Dan Cramer Alberto Crane Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz Luke Cummo Jeff Big Frog Curran Dai Shuanghai
Friday, May 13, 2011
"The Ultimate Fighter" Season 13 Continues To Struggle, Episode 6 Falls To 1.2 Million Viewers
The thirteenth season of ?The Ultimate Fighter? has been plagued with up-and-down ratings, and that?s not a hyperbole. Many fans and insiders anticipated that the show would make at least one big splash and pull at least one huge rating thanks to Brock Lesnar?s involvement, since Lesnar remains one of the most controversial and highest-drawing [...]
5 Fighters I'd Like To See Fight As Professional Boxers Before They Retire
Although there?s a small chance that it won?t happen, Nick Diaz will more than likely fight his next fight as a professional boxer. Diaz is doing this for a variety of reasons, but the fact is: he?s doing it. And ever since I took a firm stance on the ?boxing vs. MMA? war, I?ve been [...]
Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama Gilbert Aldana José Aldo John Alessio Houston Alexander
Usher Gets Sick, Walks Offstage Mid-Show In Berlin
Singer cancels kick off date of European leg of his OMG Tour due to illness.
By Gil Kaufman
Usher (file)
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage
Usher was forced to delay the kick off of his European OMG Tour on Wednesday night in Berlin because of illness. In a statement released to fans, the singer apologized for the last-minute scratch, saying he felt he was suffering from a "sinus complication." Although the gig was rescheduled for Thursday night at the O2 World arena in Berlin, his German fans apparently weren't appeased by his effort.
"I am truly sorry to all my fans in Berlin who were inconvenienced by tonight's postponement of the show," the singer said in a statement about Wednesday's aborted concert. "I was ill and felt that I would not have been able to give them the show that they properly deserve. ... I am looking forward to performing tomorrow and giving Berliners a great show."
According to the statement, the singer received treatment from doctors for a sinus issue that affected his balance, but a visibly still-ailing Usher was unable to finish the Thursday make-up show, reportedly abandoning the stage after just five songs.
On Friday (January 14), a follow-up statement from his spokesperson confirmed that he was too ill to play Thursday night's Berlin date and has been forced to reschedule the next three dates on the tour as well. The Rotterdam show originally scheduled for this week has been moved to March 1 and a show in Antwerp, also slated for this week, has been bumped to March 7.
The statement also updated the singer's condition: "Usher is suffering from upper respiratory illness, which is currently preventing him from performing a proper show. After consultation with doctors, he has been advised to reschedule the upcoming dates in order to get the rest he needs to ensure a complete recovery."
Footage posted on YouTube that was purportedly taken at the make-up performance in Berlin shows Usher standing silently at the microphone seemingly unable to sing, with fans booing him at first and then chanting, "Usher, Usher," as he approaches the microphone and apologizes to them for his struggles. "I appreciate your support," he told the fans wearily.
"I have been very excited about my European Tour and I deeply regret having to reschedule the shows," the singer said in the new statement. "I am truly sorry for any inconvenience I have caused my fans. My fans are the best in the world and I am looking forward to getting better so that I can give them the show they deserve."
Usher wrapped up the North American leg of his tour in December and his overseas dates are slated to last through the spring.
What do you think of the fans' reaction to Usher's walking offstage mid-show? Tell us in the comments.
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Randy Couture secure in his decision to retire after UFC 129 loss to Lyoto Machida
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has come to the end of his career, sent into retirement by a fantastic jumping crane kick from Lyoto Machida at UFC 129 in Toronto.
"The Natural" said prior to the fight that win, lose or draw the bout with Machida would be his last. Now that the fight has come and gone, Couture is content with that decision, and Saturday's result left him feeling secure in leaving the sport as an active fighter.
"There wasn't a sentimentality about it. There was kind of a sense of relief," Couture said on Sunday in comments made to Loretta Hunt at SI.com. "I felt like it was the right decision long before this and I felt more secure walking out that this is the right time and the right thing for me to be doing. There was no doubt in my head."
Machida's fight-ending kick caught everyone by surprise, and Couture said it wasn't anything he'd seen before, in practice or otherwise.
"It looked like he started to throw a front kick with his left leg and kind of jumped into that crane kick thing, which comes purely from karate," said Couture. "It wasn't anything I'd seen in practice ever. I don't think anyone's seen someone do that in an MMA fight."
"I thought it was a punch. With his front kick, he'll follow up with a punch almost at the same time. We were prepared for that, so I thought I'd missed that [combination]."
Because Couture has retired before, it will be hard for some to believe that he's actually done. However, Couture was emphatic that this was his last fight, and made it clear that, while the UFC may attempt to get him back, it's not in the cards.
"Definitely, it's the last fight," he said. "I know they're going to try to throw me something and get me to come back, but it's not going to happen."
Link to Original Source Article
Penick's Analysis: I fully believe Couture that he's done. He's got two movies lined up to begin filming later this year, and at 47-years-old it was clear on Saturday night that his time is over. Machida, 15 years his junior, was just on another level throughout, and hit him with a fantastic move not seen in the UFC before. Couture's mark on the sport has been made, and he'll have a place in the telling of UFC's history forever, but this 30th fight of his will be the last one, and I don't think the UFC will be able to convince him otherwise.
[Randy Couture art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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"The Natural" said prior to the fight that win, lose or draw the bout with Machida would be his last. Now that the fight has come and gone, Couture is content with that decision, and Saturday's result left him feeling secure in leaving the sport as an active fighter.
"There wasn't a sentimentality about it. There was kind of a sense of relief," Couture said on Sunday in comments made to Loretta Hunt at SI.com. "I felt like it was the right decision long before this and I felt more secure walking out that this is the right time and the right thing for me to be doing. There was no doubt in my head."
Machida's fight-ending kick caught everyone by surprise, and Couture said it wasn't anything he'd seen before, in practice or otherwise.
"It looked like he started to throw a front kick with his left leg and kind of jumped into that crane kick thing, which comes purely from karate," said Couture. "It wasn't anything I'd seen in practice ever. I don't think anyone's seen someone do that in an MMA fight."
"I thought it was a punch. With his front kick, he'll follow up with a punch almost at the same time. We were prepared for that, so I thought I'd missed that [combination]."
Because Couture has retired before, it will be hard for some to believe that he's actually done. However, Couture was emphatic that this was his last fight, and made it clear that, while the UFC may attempt to get him back, it's not in the cards.
"Definitely, it's the last fight," he said. "I know they're going to try to throw me something and get me to come back, but it's not going to happen."
Link to Original Source Article
Penick's Analysis: I fully believe Couture that he's done. He's got two movies lined up to begin filming later this year, and at 47-years-old it was clear on Saturday night that his time is over. Machida, 15 years his junior, was just on another level throughout, and hit him with a fantastic move not seen in the UFC before. Couture's mark on the sport has been made, and he'll have a place in the telling of UFC's history forever, but this 30th fight of his will be the last one, and I don't think the UFC will be able to convince him otherwise.
[Randy Couture art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
Tiki Ghosn Dennis George Kultar Gill Allan Goes Takanori The Fireball Kid Gomi Akihiro Gono
Junior Dos Santos opens as -260 favorite against Shane Carwin at UFC 131
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The betting lines for the UFC 131 fight between Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos had each fighter as a near toss-up to win the fight, but now that Lesnar has been forced out of the fight with a resurgence of his diverticulitis, Dos Santos has opened up as the clear favorite against his new opponent in Shane Carwin.
Lines for that fight opened with Dos Santos at a -260 betting favorite, meaning to win $100 on a bet on Dos Santos one would have to bet $260.
The opening line isn't surprising considering Carwin hasn't fought in nearly a year and Dos Santos was going to be challenging for the division's title prior to Cain Velasquez's injury. Still, many bettors have already brought money in on what they see as a valuable underdog bet on Carwin, as the lines have already shifted closer to even, and Dos Santos now sits as a -200 favorite.
The two will clash on June 11 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, live on pay-per-view.
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Lines for that fight opened with Dos Santos at a -260 betting favorite, meaning to win $100 on a bet on Dos Santos one would have to bet $260.
The opening line isn't surprising considering Carwin hasn't fought in nearly a year and Dos Santos was going to be challenging for the division's title prior to Cain Velasquez's injury. Still, many bettors have already brought money in on what they see as a valuable underdog bet on Carwin, as the lines have already shifted closer to even, and Dos Santos now sits as a -200 favorite.
The two will clash on June 11 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, live on pay-per-view.
Manvel Gamburyan Sean Gannon Edgar Garcia Leonard Garcia Andrew Gardner Tiki Ghosn
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