Tweets earn Tim Kennedy a cool $5K
February 8th, 2012 | Army Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
We all wish our employers rewarded us monetarily for wasting time on using Twitter. Turns out the UFC actually does.
Yesterday the UFC — whose parent company also owns Strikeforce — announced bonuses for its top tweeters, and Army Staff Sgt. Tim Kennedy was among the big winners.
Kennedy, a Special Forces soldier currently serving in the Texas National Guard, earned $5,000 in the “most creative” category, according to MMAJunkie.com.
Here’s some recent tweeting excellence from Kennedy’s account, which must include more non-sarcastic references to small arms and gardening than any other account on the planet:
Tim Kennedy: Stars Wars fan and Puzzlemaster:
If I was Kennedy’s neighbor I’d take care of my yard:
Friday military MMA links
January 27th, 2012 | Mixed martial arts UFC | Posted by Kevin Lilley
UFC middleweight and former soldier Jorge Rivera wrapped up his MMA career last week with a victory at UFC on FX. (Getty Image photo by Ryan Pierse)
A few military-themed (and almost-military-themed) notes before Saturday’s prime-time UFC card.
A word from an ‘El Conquistador’ sponsor: Former soldier Jorge Rivera retired last week after stopping Eric Shafer in the second round at the inaugural UFC on FX event. The win wrapped up a mixed martial arts career that began in 2001 and ended with a 20-9 record, according to Sherdog.
We could try to recap his time in the cage, but instead, read this from Rivera’s longtime friend and sponsor Nick Palmisciano, the founder of the Ranger Up apparel line. Military Times EDGE has profiled Palmisciano before — his success story may not involve quite as many bruises as Rivera’s, but it’s worth a look regardless. A fan of both the fighter and the gear? Palmisciano has the perfect way to celebrate.
Battle of bad guys? About a year before his retirement, Rivera lost at UFC 127 in Australia via a controversial second-round stoppage at the hands of Michael “The Count” Bisping. Bisping hit Rivera with an illegal knee in the first round and was docked a point, but the bout was allowed to continue; since then, Rivera has said the blow was intentional, and that it may have hurt him more than he let on at the time.
So, that’s one middleweight former soldier out of The Count’s corner. And you can probably add Tim Kennedy to that list, as we outlined earlier this month. Still, Bisping will have his share of fans Saturday night when he faces off with Chael Sonnen on Fox (also on AFN xtra, according to the American Forces Network website). Sonnen beat former Marine Brian Stann in October at UFC 136 via second-round submission and has been a polarizing figure in the UFC for years, especially after failing a drug test following his 2010 loss to middleweight champ Anderson Silva at UFC 117. The Bisping-Sonnen winner will get a chance at Silva down the line, and the winner of Saturday’s light-heavyweight main event between Phil Davis and Rashad Evans earns a shot at champion Jon “Bones” Jones.
More military in XFC: We told you about former Army combatives champ Brandon Sayles participating in XFC 16: High Stakes next month. The Feb. 10 card will give a number of young fighters national exposure via HDNet, and Sayles won’t be the only vet taking part. Read the XFC release on former Marine Dustin West’s bout here, and check out a feel-good 2010 story on West’s charity efforts here.
MMA notes: Main event for Stann card, Bisping on Kennedy
January 11th, 2012 | Combatives Mixed martial arts UFC | Posted by Kevin Lilley
Before we bring you a few notes on military-related mixed martial arts, a brief foreign policy discussion from Strikeforce middleweight contender and Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tim Kennedy:
@dominicanlou84 @brianstann they are dumb.
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) January 4, 2012
You want to argue with him?
1. ‘The Count’ strikes back: In addition to foreign policy, Kennedy also weighed in on fiscal responsibility recently, saying last month that UFC middleweight Michael “The Count” Bisping was overpaid for his Dec. 3 knockout over Jason “Mayhem” Miller at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. Bisping reportedly pocketed more than $400,000 for dispatching Miller, who reportedly got $45,000.
Asked about Kennedy’s comments about three minutes into this video, the UFC fighter in 60 seconds manages to (a) pretend he doesn’t know who Kennedy is, (b) remind viewers that Miller defeated Kennedy in 2007, and (c) tell the former Special Forces soldier to “go out there, win some fights, and people might give a damn about what he says.”
Bisping fights Demian Maia on Jan. 28 as part of UFC on Fox 2. Kennedy’s dance card is clear at the moment.
2. Stann in semi-main spot: Our good friends at MMAJunkie.com report that UFC on FUEL TV 2, which will feature former Marine Brian Stann, has a main event: Alexander Gustafsson (15-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (20-5). The main draw isn’t a surprise: Gustafsson is a rising Swedish star, and the April 14 card takes place in Stockholm. Stann (11-4) appears set for semi-main status in his fight against Alessio Sakara (15-8).
3. Big up-and-comer Three-time Army Combatives Champion Brandon Sayles is due for some national exposure Feb. 16 when he fights Chase Gormley in a superheavyweight bout on HDNet as part of XFC 16: High Stakes. Sayles won the Army event in 2009 as a staff sergeant with 3rd Infantry Division; he also took top honors in 2008 and 2006. The 6-foot-5 Hawaiian, 2-0 at the pro MMA level, tips the scales at 300-plus pounds, meaning a future in the UFC could be contingent on cutting enough weight to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit.
Report: Brian Stann’s next UFC fight slated for April
January 5th, 2012 | Marine Corps Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
Brian Stann drops Jorge Santiago in the second round of his TKO win at UFC 130 in May 2011. (The Associated Press)
Good news, MMA fans: Former Marine and Silver Star recipient Brian Stann is returning to the Octagon in April. Stann will square off with Alessio Sakara in the headline fight at UFC on FUEL TV 2, MMAJunkie.com reported today.
The fight will take place April 14 at the Ericsson Global Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. It’s the first UFC event in that country, according to Sherdog.com.
Stann (11-4) hasn’t fought since a second-round submission loss to Chael Sonnen in October at UFC 136. Sakara (15-8) is also coming off a defeat, losing a decision to Chris Weidman in March.
Never heard of FUEL TV? Click here to find out if you cable system carries it.
Brian Stann on how he preps for a fight
April 11th, 2011 | Marine Corps Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
This video is straight from Greg Jackson’s gym in Albuquerque, and just listening to Brian Stann talk about his training habits makes my out-of-shape butt tired.
Stann, the former Marine who earned the Silver Star for his actions a a platoon leader in Iraq, is currently getting ready for his next bout at UFC 130 in May. In this interview he talks about his strength and conditioning regime, and he balances that out with sparring and technical work prior to his fights.
Stann also gives a shoutout to Sgt. George Lockhart, who helps Stann (and other fighters at Jackson’s gym) with diet and nutrition.
New name in mix as a possible opponent for Brian Stann
February 13th, 2011 | Marine Corps Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
Brian Stann and Wanderlei Silva are still matched up on the official UFC 130 website, but apparently nothing is confirmed yet. On Saturday the webiste MMAjunkie.com reported that Jorge Santiago, not Silva, is likely to be the former Marine’s next opponent. The MMAJunkie report came a day after ESPN.com reported that Santiago would indeed be returning to the UFC.
On Sunday, Stann said on Twitter that nothing has been decided yet regarding his opponent.
“Not sure who I’m fighting next, both names being thrown around sound great to me! Be an honor,” Stann tweeted.
Santiago, who last fought in the UFC in 2006, is 23-8 as an MMA fighter. He’s won 10 of his last 11 fights, with the majority of the wins coming in Strikeforce and the Sengoku organization, where he is the current middleweight champion.
Here’s a highlight film put together by American Top Team, where Santiago trains.
Fight Brian Stann? ‘[Expletive] that.’
January 25th, 2011 | After Action UFC | Posted by Mike Hoffman
That was Wanderlai Silva’s response to UFC president Dana White’s proposal for “The Axe Muderer’s” next fight be the former Marine captain.
“We were actually trying to hook [Silva] up with Brian Stann. He doesn’t want to fight Brian Stann. He’s like, ‘[Expletive] that. Everybody is going to hate me if I fight Brian Stann. Everybody loves Brian Stann.’ But that’s the fight we’re trying to make right now,” White said Friday during the Q&A session at UFC Fight Night 23: Fight for the Troops 2.
Silva is coming off an injury to his knee, but he is ready to fight again, White said. The Brazilian mixed martial artist just would rather not fight a Marine right now.
Stann still wants to fight a top 10 opponent and has also suggested fights with Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort.
Watch Dana White’s video blog for Fight for the Troops 2
January 22nd, 2011 | Army Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
The UFC and its outspoken president, Dana White, hit Fort Hood this week for tonight’s Fight for the Troops 2 on Spike TV. The UFC’s cameras followed White around the post as the foulest-mouthed executive in America met soldiers and shot the breeze with UFC personalities Joe Rogan, Matt Serra, Brian Stann, Frankie Edgar and others.
Report: ‘Axe Murderer’ could be Brian Stann’s next opponent
January 18th, 2011 | Marine Corps Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
Brian Stann lands a kick to the chest of Chris Leben during Stann's first-round TKO victory at UFC 125. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)
It sounds like Brian Stann will get his wish.
The former Marine captain said after his victory at UFC 125 that he’d like to fight MMA legend Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva next, and UFC President Dana White told mmafighting.com that he believes the two will indeed meet sometime in the spring when Silva returns from a knee injury.
Stann is coming off the biggest win of his MMA career, a first-round demolition of Chris Leben. The victory has rocketed Stann’s visibility in the UFC middleweight division, and Silva — easily the most decorated opponent he’s faced yet — represents a big step toward becoming a title contender.
With a pro record of 33-10-1 and wins against some of the top fighters in the UFC and the now-defunct Pride organization, Silva is one of the most accomplished and popular fighters in MMA history. The Brazilian won the middleweight title twice in Pride and had a five-year unbeaten streak during his time there.
The brutality and sheer number of Silva’s fights have taken a toll on Silva, and the general consensus is that while still dangerous, he’s no longer anywhere near the force he once was. Since returning to the UFC in 2007, Silva is 2-3, winning last his last fight in Feb. 2010 against Michael Bisping. Silva had knee surgery after that fight and also suffered three broken ribs last year, which forced him to withdraw from UFC 116 and has kept him from the Octagon since then.
Stann and Marine sergeant to open MMA gym
January 7th, 2011 | Marine Corps Mixed martial arts | Posted by Mike Hoffman
Former Marine Brian Stann kicks Chris Leben during their UFC middleweight mixed martial arts match Jan. 1. Stann won by first round TKO. (AP photo)
Our friends over at Battle Rattle, the pre-eminent Marine Corps blog, tell us that Marine Sgt. George “Loaded” Lockhart is teaming up with former Marine and rising UFC star Brian Stann to open an MMA gym.
Stann has earned a name for himself in the UFC after upsetting Chris Leben in his New Year’s Day fight at UFC 125. Lockhart, meanwhile, is himself a rising MMA fighter who is also known for his ability to help fighters drop weight leading up to fights.
The two plan to co-manage the gym outside Atlanta after Lockhart gets out of the Corps in July. Read the rest of the write up at Battle Rattle.