As Ross ‘The Real Deal’ Pearson (10-3) prepares to step into the cage for his first fight as a full fledged member of the UFC roster at UFC 105 in Manchester, England, he took a break from sparring to speak with MMA Spot about his fight with Aaron Riley and his career. The most recent "Ultimate Fighter" knows he has the pressure of not only living up to the standards of a "TUF" champion, but also helping to carry the flag for England’s growing MMA presence.
Mother, PhD, author, musician, and champion, and we haven’t even scratched the surface of Rosi Sexton. Those are just a small part of the #1 ranked 125 lbs British female fighter. Between fighting and studying, this phenomenal woman writes a regular column for Fighters Only, raises her four year-old son, and tries to maintain her status as a concert pianist. Needless to say, this woman, who picked up the sport as a mere hobby, is nothing short of amazing. MMA Spot’s J. Andrew Yount recently coaxed Dr. Rosi Sexton into taking a few moments off to talk about her career, hobbies, and how she maintains such a hectic schedule.
If there is one word that best describes Marcello Foran, CEO and founder of the Ultimate Warrior Challenge, it would be ”Passionate”. His love of MMA and sheer dedication to the sport are infectious to anyone talking to him. MMA Spot's Clinton Wilson was fortunate enough to catch up with the one of the sport's unsung heroes in the days leading up to UWC's biggest event yet. Mr. Foran was all energy for the conversation and gives us a bit of an inside look at what working behind the scenes of a growing promotion is like.
Undefeated Ryan 'Darth' Bader, winner of the eight installment of "The Ultimate Fighter", has recovered from an MCL injury back in April and is ready to resume his assault on the UFC's light heavyweight division. Bader (10-0) will be returning to action on October 24 against Eric Schafer at "UFC 104: Machica vs Shogun" in Los Angeles. MMA Spot's Hugh Spencer grabbed a few moment's to talk to the rising star about his injury recovery, his opponent, his training, and life as a reality TV star.
Wes Sims has carved out a distinct image for himself in the sport, a perfect villain. He’s been absent from the spotlight during the past few years, and he was even homeless, until The Ultimate Fighter came calling for a colorful addition to their newest season. David McKinney recently caught up with the always-entertaining 6’10” self-proclaimed ‘black man’ to talk about his career, being homeless, and the atmosphere during this season on TUF.
MMA Spot's Jesse Denis recently caught up with newly signed UFC prospect, Rafaello 'Tractor' Oliveira. Oliveira, a Brazilian jiu- jitsu black belt and two-time North Ameri- can Grappling Association champion, trains with current UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn. He is now set to make his debut at "UFC 103" in Dallas, Tex. on September 19. He will take on fellow newcomer Nik Lentz, who is filling in for the injured Dan Lauzon. We asked Tractor how getting ready for three different oppon- ents has affected his training, what it's like training with the champion, and much more.
In April of 2009, Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit made his UFC debut against former middleweight contender, turned wel- terweight, Martin Kampmann at "UFC Fight Night 18." Condit and Kampmann treated the fans to a highly competitive and enter- taining fight, and although the judges’ de- cision gave Kampmann the victory, it was by no means an underwhelming performance by Condit. Set to take on UFC newcomer Jake Ellenberger on Sept. 16, Carlos sat down with MMA Spot's Matthew DeMarinis to discuss his new camp, how he gets his mind right for fighting, what part of his game has improved the most, and also how he would approach a fight with UFC Welterweight Champion Georges “Rush” St. Pierre.
James Brasco is a mixed martial artist fighting out of Team Popovitch in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he is also the wrestling instructor. He is a Pennsylvania native where he was a PIAA state runner up with a high school record of 127-10. His wrestling achievements not ending there, he is also a Pennsylvania State Freestyle Champion, 3-times NCCA Eastern Regional Champion and ranked #6 by Amateur Wrestling News. Taking up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu just to see what it was about, he quickly excelled and is a six-time N.A.G.A Champion, 2007 World Brown Belt Jiu Jitsu Champion. He also recently received an invitation to participate in this year's ADCC. Coming up on September 4 he will be fighting Herbert Goodman at Shine 2: ATT vs The World from the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Fla. He is currently 5-1 in MMA, but his accolades and skill level supersede his record. He took the time to answer a few questions and gave his thoughts on issues such as why he has a hard time getting fights, The Ultimate Fighter tryouts, and Brock Lesnar.
MMA Spot’s Jesse Denis recently caught up with Roan ‘Jucao’ Carneiro (12-8) at American Top Team's headquarters in Coconut Creek, Florida, to discuss his upcoming fight with Chute Boxe fighter Jorge Patino. Carneiro and Patino, both UFC veterans, will headline the upcoming Shine Fights promoted Shine 2: American Top Team vs The World event on Sept. 4 in Miami. Carneiro (12-8) has faced the likes of Anderson Silva, Jon Fitch, and Ryo Chonan in the past, and is looking to make his way into the upper echelon of his division.
With the recent explosion of mixed martial arts in Europe, several new international stars are bursting onto the scene. Fighters such as Michael Bisping, Ross Pearson, Dan Hardy, and Paul Daley are all making their ways toward the top of the sport. One fighter not far behind and making an impressive mark on the English market is Jimi ‘Poster Boy’ Manuwa. Manuwa (4-0), the current Ultimate Challenge UK light heavyweight champion, is already turning heads and stirring up significant interest after just four professional fights. Manuwa recently sat down with MMA Spot’s J. Andrew Yount to discuss his career, influences, future, and more.