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Pulver, Severn, and Royce Gracie Are Playable in UFC 2010: Undisputed for PS3...

By Anthony De Franco

March 16, 2010, at 4:30 am

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For the first time in my life, I wish I had a PS3.

Image courtesy of Bloody Elbow.

That’s because the Playstation version of the game will feature several UFC legends. Those legends are lightweight Jens Pulver, UFC open-weight pioneer Royce Grace, and heavyweight Dan Severn. This is all according to the best source in the biz, MMAFighting.com.

Royce Gracie, Dan Severn and Jens Pulver will be playable characters exclusively for the Playstation 3 version of the UFC Undisputed 2010 video game.

MMA Fighting can also confirm Carlos Condit is a new addition to this year’s game, and returning are Martin Kampmann, Demian Maia, Keith Jardine and Nate Marquardt.

Gracie and Severn haven’t competed for the UFC in years, but are two of seven members in the UFC Hall of Fame. Pulver, the UFC’s first lightweight champion, currently competes under the WEC banner. Last year’s game, which didn’t feature a legends roster, included the TapouT crew as the only playable characters not under the UFC fighting roster.

Very Cool. Unfortunately, for me and the rest of the Xbox 360 owners out there, it doesn’t stop there. The PS3 will also have access to five extra “Ultimate Fights.” Here is the list:

Ultimate 2009 Category
UFN 18 – Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann

Ultimate Knockouts Category
UFC 102 – Nate Marquardt vs. Demian Maia

Ultimate Classics Category
UFC 60 – Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie
UFC 66 – Keith Jardine vs. Forrest Griffin

Ultimate Submissions Category
UFC 68 – Martin Kampmann vs. Drew McFredries

For those who are new to the world of video games, don’t expect this to go unanswered by Microsoft. There will likely be exclusives for the Xbox 360 versions as well. Of course, we’ll have them once we know.

MMA

More Tito Drama: Now, He's In The Hospital...[UPDATE]

By Anthony De Franco

March 15, 2010, at 7:26 pm

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The other day, we were amongst the thousands of websites that jumped all over the Tito-Chuck-Franklin TUF triangle that was happening. Well, Dana has denied everything, but I still refuse to believe that something isn’t up. Now, Tito’s wife, Former (I think she quit?) Pornstar Jenna Jameson, He is in the hospital.

Screen Cap courtesy of Bloody Elbow

As we all know too well, Tito is notorious for back issues. He has struggled with it for years, but declared himself healthy before UFC 106. When he lost to Forrest Griffin, he then claimed he had cracked his skull. No one really believed him because the commission would not let him fight with a cracked skull.

So, god only knows what’s up with Tito. However, We do wish him a speedy recovery from whatever is wrong. That being said, You can’t tell me that the Chuck and Tito fight is not very much up in the air right now.

Update: 8:35 PM – Of course, moments after I publish this post, Tito comes on Twitter himself and outs the problem.

This is the worst flu I have every had. More IV’s please.

We’ve all learned that the flu is no joke over the last couple of years. Since he is in the hospital it must be pretty bad. Get well, Tito.

MMA

WEC 47: Benavidez Will Be The Bantamweight King

By Anthony De Franco

March 10, 2010, at 10:35 pm

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With Dominick Cruz winning the Bantamweight title, I beleive that the 135 pound division in the WEC has officially entered the transitional period that the light heavyweight division did when Forrest Griffin defeated Rampage Jackson. There are a few guys who are capable of holding the belt, and I’m not sure that any of them can hold it.

However, if there was a gun to my head, I would say that Joseph Benavidez would be the guy to do it.

Let’s take a look at the two fights from last Saturday that contained the four best fighters in the division.

When Dominick Cruz won his belt, he did so by TKO because of Injury. It wasn’t an injury that Cruz cause by doing an immense about of damage in the cage. Hell, it wasn’t even a freak injury like Patrick Cote suffered against Anderson Silva. It was a pre-existing injury that snuck up on Brian Bowles and bit him in the proverbial ass. He broke his hand knocking out Miguel Torres, and took seven months to heal up. Then, he throws and lands one punch on Cruz and breaks it again. So, are we really going to pretend that Cruz’s victory isn’t somewhat tainted? Yes, he was winning the first two rounds, but he was doing so with a jumpy, twitchy style that just screamed “Punch me in face!” Bowles continued to rush Cruz, and just seemed a second late at all times. If Bowles had connected, you might not be reading this right now.

Now, look at Joseph Benavidez’s fight against Miguel Torres. Look at the way that he snuffed out almost all offense from a guy who was at one time considered the best fighters on the planet. He continually moved forward, landed his offense and put Torres is tough positions. Most importantly, he finished the fight. He pushed Torres up against the cage, pounded him, and opened up a cut that I’m pretty sure that he used a samurai sword to create. Once the cut was open and Torres was off-kilter, Benavidez finished the job with a guillotine. Done. Fight over, all doubts alleviated.

Can you say that about Cruz?

Yes, Cruz does have a victory over Benavidez. However, as everyone always says, fighters change from fight to fight. I beleive that Benavidez is a better fighter than he was WEC 42, and with him training at Team Alpha Male with WEC godfather Urijah Faber, There is no doubt that he is. As for Cruz, he showed us jab-leg kick-escape over and over again. The best thing he did was gameplan for a fighter who wasn’t as athletic as he was.

This is a prediction and like all predictions has a chance of going terribly awry. However, if you told me that Cruz and Benavidez’s rematch was tomorrow, I’d take Benavidez every single time.

MMA

UFC 110: Keith Jardine TapouT Signature Shirt

By Anthony De Franco

March 7, 2010, at 9:00 am

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The Dean of Mean. What a nickname.

Whatever you choose to think about Keith Jardine, you could never say that he had it easy in the octagon. He has taken on only the best of the best, fighting against Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva and Brandon Vera just to name a few. Sure, he’s come out on the losing end more than a few times, but it’s not for lack of competition.

Jardine holds some hardcore fans despite not having the best win-loss record in the octagon. TapouT pleasures those fans with this shirt. The black and red color scheme really makes the shirt.

MMA Warehouse has the hookup for 27.99.

For more UFC 110 gear, Check out The 3rd String Store.

MMA

MMA World Rankings: Light Heavyweight

By Jason Comack

February 21, 2010, at 11:40 am

2 people had their say - chime in!

I’ve seen a lot of MMA World Rankings lately and I haven’t found one I 100% agree with. Therefore I’m launching the first ever 3rd String Safety Official MMA World Rankings. Please, hold your applause. These rankings will be fluid and updated after every major MMA card.

Updated 2/21/10

1. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-4)

And we have a new number 1. Despite the loss on his record, Shogun beat Machida. Don’t forget that not too long ago Shogun was a phenom, after rattling off big wins against Rampage, Lil ‘Nog, Overeem and Arona the sky seemed like the limit. His number one overall ranking is finally justified.

Next Up: Lyoto Machida, UFC 113

2. Lyoto Machida (16-0)

He’s still undefeated but Shogun exposed some holes in the Dragons game. With that being said Machida still dominated every other opponent he’s ever faced. Machida is still an A+ fighter both on the ground because he is still very elusive. Being beaten, so to speak, like he did might have been the best thing to ever happen to The Dragon. I expect him to come back better then ever.

Next up: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, UFC 113

3. Rashad Evans (14-1-1)

After watching the Ultimate Fighter I have a new found respect for Evans. It’s easy to see the effect that Greg Jackson has had over the former TUF winner. Rashad moved down from heavyweight and went on a nice run at 205. Much like other wrestlers Rashad had to shed the “lay and pray” label. He did so with a highlight reel KO’s over Sean Salmon and Chuck Liddell. Evans is athletic, super fast and has great wrestling and boxing.

Next up: Quinton Jackson, UFC 114

4. Quinton Jackson (30-7)

While we wait to see if the “A” team bombs we can finally set aside all the Hollywood talk with Rampage Jackson. Rampage is a big strong guy with great boxing and insane power. We haven’t seen the Rampage of old in the UFC, specifically his trademark slams, so the best might be yet to come with ‘Page.

Next up: Rashad Evans, UFC 114

5. Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1)

First we had ‘Lil Nog and now we have ‘Lil Fedor. Yes, that’s an ambitious comparison but Gegard has all the tools to be #1 on this list. First of all he’s only 24 years old and already been the:

2009 Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion
2008 Dream Middleweight Champion
2008 Dream Middleweight GP Champion
2006 Cage Warriors Middleweight Champion

He already holds wins over; Denis Kang, Mark Hunt, Hector Lombard, Cyborg Santos and of course he just introduced himself to the world by destroying Renato Babalu Sobral and Sokoudjou. The sky is the limit for Mousasi.

Next Up: Muhammed Lawal, Strikeforce April On CBS

6. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3)

‘Lil Nog is a carbon copy of his brother. Minotauro is an explosive fighter who holds wins over; Dan Henderson, Alistar Overeem and Vladimir Maytushenko. He seemed prime to make a run at the Pride title but lost a close decision to Shogun Rua. After Pride disbanded ‘Nog fought for Sengoku and got his first taste of America in Affliction.

Nog dominated Luis Cane, a tough opponent, in his UFC debut. He showed his boxing, which much like his brother is very underrated, to be tremendous. He didn’t even have to go to the ground where he is world class.

Next up: Forrest Griffin, UFC 114

7. Randy Couture (17-10)

Has age finally caught up to Captain America? It’s a fair question but think of this, despite his age Couture has proven time after time that he is in fact timeless. Has anyone come as close to beating Lesnar as Randy did? What about his total domination of rising star Gabriel Gonzaga? So yes, he’s 17-10 in his career but his UFC losses have been to: Josh Barnett, Ricco Rodriguez, Vitor Belfort, Chuck Liddell (2X), Brock Lesnar and Big Nog . That’s a who’s who of champions and significantly larger fighters.

Couture looked lackluster against Vera. It’s tough to tell if Vera is much better then people think or Randy is just done. That’s the thing with Randy though, every-time you count him out he proves you wrong.

Next up: Nothing Scheduled.

8. Forrest Griffin (17-6)

It’s hard not to love Forrest Griffin. He’s charismatic and an everyman, besides that the UFC would not be where it was today with Forrest. Griffin/Bonnar is the most important fight in the history of the UFC. Griffin, and that fight, single handily saved the UFC. With that being said Griffin is still a great fighter. He is far, far evolved from the brawler you saw earlier in his career. While Griffin would never admit it he has become a technical fighter. Look at how he picked apart Rampage with rangy strikes and leg kicks. Griffin is at a crossroads in his career.

Griffin rebounded with a win at UFC 105 but I came away very unimpressed with Griffin. His wrestling was incredibly lack luster and the Griffin that hung with Shogun and Rampage didn’t seem to show up. Still it was a desperately needed win and should get his career back on track.

Next up: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, UFC 114

9. Jon Jones (9-1)

Anthony has written at length about Jones who is a freakishly athletic fighter. His combo of video game-esque strikes and awesome wrestling is certainly something to marvel at. Most importantly he’s getting better every fight and trains with the best camp, Greg Jackson’s submission fighting, in MMA.

Questions about Jones wrestling ability were dismissed after his dominating performance over Matt Hammil. Although the fight ended in a DQ loss for Jones he rag dolled Hammil who was considered the stronger wrestler.

Next up: Brandon Vera, UFC on Versus

10. Thiago Silva (14-1)

The loss to Evans really makes you rethink Silva’s entire resume. Against Evans, Silva couldn’t defend a take down to save his life. Also for someone that is a BJJ black belt Evans passed his guard rather easily. He is quick, explosive and has KO power (just ask Keith Jardine) but the rest of his game seems lacking. He’s 14-2 but his biggest win is over Keith Jardine. At this point he’s barely holding off Brandon Vera for the final spot on this list.

Next up: Nothing scheduled.

Honorable Mention: Brandon Vera, Tito Ortiz, Luis Cane, Vladimir Matyushenko

Vera, another talented enigma, has raw skills but hasn’t been aggressiveve enough in his fights. Ortiz is back in the UFC and supposedly healthy but looked very rusty against Forrest Griffin. He’ll be coaching TUF 11 opposite Chuck Liddell. Cane put himself on the map with wins over Jason Lambert, Sokudojou and Steve Cantwell. A loss against ‘Lil Nog sends him down the rankings but he should be able to build himself backup. Matyushenko is an underrated fighter. Recently required by the UFC he won his debut over Igor Pokrajac might serve as the 205 gatekeeper, think Chris Lytle.

Prospect Watch: Ryan Bader, Alexander Gustafsson, Phil Davis, Ricardo Romero

Bader is a wrestler cut from the Rashad Evans mold. He’s raw and it showed against Eric Schafer and Keith Jardine. His power is legit but his boxing is a work in progress. He’s also had issues with finishing fights. He comes out like a world beater but then wears down. Gustafasson is a young Swedish kick boxer who was very impressive in his debut. Phil Davis is probably the best prospect of the bunch. He’s a great All-American wrestler and an explosive athlete. Ricardo Romero might be the best unsigned light heavyweight in the world. Fighting for Ring Of Combat, a UFC feeder organization he holds wins over several name fighters, including a destruction of James McSweeney.

Not Ranked: Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell, Rich Frankin

Again I’ve decided against ranking people in multiple weight classes. So as good as Anderson Silva is he’s unranked at 205. If I was ranking him he would be 1A with Shogun. If they ever fought the world might explode. Silva after fighting at 205 his whole career is moving down to 185. It isn’t clear what weight class Henderson is going to fight at but his best weight class is 185. Chuck Liddell is obviously off the rankings after losing 4 of 5 fights. It’s a sad and sudden fall for the “face of the franchise” but after a stint on Dancing With The Stars Liddell will be getting back in the cage. He’ll be coaching TUF 11 opposite Tito Ortiz. Rich Franklin is recovering from a loss as well as an injury. It’s unclear what weight class he will be fighting in when he returns.

MMA

UFC 110: Who Should Stay And Who Should Go?

By Anthony De Franco

February 18, 2010, at 2:21 am

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There are plenty of careers on the line at UFC 110. That’s part of what makes it the most interesting card we’ve had in months. However, there is some debate in the community about the UFC cutting some of the losers on Sunday morning.

After UFC 109, when the organization cut six fighters, there are worries that the clear-cutting could continue. With legends like Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop, and vets like Keith Jardine on the chopping block, there could be some wholesale changes on the way home from Australia. Let’s take a look at some necks on the line and assume they lose. Should they stay?

Stephan Bonnar - All these years later, and Bonnar is still living off the good will that he created for himself when he put the UFC on the map with Forrest Griffin. Since that war took place on that magical night in 2005, Bonnar is 5-6 in the UFC. Until UFC 100, you could have made the argument that all his losses had come against top competition, but then he lost to Mark Coleman. Oh yeah, there is also that whole horse steroids thing.Bonnar is fighting a decent opponent in Krzysztof Soszynski, but he still should be out as he loses. However, his saving grace may be Strikeforce. Would Scott Coker want Bonnar if he is cut by the UFC? I think we are going to find out.
In or Out?: Out.
Wanderlei Silva – The Axe Murderer is an MMA legend. He was the best fighter in the world for most of his tenure in PRIDE. His blinding strikes put down many a fighter for a long winter’s nap. However, that success has not translated to the UFC as he is just 1-3. I personally believe that he won the Rich Franklin fight, but whatever. Now, he makes the drop to 185, which he should have done a long time ago, to fight Michael Bisping.Silva has also just had facial surgery to remove all the scar tissue that 10-plus years of fighting has accumulated on his face. He won’t cut as easy and won’t be as easy to knockout.Silva is a real legend, and his action-filled style always is exciting. He’s safe.
In or Out?: In
Mirko Cro Cop – No PRIDE star has struggled more than Cro Cop. He claims to have a mental block from fighting in the cage, but I think that it has more to do with lack of steroid testing in Japan and Cro Cop getting up their in years.That’s not mention that his flawed gameplan of relying on head kicks has stopped working as mixed martial artists have become more skilled.If he loses to Rothwell, he’ll be 1-4 in the UFC. At some point, even the most insistent PRIDE fans (Jason) will have to admit it’s over.
In or Out?: Out
Keith Jardine – Jardine has always been overrated in my opinion. His “unorthodox” (DING!) striking can be neutralized by the fact that he has a tendency to go down VERY early in fights. Of his five UFC losses, three of them have come in the first five minutes. To make it worse, he already trains at Greg Jackson’s. He just doesn’t have what it takes to make it as a contender in the UFC.He simply isn’t all that good, and in a crowded division, there really isn’t any room for him to hang around to be a gatekeeper.
In or Out?: Out

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Pulver, Severn, and Royce Gracie Are Playable in UFC 2010: Undisputed for PS3...

More Tito Drama: Now, He's In The Hospital...[UPDATE]

WEC 47: Benavidez Will Be The Bantamweight King

UFC 110: Keith Jardine TapouT Signature Shirt

MMA World Rankings: Light Heavyweight

UFC 110: Who Should Stay And Who Should Go?

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