From Tapology.com

“I’m not considering it right now with this fight looming with Gray, but I probably can make 145lbs,” Edgar said. “It’s definitely a good option to have with the UFC acquiring the featherweight division now; there are some good potential match-ups for me at that weight class. Who knows how I’ll fare at 145 though. Just because you’re going down doesn’t mean you’re going to be dominant. I will be cutting weight, I will be giving up speed, but I will be gaining size, so there are a lot of ways you have to look at it.”

Edgar discusses his last fight with Maynard in detail and the intricacies of preparing for a third--and possibly final--meeting with him in the full entry.

Some excerpts from Tapology.

On SF HW Tournament:

“Anything can happen in a fight, but I am very well prepared. I feel the best in years,” Kharitonov said. “[I] trained my stand-up and ground and [have] no injuries; I am ready to break some bones.”

...

“People like to think they are experts on things they think they know,” Kharitonov said. “I beat Alistair and [Fabricio] Werdrum and [did] that at a time when my stand-up skills were not 25% [of] what [they are] now. You do the math.”

...

“I do not watch fights from Andrei Arlovski,” Kharitonov said. “For me he is just another obstacle that has to be removed. I do not care what his problems were or if he was a champion or not. I will break him.”

On SF vs. UFC HWs

“Why compare?” Kharitonov asked. “Professional fighters go were the money is. I would fight [Shane] Carwin or [Cain] Valasquez no problem, but the UFC does not allow fighters to fight outside of their organization. If we look at the past we saw Randy Couture losing to Valentijn [Overeem] in Rings and Chuck Liddell [lost] in Pride. I think it shocked the UFC and they do not want anymore of that.

“I know I can beat all these guys, but I think Strikeforce right now has the best heavyweights. They always say you have to fight in the UFC, but why do UFC guys not prove they are the best to fight outside the UFC?”

I recently spoke with former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin for an in-depth feature on Tapology. We focused on Franklin's violent legacy in the sport and discussed the differences between fan perspective and fighter perspective regarding MMA injuries. 

A history of violence:

 

“The first fight where I ever really got injured was the Jorge Rivera fight,” Franklin said. “I just remember that he and I traded back and forth and I got caught with quite a few punches and was bleeding. That was the first fight that I was really sore afterward. Most of my fights before that I managed to win easily and without taking any damage. When I went back to my hotel, I was like, ‘Wow, this is what fighting is really like.’”

...

“The [David] Loiseau fight was tough because it was really the first time I had broken anything,” Franklin recalled. “Getting my nose broken in the [Anderson] Silva fight was tough because, even though getting the nose broken isn’t that painful, getting it set back in the locker room is slightly more painful. My septum was deviated and I had to have surgery on my nose. That was probably the worst recovery I had to go through because you can’t breath, so for a week I couldn’t taste my food because I couldn’t smell it, I couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t breath properly, and I could only breath in and out of my mouth.”

Franklin elaborated, saying, “I was breathing out of my mouth so much that my lips had become so chapped that they were cracked and bleeding. At night I would put Vaseline on the bottom of my nose and on my lips and I would stick tissues to my lips so I could breath warm air underneath the tissue to keep my lips from cracking. The thing is, I’ve had my nose broken again so when I’m done with my career I’ll have to go through that surgery again. The funny thing is that when you get hurt you don’t realize the impact it’s going to have on your quality of life.”

 

Clash in Dublin:

“I look back at some of the things that have happened to me, like getting my nose broken in the Silva fight—and that wasn’t fun—or getting my hands broken in the Loiseau fight, but the Henderson fight was bad because I got poked in the eye and I had never had an eye injury before,” Franklin said.

Franklin steels himself for the pain after the Henderson fight | Source: MMAWeekly.com

“There was a time where I thought the vision in that eye would be affected for the rest of my life,” Franklin said. “That was really scary for a person like myself because I’ve always had great vision, so going through that entire procedure was bad. On top of that, I got head butted twice in that fight and had to get stitches in two different places in my head. One of the worst things was, I threw so many left-leg power kicks to the body, and I was catching his elbow and his forearm—I think I ended up breaking several of his ribs—but my leg had taken so much punishment from throwing the kicks. You typically don’t feel pain until 15-20 minutes after the fight, and I remember when walking out of the Octagon in that fight, the pain had already started to set in, so I knew it was going to be really bad. I had trouble walking for nearly two weeks.”

Read the full interview to get Franklin's thoughts on the disconnect between fans and fighters and whether or not these injuries have had a lasting psychological effect on the fan-favorite veteran. 

I recently spoke with Reed Harris about Faber's drop to 135lbs. Here's what he had to say:

“My personal feeling is that it’s going to be a permanent move for him,” Harris said, confirming Faber’s position. “If a guy like Urijah can make 135lbs, which he has already tested, according to what I’ve been told, I don’t see him losing anything at all.”

Asked how he felt Faber would fair in his first drop to 135 in years, Harris appeared confident that the former champion would be in top form.

“I think this is a great fight for him against Mizugaki and I think Urijah is certainly going to be a contender,” Harris said, adding, “and he’s beaten the current Bantamweight Champion [Dominick Cruz] at 145lbs.”

That comment would seem to suggest that Faber could leapfrog his way to a quick title shot at his new weight with an impressive performance against Mizugaki, but Harris was quick to pour some cold water on that theory.

“I don’t think our plan is for a win over Mizugaki to give him an immediate title shot, but we’re going to watch the fight and discuss it afterward,” Harris said. “There are a couple other contenders and there are some guys Faber could fight.”

With some of those other guys including the likes of Cruz in a rematch, former Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres, and surging contender Scott Jorgensen, the future looks bright for Faber heading into what will be his last fight with the promotion that helped to build him into one of the biggest starts in the sport.

Talking Trash to GSP:

Koscheck’s specific brand of trash talk has largely focused on traditional bullying tactics, such as making fun of St-Pierre’s tight fight shorts or blocking his car in outside of the TUF training center during taping. Still, the AKA standout is just one more in a long line of fighters who have challenged the charismatic champion in a public manner.

“I have no idea,” Spencer responded when asked why she thought so many of her client’s opponents attempted to make the fight personal. “Is it jealousy, is it a desire to hype the fight, or is it real animosity? I couldn’t tell you because I don’t get it. It gets people interested in the fight so it’s a good thing, but most people who meet Georges genuinely like him.”

If the past is any indication–Georges ran through outspoken opponents such as Dan Hardy, BJ Penn, and Matt Serra–talking trash might not be the best way to promote a fight with the Montreal native. While Spencer appreciates the added promotional push this sort of hype is sure to generate, she does not necessarily think it is in Koscheck’s best interest to continue down his chosen path, in more ways than one.

“From a fight perspective, yes I do think it’s a poor decision because it’s going to motivate him even more than it already would,” Spencer said. “From a business standpoint it may also be a poor decision because—since Georges is such a popular guy—his opponents often lose fans for attacking him, so from a personal marketing perspective it’s not super wise to go against Georges.”

Anderson Silva:

“I think the Matt Serra experience taught him a lot, and I see that even when he is a heavy favorite there is no change in the routine,” Spencer said. “He takes everybody just as seriously. People get bored of him saying, ‘This is the toughest fight of my life’ in all of his interviews, but he really does believe that or he has to believe that to be motivated. In the future, I think there is a risk there, but I think there is enough discussion about him moving up in weight, and that would obviously create new challenges.”

Specifically, fight fans have clamored to see a battle between St-Pierre and longtime UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva for years. While Spencer has no idea when the biggest superfight in the sport’s history will occur, she feels confident that it will eventually come to fruition.

“I think it’s inevitable; I just think it’s a matter of when,” Spencer said. “When and if Georges decides to move up, it will be a permanent move and I think that is what’s difficult to ascertain regarding the timing of the move.”

Finally, Spencer was asked about the nuances of putting a superfight between St-Pierre and Silva together from a personal business perspective. Although she admits that a loss by her client could diminish his value–as well as his claim to the title of world’s finest–she believes his opponent would risk much more in defeat.

“There is actually more risk in my opinion to Anderson,” Spencer said. “If you look, for example, to BJ Penn vs. Georges, the popular opinion was that Georges would be too strong to BJ to handle and that extra size did make a difference in the fight. If Anderson were to win, there would always be that explanation. Conversely, if Anderson loses, he’s been beat by a smaller guy, so there’s a bigger risk from his end.

“If Georges wins, he will have eliminated the debate about the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, and would surely be considered among the best of all time. If Georges did lose though, you would definitely give a stronger argument to the Anderson Silva fans.”

Full interview has more on GSP vs. Koscheck and his motivation to continue fighting.

On dos Santos:

The big news is obviously that you will be fighting Junior dos Santos at UFC 117 in a title eliminator. Did it surprise you that the UFC offered him to you, because everybody is pretty high on him right now?

Nelson: Not really. I think everybody is surprised that I actually took the fight just because nobody seems to want to fight him.

He is 5-0 in the UFC and has finished all five opponents with strikes, including Fabricio Werdum, Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro Cop, and other great guys. Do you think he is the best striker in the division right now?

Nelson: I think he’s probably the best heavyweight period in the UFC right now. I think he’s been bypassed quite a few times for the title. He should have gotten his shot by now. That’s why I think whoever wins our fight will fight for the belt next.

On paper, it would seem like the most logical thing for you to do would be to take him down. Do you think that is the case and if so, do you think you will be able to get him down?

Nelson: Like I said, if I can win the fight standing up then I beat him at my worst and at his best, but if we go to the ground then we go to the ground. I try to be a true mixed martial artist, so I can win the fight anywhere.

Training Philosphies:

I wanted to ask about your training because people are curious as to what you do to prepare for a fight after seeing photos of your coach standing on a chair with yard sticks with boxing gloves on them to prepare for Struve. Do you work with sparring partners from any of the camps around you in Las Vegas or do you just do your own thing?

Nelson: I just work out basically with all of my friends, a bunch of guys that I train personally, and just people that want to support me. I’m not a big camp believer, or, I guess I am a big camp believer because we’re doing the Roy Nelson camp and that’s just as big as any other camp.

Do you think some fighters get a little bit too hung up on what camp they belong to and what their sparring partners are doing?

Nelson: I think it all depends on the fighter. I’m the kind of fighter that believes if you surround yourself with good people then good things will happen, while some fighters think that if you surround yourself with big names then fighting works like osmosis—you go to the camp and it just automatically goes into your head, or filters down, but it really doesn’t work that way.

HT: Tapology for Nelson's reaction to winning back-to-back KOTN bonuses and why the BJJ black belt always goes for the knockout to start things off.

In the following interview , St-Pierre discussed a myriad of topics including his reasoning for signing on as a TUF coach, what he thinks about Koscheck as an opponent, and why he can’t wait to take his outspoken rival on later this year.

You are coaching on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Why did you decide to agree to this coaching spot? What excited you about the opportunity?

St-Pierre: It’s a good experience to offer my knowledge to the guys. It’s going to be a completely different season than every other season before. A lot of things have happened and a lot of people will see a different side of my personality coaching against Josh Koscheck.

Everyone knew heading into the season that Koscheck was going to talk smack about you, and he has already started by making accusations in the media. Is it easy for you to remain calm and collected in these situations or do you get angry behind the scenes?

St-Pierre: For sure I get angry, I get mad, and sometimes I want to say bad things but I am a martial artist. I stand for something and I fight for something and it’s not my style to talk like that even though sometimes it’s hard. It’s a lot harder to not [talk smack] than to let yourself go and be disrespectful. That is my nature. I want to take the high road.

In terms of the fight, do you think Koscheck is going to be your toughest challenge?

St-Pierre: It’s going to be the toughest challenge. He’s very skilled and he’s the kind of fighter that is very well rounded. A lot of the guys that I have fought are good on the ground or on the feet, but they have holes in their game. Koscheck is like me; he’s not the best striker, not the best wrestler, not the best Jiu-Jitsu guy, but he can do it all so it’s going to be interesting. You’re going to see a mix of different things; it’s going to be good.

A lot of people that you have fought, including Koscheck, Hardy, and others, have said that you have no chin. You have obviously taken hard shots in training and in your fights, so how do you feel when fighters say that about you because of your loss to Serra?

St-Pierre: Well we will see who has the best chin in my fight. I can’t wait to see that. I’m very confident and it’s not because I’m afraid of getting hit that I don’t get hit, I think it’s just stupid to get hit.

In the full interview, St-Pierre discusses the role of traditional martial arts in modern MMA, Anderson Silva' recent performance against Demian Maia, his growing popularity, and recent criticism he has faced from fans. 

After winning the UFC Lightweight Championship following five hard-fought rounds in April, Frankie Edgar was probably expecting to be the focus of countless Cinderella story comparisons. After all, he had done what no lightweight had in eight years by defeating a man known simply as "The Prodigy." Instead, many fans and pundits openly disputed the decision, claiming that BJ Penn was robbed of the belt with an even greater number openly scoffing at the 50-45 score handed out by Judge Douglas Crosby.

Now just two months out from one of the most anticipated rematches of the year, Edgar revealed why he feels confident that he’ll get the job done once again come August. Edgar also discussed his thoughts on the first fight, his approach to the rematch, and reacted to fan criticism.

BJ showed up and I knew he was going to show up, man. He caught me a few times with some jabs and hooks coming in; I expected him to be quick to the punch and he was.

I was just focused on chipping away at him, and I know I get stronger as the fight goes on. I felt that I won, but I knew they were close, and that’s why the last two rounds were crucial.

Continue reading this post »

While her first client continues to mesmerize fans with his performances inside of the Octagon, Shari Spencer, manager of UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre and UFC Lightweight Champion Frank Edgar, turned heads last year when she successfully negotiated sponsorship agreements with Gatorade and Under Armour to represent GSP to the mainstream masses.

With 2009 now in the rear view mirror, Spencer recently donated her time to conduct a lengthy interview with Tapology’s Steven Kelliher in regards to continuing the effort to build St-Pierre into a brand the likes of which MMA has yet to see from one of its own. In addition, Spencer discussed the current state of MMA in the mainstream, what it would take for other fighters aside from St-Pierre to break into that picture in the future, how her client has been dealing with his increase in fame, and much more.

Continue reading this post »

Phil Davis on his self-criticism:

"I feel comfortable any time I’m in an athletic situation. A lot of guys can’t figure out how to win and I feel like 

winning is something I know how to do. As far as MMA goes, I get a little bit more confident with every win, but the truth of the matter is I’ll know when I’m the best and I’m nowhere near the best right now, so that keeps me from feeling too good about myself.

"I know the potential is there and I didn’t perform to the level that I could have. That’s not to say that I could have done it better if I had pushed myself harder in camp—it’s nothing like that—but why should I be satisfied with a win that doesn’t represent the kind of champion that I’m going to be? When I can look like Anderson Silva did—in the first round against Demian Maia—and finish someone, then I’ll be satisfied.

"A lot of people think it’s all about winning, and it’s not about winning, it’s about looking good. What I saw in me [against Alexander Gustafsson] did not look good. If you win, you’ve done your job, but it’s about looking good and I did not look good in my eyes."

On what he needs to improve upon:

"I’m worried about how to up the ante with my interview game. Sometimes I get tongue-tied and don’t know what to say. What do I need to say to make it an interesting interview with Joe Rogan? Joe’s one of those people, you know? That’s when I really got nervous."

HT: Tapology