Former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez recently spoke regrading his training and preparation for a future bout. After losing the belt to Tim Sylvia (24 – 5) Ricco has not lived up to his potential – but he feels things are about to change with a new training regime in place as well as a new found motivation for the sport.
“I’ve been to the top of the mountain and I can’t wait to get back,” says former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez. “I’m focused and working hard on stand-up and conditioning.” One could argue Ricco has always had the skills with submissions and grappling but personal demons and a weak stand up game have been his weak links.
After an appearance on VH 1’s Celebrity Rehab, Ricco seems to be ready to move forward. Recently he has been training with former kick-boxing champion and UFC announcer, Don “The Dragon” Wilson. “People can say what they want about me training with Don. The bottom line is that he knows striking and my skills are improving every day,” said Ricco. As a former champion Ricco lets it be known that he has an eye for what works, and what doesn’t. “Don has completely changed my approach to striking in MMA. Now I know how to work with angles and crate openings. With Don’s knowledge I feel like instead of fighting, I’m actually a lion hunting his prey, you know I’m the guy who’s doing the stalking” said Ricco. “I’ll fight anybody put in front of me but I wouldn’t mind taking on (Tim) Sylvia again, that fight still bothers me to this day, I know I am better than what I showed – this time I’ll be the one who delivering the KO.”
Ricco believes that his professional trials have made him mature as a fighter and even more determined to reclaim his throne at the top of the MMA world.
5 questions with Ben ‘Killa B’ Saunders
June 12, 2009
Within 24 hours of Ben Saunders’ breakout win over Brandon Wolff last December, Internet message boards lit up with praise for the Florida prospect. Some was subdued, some was over the top, but all of it got the attention of Saunders, who had an interesting take on the whole affair.
Last December was Ben Saunders coming out party. On paper, Brandon Wolff was to be a credible opponent, one who would test the TUF alumni. Paper theory didn’t hold up, as Wolff was handed a loss via a brutal barrage of knees. The victory pushed the Florida prospect back into limelight and this Saturday, he will take on his toughest opponent to date, the dynamic Mike “Quick” Swick.
We took an opportunity to ask Ben a couple questions. A fan favorite, Saunders was constantly being asked to pose for pictures and sign autographs, and we were grateful for the time he allocated us out of his busy schedule.
What do you feel was your toughest fight to date?
Man, every fight is tough. Every opponent offers something different and pushes me in different ways. I don’t want to say ‘fighter A’ was the toughest, but I will say that my fight with (Crafton) Wallace was grueling. I wasn’t fully aware of how hard a person truly needs to train to fight for 3 x 5 min rounds, not to mention the toll that nerves take on a body. I don’t generally get super nervous, but I was that fight and I think it attributed to my gas tank running out early in the fight.
After your most recent win against Brandon Wolff, the message boards blew up, praising your performance and calling you the next big thing. What was your initial reaction to this?
The forums like the underground and Sherdog are hilarious. They will praise you in one breath and kill you in the next. I don’t pay much attention to it, but I will admit I did get a kick out of being called things like the “Clinch King” and the like. I just think of it this way – if they are talking about me, I must be relevant and if I am relevant, I’m making money. All in all I have some great fans and people out there have some creative minds.
You being dubbed “Clinch King” is actually a perfect lead into my next question. Your striking looked very sharp and very good against Brandon Wolff. How do you rate your striking and will we see more of it in your fight with (Mike) Swick?
I don’t want to come across as cocky or overly confident, but I believe that I have the best Thai boxing skills in the game right now. I know that is a bold statement, but when you are dominating some of the top names in the game during training, it’s hard not to be confident. Regarding the Swick fight, I have a feeling that as soon as I get my hands in his face a couple times he is going to want to take the fight to the ground, and that’s ok – my jujitsu is good and I feel that I’m a good wrestler. I don’t think mike Swick can beat me, only I can beat myself in this one.
Can you name some fighters you have been sparring with at American Top Team in peperation for this bout?
Well, of course training is training and a fighting is fighting – both are different. I won’t name any names, but let us just say that some top notch guys have come and trained with me since my fight with Wolff, and I have done more than held my own.
If you are to win on Saturday, who would you like to face next?
I will fight anyone. Dustin (Hazelett) and I were supposed to fight prior to this fight, but I got injured during training – that would be a fun fight. Other than that, ill fight anyone. Id love to take on some of the big “names” of the middleweight division. I guess if you were to ask me what my ultimate goal is, it would be to move up to middleweight and challenge Anderson Silva. I am not as interested in belts as much as I am interested in proving my mettle. I would love to be in a stand up war with Anderson, I think it would be an exciting fight for the fans to see as well. This fight would prove, hands down, who has the best Muay Thai skills in the UFC.
Dana White: UFC 99 will air on Setanta in U.K.
June 12, 2009
While the UFC’s troubled European broadcast partner Setanta Sports continues its search for a much-needed investor, tomorrow’s UFC 99 broadcast should go off without a hitch.
According to UFC President Dana White, U.K. fans will be able to watch Saturday’s UFC 99 event live on Setanta.
The UFC’s head honcho posted the latest of a series of Twitter updates on the troubled station earlier this morning while in Cologne, Germany, for tomorrow’s pay-per-view event.
On Friday, White guaranteed the broadcast would go on, though initially he wasn’t sure Setanta would be the outlet.
“Hang tight, we will be on TV,” White stated via his Twitter account. “Either Setanta or Bravo. We are working on it.”
As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported on Thursday, Setanta is currently seeking additional funding to prevent the collapse of the network. The network has ceased to accept new subscriptions despite its insistence that it will continue to broadcast as normal until new funding can be secured.
According to the Financial Times, Russian-born U.S. citizen and billionaire Len Blavatnik, who already owns a small piece of the company, has offered approximately $33 million (£20 million) in exchange for a controlling interest of Setanta.
A deal would need to be reached quickly, though, as Setanta’s financial commitments are beginning to mount, including a reported $50 million payment that’s due to the Premier League soccer organization.
Ken Shamrock talks – Frank, Fedor & Steroid allegations
June 12, 2009
Congratulations on your victory (against Ross Clifton). Did it go as well as you hoped?
It went better than I hoped, I worked really hard on my stand up before the fight and as you could tell it paid off.
Was there a lot of pressure on you coming into the fight to get a win and break your losing streak?
I don’t feel pressure when I’m out there When you’re competing at such a high level records don’t mean much they’re just numbers to me.
There was a lot of controversy in your bout with Kimbo Slice when you were forced to withdraw from the bout at the last minute, what happened exactly?
I was practicing some drills during a brief training session and I cut myself, its was unfortunate but these things happen. I wanted to fight regardless but I wasn’t cleared to fight so It really wasn’t my choice.
Many people believed that you backed out the (Kimbo) fight intentionally, what do you have to say about this?
Listen man, I have never ducked anyone in my whole career, I would fight Tito (Ortiz) again in my basement if I have to. I’ve faced them all and you think I’m going to be scared to fight somone newcomer with 3 MMA fights?. If I didn’t get cut that day I would be wearing Kimbo‘s ankle as a necklace right now.
Many people believe that you intentionally lost to Rich Franklin back in 2005, what do you have to say to those people?
I always get asked about this, what happened was I dived to grab a hold of his leg but he caught me on the way down. He (Franklin) knows the truth – I just wish I could have done a better job. That’s all I have to say about that.
There have many instances in past fights where you have protested the referee stoppage, do you feel that they were justified, for example the Sakuraba and Tito fights and do you think this is a widespread problem?
In the Sakuraba fight he didn’t even connect man, he hit me and I slipped. The main reason it was stopped was because I turned by back but I did it because I was setting up him for a reverse ankle lock. I don’t think the referee understood and took it as an indication that I was hurt. I stood up immediately, I think it was a bad call but it can be difficult for the ref sometimes and I understand that.
We keep hearing about a potential bout between you and Frank (Shamrock) that has been years in the making, will it ever be signed?
As far as the fight goes – Frank better keep his ass at 185. After all the things my father did for him, then he just turns his back. I would love to personally teach him a lesson on respect and humility. Who has he beat to be even be thinking of facing me? See here’s a thing many people don’t know – back when we used to spar together, one time I caught him with a left hook followed by a right straight and KO’d him. He was out for at least 2 minutes we almost had to perform CPR for precautionary reasons, I think he’s still bitter from those days. He likes to call me an old man, but buddy, last time I checked you weren’t looking so young in your last fight. I think he’s got a big mouth and someone needs to shut it for good.
Frank has recently stated that he has no interest in this match up anymore due to you testing positive for banned substances, is this a fight that you still want?
First off, I wouldn’t want to fight me either. I don’t know if he’s scared or what, maybe he just kept using my name to stay in the spotlight. I would absolutely fight Frank just so I could publicly embarrass him for all those years of disrespect. I’m not retiring until I put Frank in the ground, whether he is willing to step up or not is his choice.
According to the NSAC you tested positive for Stanozolol, as well as two Nandrolone-based substances, were you aware that you had these substances in your system?
I can honestly say that I did not knowingly take steroids, I engage in a high protein diet and work out that’s all it takes, whether the substances were in one of the supplements I took – I don’t know but I was willing to step up and submit to immediate testing in Sacramento to prove my innocence.
What do you think about the new generation of fighters like Fedor Emelianenko?
He (Fedor) is definitely one of the best in the game today, but the thing is that he leaves these little openings – a fighter who likes to brawl and is keen on leg locks would in my opinion have the best shot at beating him. Back then guys were only disciplined in one or maybe two areas of fighting, now to compete you need to be well versed in all aspects.
Why you do you suspect that the best plan of attack would be to go for lower body submissions?
I’ve noticed in a couple of his fights that when he is setting up his punches in someones guard he tends to rise up and leave his legs exposed. The opportunity is there its just that no has managed to take advantage of it yet. I know he’s a good submission guy himself but everyone gets caught.
We know you have considered going into movie industry in the past, would you consider doing this this full time once you are done with your MMA career?
It’s funny you should mention that – I was actually approached by Ron Howard to star in one of his movies. They thought my popularity would make for good sales, and I have experience in doing that kind of stuff so the acting part would not be a problem. But there were so many things going on in my personal life so I couldn’t accept the offer at the time although I would like to do something similar in future.
UFC 99: ‘Franklin vs Silva’ weigh in results
June 12, 2009
The official weigh-in event for UFC 99: “The Comeback” is set to take place Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, this morning (Friday, June 12)!
The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 10 a.m. ET. It is currently scheduled to air LIVE on UFC.com via streaming video.
As usual, MMAmania.com will provide the latest coverage of the UFC 99 weigh-in below, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.
Here are the complete UFC 99 weigh in results:
195 lbs.: Rich Franklin (194) vs. Wanderlei Silva (194)
265 lbs.: Cain Velasquez (239) vs. Cheick Kongo (230)
170 lbs.: Mike Swick (169) vs. Ben Saunders (169)
170 lbs.: Marcus Davis (171) vs. Dan Hardy (170)
155 lbs.: Spencer Fisher (154) vs. Caol Uno (155)
265 lbs.: Mirko Filipovic (233) vs. Mustapha Al-Turk (236)
155 lbs.: Terry Etim (156) vs. Justin Buchholz (155)
155 lbs.: Dennis Siver (156) vs. Dale Hartt (156)
170 lbs.: Paul Taylor (169) vs. Peter Sobotta (169)
155 lbs.: Paul Kelly (156) vs. Roli Delgago (155)
265 lbs.: Stefan Struve (248) vs. Denis Stojnic (241)
170 lbs.: John Hathaway (170) vs. Rick Story (169)
Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights.
Dana on Cro Cops one fight deal
June 11, 2009
When Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic returns from a nearly two-year break from the organization and fights at UFC 99, he’ll do so under an unprecedented one-fight deal.
UFC President Dana White confirmed the unusual arrangement during a recent media call with the Croatian fighter, who takes on Mustapha Al-Turk in a UFC 99 televised main-card bout.
“In this history of the company, I’ve never done this with anybody ever,” White said of the deal. “I’ve never done that ever in nine years of being in this business.”
White, currently in Germany for Saturday’s pay-per-view event at Cologne’s Lanxess Arena, said Filipovic’s return resulted from a simple call the fighter made to him.
“When Mirko and I talked on the phone, the day that he said that he wanted to come back, let me tell you he was all fired up and basically saying, ‘Listen, I got my surgery, I’ve been training, I want this, I want to come back, I want to win that title, and I want to take a run at it,’” said White, who estimated the deal was reached in just three days’ time.
Filipovic, a longtime PRIDE fighter perhaps best known for winning the organization’s 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix, entered the UFC in 2007, when he was still ranked as one of the world’s very top heavyweights. However, after a win over Eddie Sanchez in his UFC debut, Filipovic suffered back-to-back losses to Gabriel Gonzaga (via stunning head-kick KO) and Cheick Kongo.
The UFC and the 34-year-old fighter split ways soon after, though both sides said it was a temporary split and that the ultimate goal was for “Cro Cop” to return to the UFC. Filipovic has since competed three times for DREAM, going 2-0 (with a no-contest with Alistair Overeem). Filipovic said he wanted to return to the UFC, where he knows he failed to live up to expectations, especially with the UFC heading to Europe for Germany’s first-ever UFC card.
“I owe a lot to the UFC and to the UFC fans,” he said. “I owe a lot. … (The) UFC was the black spot in my career and in my life, and I’m the man who dedicates his life to fighting, and I just want … to justify the (trust) Dana White gave me two years ago and calling me to UFC after I went from PRIDE.”
Filipovic repeatedly tried to dodge questions about his health during his first UFC stint. He began to discuss some injuries but cut himself short and said he didn’t want to make any excuses. However, he said he’s entering Saturday’s bout fully healthy following recent knee surgery, in good spirits and with a sound mind. White said any decisions about his future in the organization after UFC 99 will be made after the show is over.
“I just want to return – to return to the top, and I just want to prove everyone that they were wrong,” Filipovic said. “They were wrong. I just hope that God will give me the strength that I can prove my worth. I don’t like to talk too much now on the phone about it because I have to prove my worth in the cage.
“And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
For all of the ferocious attacks Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1 MMA, 2-4 UFC) has implemented with his hands, elbows, feet and knees in his 23 career wins by knockout or TKO, it is perhaps his eyes that are most intimidating.
The animal-like stare, full of evil intentions, has won “The Axe Murderer” countless fights before the opening bell ever sounded.
But on this day, Silva’s threatening stare has softened, and his eyes betray him. The intimidation is replaced with reflection, and those eyes are staring at his own hands as they rest on a table in the office of his Las Vegas gym.
“My life is on the line,” Silva tells MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I stand with the rope around my neck.”
Silva was completing the final days of an intense training regimen in preparation for his UFC 99 main-event bout with Rich Franklin (24-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC) on Saturday in Cologne, Germany. And while Silva’s rightful place in MMA history as a legend of the sport was firmly cemented years ago, the 33-year-old is now struggling to remain relevant among the world’s elite competitors.
Known for his brawling, go-for-broke style, Silva has earned just one victory in his past five outings. Knowing that MMA’s sometimes-fickle fanbase can turn on its athletes after just a single defeat, Silva has been forced to consider redefining his approach.
“This is a hard decision for me,” Silva said. “You saw the last UFC with Matt Serra and Matt Hughes. Serra had knocked Hughes down at the start of the match. Hughes fought back, but he fought just to win. He just held Serra down, but he won.
“Maybe I could just take Franklin down and hold him on the ground. Second round, same. Third round, same. Then I win the fight.”
After earning an astounding 22-4-1 record in the now-defunct PRIDE organization, compiling a list of vanquished foes that could easily substitute for an MMA Hall of Fame roster, Silva has been unable to replicate that success in recent years.
Now he must determine whether the unquestionable need to return to winning ways is more important than remaining true to the style of reckless brawling that earned him a legion of adoring fans.
