The Cut List: Who's in Desperate Need of a Win at UFC on Versus 5?

Filed under: UFC

The UFC Live cards may lack the firepower of the big shows, but a) they're free, and b) they afford some great opportunities for up-and-comers and down-and-outers alike to show off their stuff at an event where the spotlight isn't completely hogged by superstars.

That also makes UFC on Versus 5 a last-chance go-round for several fighters on the roster, so it's either win or go home when the UFC rolls into Milwaukee.

Who's on the hot seat this time around, and who's most likely to get scorched before the night is over? Find out below.

Dan Hardy (23-9, 1 NC; 4-3 UFC)
Who he's facing: Chris Lytle
Why he's in danger: Hardy managed to avoid the UFC's informal three strikes policy based primarily on his popularity and his fighting style. If he was a bland, decision-prone wrestler with a buzz cut, he'd be long gone by now. But even the UFC would have trouble overlooking four straight losses, so Hardy needs to pull it together against Lytle. He's a smart chap, so he knows that, which is why he called out Lytle to begin with. As much as he can't afford to lose another one, he really can't afford to get out-wrestled in another snoozer. In Lytle, he's found an opponent who will probably choose not to exploit his weak takedown defense, opting instead to fling leather at one another's faces until someone falls down. That's exactly what Hardy needs right now. Of course, he also needs to be the one who doesn't fall down. If you lose a hand-picked fight like this, then what hope is there for you?
Odds of getting cut: 3-1. It's a winnable fight for Hardy, and one that'll probably produce enough fireworks to please the bosses. If he gets KO'd, however, he's almost certainly done in the UFC...at least for now.

Duane Ludwig (20-11; 3-2 UFC)
Who he's facing: Amir Sadollah
Why he's in danger: His current run in the UFC started with two straight losses, followed by a somewhat lucky split decision win over Nick Osipczak at UFC 122. Lucky not because he didn't deserve it, mind you, but rather because he was pretty clearly losing until Osipczak ran out of gas and tried to coast to the finish, allowing "Bang" to finish strong. With close to 90 fights on the books between MMA and kickboxing, Ludwig is a savvy, yet battered journeyman of combat sports. He's been in some battles and has more miles on the odometer than most 33-year-old fighters. If he gets beat by Sadollah, the UFC might start to do the math on him and decide it doesn't need another tailspinning welterweight who's doing good to pull off a 1-3 run against four mid-level opponents. Then again, he'll fight whoever you've got and he doesn't cause trouble, and there's something to be said for an employee like that.
Odds of getting cut: Even. Without a memorable showing, a defeat here -- which is likely, to say the least -- probably results in Ludwig getting his walking papers.

Alex Caceres (5-3; 0-1 UFC)
Who he's facing: Jim Hettes
Why he's in danger: At least so far, Caceres seems more suited for reality TV than for the Octagon. He's a character, and every season of TUF needs at least one of those. Once the show's over, however, you've got to earn your keep with your fists. Caceres seemed out of his depth against Mackens Semerzier in his first UFC fight. On paper, he seems to be headed for another defeat against the undefeated submissions artist Hettes. It was the Bruce Leeroy gimmick and the glimmer of raw talent that got Caceres this far in the UFC, but that shine wears off quickly. We know Caceres has personality. Now he needs to show he has skills, as well.
Odds of getting cut: 2-5. Caceres is still young, so maybe he could use the time to get some experience on the small circuit. My guess is he's going to get that chance after Sunday.

Jason Reinhardt (20-2; 0-2 UFC)
Who he's facing: Edwin Figueroa
Why he's in danger: What does it tell you when a guy's undefeated outside of the UFC and winless in it? Either he hasn't fought the toughest competition in the local shows or else he gets a killer case of nerves inside the Octagon. Neither is a particularly good sign. In two UFC fights, Reinhardt has lasted a total of 2:02. It's somewhat surprising that he didn't get cut after being mauled by Tiequan Zhang at UFC 127, but his role in the curtain-jerker on a UFC Live show should definitely tell him that this is the last stop on the express train out of the organization. Only a win will keep the 41-year-old Reinhardt on the UFC roster, and his opponent is a 3-1 betting favorite. If Reinhardt's going to turn out to be the UFC's answer to Rudy, he'd better start on Sunday.
Odds of getting cut: 1-5. Get a good look at him while you can, because Reinhardt is headed for the door.

 

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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/08/12/the-cut-list-whos-in-desperate-need-of-a-win-at-ufc-on-versus/

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Red Bull's wounds reopen as Alonso shines

At Silverstone

A week before the British Grand Prix, I sat down with Mark Webber to talk to him for his new column for this website.

Silverstone is a track he adores and always goes well on. So, expecting him to be more of a threat to Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel at Silverstone than he had been so far this season, I asked him if he would be allowed to race and beat the German if the circumstances arose.

He was momentarily taken aback. "Well, yeah, I hope so, yeah," he said. "I don't see any reason why we can't."

Given that Vettel headed into the race in complete control of the season having utterly dominated the championship so far, it is easy to see why Webber would be of that opinion.

As it turned out, though, his team principal Christian Horner was not.

Alonso (left) enjoyed a superb race but it was a frustrating day for Webber. Photo: Getty Images

With a great race winding to a thrilling climax, Horner watched Webber closing in on Vettel at about a second a lap as, ahead of them, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso cruised to a brilliant victory, his first of the season.

Horner would have known how desperate the Australian was for a strong result here, to start to try to make up for a disappointing start to the season compared to Vettel. But he decided that 33 points in the bank for the team was better than the potential of, as Horner put it, "two cars in the fence", and he tried to call Webber off.

And so a wound that has been festering for a couple of years was torn open again.

There is history here, as anyone who followed the titanic struggle between Vettel, Webber, Alonso and McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in last year's championship will know.

The issue of favouritism at Red Bull is a thorny subject with Webber, who last year at Silverstone had a front wing taken off his car and given to Vettel, whose own had failed.
Webber went on to win that race, and famously said over his radio on the slowing down lap: "Not bad for a number two driver."

The issue had been in the background long before that, and has been ever since, occasionally bubbling up to the surface, such as at the penultimate race of last season in Brazil, when Webber said it was "obvious" the team favoured Vettel.

Red Bull have always denied this, while reserving the right to call off fights when they feel the team is at risk - a policy hardened by the collision between their two drivers while disputing the lead at the Turkish Grand Prix last year.

Horner, well aware of the issues, admitted on Sunday afternoon that he could "understand" why Webber would be "frustrated".

He protested that the two drivers were allowed to race until that point, and that he felt the battle had gone "far enough".

And he insisted that the Australian was not being relegated to a de facto number two driver, and that he would still be allowed to race Vettel.

Let's be clear about this - Red Bull did nothing wrong.

Team orders are legal again in F1 this year, after governing body the FIA finally ended a farcical eight years when they pretended they could police whether teams were using them. And bosses are entitled to tell their drivers to hold station, or reverse positions, if they like.

But as an Italian colleague pointed out to Horner on Sunday, Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz made great play before last season's title-deciding race of the fact that his team would never use team orders to interfere with the championship battle, drawing a pointed comparison with Ferrari's demand to Felipe Massa to let Alonso win in Germany.

Horner's reply - "Mr Mateschitz wouldn't thank us for having both cars in the fence on the last lap, having got ourselves into a very good position" - did nothing to redress the obvious disconnect between Mateschitz's words and Red Bull's deeds.

On the face of it, many will feel that Horner over-reacted, given Vettel's massive advantage in the championship. But did he?

Alonso's victory on Sunday was as impressive as any by Vettel so far this season. The Ferrari driver took advantage of a pit-stop problem at Red Bull to take the lead, but once there his pace was, as Horner put it, "very strong".

Alonso clearly had the speed to compete with Vettel for victory at Silverstone, a particularly impressive feat given that this is a track where Red Bull have traditionally excelled and Ferrari have struggled.

On Sunday night, many put Ferrari's speed down to the row over off-throttle blowing of diffusers that has dominated this weekend.

This technology, in which Red Bull are said to lead the field, was banned for the British Grand Prix, and Horner felt this put his team at a disadvantage. Ferrari, by contrast, were believed by some to have benefited.

It would be wrong, though, to put all Ferrari's progress down to the change in the rules.
As Vettel pointed out: "There has been a bit of a trend over the last couple of races; they have been very strong on race days."

My colleague Mark Hughes will go into this subject in more depth in his column on Tuesday, but it is clear that much of Ferrari's progress at Silverstone can be explained by a major development to their car for this race, on which there is more detail in Ted Kravitz's post-race analysis.

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Alonso made full use of it on Sunday with a superb drive, to end a victory drought that goes back to last October's Korean Grand Prix.

The Spaniard was cautious about his title chances after the race, as well he might be given Vettel's 92-point advantage over him - nearly four clear wins.

But there is not a driver on the grid more formidable than the Spaniard with the scent of a possible victory in his nostrils.

Horner knows this full well - after Alonso's superb fight back last year, from 47 points off the championship lead following Silverstone, to leading it after that win in Korea.

Asked on Sunday how concerned he was about Ferrari's pace, Horner did not really answer the question. But if that is what was in his mind when he made the call to Webber, it is not that hard to see where he was coming from.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/07/red_bulls_wounds_reopen_as_alo.html

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Soares interview: Silva?s manager says fighter?s popularity soaring with Burger King deal

The UFC is hoping UFC 134 is the beginning of big things in Brazil. The nation that produces an amazing number of top notch mixed martial artists is still lukewarm on the sport. Anderson Silva, Royce Gracie and the Nogueira brothers have been battling an uphill climb to compete with the Brazilian stars from soccer. The Rio event on Aug. 27 could be a major step.

Silva is already seeing some gains. The UFC middleweight champ just signed a deal with Burger King in Brazil.

"Anderson has a great identity with the brand, is an idol of many audiences, especially young people, our main customers. We believe he has much to contribute to make the new campaign more fun and impacting," said Paul Davis, the marketing manager for Burger King Brazil.

Silva's manager Ed Soares excited to see MMA stars getting the attention they deserve.

"All the hard work that we've been putting in for the last five years, it's all worked out. This is great for Anderson but even better for the sport� to show that these sort of companies are starting to come around and see the value of our sport. Everyday we're getting closer to breaking down the barriers," Soares told "The MMA Insiders" on ESPNRadio1100/98.9 FM in Las Vegas (3:25 mark).

Silva faces Yushin Okami in the main event at UFC 134. The 36-year-old has never lost in the UFC. His 13-0 run dates back to the middle of 2006.

Listen here for the entire "The MMA Insiders" Show (7/30).

Tip via MMAFix

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Soares-interview-Silva-s-manager-says-fighter-s?urn=mma-wp5245

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Video analysis: Iole on Jones? tweets, plus his battle versus Evans and ?Rampage?

This is about as close to WWE as you can get. The triangle of trash talk between Rashad Evans, Jon Jones and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is going to reach epic proportions during the lead up to UFC 135 in Denver on September 24.

Before and after UFC 133, Jones took some shots at Evans on Twitter.

Evans responded by saying Jones is so cocky that he praises himself before he goes to sleep. Evans took a jab at Rampage too, saying the veteran moves like Frankenstein in the cage. Evans poured gasoline on the fire when he invited Rampage to train with him before the UFC 135 showdown.

Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole checked in on video to talk about the latest in this three-headed feud. One can only hope Evans jumps into the Octagon on Sept. 24 with a steel chair or distracts the referee.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Video-analysis-Iole-on-Jones-tweets-plus-his-?urn=mma-wp5599

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Resurgent Hamilton worries Red Bull

A thrilling German Grand Prix, capped by a superb drive to victory by Lewis Hamilton, confirmed the growing impression that this Formula 1 season has a lot of life left in it.

Sebastian Vettel retains a massive 77-point lead in the championship after salvaging a difficult afternoon with a fourth place snatched from Ferrari's Felipe Massa in a late pit stop duel between the two teams.

But Red Bull have lost the performance advantage they enjoyed at the start of the season. They have won only once in four grands prix and, far more tellingly than that, they have been outpaced in the last two races.

At Silverstone, Fernando Alonso's Ferrari was faster than the Red Bull. At the Nurburgring on Sunday the Spaniard retained that position, and McLaren leapfrogged both of them.

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McLaren in general and Hamilton in particular, have taken a bit of flak from certain quarters in the last month or so, but they bounced back with a bang in Germany.

Hamilton drove a stunning lap in qualifying to split the Red Bulls on the grid, and he capped it with what he described as "one of the best races I've ever done".

The 26-year-old has produced so many inspirational drives in his career that it is difficult to say whether this was the best, but it was certainly right up there.

As has so often been the case, Hamilton owed his win partly to his unsurpassed abilities as a racer - Alonso's Ferrari emerged from his second pit stop in front, just ahead of the McLaren, but a trademark brilliant passing move around the outside of the red car at the second corner gave Hamilton the lead.

As Alonso struggled on tyres not quite up to temperature, Hamilton pulled out a 1.7-second lead on that lap and followed it with a succession of three fastest laps in a row to extend his advantage to more than three seconds. From there, it was simply a case of not making a mistake with the timing of the final pit stop.

It has been a turbulent few weeks for Hamilton. After pushing Vettel so close for victory in Spain back in May, the wheels seemed to come off a bit.

A difficult weekend in Monaco culminated in frustration and his ill-advised "Ali G" remarks. A disappointing qualifying session in Canada led to Hamilton seeking out Red Bull team principal Christian Horner for a chat about the future. High tyre wear left him fourth in Valencia, way off the pace of the Red Bulls and Alonso. And McLaren struggled again in Silverstone, hit harder than their rivals by the one-race restriction on the use of exhaust gases to boost downforce.

The effect that had had on Hamilton's optimism was clear on Friday when he said there was "no way" he could compete for pole, but his mood turned full circle on Saturday and he entered the race knowing he could compete for victory.

He grabbed the lead at the start, and although he was passed by Red Bull's Mark Webber following a mistake on lap 12, the Red Bull was not able to get away.

As Webber said, "the alarm bells started to ring then", and that analysis was spot on. Just as he had at the first stops, Webber came into the pits first, aiming to take advantage of the extra grip from fresh tyres. But the second time it did not work out, and the Red Bull was jumped by both Hamilton and Alonso, who then left him behind.

Just how much this win meant to Hamilton was clear in the post-race television interviews, as he tried and failed to fight back tears after he had finished speaking.

With those tears - and that drive - perhaps Hamilton has begun to shed the frustration of the past few weeks, and can now relax into a second half of the season that, on the evidence of the last two or three races, should make fascinating viewing.

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In the last two races now, the three top teams have fought out victory - and slowly this season is turning into exactly what it had promised to be before Vettel's amazing start.

It remains to be seen whether McLaren are back for good, or whether they benefited from the unique chilly conditions in Germany.

As far as Ferrari are concerned, though, there is now little doubt that they are a genuine challenge for Red Bull everywhere.

As Alonso pointed out, they have been contesting the lead at the last four races, all of which have been on very different tracks, and he now has a win and two second places from the last three grands prix.

The Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend will be a very telling event. Red Bull totally dominated it last year, but the evidence of the last few weeks suggests it may not be so easy for them this time around.

Ferrari, one suspects, will at least give them a run for their money, having proved in the last couple of races that they have largely solved the aerodynamic weaknesses in their car that blighted the start to their season. McLaren, though, appear still to lack efficiency in the sort of long-duration corners that abound at the Hungaroring, which may make life a bit more difficult for them.

Vettel will go there on the back of a rare off-weekend at the Nurburgring, when he was never comfortable in the car and never looking like getting on terms with Webber.

In the race - as has often been the case when he is not leading from the front - he looked ordinary, unable to find a way past Massa for the last 20 laps of the race and needing his pit crew to do the job for him heading into the last lap.

And so the questions over Vettel's ability when he is back in the pack remain.

The last two races have been an eye-opener for Red Bull - and on Sunday both Webber and Vettel talked about needing more from the car.

In the circumstances, Vettel will be pleased to have salvaged a fourth place, and kept his lead over Webber to more than three clear wins.

With such a huge advantage - Vettel is 82 points ahead of Hamilton and 86 in front of Alonso - it is still unlikely that he will be caught. But at least now he knows he has a real fight on his hands.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/07/resurgent_hamilton_puts_fright.html

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Celebrities in Memoriam

The former lead singer of the '80s glam metal group Warrant was found dead. See more celebs who have left their legacy behind them

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrities-memoriam/1-b-16607

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Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum Countdown Preview Show - Strikeforce

Fight Network previews Strikforce's heavyweight Grand Prix featuring Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers taking place on June 18, 2011 in Dallas, Texas.

Source: http://mmalice.com/strikeforce/strikeforce-overeem-vs-werdum-countdown-preview-show-video_927471d83.html

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WEDDING FAB: Sherri Shepherd Set To Air Wedding On Style Network TV Special

 

"The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd is inviting her fans to her and Lamar Sally's wedding via a tv special set to air on The Style Network in September. Get the deets inside....

 

According to THR, Sherri Shepherd and tv writer Lamar Sally will invite tv viewers into their intimate wedding through a tv special called "Wedding Fabulous: Sherri Shepherd Gets Married" airing on the Style Network on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 9pmET.  The couple's actual wedding is tomorrow (Saturday).

Viewers will get to see Sherri and Lamar (whom she calls Sal) prepare for the wedding and rehearse with bridesmaids including Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Kym Whitley, Yvette Nicole Brown and Niecy Nash.

And with the acutal wedding being this weekend, Sherri tweeted a few pics of her and Sal getting ready.

She tweeted that this isn't her actual wedding dress but she wanted to capture the moments from their "fittings."

She also tweeted pics of herself on the flight back home to Chicago (where the weding is taking place) and in her suite with her wedding planner and friends.

And if you want to know what they will be dancing to at the reception she recently said,

"Can't sleep... Downloaded 27 more songs... Cherrelle... Shalamar...The Whispers...Journey... Gotta go to the gym 2 justify the purchases"

Sounds fun!

Source: http://theybf.com/2011/08/12/wedding-fab-sherri-shepherd-set-to-air-wedding-on-style-network-tv-special

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Grand Prix of Japan: Statement from the FIM

Based on this report the FIM and Dorna Sports confirm today that, subject to there being no further serious incidents, the Grand Prix of Japan will take place on 2 October as planned.

As already indicated in the previous Press Release, ARPA has measured levels of radiation from all sources including the air, environment and food. The final conclusion is that "based on the estimate dose it can be

Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/mNOEgBM11JQ/Grand+Prix+Japan+Statement+FIM

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'Glee' Stars Nominate Castmates 'Most Likely To' Date Fans, More

Before 'Glee: The 3D Concert Movie' opens, McKinley High's finest tell MTV News how they'd dole out our superlatives.
By Kara Warner

Chris Colfer, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Dianna Agron of "Glee"
Photo: Lester Cohen/ WireImage

When presented the excellent opportunity to interact with a cast of characters as fun and free-spirited as the cast of "Glee" and, more specifically, "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie," it is not to be wasted by asking generic interview questions like "Why do you love this role?" or "Why should people see this movie?"

Instead, MTV News first had the "Glee" cast give us a musical preview of the film's story line. Following those melodic results, we put together a list of rapid-fire superlative-style questions, which required stars Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron, Naya Rivera, Mark Salling, Ashley Fink, Darren Criss, Heather Morris, Kevin McHale and Harry Shum Jr. to decide which of their castmates deserved a series of "Most Likely to ..." titles. If you've ever wondered which actor is most likely to mess up choreography or date a fan, we've got your answers!

Read on (and click the embedded video) for the cast's candid responses, as well as adorable moments featuring the cast cracking one another up with lightning-quick answers.

Most Likely To Screw Up Choreography
Honorable mentions: Mark Salling (1 vote), Cory Monteith (4)

Winner: Chord Overstreet takes this category with seven Most Likely to Slip Up nods from his fellow castmembers.

Most Likely to Date a Fan
Winner: Mark Salling, who all but swept this one, save for the one vote Fink cast for herself in the category. Salling's reaction upon learning he was the clear choice?

"Me? Oh, hell no."

Mostly Likely to Join "Jersey Shore" Cast
Honorable mentions: Salling and Riley each received one vote.

Runner-up: Lea Michele

Winner: Naya Rivera

"Naya," Michele said. "But she's not Italian, and I'm Italian," she added with a smile and hint of the familiar accent.

"She'd bring some serious 'tude [to the show]," Criss said.

Biggest Flirt
Honorable mention: "Matthew Morrison," Fink said.

"Yeah," Criss agreed, "He flirts with me all the time."

"Matt is the flirtiest human I've ever met," Fink assured us.

Winner: Cory Monteith

"Yay!" Monteith said when he heard he was the front-runner in the category. "I guess? Hey, how you doing?" he said with a naughty smile.

Best Game
Honorable mentions: Monteith and Kevin McHale

Winner: "Darren Criss," Michele said with authority. "Darren Criss. Let me tell you something, he'll be like, 'See that girl over there?' And he will go over, and then a couple minutes later, you'll see her from afar and she'll be like, [demonstrates a shy smile that grows into a wide, enamored grin]."

"Me?" Criss said, appearing shocked, when he heard he'd been praised for his lady-killing skills. "I don't know about that," he said. "[But] I'll take it."

Check out everything we've got on "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Related Videos

• MTV Rough Cut: 'Glee: The 3D Concert Movie'

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668841/glee-3d-concert-movie-cast-dating-fans.jhtml

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