Wednesday, February 23, 2011

For the very first time a female bout will headline a major mixed martial arts promotion in Great Britain; as the pioneer of women’s MMA in Europe Rosi "The Surgeon" Sexton takes on international superstar Roxanne Modafferi in the main event at Cage Warriors 40 which is to be hosted by the HMV arena in London, England. The bout has been heralded as one of the biggest in all of women's MMA. MMA Spot's Jamie Kennedy had the honor of sitting down with Rosi to chat about her influence on U.K. MMA, her pending bout with Roxanne Modafferi, and much more.

Santiago previously competed in the UFC in 2006. Since leaving from the promotion, the American Top Team member has remade himself and matured as a fighter, building an 11-1 record over the last four years. A strong finisher, he has knocked out or submitted twenty-one of his twenty-three opponents. As a result, the Brazilian stalwart has carved out a reputation as one of the most electrifying fighters in the world. Now, Santiago, who is ranked in the top ten in his weight class, is ready to face new challenges and bring his brand of excitement back to the U.S. fans. He plans to show the fight world that he belongs in the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world, and amongst the elite of the 185-pound division.

The UFC has continued to trek through the entire globe, stopping in some of the most rabid MMA markets in the process. One such market has proved to be Australia, where the UFC will make its second visit this weekend. The country has produced UFC mainstays George Sotiropoulos and Anthony Perosh, but stars could be in the making in Kyle Noke and James Te Huna.

Showtime Sports and M-1 Global announced today an upcoming mixed martial arts event entitled "M-1 Challenge: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa" featuring two M-1 Global title fights. The bouts will air live on Showtime on Friday, March 25 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Artiom Damkovsky will defend his M-1 Challenge lightweight championship against Jose Figueroa, while Tyson Jeffries and Magomed Sultanakhmedov will battle for the vacant M-1 Challenge middleweight belt from Constant Center in Norfolk, Va.

Brazilian light heavyweight contender Antonio Rogerio Nogueira takes on one of the sport’s rising stars, undefeated Phil Davis, a former NCAA Division I champion wrestler, in Spike TV’s UFC Fight Night live from the KeyArena in Seattle, Wash. on Saturday, March 26 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.  The co-feature showcases a battle between British sensation Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy” and knockout artist Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Also on the televised card will be a welterweight showdown between Duane Ludwig and Amir Sadollah.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

At BAMMA 4 it took Welsh pugilist John Phillips just one minute and 34 seconds to put veteran James Zikic to sleep, which lead to calls for John to be next in line to face Tom "Kong" Watson for his title. For one reason or another that fight has not been able to materialize. However John Phillips returns to BAMMA for the third time to face the very experienced Frenchman Jean-Francois Lenogue at the M.E.N. arena in Manchester, England on February 26. MMA Spot’s Jamie Kennedy caught up with Phillips to find out his thoughts on the fight, his desire to train with American Top Team and much more.

Monday, February 21, 2011

There may not be a greater misconception among casual MMA fans today than the notion that Anderson “The Spider” Silva is boring. In a world where “What have you done lately” is almost all anyone can think about, Silva entered the cage against Chael Sonnen last summer with a lot to prove. His earlier shutout decision title defense against Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert Demian Maia had left many wishing that Silva had pressed more for the finish.

With one of the biggest fights in women's MMA headlining the card, Cage Warriors 40 has recieved lots of attention. As a result, managers for the promotion have made arrangements to have the event streamed live online for free. The main event features Rosi Sexton facing Roxanne Modafferi at super flyweight (125 pounds). Also to be broadcast will be a Cage Warriors bantamweight championship bout between Paul McVeigh and Andreas Bernhard.

As with past UFC events, MMA Spot will be bringing our readers coverage of press conferences, weigh-in events, post-fight press conferences, exclusive video, and behind-the-scenes moments leading right up to "UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch." The event takes place on February 26 from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, and will be broadcast via pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The main event of the evening features a welterweight battle between former champion B.J. Penn and top contender Jon Fitch. Keep it here at MMA Spot for all of your UFC video coverage.

Former Olympian and current Japanese MMA star Kazuyuki Miyata has signed a groundbreaking MMA sponsorship deal with Nike. As the world’s leading supplier of Athletic footwear and apparel, Miyata is proud to join an illustrious list of sponsored athletes that compiles a who’s who of sports' leading figures. With Miyata closing in on the Dream featherweight title the relationship appears to have arrived with perfect timing.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

The often outspoken and even more often hilarious McVeigh, poised on the cusp of international recognition, recently sat down with MMA Spot’s Jamie Kennedy to discuss a variety of topics. His answers were as unpredictable and wild as his fights. Whether it’s McVeigh's take on his opponent, how he would handle life in “The Ultimate Fighter” house, or fighting for a UFC title it is always entertaining, and sometimes for mature audiences only.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

San Jose, Calif. based organization Strikeforce held their second mixed martial arts event in the past six days with their Challenger series airing live Friday night on Showtime from the Cedar Park Center in Cedar Park, Tex. A five-bout televised card rounded out the event that was headlined by a lightweight tilt between Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm and Pat "Bam Bam" Healy.