Video analysis: Iole and Meltzer with inside scoop on how Ortiz-Evans II was made for UFC 133

Who saw this one coming? Less than two weeks ago, many folks thought Tito Ortiz would be struggling as newly retired fighter right now. Instead, he's just been booked at UFC 133 for a main event fight against Rashad Evans, the No. 1 contender in the UFC light heavyweight division. What a turnaround!

Ortiz shocked the MMA world by taking out Ryan Bader at UFC 132. The quick win  and an injury to Phil Davis, provided a crazy opportunity to fight in the main event at UFC 133. Tito turned down the offer at first, but when Lyoto Machida asked for a big payday, the UFC asked Ortiz again and he accepted.

Dave Meltzer and Kevin Iole joined Cagewriter to discuss Tito's wild ride, the impact Ortiz's insertion onto the card will have on PPV and gate sales and if Machida just buried himself when it comes to getting a title shot.

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VX-2000 For Sale $1200

I am selling my video camera because I haven't used it in a long time and I figure someone else can get a lot more use out of it than I can. Everything is listed below. All the Mostly Skateboarding montages where filmed with this camera. there are a few scratches on the camera and lens body, but the glass is perfect and everything with the camera is in fine working order. I had the camera serviced back in 2007 by Video Electronics and have probably only shot three tapes since. I have taken good care of this camera. I have all the original packaging for the Century .3X fisheye. It is a good camera with a lot of life left in it. I'm asking $1200 for it. Listed below is everything included. email me if you are interested. (templeton.elliott (at) gmail.com)


Sony VX-2000
Century .3X Fisheye
NP-F960 Battery
NP-F750 Battery
Bescor Video Light and Battary
1 Sony Premium Tape
1 Dynex Head Cleaner
1 Sony 4-pin to 4-pin Firewire cable
1 Lowepro Phototrekker Classic bag.
Battery Charger (attaches to camera)
Battery Charger (separate)
Remote






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Video analysis: Iole on possibility of UFC to HBO with Greenburg gone

It's finally official. Ross Greenburg, a 33-year of employee of HBO is out as president of HBO Sports. The rumors have been swirling for most of 2011 and Greenburg decided to resign rather than get forced out.

Back in 2007, UFC worked with HBO and Greenburg on a possible deal, so that has some thinking the MMA promotion may be interested again in trying to secure an agreement for the future.

Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer joined Cagewriter to talk about the future of HBO Sports and why a deal between the UFC and the pay cable network is pretty unlikely.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? UFC's TV landscape is about to change
? Good news for hoops recruit injured in plane crash
? NFL player handcuffed by Britney Spears

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Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson -- By the Odds

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Fedor EmelianenkoI'm not sure what's more of a challenge when it comes to picking a winner in Saturday night's cross-divisional, just-for-the-heck-of-it fight between MMA veterans Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko: the fact that we don't know what Fedor has left in the tank, or the fact that we know exactly what Hendo has, even if it may not be enough.

To unravel these and other mysteries presented by Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson, we turn to the betting odds to find out how online bookmakers see it. They're the ones who have to know what they're talking about just to stay in business, after all.

Of course, they're also the ones who have pegged Fedor as a considerable favorite in his last two fights, and we all remember how that worked out. Below, let's see if they've learned anything from those expensive lessons.

Dan Henderson (+190) vs. Fedor Emelianenko (-250)

I've always suspected that internet bookies were hardcore Pride fanboys, and here's the proof. Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit, but it is surprising to see Fedor, at this stage in his career, as this big of a favorite. Between Henderson's wrestling, his right hand, and his ability to take a punch, he has plenty of ways to win this fight. The biggest threat for him may be fatigue in the later rounds, which tends to take his submission defense down a few notches. Those are all variables you can work with in making a pick, but for Fedor the big question is whether he truly still wants to do this. The man shows about as much emotion as a bowling ball, so trying to discern something about his mental state from his pre-fight demeanor is pointless. The world of MMA has always loved Fedor more than Fedor loves it. What's hard to figure is, does he still love it enough to do what he has to in training and on fight night against a savvy vet like Hendo?
My pick: Henderson. At these odds, I simply can't pick Fedor, who's lost his aura of invincibility and maybe some of his passion for the sport. In a straight-up pick, sure, but as long as Hendo is a nearly 2-1 dog, he's worth the risk.

Marloes Coenen (-125) vs. Miesha Tate (-105)

On paper, Tate has the exact style that Coenen struggles against. She's a strong wrestler with a good top game, and now that Strikeforce allows elbows on the ground she's even more dangerous. On the flip side, she hasn't fought in nearly a year, and that's not going to help her when it comes to closing the experience gap between herself and Coenen. Lately, the champion has made up for her deficiencies in the wrestling department with her outstanding submissions game. She can get roughed up for twenty minutes straight and still pull out a win off her back, which is probably the next best asset you can have to combat a wrestler -- right after a solid takedown defense. Still, it's a troubling way to win, since you're constantly struggling against the clock. All it takes is a careful, patient opponent to shut it down and nab that belt.
My pick: Tate. I think she takes Coenen down and makes this an ugly little war of attrition up against the fence. It won't be thrilling to watch, but as long as Tate sticks to what she does well, she should be able to pull it out.

Robbie Lawler (+220) vs. Tim Kennedy (-280)

The one thing we know about Lawler is that he walks into every fight with a lottery ticket in his back pocket. The trouble is, sometimes he gets so caught up thinking about his numbers coming up that he forgets about pocketing a regular paycheck. Everybody knows about his one-punch KO power at this point, so it's not like he's going to surprise Kennedy with that. What he needs to be concerned with is getting the fight into a position where he can use it, which is going to be the hard part. Kennedy is much better on the ground than Lawler is, and he's smart enough to use that. Lawler may be able to get back to his feet after some of the early takedowns, but eventually he'll wear himself out that way and then he'll be easy prey for a patient, cerebral fighter like Kennedy. As financial strategies go, the lotto is almost always inferior to the 401K.
My pick: Kennedy. I'll save it for the parlay at these odds.

Paul Daley (+220) vs. Tyron Woodley (-280)

Here's another case where oddsmakers have got the right guy, but perhaps to the wrong degree. Woodley should beat Daley, simply based on his greatest strength (wrestling) matching up so well against Daley's most glaring weakness (aside from self-control). But let's not get carried away here. Woodley is an 8-0 fighter who's faced a series of Challengers-level opponents in his Strikeforce run. Daley is a veteran of nearly 40 pro fights who has managed to remain a threat despite only minimal gains in his ground game over the years, and that's no accident. Tagging an inexperienced fighter like Woodley as a near 3-1 favorite in a fight like this is asking for trouble. He probably needs to grind out a decision to win this, and the whole time he's in the cage he's never more than one left hook away from getting beat. That's one thing if you're a fighter who's been there before, but it's quite another when you're still fairly green in the sport.
My pick: Daley. The odds are just too tempting, and Woodley is still too untested. Tread lightly, but take the risk here.

Scott Smith (+190) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (-250)

To complete the trifecta of heavy-hitters taking on technically superior fighters, Smith returns for the first time since his devastating knockout loss to Daley to see if he's still got enough steel left in those hands for another addition to the old highlight reel. In a point-fighting match, Saffiedine would beat him every time. Smith's style is just too dependent on landing one big shot, and let's just say he's not getting faster as the years and the beatings pile up on him. Saffidiene can be out-wrestled, but we all know Smith is going to go in there looking to bang. That's probably going to result in him getting picked apart by a quicker, sharper striker, and Smith is probably at least somewhat okay with that. He'll keep looking for that one opening all night long, and he'll attempt to pay for it with his own blood. Will that investment pay off the way it did against Cung Le (the first time) and Benji Radach? If this were a movie, sure. In real life, probably not.
My pick: Saffiedine. It's another one for the parlay, but I fear Smith's days of one-punch comebacks may be drawing to a close.

The 'For Entertainment Purposes Only' Parlay: Tate + Kennedy + Saffiedine

 

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First bouldering at Stanage Plantation, Derbyshire, UK

Location: Stanage Plantation Date: Sunday 27 July Sunday shone this weekend. A planned trip to the gym was quickly canned and instead we made a trip out to a new bouldering spot. After a recommendation that Stanage plantation had some good climbing (thanks Jonny!) we checked my bouldering guide book and set out. If you’re reading this wondering [...]

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Cormier talks about Silva, the Grand Prix and his future

Daniel Cormer was helping teammates Mo Lawal and Luke Rockhold prepare for their Sept. 10 bouts when he was given the opportunity of a lifetime. Alistair Overeem had dropped out of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, and Cormier was being asked to step in and fight Antonio Silva. For Cormier, taking the fight with Silva was a no-brainer.

"Obviously, I had no reservations. I'm a person who thinks things through, and when I weighed out the positives and negatives, there was no reason for me to not take the fight," Cormier told Cagewriter.

It's a leap up in competition for the undefeated Cormier. His last bout was a unanimous decision over journeyman heavyweight Jeff Monson. With Overeem's withdrawal, the tournament has lost one of its biggest names, but that doesn't bother Cormier.

"People are saying that the tournament means nothing because Overeem is out, it's the biggest thing in my life. When I first saw the tournament started, I thought it was the greatest collection of heavyweights in one bracket. I still get to fight some of the best heavyweights in the world, and if I string this together, I think it validates me as a mixed martial artist."

Though Silva has Cormier beat on size -- "Big Foot" is six inches taller -- Cormier says that he has other advantages to neutralize Silva's size.

"I'm faster than he is, I'm more athletic and a better wrestler, and I think I'm a pretty decent mixed martial artist. I've gotten better to the point that I think I'm ready to compete with the best guys in the world. I won't know how far I am in this journey until I do test myself with someone like that."

The tournament concept is nothing new to Cormier. As a two-time Olympic wrestler, tournaments have ruled his athletic career.

"In wrestling, everything was tournament-based. It's not like I haven't had to set my mind for a tournament before. I'll just draw back on my wrestling experience, the Olympics, U.S. Nationals, world team trials, every other tournament I've been in my whole life. I've been going to tournaments since I was seven."

Because of that Olympic pedigree, it's hard to think of Cormier as anything but a wrestler. Two years into his MMA career, he does believe he is on the right path.

"I'm on my way to becoming a full-fledged mixed martial artist. I spend a lot of times covering all disciplines of MMA. With the Monson fight, I was fighting someone much more experienced than me, and I was able to outstrike him. At the same time, I don't ever want the Olympic tag to be lifted from my name. I worked my whole life for that. No matter what I do in my life, I will always be an Olympian."

Beyond beating Silva, he still has plenty of goals to meet as a fighter.

"At some point, I'm going to be considered one of the best fighters in the world. My drive and determination are going to push me in that direction."

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Kwikasfaki by Cabbie

Take one Kawasaki H2 750 motor, recently decommisioned from drag strip duty we might add, throw in a plenty of bling parts, for measure include one deliciously white powdercoated frame, and you’ve got one seriously trick bike that is sure to go “kwikasfaki” (295lbs, 135rwhp, 9.3 down the ¼ mile if you’re a numbers person). Oddly enough, that’s exactly what one member on the Custom Fighters forum, named cabbie, did (full build thread here), and ...

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