Pictured: Anderson Silva refuses to acknowledge Chael Sonnen at the weigh in yesterday. Picture by Tracy Lee of CombatLifestyle.com.

UFC 117: Silva vs Sonnen is on tonight, live from Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA, promising a lively night of fights… and maybe answer a few questions.

Will Matt Hughes earn the “Second Gracie Hunter” moniker that Jacob likes so much? Will Anderson Silva come out of his shell and really come at somebody, now that he’s been offended by all the trash talk? With every matchup featuring a Brazilian vs an American, will “U-S-A” chants drown out the commentary? Will we see a slower and more methodical game at the top of the card or will the glamorous strikers have their day in the sun? Or does it matter? As Oakland Radiers legend Al Davis used to say — “Just win, baby…”

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Pictured: Ken Shamrock and Pedro Rizzo weigh in, from TheGarv.com

It’s been a slow week or so in the MMA world. It’s enough to make you forget what’s on tap. Some kind lads down under are promoting a show which may have slipped under your radar — featuring MMA legends like Ken Shamrock, Murilo Bustamante, Pedro Rizzo, and more.

You can catch the internet PPV at http://www.impactfc.au.com/.

Jacob Lawton has contributed his predictions for this show. Jacob will be taking a brief hiatus from writing and he’s going out (temporarily) with a bang…

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(Editor’s note: Alexia Krause is a usual contributor to MMAIndustries — and we’re happy to have her contribute to Total-MMA this week. If you’re interested in writing for Total-MMA, please contact us! — Tommy)

With the New York state deficit hitting $8 billion, steps need to be taken in order to right the ship that is the state’s budget. Recently New York Gov. David Paterson stated that the projected deficit for the upcoming fiscal year has grown by an additional $750 million. There’s no doubting that the Empire State is in dire straits trying to fix their deficit.  It is extremely difficult trying to balance a state budget at a time when the country as a whole is going through some of its most difficult economic hurdles in recent history. This forces us to take a fresh look at which programs will continue to receive funding. As a result, the state has been forced to cut, reject, and outright shut down many state programs and projects in order to make some type of movement out of the red and back into the black. Many of these budget cuts (like closing down state parks and cutting funding to public schools) were rampant and have cast an unfavorable light on politicians in Albany in the eyes of many New Yorkers. However, something must be done in order to fight the ailing state economy.

As coincidence has it, a good fight might just be the answer to the budget problems.                             

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Coaches Liddell and Ortiz

We don’t usually do Fight Nights and such but thought I’d throw this one out there for fun. It was an entertaining season in my opinion even though I don’t believe it will yield many long term UFC prospects. The main attraction of the season was a bit anti-climactic as we already knew that Ortiz and Liddell would never square off and that Tito would be replaced at some point. It was also a bit annoying as they teased the moment Tito would be replaced for about six episodes in a row. I really liked the wild card format and how there was always an opportunity there for a fighter to get back into the action and it ended up making the season much more compelling. Anyway, on with the predictions.
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As Wanderlei Silva prepares for his first fight in the UFC at 185lbs, that’s the biggest question.  Silva has now lost 5 of his last 6 fights and has only one win since returning to the UFC.  The losses though are nothing to get down about.  Many fighters have fell to the hands of Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, and Rich Franklin.  The test that he faces now is much different.

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We all know the horrible tragedy that struck Haiti on Tuesday has claimed thousands of lives and left many more in a state of emergency.

It’s good to also know that at least one member of the MMA community is “coming out swinging” in support of the survivors.

MMAWarehouse.com is one online retailer among many which has popped up in recent years. (In fact, I’ve never purchased from them, but have only heard good reviews of their service.) But they have released a statement which really sets them apart, as they team with Mercy Corp to send aid to Haiti:

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck near Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince Tuesday afternoon, collapsing buildings, including at least one hospital. The quake affected roughly one in three Haitians: about 3 million people. Anywhere between 30,000 and 100,000 are feared dead and even more are injured in the largest quake to strike the impoverished Caribbean nation in 200 years. Power is out, telecommunications are spotty and food and water are reportedly growing scarce.

MMAWarehouse.com is pledging a dollar for dollar match up to the first $5,000 donated here and additionally will donate a portion of our sales now through Thursday, January 21st.

I can’t imagine what it must be like to suddenly lose your home and all your possessions, or worse yet, your friends and family members. I know that everyone’s economic situation these days is far from perfect, but I encourage you to count your blessings in life and give what you can to your fellow brothers and sisters across the globe who are truly in dire need.

You can click here to read the Better Business Bureau’s review of Mercy Corp. There are other great organizations out there, too. Catholic Relief Services and Americares are both noted for having more than 92% of their donations go directly to those in need and keeping minimal administrative costs. WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, who represented Haiti in the 2004 Olympic games, gave an emotional interview to ESPN this week, where he mentioned that he would be offering information about how to help on his website soon, as well.

What more needs to be said? Dig deep, and please give what you can.

Please forgive the recent lack of activity here. Total-MMA is going through a bit of a transition right now, so you can expect a new and improved look in the new year. Thanks for being patient.

Today, MMA legend Enson Inoue’s long battle with immigration will finally come to an end. Recently he left the following message on his blog:

I just got called by the Immigration office and it seems that they have finally made a decision. In fact I’ll get the results on Christmas day Dec.25th. If the Immigration hands me a favorable decision that would be a great Christmas present. Whatever the decision is I’ll consider it a present from God. I’m either going to be able to continue my life here in Japan or I may need to start my new life abroad. Whatever the decision is, I’ll will be okay. But I’m very nervous. While everyone is celebrating Christmas I’ll be in a battle with the Immigration. One of the biggest decisions in my life will be handed to me on the day Jesus was born. Everyone please help me with the power of prayer.

So, I’d ask everyone to keep the man they call “Yamato Damashii,” who may ironically be forced to leave the Land of the Rising Sun, in your prayers — or, just keep a good thought.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed or enjoyed our content in the last year. Merry Christmas, and all the best to you and yours.

All the fighters, pundits and fans have weighed in on this Saturday’s title fight in Los Angeles pitting champ Lyoto Machida against Mauricio Rua, and the verdict is that Machida will have his hand raised. Whether it’s a case of the masses simply overrating the unorthodox “Dragon”, or being oblivious to the dangerous skills Rua possesses I don’t know, but what I do know is that on Saturday night Mauricio Rua will re-claim his spot as the best light heavyweight on the planet. Read the rest of this entry »

Tomorrow night, Kazushi Sakuraba makes his return to the ring for DREAM in Japan.  It’s a return to action that literally no one has been awaiting with baited breath.  As I point out at Heavy.com, Sakuraba is a tragedy waiting to happen.

Now the hall of famer is firmly in the Ali-Holmes stage of his career. He’s clearly no longer the man he once was, and just as clearly needs to stop fighting to protect his long term health. Yet, promoters keep dragging him back to the ring. And he goes willingly. And audiences still want to watch him fight and in an ugly business that trumps all. Everyone is responsible for the tragedies, yet no one is.

I run down Sakuraba’s back story in the piece.  He’s clearly one of the most important figures in MMA history.  It’s a shame to see him come to this.  Remember this up and coming fighters:  save your money so you can save your brain. 

Don Frye rules. We all know that. From wrestler to EMT to fighter to pro wrestler to actor to legend, the path Frye took was anything but linear. Heavy.com, whose MMA content of late has been great (some Jonathan Snowden fellow), posted an interview with Frye, the whole thing worthy of quotes. Frye talks about many things, what sticks out the most was how compassionate of an EMT he was.

“We got the call, around midnight. We roll in there and put the fire out, find a couple of hotspots here and there. Then we find a suicide note,” Frye said. “That pisses you off because they are endangering your life and the lives of all the other fire fighters.”

This was worse than people calling for an ambulance at two in the morning with mild discomfort, which is how EMT’s spend 95 percent of their time. This was dangerous and irresponsible, and a furious Frye began searching the house for the perpetrator.

“I walked into the bedroom and found the son of a bitch on the bed,” Frye remembered. “I grabbed him by the ankles and yanked his ass right on the floor. Boom! He screamed and I drug him down the hallway. I hit him against every wall on the way out the door. Boy, it’ll be the last time he tries to commit suicide by fire. I picked him up and threw him out on the lawn. You lose your compassion real quick when people do stupid shit like that.”