THIS IS THE LAST POST....

Farewell "MMA Friends" blog. I am shutting down this blog. Actually, I am not going to delete it, but I am going to cease posting anything new.

Although mmfriends.blogspot.com receives hundreds and hundreds of hits per week, most of the time I end up setting up the "who/what/when/where" a day or two before I get together with friends and family to watch a fight. For a time, I enjoyed putting out info regarding MMA in general, but my limited time prevented me from writing my own, meaningful posts very often and, therefore, most of the time I was just re-posting news I found to be of particular interest which is a bit banal since people can look up news if they're really inclined. Furthermore, I have been contemplating other issues, such as maximizing the use of my free time in endeavors that will bring to pass more "fruits" both in temporal and spiritual matters, and in that realm this blog falls very low, indeed even off, my list of priorities. So, this is officially my last post. Please feel free to keep in touch via email:

djtodd@gmail.com

Cote vs. Silva Talk

Staph Infections in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Part II

One of the most popular posts ever on this blog was a post I did some time ago about staph infections in MMA. Everyday people from all around the world still hit that post because this blog comes up in Google Images when one queries the terms "staph," "infection," and "mma." So, I thought I'd do a more thorough post since a lot of practioners seem to be interested, curious and/or afraid of staph...and you can't blame 'em.

How to avoid it:
"If you have a scrape that is tender to the touch and starts developing puss like a pimple, slap on some neosporin and band-aid it. Staph heals quickly with self-treatment if caught early enough. If you wait to long you better see a doctor.

I’ve caught minor cases of staph twice and it always cleared up in a week with anti-bacterial ointment and band-aids."

Basic info:
Staphylococcus aureus (pronounced /ˌstæfɨləˈkɒkəs ˈɔriəs/, literally "Golden Cluster Seed" and also known as golden staph) is the most common cause of staph infections. It is a spherical bacterium, frequently found in the nose and skin of a person. About 20% of the population are long-term carriers of S. aureus.^[1] Staphylococcus aureus can cause a range of illnesses from minor skin infections, such as pimples, impetigo (may also be caused by Streptococcus pyogenes), boils, cellulitis folliculitis, furuncles, carbuncles, scalded skin syndrome and abscesses, to life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis endocarditis, Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), and septicemia. Its incidence is from skin, soft tissue, respiratory, bone, joint, endovascular to wound infections. It is still one of the four most common causes of nosocomial infections, often causing postsurgical wound infections. Abbreviated to S. aureus or Staph aureus in medical literature, S. aureus should not be confused with the similarly named (and also medically relevant) species of the genus Streptococcus.

Staphylococcus aureus
Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria Kingdom: Eubacteria Phylum: Firmicutes Class: Bacilli Order: Bacillales Family: Staphylococcaceae Genus: Staphylococcus Species: S. aureus
Binomial name
Staphylococcus aureus Rosenbach 1884

Starts of looking like a big zit apparently:


Diego Sanchez:

JK!

Vera Talks Jardine (UFC 89)

Elite XC Outcomes, Salaries and Proof Kimbo is Protected

Elite XC: ‘Heat’ paydays and salaries

By: James Iannotti

MMAmania.com has received the fighter payouts from Elite XC: “Heat” from the Florida State Boxing Commission for the CBS event held on October 4 at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida.

Main event loser and hometown favorite Kimbo Slice pocketed half a million dollars for his 14 second loss to “The Ultimate Fighter 2″ alum Seth Petruzelli. Slice missed out on a $100,000 win bonus as well.

Petruzelli reported on a radio program earlier today that he made six figures for the win … he was half right, according to the commission, anyway. He took home $50,000 for stepping up at the last minute and shocking the world.

The Affliction/Elite XC co-promoted heavyweight bout participants were paid out by the tee shirt company turned MMA organization. The former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski earned $500,000 for his second round technical knockout win. Roy Nelson walked away with $80,000.

Elite XC’s other top two earners were Welterweight Champion Jake Shields ($50,000) in his first title defense and Murilo “Ninja” Rua ($35,000) in a loss.

Here are the entire payouts and bonuses for Elite XC: “Heat”:

Seth Petruzelli — $50,000 ($35,000 to show, $15,000 to win)
Kimbo Slice — $500,000
Petruzelli defeated Slice via technical knockout (strikes) in round one

Jake Shields — $50,000 ($40,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Paul Daley — $12,000
Shields defeated Daley via submission (armbar) in round two

Andrei Arlovski — $500,000
Roy Nelson — $80,000
Arlovski defeated Nelson via technical knockout (strikes) in round two

Gina Carano — $25,000 ($15,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Kelly Kobald — $6,000
Carano defeated Kobald via unanimous decision

Benji Radach — $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win)
Murilo Rua — $35,000
Radach defeated Rua via knockout (strikes) in round two

Cyborg Santos — $8,000 ($4,000 to show, $4,000 to win)
Yoko Takahashi — $2,000
Cyborg defeated Takahashi via unanimous decision

Conor Heun — $5,000 ($2,500 to show, $2,500 to win)
James Edson Berto — $6,000
Heun defeated Berto via technical knockout (strikes) in round two

Mikey Gomez — $4,000 ($2,000 to show, $2,000 to win)
Lorenzo Borgomeo — $1,500
Gomez defeated Borgomeo via submission (armbar) in round two

Bryan Hamade — $1,000 ($500 to show, $500 to win)
David Gomez — $1,000
Hamade defeated Gomez via submission (guillotine) in round one

Nicolae Curry — $1,500 ($750 to show, $750 to win)
Jorge Boechat — $1,000
Curry defeated Boechat via submission (strikes) in round one

Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc.

The total base fighter payroll for the CBS event was $1,319,000. Affliction MMA payed $580,000 of that total for the heavyweight bout between Andrei Arlovski and Roy Nelson.

For complete results and coverage of “Heat” click here.

Seth Petruzelli: Elite XC ‘didn’t want me to take’ Kimbo Slice down

By: James Iannotti

Props: Real Radio 104.1

Quoteworthy:

“My original plan was to throw out push kicks, have him think that I’m gonna throw them more, and then to shoot in on him, obviously. But the promoters kind of hinted to me, and they gave me the money to stand and trade with him. They didn’t want me to take him down, let’s just put it that way. It was worth my while to try to stand up and punch with him.”

Not like it matters now, but Elite XC fighter Seth Petruzelli talks about the promotion “hinting” to keep his fight against Kimbo Slice this past Saturday night standing rather than to try and take the street brawler to the ground. He ended up ending the fight standing in just 14 seconds. “The Silverback” indicated that he was paid “six figures” to take the fight against Slice, which is a nice payday for the former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter. The interview took place today on “The Monsters in the Morning” — a popular Orlando radio program in which Petruzelli is a regular guest to discuss mixed martial arts — on Real Radio 104.1. It’s a very interesting listen to say the least.

Tonight: Elite XC on CBS: Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice

It's on tonight. I am going to be out and about this evening as will most of my "brothers," but later tonight, if you want to take the wonderful edge off after a day of conferencing, there'll be some free MMA on CBS.

The card is surprisingly good, check it out:

Event: Elite XC: “Saturday Night Fights”
Date: Saturday, October 4, 2008, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS
Location: The Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida

Main event:

265 lbs.: Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (3-0) vs. Ken Shamrock (26-13-2)

CBS card (televised):

170 lbs.: Elite XC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields (21-4–1) vs. Paul “Semtex” Daley (18-6-2)
265 lbs.: Andre “The Pitbull” Arlovski (13-5) vs. Roy “Big Country” Nelson (13-2)
140 lbs.: Gina “Conviction” Carano (6-0) vs. Kelly Kobald (16-2-1)
185 lbs.: Murilo “Ninja” Rua (16-8-1) vs. Benji Radach (18-4)

Under card (may not be broadcast):

140 lbs.: Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (5-0) vs. Yoko Takahashi (13-9)
160 lbs.: James Edson Berto (14-5-1) vs. Conor Huen (7-2)
205 lbs.: Seth Petruzelli (9-4) vs. Aaron Rosa (11-2)
170 lbs.: Lorenzo Borgomeo (4-0) vs. Mickey Gomez (7-4)
140 lbs.: David Gomez (0-0) vs. Brett Jackowski (1-0)
160 lbs.: Jorge Boechat (3-2) vs. Nicolae Curry (0-0)

Shamrock talks the Kimbo fight:

UFC 89 News and Jardine Talks Vera

Although I won't be hosting a UFC 89 party since I'll be out that night, I will be DVRing it and watching it at some point. Ryan, my buddy, wanted to know what time, but honestly I don't know if I'll even be watching it that night at all. I'm so busy these days that MMA is actually taking a back seat to other priorities (imagine that!). Actually one of the things I really love about MMA is that it's the only time I "hang out" with my friends unless it's one of those rare occasions when we actually set a date to go out with another couple or have someone over. OK, enough "married" talk, this is an MMA blog garshdarnit!

89 is awesome and it's free. Oct. 18th we get to see some amazing fights including, but no limited to, Leben/Bisping and Vera/Jardine. Check out Jardine talking Vera:

UFC Video Game ‘UFC 2009 Undisputed’ for PS3 and X-Box now available for pre-order

This game may totally bite, BUT I know I am going to have some fun going heads up with my brothers in law and friends (I'll rent it, not buy it). Check out the video below...at least it's going to look really good!

By: Jesse Holland

UFC 2009 ‘Undisputed’ is an explosive fighting game detailing the action, intensity and attitude of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Featuring an authentic and comprehensive UFC atmosphere, including an extensive roster of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world, players will push the envelope with a powerful new game engine and put their best fighting disciplines to the test in the world famous Octagon.

UFC Light-heavyweight Rankings September 2008

1 - Forrest Griffin(7-2)
Light Heavyweight Champion
*Next: vs. Rashad Evans(3rd ranked, 7-0-1) @ UFC 92
I feel like we're watching the real life Rocky Balboa after every Forrest fight. He did something nobody could have imagined..defeat Rampage and Shogun. There is no doubt that he deserves the top spot as the improbable champion. Now he faces a fellow TUF winner in Rashad Evans in the battle of the underdogs





2 - Quinton Jackson(3-1)
*Next: vs. Wanderlei Silva(6th ranked, 2-3) @ UFC 91
His immediate rematch looks to have vanished after his meltdown. It's hard to not rank Rampage as top 2 because of the razor-thin decision at UFC 86. Rumored to be taking on Wanderlei, he better have his head on right because Wanderlei is looking for 3 straight over Rampage





3 - Rashad Evans(7-0-1)
*Next: vs. Forrest Griffin(1st ranked, 7-2) @ UFC 92
Evans just verified his status as top contender after leaving the iceman in a heap of carnage. He has to start immediately working on his conditioning in order to withstand Forrest's 5 round pace






4 - Lyoto Machida(5-0)
Machida finally has put himself on the map with a win over Ortiz, but maybe not in the fashion he was dreaming of as many fans are starting to revolt against his counter-attack style. Seems frustrated by not getting a title shot, but has to recognize that he needs a win over someone in the top 5





5 - Chuck Liddell(16-5)
Liddell's title hopes may be gone forever thanks to a brutal knockout at the hands of Rashad Evans. He either has to fight Wanderlei, Machida, or Shogun to put him back in immediate contention.






6 - Wanderlei Silva(2-3)
*Next: vs. Quinton Jackson(2nd ranked, 3-1) @ UFC 91
The UFC fans have finally had the opportunity to experience a Wanderlei KO. Talks of Wanderlei being washed up have been silenced. It's been difficult trying to find an opponent for Wanderlei after what he did to Jardine, but Rampage may answer the call





7 - Shogun Rua(0-1)
Shogun was lackluster in his debut with Forrest Griffin. The knee injury has been a serious setback for him, but will look to make his return very soon possibly against Mark Coleman






8 - Keith Jardine(5-3)
*Next: vs. Brandon Vera(5-2) @UFC 89
Once again inconsistency has come back to haunt Jardine. Suffered a demoralizing KO loss to Wanderlei. His weakness has been exposed and Vera's going to look to push the pace






9 - Thiago Silva(4-0)
Silva lost a chance at a possible title shot when he suffered a back injury during training. He has to recover quickly in order to stay in the shuffle of the deep LHW division






10 - Rameau Sokoudjou(1-1)
*Next: Luiz Cane(1-1) @ UFC 89
Sokoudjou still hasn't shown UFC fans his vast potential. Should finally be in an exciting bout with Cane







On the Brink:
11. Goran Reljic(1-0)
*Next: vs. Thales Leites(10th ranked MW, 4-1) @ UFC 90
Fans were wondering who the heck Reljic was before UFC 84. Now the world knows that mini-Cro Cop has arrived in the UFC. He's going to debut at MW, but looks as if it's temporary
12. Brandon Vera(5-2)
*Next: vs. Keith Jardine(8th ranked, 5-3) @UFC 89
Vera's going to have to show a lot more aggressiveness to break into the top 10 of the deep Light Heavyweight division. Has always had the tools to be a factor
13. Matt Hamill(4-2)
Hamill definitely was overwhelmed by the magnitude of his bout with Rich Franklin. Needs to stick to his strength as an accomplished wrestler, rather than continue and strike with strikers
14. Luiz Cane(1-1)
*Next: vs. Rameau Sokoudjou(10th ranked, 1-1) @UFC 89
Showed a lot of skill with his KO of Lambert. Dangerous on his feet and supposedly more dangerous on the ground, which is a scary thought. Will have his hands full with Sokoudjou
15. Tim Boetsch(2-1)
Boetsch is starting to look downright scary and could give some of these top 10 fighters fits if he keeps taking care of business

Up Next: Stephan Bonnar(5-3), James Irvin(4-4), Eric Schafer(2-2)
Updated: 09/21/08

VP says EliteXC going mainstream with Oct. 4 Arlovski vs. Nelson fight

by John Morgan and Dann Stupp on Sep 24, 2008 at 6:56 pm ET

"EliteXC: Heat," which airs live Oct. 4 on CBS from the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., got a major dose of a starpower today with the addition of an Andrei Arlovski (13-5) vs. Roy Nelson (13-2) heavyweight fight.

With the recent postponement of its Oct. 11 "Day of Reckoning" card, Affliction Entertainment agreed to loan the fighters to EliteXC for the nationally televised event.

EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the marquee match-up further proves that EliteXC is going after the mainstream audiences and its biggest competitor, the UFC.

"Oct. 4 is a huge event for mixed martial arts," Shaw said. "With this card and this line-up, we hit the mainstream, we hit the hardcore (fans), and we hit (UFC President) Dana White hard."

In addition to Arlovski (a former UFC heavyweight champion) vs. Nelson (the reigning IFL title-holder), the "EliteXC: Heat" televised main card features Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Ken Shamrock, an EliteXC welterweight title fight between champ Jake Shields and Paul Daley, top female fighter Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold-Gavin, and Benji Radach vs. Murilo "Ninja" Rua.

Shaw said no fights were dropped from the broadcast to make room for the Arlovski-Nelson bout.

Additionally, he said the idea to add the Affliction fight came less than two weeks ago.

"We're always talking to everybody," Shaw said. "About 10 days ago, [the Arlovski-Nelson fight] became something that we thought was real and that could be done. It was the right place at the right time.

"We're always looking to put the best fights on. It continues with the motto of what EliteXC has always said; we will let our fighters fight anywhere in the world, and we will work with anybody in the world. We've worked with FEG (DREAM), we've worked with Strikeforce, and now we will successfully work with Affliction."

(Coincidentally, in his Monday "Fight Biz" column, MMAjunkie.com's Steve Sievert argued that a merger between EliteXC and Affliction would be the best bet for the future of both organizations.)

Arlovski, formerly one of the UFC's most popular fighters, left the organization earlier this year after failing to reach a new deal with the promotion. He then extended his win streak to four straight with a third-round knockout of a tough Ben Rothwell at Affliction's debut show in July. He was then slated to fight Fedor Emelianenko at the Oct. 11 Affliction event. However, after a hand injury forced him out of the fight, Emelianenko was replaced by Josh Barnett.

With a recently formed partnership with Golden Boy Productions, Affliction then decided to postpone the event until January.

Nelson, meanwhile, is also signed to Affliction and was scheduled to fight Paul Buentello at that recently postponed event. During his current five-fight win streak, "Big Country" defeated Antonio Jaoude for the IFL heavyweight title and made two successful title defenses before the IFL's eventual demise earlier this year.

He'll now face arguably the toughest test of his career.

Shaw said that the fight announcement is bound to shock MMA fans. But, that's all part of the plan to garner the event some last-minute publicity.

"People said, 'Where are we? Why are we not being promoted?'" Shaw said. "I hope people are shocked by what they hear today because they need to understand that EliteXC, we're here and aren't going anywhere. We are here for the fans."

For the full "EliteXC: Heat" fight card, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Kimbo Sucks...According to Dana White

Anderson Silva's Manager Talks About Silva's Retirement Remarks

By: MMAmania

Props: MMA.tv

Quoteworthy:

“Anderson’s goal is to retire when he is 35. He still has six fights on his contract and he doesn’t turn 35 for another 18 months. I know he will finish his six fights before he considers hanging up his gloves.”

Ed Soares — the manager for UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva — clarifies the wild retirement revelation that the Brazilian made in a recent interview right here. The interesting thing here is that Soares indicates that Silva could consider retirement when he fulfills his contractual obligations and hits the ripe old age of 35. Silva is currently 33 years old, meaning he could very well retire around the time he initially mentioned — we’re talking about perhaps a difference of six or seven months. And if he continues to press UFC President Dana White to be more active it’s possible that he could squeeze in six fights in the next 18 months. The good news is that Sil

Michael Bisping video on Chris Leben UFC 89 fight

Rampage Jackson-Wanderlei Silva at UFC 93 on B.J. Penn-Georges St. Pierre Undercard?

Posted Sep 23rd 2008 7:31PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: UFC

A third fight between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Wanderlei Silva is one of the most talked-about potential match-ups in mixed martial arts, and the latest word is that it will take place at UFC 93, as the top fight on the undercard of the highly anticipated B.J. Penn-Georges St. Pierre match.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo reports that a "very good source" tells him Rampage-Wanderlei III is looking likely to happen at UFC 93, which takes place on January 31, the night before the Super Bowl. Penn-St. Pierre is the main event that night, and the presence of those two fights alone would make UFC 93 one of the biggest MMA cards ever.

Silva beat Rampage twice in Pride, with a first-round TKO in 2003 and a second-round knockout in 2004. But a lot has changed in the last four years, and I think Rampage would probably be the favorite going into their third fight. If they do fight again in early 2009, it'll be worth the wait.

Anderson Silva to Retire? What?

A triple header from mmamania.com:

Anderson Silva: ‘I’ll retire next year’

By: MMAmania

Props: InTheGuard.tv

Quoteworthy:

“I’ll retire next year, I already gave my all. I don’t need to prove anything for anyone and within one year I’ll put my gloves aside.”

– UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva — the man who tells company president Dana White that he wants to fight more often — sounds like he may be bored. And who can blame him if the promotion doesn’t get him someone who will take him beyond the second round. Let’s hope something has been lost in translation or that he gets some money fights in the loaded light heavyweight division … fast. Real fast.

September 21st, 2008 53 Comments

Cain Velasquez vs Mustafa Al-Turk UFC Fights for the Troops bout likely

By: MMAmania

Hot heavyweight blue chip prospect Cain Velasquez (4-0) will likely return to action against Octagon newcomer Mustafa Al-Turk (6-3) at UFC Fight Night 16: “Fights for the Troops” at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., on December 10.

MMAmania.com recently learned of the possible match up between the future the division and the current Cage Rage British Heavyweight Champion.

Velasquez is an undefeated American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) standout who has won all of his UFC bouts (two), building a reputation as a dangerous opponent who many in the division would prefer to avoid. Brad Morris and Jake O’Brien weren’t so lucky, and the former Arizona State University wrestler stopped them both in the first round.

He is widely regarded as a future champion, a distinction his possible opponent already has locked down.

Al-Turk — who fights out of the famous London Shoot gym in the United Kingdom — reportedly just signed a four-fight contract to fight for the UFC after a successful run in Europe on the Cage Rage circuit. In fact, he has six wins in seven attempts for the promotion and is riding a two-fight win streak.

He is a pretty well-rounded fighter with serviceable boxing and solid grappling skills. However, he will need to polish his wrestling if he wants to stay in good positions against a stud like Velasquez.

UFC Fight Night 16: “Fights for the Troops” features two welterweight clashes between Josh Koscheck and Yoshiyuki Yoshida, as well as Mike Swick against Jonathan Goulet. In case your keeping score it’s an AKA attack on Fort Bragg and likely Spike TV — the bout between Velasquez and Turk would likely join these two bouts on the three-hour televised main card.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates and rumors regarding UFC Fight Night 16: “Fights for the Troops.”

September 21st, 2008 24 Comments

UFC Quick Quote: Lyoto Machida wants to fight Rashad Evans to determine number one contender

By: MMAmania

“I’m waiting for any situation, or face him, if he gets better, or having another opponent. I would like to face Rashad Evans, and the winner gets a title shot, but now it seems like they will put him against Forrest Griffin … I’d like to face him and the winner gets Griffin, it’s a good way. I don’t know how it’s gonna be, I’m ready to fight, but don’t wanna fight anyone, because I’m building my way in UFC and I wanna fight the top fighters so that they could give me a title shot after…. I never chose opponents, I leave it to UFC and my managers, what they want for me is good. If they think fight Shogun is better I’ll do it, I’

m prepared to for everything.”

– Top light heavyweight contender Lyoto Machida — who is likely one win away from a 205-pound title shot — tells Tatame.com that his ideal scenario with be a number one title contender eliminator match against Rashad Evans. However, it appears that Evans is already in line to fight reigning champion Forrest Griffin as soon as UFC 92 in December. Machida was supposed to take on Thiago Silva last month before an injury derailed the monster showdown. Machida reveals that Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is also in the picture, which is another fantastic option. Either way, there’s likely a great fight on the horizon next for Machida, just not a title shot.