Attention UFC 129 potential attendees and Ontario MMA fans.  There is has been a lot of questions about what Zuffa will do with it's largest venue to date and with regard to fan seating zones and the cost of tickets. Well, UFC.com has a great visual of exactly how much do ray me you will need to put down to get you right where you want to be either close up or far away from all the action on April 30th.  With Tickets onsale this Saturday. Timing couldn't be better to prepare your purchase.

 Two Words you will need your bi nocs buddy.

Poll

How many Loonies are you putting towards your Toronto/UFC experience on April 30th?

12%

$800

3 votes

16%

$500

4 votes

12%

$300

3 votes

32%

$200

8 votes

28%

$50+

7 votes

25 votes | Poll has closed

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I recently fell asleep on the train.  It was wonderful. A masterpiece, if you will.  MMA knew no boundaries and fighters from every corner of our planet could battle without fear of brand or contract.  If I could be the Joe Silva of the universe for just one night... Well my friends my night would look just like this.

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Ricard Arona aka The Brazilian Tiger is preparing for his light heavyweight return and first trip to the UFC Octagon this November according to recent report by Graciemag.com

If you haven't already heard of Arona it might be because you haven't been following MMA for more than then just this last few years or you haven't made a habit of following Japanese MMA in the past. Ricardo is a highly tauted Brazilian fighter with a BJJ blackbelt and great power in his hands and feet.  Fighting in Japan, Arona has been in competition with some of MMA's most dangerous talent including fights with Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Oveereem, Quinton Jackson, Dan Henderson, Shogun Rua, Kazushi Sakaraba, Wanderlei Silva and many other notable fighters.

With a record of 15 - 4 - 0 he was viewed as one of the top LHW prospects not fighting in North America in 2006 before disappearing shortly after the Zuffa acquisition of PRIDE.

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The day after UFC 117... A defeated Chael Sonnen sat down with HD Nets "Fighting Words" Mike Straka.  In the half hour interview Chael was at one point asked where he thought the UFC would put him next.  Is he still the #1 contender and does he want rematch with Anderson? sure.  Chael Sonnen wants the toughest guys out there in the middleweight division and certainly a second attempt at attaining the ever elusive world title that still haunts him.

During the interview Chael reveals to Mike Straka that there is also one other UFC product that haunts him. The Phenom.  When Mike Straka asked Chael if he deserved an immediate rematch after his tap out loss to The Spider, Chael replied:

I am the #1 contender. And this is business.  And it's going to come down to who is the number one draw. And I'm a big draw and Vitor Belfort is a big draw. And it really doesn't hurt my ego to say it because I am a huge Vitor Belfort fan. Those two (Silva and Belfort) were going to fight and I was supposed to fight the winner. I was hoping Anderson would win.  There is not a lot of guys that Im afraid of - I do not want to fight Vitor Belfort. I will fight you Vitor but I don't want to fight Vitor. That is not a name that is on my Christmas list.

Vitor Belfort returns to the Octagon on November 13th.  He will be headling UFC 122 in Germany against Yushin "Thunder" Okami.  Chael Sonnen will be rematching Anderson Silva in the near future.

 ~  This is one of the best articles I've uncovered that outlines many of the complex issues of MMA breaking into virgin markets. This article is Canada specific but addresses several layers of the direct and indirect benefit(s) in sanctioning MMA anywhere, let alone Canada.  It's a tremendous read and I hope ManiaNation enjoys it as much as I did ~ BZ  ( I am not the author.. see props under the pic)

 

Although, MMA is an aggressive sport and deemed barbaric by proponents of banning it, it is a relatively safe sport when compared to many other sports. MMA is based on ancient and modern fighting systems and philosophy. In Canada, criminal law is set by the federal government through the Criminal Code and each provincial government is able to interpret the law as they see fit. Manitoba, Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia have all allowed MMA events. The city council in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) has approved MMA competitions on a two-year trial basis by a vote of 6-3. For the first time in BC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was allowed to organize MMA fights in Vancouver on June 12, 2010. Although, the UFC began showing fights in 1993, Vancouver would be just the second Canadian city after Montreal to host a MMA event like the UFC. The UFC reported the Vancouver event set a new record for the fastest sellout in history, selling out just thirty minutes after the ticket pre-sale started.

   

Props: MMA Maxim via MMA Canada.net 

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Happy Friday Mania Nation

I need some help.  I've got an office quarrel that could use some external input. Maybe you could help ol'Zino win himself a Sushi lunch at his favorite raw fish establishment? Thanks

 Right now we all know that sitting on top of the Heavyweight  pyramid are two of MMA's premier strikers. Both men bring almost entirely different striking styles into a fight. Either guy is just as capable of putting down his opponent as the other. But as is the case in MMA, there can be but only one winner.   Or course we're talking about Shane Carwin vs JDS.  This one isn't going to the ground.

 

 

Poll

I want to know who survives a k1'esq style battle between these two monsters

72%

Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos

50 votes

27%

Shane Carwin

19 votes

69 votes | Poll has closed

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OJR did such a great job highlighting MMAmania.com's 2nd Annual Fan Trip to Montreal for UFC 113,  I thought it would be just a little bit interesting to hear what the evening of May 8th was like for one of the Canadian fighters on the card.  Here is what JMAC had to say about his unfortunate return to the UFC.

 

I said I wanted to start the night off with a bang at UFC 113. I said a bang, not a break!

Things obviously didn't go my way Saturday. I pictured myself leaving Montreal a winner, or a remote possibility a loser, but I never pictured myself leaving Montreal on crutches.

 

Props: Sportsnet.ca (JMAC is a regular blogger on the Canadian Sports News website)

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Rally the troops.   

 

Toronto, ON – On Saturday, May 22, 2010, the movement to bring Mixed Martial Arts to Ontario gathers for a high energy outdoor rally at Queen’s Park.  The rally will take place at Queen's Park on the front lawn of the Legislature Building.  The location is on University Avenue and College Street

 

 Props: MMACanada.net

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With his Machida-like elusiveness, MMAmania's Managing Editor Jesse Holland (also known as the site's resident psychic Nostradumbass) has been known to appear out of nowhere, striking down e-thugs and e-fools with a few well timed barbs and as quickly as he appears; he disappears, lurking back into the shadows of the mixed martial arts world of news.

As one half of the managing duo that keep our "sandbox" doo-doo free, it's time that everyone got to know more about everyone's favorite Uncle Jesse.

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Hey All,

Found this in my email... this will be in tomorrows globe and mail newspaper.

 for some reason i couldn't add the real picture ~ Zino

For UFC president Dana White, a three-hour flight on Monday from Las Vegas to Ontario – "Mecca" for mixed martial arts, according to White – did not start off well.

"Don’t say …" White said to Marty Cordova, his friend and a former major-league left fielder who spent a season with the Toronto Blue Jays

Cordova, slouched in the leather seat of the private jet, nodded his head. He had forgotten his passport.

"We’re going to Canada motherf…er!" White bellowed, turning toward a video camera recording what would soon become his most recent video blog viewed by more than 17,000 people on YouTube as of yesterday evening, less than 24 hours after it was posted.

Props Hayley Mick  From Globe and Mail 

For a promoter hell-bent on convincing Ontario government officials to sanction MMA fights in the province – the largest, and most out-of-reach markets on the planet – it wasn’t the best way to kick off a whirlwind trip to Toronto.

But as a roar of about 200 fans erupted as White descended toward them on an escalator in the downtown Eaton Centre and flashed a peace sign – things started to look up.

"What’s up, guys," the Boston native said warmly with a Southie accent. His biceps hugged by a brown sweater and shaved head gleaming, he hopped on a black stage and opened the floor to questions from a sea of fans, mostly with baseball caps and black T-shirts, but also a number of ponytails, Coach purses and toddlers.

It wasn’t long before someone raised the subject on top of everyone’s mind.

"Dana, how cool is it going to be when you sell out the Rogers Centre [in Toronto] faster than anywhere else?"

"That’s what I’m talking about," White said over a half-dozen hoots. "Listen … I’m not just kissing your asses because you're all here right now. This place is gonna be the craziest, blow-the-roof off show ever. Fans here are out of control."

Since they bought the struggling UFC business in 2002, White and business partners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta have a global attack on jurisdictions across North America, transforming it into a billion-dollar empire that includes video games, a growing number of gyms, and rakes in millions annually on ticket sales and pay-per-view hits for title fights such as the one coming up on Saturday night, featuring Georges St-Pierre of Saint-Isidore, Que.

Unlike Quebec, British Columbia and most U.S. states excluding New York, Ontario has refused to sanction live fights. While they haven’t closed the door completely, government officials said earlier this year that regulating MMA – which would make it legal – is not a government priority.

Yesterday at Queen’s Park, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty made it clear he is growing weary of repeatedly being asked by reporters why he won’t allow the sport in the province. "You know, in ultimate fighting you can tap out. I’m tapping out on this one," he said, before retreating to his office.

(According to Doug Tindal, spokesman for Minister of Consumer Services Sophia Aggelonitis, the biggest holdup stems from concerns over safety issues related to mixed martial arts, a full-contact combat sport that allows a variety of fighting styles including wrestling, Muay Thai kickboxing, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Fighters battle inside an eight-sided cage.)

"I’m very patient," White said when asked if he was growing weary of politicians resisting his sales pitch. "[McGuinty said], it’s not on his priority list. It’s on his list, though. I don’t see how it’s not going to happen."

He has hired former Ontario premier David Peterson to help argue his case. He has travelled to meet with politicians in Queen’s Park seven times in two years. He said journalists who are critical of the sport are either too old, or uneducated, to understand it’s not a safe haven for goons and the bloodthirsty fans.

He said banning MMA is like banning the NBA. He said cheerleaders suffer more serious injuries than UFC fighters. He wriggled into T-shirts that were tossed to him by fans. "It’s too small, dude," he said of the T-shirt (size Large), that said: Sanction Ontario.

Despite his often-crude language and past incidents where he’s been quoted calling women and gay people derogatory names, many fans credited White with selling the sport in a positive way .

"He’s very good at getting people like us to watch," Tony Omran, 20, a journalism student who travelled from Kitchener, Ont., with his friend, Marky Prior, 18, to hear White speak.

White leaves for New York today. "Marty ‘the Genius’ Cordova forgot his passport, so we’re staying another night," he said

 

Any contact sport athlete will tell you that mouthguards are a huge pain in the you know what.  I've worn cheap ones you boil at home and the expensive variety I got through dental consulation.  What gives?  Why are mouthguards such and important part of sports and more specifically MMA?  I've always known it was a good idea to wear one because of the protection you get for your chiclets and the resistance to concussion you are supposed to get but this was actually a bit of a surprising twist for me.

And I thought the interest might be shared by some of the other Maniacs.

 

 PROPS CBC.CA - Copy + Paste

No Recs - Just a time killer.... not that i think i would get any...lol

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UFC President Dana White expects mixed martial arts to one day become the world's largest and most popular sport. Unfortunately that vision of global domination won't start in Ontario, Canada, as Premier Dalton McGuinty has indicated that MMA regulation was "not a priority."

Last year White expected to secure a show in Ontario at some point in 2010, setting his sights on Toronto at the Rogers Centre in front of as many as 50,000 fans. Considering that one of the world's most popular fighters is a Canadian named Georges St. Pierre, that wasn't such an unrealistic goal.

Then again, nothing is possible unless the Ontario Athletic Commission lifts its ban on cagefighting like the good folks over in Vancouver did a few months back.

More from McGuinty, courtesy of TSN.ca:

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Credit to Sportsnet - MMA Connected. By Showdown Joe - Copy and Pasted by me.

Dana White and a lobbyist firm the UFC has hired are hinting that Ontario is close to legalizing MMA

It seems with every month that goes by, another state, province or country sanctions and regulates mixed martial arts, but since the inception of this modern day combat sport, the province of Ontario has turned a blind eye. But it appears the sands of the hour glass are running out for its most serious detractors.

I had the chance to catch up with UFC president Dana White and asked what the status of legalization efforts were for the province.

"Like I've said along, it's inevitable, it's going to happen," he stated, with a more serious tone in comparison to other answers he gave me to a wide variety of questions.

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Faithful Maniacs,

I have no clue how I stumbled into this article/interview - mostly I was just clicking around SBnation to see what I could see.  As a long time Maniac myself, I've often wondered about the story of how UFCMania came to be MMA Mania as we know it today on SBnation.  If you've often been curious about our curator like I have then hopefully you will appreciate this little gem about your friend and mine Tom Myers.

Hopefully, Tom and Jesse let this stay up as a fan post.  Who knows maybe they will be even be kind enough to field a few questions if any Maniacs have some. Legitimate questions of course. Then again maybe I'm the only one interested in this post. LOL.

 

 

 

 Full credit to the interviewer Tyler Bleszinski of SBnation. Dated Aug 29th, 2009.  The article was titled: Better Know a Blogger: MMA Mania's Thomas Myers.  And yes, this is a straight copy and paste job by myself.

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With another pay per view in the history books, UFC 107's winners and losers provide a lot of interesting potential fights in the new year.  Will the "Nightmare" rebound quickly and will Frank Mir get a third crack at big Brock?

Poll

After 107 - what classic rematch do you want to see?

27%

Diego Sanchez vs Kenny Florian

42 votes

2%

Alan Belcher vs Yushin Okami

4 votes

35%

Frank Mir vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

54 votes

28%

Frank Mir vs Brock Lesnar

43 votes

4%

Clay Guida vs Roger Huerta

7 votes

1%

Jon Fitch vs GSP

2 votes

152 votes | Poll has closed

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 Who is Roy Nelson?  If you ask him he's just another fat guy looking to test any other heavyweights suckability.  But with a recent string of injuries plaguing an already thin division in the UFC, Big Country could quickly and easily fill one the new voids at heavyweight that has caught Joe Silva with his pants down in recent weeks. The good news for the UFC match maker is that when he opens the UFC freezer full of talent - what he will likely find is host of good options. Who is he willing to feed to Roy when it comes time to fuel his  "gas tank for his  war machine" ? 

Poll

Who is the next best real option to oppose everyone's favorite fat guy Big Country Roy Nelson?

18%

Todd Duffe

22 votes

20%

Ben Rothwell

24 votes

5%

Antonio Hardonk

6 votes

13%

Pat Barry

16 votes

31%

Heath Herring

36 votes

4%

Mike Russo

5 votes

6%

Bring Back TIMMEH! (Tim Sylvia)

7 votes

116 votes | Poll has closed

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