YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Maggie Hendricks

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    • UFC president Dana White put out his first video blog for UFC 160, and it's a behind the scenes look at the UFC's last pay-per-view event. The moments not to miss:

      -- Bryan Caraway and Pat Healy discussing Healy's submission. Caraway, who had the only other submission win at UFC 159, said he was cheering for Healy to win by a knockout, not a submission, so that the Submission of the Night bonus would be Caraway's. The strange thing is Caraway did end up with the bonus because Healy's win was overturned by a failed drug test.

      -- Michael Bisping yelling, "[Expletive] you guys!" to no one in particular

      -- During warm-ups, Chael Sonnen showed off acrobatic skill. After losing to Jon Jones, he still showed a side that doesn't come through when he's trash talking to sell a fight.

      Read More »from Dana White’s video blog shows Bryan Caraway and Pat Healy talking about their submissions at UFC 159
    • We want your UFC 160 picks

      Will he hold onto this belt? (Getty)UFC 160 is Saturday in Las Vegas, and we want to know how you think it will go down. Give us your picks and we'll run some of them here on Cagewriter. Here's how to do it. Check out the Cagewriter Facebook page to vote on a winner. Tell us why you think your pick will win in the comments of the poll, and some picks will run here on Friday. Click on each fight for its poll:

      Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva
      Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt
      James Te Huna vs. Glover Teixeira
      T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard
      Donald Cerrone vs. KJ Noons

      As the poet Pitbull said, let's have a real good time.

      Read More »from We want your UFC 160 picks
    • Former Wyoming legislator worked to legalize MMA, now getting in the cage

      (Alan Rogers/Star-Tribune)As a state legislator in Wyoming, Bryan Pedersen helped author the bill to legalize and regulate MMA in his home state. This weekend, he will test that bill by fighting at the Colosseum Fight Series, the first fights in Cheyenne since the bill passed.

      Pedersen, who is 38 years old, has trained in MMA for the past four years. Like many fighters, he originally tried out the sport for fitness reasons only. But once MMA was allowed in his state, and Cheyenne was set to host fights, Pedersen couldn't help but say yes to an offer to fight on the CFS card.

      "This is not something I normally do," he said to the Wyoming Star-Tribune. "But I really believe in the sport."

      He served for six years in the Wyoming state legislature. Now a financial consultant, he plans on making this both his debut and retirement bout. The weigh-ins will take place at a familiar venue for Pedersen -- the steps of the Wyoming State Capitol Building.

      Pedersen is taking the fight seriously, as he drives an hour and a half daily to Easton Training Center in Colorado, the training home of UFC veteran Eliot Marshall.

      "I have a goal," he said. "Without a goal, you wouldn’t do it. It creates a sense of urgency and panic. Because every day I’m not training, my opponent is probably getting better. And I’m not."

      He's the latest government official to set his sights on the cage, though Pedersen appears to be taking his fight more seriously than the two mayors in south Florida who are planning a bout. Perhaps MMA should become part of the legislative process.

      Read More »from Former Wyoming legislator worked to legalize MMA, now getting in the cage
    • UFC on FX 8′s Three Stars: Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo Souza and Fabio Maldonado

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      Who stood out in Saturday night's fights?

      No. 1 star -- Vitor Belfort*: We will be watching highlights of that knockout for years to come. The timing, explosion and landing spot of the kick were just perfect. The knockout was so great the UFC didn't even have to say who they were talking about when they announced who the $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus was awarded to.

      Then why the asterisk? Because it's hard to look at what Belfort did and not wonder if the testosterone replacement therapy he used throughout his camp played a part. His late-career resurgence doesn't pass the smell test.

      No. 2 star -- Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza: Did Chris Camozzi even realize he was in the arm triangle choke that Souza so expertly applied? Souza's performance on Saturday night served notice to the UFC middleweights. It also earned him a $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus. All in all, it was a pretty good start in the UFC for the Strikeforce veteran.

      No. 3 star -- Fabio Maldonado: Perhaps it wasn't the prettiest win of the night, but it got the job done against some tough odds. Maldonado withstood a kick to the groin that made even me wince and came back to win by decision. That's more than enough to earn a star.

      Who stood out for you? Speak up on Facebook or Twitter.

      Read More »from UFC on FX 8′s Three Stars: Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo Souza and Fabio Maldonado
    • (Getty)

      From his rousing entrance to his quick submission win, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza had a memorable UFC debut at UFC on FX 8 with a first-round win over Chris Camozzi.

      Souza is one of the UFC's best BJJ practitioners, and he put on a show on Saturday night. He took down Camozzi, and smoothly worked him on the ground until Souza caught him in an arm-triangle choke. It was so smooth and fast that Camozzi was choked out within seconds. The fight was stopped at 3:27 in the first round.

      Souza, whose nickname means "alligator" in Portuguese, celebrated with his trademark crawl around the cage. He stood up and led the raucous crowd in gator chomps.

      This is Souza's fourth straight win, and all four wins were by stoppage. He has shown a more well-rounded game during his recent Strikeforce fights, but had no problem returning to his jiu-jitsu roots in the win over Camozzi. With such a strong debut, Souza should be in the conversation for a middleweight title shot soon.

      Read More »from Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza makes memorable UFC debut with submission win over UFC on FX 8
    • Vitor Belfort gets highlight-reel knockout of Luke Rockhold at UFC on FX 8

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      Vitor Belfort gave fans in his home country of Brazil plenty to be happy about at UFC on FX 8 on Saturday, delivering a first-round knockout of Luke Rockhold that is sure to make UFC highlight reels for years to come.

      Belfort held off Rockhold's takedown attempts early, and then set up to deliver a perfect knockout kick halfway through the round. Near the fence, Belfort landed a spinning kick to Rockhold's face. It landed flush, and Rockhold fell to the ground. Belfort finished with ground and pound. The fight was stopped at 2:32 in the first round.

      It's Belfort's second straight win by knockout. He knocked out Michael Bisping in January, and before that, moved up to light heavyweight and lost a title fight to Jon Jones. His record is now 23-10. He already has a loss against UFC champion Anderson Silva, but is this fight enough to ask for another title shot? He wouldn't say.

      "I'm here to fight. I don't pick fights. I accept fights," Belfort said after the win.

      There was plenty of bad blood between the two before the fight began. Belfort is one of the UFC fighters who has an exemption to use testosterone replacement therapy. Rockhold viewed this as sanctioned cheating, and wasn't afraid to say so. The two had to be separated during Friday's weigh-ins as Rockhold got in Belfort's face.

      This was Rockhold's first fight in the UFC. He is now 11-2, with most of his wins coming in Strikeforce, where he was the middleweight champion.

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      Read More »from Vitor Belfort gets highlight-reel knockout of Luke Rockhold at UFC on FX 8
    • See where Pat Healy, Paul Kelly and Nate Diaz fell on Cagewriter’s Hot or Not list

      (Getty)It's been a crazy, crazy week in MMA. Let's get right to finding out what's hot and what's not.

      Not -- Pat Healy: After a memorable, double-bonus winning fight at UFC 159, Healy tested positive for marijuana. He lost his bonuses, worth $130,000. It was a very costly lesson.

      Hot -- Bryan Caraway: He was the only other fighter at UFC 159 by submission, so he picked up Healy's vacated bonus.

      Not -- Nate Diaz: In a Twitter conversation today, someone from GLAAD spelled out exactly why Diaz's tweet that got him suspended was so hurtful.

      "When you use an anti-gay slur, even not to describe a gay person, what you tell all gay people is, 'My subconscious wanted to find the worst insult it could, and what it came up with ... was you.'"

      In using the f-word to describe Caraway, Diaz not only used the language of hate, but also put his own standing with the UFC in jeopardy.

      Hot -- Tarec Saffiedine's son: If you missed it, watch Tarec Saffiedine's son throw some combinations on a laundry hamper. If you watched it, watch it again. It's still adorable.

      Not -- Paul Kelly: Since losing to Donald Cerrone at UFC 126 and getting cut by the UFC, British fighter Paul Kelly's life has taken a surprising turn. He was convicted for trafficking heroin in the United Kingdom. He is reportedly facing a long prison term.

      Still taking temperature -- Luke Rockhold and Vitor Belfort: The two will face off on Saturday night in Brazil on FX. Considering the bad blood between the fighters, this should be a fun one.

      Thank you for reading Cagewriter. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

      Read More »from See where Pat Healy, Paul Kelly and Nate Diaz fell on Cagewriter’s Hot or Not list
    • UFC suspends Nate Diaz for homophobic slur

      (Getty)UFC lightweight Nate Diaz has been suspended by the promotion for using a homophobic slur in a tweet about fellow fighter Bryan Caraway. After Pat Healy lost his UFC 159 Submission of the Night bonus for testing positive for marijuana, the bonus was given to Caraway. Diaz apparently didn't think Caraway should have accepted the money. Apologies for the language he used in the tweet showing on Cagewriter:

      He followed that up with a slur against women.

      The UFC responded quickly, suspending Diaz as they investigate what their next move is. The promotion issued a statement on the matter.

      Read More »from UFC suspends Nate Diaz for homophobic slur
    • Three questions that will be answered by UFC on FX 8

      Belfort facing off with Rockhold. (Getty)The UFC is in Brazil again for Saturday's UFC on FX bouts. The top of the card holds a contentious bout between two fighters who clearly don't like each other. What do you need to know before tuning in?

      Will Luke Rockhold keep octagon jitters at bay? Luke Rockhold spent most of his career in Strikeforce. He worked his way up through the challengers system to become the promotion's final middleweight champion. Now, he finally gets a chance to show he belongs in the UFC. He won't have an easy entry, fighting Vitor Belfort, who is coming off of a TKO win over Michael Bisping in January. Will he avoid octagon jitters and keep his fight streak alive?

      Has Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza continued to grow as a fighter? Souza well-credentialed in jiu-jitsu, but his fight game has become more well-rounded in recent bouts. He'll face Chris Camozzi, who is on a four-fight win streak. Will Souza show the complete fight game he did in Strikeforce?

      Is Nik Lentz among the best of the loaded featherweights? Since dropping down to 145 lbs., Lentz is 2-0. He'll face Hacran Dias on his home territory. Both fighters have a chance at getting closer to Jose Aldo and the featherweight belt with a win. Which one will come away the winner?

      Read More »from Three questions that will be answered by UFC on FX 8
    • Two mayors in South Florida set to face off in MMA bout for charity

      Pizzi at left and Hernandez will fight (Miami Herald)Mayors in competing cities often place bets when there sports teams face off. Quite often, they offer the city's signature foods and gifts. For this year's Super Bowl, the San Francisco mayor spent a day in service in Baltimore after the Ravens won. But two mayors in south Florida are upending that tradition. They'll be the ones competing.

      Carlos Hernandez, the mayor of Hialeah, and Michael Pizzi, the mayor of Miami Lakes, plan to square off for charity. It started as a discussion over dinner -- and a few drinks -- over who could beat each other up. It snowballed from there.

      Hernandez, 52, says he has trained with the Gracies, one of MMA's most important families. Pizzi has another plan.

      "Carlos is an athlete into aerobics," Pizzi said to MMA Junkie. "I'm of the Tank Abbott (and) Roy Nelson school of training, which is have a six-pack of beer, get off a bar stool and knock the guy out in the first three punches."

      While Nelson does like to show off his belly, he's in a bit better shape than Pizzi says.

      The two mayors haven't set a date for the bout yet as they are still looking for a promoter. The Miami Herald reports the fight will take place in Hernandez's home turf of Hialeah. Money they raise from the bout will go to programs benefiting children in each mayor's city.

      Read More »from Two mayors in South Florida set to face off in MMA bout for charity

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