlando.
KYLE NOKE
Fighting out of: Albuquerque, NM/Jackson ’s MMA
Record: 16-4-1
Age: 29
Kyle Noke, from Mooloolaba, Australia, is the former bodyguard of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin. Currently training with Jackson ’s MMA in New Mexico, Noke defeated “TUF” (season six) alum George Sotiropoulos in June 2005 and current castmate Kyacey Uscola this past September.
VICTOR O’DONNELL
Fighting out of: Milford, OH/Vision MMA
Record: 8-1
Age: 27
Hailing from Milford, Ohio, O’Donnell suffered his first professional loss this past September against cast mate Costantinos Philippou. Before that, he had won eight contests, seven by submission.
NORMAN PARAISY
Fighting out of: Coconut Creek, FL/American Top Team
Record: 5-1
Age: 23
Norman Paraisy was born and raised Paris, France. The 5-1 Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist left France in order to pursue MMA in the States and is now a member of American Top Team.
COSTANTINOS PHILIPPOU
Fighting out of: Merrick, NY/Serra-Longo
Record: 5-1
Age: 30
Costantinos Philippou is a former boxer with three professional and more than 80 amateur fights on his record. The 30-year-old server from Merrick, N.Y., was born and raised in Greece. He currently trains out of the Serra-Longo camp.
GREG REBELLO
Fighting out of: Buzzards Bay, MA/Sityodtong USA
Record: 9-2
Age: 27
Greg Rebello trains fulltime at Sityodtong USA in Massachusetts under the watchful eye of Mark DellaGrotte. Currently in peak physical condition, Rebello at one time weighed in more than 300 pounds before dedicating himself to fitness at the age of 18.
NICK RING
Fighting out of: Calgary, Canada/B.D.B. Martial Arts
Record: 10-0
Age: 30
Nick Ring returned to MMA in May 2009 following a three-year stint away from the sport after suffering a devastating knee injury. In that time, Ring boxed professionally to the tune of a 4-1 record with three knockouts.
JORDAN SMITH
Fighting out of: Clearfield, UT/Throwdown Elite Fight Team
Record: 10-0
Age: 24
A seventh-grade teacher by day, Jordan Smith is a former professional boxer that trains with fellow cast member Court McGee at Throwdown Elite Fight Team.
BEN STARK
Fighting out of: Tamarac, FL/American Top Team
Record: 3-1
Age: 27
Born and raised a practitioner of the Orthodox Jewish religion until the age of 6, Ben Stark began training with American Top Team in Florida as a sophomore in college. When not at the gym, Stark picks up shifts at “The Original Fat Cats” music club and also finds time to breed snakes.
LYLE STEFFENS
Fighting out of: Tucson, AZ/Apex MMA
Record: 5-2
Age: 26
Lyle Steffens is a firefighter and an EMT in Tucson, Arizona. He trains with fellow cast member Seth Baczynski at Apex MMA.
BRAD TAVARES
Fighting out of: Las Vegas, NV/TapouT
Record: 4-0
Age: 21
At 21, Brad Tavares is the youngest of this season’s cast members. Originally from Hilo, Hawaii , Tavares recently relocated to Las Vegas and trains fulltime with TapouT
WARREN THOMPSON
Fighting out of: Marietta, GA/Team Khunpon/Roberto Traven BJJ
Record: 5-0
Age: 23
Warren Thompson, aka “The Kool-Aid Man,” is a Muay-Thai fighter from Marietta, Ga. The volunteer firefighter splits his training in Atlanta between Team Khunpon and Roberto Traven BJJ.
KYACEY USCOLA
Fighting out of: Sacramento, CA/Team Alpha Male
Record: 18-15
Age: 28
Kyacey Uscola joins the cast with 33 professional MMA fights on his record. He trains with Team Alpha Male and Urijah Faber out of Sacramento.
CLEBURN WALKER
Fighting out of: Keller, TX/Team Lutter
Record: 9-3
Age: 26
Born and raised in Texas, Cleburn Walker is a fulltime fighter and instructor at Team Lutter. He suffered a recent loss via submission to TUF (season three) alumnus Jesse Forbes this past June.
WOODY WEATHERBY
Fighting out of: Hudson, NH/Renzo Gracie/Mickey Wards Boxing Gym & Xtreme MMA
Record: 7-3
Age: 27
The former U.S. Navy officer currently works fulltime as a corrections officer for the Hillsborough County jail in Manchester, N.H . Weatherby rotates his training between two gyms: Renzo Gracie Academy in Derry, N.H., and Mickey Wards Boxing Gym & Xtreme MMA.
JAMIE YAGER
Fighting out of: Los Angeles, CA/Kings MMA
Record: 2-1
Age: 25
A standout varsity letterman in baseball and football, Yager was the 2001 Athlete of the Year at South Pasadena High School in California. He picked up training MMA as a hobby and went straight from training to the professional ranks in February 2008 as part of BET’s “Iron Ring,” where he defeated his opponent by TKO.
Source: mmajunkie.com
We have yet to be alerted of the channel airing the brand series the UK, presumably FIVE USA will get it again.
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DVD REVIEW: UFC ULTIMATE 100 GREATEST FIGHT MOMENTS

March 5th, 2010 Duane No comments

UFC Ultimate 100 Greatest Fight Moments

The essential Ultimate 100 as voted for by the UFC fans online at UFC.com and presented by the voice of the UFC Mike Goldberg. This near 4 hour offering of octagon action is a fantastic starting point for all MMA converts.

Packaged up here are highlights of the 16 year history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Sit back, crack open a Budweiser, relax and enjoy the journey following MMA evolve out of the no holds barred ‘Gracie Rules era’, to present day mainstream exposed Ultimate Fighter era of reality TV.

Many pioneering cage battlers feature on this release, including Tank Abbott, Don Frye, Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Mark Coleman, Randy Couture, plus all the UFC champs and fan favourites such as Georges St Pierre, BJ Penn, Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin.

Not only will you witness some classic match-up highlights, you’ll witness some amazing upsets in the form of Gabriel Gonzaga KO’ing K1 knock-out king Cro Cop and Matt Sera nailing GSP. These upsets are perfect examples demonstrating the unpredictability of MMA, making it the most exciting sport to watch in the world today.

Voted by the fans at the number 5 spot is Lesnar vs Mir 1, from UFC 81. A classic clash and a recent memorable moment for current UFC fanatics. I’m sure if the vote took place post UFC 100, Lesnar vs Mir 2 would have been right up there.

On a collector’s  compilation DVD in this format you don’t see the complete bouts but this acts to help you choose the UFC releases to add to your personal collection next.

Another fantastically presented DVD release from the UFC. However the DVD isn’t actually a history of the UFC, hence the missing fighters who played their part shaping the sport, most notably Frank Shamrock, Kazushi Sakuraba and Bas Rutten. Here’s hoping the UFC will eventually create a docu-movie of the UFC and mixed martial arts drawing on the video library at hand from the UFC, Pride FC and WEC.

UFC Ultimate 100 Greatest Fight Moments is out now on DVD, available direct from www.fightdvd.co.uk, HMV and all good retailers.

Keep visiting BluRayMMA.com for more reviews of brand new UFC, related combat sports and martial arts DVD releases.

UFC DVD review by Duane Farr
duane@bluraymma.com

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BAMMA VS ULTIMATE CHALLENGE

March 3rd, 2010 Duane No comments

BAMMA is back, bigger, bolder and on Bravo. Recently the Brit MMA organisation returned to the scene, promoting a night of mixed martial arts action at the Roundhouse in London. BAMMA’s production is looking slick, but which do you the ultimate fighting fan prefer, the established promotion Ultimate Challenge (formerly Cage Rage) or new contender BAMMA?

In comparison Dave O’Donnell’s Ultimate Challenge already is an established brand, complete with recognised theme music plus fighters own entrance songs. Resurrection their most recent offering aired on Sky Sports amongst others match-ups showed a brilliant bout featuring former TUF 9 entrant Dean Amasinger in a gruelling contest. Both promoters book some excellent established fighters alongside upcoming MMA talent but ultimately I feel it’s important how the TV product is presented to sell the fights to the punters. BAMMA may just have the edge in this department, judging by their most recent output BAMMA 2, shown on Bravo.

If I’m honest I don’t follow Brit MMA as closely as the UFC, the reason being the excellent job the Zuffa brand do at putting over the cage competitors to us. We know who the present champions are and who their challengers are in good time to get hyped for the octagon showdowns.

Currently there is one Brit MMA championship bout I know of and when it takes place, Mr Katie Price himself Alex Reid versus Tom ‘Kong’ Watson in May at BAMMA 3. That fight promo video interviewing the middleweight mixed martial artists is the way forward for the sport in this country. The style of presentation is very professional, the Celebrity Big Brother 7 winner Reid comes across so natural, rather than hamming up.

Having 2 top Brit MMA fight promotions on TV is great news, meaning there is a choice for us viewers and choice where the fighters can compete, but most importantly we’ll see healthy competition between the companies fighting over the ultimate fighting pound, thus upping their game.

Over to you, who is your pick of the UK fight promotions? Comment here or feel free to air your views over on the BluRayMMA.com Facebook group.

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr
duane@bluraymma.com
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BAMMA 2 ON BRAVO TONIGHT

February 21st, 2010 Duane No comments

A quick heads up for Brit MMA fans, BAMMA returns to the small screen tonight with BAMMA 2, on Bravo at 9pm, Sky channel 123.

That’s not all, straight after on sister channel Bravo 2, the Virgin Media channel treat us to M1 Challenge – The Final. You can catch it at midnight.

Even more good news for Bravo viewers, next Sunday the 28th of February, the channel will be airing the next Strikeforce Challengers show.  Fantastic to see the California based MMA outfit Strikeforce settled into a new home on UK TV.

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr
duane@bluraymma.com
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