ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE (THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER SEASON 15) EPISODE 4 "ALL THE PRESSURE” RECAP, QUOTES AND PICTURES!

AL IAQUINTA EARNS SPLIT DECISION WIN OVER MYLES JURY IN FIRST SUDDEN-VICTORY ROUND OF THE SEASON

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighter Live episode 4 – "All The Pressure" – aired Friday evening and saw Team Faber get on the board, now trailing Team Cruz 2-1, as their first overall pick – Al Iaquinta – secured a split decision win over Myles Jury. 

With the win, Team Faber selected the next fight, which will pit Michael Chiesa against Jeremy Larsen on Episode 5, Friday, April 6 at 10 p.m. ET / PT on FX.

Here’s what everyone had to say about the evening’s live fight:

UFC President Dana White:

“There were some exciting exchanges in the first and second round and I think the judges scored them perfectly. But when you go to a sudden-victory round it means you’re hanging in there by a thread. You need to go out there and kill it. I don’t think either guy went out there in that third round and looked like they wanted to win it. They just wanted it enough to win and just enough not to lose. Faber wanted that win bad. To finally regain control is big for him. They’re (Team Faber) back in the game - with a huge momentum shift.”

Al Iaquinta:

“I knew it wasn’t going straight to a decision and I had a feeling we were going to the sudden-victory round. To get the win is great! It’s crazy. It’s a whole new game now. 

It was definitely a different routine getting ready for this fight. I’ve had the same guys helping me for every one of my pro fights. This team was great though and they did a good job getting me ready.”

Iaquinta’s Coach Urijah Faber:

“I feel great, especially for Al. These wins are really for the guys. This is Al’s dream and he fought his heart out. Jury is a guy with a great mentality and to beat a guy like that is awesome for Al’s resume. Hoping to keep the (Team Faber) streak alive. And it took a little pep out of Cruz’s step which is great!”

Myles Jury:

“I just feel like it’s a tough loss but it’s a great learning experience for me and I’ll be back better than ever. The decision is the way it is. I could sit here and say I won but that’s not how it came out. I’m going to go back and take a look at what I did and see how I can improve.” 

Jury’s Coach Dominick Cruz:

“It was a tough close fight and a learning experience for Myles Jury but I’m proud of him because he never stopped fighting and he went for broke. And he made it through the training camp and that's always the hard part. 

I like the pick for next week. I’m good with it because, what he doesn’t know is that Jeremy has a history of fighting solid wrestlers.”

Next week’s fighter Michael Chiesa

“First and foremost, I want to congratulate Al and Myles on a great fight. I’m very thankful that Team Faber got the hammer back, cause that means now I can do what I came here to do and that’s to put on a show. Training has been great. I’m feeling healthy. I’m in good shape and all these good fights have been amping me up and getting me ready to scrap.”

Next week’s fighter Jeremy Larsen

“I feel fantastic. Super excited. I was talking to Dominick (Cruz), telling him I wanted to fight next anyway. Some guys like to finish fight’s, I like three-round wars. So tune-in and get ready for some great action.

 

Don’t miss the opportunity to catch behind the scenes action by following the fighters on Facebook and Twitter. Find all these links and more on www.ultimatefighter.com. 

Here is the up to date bracket for this seasons TUF 15 tournament.  Who is your pick to win it all?  Will Dominick Cruz continue his streak of wins over Urijah Faber and Team Alpha Male? 

(Photo credit: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC, Article courtsey UFC press release)

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RYAN BADER HAS SURGERY!

According to UFC Light Heavyweight fighter Ryan Bader's twitter page (@ryanbader) he had surgery on his knee this week.  As to exactly what the surgery on his knee was, that is unknown at this time.  It can be assumed, Bader most likely will be out of action 4-8 weeks, and then return to training to keep the momentum he gained with his huge unanimous decision win over legendary Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 144 in Japan. 

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Miguel Torres vs Michael McDonald Promoted to UFC 145 Main Card!

The Bantamweight battle between fan favorite Miguel Torres and rising star Michael McDonald has been promoted to the main card at UFC 145!

 
This is Miguel Torres's first fight back since being fired and then rehired by Dana White over comments made on Twitter. White has gone on to say about the incident "Torres handled his business like a man and no one told him to do it".  Torres has won three of his last four fights with his only loss coming via decision to Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson. In his last fight he returned to his winning ways by getting a decision victory over Nick Pace at UFC 139.


McDonald who holds a 14-1 record (3-0 in UFC) is on a seven fight win streak.  Many think McDonald may be the next big thing in the UFC Bantamweight division because of his exciting style and reputation of finishing fights.  In his UFC debut he was awarded the Fight of the Night Award in his unanimous decision victory over Edwin Figueroa. In his last fight he was awarded with Knockout of the Night Award with his KO victory over Alex Soto in the first round.  Before coming to the UFC, McDonald was the Bantamweight Champion of Tachi Palace Fights and had one fight in the WEC  where he defeated Clint Godfrey via armbar. 


UFC 145 is quickly becoming one of the best cards of the year with LHW Champion Jon Jones facing rival Rashad Evans, Rory MacDonald vs Che Mills, Brendan Schaub vs Ben Rothwell, Mark Hominick vs Eddie Yagin and Mark Bocek vs Matt Wiman

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The Next UFC LHW #1 Contender Is...

The winner of the upcoming LHW Title Fight between Jon Jones and  Rashad Evans at UFC 125 on April 21st will already know who is next up for a shot at their title.  Dana White revealed that Dan Henderson is next in line at 205 for a title shot in a UFC 146 Press Conference. White stated that "Dan Henderson will get the next title shot".
 
Henderson is currently the Strikeforce LHW Champion. He won the title by beating then champion Rafael Cavalcante in March of 2011 via TKO (punches) in the third round.  He has since gone on to defeat Fedor (at a catch weight in Strikeforce and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139.  If Henderson were to defeat the champion it would be the second time he has held two belts at the same time.  In PRIDE he held the Welterweight and Middleweight Titles at the same time.

If Evans, the heavy underdog prevails over the champion Jones at UFC 125, Henderson will be the fourth straight wrestler that Evans has fought (Tito, Davis, Rampage, Jones).

*Editors note* It has also been revealed that Henderson may also be in line for the UFC middleweight title against the winner of Chael Sonnen/Anderson Silva.  That bout takes place at UFC 147 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil at Joao Havelange Stadium, (or also known as Engenhao Stadium) June 23, 2012, .  Dana White stated he offered the man dubbed "HENDO" 2 fights and Henderson decided to wait for a title shot.  One of those bouts was against Antônio Rogério Nogueira aka Lil Nog as the headliner bout for the UFC on Fuel TV 2 card in Stockholm, Sweden.  White said most fighters can not pick and chose who they fight, however in certain cases that happens.  Henderson is one of those cases because he earned the opportunity to fight for either the UFC middleweight title (185lbs where Henderson has spent much of his career) or for the UFC Light Heavyweight title (205lbs).  Henderson is coming off an amazing unanimous decision win against Maurcio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139, which is probably the best mixed martial arts fight EVER!

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Strikeforce's King Mo CUT!!!

Twitter has cost yet another MMA star their job.  Former light heavyweight champion of Strikeforce Muhammad Lawal aka King Mo took to the social media site to complain after being suspended nine months and fined 30% of his $80,000 purse from his last fight vs Lorenz Larkin. King Mo tested positive for PED's after the fight it was ruled a No Contest.  Earlier this week Lawal took to Twitter and posted "I honestly feel like Lundvall was a racist bitch asking me if I can read or speaking English".  Pat Lundvall is the NSAC commissioner who was on the panel investigating of Lawal's use of performance enhancing drugs.


 This is the second MMA star to lose his job in the past four months due to Twitter.  Miguel Torres was fired from the UFC on Dec 8th, 2011 after tweeting a joke about "rape vans".  Torres went on to apologize and as Dana White put it "handle his business like a man" and was later reinstated by the UFC. There is no word about Lawal yet and Dana White is yet to comment.

UFC 149 Takes Shape

The fight card for UFC 149 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on July 21 has begun to take shape.

MMACagechatter.com was one of the first sites to reveal that UFC 149 would be where featherweight Champion Jose Aldo would be defending his title vs an unnamed opponent.  It is popular belief is that it will be the winner of Poirier vs Jung, which is the main event at May's UFC on Fuel TV 3.

 It has now been confirmed that bantamweights Bryan Caraway and Mitch Gagnon will face off at this PPV.

We also are now hearing rumors that the battle between Mark Munoz and Chris Weidman may be moved from UFC on Fox 4 to UFC 149. Keep in mind this is still just a rumor.

A Warrior's Journey: Fighter Profile Antwain Britt

Here is our exclusive interview with Strikeforce's Antwain " The Juggernaut" Britt.  Checkout what he has to say about his fights, TUF Season 8 experience, his fans, community outreach and more!

THE UFC PREPARES TO HOST BIGGEST SPORTING EVENT IN UFC HISTORY AT JOAO HAVELANGE STADIUM IN RIO

MAIN CARD FEATURES SHOWDOWNS BETWEEN LEGENDS OF THE SPORT:

ANDERSON SILVA vs. CHAEL SONNEN

VITOR BELFORT vs. WANDERLEI SILVA

Tickets on Sale in May

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to Brazil for an epic sporting event as legendary fighters collide on the biggest fight card in UFC history at UFC 147 at Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on June 23, 2012.  The largest crowd ever is expected for the highly anticipated rematch between middleweight champion Anderson Silva and American contender Chael Sonnen, a grudge match two years in the making. The event also features a live finale of The Ultimate Fighter Brasil, the showdown between two Brazilians and icons of the sport – coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva.

From the beginning of the negotiations for the UFC’s next event in the country, the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo both emerged as strong options to host the event.  Engenhao, home to football club Botafogo and future venue for the 2016 Olympics, has hosted many legendary sports and entertainment events since its opening in 2007.  The event marks the first time for a UFC event in a soccer stadium and the organization expects a record audience.  The mark to beat is UFC 129, held in April of 2011 at Rogers Centre in Canada, which had a record attendance of 55,000 fans.  

“This will be the biggest sporting event of the year” said UFC President Dana White.  “Bigger than the NFL, the NBA, you name it - UFC 147 will be the biggest.  The whole world wants to see this fight between Silva and Sonnen.  We are broadcast in over 150 countries in 22 languages in half a billion homes.  Wherever those fans are, they are going to be watching this fight.” 

The rivalry between Anderson Silva (29-4-0) and Chael Sonnen (28-11-1) has produced the biggest grudge match in UFC history.  The two bitter rivals first faced each other in August of 2010 at UFC 117 in Oakland, California. The battle featured arguably the biggest come-from-behind win ever; as Silva, who was being dominated from the beginning of the fight, submitted his American rival with a triangle choke in the last round. It was the seventh of nine title defenses for the Brazilian champion.

In what has been one of the long-awaited rematches in UFC history, Brazilian fans will also get a chance to witness Vitor Belfort (21-9-0) and Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1) square off in the Octagon®.   In their first meeting in 1998 in São Paulo, Belfort knocked out Silva 44 seconds into their fight. Since then, MMA fans have eagerly waited for over 10 years to witness the rematch between two legends of the sport.  Belfort is coming off of a win over American fighter Anthony Johnson in UFC Rio (UFC 142), while Wanderlei dramatically knocked out opponent Cung Le at UFC 139.

More information regarding on-sale dates for UFC147 and the fight card will be announced next month.  For more information and up-to-date news on ticket on-sale dates, visit br.ufc.com. 

All bouts live and subject to change.  (ARTICLE COURTSEY OF UFC PRESS RELEASE)

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Could UFC 147 be "The Biggest Sporting Event of the Year"?

UFC 147 in Rio de Janiero is starting to take shape and it looks to be "the biggest sporting event of the year" according to Dana White.  MMACAGECHATTER.COM reported earlier that UFC President Dana White stated "that this will take place in Joao Havelang Stadium which can hold 47K people".  Dana White has gone on to say "80k people in attendance"!!  The card is now starting to be announced and here is what we know so far.


Confirmed Fights:

UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen
Wanderlei Sliva vs Vitor Belfort - This will be a match of both TUF Brazil Coaches


Rumored Fights:

Fabricio Werdum vs Mike Russow
TUF Brazil Middleweight Finale Fight
TUF Brazil Featherweight Finale Fight

ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE (THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER SEASON 15) EPISODE 3 "OLD SCHOOL vs. NEW SCHOOL”, RECAP, QUOTES AND PICTURES!

The Ultimate Fighter Live episode 3 – "Old School vs New School" – aired Friday evening and saw Team Cruz take a 2-0 lead as number one overall pick - Justin Lawrence - knocked out Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu veteran Cristiano Marcello with a solid left hook at 3:16 of the second round.

With the win, Team Cruz selected the next fight, which will pit Myles Jury against Al Iaquinta on Episode 4, Friday, March 30 at 10 p.m. ET / PT on FX.

Here’s what everyone had to say about the evening’s live fight:

UFC President Dana White:

“Cruz’s first pick didn’t disappoint tonight. Lawrence fought a cautious but solid fight. Picked Marcello apart from the outside and landed big shots. Marcello literally had no offense whatsoever tonight and Lawrence put him away halfway through the second round. Lawrence came out with a knockout victory, no injuries and very much one of the top contenders for the TUF Live Finale.”

Justin Lawrence:

“First and foremost, I want to thank the man upstairs. With that said, Dominick, Eric, Phil, Shannon, Lloyd, Doug, Wilson and the entire team, I just want to say thank you for the game planning that you came up with for me.  I want to thank my mom and dad back home in Missouri, and all my family and friends, thank you so much.”

Lawrence’s Coach Dominick Cruz:

“I think again Faber underestimated the way we coach and the way that we fight. Regardless of what he says or thinks about himself, he’s a cocky dude. It’s worked out so far for our team. It’s about confidence in my team, about how good they are, and about how good they listen. I’ve got a good team. Lawrence fought a perfect fight; he listened to the game plan perfectly, there’s nothing I can say, everything was perfect.”

Cristiano Marcello:

“I want to say sorry to my family, and everybody who supports me.  This is just one more step for something big.”

Marcello’s Coach Urijah Faber:

“First off, it was a great fight. I’m really proud of Marcello. It’s only two weeks we’ve been able to be part of these guys’ lives & implement what we can. But one thing you can’t teach with Marcello is his heart. Maybe Lawrence and Vick can teach Dominick how to finish a fight.”

Next week’s fighter Al Iaquinta:

“Got called out tonight; not the first time, probably won’t be the last - and I got my ass kicked early that time, then won the fight.  Jury’s never been in a war like I have.”

Next week’s fighter Myles Jury:

“I feel great, I’ve been waiting for this opportunity my whole life. Al’s a tough opponent, and it will be the toughest fight of my career.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to catch behind the scenes action by following the fighters on Facebook and Twitter. Find all these links and more on http://www.ultimatefighter.com/.

(Photo credits: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC, Article courtsey of UFC press release)

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JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER A HUGE UFC AND GSP FAN!

(picture: UFC)

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda a signed pair of official UFC gloves before they started free trade talks between the two nations this weekend.  I wonder if GSP signed them really nice or they are his typical illegible autograph. 

From UFC.com about the gift:

"Before official free-trade talks commenced in Tokyo, Japan today (Sunday March 25), Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper presented Yoshihiko Noda, the Prime Minister of Japan, with a pair of autographed UFC gloves.

The gloves are signed by UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre. The Prime Minister's Office had reached out to Tom Wright, UFC Director of Canadian Operations, for his help getting the signed gloves after hearing Mr Noda was a huge supporter of Canada’s greatest MMA fighter."

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Former UFC Warriors Battle In Titan Fighting Championship 22

Former UFC middleweight standout Anthony "Rumble" Johnson will meet UFC vet David Branch on May 25th under the Titan Fighting Championship promotion.

This is Johnson's first fight after being released by the UFC in January after badly missing weight by 11lbs and losing via submission to Vitor Belfort at UFC 142.  Johnson (10-4) was known for his vicious knockout power that was on display in his UFC debut fight, when he knocked out Chad Reiner in 13seconds of the very first round.  He is a two time recipient of the Knockout of the Night Award in wins over Kevin Burns (TUF Finale Nog vs Mir) and Charlie Brenneman (UFC Live).  He was also involved of a Fight of the Night when he lost to Josh Koscheck at UFC 106.

Davis Branch (10-2) is riding a two fight win streak since being released from the UFC after going .500 (2-2).  In his last fight in the UFC he fell victim to a heel hook applied by submission specialist Rousimar Palhares in the second round of UFC Live 3. Three of Branch's wins have come via TKO due to punches which leads fight fans to believe this fight could be a stand up war.

Titan CEO Joe Kelly has stated that Johnson and Branch are "two of the most aggressive, powerful and athletic middleweights in the world, and to have this as the main event at Titan 22 is a defining moment for this brand".  If this fight can live up to the hype it may just be a sleeper for Fight of the Year.

AWESOME FIGHTER PROFILES OF TUF BRAZIL CONTESTANTS AND THE BRAZILIAN EDITION OF REALITY SHOW THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER DEBUTS ON MARCH 25!

For American and Canadian audiences: All 13 episodes of the first international edition of TUF will air on TUF.tv Sunday night at midnight ET / 9:00 p.m. PT


Champions Anderson Silva, Junior Dos Santos and Jose Aldo and former champions Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua all make appearances


Seven years after its debut in the United States, in 2005, the first international edition of the famed reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter begins in Brazil.  Co-produced by Brazilian production company Floresta, the inaugural Brazilian version of the show is the first time a TUF series was filmed outside of the United States.


The Ultimate Fighter - Brasil features UFC legends Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort as the coaches of the first season, which features both the featherweight (145 lbs) and middleweight (185 lbs) divisions. As is standard on this series, the coaches will face-off in a highly anticipated live rematch in June for the grand finale.


The Premiere episode will showcase elimination bouts, narrowing down the initial group of 32 fighters to the final 16 who will move into the TUF house. From there, theywill be split between “Team Vitor” and “Team Wanderlei” and face weekly eliminations until the finale, where a winner from both weight classes will be declared The Ultimate Fighter® and win an international UFC contract.


The highly anticipated Premiere is scheduled to air Sunday night, March 25, on Rede Globo in Brazil after the Big Brother finale. All 13 episodes will first air on Rede Globo in Brazil Sunday nights and then on TUF.tv in the United States and Canada at midnight ET / 9:00 p.m. PT.


The initial 32 contestants, in  both the featherweight and middleweight divisions, hail from 15 of the 26 states inBrazil and represent a diverse cross-section of the country including São Paulo (8), Paraná (4), Rio de Janeiro (3), Amapá (2), Santa Catarina (2), Ceará (2), Brasília (2), Rio Grande do Norte (2). Also, the states of Minas Gerais, Roraima, Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul, Espírito Santo, Amazonas and Paraíba have one representative each.


Although many of the details will be kept under wraps until the Premiere, it has been revealed that a few famous personalities visited the house and training center during the taping. There are special appearances by UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos, UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champions Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.


The series is one of the most successful sports reality shows in the US, having discovered some of the most talented fighters in the UFC. It has also helped leverage the promotion’s popularity amongst American audiences. The first edition, which had UFC legends Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture as coaches, featured big names such as Diego Sanchez (middleweight winner of that season), Forrest Griffin (light heavyweight winner), Josh Koscheck, Stephan Bonnar and Kenny Florian.


A part last season’s featherweight winner, Diego Brandão, the first Brazilian to ever win the show, other Brazilian fighters have appeared on previous editions. Heavyweight icons Rodrigo “Minotauro” and Dos Santos have been coaches. Minotauro appeared on the eighth edition, which aired in 2008, against former UFC Heavyweight Champion FrankMir. Both winners from that season, light heavyweight Ryan Bader and lightweight Efrain Escudero, were members of “Team Nogueira”. Brazilian fighter Vinicius “Pezão” Magalhães was one of the finalists from that edition, but lost the title to Bader. Dos Santos competed against former champion Brock Lesnar on the 13th season. The Brazilian TUF pioneer was Jorge Gurgel, eliminated on the eighth episode of the second season.

This season’s contenders include:

Flyweights:

Name: Alexandre Ramos
Nickname: Sangue
Age: 23 years old
Record: 5-0 Fighting out of: Curitiba (PR)
Features: Single, no kids, Sangue built his career on Brazilian events, like Brave FC, where he made his debut, and also on Brazilian Fight League. Aside from his win via decision over Marcos Bicudo, all his bouts were finished in the first round by submission or knockout.

Name: Rony Mariano Bezerra
Nickname: Jason
Age: 27 years old
Record: 10-3
Fighting out of: Mossoró (RN)
Features: Single dad with two kids, “Jason” won seven of his fights via submission. One of them, over Felipe Sertanejo who now fights in the UFC, via triangle choke. Bezerra also fought Renan Barão, in2006, with a loss via split decision.

Name: Godofredo Pepey
Nickname: None
Age: 24 years old
Record: 8-0
Fighting out of: Fortaleza (CE)
Features: Single, no kids, Pepey teaches Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai, showcasing his versatility. Six of his wins were by submission and the other two by knockouts.

Name: Marcos Vinicius Borges Pancini
Nickname: Vina
Age: 31 years old
Record: 19-3-1
Fighting out of: Curitiba (PR)
Features: Single, no kids, Vina’s record shows he’s good both standing and on the ground. Six wins by knockout and 13 by submission. None of his wins were decided by the judges.

Name: Anistávio Medeiros
Nickname: Gasparzinho
Age: 23 years old
Record: 12-7
Fighting out of: Natal (RN)
Features:  Single, no kids, Anistávio has plenty experience for a 23 year old. Of his 19 bouts, he has two losses over big names like Renan Barão and Willamy Freire.

Name: Johnny Gonçalves
Nickname: Cabeça
Age: 22 years old
Record: 4-0
Fighting out of: Taubaté (SP)
Features:  Single, no kids, the student is a specialist in Muay Thai, which he also teaches. Two of his four wins were by knockout. The other ones were by decision.

Name: Hugo Viana
Nickname: Wolverine
Age: 29 years old
Record: 5-0
Fighting out of: Salvador (BA)
Features: Single, no kids, the physiotherapist Wolverine in undefeated in MMA, but yet, as never submitted or knocked out an opponent. All his wins are by decision.

Name: Fernando Duarte Guerra
Nickname: None
Age: 28 years old
Record: 10 -1
Fighting out of: Dourados (MS)
Features: Married, with no kids. Fernando is a physical education teacher. Fighting MMA professionally since 2009, most of his wins (six) were earned by decision.


Name: Rodrigo Damm
Nickname: None
Age: 31 years old
Record: 9-5
Fighting out of: Vila Velha (ES)
Features: Married and father of three kids, Damm is the most experienced flyweight on the show. He fought in big international events, such as Bodog Fight, Sengoku and Strikeforce.

Name: John Teixeira
Nickname: John Macapá
Age: 25 years old
Record: 12-0-1
Fighting out of: Macapa (AP)
Features: Single, no kids, Teixeira began his career with four wins by armbar. He has managed eight victories by submission, two by knockout and three by decision.

Name: Rafael Bueno
Nickname: None
Age: 24 years old
Record: 7-1
Fighting out of: Bragança Paulista (SP)
Features: Single no kids, Rafael is a fighter, but also makes a living as a coach. In his career, he has fought eight bouts, won seven and lost only the last one. He finished five of his fights and knocked out two opponents.

Name: Wagner Campos
Nickname: Galeto
Age: 30 years old
Record: 11-3
Fighting out of: Pinhais (PR)
Features: Married with two kids, Galeto is a pro in MMA since 2006. He likes to fight standing up and has won six fights by knockout. One of his losses was to Jonn Lineker, the Brazilian who recently signed with the UFC.

Name: Peter Noble
Nickname: None
Age: 25 years old
Record: 10-0-1
Fighting out of: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Features: Single no kids, Peter Noble is one of the great promises of the famous Brazilian Top Team gym. He has finished all of his fights – with seven knockouts and three submissions.

Name: Fabricio Guerrero
Nickname:
Age: 21 years old
Record: 10-0-1
Fighting out of: Santana (AP)
Features: Single father with a son Fabricio is the youngest fighter in the show. Although he's just 21 he's been here for quite some time and proved to be tough in the ring, undefeated, he won ten matches and had one draw.


Name: Lim Dileno
Nickname: None
Age: 27 years old
Record: 7-0
Fighting out of: Manaus (AM)
Features: Single no kids, the fighter and master of Jiu-Jitsu Dileno Lopes honors the tradition of the soft art. Seven of his victories came by submission, showing variations between guillotine (four), rear naked choke (two) and armbar.

Name: Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr
Nickname: Soldado
Age: 24 years old
Record: 10 - 1
Fighting out of: João Pessoa (PB)
Features: Married, with kids, Soldado made his debut in MMA with a loss in 2006. Later he recovered and started a 10 consecutive winning streak, five by knockout, a submission and four by decision.


Middleweights:

Name: Sergio Moraes
Nickname: None
Age: 29 years old
Record: 6- 1
Fighting out of: Sao Paulo (SP)
Features: Single father of two kids, Moraes is a four-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion. Of his six career wins, five have been by submission and one by decision. His only loss was to Brett Cooper by knockout, at Jungle Fight 16 in 2009.

Name: Cezar Ferreira
Nickname: Mutante
Age: 26 years old
Record: 4 - 2
Fighting out of: Belo Horizonte (MG)
Features: Married, has a son, Mutante’s last two fights were in the US, with a win over Chaun Sims, and a loss to Elvis Mutapcic. Strong standing up, three of his four wins came by knockout.

Name: Leonardo Mafra
Nickname: Macarrão
Age: 22 years old
Record: 5-0
Fighting out of: Balneário Camboriú (SC)
Features: With an MMA career in southern Brazil, Macarrão has three wins by knockout - all in the first round - and two by decision. Aggressive in his standup game, the Chute Boxe Academy fighter bets on his punch power to win in the Octagon.

Name: Daniel Sarafian
Nickname: None
Age: 29 years old
Record: 7 - 2
Fighting out of: Sao Paulo (SP)
Features: Strong in the ground game, with six of his seven victories won by submission, Sarafian shows a wide range of moves, including guillotine, armbar, and triangle choke. Of his two losses, one was by knockout.

Name: Gustavo Sampaio
Nickname: Labareda
Age: 35 years old
Record: 5 - 1
Fighting out of: Brasília (DF)
Features: Specialist in kickboxing, Labareda is also strong on the ground, getting three of his five wins by submission. He has some international experience, with two wins in two tournaments in Spain.


Name: Fabio Luiz Vital Coast
Nickname: Bolinho
Age: 28 years old
Record: 9-0-1
Fighting out of: Natal (RN)
Features: Undefeated in 10 MMA fights, Bolinho won eight of his 10 fights by decision. Of those, only one was a split decision. He also won by TKO against Nilton Santos, at Platinum Fight in 2009, where he last fought.

Name: Richardson Moreira
Nickname: Monstrão
Age: 27 years old
Record: 3 - 0
Fighting out of: Campinas (SP)
Features: With three wins in three fights, Monstrão has yet to be pushed past the first round. Adding up the time of his three fights, this Team Nogueira athlete has only fought a total of 4 min. 56 sec. Outside the ring, Monstrão is a graduate in Engineering.

Name: Renee Strong
Nickname: None
Age: 24 years old
Record: 7 - 1
Fighting out of: Fortaleza (CE)
Features: With two victories by knockout, two by submission and three by decision, Forte has a good career in MMA. His only loss was by knockout, against Mario Sartori, in IFC, in August 2011. Fighting professionally since 2006.

Name: Joao Paulo de Souza
Nickname: Tuba
Age: 28 years old
Record: 8 - 4
Fighting out of: Curitiba (PR)
Features: With 12 fights on his record, including one at Wembley Stadium in London, Tuba has good experience in MMA. His last five fights went to the judges' decision, and he lost only the last one to Valentino Petrescu.

Name: Francisco Drinaldo
Nickname: Massaranduba
Age: 33 years old
Record: 10 - 1
Fighting out of: Brasília (DF)
Features: Fighter hired by Jungle Fight, Massaranduba is undefeated in his last four fights. With four knockouts, three submissions and three wins by decision, he only lost to the experienced Yuri Marajó in Jungle Fight 22 in September of 2010.

Name: Thiago Rela
Nickname: None
Age: 22 years old
Record: 3 - 1
Fighting out of: Itatiba (SP)
Features: With his three victories by submission, his only loss in 2010 came when he was submitted by Alvaro Head in a Campinas Fight. His specialty is the rear naked choke, which has won him three bouts.

Name: Charles Maicon
Nickname: None
Age: 33 years old
Record: 8 - 1
Fighting out of: Sorocaba (SP)
Features: Undefeated in his last eight fights, his only loss came in his fighting debut, losing by knockout to Sergio Junior in 2007. After that, he built an eight-win streak by knockout, and all in the first round. His nine fights in the Octagon lasted only 6 min. and 26 sec.


Name: Gilberto Galvão
Nickname: Giba
Age: 28 years old
Record: 17 4 -1
Fighting out of: Balneário Camboriú (SC)
Features: With 11 of his 17 victories by submission, Giba shows he is an expert on the ground. He is strong and also relies on his "ground and pound" to halt his opponents.


Name: Thiago de Oliveira Perpetual
Nickname: Bodão
Age: 24 years old
Record: 8 - 1 -1
Fighting out of: Santo André (SP)
Features: Coming off four consecutive wins, Bodão last six of eight wins have come by knockout. His last - and only - loss was in 2009, to Danilo Pereira, in Full Fight 2 via submission by a rear naked choke.

Name: Samuel Trindade
Nickname: None
Age: 25 years old
Record: 6- 1
Fighting out of: Boa Vista (RR)
Features: With his career built in MMA in Northern Brazil, Trindade had been undefeated in his last six fights, following a loss to Ronys Torres in 2009. He won three fights by submission, one by knockout and two by unanimous decision.

Name: Delson Heleno
Nickname: Pé de Chumbo
Age: 34 years old
Record: 23 - 6
Fighting out of: Teresópolis (RJ)
Features: The veteran Pé de Chumbo is an expert in the ground game winning 12 of his fights by submission. The Jiu Jitsu World Champion had ​​his last fight in November 2011, in the MMA contra a dengue event in Rio de Janeiro.

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UFC, WTA COLLIDE AS RASHAD EVANS MEETS VICTORIA AZARENKA! EXCLUSIVE VIDEO AND QUOTES!

Former Ultimate Fighting Championships light heavyweight champion and current No. 1 contender, “Suga” Rashad Evans took time from training for UFC 145: JONES vs. EVANS to meet Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World No. 1 superstar Victoria Azarenka. The top athletes visited the MMA Masters facility in Miami and traded tennis and UFC gifts and expertise.  Evans showed Azarenka some moves in the cage while Azarenka shared a few tennis tips with Evans. The Belarusian beauty is currently in Miami playing in the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament. 

In a few weeks, the most bitter and long-running UFC feud since perhaps Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz II in 2006will come to a dramatic conclusion. In the main event of UFC 145, undefeated UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones collides with former friend turned bitter rival ‘Suga’ Rashad Evans.  UFC 145 goes down on April 21, live on Pay-Per-View from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Evans and Azarenka had the following to say about their experience on Wednesday:

                           

Pictured above: Top athletes “Suga” Rashad Evans and Victoria Azarenka exchange gifts and expertise at MMA Masters Facility in Miami, FL.  (Photos courtsey of Sony Ericsson Open and article courtsey of UFC press release)

“Suga” Rashad Evans, former UFC light heavyweight champion and current No.1 contender, said:

"This was a nice break from training. It lets your mind go free and gives you a chance to not think about the fight. It was cool that she's another pro athlete, one who goes out there and competes, mano-a-mano. It was fun."

"I can tell she's genuinely interested in MMA - it was impressive how she grasps the concepts. I didn'tshow her too much except for kicking, but she knew a lot more than I thought she'd know. There were times she really looked like she knew what she was doing."

"I love women's tennis. It actually dominates men's tennis in my opinion. You know they're out there giving it everything they've got. They go through the same anxiety we do of not wanting to lose, and I respect that a lot."

"I'd be alright in a tennis match because I'm pretty agile - I'm not too fast, but I'm very agile, so I mighthave a better chance at winning in a tennis match, but she might win in MMAbecause I don't hit women."

Victoria Azarenka, WTA’s World No. 1, said:

“It was a great experience to meet Rashad. He seems really nice – I’m sure he’s a little bit meaner in the cage, but he’s a great guy and it’s always great to meet somebody from a completely different field. I love to follow UFC. I invited him to tennis so I hope he can come cheer me on.”

"I wish I had time to train more. I'm curious about how these athletes train. I could pick up something interesting for myself."

The footage of their experience can be viewed below:

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• The most nutritionally advanced energy drink on the market
• Sugar-free, long-lasting energy*
• Surprisingly fast-acting*
• Contains 21 vitamins, minerals and nutrients designed to synergistically provide a healthy, balanced source of energy*
• Just 45 calories per serving
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