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Tag: UFC

  • Ronda Rousey’s Living Conditions Before Making It Big Were “Hellish”

    Ronda Rousey’s Living Conditions Before Making It Big Were “Hellish”

    Ronda Rousey has been filming her rise to stardom since 2011 for a documentary that will highlight what it was like for her to go from rags to riches called In Her Father’s Eyes.

    Back in 2011, Ronda Rousey teamed up with filmmakers Gary Stretch, who is a former boxer, and Peter Antico, who is a stuntman, actor, and producer to begin filming what would become one of the greatest rises to stardom in the world of sports.

    Ronda Rousey apparently lived in a dump in Venice, California when she began her journey.

    In a clip of the upcoming documentary, they are filming that very house with a then-22-year-old Ronda Rousey.

    Ronda Rousey jokes, “I’m surprised we didn’t invent a new strain of cholera.”

    She adds, “They are tearing the house down right after we move out. As soon as we found out we were like, ‘Well who gives a s–t.’ It was already kind of hellish when I moved in. I didn’t make it this way.”

    Ronda Rousey then shares, with a huge smile, that she’s moving to the beach.

    One just can’t help but feel excited for Ronda Rousey in this clip, knowing all of the things she will accomplish from there.

    More from @si_swimsuit – pic by @fredericpinet bodypaint and makeup by @joannegair

    A photo posted by rondarousey (@rondarousey) on

    However, Ronda Rousey’s mother, AnnMaria De Mars, thinks her daughter was happier back then. She explained that “it was different time for Ronda. She didn’t have a lot but she knew who her real friends were.”

    She added, “People say that if you’re a beautiful woman no one ever tells you the truth and I think it is the same if you are wealthy. Back then she knew that if people wanted to hang out with her it was because they genuinely wanted to spend time with her. Not because they were leeches.”

    Interesting…

    Ronda Rousey’s documentary is due to be released sometime this year. Are you excited to see it?

  • Miesha Tate On Jessica Eye: “It Felt Good To Drop Her”

    Miesha Tate took a victory over Jessica Eye in Saturday night’s UFC fight, but Tate says she’s upset she didn’t get to finish her.

    “It felt good to drop her. Honestly, I’m mad I didn’t finish her, but it’s the best I’ve ever felt going three rounds. I did a new strength training regimen and I felt so strong and I was in such good shape for the fight. I was able to recover in between rounds and I felt awesome. A little disappointed to not get the finish. I wanted to show I had the power in my hands to knock anyone out. I think I proved that tonight. I dropped her a couple of times, and if I would’ve kept a little more space on the ground and kept punching her, I would’ve got the finish but my grappling nature kicked in. She’s a really tough girl, hats off to her,” Tate said.

    Tate won the bout with a score of 30-27, but it was a hard-fought victory. Eye–who Tate called “dangerous” before the match–bloodied Tate pretty quickly and wasn’t about to go down easily after the build-up that preceded the fight. It’s the fourth consecutive win for Tate, but paramount to that is the chance she’ll get to fight Ronda Rousey once more. After having lost twice before to Rousey, overtaking Eye for a shot to redeem herself was important to Tate.

    Although Rousey will have to win her upcoming August match against Bethe Correia in order to take on Tate a third time, UFC President Dana White seems to have no doubts that she’ll take the victory; he said after the Tate/Eye match that Miesha withstood a difficult fight because she had to.

    “Miesha is such a durable human being; she will stand in front of you and take what you’ve got. She was getting picked apart in that first round and she keeps coming forward. She lands where she has to land, she does what she has to do to get the win and she’s worked her way back to Ronda Rousey,” White said.

  • Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Jessica Penne Battle of Wills Precedes the Fists

    Joanna Jedrzejczyk is no new-comer to kicking ass. She may be more recent to the MMA game, but as five-time Muay Thai world champion, she is a force to be reckoned with.

    Jessica Penne aims to find out how much of a force, and if that fore has any weaknesses that she can exploit. She aims to make Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s reign atop the strawweight kingdom a short one.

    Joanna Jedrzejczyk took down Carla Esparza back in March. Doing so put a target on her back.

    “Joanna is a great fighter but I think she’s still growing into the MMA game,” Jessica Penne said, assessing her chances as good.

    Jedrzejczyk will put her belt up for Penne to give her best shot at UFC Fight Night Berlin on Saturday.

    For her part, Jedrzejczyk does not sound worried.

    “To be a champion, you must be focused because there is always going to be somebody who wants to take the belt from you,” Jedrzejczyk said. “She [Penne] is a dangerous opponent and she has got lots of experience so I need to be focused from the beginning. She is really dangerous on the ground and I am full of respect for her. I think it is going to be an interesting fight for me, for her and for the fans.”

    Both fighters have spoken about the glory of wearing the strawweight belt, the focus it takes to get there, and what it would mean to them to get it and/or defend it.

    Penne confidently proclaimed, “My goal is to get the UFC strawweight title. It’s every fighters dream to fight for a world title on a big stage. I’ve been in big fights before but this is the biggest of my career. I feel like it’s my time and I’m exactly where I need to be.

    “My confidence is high and I think I match up very well against her. I plan to bring the fight to her but I’m comfortable wherever the fight goes and I’m prepared for anything. I see my hand raised.”

    For her part, Jedrzejczyk has already tasted that victory, and she doesn’t intend to let it slip away anytime soon.

    “On March 14th, my biggest dream came true. I was full of emotion and just so happy, you know. Now, it’s my dream to keep winning and keep being the champion. We are going to keep training and keep working hard and I am going to be a champion for a long time.

    “I dreamed of being on UFC posters. I dreamed of this opportunity. It’s just amazing and it really means a lot to me. I fought with the best fighters, you know, that’s why I got the chance to fight Carla for the belt. Now they must do the same. I will fight them one by one, and I am not going to let them take the belt from me.”

  • Ronda Rousey On Fighting A Man: “It’s Not Like It’s A Movie”

    Ronda Rousey has been challenged by virtually everyone in the MMA world now that she’s proven herself to be such a hardcore contender; with a career record of 11-0, she’s made it known that she’s not to be taken lightly in a sport that is dominated by men. In fact, there’s been talk–some lighthearted, some not–of Rousey getting into the ring with a man now that she’s run through a good portion of the female fighters in the UFC. But she won’t do it, and she spoke recently about why.

    “I just don’t think there should ever be a situation where there is an arena full of people gathered around cheering about a man hitting a woman. I really don’t see how that would be right. I really don’t see how that would help the sport at all. It would do nothing but hurt it. Because it’s real. It’s a real fight. It’s not like it’s a movie or a part of a storyline. It’s an actual man hitting a woman and I don’t think that’s ever acceptable,” Rousey said.

    Ronda has done her share of fighting in movies like Furious 7 and Expendables 3, and said earlier this year that she wouldn’t be impressed with her male costars until they could do the more active scenes in heels, like she and Michelle Rodriguez did.

    “Heels, designer dresses, marble floors…It was the most intense and painful fight that any of the guys could possibly have. If any of those guys did what they did in heels I would’ve been extra impressed,” Rousey told E! News.

    Despite UFC President Dana White saying recently that Rousey wouldn’t make a return to the WWE, she says she does want to go back at some point. Rousey said on MMA Hour that she doesn’t know how it will happen yet or when, however.

  • Ronda Rousey Says Fighting A Man Would Hurt The Sport Of MMA

    Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey is running out of opponents to fight.

    The UFC bantamweight champion has easily dispatched all that have been pitted against her, often within just minutes into the first round.

    She stopped Cat Zingano with an acrobatic armbar in just 14 seconds in UFC 184.

    It has come to the point that people are speculating who can even put up a good fight against Rousey. Some have even come up with hypothetical debates, like who would win between Rousey and undefeated Floyd Mayweather or other UFC men’s bantamweight fighters.

    Rousey herself thinks it’s a “compliment” that people are considering that scenario and has even said that she “could beat 100 percent of them.”

    But despite being flattered by the idea and playing along with it, Rousey has flatly said that she will never fight a man because it sends the wrong message.

    In a candid interview with Yahoo News and Finance anchor Bianna Golodryga, the 28-year-old judoka said she doesn’t “think there should ever be a situation where there is an arena full of people gathered around cheering about a man hitting a woman.”

    She added that instead of helping the sport, it would just hurt it.

    “It’s a real fight. It’s not like it’s a movie or a part of a storyline,” she explained. “It’s an actual man hitting a woman and I don’t think that’s ever acceptable.”

    The UFC fighter also talked about other topics as she promoted her new book My Fight/ Your Fight.

    The outspoken Olympian also shared her views on deflate-gate, doping in sports and talked about her journey to becoming the world’s first female MMA fighter.

    But one topic she didn’t touch on much is her ongoing rivalry with mixed martial artist Miesha Tate.

    “I didn’t even want to devote that much time to her in the book,” the rowdy fighter said. “I could just write a book about why Miesha Tate is a big ol’ bitch.”

  • Ronda Rousey: Cyborg Is Desperate For A Fight

    Ronda Rousey has risen through the ranks of the women’s division of UFC with an impressive record–undefeated, in fact–and while her skill is impressive to many, others find it a challenge.

    Cris “Cyborg” Justino is one of those people, and has been working for months to make weight in order to fight Rousey. While some might be intimidated by Rousey’s insane resume (a 14-second victory over Cat Zingano earlier this year, for instance), Cyborg says she finds it annoying that she’s worked so hard and still hasn’t been able to drop to 135 pounds in order to take her on.

    “I have a professional nutritional guy and he helped me much easier to make 145. I can 100-percent make it. I’m ready for this fight. When she was in Strikeforce, I wanted to make the fight. I try 100-percent to make 135. It’s annoying. I want to fight her,” Justino said.

    Ronda Rousey has built up quite a reputation, and for Justino, winning the fight would be about more than just a belt.

    “All fighters want to be a champ in the UFC. I think for now it’d be great to see me and Ronda fight. I don’t want her belt. I just want to fight her. Let’s go fight. Let’s go meet at 140. Let’s do it,” she said.

    UFC president Dana White said that the fight will happen as long as Justino makes weight, but back in February he joked that he might have to start putting Rousey up against male fighters since she was having no problem running through the women.

    “She’s gonna have to start fighting men if she walks through Cat Zingano. If Ronda Rousey walks through Cat Zingano the way she has walked through every body else, I don’t know what to do with her,” he joked.

  • Ronda Rousey: UFC President Doesn’t Know What To Do With Her

    Ronda Rousey has been dominating her sport in recent months, and UFC President Dana White says that if she keeps going at this pace, he doesn’t know what he’ll do with her outside of putting her up against some male fighters.

    “She’s gonna have to start fighting men if she walks through Cat Zingano,” White said of Rousey’s February 28 match. “If Ronda Rousey walks through Cat Zingano the way she has walked through every body else, I don’t know what to do with her,” he joked.

    Rousey has made quite a name for herself in the sport of MMA fighting and has moved on to acting and apparel lines in recent months; last year she starred in The Expendables 3, for which she got rave reviews. Last summer she said in an interview that an upcoming match could mean the difference between success in Hollywood and becoming a one-hit-wonder.

    “The only thing I care about is beating Alexis. My whole fighting career and my whole Hollywood career depend on it,” she said of Alexis Davis.

    Rousey made both ESPN’s The Body Issue and Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue this year thanks to her shapely physique, but said that posing for both required very different mindsets.

    “The difference in how I approached it is when I posed for ESPN Body, I really tried to be a lot more cut and a lot more close to my prime fighting shape because I was being photographed as a fighter and trying to look more like a fighter. I purposely tried to get a little bit heavier for the SI issue so I was a little bit curvier and not in top fight shape, but the look at which I feel I’m the most attractive. It’s very natural for a person’s body to go through seasons,” Ronda said.

  • Miesha Tate Was “Hanging On For Dear Life” After Brutal Injury

    Miesha Tate earned the win in Saturday night’s Las Vegas fight against Sara McMann, but it came with a price: a severe injury that left her unable to see clearly for most of the match.

    McMann broke Tate’s orbital bone in the first round, leaving the UFC fighter shaken. In a post-match interview, Miesha said she knew she had to “dig deep” after realizing how badly she was hurt.

    “Pretty bad. I knew I had to hang on for dear life,” Tate said.

    Tate took to Instagram after the fight to celebrate and acknowledged her fans and sponsors, giving a shoutout to Budweiser for giving her tickets to the Super Bowl tonight.

    “I won!!! I am so excited to be heading to the Superbowl with a win!! Unfortunately I broke my orbital bone in 2 sports early on in the fight, I couldn’t see clearly out of my eye for rounds 2 & 3, I had to dig deep. Sara Mcmann is an amazing competitor, a tough fight for anyone!!” she wrote.

    I won!!! I am so excited to be heading to the Superbowl with a win!! Unfortunately I broke my orbital bone in 2 sports early on in the fight, I couldn't see clearly out of my eye for rounds 2 & 3, I had to dig deep. Sara Mcmann is an amazing competitor, a tough fight for anyone!! Thank you to my team @xcmma & @enice10, my coaches @FollisMMA @BryanCaraway & @JimmyGifford! huge thank you to my management @khimanagement and my amazing sponsors @budweiser @matefit @qore24purifier @olliesoutlet @ezgovehicles @badboybuggies @affliction @RevLabs #ProFitPar Thank you to my fans and One last but HUGE thank u to @Budweiser for my superbowl tickets!!!!! Now it's time for the @Seahawks to win also!! #PhoenixHereICome #RoadTrip #GoHawks #12thMan

    A photo posted by Miesha Tate (@mieshatate) on

    Miesha said during a press conference that she was in quite a bit of pain even though the injury didn’t look too bad to the naked eye, and called McMann “as tough as they come”.

    “I have a really bad headache right now. She clipped me pretty good in the first round and actually broke my orbital bone in two spots, so I can’t look down and this bright light over here is not very comfortable, to say the least. She’s as tough as they come, and she can pack a punch, that’s for sure. I know it doesn’t look bad, but it feels pretty crappy,” she said.

    While Miesha Tate’s injury will take four to six weeks to heal, she’s still got her sights set on a match against Ronda Rousey, her archrival within the UFC world. The women have risen to the top ranks of their sport, dominating headlines as they battle it out in the ring on their personal quests for glory.

  • Miesha Tate: “Cupcake” Won’t Be Returning Your Fan Mail

    Miesha Tate, a.k.a. “Cupcake”, said recently that she won’t be signing autographs for fans expecting return mail anymore, because too many people are cashing in on her signature.

    The UFC star explained on Twitter that it doesn’t make sense for her to keep sending out autographs for other people to make money off of.

    “If anyone is going to sell the photos I sign it should be me, I’m the one fighting and signing. I’d rather give the money to charity. Why should anyone make a dime off what I worked my a** off to build and I get nothing? I sign for fans not sellers. Why should I be expected to do that for free it makes no sense, it’s still work for me. I don’t have respect for those who make money of other people’s hard work,” Miesha Tate wrote in response to a comment.

    Miesha Tate has risen to the top of the UFC game, making headlines alongside Ronda Rousey every time a big match comes up. But it took her a while to earn the respect of many fans, with some assuming that because she looks so feminine, her skills are sub-par. That’s where the nickname “Cupcake” comes in; it’s a reference to her love of baking and a smartass jab at those haters.

    “It used to really, really irk me that people would look at me and say that I couldn’t fight and ‘oh, she’s gonna get handled by this other girl that looks more like a dude.’ And then I would go out there and win. You can’t judge a book by its cover, and that’s where the nickname ‘Cupcake’ came into play. I might look soft or feminine on the outside, but that has nothing to do with what I’m made up with on the inside,” Miesha Tate told NESN.

    For Tate–and most of the women she calls peers–looks play a big role in how they are received in the ring. In 2013, she spoke out about how much attention Rousey gets within the UFC circles because she’s been in movies and is often found on magazine covers.

    “Every single woman that fights MMA has done just as much work as Ronda has, we just haven’t gotten as much turnaround. Those women who came before her haven’t been on magazine covers, they weren’t plastered everywhere by the UFC. They didn’t get the same reward back. She got 10 times back what she was putting in and maybe everyone else was getting 1 to 1,” Miesha Tate said.

  • Paige Vanzant: MMA “Wasn’t The Plan At All”

    Paige Vanzant is now a professional UFC fighter.

    She won her UFC debut Saturday, beating Kailin Curran (3-0) with a third-round TKO.

    Paige Vanzant used to be a model with no dreams of UFC success at all.

    “Oh gosh, this wasn’t the plan at all, at first,” Paige Vanzant told FOXSports.com before the fight.

    “When I started training to fight, it was more out of boredom than anything. I was looking for more things to do. I started with boxing, and my coaches told me I had a lot of potential (in MMA), and that I should consider making it a career. I was like, ‘Whatever.’”

    Paige Vanzant added, “I was just 15 at the time, and I never imagined something like that. When I turned 18, they asked if I would take a fight and I said, ‘Yeah.’ I won it and all of the sudden, there was all this interest and all these opportunities. I had just one amateur fight, then my coach got a call for a pro fight for me. I thought about it and said, ‘If I’d fight anyway, I might as well get paid for it.’”

    Thank you God for being in the cage with me. Thank you Reno academy of combat and my team. We did it!!!!!

    A photo posted by Paige VanZant (@paige_vanzant) on

    Yep, I think that was a call that anyone would have made.

    Heck yes!!!!!:) all weighed in fed and ready to fight!

    A photo posted by Paige VanZant (@paige_vanzant) on

    Before much time had passed, Paige Vanzant was fighting some of the toughest women in the world in her weight class.

    “Things kind of fell into place,” Vanzant said. “I didn’t have to worry about the next fight or next thing.”

    Well, now she should really start thinking about the next thing, because Paige Vanzant’s career is looking really bright and is just now getting off the ground.

    What do you think of Paige Vanzant’s transfer into the professional world of UFC?

  • Ronda Rousey Signs First Apparel Endorsement

    UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has officially signed her first apparel endorsement deal.

    On Thursday, Buffalo David Bitton and Rousey announced their decision for Ronda to be the first and only woman to represent Buffalo Pro

    “It’s such an amazing opportunity to be able to represent Buffalo Pro,” Rousey said in a statement. “Not only am I the first female they’ve ever had representing the campaign, but it’s the first time any MMA fighter has done any type of fashion thing at all.”

    “I feel really honored to be taking the first steps into this industry,” she added. “I never had the confidence when I was younger to dress well, and avoided any type of fashion and femininity, and I’m enjoying the chance to embrace it at this point in my life.”

    Rousey has been waiting for the perfect opportunity before committing to an endorsement or sponsor in the apparel industry.

    “I purposefully have been holding out a long time on the apparel side of sponsorship. It was worth giving up lots of money that had been offered to me in order to pick exactly the right sponsor at the right time,” she explained.

    “Buffalo Pro was the perfect thing because they never had a woman, and there had never been any MMA athlete who had a sponsored fashion deal at all. So, I was excited to jump all over it,” Rousey continued. “I got so many cool clothes. I was looking around and said to my roommate the other day, ‘Jesus Christ, why haven’t I gotten a fashion sponsorship sooner?’”

    Rousey will be returning to the Octagon for UFC 184 on February 28 in Los Angeles, where she will be putting her belt on the line against fellow fighter Cat Zingano.

  • Dana White Defends Decision To Rehire Thiago Silva

    In February, after he was arrested for domestic assault, UFC president Dana White said that ‘Untainted’ Thiago Silva would never return to the octagon.

    However, it seems as though White has had a change of heart as Silva was reinstated by the UFC last Thursday, September 4, after he was cleared of all charges.

    The Blackzilians, Silva’s team, announced on Friday, September 5, that Silva had re-signed with the UFC. “We are proud to announce that Thiago Silva is officially back with the #UFC,” The Blackzilians wrote on Instagram. “We are truly thankful to the UFC and hope to see him fighting again by January.”

    Silva was initially facing two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and resisting arrest without violence. The charges were dropped after Silva’s estranged wife decided to no longer cooperate with the investigation.

    “When this thing went down, I said he’d never fight in the UFC again,” White said in a statement. “When I watched it unfold on TV and heard of the charges, it didn’t look good for Thiago Silva. But he was acquitted of all charges.”

    “How do you not let the guy fight again? He went through the legal process and came out of it untainted,” he continued. “He deserves to be able to make a living again. He’s back under contract.”

    Silva is hoping to return to the octagon by January 2015.

  • Gina Carano: Dana White Getting Close To Deal

    Rumors of Gina Carano making an MMA comeback to the UFC have been swirling for months. However, Dana White recently revealed that, although it is complicated, he is getting “close” to signing a deal with Carano.

    White has been seeking out Carano in hopes of having her sign a contract so that she could fight against the current women’s bantam weight champion Ronda Rousey.

    “Yeah it’s complicated, but I think we’re close,” White said of the possible deal with Carano. “I think we’re close.”

    The last time Carano fought in MMA was when she was a part of Strikeforce five years ago. Since then, she has stepped away from fighting to take on a career as an actress in Hollywood.

    Carano has made it known that she has contemplated making a return to fighting, but she and White have not come to terms on a deal. White said that he will know more about the situation next month, and for now, the talk of a fight between Carano and Rousey, is on hold.

    “I had plans, but now I don’t know. We have to see how this thing plays out,” White said. “I wouldn’t know more about that until September. First week of September I should have more answers.”

    Although White feels that the Carano vs. Rousey fight would be the ultimate women’s fight, Rousey thinks that it is the worst style match-up ever.

    “Ever since the beginning I have been positive that Gina is the worst style match-up for me,” Rousey said. “Even in the feeling of distance and timing, that stuff doesn’t go away if you take time off. Those things are always with you like a bicycle.”

    “Gina’s not going to start training when the fight is announced. She’s already been training for months,” Ronda added. “I think she started quite a while ago and she only has me in mind. I expect that she’s going to be extremely prepared and a very dangerous opponent despite what other people might speculate.”

  • Ronda Rousey Gets Great Reviews For “Expendables 3”

    Ronda Rousey has been making headlines for time spent in the UFC ring this year, but now that she’s a movie star she’s getting a lot more press…and a lot more critiques.

    Rousey is used to being a standout female in a male-dominated sport, and Expendables 3 was no exception. The bantamweight champ is getting great reviews for her turn as Luna in the action film, with several critics pointing her out as a breath of fresh air in a movie that has essentially already been done twice before.

    “She is the only significant female character in the film but is woefully underused,” wrote Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent. ” She is at the top of her (very savage) sport but the film treats her as if she is a glorified Miss Moneypenny. She dresses like a secretary even as she works as a nightclub bouncer.”

    Rousey’s wardrobe was a main point of contention with Indiewire, as well, who wrote, “The film momentarily spikes when a young female Expendable is introduced, played by wrestler Ronda Rousey, although it dips just as suddenly when it becomes very clear that she is the only Expendable whose paramilitary get-up has a plunging neckline.”

    All the attention has made Rousey a bit uncomfortable, especially when it came time to actually watch her own performance in the film.

    “Anyone I was watching the movie with would look at my face to see my reaction to watching myself and so I got self-conscious about how I looked watching me,” she said.

    Rousey expressed concern earlier this year that her careers were tied up in one another, saying that her July match against Alexis Davis had a lot riding on it.

    “The only thing I care about is beating Alexis. My whole fighting career and my whole Hollywood career depend on it,” she said.

    She needn’t have worried; she beat Davis in an incredible 16 seconds.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Christy Mack Earns Aid of Dog the Bounty Hunter

    At 2:20 am on August 8, Christy Mack’s apartment was invaded by her ex-boyfriend and former MMA fighter Jon Koppenhaver, aka War Machine. As we all know, nothing good happens once one stays out past two o’clock. In this case, Mack experienced perhaps the worst thing that can happen at such an hour – domestic abuse.

    The events which transpired last Friday morning are haunting, to say the least. At the end of the altercation, Mack was left with 18 broken bones around her eyes, her nose broken in two places, missing and broken teeth, a broken rib, a severely ruptured liver, a nonworking leg, and multiple lesions and bruises covering her body. In order to bring attention to her plight, Mack took her story to Twitter to share with all of her followers:

    (Warning: The events described and the photos included may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.)

    At around 2 am Friday morning, Jon Koppenhaver arrived unannounced to my home in Las Vegas, NV, after he broke up with me in May, he moved out of my house and back to San Diego. When he arrived, he found myself and one other fully clothed and unarmed in the house. Without a single word spoken, he began beating my friend; once he was finished, he sent my friend away and turned his attention to me. He made me undress and shower in front of him, then dragged me out and beat my face. I have no recollection of how many times I was hit, I just know my injuries that resulted from my beating.

    My injuries include 18 broken bones around my eyes, my nose is broken in 2 places, I am missing teeth and several more are broken. I am unable to chew, or see out of my left eye. My speech is slurred from my swelling and lack of teeth. I have a fractured rib and severely ruptured liver from a kick to my side. My leg is so badly injured I have not been able to walk on my own. I also attained several lesions from a knife he got from my kitchen. He pushed the knife into me in some areas such as my hand, ear, and head. He also sawed much of my hair off with this dull knife. After some time, the knife broke off of the handle and continued to threaten me with the blade. I believed I was going to die. He has beaten me many times before, but never this badly.

    He took my phone and cancelled all of my plans for the following week to make sure no one would worry about my whereabouts. He told me he was going to rape me, but was disappointed in himself when he could not get hard. After another hit or two, he left me on the floor bleeding and shaking, holding my side from the pain of my rib. He left the room and went to the kitchen where I could hear him ruffling through my drawers. Assuming he was finding a sharper, more stable knife to end my life, I ran out my back door, shutting it behind me so the dogs didn’t run inside to tip him off. I hopped the fence to the golf course behind my house and ran to a neighboring house. Naked and afraid he would catch me, I kept running through the neighborhood knocking on doors. Finally, one answered and I was brought to the hospital and treated for my injuries.

    I would like to thank everyone for their support through this rough time. I am healing fast and well, and I appreciate all of the prayers and visits I have received over the past few days. After many months of fear and pressure to keep this man happy, although I fear for my life, I feel that I can no longer put myself in this situation. The cheating by him nearly every day, and almost weekly abuse is now more than I can stand. There is a $10k reward for the capture of Jonathan Koppenhaver at this time. Please report any information to your local police.

    Since that time, Koppenhaver has not been seen. However, he has taken the time to harass Mack online through Twitter, sending her Tweets expressing his apologies for his actions:

    According to Koppenhaver and his brother, the truth is far from what Mack has been sharing with social media. In speaking to BJPenn.com, Michael Eugene Koppenhaver, War Machine’s brother, told his brother’s side of the story, which is ill-conceived at best.

    According to Michael Koppenhaver, War Machine and Mack were still together at the time of the attack. He visited her apartment at 2:20 in the morning to surprise her with an engagement ring, only to find her in the bed with another man. Upon seeing War Machine in her apartment, Mack picked up a knife. She, along with her supposed lover, then attacked War Machine, prompting him to fight for his life.

    And this man is a trained mixed martial arts fighter who was once employed by the UFC….

    A contract the man most likely should have never had considering his previous stints within the United States prison system. In 2010, Koppenhaver was sentenced to one year in a county jail for felony assault. In 2012, Koppenhaver spent another year in prison, this time due to assault in a nightclub.

    During his stays in prison, Koppenhaver outlined his disturbing thoughts in online blogs, most of which can be found here. In one disturbing post, Koppenhaver revealed his feelings toward marriage and women:

    So it’s Christmas day and I’m laying in my bunk wondering “Why in the hell do American men get married!?” As I write this, there is one guy in here for slapping his wife, one here for yelling at his wife, and one here for beating some guy’s ass that disrespected his wife. WTF!? If your wife is being a bitch you can’t slap her, if your wife is yelling at you, God forbid you yell back, and if some asshole hurts your wife, you can not protect her! LMFAO! What in the FUCK! is REALLY going on!? Next thing you know it will be illegal to fuck your wife! LMAO! Maybe then, MEN in this country will get the fucking hint and MOVE! This country forces you to be a bitch! And then if you resist, you go to jail! And if you give in and become a passive lil’ pansy, your wife is gonna sneak around and get fucked by someone like a single War Machine! HAHA! And believe me, in my day, I have fucked more than one wife who complained about being “sick and tired of wearing the pants in the family.” What a fucking country! De-masculated men left and right, mere sheep for the cowards in political offices to boss around and PLAY tough with. A country that preaches “Violence solves nothing” to it’s masses, but is eager to run off to war with ANY and EVERY country, who refuses it’s verbal bullying.

    To add to Koppenhaver’s misogynistic character even more, he once stated that if anything happened to his relationship to Christy Mack after getting her last name tattooed across his neck, he would most likely kill her and simply add an “RIP” above the name to memorialize his dead girlfriend.

    Currently, there are multiple rewards out for any information leading to the arrest of Koppenhaver. For one man, rewards don’t get fast enough results, however. Duane Chapman, aka Dog the Bounty Hunter, has enlisted his bounty hunting services to assist Mack bring Koppenhaver to justice. Dog laid down the gamut on Twitter yesterday, and now War Machine is on notice:

    Usually, reality television stars are not the ones to turn to during times of trouble. However, anything will do in this attempt to bring Koppenhaver to justice. Let’s hope that the Dog and his team are successful in their search and that Koppenhaver is brought to swift and rightful justice in the near future.

    Image via YouTube

  • Paige VanZant To Become Youngest UFC Female Fighter

    She’s a model and a dancer. Now Paige VanZant is about to become the youngest UFC female fighter ever and the second-youngest-fighter overall currently in the UFC. The 20-year-old will make her debut at UFC Fight Night in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She will take on fellow rookie, 21-year-old Kailin Curren, this October.

    VanZant almost appeared at The Ultimate Fighter 20 when her contract was picked up from Invicta last year. However, she was not allowed to fight because of her age. She turned 20 in March, and a fighter must be 21 before they can enter the TUF house to compete.

    The 5-foot-4 fighter from Nevada, who is 3 -1 as a professional, spoke about what she learned from her only pro loss, “When I fought Tecia Tores I finally came to the realization how much of a mental game fighting is. I have always been mentally focused and prepared before each fight except my fight against her, and it really showed. I know now to never step into the cage unless the only thing on my mind is how I am going to destroy my opponent.”

    All fighters have pre-fight routines, VanZant just likes to stay busy in order keep her mind clear, “I do everything I can to not think about the fight until I am walking out, otherwise I have an adrenalin dump. I get my nails done, watch my favorite tv shows, bake cookies. Whatever sounds nice that day. And then I get to the fight and warm up a little, once I walkout it’s on!!!”

    This will be VanZant’s first fight in 2014. Raphael Assuncao and Bryan Caraway are also scheduled to fight at UFC Fight Night on October 4 in Nova Scotia.

    Image via Twitter, Paige VanZant

  • Ronda Rousey Seeks to Be World’s Highest-Paid Actor

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey said in an interview with ESPN that she “want(s) to be the highest-grossing actor in the world someday.”

    Rousey, 27, will appear in three movies coming out within a year, The Expendables 3, Entourage and Fast and Furious 7. Though, her goal of conquering Hollywood might prove to be a tough task, if she continues to juggle UFC fighting and acting.

    Rousey commented, “I didn’t grow up wanting to be an action star. I just didn’t think it was in the cards. Now that it’s a possibility, I’m like, ‘Screw it, I don’t give a shit, if The Rock can become the world’s highest-grossing actor, I can have that same goal.’”

    Incidentally, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is currently Hollywood’s second highest-grossing actor, behind Robert Downey Jr., with $75 million and $52 million earned between June 2013 and June 2014 respectively.

    Here is the trailer for The Expendables 3, which hits theaters August 15:

    Gina Carano, another MMA fighter turned actress has been seemingly hesitant to return to the UFC cage, and can likely attest to how difficult it is to persue a career in Hollywood, while trying to stay in fighting shape. Carano, 32, hasn’t fought since 2009, and said in a recent interview, “I would definitely take something like that extremely seriously. I would dedicate myself to it, and need the time because you’re taking somebody who hasn’t fought in a while, that hasn’t been in the fight camp-type environment; and it would have to be done in a time where there would be enough time for me to get ready for that and be able to support myself during that time because that’s all I’d be doing is taking that seriously, and it would take me away from other projects or potential projects that I’ve been working this far in my life to get to.”

    UFC president Dana White hopes that Carano will sign on to return to the ring, and possibly be matched up against Rousey. Rousey said she would go back up to middleweight (145 pounds) to fight Carano.

    Rousey’s Expendables costars show support at UFC #175:

    Commenting on her own work ethic, Rousey said, “I never aspired to be second. I was taught as a kid that you can do whatever you want in this world, so why not be the best in the world at it? Even when I was bartending, I wanted to be the world’s best, most efficient and charming bartender. That’s how I do things.”

    Image via Instagram

  • UFC Fighters Jon Jones And Daniel Cormier Brawl At Press Conference

    When two men are due to meet in a title fight, it’s not unusual for tensions to run high. This is to be expected, especially when the individuals do not like or respect each other.

    Even so, you do expect these emotions to be kept in check and saved for “fight day”.

    Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier decided that their news conference at the MGM Grand Hotel was as good a time as any.

    I suppose you could say that UFC Lightweight Heavyweight Jon Jones started it.

    In the quickly circulating video of the confrontation, we see Cormier shove the champion.

    However, it’s believed that Jones put more force into their “head bump” than necessary.

    This is thought to be what set Cormier off. Jones responded and from that moment it was on.

    The promotional backdrop fell as to two fighters tumbled off stage. As blows were exchanged, security guards desperately tried to break the two men up.

    Jones’s manager, Malki Kawa, became involved at this point. Kawa pulled Cormier away from Jones. Cormier was eventually escorted away from the area.

    Meanwhile Jones, who had gotten the best of Cormier during the brawl, hopped back on stage to trash talk his departing opponent.

    There is a possibility that both men can and will be penalized for their misconduct.

    “This is certainly not a proud moment for the UFC organization,” said Kirk Hendrick, the UFC’s chief legal officer in a statement.

    “Whether you’re the champion, or this is your first fight in the UFC, there are going to be ramifications from the UFC for these actions.”

    While the possibility of punishment isn’t too surprising, it’s possible this reflected better on the UFC than Hendrick expected.

    To be frank, this is the kind of publicity you can’t buy.

    How many more people will be watching UFC 178 on pay-per-view as a result of this bust-up?

    Tension and passion like this makes for an exceptionally good fight. Curious individuals may decide to tune in just to see who comes out on top during the official fight.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Gina Carano’s Return to UFC ‘Complicated’

    Back in March, former professional mixed martial artist Gina Carano expressed that she was “very open” to returning to the MMA cage. Two weeks ago, UFC president Dana White stated with confidence that he expected to easily sign Carano to fight the following week. Though Carano has proven more reluctant to return than White anticipated.

    Carano, 32, left the ring for an acting career five years ago, and has been featured in films including Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire alongside Channing Tatum, as well as Fast & Furious 6, which starred the late Paul Walker.

    Regarding having Carano, formerly the third-ranked 145 pound female MMA fighter in the world, back on board with the UFC, White vaguely commented, “It’s going very positive, but it’s complicated.”

    Aside from possible filming schedule conflicts, Carano realizes that five years outside of the ring will have diminished her Muy Thai fighting skills. The actress said in March, “I would definitely take something like that extremely seriously. I would dedicate myself to it, and need the time because you’re taking somebody who hasn’t fought in a while, that hasn’t been in the fight camp-type environment; and it would have to be done in a time where there would be enough time for me to get ready for that and be able to support myself during that time because that’s all I’d be doing is taking that seriously, and it would take me away from other projects or potential projects that I’ve been working this far in my life to get to.”

    Here Carano scraps with Michelle Rodriguez in Fast & Furious 6:

    The last time Carano (who at times goes by “Conviction” in the ring) fought, she was defeated by Christiane “Cyborg” Justino in August, 2009. Carano has not been in the ring in a professional capacity since.

    UFC fans are excited about a possible rematch between former Strikeforce champion Carano and current bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey. Rousey said she would go back up to middleweight (145 pounds) to fight Carano. Carano said she would return to the ring if the circumstances were right.

    Image via YouTube

  • Holly Holm Signs With UFC; Best Challenge to Rousey

    In her last fight at UFC 175, current UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey destroyed her opponent, Alexis Davis, 16 seconds into the opening round by TKO. At the time, Davis was the toughest opponent for Rousey, coming into the fight having won eight of her last nine bouts and being undefeated at 3-0 in the UFC. Now, however, there is a new challenger for Rousey, one whom many people believe will be her stiffest competition yet.

    Yesterday, UFC President Dana White announced that the UFC has finally signed undefeated bantamweight fighter and boxer Holly Holm to a five-fight contract.

    Holm, who suffered a broken arm in her last fight this April, had been in negotiations with the UFC for quite some time. Over the past year, White and Holm’s promoter, Lenny Fresquez, have had a hard time seeing eye-to-eye, with White even calling Fresquez a “lunatic”. However, the stubbornness of Holm’s team paid off with her new contract: “We’re very satisfied with what we negotiated, and right now, we just have to perform in the UFC,” stated Fresquez.

    While Holm is undefeated in MMA fighting at 7-0, she understands that the UFC is a step-up from her past competition and that there is much work yet to be done:

    I’m just super excited. I’m really fortunate to have such good opportunities and such good people to work with. Now their hard work is done and my hard work begins. I just want to make it worth it – all the hype, all this anticipation, I just want to do really well. … I’m very excited, but it’s very real now, too. There’s a lot of emotion.

    As a boxer, Holm compiled a 33-2-3 record to add to her 2-1 record as a kick boxer. It’s Holm’s range of skills, along with her impressive striking abilities, which make many people excited to see a future fight against Rousey. However, that fight will not come soon.

    Before Holm gets her shot at Rousey, she is going to have to test her mettle against several other opponents to ensure that she is up to Rousey’s level: “She’s going to build up. We need to prove ourselves in the UFC; we need to prove ourselves with a couple of fights. Whoever the UFC puts in front of us, we’ll knock ‘em down,” promised Holm’s promoter Fresquez.

    Due to her broken arm suffered in April, it is unknown as to when Holm will return to the octagon. “… I’d think it’s about a year out or so,” coach Mike Winkeljohn guesstimated concerning Holm’s fight against Rousey.

    While the timetable for Holm’s UFC debut is still undetermined, one thing is for certain. If Holm brings the caliber of talent many are saying she possesses, the Holm v. Rousey card may be the biggest draw the UFC has seen in quite some time.

    Image via YouTube

  • B.J. Penn Beaten Badly By Frankie Edgar, Announces Retirement After Fight

    Frankie Edgar had already beaten B.J. Penn in two UFC fights, so it came as a surprise when the UFC asked Edgar to face Penn for a third time.

    Edgar complied with the request and on Sunday, he showed that there was no reason for the third fight when he beat Penn yet again. During the third round, it was obvious that Penn was shaky. Edgar, on the other hand, still moved with the same speed as when the fight started.

    Edgar was able to restrain Penn on the floor and showered him with shot after shot, resulting in a gash over Penn’s left eye. Referee Herb Dean then stopped the fight.

    B.J. Penn vs Frankie Edgar Fight Highlights

    After losing, Penn announced his retirement. In the post-fight interview he said that he should have never come back to fighting, but he needed to know if he still had what it took to win.

    B.J. Penn said he should never have come back

    “The biggest regret would be if I didn’t get in the fight tonight. I’d always kick myself in the butt and complain to Dana White and complain to everybody ‘Man, I could have done it again.’ Now I know for sure I can’t,” Penn told reporters after the fight.

    Penn’s loss was only the second time in his career that he went down by strikes.

    Edgar, however, was happy with his win. “I want to fight for the title or a fight to get me to the title,” he said.

    Penn was a former UFC Lightweight Champion and a UFC Welterweight Champion. He is the second fighter in the history of UFC to win titles in multiple weight classes.

    Although Sunday’s fight was the last one for Penn, he went out knowing that he did what he could and in the end learned that his days of competing in the octagon are over. He will likely be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in the future, and will always be known as one of most popular and most respected fighters in the UFC.

    B.J. Penn announces his retirement in post-fight press conference

    Image via YouTube