Anybody else having issues accessing the site? I think I have a few fights in (like Mir RD1 Sub), but I can't seem to load PG to make the remainder of my picks. This happened earlier this week and I figured it would be cleared up by now. I don't know what gives.

Jay...do you still have the e-mail of the dude you on PG? Can you shoot him an e-mail to figure out WTF is going on?

I am sure with the long weekend, many of us in the US will not be making picks after today. Damn, how many words do I need to get this to be approved??

Ok, its Friday, Memorial Day weekend for those in the United States. A time to reflect on those lost in the line of battle. I once visited the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial on this weekend. I would recommend that experience to anyone who is proud of our forefathers and what our country was founded upon, not what it has become. Ok, enpough words, finally...

HAPPY FRIDAY MANIACS!!!

via the305.com

via americanfreedom1776.tripod.com

Okay, okay, this is not MMA related. I don't care. Many of us are citizens of the US, but all of us should be aware of what is going on in the world. So much of what the US does affects every country on the planet, that I decided to do a quick post with links to some of the more interesting articles I have read this week.

It is no secret that I have an agenda. There is a reason that I picked the picture above and the links that will follow. Read the articles that interest you. Comment below if you choose. Or just flag me enought to have Geno take this down later.

1. Facebook Co-founder Saverin Gives Up U.S. Citizenship Before IPO.

2. Senators to Unveil the "Ex-Patriot Act" to Respond to Facebook's Saverin's Tax "Scheme" .

3. J.P. Morgan loss a Risk Management Failure: Geithner .

4. The Shadow Inventory Darkening Housing .

5. The Curious Calculus of the US employment numbers .

6. Local Police boost arsenals with free military weapons.

Have a good weekend everyone.

via static.thehollywoodgossip.com

I am bringing back an old, but fun title. For all of you that are new and haven't seen this on Mania before, when a thread turns from the original subject, to an offshoot argument that is still an MMA topic, but cannot be settled by way of debate due to differing points of view, we post a score settler and ask everyone.

So, just in case you missed it, in the latest Nick Diaz thread, ViolentMike defines the term fight as any competition in which you can punch someone in the face or kick them in the face. I.E. a fight is only a fight if there is striking.

Kinglujan believes that any form of martial art "match" should be considered a fight. Guys from his gym in Judo, and BJJ, both call their up coming tournaments "fights".

I jumped in to ask some questions, and wanted to give this fun debate a life of its own, so I am posting the score settler. VM is too lazy to do it, and KL is "too new" to do it, so I took the reins

Let's hear your take.

Poll

What defines the word "fight".

37%

Martial arts matches that only have some form of striking.

28 votes

40%

Any martial arts match.

30 votes

12%

Other (explain below)

9 votes

10%

The Deuce option (if you don't know it, this is probably your first Score Settler)

8 votes

75 votes | Poll has closed

via mmavalor.com

Bellator just changed the game. And King Mo is smiling all the way to the bank.

On May 10, 2012, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney convinced his broadcast partner, Spike TV/Viacom Entertainment, to invest in his business model enough to bring in a high profile free agent for more than a superfight. He convinced Viacom that King Mo was more than a fighter, that King Mo is not a slave to any one brand.

This does two things for Bellator as a fight promotion.

It allows Bellator to be price competitive with free agents in Mixed Martail Arts (MMA). Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, while not the highest paid MMA'ist in Strikeforce, was certainly better paid than 95% of the fighters under the Bellator umbrella. Taking home $95,000 from his last Strikeforce fight, Lawal could not possibly have been signed as a traditional entrant into the Bellator 205 pound tournament, where fighters are routinely paid $15,000 to show and $15,000 as a win bonus. Lawal is 3 times as expensive as the typical Bellator fighter. Mo would be crazy to take that kind of paycut.

Enter TNA Impact Wrestling (TNA). Between tournament fights, Lawal could easily cut promos and do minimal wrestling to ensure he is physically ready for his next fight. And if Lawal wins the Bellator 205 pound championship belt, Mo would be the undoubted favorite if he entered the next tournament, he would have plenty of time between championship defenses to do actual, albeit scripted, wrestling for the Sports Entertainment Promotion.

Secondly the deal gives Bellator additional "free marketing" to promote its fighters by way of cross promotion. Bellator is not trying to follow the UFC model that gives lesser fights to entice the casual viewer to purchase the pay per view (PPV) shows. Fans of TNA already watch Spike. All Spike is doing is asking fans to tune in at a different time. In actuality, this type of deal is safer than cross-promotion between MMA promotions. Since professional wrestling is scripted, it is easier, but not impossible, to ensure that Lawal gets no long-term injuries from his TNA time.

But the deal also blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. It will not sit well with most hardcore MMA fans, who traditionally have fought for profesional wrestling to stay as far away from MMA as possible. This type of cross promotion gives the critics of MMA plenty of reason to doubt the sincerity of the sport as it attempts to become more than a fringe sport.

From a business standpoint, Bellator had little choice but to sign a cross promotion deal with Lawal and TNA. In the last month, Bellator has seen its longstanding Middleweight champion sign with the UFC over re-upping with Bellator, and rumors abound that former Bellator Lightweight Champion, Eddie Alvarez, is as good as gone after being spotted with UFC President Dana White at UFC on Fox 3. Bellator simply did not have the deep pockets to compete for the services of these high profile, free agent fighters. Now Bellator does, provided the fighter is willing to do a little acting and doesn't mind being linked to Sports Entertainment.

Calling Josh Barnett, Quinton Jackson, and any other MMA figher that really likes to talk smack (Hint: Chael Sonnen after Anderson Silva makes you expendable like Rich Franklin). Bjorn Rebney and Bellator want you.

Now he can pay you too!

The following is a post from one of my favorite blogs. I am copying, in it's entirety, because of how strongly I feel about most of the priciples listed below. This is not about MMA, so if that is all you are looking for, stop here.

The author: Charles Hughes Smith

The Blog: Of Two Minds. http://www.oftwominds.com/blogmay12/resisting-feudalism5-12.html

It's comforting to think "I can't do anything to resist the Central State and its financial Plutocracy," but it's not true. There are many of acts of resistance you can pursue in your daily life; here are 12 perfectly legal ones.

That we are powerless is one of the key social control myths constantly promoted by the Status Quo. What better way to keep the serfs passive than to reinforce a belief in their powerlessness against the expansive Central State and its financial feudalism?

But we are not powerless. Our complicity gives the aristocracy its power. Remove our complicity and the aristocracy falls.

The pathway of dissent is to resist financial feudalism and its enforcer, the expansive Central State. Here are twelve paths of resistance any adult can legally pursue in the course of their daily lives:

1. Support the decentralized, non-market economy. The core ideology of consumerism and financialization is that non-market assets and experiences have no status or financial value. This includes social capital, meals with friends, projects done cooperatively with friends, home gardens and thousands of other decentralized activities that cannot be financialized into centralized market transactions. Identity and social status are established in the non-market economy by collaboration, sharing, conviviality and generosity. Decentralized generally means localized; farmers markets are examples of local market economies where the transactions are in cash (so banks can’t skim transactions fees) and the money stays in the local economy rather than flowing to some distant concentration of capital.

If you start valuing non-market assets and experiences as the most important markers of high status, you are resisting both financialization and consumerism.

Top-down centralized “solutions” imposed by the Central State are the problem, not the solution, as they further the concentration of wealth and power into unstable monocultures. Stop looking to overly complex “reforms” and centralized solutions to unsustainable systems and start exploring decentralized, localized solutions that bypass both the Central State and its financial aristocracy.

2. Stop participating in financialization. Financialization is the insidious imperative of the financial aristocracy that seeks to turn every interaction into a financial transaction that can be charged a fee and all assets into financialized instruments that can be sold for immensely profitable transaction fees.

As the finances of local governments implode under the weight of their protected fiefdoms, many are heeding the siren song of financialization as a temporary (and inevitably disastrous) “fix” to their structural insolvency. For example, the revenue stream from parking meters is financialized into an asset that is sold to a private corporation. When parking fees double, the residents of the city have no recourse via democracy or petition, as the meters in their city are now “owned” by a distant concentration of capital that can double late fees, charge outrageous transaction costs, etc., at will.

This is how financialization inevitably transitions into financial tyranny.

The erosion of America’s middle class financial security has several structural causes, but chief among them was the financialization of the housing market. This led to a bubble of credit and housing valuations and the widespread extraction of equity for consumption—the classic “windfall” that financialization always produces in its first toxic blush. Mortgage debt doubled from $5 trillion to $10 trillion in the bubble, and now America’s indentured homeowners “own” negative equity of $4 trillion. That is, the difference between the market value of the homes they ostensibly “own” and the mortgages they took on to buy the homes is negative $4 trillion.

3. Redefine self-interest to exclude debt-servitude and dependence on consumerism and the Central State. Unless you are long retired and have no other option, minimize reliance on the State. Reliance on the State weakens the correlation between sustained effort and gain, so the work ethic and entrepreneurism both atrophy as they no longer offer competitive advantages in a system where bread and circuses are guaranteed by the State.

4. Act on your awareness that the nature of prosperity and financial security is changing. Dependence on centralized concentrations of power (Wall Street and the Central State) is now an extremely risky wager that what is demonstrably unsustainable will magically become sustainable at some distant point in time via pixie dust or the intervention of aliens from Alpha Centuri. Security flows from resilience, self-reliance, decentralized, diversified sources of income and abundant social capital.

5. Stop supporting distant concentrations of capital that subvert democracy by using their gargantuan profits to buy the machinery of State governance and regulation. For example, stop watching broadcast programming owned by the six global media corporations that control the vast majority of the media/marketing complex.

Stop eroding your health and sending your money to corporate headquarters for distribution to the financial aristocracy—stop frequenting corporate fast-food restaurants and stop buying unhealthy packaged foods from corporate agribusiness.

Close your accounts with Wall Street investment firms and the five “too big to fail” banks that dominate the mortgage, credit and debt markets in the U.S. If you need such an account to transact your business, then maintain low balances so the banks cannot “sweep” your capital for their own use every day.

6. Stop supporting the debt-and-leverage based financial aristocracy. Liquidate all debt as soon as possible, take on no new debt except for short periods of time, explore localized or “crowd-sourced” private-capital loans that exclude the banks and limit the number of financial transactions that enrich the banks and Wall Street.

7. Transfer your assets out of Wall Street and into local enterprises or assets that do not enrich and empower Wall Street.

8. Refuse to participate in consumerist status identifiers and the social defeat they create. Stop admiring and respecting those displaying status signifiers; start thinking of them as pathetic prisoners of a pathological mindset. Stop judging people as “lower value” based on their lack of status signifiers. Free your own mind from the toxic sociopathology of consumerism and social defeat. Stop watching commercial television and minimize your exposure to marketing and consumerist propaganda.

9. Vote in every election with an eye on rewarding honesty and truth and punishing empty promises. Unless the incumbent has renounced corporate contributions, unsustainable debt, financial tyranny and Central State encroachment of civil liberties, then vote against the incumbent, for they are just another lackey of the State-plutocracy partnership. Avoid voting for either the Demopublican or Republicrat branches of the plutocracy; vote for an independent or third party candidate.

Remember that resistance isn’t just about refusing to participate in pathological plutocracy; it’s about establishing a sustainable alternative to the unsustainable State-plutocracy partnership. When people say that voting for a third-party candidate is “wasting your vote,” reply that voting for either of the plutocrat parties is the real waste of a vote because their “leadership” is dooming the nation to destabilization and insolvency. As independents pick up more and more “wasted” votes, they shift from being “marginalized” to becoming powerful voices of honesty and transparency.

10. Stop supporting inflationary policies such as “money creation” by the Federal Reserve and Federal deficit borrowing. Act on your knowledge that inflation is theft and that the Federal Reserve is a private consortium of banks that is the enabler and protector of the parasitic financial aristocracy.

11. Become healthy, active and fit. Refuse to consume unhealthy junk and packaged food, refuse to squander much of your time in sedentary “consumption” of corporate entertainment and digital distraction, and devote your energy and time to mastery, new skills, developing social capital and friendships, projects you “own” and enterprises that benefit your true self-interest. Refuse to follow the marketing/media siren song into chronic ill-health, addiction and social defeat.

12. Embrace self-directed coherent plans and construct a resilient, diverse ecology of identity and meaning. Build a social ecology of positive, active, collaborative, non-pathological people of like minds and spirits. Be powerful via resistance, not powerless via complicity.

It’s easy to confuse faith and political ideology. We resist changing our understanding, as we experience this transition as instability and insecurity. But changing our minds does not require changing our faith; rather, the firmness of our faith—in our Creator, in truth, in prayer, in our ability to help others and prevail—is the bedrock that gives us the discipline and resolve to confront the brutal and unwelcome facts of our circumstances and make coherent plans accordingly.

via mmajunkie.com

The newest member of the UFC's middleweight division is a name we all recognize.

Former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard, riding a 5 year undefeated streak, has finally signed on the dotted line to fight for the UFC. Winning 19 consecutive fights since his failed attempt to garner a visa for UFC 78, the American Top Team fighter not only adds some much needed depth to this UFC division, but finally will put to rest all of our questions of where he actually stands in relation to his peers at the top of the division, all of whom are currently fighting for the UFC.

While much speculation has already been made on who he should fight and why, I prefer to take a closer look at what Lombard brings to the table and his chances of being successful against the top of the UFC's 185 pound division. Hector Lombard is under the microscope.

Continue reading this post »

No pretty pictures, no bells, no whistles.

We have been on an extended break from the UFC for quite some time now, with a week or two left before the next event. We have gotten immaculate coverage of Bellator, including a few very fun live threads, TUF analysis of both the American and Brazilian versions with live threads, the absolute BEST Far East MMA coverage on the Web, and even a few Nick Diaz weed posts during that time.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop bitching abut a few WWE posts, all of which include a former UFC champion, who happened to sell more MMA PPV's than any fighter in the history of the sport as the main event. It is not Tom and Jesse's fault that you fell for Sergio's April Fools joke.

This world is comprised of an amazing amount of free will. If you don't like the subject matter in the title, don't click on the post. Geno said it best...(paraphrasing) "We are click whores. If you visit we will cotinue to post articles on a related subject matter." or some shit. We all (yes, I am a whiney BITCH about a certain weekly comic) need to just shut the fuck up and focus on what we have here. The best MMA site on the web, with the least amount of regulation and the ability to say pretty much whatever we want.

Next time instead of bitching, go to one of Hemmi's great interviews, comment in one of James' amazing articles about ONE FC, Evolve MMA, and the future stars of SE Asia, or better yet write your own damn article that is MMA related and post it in the fanpost section to relish in the comments about your personal brilliance and writing ability.

Most of you are fucking animals, and I use that in the nicest possible way, but only apes shit where they eat.

G'day Maniacs. It is February 29, 2012. Leap Day. A day to be celebrated as our year is 366 days long, well it will be 356 days long if ODHGC's belief in the Mayan Calendar ending is correct.

To celebrate Leap Day, I am going back to the vault of women past. The theme today is old crushes. Join me after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

FanPost edited and promoted by MMAmania.com.

What's not to love about UFC Octagon Girl Brittney Palmer?

She is an artist, a musician and is not hard on the eyes. She also livens up every other Saturday night with her glorious smile and unmatched ability to carry a sign above her head between rounds for the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world.

Before her gig at UFC 141, Brittney reflected back on 2011 and what a great year it was.

Thinking about how amazing this, you know, 2011 was for me, you know, truly was one of those years I'm going to tell my grand-kids about. It really was truly, you know, when I turned 24, that's when my whole entire life and career kind of met and formed this AMAZING plethora of awesomeness in which it did, and...uh...

What can we take from this, Maniacs? Brittney wants to have kids!!! Some of you may actually have a shot! Well, not really, but after the jump, get a link to Britt's smoking hot 2012 calendar and watch the video in its entirety.

Continue reading this post »

Lost in the hoopla of the second largest fight in UFC history is a tussle that most likely will garner a bonus by one, if not both, of the fighters involved. Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone have combined for 15"of the Night" honors in their respective Zuffa careers. Both come from very respected MMA camps, both are very well-rounded with a focus on submission fighting and both have very long frames for the lightweight division. Even though this fight has been overshadowed by the main event, there is no reason to believe that this will not be the best overall fight on the entire card.

Hailing and fighting out of Stockton, California, Diaz is the second fighter under the microscope. The Cesar Gracie Brown belt and little brother of UFC interim welterweight title contender Nick Diaz has collected some impressive wins and equally impressive losses since winning The Ultimate Fighter 5. But how does he stack up against the rest of the UFC's 155 pound division when looking at his ability to affect the scoring criteria set forth by the unified rules? How does Diaz get the job done? Follow along after the jump for the full breakdown.

Continue reading this post »

via www.cdn.sherdog.com

Lost in the hoopla of the second largest fight in UFC history is a tussle that most likely will garner a bonus by one, if not both, of the fighters involved. Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz have combined for 15"of the Night" honors in their respective Zuffa careers. Both come from very respected MMA camps, both are very well-rounded with a focus on submission fighting and both have very long frames for the lightweight division. Even though this fight has been overshadowed by the main event, there is no reason to believe that this will not be the best overall fight on the entire card.

Hailing from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Cerrone is the first fighter under the microscope. The Jackson Submission Fighter is known for his powerful Muay Thai (a former US champion) and slick ground game as 13 of his 18 victories have come by submission. Follow along after the jump for the full breakdown.

Continue reading this post »

via www.ringsidereport.net

After being asked about the revival of the Anti-Brock Movement (ABM) on MMAMania.com during an interview for his upcoming December 30th fight with Alistair Overeem, Brock Lesnar uttered this disparaging remark towards OJR, the descendant of Puerto Rican Bronzed Gods with Brilliant Goatees and current ABM head-malcontent:

"When I get done whooping his ass, I’m gonna go drink a Corona and eat a burrito just for your Hispanic heritage."

While no one has ever accused Brock of being the brightest bulb in the box, we who ride the Pain Train do not care if Brock understands the difference between Mexico and Puerto Rico (although I cannot off the top of my head name a beer from Puerto Rico). Hell, we do not care if Brock can spell cat, even if we spot him the "c" and the "t". We care that he is going to revive his career with a destructive victory over the most overhyped heavyweight fighter since Todd Duffee.

For those of you still on the fence, consider this. How many men have you ever met that got a foot of their rectum removed and still wanted to get into the octagon and get punched in the face by the reigning, defending K-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix champion? How many? That's what I thought.

BROCKLESNAR LIVES!!!! WAR PAIN TRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

Brock Lesnar Public Service Announcement:

via 4.bp.blogspot.com

Poll

Will Brock Lesnar defeat Alistair Overeem on December 30th?

55%

Yes. Brock will win with devastating ground and pound.

124 votes

7%

Yes. Brock will win with his superior striking.

17 votes

4%

Yes. Brock will go the ADCC route and submit Reem.

10 votes

31%

All of the above because Brock is THAT AWESOME.

71 votes

222 votes | Poll has closed

Alistair Overeem, former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, former DREAM Heavyweight Champion and defending K-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix heavyweight champion, recently announced that he was coming to the United States and trianing with Randy Couture, at Xtreme Couture, in Las Vegas Nevada for his up coming fight with Brock Lesnar on December 30, 2011. Approximately 2 weeks later, the United States Congress lifted a 5 year old ban on funding horse meat inspections in the United States. It is no longer illegal to butcher horses in the United States.

Coincidence? I think not.

Horsemeat has been known to see the plate of Alistair Overeem and he has made no regrets for eating what is considered a delicacy in his adopted country, the Netherlands, and The U.S. Congress only paved the way for Alistair to remain here and become UBEREEM, the greatest mixed martial artist that science can create!!

THE VOICE vs ALISTAIR OVEREEM Trailer... Yes, there will be horse meat! (via PrivateMichael104)

Looks like Big Baby agrees!!!

via i52.tinypic.com

HAPPY FRIDAY MANIACS!!! Procee to discuss anything and everything, but please keep it PG-13 as lately we have been coming close to breaking our unwritten code of conduct.

Poll

Would you eat horsemeat?

81%

Yes, after reading the article, I realize that horses are being abused and the only humane way to prevent that is to carve them up into steaks.

54 votes

18%

No, Black Stallion, the movie, not only was inspirational to me, but also the pet-name of my first boyfriend.

12 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

The Ultimate Fighting Championship(UFC) has traditionally been a Pay-Per-View (PPV) Company.

Since its inception in 1993, and subsequent purchase by Zuffa, LLC, the UFC has made its money in three main ways; PPV sales, ticket revenue and merchandising. Since 2005, the first season of The Ultimater Fighter (TUF), the UFC has increased revenues in every one of the aforementioned revenue streams. Even during the greatest financial collapse since The Great Depression, the UFC continued to set records for attendance in almost every venue they appeared, sold more PPV's than the previous year and sold more bad t-shirts than even Tom Attencio could envision.

But all of that has changed in 2011.

PPV numbers are down, WAY DOWN. Down by 44%, which in a "typical" sales job gets you a ticket to the curb.

There is a distinct possibility that the UFC will not have one PPV break the million-buy mark for the first time in almost 5 years. Only Brock's return from a second surgery for diverticulitis has a chance to even come close to the threshold.

The UFC spent alot of money to acquire a controlling interest in Strikeforce. The rumors range from $40 million to $75 million. That's a lot of money to spend for a company in which you have cherry picked 2 of the champions (Nick Diaz and Alistair Overeem), and two of the bigger personalities (Jason Miller and Cung Le) into your organization, leaving Strikeforce with only Gilbert Melendezas a semi-household name on its roster. Even if quality fighters remain under the Strikeforce banner, all devout fans know it is only a matter of time.

But all is not bleak in the land of Dana White's Ferraris. The UFC signed a landmark deal with FOX. The deal reportedly pays the UFC $60million annually for the next 7 years, with additional options to extend. FOX will show 4 cards, all of which should contain PPV worthy main events. Fx will show an additional 6 cards, with the remainder of the 36 live shows being on Fuel TV under the revamping of TUF. Why does this matter?

The UFC is no longer a PPV company and the numbers that follow show that trend. The UFC made a monumental business shift in 2011. From a PPV company that sometimes played in the back room of Gin Joints in 1993, to a Sports-Entertainment brand that will be in every home in America for the next 7 years.

Shows with only 300,00 buys don't seem like such a big deal anymore.

Don't even bother to jump if you don't like breaking down numbers. The rest is for the nerds. You know who you are.

Continue reading this post »

via www.mmalinker.com

Watching a recent video interview with Lorenzo Fertita, Owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and his take on the unionization of Station Casino's workers, among other things, got me thinking about the development of a MMA fighter's union and if it would be good, or detrimental, to the sport, but I will not rehash that argument.  The question that came to my mind was regarding the fighters.

With over 250 fighters listed on their official roster, the UFC boasts the largest stable of mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters in the world.  By signing these fighters to exclusive contracts and providing accident insuranceto the fighters brings up the question of whether UFC fighters are employeesof the UFC, or merely independent contractors.

Why is this pertinent? If UFC fighters are indeed independent contractors, not employees, then they are not included in the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, and will nothave the Federal Government's support in creating a new labor union.  Additionally, as small business owners, independent conractors can be subject to anti-trust lawsuits if they decide to organize as an independent labor union, albeit the chances seem slim upon further investigation.  (This seems to be the perfect time to throw in the disclaimer that I am merely a fan doing research and am in no way attempting to provide legal advice of any kind).

So, what are fighters to the UFC?

Let's take a closer look after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

I am home from work, sick, and bored.  So I decided to break down the numbers from our pick 'em pool season.  If you hate breaking down statistics or did not participate, stop reading now.  This will probably bore you to tears.  So anyway, let's get to it and hand out season ending awards.

Best Picker: Agar

It goes without saying that the best picker has to go to Agar.  He won the damn thing. With an event average of 68.75, Agar did a great job with round and methods as he did not have the best picking percentage.  That award goes to...

Best Picking Percentage: NNR

With a 66/23 recored, NNR eclipsed everyone in our camp at a 74% correct rate.  Being two fights better than Agar, I can't help to wonder if NNR had not laid an egg on UFC 131 (5/7 for 27 points) what his margin of victory would have been. But because NNR did not heed a few warnings to overestimate the power of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu over freestyle wrestling, NNR officially gets the "Second Place Words" monicker for the upcoming season.

Most Consistent Picker: kg12

Coming in 18th place overall, and having a 66% correct rate, kg 12 never got more than a 63 and never got lower than a 47.  He was consistently average and for that he wins an award, but gets to pay $20 to try again at being more than average.

Best One Week Picker AND Worst Picks from One Event to Another: Two-Words

He wowed us with his writing ability and made us laugh every week until personal issues caused a replacement to be found.  Two-Words struck fear into the hearts of the leaderboard during our third event. Catapulting himself into 4th place and looking to finally shed that "Second-Place Words" monicker, Two-Words scored an amazing 98 points, a number that lasted through 8 total events and 2 more 12 fight events.  For that he wins Best One Week Picker and gets to carry over his event prize to season 5.  Too bad he followed that up with a stink-bomb 39 at UFC on VS 4 to go out of the top 5 for the rest of the season, making his 59 point swing the worst swing of the season.

Best Picks from One Event to Another AND Worst One Week Picks: arm.bar.bandit

Just when everyone thought the man was only here to make fun of people and post boner picks after his worst ever 10 point event (we will get to that later) at the TUF 13 Finale, abb redeems himself with a more than respectable 82 points at UFC 131.  His 72 point spread was bettered by a few Maniacs that "forgot" to bank their picks, or "got locked out" of finishing their picks. Since I disqualified everyone that didn't pick or didn't get all their picks in (yes Keller, I am looking at you) abb wins worst one week picks as well with a whooping 2 correct without round or method. 10 points.  Wow.  42nd place sucks, but abb swallows, so it is only fitting he landed here.

Most Inconsistent Picker: Ain'tNoSunshine

With a 66 point swing from his best event to his worst, ANS proved why they have not promoted him from sweeping the floors at Greg's.  Almost winning both "best picks from from one event to another" and "worst picks from one event to another", ANS couldn't find a groove all season.  He was all over the place and it cost him the top 10.  Kind of like his supposed fight career.

Best Picks that Meant Nothing: d'locc

D spent most of the season in the money only to get edged by theGreg and NNR at the last event.  D didn't win a weekly event.  For that his picks were a complete and utter waste of time. 

Miss Congeniality: theGreg

Taking 3rd place while commenting often, this guy proved that you can be successful in making picks and be an all-around nice guy. Always positive in his well-wishing and letting his picks and MMA knowledge stand on their own, theGreg picked up a cool $100 and made no enemies that I am aware of.  For that he wins Miss Congeniality.

Best Quitter Award: Davidakos

Making picks in only 2 events, why did you even bother?  Thanks for contributing to the pool.

Best Quitter Who Shouldn't Have Award: Sergio Garcia

I look into our camp for the season and see Sergio having the best picking percentage on our team, and can't help to wonder why he didn't finish.  Three events at 78% could have easily vaulted Applejack into the top 3.  Maybe the new gig on Cageside takes up too much of your time?  It is pretty easy to guess which WWE superstar is slated to win if you look for the spoilers online, though, so I imagine he found greener pastures, or better marks to win money from.  Nobody ever said Texans were tough.

Mexican Math Award: vhw_

After re-checking my numbers, there are a few Maniacs that were not given enough points for the last event and a few that were given too many.  The number of people who quit the last round are no excuse for messing up the numbers and vhw_ wins this award because he is both mexican and a computer guy yet still couldn't get it right.  ViolentMike should be the most angry as he ended up in the top 20, not where he was listed.

And Finally...

Dumbest Bet Award: DetroitDrew

No reason to explain.  We'll see you in January.  I honestly want to know how your summer refining your BBQ techniques, fixing your mopeds and shooting your guns has been.  Shoot me an e-mail, even if you think i am a crybaby girl for taking Deuce's side in your silly little fight. 

That's a wrap folks. Season 5 starts in three weeks so get jay your money and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE nominate your own award winners in the comment section.

What else do we need to know? NNR is a savant.  BE didn't beat us once. One of their guys (maybe the same one) didn't make their picks. No one cares but MDH, but he dropped 2 spots in the final standings after talking shit.

There is talk on BE of another season.  They are going to bring their "A" guys this time, since we supposedly did this time.  Adding any of the top 10 from our money pool to our team would have increased our margin of victory by a considerable margin, and we would have taken the top 5 spots and 8 of the top 10 overall, lol.

Is there anything left to prove?

UFC 134 BE vs. Mania Betting Game:

 

Team BE - 

 

77	RolloTomasi

72	Horselover_Fat

65	lowellthehammer

62	JohnDanahersHair

61

zakkree

52	MostDiabolicalHater

47

milk217

46

chicubs23

11

DayGeaux

0   Amadeus

Total = 493

Team Mania - 

Ulf_Murphy = 54

NNR = 80 

DetroitDrew = 51

ZINO = 71

BNF = 49

Two_Words = 37

PHISH_NATION = 70

ViolentMike = 42

jayw27 = 30

freenow82 = 84

Total = 568

BE vs. Mania Individual Standings:

1) NNR - 404

2) Ulf Murphy - 393

3) Horselover Fat - 391

4) MDH - 385

5) Rollo - 382

6) Freenow - 382

7) Phish Nation - 374

8) BNF - 367

9) Violent Mike - 363

10) lowellthehammer - 362

11) Zakree - 354

12) John Danaher's Hair - 351

13) Two Words - 350

14) DetroitDrew  - 327

15) Zino - 325

16) Milk217 - 306

17) Daygeaux - 300

18) Tim Bernier  - 267

19) Jayw - 262

20) Amadeus - 182

Since nobody copied this over, I will.  We won.  AGAIN.  All their guys picked. AGAIN.  When the guy that forgets to pick, TWICE, is your best guy for the week, you are in trouble.

Mania has 3 of the 5 best pickers and 7 of the top 10, and Rollo, who seems to be on every Mania thread these days and is fully expected to join the money pool next yseason, is #8.  If jay (no excuse, he is just retarded), Zino (huge personal life changes) and Drew (only commenting on BE does this to you) even remotely had their head in the game, this would be even worse. Suprisingly, there are those on BE that are clamoring to be included in season 2.  Not sure there is a point to it, unless they include their staff and mods.  Then they might have a shot. Check the math if you want, but I don't see the point.  Even they stopped posting the cumulative ass-kicking we are giving them.  Good Job Maniacs.

Bloody Elbow

 

72

amadeus

66

zakkree

60	MostDiabolicalHater

59	RolloTomasi

59	JohnDanahersHair

52

milk217

47

DayGeaux

46

chicubs23

45	lowellthehammer

40	Horselover_Fat

Total: 546

 

Team Mania:

 

Ulf_Murphy - 69

NNR - 85

DetroitDrew - 41

ZINO - 37

 

BNF - 71

Two_Words - 39

PHISH_NATION - 56

ViolentMike - 76

jayw27 - 43

freenow82 - 61

Team Mania: 578

 

Individual Rankings

 

01) Ulf Murphy (Mania) – 339  [Previously #4]

02) MostDiabolicalHater (BE) – 333  [Previously #3]

03) NNR (Mania) 324  [Prevously #11]

04) Violent Mike (Mania) – 321  [Previously #9]

05) Horselover Fat (BE) – 319  [Previously #1]

06) BNF (Mania) – 318  [Previously #7]

07) Two Words (Mania) – 313  [Previously #2]

08) RolloTomasi (BE) – 305  [Previously #8]

09) Phish Nation (Mania) – 304  [Previously #6]

10) Free Now (Mania)- 298  [Previously #12]

11) lowellthehammer (BE) – 297  [Previously #5]

12) Zakree (BE) – 293  [Previously #15]

13) DayGeaux (BE) – 289  [Previously #10]

13) John Danaher’s Hair (BE) – 289  [Previously #14]

15) Detroit Drew (Mania) – 276  [Previously #13]

16) Milk217 (BE) – 259  [Previously #17]

17) Zino (Mania) – 254  [Previously #16]

18) Jay (Mania) – 232  [Previously #18]

19) Tim Bernier (BE) – 221  [Previously #19]

20) Amadeus (BE) – 182  [Previously #20]

Poll

Is anyone on Mania intersted in doing this again?

43%

Yes, every time we kick BE's ass is a vote for objectifying women and a proverbial kick to the nuts to pseudointellectuals everywhere.

23 votes

50%

No, it is like beating up a ginger. Only fun the first two or three times.

27 votes

5%

Other, see comments.

3 votes

53 votes | Poll has closed

via www.diabetesmine.com

Since its meteoric rise after The Ultimate Fighter Finale in 2005, the UFC has grown into a $2 Billion entity that has put on shows in Abu Dhabi, Australia, Germany and its largest live event in Toronto, Ca.  We have seen the number of shows increased every year and fearless UFC leader Dana White claimed in 2009 that The UFC would be the biggest sport in the world by 2020. But has this growth continued since White's boast? Is The UFC, and not MMA, destined to become a household name, or will it be relegated to a niche sport that has very avid followers who follow the sport as closely as any other sport out there, perhaps more so?

By The Numbers is a continuing idea that tries to break down the numbers, present them in a fair and balanced way, point out discrepancies and allow the reader to draw their own conclusions.

The numbers are broken down thusly...number of events per year, average pay-per-view (PPV) buys, average gate, average attendance, average ticket price and average viewers for the prelims on cable TV.  Follow after the jump to see if White's claims are holding true, or if the numbers refute any growth at all.  

Poll

The Numbers tell me...

53%

The UFC is still growing, but we have yet to see the best of 2011

95 votes

34%

The UFC has hit a plateau and will continue to sell "only" 500,000 +/- PPV's for the forseeable future

60 votes

7%

The UFC is going downhill. Brock Lesnar was the guy bringing in more viewers, not the fights themselves.

13 votes

4%

Other. Sound off below.

8 votes

176 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

via www.scrappfightmag.com

On March 12th, 2011, Zuffa, LLC purchased a majority interest in Strikeforce, at the time, the #2 mixed martail arts promotion in the world, for a rumored $60 Million dollars. Since the Dana White Interview with Ariel Helwani, where Dana White claims that Strikeforce will continue as a promotion and everything is "business as usual", Zuffa LLC has systematically taken apart the Company and left it a barren wasteland with no proven draws and only one fighter that has a legitimate claim to being the best fighter in his weight class.  This is business as usual for Zuffa, LLC as Pride FC, Elite XC, and Affliction can all attest, and while Strikeforce is not "officially" dead, the steps White has taken since 3/12/20011 leading into Sunday's aftermath can allow us to proclaim that Strikeforce is dead and will not be saved as a continuing MMA promotion.  Follow along as the steps to oblivion for Scott Smith contraction into the UFC are traced.

Continue reading this post »

Speak your mind Maniacs.  Open season.  Anything goes.  MMA-related or not.  It doesn't matter.  It's Friday.  That means beer, booze and bud tonight, and we have some decent MMA on tap this evening with Shark Fights 17 on HDNet.  What?  Don't get HDNet?  Buck up, you cheap bastard, and get that HD box or switch to Direct TV.

This has been a busy week, even without a major event, and it appears once again the injury bug is destroying Uncle Dana's  plan to conquer the world by 2020. Plenty has been said about Tito, Rashad, Machida and even Davis.  The best part of these threads has been the on-going drama of people bringing up GSP/Diaz out of left field.  The last time I remember people being so polarized for a fight was GSP/BJ II.  The lines are being drawn and the arguments are flying. I can't wait for the daily GSP/Nick thread to start...oh...I don't know...last fucking week, for a fucking October fight.  Fun, fun.

Also in the news is the dirty whore who killed her daughter so she could go to the club.  I only believe there is a hell due to my willful desire to chain this creature in a sound-proofed basement and make her scream until she is certifiable.  Since I cannot actually do that (unless it was my daughter, then I would be in the headlines) I rest easy knowing she will burn with OJ.

The US Federal Reserve Chairsatan has all but come out and said that he will continue to print money upon the approval of a raise in the debt ceiling of the United States debt.  Stocks soared as U.S. "leaders" on Capitol Hill both threatened senior citizens with an end to Social Security payments and could not decide on reducing future payments (Not one person suggested actually reducing current payments) to "curb" our spending habits.  Real money, gold, also reached a nominal high as increased printing will only serve to further erode the value of the US dollar.  For the record, since 1913, the value of the US dollar has been devalued by 98% through inflation (which only exists when money is controlled) and printing.

Lastly I leave you with the main reason for this thread:

 

via mmabadass.com

Be safe Maniacs. 

Drew is in the process of moving and doesn't have internet access.  I drew the lucky short straw to post the breakdown of event 2 (I was dumb enough to add the amounts myself).  This will be as Spartan as a fanpost can get using as much ctrl+c/ctrl+v as I can get away with.

Team Total After Event 1:

MMAMania: 697

Bloody Elbow: 632

 

Event 2 Breakdown:

Team Mania:

Two_Words - 39

ViolentMike - 55

DetroitDrew - 44

Zino - 37

Jay - 44

Freenow82 - 53

PhishNation - 70

UlfMurphy - 64

BNF - 80

NNR - 68

Total: 554

Team Elbow:

Daygeux - 54

Lowelthehammer - 53

Zakkree - 61

Horseloverfat - 60

RolloTomasi - 58

JohnDanahersHair - 58

MostDiabolicalHater - 64

Milk217 - 40

Amadeus - 0 

ChiCubs - 60

Total: 508

Results after 2 events:

MMAMania: 1,251

Bloody Elbow: 1,140

Please check my math and your scores.

Drew is in the process of moving and doesn't have internet access.  I drew the lucky short straw to post the breakdown of event 2 (I was dumb enough to add the amounts myself).  This will be as Spartan as a fanpost can get using as much ctrl+c/ctrl+v as I can get away with.

Team Total After Event 1:

MMAMania: 697

Bloody Elbow: 632

 

Event 2 Breakdown:

Team Mania:

Two_Words - 39

ViolentMike - 55

DetroitDrew - 44

Zino - 37

Jay - 44

Freenow82 - 53

PhishNation - 70

UlfMurphy - 64

BNF - 80

NNR - 68

Total: 554

Team Elbow:

Daygeux - 54

Lowelthehammer - 53

Zakkree - 61

Horseloverfat - 60

RolloTomasi - 58

JohnDanahersHair - 58

MostDiabolicalHater - 64

Milk217 - 40

Amadeus - 0 

ChiCubs - 60

Total: 508

Results after 2 events:

MMAMania: 1,251

Bloody Elbow: 1,140

Please check my math and your scores.

WTF?  I cannot get rid of this: a

Just wanted to let everyone know that Brian Hemminger ruined the Hot Bout for the TUF 13 Finale by letting everyone know that Ed Herman has had two major reconstructive knee surgeries (just joking Hemi, you have been a good sport the last week).  This swayed the betting well into the favor of Tim Credeur and MMAPlayground has changed the hot bout to the Edwards/Harvison fight (the clicks you hear are me toggling back and forth with PG so I can even write these guys' names correctly).

If you have not done so, get your picks in as no one wants or needs to hear any more excuses as to why someone forgot to place their bets or make their picks.  Also remember that this is the final try-out for the Mania/BE side event that Drew has created for some of us.  Two lucky pickers will be cast to join our Horde and finish BE in true Mania style based upon this weekends picks and past picking.

"What is best in life?"

"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, hear the lamentation of the women"

Some guys will do anything to prove they're number one in the world.

Even fight a friend and training partner.

Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, fresh off a five round unanimous decision win over season two tournament winner Pat Curran last month on MTV2, knows that part of being number one across the board is reaping the financial rewards that accompany that kind of status.

And if he has to fight friend and training partner (and UFC lightweight champion) Frankie Edgar to do it, well, then so be it.

Alvarez (22-2), widely considered the most talented 155-pounder never to step foot inside the Octagon, tells the MMA Fight Corner (presented by FiveKnuckles.com) he's already given Edgar his "Answer," and the feeling is mutual:

Continue reading this post »

Ok, bear with me, and up-front apologies to Geno and Cr8 for the subject about to be broached.  One of our long-time posters was banned a few weeks ago due to an extraordinarily horrible comment that I will not repeat.  He deserved to be banned for it (my take, and I was there).  Now, he has asked that I (and a lot of others) e-mail Tom/Jesse/Geno to ask that he be allowed to return.  I am tired of the pathetic crying over e-mail and Facebook.  If I get one more private message from his wife about a secret rendezvous trying to pull strings (like I have any) for him, I am going to puke (jk).  So, my question to the community, is..."Should Kevin/kevjack115 be allowed to return?"

What makes this site a great site is its decision to allow people to state their mind with very little interference from the moderators and editors of this site.  The community is left alone to moderate itself for the most part, and for that I am greatly appreciative, as are most of you or you wouldn't be here.  Sometimes we all say a few things that are unintended or come out completely wrong from the way it was intended.  Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously.  Sometimes we go too far.  At what point do we allow ourselves to forgive and move on?

I am not going to e-mail Tom/Jesse/Geno and ask that Kevin be allowed back into our forum.  I am going to let the community decide if a month+ is long enough penance for saying something stupid as I love the SBN format and the "publicness" of the community and fanposts. 

Thank you for reading. 

Poll

Should Kevin be allowed back?

17%

Yes

19 votes

26%

Yes, with a public apology and on a VERY short leash

29 votes

34%

No (insert insult in the comments below)

38 votes

22%

Who?

25 votes

111 votes | Poll has closed

In a very lighthearted gesture, I am offering all of our resident fighters (you know who you are) a two-week guide of what not to eat leading up to the weigh-in.  Hopefully this will give them both strength of will and strength of character while eating loads of cottage cheese, yogurt, rice cakes and boneless, skinless, tasteless chicken breasts.  The ability to resist good food has been something that I gave up upon the birth of my second daughter, so I will just jump right  in and give everyone a quick rundown of tomorrow's dinner plans.

Continue reading this post »

Tired of talking about certain people.  Tired of defending certain people.  Tired of coming to Mania and not talking about MMA.  Her are some very quick and very random thoughts on the following few days in MMA, with my robust, sometimes hate-filled, opinion.

1. BJ will lose a UD to Fitch.  BNF and Deuce will be caught, on camera, in a certain compromising position for the two weeks following.

2. Marlon Sandro is the best thing to happen to Bellator since Eddie Alvarez, and Bellator's 145 pound division is the best in the world.

3. I hate Anderson Silva but I have had two dreams about that kick and it gave me a chubby both times.

4. I am pissed off that the UFC continues to promote and market fights with one really good fighter and one lesser quality fighter, and we are expected to pay $50 every two weeks for it.  I am not buying the PPV on Saturday, and I will continue to boycott any cards that are of similar low quality.  Ther merger of the WEC was supposed to prevent shit-bombs like Saturday's card.

5. Algeria and Egypt have new governments or are already transitioning towards peace.  Libya, Yemen and Bahrain are on fire, but will soon see a regime change.  Iran and Saudi Arabia could be next.  If you do not care, or are not even aware.  WAKE THE FUCK UP.  Our world is awash in greed and scandal and our generation needs to be the one that steps up and says NO to corporatism and free handouts for the rich.  I ask anyone remotely interested to go to www(dot)zerohedge(dot)com to read some real news and form YOUR OWN opinion.

CLICK HERE IF YOU JUST GOT HERE OR OPENED THIS POST AND DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

Props to StrikerDave for the photoshop and bracket.

You heard it here first maniacs.  MMAMANIA is sponsoring the first ever, and very first of it's kind, Grand Prix, open-weight tournament for the exclusive rights to win a date with Gina Carano.  Miss Carano could not be reached for comment, but someone close to her was overheard saying... "As long as that LxxxN guy, er Deuce02, doesn't win she will probably agree."

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the MMGP, beginning with the streaming "Prelims" broadcast at 9 p.m. ET on MMAMania.com. We'll then roll right into the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET. Up-to-the-minute quick results of all the other under card action will begin to flow around 8 p.m. ET.

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the televised action to share their thoughts on all the exciting action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment or two before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after "ANS Wet Dream." Without further delay, see below for the latest MMGP results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action:

More after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

Anthony Pettis ushered the WEC merger into the UFC with the greatest gimmick since Shonie Carter landed the spinning back fist on Matt Sera last night at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale Arizona.  Forever will MMA enthusiats talk of where they were and what their reaction was to the "Matrix-like" kick Pettis landed to drop Benson Henderson and secure both the final championship fight under the WEC banner and the fight for the UFC 155lb belt versus the winner of Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard's fight at UFC 125  on New Year's Day.  Pettis got on the MMA version of Kingda KA with his feature on MTV's "World of Jenks" and has yet to reach the pinnacle, as his star continues to rise in the world of MMA.  I can only imagine the look on Dana White's face when Pettis landed the "Showtime Kick" and he realized that this kick is THE highlight to promote Pettis' shot at the UFC strap, and the UFC for the forseeable future.  Wow.  What intrigues me about this kid is that he has shown diverse striking, great take-down defense and incredible scrambles against highly touted strikers and well-credentialled NCAA wrestlers.  Pettis may actually prove that the WEC was not Deuce02's gInger stepson to the UFC and upset either Frankie or Gray.

What can I say about Dominick Cruz...the in-and-out works, but I don't seem to like the guy.  Once I realized that Scotty Jorgenson had no chance last night (midway through the second) and that Cruz was not going to finish, I had little interest in watching the remainder of the fight.  Cruz won.  Great. Woo-hoo.  So, considering my loathing of all things Uriah Faber, I am in a quandry when they fight.  Do I root for the guy who's style I hate (Cruz) or the guy who is silver-spoon fed title shots more than BJ Penn?  My only wish is that they do not become the coaches on next season's Ultimate Fighter.  I would rather watch Kimbo coach versus OJR.  I hear one of them would sign today for that fight...

Donald Cerrone is the most dangerous 155lb fighter to come from the WEC to the UFC.  His mix of submissions and kickboxing, combined with his new-found talent in wrestling (historically his weakness) and his length will make him a very dangerous opponent in the UFC.  While I was shocked that the Baby-faced Canadian (oh, how I want to be insensitive) kept coming forward, I was completely unsuprised that he got subbed in the second.  I would love to see Cerrone sign to fight the winner of Davis/Stephens from the upcoming New Year's Eve card.  Once he destroys either of those guys, throw him in the deep end.  And BTW, The Cowboy will only add to the defenders of Greg Jackson fighters finishing.  13 wins, 11 finishes.  Not too shabby.  Good luck in the MFC, Chris.

Kamal Shalorus is the WEC version of rock and sock-em robots.  The Iranian has bricks for hands...too bad he has zero form or hand speed to be effective with them.  Bartumus picked him apart standing, but couldn't withstand the wresting onslaught brought against him by the former Olympian.  Neither will make waves in the UFC (Bart may not make the cut).

Why, O Why did versus not play ANY of the 5, yes FIVE, first round stoppages in between the fights on this card?  The event was scheduled on Versus for 3 hours, to be followed by a REPLAY of the show.  We got four fights, when in actuality, we could have easily gotten 7 or even 8 fights and still been able to watch all the live action.  Are you telling me that it was not worth the 3:55 to feature a former NCAA champ, Shane Roller, choke out the former WEC 155lb champ, hopefully ending Jamie Varner's ability to be on my television ever again?  Or the INCREDIBLE (supposedly, I don't know because I haven't seen it) slam by Eddie Wineland that left his opponent unconcious for 10 minutes (only 2:11 needed)?  Or Danny Castillo's (a former Pettis AND Cerrone opponent) KO that took 1:25?  How could these fights not be beneficial to the WEC's final show?  How could these not showcase the talent that is merging into the UFC?  Was Versus pissed that they are losing this much annual content?  WTF?

Ok, enough ranting.  Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed a WEC show and am convinced the WEC merger is the best idea that Zuffa has had since Lorenzo took the reins from DW.  My only concern is that the higher-weight guys are going to get pissed-off once they realize that the fight card bonuses are going to be 10 times harder to win now that the WEC guys are officially under the same roof.  What do you guys think?