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UFC 66: Liddell Finishes Ortiz, Jardine and MacDonald Pull Off Upsets

It was not the highlight reel knockout that Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell wanted; but the barrage of strikes at 3:59 in round three was more than enough to put an exclamation point on the final chapter of the Liddell/Ortiz saga.

Tito Ortiz looked improved on the feet compared to Liddell/Ortiz I (UFC 47), but even with improvements Liddell was too much. The fight was almost stopped in the final minute of round one, when a Ortiz was dropped by a right hook. Liddell pounced and began to pound away, but Ortiz was able to keep his composer and survive.

K-1 Dynamite '06: Schilt Wins Again, Akiyama Beats Sakuraba

Yoshihiro Akiyama defeated Kazushi Sakuraba in the Main Event, Hideo Tokoro upset mixed martial arts legend Royler Gracie, and Defending K-1 World GP Champion Semmy Schilt beat Peter Graham to notch his sixth-straight win last night at the K-1 Premium Dynamite '06 event at the Kyocera Dome Osaka.

With matchups comprising fighters with all manner of skills, sizes and shapes, Dynamite has become a popular part of the New Year's Eve experience in Japan, appealing equally to martial arts purists and dabblers, appealing even to grandma and grandpa. A live and television audience numbering in the tens of millions watched tonight's 14 bouts -- contested mostly under Hero's mixed martial arts rules, with a quartet fought under K-1 rules.

Countdown: K-1 Dynamite '06 Press Conference

It is early afternoon, and 26 kickboxers, judo and karate masters, boxers, wrestlers, Olympic medallists and television personalities sit at a two-tier table stretching the width of the Osaka Imperial Hotel's ballroom. There are hungry up-and-comers and seasoned veterans and revered champions, hailing from 10 different countries. Today they are gentlemen, dressed in suits, posing for the cameras and politely answering reporters' questions. Tomorrow they will be warriors, stepping into the Osaka Dome ring to fight in front of a live and television audience numbering in the tens of millions. The countdown to New Year's Eve has begun, and with it comes the K-1 Premium Dynamite -- the most widely-watched martial arts extravaganza in the world.

Like mochi rice cakes and temple bells, Dynamite has become an integral part of the New Year's Eve tradition in Japan, appealing equally to martial arts purists and dabblers, appealing even to grandma and grandpa. The 13 bouts will be fought mostly under Hero's mixed martial arts rules, with a quartet to be contested under K-1 rules (3min x 5R).

The Basement Breakdown: UFC 66

I’m home for the holidays so I decided that it was only fitting that I bring in my good friend Tyson Rupprecht to help out with the UFC 66 Basement Breakdown.

UFC 66: Liddell vs Ortiz offers the most complete and competitive fight card the UFC has assembled in along time. The results of UFC 66 will play a major role in the match ups that will take place in 2007. The fight card features the light heavyweight championship title fight as Chuck Liddell defends against long time windbag Tito Ortiz. In other action Forrest Griffin battles Keith Jardine, Michael Bisping makes his pay-per-view debut, Andrei Arlovski returns to the octagon, and Jason MacDonald takes on Chris Leben in a fight that will set the tone for the middleweight division in 2007.

The Basement Breakdown: International Fight League World Team Championship 2006

It’s been a busy holiday season, but the International Fight League’s (IFL) World Team Championship could not go unnoticed. So I brought Tyson Rupprecht back to help me do a quick Basement Breakdown of the card. The IFL’s World Team Championship is the last event or trial run before the inaugural season starts in 2007. This championship was more or less a tournament to continue to work out the kinks and to continue to gain recognition in the sports world.

Superfight: Carlos Newton vs. Renzo Gracie

Collin- I like Renzo in this fight. He looks to be 100% dedicated to being a fighter once again. The win over Pat Miletich was a huge confidence boost. Gracie is already scheduled to fight Frank Shamrock on the premier of the Showtime promotion Elite Extreme. I think Gracie takes this by decision.

Cro Cop To UFC

Mafighting.com has learned that Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic will be introduced as the newest acquisition by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at UFC 66 on Saturday. "Cro Cop" considered by many to be second best heavyweight fighter in the world behind Fedor Emelianenko, will be a huge boost to the lackluster UFC heavyweight division.

Filipovic has a mixed martial arts record of 21-4-2, with fourteen wins by knockout. His fight resume includes winning Pride’s 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix and major victories over Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva, Mark Coleman, and Hidehiko Yoshida.

Filipovic is rumored to be fighting either Eddie Sanchez or Jake O’Brien either at UFC 67 on February 3rd or live on Spike TV on January 25th at UFC Fight Night 9. Sanchez and O’Brien are tough fighters, but will be used to showcase "Cro Cops" skills to the American audience.

Rory Singer: Not Your Everyday Fighter

Rory Singer can put people to sleep inside the octagon and out. Singer already has one year of medical school under his belt as he works towards becoming a nurse anaesthetist. So it is possible that the 30-year-old New Jersey native could be knocking you out in the ring or on an operating table.

"Education was always first and it is something I will always have to fall back on, but right now for the first time in my life I’m a full time fighter." said Singer, who has only been training as a full time fighter for a year. Singer already has an engineering degree from the University of Georgia and was in their nursing school, when he went on hiatus to participate on season three of The Ultimate Fighter.

Jason MacDonald: Ready For The Crippler

Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship with a sleek first round submission win over Team Quest member Ed Herman. At UFC 66, MacDonald will once again step into the octagon with another Team Quest member, this time Chris "The Crippler" Leben.

Leben will be MacDonald’s biggest test on the biggest stage; as this fight will be the pay-per-view debut for both fighters. Leben, The Ultimate Fighter season one veteran, is 6-1 in the UFC (16-2 overall), with his one loss in the octagon having come at the "knees" of reigning UFC middleweight champion. Anderson Silva.

MSNBC To Air Mixed Martial Arts Documentary Series

UFC and Strikeforce fghters amongst those featured

The first of a four part MSNBC documentary series exploring the sport of mixed martial arts will premiere on Tuesday, January 9th at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Warrior Nation takes viewers inside the world of mixed martial arts by opening the door to the lives of the sport's fighters and the personal and professional struggles that they endure on a daily basis. Superstars Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, as well as budding stars Urijah Faber and Elaina Maxwell are amongst those that the camera follows. A new episode in the four-part series will air on each of the next three Tuesday nights at 10 PM after the first episode launches.

Cung Le Headed To Vegas For Pride Fight

Undefeated world San Shou kickboxing champion and 185-pound Strikeforce mixed martial arts contender, Cung Le (19-0), has confirmed that he will make his Pride Fighting Championship debut during the organization's second fight card in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 24, 2007.

"Right now, there is no contract," said Le, "but the preparations are being made. I don’t get involved in the negotiations at all. My job is to train hard and be ready to fight."