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    Steve Cofield

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    Steve Cofield is a MMA and Boxing blogger for Yahoo! Sports.

    • Sonnen doing damage on the groundCHICAGO -- It was a rough 15 minutes, but Chael Sonnen did enough to get the fight he's coveted for 17 months.

      The middleweight title contender locked up a shot against the UFC's 185-pound champ Anderson Silva with a surprisingly tough win over Michael Bisping.

      In a fight, that appeared to be a toss-up for some, Sonnen took a unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28, in the co-main event of the UFC on Fox 2 card at the United Center.

      Sonnen's win sets up an intriguing scenario.

      UFC president Dana White guaranteed the winner of tonight's tilt the next shot at Silva. The champ has been sidelined since August with shoulder and back issues and the promotion is pointing towards a summer return. But Silva recently hinted that he may be out beyond the summer.

      Sonnen (27-11-1, 6-4 UFC) believes Silva is ducking him and has done everything he can to call out the champ. Tonight, he made the wise decision of not poking Silva. Instead, he delivered a hilarious postfight speech talking about his own greatness.

      "As I've told everyone before, when you're the best fighter in the world, they don't call you champion, they call you Chael Sonnen," said Sonnen.

      Sonnen was good, not great tonight, but much of that had to do with the opponent. Bisping (22-4, 10-0 UFC) rubs plenty of fans and media members the wrong way and, as a result, he's a bit underrated. The common thought was that the Brit would get eaten alive by Sonnen's Olympic-level wrestling, but that didn't happen in the first two rounds.

      Read More »from Sonnen earns his rematch against Silva, grinds out win over Bisping at UFC on Fox 2
    • Oliveira cranks on Wisely's leg (Tracy Lee for Yahoo! Sports)

      CHICAGO -- Eric Wisely learned a new submission term - the calf slicer. Unfortunately, it was Wisely's calf, knee and thigh that were being shredded by Charles Oliveira.

      In his featherweight debut, Oliveira showed off some nifty scrambling and submission skills in finishing the American at the 1:53 mark of the first round. The UFC's Tom Gerbasi said it was the first calf slicer finish in the history of the promotion.

      Oliveira (15-2, 3-2 UFC, 1 NC) landed the Submission of the Night bonus good for  $65,000.

      "It felt amazing to walk out and hear the energy of the crowd here in Chicago. I was extremely confident and proud going into this fight and I knew that God would be with me," Oliveira said. "I have practiced my submissions endlessly and it was easy to look for that opportunity to finish the fight. I am ready for the next challenge inside the Octagon."

      Oliveira looked solid in all aspects, most importantly the bounce in his step. This was the 22-year-old's first fight down at 145 pounds. That first trip down to a new weight class can always be dicey from a stamina standpoint. The Brazilian's length at 5-foot-10 gave Wisely trouble from the start. He just couldn't get inside on Oliveira.

      After eating a few good punches and a kick, Wisely (19-7) flopped to his back. From there, Oliveira patiently hovered above looking to land some good shots. He finally grabbed a leg and dropped back to work on a heel hook. It was tight, but Wisely escaped serious damage. He wasn't out of it, so Oliveira tried to reset the position.

      Read More »from Oliveira brilliant in finish of Wisely, Swanson scores big KO at UFC on Fox 2
    • UFC on Fox 2 opener: Camozzi takes out Jacoby

      Camozzi celebrates a big victory (MMAWeekly)CHICAGO --Chris Camozzi is one tough guy.

      The veteran fighter dislocated a finger in the second and fought through it by only throwing jabs and hooks. In the final round, he dropped Justin Jacoby with great outside leg kick.

      Camozzi pounced to go for the kill and worked a guillotine choke. Jacoby backed up to the cage where he tapped just seconds later at the 1:08 mark of the third.

      "A little into the third round, I heard my coach tell me to 'go for the kick'. I did and that allowed me to setup the ten-finger guillotine to put him out. A win like that feels great," said Camozzi.

      Camozzi (16-5, 4-2 UFC) came out guns-a-blazing throwing big shot landing his best at the end of the first. With less than 10 seconds left, he dropped Jacoby right a big right. Jacoby scrambled well to survive. At some point in the second, Camozzi had a finger on his left hand pop out of place. It stunted his attack as Jacoby landed the better shots and took the round. All three judges had it 19-19 after

      Read More »from UFC on Fox 2 opener: Camozzi takes out Jacoby
    • CHICAGO -- It's all about staying off your back and top control in tonight's three big fights on the UFC on Fox 2 card.

      If they control the pace in fights, top level wrestlers have the ability to steal rounds and money. A mix of underdogs and favorites (Chael Sonnen, Phil Davis and Chris Weidman) with excellent college wrestling backgrounds, will be an interesting follow on the betting scene.

      Sonnen's controlled the pace so well in his recent fights, it's made him just about unbeatable and a huge favorite over Michael Bisping. We'll find out tonight if Bisping's takedown defense allows him to stay in the fight. Hopefully keeps his cool. Sonnen along with yesterday's weigh-in crowd at the Chicago Theater really got under the Brit's skin.

      As an underdog, Phil Davis will be looking to do slow things down against Rashad Evans. Chris Weidman's in the most interesting position because the former Hofstra star could probably stay on top of Demian Maia the entire fight, but that's incredibly dangerous place to be against a top level jiu-jitsu fighter. In spite of that Weidman is a pretty solid favorite over the UFC veteran.

      Former UFC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres joined Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole and myself on ESPN1100/98.9 FM to pick the fights using the Las Vegas' numbers.

      UFC on Fox 2 odds:
      Best plays in bold

      Rashad Evans (-205) vs. Phil Davis (+175) - Light heavyweight
      Michael Bisping (+360) vs. Chael Sonnen (-450) - Middleweight

      Read More »from UFC on Fox 2 picks, Vegas-style: Bisping really getting annoyed by Sonnen’s wrestling lines
    • CHICAGO -- Dana White had to be smiling inside to see Chris Weidman make weight for his UFC on Fox 2 fight. Weidman, called just 11 days ago as a late replacement, had to drop from 217 pounds to make tomorrow's battle against Demian Maia an official middleweight fight.

      It just two weeks ago that the promotion had to endure the embarrassment of watching Anthony Johnson missed weight badly at UFC 142.

      Weidman was actually called with the offer while sitting at his dinner table. His wife was making some delicious Sloppy Joes. When Weidman committed to the fight, he had to go right to work.

      "I just headed to the gym and ate a spoonful of peanut butter, and that was it," a glum Weidman told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

      The former Hofstra wrestler is trying to make a big step up the middleweight ladder with a victory over Maia. We'll find out tomorrow if the severe weight cut will affect him on fight night.

      Phil Davis went with the wrestling theme. Rashad Evans, a former Michigan State wrestler, tried to rip on Davis and his college wrestling career. It was a strange approach considering Davis was a four-time All-American and national champ in 2008. Davis, who's done a brilliant job of poking fun at Evans, pulled out his old Nittany Lions' garb for the fight today.

      This from wrestling guru Maggie Hendricks:

      So that singlet is Penn State's championship singlet, one that only gets broken out if a guy wrestles in the finals. Since Davis wrestled in the NCAA finals twice, he has at least one. Most schools have them, but PSU's is very recognizable because they don't have a ton of singlet options, like other schools. As a fellow Big 10er, Evans would know that. Wearing that one, and not Penn State's more traditional dark blue singlet, was a sly way of Davis saying, "Yes, I am the better wrestler."

      2008 NCAA national champ Davis on the UFC scales in Chicago

      A weigh-in wouldn't be complete with a dust up or some heat arising. Michael Bisping took care of that by angrily reacting to the booing crowd at the Chicago Theater. The Brit flipped off the fans.

      UFC on Fox 2 weigh-in (Courtesy MMAjunkie):

      Read More »from UFC on Fox 2 weigh-in: Weidman ditches the Sloppy Joes to drop 32 pounds in 11 days
    • Bisping continues to question Sonnen’s manhood over low testosterone

      CHICAGO -- Maybe it's a good thing Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen didn't have months to promote their fight tomorrow night on the UFC on Fox 2 at the United Center. One can only imagine the depths the trash talk would've sunk to.

      Sonnen's testosterone replacement therapy is the popular subject this week for the Brit, who suggests that the American is less than a complete male. Early in the week on HDNet, Bisping alleged that Sonnen has a physical abnormality.

      "[...] He's been submitted more times than I care to mention. Not to mention, the last time he lost a fight by submission, there were some issues involving performance enhancing drugs," Bisping said. "I don't know what the deal is. Apparently, he has one testicle. One testicle! This is why he uses performance enhancing drugs. He's gonna need more than one little ball to fight me next weekend!"

      Read More »from Bisping continues to question Sonnen’s manhood over low testosterone
    • CHICAGO -- Dana White has his mind made up. You're never going to know what UFC fighters truly make and that's just the way it has to be.

      "So just because you don't know everything, you don't have to know anything, and to be honest with you? It's none of your [expletive] business how much these guys are making. They're making a lot of money. [...] How much money is none of your business. I'm not asking how much money you're making," said White (3:10 mark).

      White believes that the salary information, so readily available in the other pro sports has ruined things for the athletes. He pointed to the recent $214 million megadeal inked by Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder.

      "His whole life is going to change. He thought it was bad before with the (expletive) he had going on in his life? Everybody and their mother is coming after that 214," White said (2:10 mark). "Believe me when I tell you. Mark my words, Prince Fielder talk to me in five years and tell me what it was like when the news put out there that you were making $214 million dollars. I'm not going to do that to my guys."

      The UFC often gets a bad rap for fighter pay because the only numbers revealed are those given to state commissions. The promotion beefs up the pay with behind-the-scenes discretionary and pay-per-view bonuses. White is often asked if all the complaints about pay would go away if Zuffa simply revealed all the details.

      Read More »from A confident Dana White defends policy of confidentiality on fighter pay and welcomes government scrutiny
    • If Round 1 is the war of words, Phil Davis leads 10-8 over Rashad Evans

      Evans and Davis with some verbal sparring

      CHICAGO -- In most interviews Phil Davis comes off as a reserved young man. He's not out to ruffle any feathers, but those of us who've had a chance to speak to him repeatedly always knew there was a potential media darling behind that conservative facade.

      In the lead-up to Saturday's UFC on Fox 2 card, Rashad Evans has brought out the beast in Davis and the former UFC light heavyweight hasn't reacted too well.

      It started last week when Evans flipped out on Davis calling him a "boy." Yesterday during the UFC on Fox 2 prefight press conference, Evans shook his head, appeared annoyed and even looked flustered on several occasions.

      [Related: UFC on Fox 2 carries huge implications for blockbuster fights]

      As the banter began, Evans tried to play it cool.

      "For the most part, I've got nothing against Phil, but you we've got a fight so I've got a lot against him right now. It's personal, but not really PERSONAL personal," said Evans, who had heated prefight words with previous opponents like Tito Ortiz and Quinton Jackson.

      Evans got irked when the issue of college wrestling came up. Phil Davis, a more accomplished NCAA star at Penn State than Evans was at Michigan State, laughed when someone asked if his opponent could beat him in a straight wrestling match. Evans kept saying "your technique is trash."

      Read More »from If Round 1 is the war of words, Phil Davis leads 10-8 over Rashad Evans
    • A fired up Dana White at Chicago press conferenceCHICAGO -- The war is on between the UFC and Internet hackers.

      On Sunday, UFC.com was re-routed several times to the website UGnazi. The site's organizers, who White called terrorists several times during the "UFC on Fox 2" press conference, said the hacking of UFC.com is a result of the company's support of SOPA and PIPA. The wide-ranging bills are aimed at stopping online piracy.

      White lashed out at the hackers.

      Update: White dug in deeper during a conversation with The Score's Mauro Ranallo (13:30 mark).

      "Keep hacking our site, do it again. Do it tonight," said White. "These guys look like terrorists now and a bill that was about to die, is about to come back."

      The hacker taking credit for the UFC hit, @joshthgod, went a different route after the challenge, posting White's personal info, including a Social Security number, a list of residential addresses, a vehicle identification number and a personal phone number.

      That followed a tweet that said White is now the target.

      Read More »from Dana White calls out Internet hackers, they respond by releasing his alleged personal info
    • Rashad Evans says boo all you want, he likes it

      This is a nice behind-the-scenes video blog following Rashad Evans. As always Evans drops some awesome lines. He talks about being a heel and that he wouldn't want it any other way (5:35 mark). Watch the end, the delivery is dynamite.

      Evans faces Phil Davis in the main event of Saturday's UFC on Fox 2 card in Chicago.

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