Fight Night

Outside of a fluky loss to Tito Ortiz and a stumble against the phenomenon that is light heavyweight champion Jon Jones it?s hard to find any flaws in Ryan Bader?s run since winning the Ultimate Fighter Season 8. He?s beaten seasoned veterans like Keith Jardine and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira while also showing he?s not completely reliant on his impressive wrestling ability, possessing knockout power and ever-improving stand-up.

However, when Bader enters the Octagon this weekend against Quinton Jackson at UFC 144 he?ll do so as a significant underdog. Even Jackson, whose experience and accomplishments outweigh Bader?s without question, hasn?t seemed particularly jazzed about the pairing so much as the fight taking place in his former stomping ground of Japan.

Of course, none of that fazes Bader. In fact he actually enjoys the lack of pressure created by so many people counting him out.

?He?s fought over there, he?s popular over there?but that doesn?t matter to me. I relish the role of the underdog, going in there and beating someone like ?Rampage?,? said Bader in an interview with the UFC promoting Saturday night?s scrap. ?So, if anything, that?s gonna give me more motivation.?

As far as achieving his goal and beating Jackson, Bader has no illusions about the difficulty in doing so but has a gameplan in mind that could very well be successful given some of Jackson?s past difficulties against accomplished grapplers.

?I?m gonna be smart about it,? explained Bader. ?I?m not gonna just go out there and trade punches with ?Rampage?. I?m not afraid to go out there and strike with him but I?m gonna mix every bit of my MMA training up. I?m gonna use my wrestling, I?m gonna use some kicks, I?m gonna use some boxing.?

?If I go in there just trying to take him down that?s not gonna work. I?ve gotta mix everything up,? he concluded on the topic.

Bader-Jackson serves as the co-headliner at UFC 144 with Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson filling the main event slot. Other featured bouts on PPV include Jake Shields vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama, Bart Palaszewski vs. Hatsu Hioki, and Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis.

Check out the full interview with Bader below:

PHOTO CREDIT ? UFC

Brendhan Conlan is IS A VETERAN WRITER AND EDITOR AT FIVEOUNCESOFPAIN.COM BRINGING NEWS, INSIGHT, AND OPINION TO READERS ON A REGULAR BASIS. MAKE SURE TO CHECK HIM OUT ON TWITTER AT BRENCONLANMMA!
| All posts by Brendhan Conlan

Behind-the-scenes footage from UFC 143: Dana White congratulating the fighters on a job well done, fighters giving each other props for a good fight, while other fighters get examined by the doctors. Finally, there?s some in-cage footage after the Diaz-Condit fight.

UFC President Dana White grants us backstage access to UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit for his first video blog entry pertaining to this Saturday?s UFC 144 extravaganza.

His latest edition includes moments with several fighters from the earlier event including Roy Nelson and Nick Diaz. Nelson, who lost a hard-fought decision to Fabricio Werdum, discusses the outcome with Diaz, saying, ?I thought I won two rounds.? Sympathetic to his cause, Diaz also complains about the way his loss to Carlos Condit was scored, mentioning that the numerous leg kicks Condit threw did zero damage.

Check out the entire video in the player below:

PHOTO CREDIT ? UFC

Jacoby Harms is
| All posts by Jacoby Harms

Rampage Jackson takes on Ryan Bader in a light heavyweight bout this Saturday, Feb. 25, at UFC 144.

For the first time since 2006, Quinton Jackson is back in Japan for a fight.

He’ll take on Ryan Bader at UFC 144: “Edgar vs. Henderson” this Sat., Feb. 25, 2012, at the Saitama Super Arena and to commemorate the occasion, the UFC has released a special poster dedicated solely to “Rampage.”

How you digging it, Maniacs?

Jackson, of course, isn’ the only one in action, as the world’s largest fight promotion has brought a fairly stacked card to “The Land of the Rising Sun” in its first trip back in over a decade. In the main event, Frankie Edgar defends the lightweight title against Ben Henderson while Jake Shields welcomes Yoshihiro Akiyama to the welterweight division.

In addition, Joe Lauzon will battle Anthony Pettis in a lightweight bout with serious divisional ramifications. That’s without mentioning Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch or Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Hunt. Or even Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski.

All seven of those bouts will be broadcast on the main pay-per-view card, folks. It’s a doozy.

To stay up to date on all the latest UFC 144 news and notes click here.

If you want to be the man, you have to beat the man.

That is the challenge that lies ahead for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) number one 155-pound contender, Ben Henderson, when he takes on Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena this weekend (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) in Saitama, Japan.

The elusive Edgar has been a riddle who not many mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters have been able to “Answer,” but “Bendo” believes he has a few tricks up his sleeve that will aid him in solving the puzzle.

During a recent appearance on HDNet’s “Inside MMA,” Henderson elaborated on what his strategy may possibly be:

“We have some new tricks that we might unveil for the fight, as far as holding him on the ground. But holding him there is not our biggest concern; it’s getting him there. He’s fast. He’s light on his feet. He has a lot of movement. He moves around very well. So, first thing’s first and that’s getting our hands on him, cutting off the ring, cornering him to get our hands on him. And then after that, if he pops back up, let him pop back up. If we took him down once, we can take him down again. It’s just a matter of cornering him, cutting off the ring and getting our hands on him.”

Easier said than done.

In a fight with two athletes this fast and dangerous, there is certainly the potential for a quick finish, but there’s also the possibility that the evenness with which they are matched may result in the fight being decided by the judges’ scorecards.

“Smooth” predicts an entertaining bout, but admits that he is a little nervous about thing if it does go to a decision:

“I think it’s gonna be a fun affair. I think it’s gonna be action packed. You’re gonna have a little bit of ‘true MMA,’ with work on the feet and on the ground. It’ll be a little bit of everywhere. You’ll see a little bit of everything. The only thing I’m really too concerned about is losing a round by a couple points here, losing a round by a couple points there and ultimately going to a decision. That’s the only thing I really am concerned about. But, you know. It is what it is. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Styles make fights. We’ve seen that axiom prove to be true time and time again. It’s hard to know exactly what to expect when two high level wrestlers meet in the cage, but Henderson made his best guess.

Anyone for some kickboxing?

“I think it’ll be two very good wrestlers going in there and, because we are two very good wrestlers, it will end up being a stand up fight for the majority of the fight. If that’s the case, I’m ready to do that for 25 minutes and say, ‘Let’s have a kickboxing match for 25 minutes.’ I’m okay with that.”

Henderson went on to describe the experience he’s had so far in Japan. He told Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten (who went to the trouble of recommending where to eat in Japan before he remembered that Henderson is in the process of cutting weight) that he’s enjoying the journey and getting ready for Saturday:

“It’s pretty cool to be here in Japan and to be fighting in Japan and all that. Logistically, getting used to the time difference and all that fun stuff — it is what it is. You gotta deal with it and do the bets you can and you hopefully have your best performance, come fight night.”

Will Henderson be able to get his hands on Edgar? Or will “The Answer” prove to be too quick and elusive to be cornered or cut down?

Predictions, please.

Via BE reader Matt Parker, here’s a TV ad the UFC is running in Japan to promote this Saturday’s UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

UFC LW champ Frankie Edgar defends his title against former WEC champ Ben Henderson. The co-main event features Quinton “Rampage” Jackson versus The Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Ryan Bader. Yoshihiro Akiyama makes his welterweight debut against Jake Shields, Hatsu Hioki faces Bart Palaszewski and more.

Fight card is after the jump.

SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

Takeya Mizugaki (15-6-2) vs. Chris Cariaso (12-3)

Norifumi Yamamoto (18-5, 1 NC) vs. Vaughan Lee (11-7-1)

Riki Fukuda (17-5) vs. Steve Cantwell (7-5)

Takanori Gomi (32-8, 1 NC) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (18-7-2)

Tiequan Zhang (15-2) vs. Issei Tamura (6-2)

15-2 lightweight Benson Henderson has yet to step into the Octagon with champion Frankie Edgar yet he?s already seen their fight play out countless times in his mind. Not only is visualization a part of his training but he also has a great deal of respect for Edgar, understanding how much concentration is needed on the talented title-holder to find the answer to ?The Answer.?

Edgar is coming off of two brutal fights against Gray Maynard where, in both bouts, he was nearly finished in the first round only to show unbelievable resiliency in coming back to earn a Draw in the first go-round and a knockout victory in the second. By watching those wars Henderson has taken away a great deal of understanding about his upcoming opponent, a fact he revealed in an exclusive conversation with Five Ounces of Pain.

?The first thing I took away is that he does make mistakes and can be hurt,? stated Henderson matter-of-factly. ?He got hurt very badly in both fights in the first round. He does leave openings and make mistakes. He has holes and there are opportunities where you can go after him and throw him off of his game. You also have to take away the fact that he has a huge heart, a very good chin, and a never say die attitude. That?s not something that should ever be discounted.?

With all the publicity surrounding his success in the UFC and his upcoming bout with Edgar, Henderson also has something else to be thankful for. Along with his coach he is now the proud owner of the only gym he has ever trained at, the MMA Lab in Glendale, Arizona.

?It?s about 98-99% done, John Crouch and I purchased the gym from the old owners,? said an excited and proud Henderson. ?We are not going anywhere; this is where I am going to be at for the duration of my career. In a few years time we plan on opening other affiliates around the country. This is home for me and we hope to offer opportunities to some young fighters in the area looking to make their way in the sport.

?I?ve got the same guys training with me that I had in the beginning,? the 28-year old continued. ?For this fight I am bringing in UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz to lend us a hand. He?s a bit quicker and faster than I am. He can emulate Frankie and help me deal with the speed and footwork Edgar possesses. Other than that it?s all the same guys, a bunch of hungry guys trying to make a name for themselves.?

Being so confident in his abilities, Henderson uses visualization as a core component of his training. He puts himself in different scenarios, concentrating on how he can go about getting out of them. The technique also allows him to see himself with his hand raised when the fight is over and done with.

?Visualization is a big part of the mental aspect of my game,? offered Henderson. ?I tend to use this three or four times a week. I will get in the cage and shadowbox all the while I am thinking about what I am going to do against my opponent. As the fight gets closer I will get into more specifics and imagine the walkout to the cage, hearing the crowd and the music.

?I will visualize my opponent making his way out to the cage and the Herb Dean or whoever the referee maybe giving us our instructions,? said Henderson, elaborating on what goes into the process. ?I can actually hear ?Big? John (McCarthy) asking. ?Are you ready? Are you ready? Let?s get it on!? I will see how my opponent will react and how I counter his counters. The one thing I visualize is at the end of the fight and that is having my arm raised as the winner.?

The former WEC champion also envisions a fight similar to that in the minds of many others as far as a back-and-forth battle likely to earn Fight of the Night honors.

?This fight is going to be good,? explained Henderson. ?It?ll be like two cats trapped inside of a bag. He?s a pretty aggressive fighter who moves a lot, but he remains very active and goes after it. He?s not a guy who will get on the bike and not engage. He moves around a lot, but comes to fight each and every time. We both have aggressive natures so you can expect us to get after it and put on a great fight.?

Henderson is a very confident fighter, but throughout the conversation let it be known he truly understands how important the people around him are to his success and how much they have helped him grow as both a human being and a fighter. He spoke very highly of his training partners and his coaches at the MMA Lab, showing that as incredibly skilled as he is he is also equally humble.

Catch Henderson vs. Edgar this Saturday night as part of a seven-fight PPV card including Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields and Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader.

PHOTO CREDIT ? UFC

Bryan Levick is
| All posts by Bryan Levick

UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and his UFC 145 opponent Rashad Evans were guests on CSS SportsNite and didn’t hold anything back. Jones plays his usual humble young sportsman role but Evans, a former teammate and friend of Jones, calls him on it.

The drama peaks when Jones starts talking about being a young man who doesn’t have a lot of wealth and Evans points out that Jones owns a Bentley. Jones has to note that its a 2012 Bentley. From there the conversation degenerates.

Jones compares himself to Muhammad Ali and Evans points out that Ali was humbled. Evans does concede that Jones has earned his fame but insists that “there ain’t nothing new under the sun” and tells Jones, “you’re just a drop in the bucket, bro.” Evans concludes that Jones is “preaching to the choir.”

Part 2 of the segment is after the jump.

More SBN coverage of UFC 145