One of the early memorable moments in UFC history was in the first round of the UFC 4 tournament in Tulsa, Okla., on Dec. 16, 1994, when 36-year-old Dan Severn got behind the much smaller Anthony Macias. Severn, dressed in black trunks and boots like the pro wrestler that he was, sent Macias flying with [...]
Each new generation of mixed martial artists is supposed to bring with it small steps in the evolutionary chain. For example, gone are the days when every fighter comes from a single combat sport — say, freestyle wrestling. Most learn MMA as a collective, free-flowing art. The newest crop of hopefuls also brings with them [...]
Dan Severn, one of mixed martial arts’ true pioneers, has officially retired. “The Beast” made the announcement via his Web site on Tuesday. “Father time is telling me it’s time to go,” he wrote. “I have learned over time that the only constant factor is change. It will happen, and there is nothing we can [...]
Saturday’s UFC 155 was an eventful show that went from one extreme to the other. The show started with strong action in the Facebook prelims. The FX portion was fine. There were a lot of strong expectations for both the Jamie Varner vs. Melvin Guillard fight as well as Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland. While [...]
The UFC finishes 2012 on Saturday night with UFC 155. The event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas features the UFC heavyweight title rematch between Junior dos Santos and former champ Cain Velasquez. Who stands to gain, who has a lot to lose, and what looks like the fight of the night? [...]
The debate over the “Fighter of the Year” selection usually involves not only wins and losses, but also the impact of the matches and personalities involved. Factoring it all together, there should be no debate at all when it comes to 2012. It was the year of Ronda Rousey. During the year, she managed to [...]
Alexander Emelianenko, the younger brother of heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko, has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts. In a post that ran on his website and Facebook page, Emelianenko, who went 21-6 in a nine-year career, said he would no longer be able to compete due to “health problems caused by old injuries.” The [...]
An act of volunteerism could become the most fruitful move of Matt Mitrione’s career. He was the first one to raise his hand and ask to fill in for Shane Carwin when a replacement was needed, and his willingness to do so earned him a headlining fight against Roy Nelson at Saturday’s Ultimate Fighter 16 [...]
To this day, James Head doubts he is the most intimidating person his family has produced, a fairly ridiculous notion considering his 9-2 record as a professional fighter. But for now, he says, that honor goes to his grandfather, who had the fear of the whole neighborhood by the time he was in his early [...]
Mark Hominick, a veteran of fight game for over a decade, pioneer for the lower weight classes, and one of the true nice guys of the sport, has decided to call it quits. Hominick announced his retirement from mixed martial arts on Tuesday’s edition of UFC Tonight. “Over the last 11 years, I’ve followed my [...]