Congratulations to Wrestling and MMA legend Dan “Hendo” Henderson for being inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame this past weekend! After a stellar amateur wrestling career consisting of two trips to the Olympics, numerous State and National titles Henderson was inducted into the CA Wrestling Hall of Fame alongside some of the most illustrious names in wrestling. Henderson’s contributions to the sport of wrestling go beyond his amateur career as Henderson has helped the sport since making the transition to Mixed Martial Arts. Henderson’s notoriety has sky rocketed since competing in MMA which has helped him to raise awareness and support for wrestlers and the sport of wrestling itself. Congratulations to Dan Henderson on this well deserved accolade!

Clinch Gear athlete Jesse “JT Money” Taylor defended his Cage Warriors Middleweight title against the dangerous knockout artist John Phillips at Cage Warriors Fighting Championships 54. Taylor, known for his wrestling prowess, used a well timed takedown to avoid the dangerous hands of Phillips and worked from guard to mount eventually finishing a scramble with a fight ending guillotine choke. With the win Taylor finds himself on a six fight win streak including a win over UFC veteran Kendall Grove. This win streak combined with two title defenses should put Taylor on the cusp of being called back up to the UFC. Congratulations to Jesse Taylor on the title defense!

Photography Credits: Phil Lambert Photography and CMO Photo

Factory X Fighters Marcus “Bad Intentions” Edwards and Nick “Quick” Honstein win at Sparta Combat League’s massive two card event. The first card, Fight For The Troops, saw Nick “Quick” Honstein use a brilliant display of ground work to take his opponent’s back and lay in with heavy ground and pound. As his opponent tried to escape, Honstein sank in a triangle choke and began throwing a flurry of elbows. His opponent tapped out at 2:23 of round one improving Honstein’s record to 20-7 overall (13-7 pro, 7-0 amateur). In the second card of the day, Army vs. Marines IV, Marcus “Bad Intentions” Edwards threw a devastating high kick at the opening of the bell which landed cleanly knocking his opponent to the mat. Edwards pounced and sunk in a power guillotine choke to render his opponent unconscious for the win at just 46 seconds of round one. With the win Edwards improves his record to 14-1 overall (3-1 pro, 11-0 amateur). Congratulations to both Factory X fighters!

Clinch Gear CrossFit athlete Chris “Dozer” Dozois finishes in 1st place overall in the Southwest Region at the 2013 CrossFit Open. At age 41, Dozois entered the CrossFit Open hoping to qualify for the Southwest Regionals in the new 40-44 Master’s Division or place high enough to help his team, Front Range CrossFit (FRCF), qualify for regionals. What ensued was a dominant display of fitness as Dozois beat out perennial CrossFit Games competitors Matt Chan, Chris Spealler and Patrick Burke in the overall division competing with men almost half his age. With a spot at the regionals secured Dozois now has the decision of which division to compete in: Overall, Master’s 40-44 or Team. Congratulations to Chris for his 1st place finish!

Photos from CrossFit Open Workout 13.5

Wearing Clinch Gear Pro Series Black Shorts

Clinch Gear CrossFit athletes Chris “Dozer” Dozois, Kevin Ogar and Charlie Racinowski all completed CrossFit Open Workout 13.4. Dozer once again dominated by posting a score of 118 reps which moves him up to 16th in the world in the overall division and maintains his 1st place position in the Masters 40-44 division overall and his 1st place position in the Master’s 40-44 division in the SouthWest Region. Ogar completed workout 13.4 with a final score of 96 reps and looks for a dominating performance to help land him in the top 48 in the SouthWest Region and thus allowing him to qualify for the SouthWest Regionals. Ogar has battled a Flu for the better part of the CrossFit Open which has affected his scores, but Ogar will not give up and even completed workout 13.2 with a 101 fever. Racinowski completed workout 13.4 with a score of 88 reps as he vies for a spot in the CrossFit NorthCentral Region top 48. All three athletes will attempt workout 13.5, the final CrossFit Open workout, this week with hopes of qualifying for their respective regions. Congratulations to Dozer, Ogar and Racinowski for completing workout 13.4 and good luck with 13.5! CLICK HERE to read the article on Chris “Dozer” Dozois on Games.CrossFit.com. See photos below as well as the movements that made up workout 13.4.

Chris Dozois (@Dozer4747) 13.4

wearing Signature Series Bengal Short Rifle Green at Front Range CrossFit

Kevin Ogar (@KevinOgar) 13.4

wearing Signature Series Bengal Short Rifle Green at CrossFit Unbroken

Charlie Racinowski (@CharlieRaz) 13.4

wearing Signature Series Bengal Short Black at CrossFit United*

*Nate Bacott (@N8CFU) in foreground judging and wearing Flex 2 Blur Short Dark Shadow

Workout 13.4

7 minute AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)  of:
3 Clean and jerk
3 Toes-to-bar
6 Clean and jerk
6 Toes-to-bar
9 Clean and jerk
9 Toes-to-bar
12 Clean and jerk
12 Toes-to-bar
15 Clean and jerk
15 Toes-to-bar
18 Clean and jerk
18 Toes-to-bar…
This is a timed workout. If you complete the round of 18, go on to 21. If you complete 21, go on to 24, etc.

Chris "Dozer" Dozois discusses what he's doing to get ready for the 2013 CrossFit Games, how many years he plans on competing and whether or not he will enter the games as an individual or as part of a team.

Clinch Gear athlete Clark Gracie, the newly crowned Pan Am Jiu Jitsu Middleweight Champion, was on the Good Morning America show today as the “ridiculously photogenic” Jiu Jitsu guy for his photo (above) at the New York International Jiu Jitsu Open in 2012. The photo shows Clark being as smooth and calm as ever while holding his opponent in an omoplata shoulder lock, or as some have come to call it, the Clarkoplata. The photo has gone viral with people attaching captions such as “Here To Break Limbs, Ends Up Breaking Hearts” and “He’s Got The Key-Lock To Your Heart.” Congratulations to Clark for the national media attention and for winning the 2013 Pan Am Gold Medal. See a video clip of Clark on Good Morning America below. Follow Clark Gracie on Twitter @ClarkGracie

Catch the CrossFit Games Southwest Region’s athlete profile on Clinch Gear athlete Chris “Dozer” Dozois (see below). In the video Dozer discusses what he’s doing to get ready for the 2013 CrossFit Games, how many years he plans on competing and whether or not he will enter the games as an individual or as part of a team. Follow Dozer on Twitter @Dozer4747

Clinch Gear athlete Clark Gracie took the Gold Medal in the middleweight black belt division at the 2013 IBJJF Pan Jiu Jitsu games using his signature omoplata move to setup a dramatic come from behind win by Gi choke over Marcelo “Lapela” Mafra in the closing seconds of the match. Gracie’s path to gold was not easy, having faced Otavio Sousa the reigning 2012 Pan Jiu Jitsu black belt middleweight champion in the quarter finals and winning by omoplata. In the semi-finals Gracie faced the reigning 2012 world middleweight no-gi champion DJ Jackson and defeated Jackson by judge’s decision. In the finals it appeared as if Gracie was running out of time as he found himself down by points heading into the final minute of the match. Staying calm and working continuously for the submission, Gracie worked for his signature omoplata shoulder lock. As Mafra tried to escape Gracie transitioned into a Gi choke which Mafra tried to wait out for the end of the match. Knowing he had the choke, Gracie motioned with the “Hang Loose” gesture to the crowd as Mafra tapped and slipped into unconsciousness from the choke. With the win Gracie has cemented himself as one of the top black belts in the middleweight division and continues his rise up the Jiu Jitsu ranks. With the Pan Jiu Jitsu medal secured, Gracie now heads to Good Morning America for a feature on his practice in the art of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Tune in on Friday March 29th at 7:00AM on ABC. Congratulations Clark!

Clark Gracie defeats Otavio Sousa by omoplata

Clinch Gear athlete Chris “Dozer” Dozois continued his torrid pace in week 3 of the CrossFit Open. With a total of 286 reps in workout 13.3, Dozer not only finished 1st in the world in the Master’s 40-44 division for this workout, but his total moved him up the overall leaderboard to 19th place overall. After 3 weeks, Dozer now sits in 1st place in the Men’s overall division in the Southwest Region and 1st place in the Master’s 40-44 division for the Southwest Region. Since workout 13.3 was a repeat of last year’s 12.4 workout, Dozer came in with a strategy to increase his reps which included conserving energy during the wall ball portion (resting for 22 seconds) to stay as fresh as possible for the muscle-ups portion of the workout. The strategy paid off as Dozer increased his reps by 39 over last year. CLICK HERE to read the CrossFit Open Week 3 in review for the Southwest Region. See below for photos and the movements making up the 13.3 workout.

Workout 13.3
12 minute AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) of:
150 Wall balls
90 Double-unders
30 Muscle-ups

After placing 3rd in the world in the Masters age 40-44 division in last week’s CrossFit Open WOD (13.1), Clinch Gear athlete Chris “Dozer” Dozois placed 1st in the world in the Masters age 40-44 division after the second CrossFit Open WOD (13.2) of 2013. Dozer’s total of 352 total reps combined with his score from 13.1 places him 2nd in the Southwest Region overall and 34th in the world in the Men’s overall division. CLICK HERE to read the CrossFit Open Week 2 in review for the Southwest Region. See below for the movements making up the 13.2 WOD.

Workout 13.2
10 minute AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) of:
5 Shoulder to overhead, 115 / 75 lbs
10 Deadlift, 115 / 75 lbs
15 Box jump, 24 / 20 inch

Clinch Gear athlete Chris “Dozer” Dozois placed 3rd in the world in the Masters age 40-44 division after the first CrossFit Open WOD (13.1) of 2013. Dozer’s score of 182 also places him 5th in the Southwest Region’s open division. Follow Clinch Gear athletes Chris Dozois and Kevin Ogar as they make their way through the CrossFit Open in hopes of securing their spot at the Southwest Regionals for a chance of making the 2013 CrossFit Games. CLICK HERE to read a CrossFit Open Week 1 in review for the Southwest Region. See below for Dozer’s leader board placement and movements making up the 13.1 WOD.

Workout 13.1
17 minute AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) of:
40 Burpees
30 Snatch, 75 / 45 lbs
30 Burpees
30 Snatch, 135 / 75 lbs
20 Burpees
30 Snatch, 165 / 100 lbs
10 burpees
Max rep Snatch, 210 / 120 lbs

Clinch Gear was on scene to cover the weigh-ins for UFC 157 ahead of one of the most important fights in Dan Henderson’s legendary career. Dan Henderson weighed in right at 205 while Lyoto Machida weighed in at 202. Both fighters were respectful to each other with no trash talking or fireworks. At age 42 Henderson is a hall of fame worthy fighter who seems to defy age as he continues to perform at the highest level of competition. In his last two fights Henderson has knocked out the person most consider to be the best heavyweight of all time in Fedor Emelianko and participated in one of the best fights of all time against former Pride and UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The two wins secured a title shot against current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, but as fate would have it an injury derailed his title shot. Instead, Henderson finds himself in high profile title elimination match up against the elusive former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida.

While Henderson is the only MMA fighter in history to hold two major world titles in two different weight classes simultaneously, Henderson’s quest continues to be adding a UFC title to his list of accomplishments in an already storied career. A win against Machida would put Hendo in a perfect position to acomplish his goal. To watch Henderson prepare for this fight is to see the burning desire for competition and a quiet confidence that has become a trademark of the no-nonsense fighter whose fists speak louder than words ever could. Tune in to UFC 157 to watch Henderson vs Machida unfold.

Here’s your chance to ask Hendo a question and have him answer it directly! From now until UFC 157, fans can ask Hendo a question by posting in the comments on our facebook page, or on Twitter by using the hashtag #ASKHENDO. We’ll pick three questions from Facebook and three from Twitter each week and Hendo will answer directly on our blog every Monday. We will update this post with his responses every week. If your question doesn’t get answered the first time, try again the following week! Get your questions in and stay tuned to ClinchGear.com as Dan prepares for his upcoming fight against Lyoto Machida at UFC 157, February 23rd!

See Hendo’s responses below from 2/18/2013:

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See Hendo’s responses below from 2/11/2013:

Clinch Gear athlete Kevin Ogar took 1st place at this past weekend’s Battle For The Cup CrossFit event in Charles, MO. Ogar is pushing his training and competition schedule as he looks forward to placing top three in this year’s CrossFit South West Regionals which would place him in the 2013 CrossFit Games. Congratulations to Kevin Ogar for his win at Battle For The Cup!

Kevin Ogar wearing Signature Series Bengal Shorts

Clinch Gear athlete Kevin Ogar will be competing at the Battle For The Cup CrossFit event in Charles, MO this weekend. Originally from MO, Ogar returns home to compete among friends and former training partners. Battle For The Cup is the largest regional CrossFit event in MO and looks to have a stacked field. Good luck Kevin!

As part of our continuing partnership with the Lone Survivor Foundation, we are giving you the chance to to win one of three Lone Survivor prize packs including a signed copy of the new book Service by Marcus Luttrell. Each prize pack contains a Lone Survivor T-shirt, shorts, hat and signed copy of the book. **This contest has now ended. Thank you for entering. **

Bellator Lightweight Champion and Clinch Gear fighter Michael Chandler successfully defended his title at Bellator 85 against Rick Hawn. Chandler opened the fight utilizing his superior speed and footwork to stifle Hawn in the first round.  In the second round Chandler turned up the pace staggering Hawn before methodically taking the back of Hawn to sink in the fight winning rear naked choke. Congratulations to Michael Chandler on his dominating victory. With the win Chandler takes his place as one of the top 5 lightweight fighters in the world.

Bellator Lightweight Champion and Clinch Gear fighter Michael Chandler will defend his lightweight title tomorrow night at Bellator 85 against the Bellator lightweight tournament winner Rick Hawn. Hawn is a former Olympian in Judo and has been on a tear winning his last three fights. The matchup pits the undefeated Chandler (10-0) against Hawn (14-1) in a fight thatBellator Lightweight Champion and Clinch Gear fighter Michael Chandler will defend his lightweight title tomorrow night at Bellator 85 against the Bellator lightweight tournament winner Rick Hawn. Hawn is a former Olympian in Judo and has been on a tear winning his last three fights. The matchup pits the undefeated Chandler (10-0) against Hawn (14-1) in a fight that promises fireworks. Both fighters posses knockout power and are well versed in grappling so expect an evenly matched skill set with a frantic pace. Bellator 85 also marks the promotional debut of Bellator Fighting Championships on Spike TV. Catch all the action at 10:00PM ET/PT on Spike TV. *Check local listings for times and channel.

On Friday January 11th Clinch Gear was announced as the Best Technical Clothing Brand at the 2012 Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards. On hand to accept the award was Clinch Gear athlete and MMA legend Dan Henderson. This marks the first time for Clinch Gear winning this prestigious award which is voted on by consumers and fans. The award show can be seen on January 20th at 9:00PM EST on Fox Sports Net. Clinch Gear would like to thank everyone who voted and all of those who use our gear!

Clinch Gear athlete Tarec Saffiedine put on a masterful clinic of low kicks in the main event and title fight for what would be the final StrikeForce card ever. Coming into the fight as a 3 to 1 underdog, Saffiedine quickly established his range and was able to leverage his speed advantage over the champion Nate Marquardt. In the first round Saffiedine dropped Marquardt with a perfectly placed right hand to the chin of Marquardt as he was coming in. The second round was very close, but Saffiedine was able to establish a low kick to the left thigh of Marquardt as well as defend takedowns. In the third round it was apparent that Saffiedine had found a home for his low kicks as Marquardt’s legs began to show the effects. In the fourth round Saffiedine continued to pour on the attack with not only low kicks but some well placed punches to the face of Marquardt. As both fighters awaited the start of the 5th round, Saffiedine was fired up and looked hungry to take the belt home. By this time Marquardt’s leg was a beaten mess showing black, blue and red welts and Marquardt’s face bleeding as well. Saffiedine not only continued his low leg assault, but in the closing minute of the fight took the champion down with a double leg takedown thus cementing his unanimous decision win. Congratulations to Tarec “The Sponge” Saffiedine for the best performance of his career thus far and for bringing home the StrikeForce Welterweight Championship. We are so proud of you Tarec!

One of the many low kicks landed throughout the fight.

After being sidelined with an injured knee, Hendo is once again healthy and ready for action when he faces the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 157 in Anaheim on Feb 23rd. The winner of this fight will get the next title shot at current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. Get your official Hendo walkout gear now at www.ClinchGear.com/hendo-collection.html

Clinch Gear athlete Tarec Saffiedine will challenge Nate Marquardt for the StrikeForce Welterweight Title this Saturday Jan 12th in Oklahoma City. The event titled “StrikeForce Marquardt vs Saffiedine” will be the last ever event for the Bay Area based promotion which was purchased by UFC parent company Zuffa LLC back in 2011. Marquardt, the current StrikeForce champion, is noted as a very well rounded fighter proficient anywhere the fight goes. Saffiedine trains with MMA legen Dan Henderson at Team Quest and is a world class kickboxer with pin-point accuracy. Tune in this Saturday at 10:00PM ET/PT (Delayed on West Coast) and enjoy Showtime’s Free Preview weekend!

A.J. Hawk and the Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC Wild Card last weekend against the Minnesota Vikings winning the game by a score of 24-10. With the win, the Packers have put the rest of the NFC on notice once again displaying how good their defense is while continuing to outscore their opponents on offense. Hawk finished the regular season second on the team in total tackles. Catch their divisional playoff game this weekend vs. the San Francisco 49’ers.

Clinch Gear CrossFit athletes  Chris “Dozer” Dozois and Kevin Ogar have both qualified and are headed to the OC Throwdown this Saturday and Sunday Jan 12^th - 13^th inCosta Mesa,California. The OC Throwdown is one of the most prestigious CrossFit events outside of the CrossFit Games. Dozer and Ogar will both be representing Clinch Gear at the event.  Click below to view the 2013 OC Throwdown Preview (Chris Dozer featured as the first athlete in the preview). For more information visit www.OCThrowdown.com
 

After months of speculation on who Dan Henderson would face next and when, the UFC has made Hendo vs Machida official for UFC 157 in Anaheim, CA on Feb 23rd. Many fans were still clammering to see Hendo face UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones for the title as was supposed to happen at UFC 151 when Hendo sustained an injury forcing him to pull out of the fight. UFC 157 will most likely serve as a number one contender match with the winner earning a shot at Jon Jones for the title. This matchup is interesting in that Machida is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and Henderson is the former Pride Welterweight (183lbs) and Middleweight (205lbs) Champion. The matchup also pits Henderson’s devasting one punch power against Machida’s elusive movement. Stay tuned for more details on this fight.

Clinch Gear athlete A.J. Hawk of the Green Bay Packers recently visited Danz Elementary School as part of the NFL’s Play 60 fitness initiative.  The school was awarded $10,000 and will use the funds to buy new fitness equipment, including a giant rock-climbing wall for the gym. Hawk visited the school Tuesday to talk about the importance of fitness and to work out with students. To read more CLICK HERE.

Clinch Gear athlete Kevin Ogar placed 5th at last weekend’s Outlaw Open CrossFit event in Southern California. The Outlaw Open is one of the most prestigious CrossFit events outside of the CrossFit games and attracts the top CrossFit athletes in the world.  Kevin Ogar represented Clinch Gear and CrossFit Unbroken at the event finishing up in 5th place while his friend and training partner Matt Hathcock, also out of CrossFit Unbroken, claimed 1st place in the event. Congratulations to both Matt and Kevin for their performances. See the links below for Kevin’s 113Kg snatch lift and the entire Outlaw Open.

Clinch Gear athlete Clark Gracie submitted Makoto Aramaki of Hong Kong Jiu Jitsu at the GSPN Jiu Jitsu Open in Guam this past weekend. The Super Fight matchup was the “main event” of the evening following an open tournament which featured Jiu Jitsu players from around the area. Gracie, being from the first family of Jiu Jitsu, is one of the world’s highest level competitive black belts and is frequently brought in for Super Fights to areas with a developing Jiu Jitsu scene to boost the visibility of the sport. The GSPN Jiu Jitsu Open took place at the University of Guam field house and the match served as Guam’s first ever Super Fight. Gracie began the match feeling his opponent out then quickly turning up the pressure and catching Aramaki in an ankle lock submission just two minutes into the match. “They told me that it was the first ever super fight on Guam, so that made me happy because I was able to be a part of it,” Gracie said. “Besides, I just want put on a good show for the people of Guam.”

Clinch Gear fighter Joe Warren returns at Bellator 80 this Friday to face Owen Evinger live on MTV2. Warren makes his return to the Bantamweight division after competing for much of his career at Featherweight. With both Warren and Evinger coming off a loss, look for both fighters to be hungry and put on a great show. Catch the action live on MTV2 at 7:00PM EST.

Clinch Gear fighter and former StrikeForce Middleweight Champion Cung Le faces off against former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin at UFC on FUEL TV 6, November 10th. Le and Franklin will headline the UFC’s first ever event in China. This fight has all the markings of a stand up war as both fighters prefer to stay on their feet and strike. Le implements the Chinese art of Sanshou while Franklin uses a more orthodox kickboxing style. The action happens live at 7:00AM ET with a main card replay at 7:00PM ET on Fuel TV.

Clinch Gear CrossFit athletes Chris “Dozer” Dozois and Kevin Ogar will be competing at the 2012 Front Range CrossFit Weightlifting Championships in Denver, CO this Saturday and Sunday Nov 10th & 11th. For more information visit Front Range CrossFit

Clinch Gear athlete Clark Gracie took 2nd place in the World Jiu Jitsu No-Gi Championships last weekend in Long Beach, CA. The event was held by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), the largest submission grappling organization in the world, and attracts the world’s most decorated submission grapplers. Gracie won six matches (three by submission) in the Middleweight division (175 lbs) on his way to a 2nd place finish.

Take a look at Cung Le’s signature moves as he prepares for Rich Franklin and notice Cung sporting Clinch Gear’s Signature Series tech top and Signature Series shorts.

Clinch Gear athlete Chris “Dozer” Dozois dominated at last weekend’s Master’s Championship CrossFit event in Denver to take first place in his age group (40-44yrs). Dozer finished the event taking 1st place in 4 out of the 5 workouts and was the only athlete in his group to clear more than 315lbs in the Clean Ladder. For full results, click here.

We’re excited to announce our partnership with the Lone Survivor Foundation. The Texas-based organization offers therapeutic and wellness retreats for our impacted service members and their families. Additionally, Clinch Gear has launched a new collection of apparel with the partnership. The new line includes performance t-shirts, Clinch Gear’s industry-leading performance training short and fitted hats. A portion of the proceeds of each sale goes back to the Foundation. Click here to check them out!

Dan “Hendo” Henderson

Clinch Gear would like to congratulate Jake Varner for bringing home the gold from the 2012 Olympic Games. Varner defeated Valerii Andriitsev of Ukraine 1-0, 1-0 in the final of the 96KG class of freestyle wrestling. Varner secured the win on the final day of the Olympics and once again displayed the competitiveness and athleticism that represents the Clinch Gear brand.

In Olympic wrestling, a winner is determined by a best of three separately scored two-minute periods. In the first period against Andriitsev, Varner scored a takedown about 30 seconds in and held on for a 1-0 period win. To get the takedown Varner used what some wrestlers call a “Cael Sanderson ankle pick” named after Varner’s coach and former Olympic Champion Cael Sanderson. The move involves grabbing your opponent behind the ankle and tipping him over.

In the second period Varner avoided being pushed out of the wrestling circle, which would have been a point for Andriitsev. Instead, Varner moved behind him and got a takedown. He won the period 1-0 and clinched the gold medal. Immediately after winning the match Varner celebrated by wrapping himself in the U.S. flag and dancing around a nearby mat. Varner then ran over to coach Sanderson who lifted him off the ground with excitement. Varner now joins Sanderson as an Olympic gold medalist and has cemented himself as one of the greatest American wrestlers.

In the semifinal round, Varner staged a come from behind win to defeat 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Giorgi Gogshelidze of Georgia. After losing the first period 2-0, Varner won the next two periods 1-0, 1-0 respectively.

After the semifinal match, the world was anticipating 2011 world champion Reza Yazdani of Iran to face Varner in the finals, but in Yazdani’s semifinal, he suffered an injury while facing Andriitsev. Yazdani was unable to continue the match and was taken off the floor in a wheelchair allowing Andriitsev to advance to the finals.

When we were at the UFC Fan Expo in Vegas we asked the one and only Dan Henderson to sign two of his #believeinhendo Camp Tees (as seen above). Today we’re giving away both of these signed tees to two fans, to show our appreciation for all the love you’ve given him for his upcoming fight at UFC151.

What do you have to do to enter? It’s really easy. Check out the steps below:

1. Follow both Dan Henderson and Clinch Gear on Twitter.
2. Click this link to send out a tweet. OR tweet “You should buy the @Danhendo Camp Tee because I’m going to win the signed one from @ClinchGear. #believeinhendo” http://ow.ly/cDhUs
3. Today (7/31) at 6PM EST we’ll randomly pick two people who entered, and each of them will win one of these signed shirts!

When you’re done entering, make sure to head over to our online shop and buy one as well. After all, you’re not going to want to get your signed one dirty at your UFC151 party.

Contest valid for US and Canadian citizens only, must be 18 or older. Winners will be announced via Clinch Gear’s twitter feed.

UPDATE: This contest has closed.

Clinch Gear athlete Jake Varner is in London and primed to make a run for Olympic Gold. The 6’ 1”, 96KG Freestyle wrestler is widely considered a serious medal threat at this year’s Olympic Games by wrestling media outlets. Varner secured his spot on the U.S. Olympic team by winning the best-of-three championship match against four time All American and two time NCAA champion Tommy Rowlands at the U.S. Olympics trials in Iowa City (pictured above).

Varner began his wrestling career at the age of five, with his father Steve having coached at the high school Varner would eventually attend (Bakersfield High). In high school Varner amassed a record of 159-10 with 132 falls and was a two time California State Champion. Varner is the only wrestler in California history to pin all six opponents in a state tournament. Recruited by the legendary wrestler Cael Sanderson for Iowa State, Varner continued to improve and amassed an NCAA collegiate wrestling record of 121-10 and finished his senior year undefeated at 31-0 on his way to an NCAA National Championship. In 2009 while still in college Varner made his first World Team which began his international wrestling career which has flourished and led him to the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Clinch Gear is a proud support of Jake Varner and wishes him all the best in his quest for gold!

Amateur Wrestling Achievements:
2012 Olympic Trials Champion
2012 Ivan Yarygin Memorial International Bronze Winner
2011 Pan American Games Champion
2011 World Championships Bronze Winner
2011 U.S. World Team Trials Champion
2011 U.S. Open Champion
2009 U.S. World Team Trials Champion
Four-Time NCAA Division One All American
Four-Time NCAA Division One Finalist, (twice at 184, twice at 197)
Two Time NCAA Division One Champion (Junior and Senior Year)
Two Time California State Wrestling Champion for Bakersfield High School

Head down to the Team Quest gym (41561 Date St.) in Murrieta this Saturday starting at 9am for a day filled with amazing deals, BBQ, and of course – Dan Henderson. We’ll be joining Team Quest for their parking lot sale with a great selection of Clinch Gear products at discount prizes. Make sure to set aside some time to try and get autographs from Hendo (9am to 1pm), as well as six other Team Quest athletes!

Clinch Gear would like to congratulate Cung Le for his hard fought win against Patrick Cote at last weekend’s UFC 148 card in Las Vegas. Cung Le used a combination of punches, takedowns and his signature kicks to win by unanimous decision. Le’s next fight is rumored to be at UFC on FUEL TV 6 and is targeted for Nov. 10 in China.

Clinch Gear will be launching the official Dan Henderson UFC 151 camp tee and walkout tee at the UFC Fan Expo July 6-7 in Las Vegas. Be one of the first people to get the limited edition #BELIEVEINHENDO camp tee (only 300 made) and the official UFC 151 walkout tee. The camp tee is only available at the Expo so be sure to get yours fast! The walkout tee will first launch at the UFC Fan Expo and will then be available online later in the month. Pick yours up at booth #816.

Henderson is currently preparing himself for UFC 151 where he will meet the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. The camp tee features the hashtag #BELIEVEINHENDO which fans are using to show their love and support for Hendo as he attempts to take the championship from the youngest UFC champion ever.

Clinch Gear will be at the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas July 6th & 7th. Visit us at booth #816 and don’t miss this opportunity to meet Clinch Gear athletes Dan Henderson, Green Bay Packer’s AJ Hawk, Jay Glazer, Tyron Woodley and Alan Belcher. Pick up exclusive Clinch Gear product at a special expo prices and browse through the never before seen Fall line. Enter to win autographed Hendo fight memorabilia, Clinch Gear t-shirts and team posters in our daily raffle. Get all the details at www.ufcfanexpo.com.

Clinch Gear Autograph Sessions*
Friday, July 6, 2012
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Alan Belcher
12:00 PM – 1:30PM, Jay Glazer
3:00PM – 5:00PM, Tyron Woodley

Saturday, July 7, 2012
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, AJ Hawk
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Dan Henderson
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Tyron Woodley

*Autograph schedule subject to change

Clinch Gear is teaming up with Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk to donate 15% of all online retail sales for the month of June to the Hawk’s Locks for Kids Fund at the Columbus Foundation. The Hawk’s Locks for Kids organization was established by the Clinch Gear athlete and his wife Laura after A.J. cut his famous blonde locks to raise money for children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. Hawk’s Locks for Kids works to raise awareness for their cause by hosting fundraisers, recruiting donors, collecting personal donations and contributing donations to Wigs for Kids. Clinch Gear is proud to support A.J. and Laura as they launch their new foundation.

Purchase your favorite Clinch Gear items in June to get the highest quality performance apparel and at the same time donate to a great cause.

For more information on Hawk’s Locks for Kids visit: http://hawkslocksforkids.org
For hair donation information visit: http://hawkslocksforkids.org/share/hair-donations

This past Tuesday, Clinch Gear sponsored undefeated pro fighter Blaine Thomas and Nascar’s Jeffrey Earnhardt at Fight Lab 25. Earnhardt, a 4th Generation NASCAR driver and Grandson of Legendary Champion Dale Earnhardt, impressed the crowd with a unanimous decision win over Chris Faison. Earnhardt showed veteran resolve in controlling the action and going for submissions against the more experienced Faison. Also on the card was Clinch Gear sponsorsed fighter Blaine Thomas who engaged in a battle of submission attempts with Drew Kennedy. In the first round Thomas nearly ended the fight with a tight armbar which Kennedy refused to tap to then somehow escaped. In the end it was Kennedy who finished the fight in the second round with an armbar of his own. Fight Lab 25 took place in conjunction with Nascar’s Speed Week and Clinch Gear is proud to have sponsored both Earnhardt and Thomas.

Several Clinch Gear athletes competed at the Olympic Trials and had excellent showings. Nick Simmons, the returning World Team Member and #1 seed in the tournament, won his first two matches including a win over the defending Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo before losing in the finals to the eventual champion Sam Hazewinkel in the men’s freestyle 55kg division. Simmons finished in 2nd place. Also competing were Clinch Gear athletes Joe Warren, Teyon Ware, Dennis Hall, Chase Pami (4th place finish), Ben Kjar (4th place finish) and Andrew Hochstrasser (4th place finish). Clinch Gear is proud to sponsor such a dedicated team of athletes.

Former champions collide when Clinch Gear fighter Cung Le faces Rich Franklin at UFC 148 in July. In a fight that promises to be a stand-up war, former StrikeForce Middleweight Champion Cung Le puts his style of Sanshou up against former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin. Over half of Franklin’s wins (53%) have come by KO or TKO while all of Cung Le’s wins have come by KO or TKO. Look forward to fireworks at UFC 148 in July!

The Irish led from start to finish, outpacing a murderer’s row of national caliber prep wrestling teams, including defending state champion teams Baylor (TN), Archbishop Rummel (LA) and St. Thomas (TX); state runners-up McCallie School (TN), Bishop Lynch (TX) and Providence Day (NC); perennial national prep dynamos St. Paul’s (MD), The Kiski School (PA) and Calvary Chapel (CA); and 2012 Georgia High School Association Team Dual champions Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School.

2012 Clinch Gear Prep Slam Outstanding Upper Weight Michael Hooker, Father Ryan

Michael Hooker (Wrestling USA Magazine Senior Class 152 #19) paced Father Ryan, reeling off five pins to earn the tournament’s Outstanding Upper Weight award. It was the second consecutive Clinch Gear Prep Slam crown for Hooker, a two-time Tennessee state champion and a four-time finalist.

Hooker set a new state record for career wins with his third-period fall in the 160 final over two-time Maryland state champion Brad Mutchnik (WUSA Sr. 152 #23) of St. Paul’s (MD), recording his 230th high school victory.

2012 Clinch Gear Prep Slam Outstanding Lower Weight Zach Watson, Baylor School

Baylor’s Zach Watson (WUSA Sr. 126 #23) netted the Clinch Gear Prep Slam’s Outstanding Lower Weight honors with a dominant performance in the 126 final, a 5-0 shutout of Ben Friedman (WUSA Sr. 126 #18), a Prep Nationals finalist, three-time Prep Nationals placewinner and three-time Maryland state champion from St. Paul’s (MD).

It was the second Clinch Gear Prep Slam titleand fourth finals appearance for the University of Virginia-bound Watson, who is also a four-time Tennessee state champion.

2011 USA Wrestling Junior Greco-Roman national champion Geordan Speiller of Pine Castle Christian Academy (FL) was dominant in the 170 division, scoring two pins and a tech fall en route to a finals showdown with Holy Innocents’ Jason Grimes, a USAW Cadet All-American in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Speiller (WUSA Sr. 160 #6), a two-time Florida state champion, dominated with takedowns, defeating Grimes (WUSAJr. 170 #14), a two-time Georgia state medalist, by a score of 8-4.

USAW Cadet National Greco-Roman champion and Junior Greco-Roman All-American Scott Gibbons of Archbishop Rummel was the crown jewel of the 182 division. Along with his impressive national credentials, Gibbons (WUSA Sr. 182 #11), who committed to Princeton, is a two-time Louisiana state champion and a returning Clinch Gear Prep Slam Finalist. He finished the tournament with two falls and two decisions, including a 7-1 finals victory over two-time Georgia state medalist Lee Davis of Holy Innocents’.

The 132 final between Chris Caton of Northside Christian Academy (NC) and Bishop Lynch’s Travis Rodenbaugh was a match-up of returning Clinch Gear Prep Slam champions. It was the third consecutive Clinch Gear Prep Slam title and fourth consecutive finals appearance for Caton (WUSA Sr. 126 #12). A 2011 Prep Nationals runner-up, two-time Prep Nationals medalist and three-time North Carolina state champion, Caton dispatched Rodenbaugh, a defending Texas state champion, at 1:44 of the first period.

Clinch Gear Prep Slam Notes:
–Undefeated freshman Kenneth Brinson of Marist (GA) was the surprise winner at 195, defeating the top two seeds along the way.

–In the 152 final, Pete Galli of St. Paul’s (MD) and Spencer Jones of Darlington (GA) earned the Best Finals Match award. Galli (WUSA Sr. #16), a Prep Nationals finalist, two-time Prep Nationals placewinner, two-time Maryland state champion and three time finalist, withstood a late charge by Jones, a three-time Georgia state champion and returning Clinch Gear Prep Slam finalist, to claim a 7-5 victory.

–St. Paul’s (MD) freshman Ryan Friedman won the 106 title, with two pins, a tech fall and a 7-0 decision in the final over Calvary Chapel senior Gordon McDonald.

–McCallie junior Alex Elsea won the 113 crown with two pins and two decisions.

–Lake Highland Prep (FL) had champions at 120 and 220, as sophomore Anthony Petrone (WUSA Fr./So. 113 Honorable Mention) won a nail biter over Calvary Chapel and Carter Shipley (WUSA Jr. 220 #16) edged Georgia state champion Mark Mongell of St. Francis, 5-4.

–Father Ryan’s Mark Marchetti (WUSA Jr. 1160 HM) won the 145 title, defeating Texas state champion Ricky Regas of St. Thomas.

–Returning Clinch Gear Prep Slam champion and two-time Georgia state medalist Chad Pyke of Woodward Academy beat Tennessee state champion Alex Ward of McCallie to capture the 138 title.

–At 285, Montgomery Bell Academy (TN) state placer Jashon Roberton defeated Calvary Chapel’s Elliot Taylor, ranked sixth in the state of California by CalGrappler.com.

–St. Paul’s (MD) finished second in the team points race, with two champions, four finalists and seven placewinners.

–McCallie was third, with one champion, two finalists and seven medalists.

–Calvary Chapel placed fourth in the team standings, with two finalists, five semi-finalists and seven medal winners.

–The Kiski School rounded out the top five, with one finalist and six placewinners.

2012 Clinch Gear Prep Slam Individual Results

106: Ryan Friedman (St. Paul’s MD) def. Gordon McDonald (Calvary Chapel) by dec., 7-0
113: Alex Elsea (McCallie) def. Jack Pantanella (Kiski School) by dec., 9-7
120: Anthony Petrone (Lake Highland Prep) def. Adam Alvarado (Calvary Chapel) by dec., 2-1
126: Zach Watson (Baylor) def. Eric Friedman (St. Paul’s MD) by dec., 5-0
132: Chris Caton (Northside Christian, NC) def. Travis Rodenbaugh (Bishop Lynch) by fall, 1:44
138: Chad Pyke (Woodward Academy) def. Alex Ward (McCallie) by dec., 4-2
145: Mark Marchetti (Father Ryan) def. Ricky Regas (St. Thomas) by dec., 7-2
152: Pete Galli (St. Paul’s MD) def. Spencer Jones (Darlington) by dec., 7-5
160: Michael Hooker (Father Ryan) def. Brad Mutchnik (St. Paul’s MD) by fall, 5:12
170: Geordan Speiller (Pine Castle Christian Academy) def. Jason Grimes (Holy Innocents’) by dec., 8-4
182: Scott Gibbons (Archbishop Rummel) def. Lee Davis (Holy Innocents’) by dec., 7-1
195: Kenneth Brinson (Marist) def. Jeff Lamer (St. Benedict at Auburndale) by dec., 7-6 2OT
220: Carter Shipley (Lake Highland Prep) def. Mark Mongell (St. Francis) by dec., 5-4
285: Jashon Roberton (Montgomery Bell Academy) def. Elliot Taylor (Calvary Chapel) by dec., 5-1

2012 Clinch Gear Prep Slam Individual Awards:

Outstanding Lower Weight: Watson, Baylor (2 pins, 1 MD, 2 dec)
Outstanding Upper Weight: Hooker, Father Ryan (5 pins)
Best Finals Match: Galli, St. Paul’s MD vs. Jones, Darlington (152)

2012 Clinch Gear Prep Slam Team Results

1.Father Ryan218.0
2.St. Paul’s MD186.5
3.McCallie183.0
4.Calvary Chapel165.0
5.Kiski School136.5
6.Baylor133.0
7.Montgomery Bell Academy121.0
8.St. Paul’s LA116.0
9.Archbishop Rummel107.0
10.Holy Innocents103.5
11.Woodward Academy100.5
12.Greater Atlanta Christian90.5
13.St. Thomas84.5
14.St. Benedict at Auburndale78.0
15.Bishop Lynch73.5
16.Lake Highland Prep72.5
17.Lovett67.0
18.Darlington63.0
19.Marist63.0
20.First Presbyterian Day School51.0
21.Athens Christian School48.0
22.LaSalle Institute47.0
23.Episcopal Academy46.0
24.Riverside Military41.0
25.St. Francis41.0
26.St. Pius X41.0
27.Providence Day School37.0
28.Northside Christian – N Carolina34.0
29.Pine Castle Christian Academy33.5
30.Walker29.0
31.University Heights Academy27.0
32.Tampa Preparatory School24.0
33.Benedictine Military23.0
34.Eagles Landing Christian22.0
35.Landmark Christian20.5
36.Franklin Road Academy20.0
37.Calvary Christian Academy19.5
38.Christ Church Episcopal School15.0
39.Northside Christian – Florida15.0
40.Fellowship Christian Academy11.0
41.San Antonio Christian9.0
42.Christ Church8.0
43.Savannah Christian Preparatory School5.0
44.Savannah Country Day0.0

106 Results

1st Place – Ryan Friedman of St. Paul’s MD
2nd Place – Gordon McDonald of Calvary Chapel
3rd Place – Michael Eckhart of Father Ryan
4th Place – James Westbrooks of McCallie
5th Place – Kyler Allen of Lovett
6th Place – David Wells of Benedictine Military

1st Place Match
Ryan Friedman (St. Paul’s MD) 4-0, over Gordon McDonald (Calvary Chapel) 4-1.(Dec 7-0)
3rd Place Match
Michael Eckhart (Father Ryan) 5-1, over James Westbrooks (McCallie) 5-2.(Maj 8-0)
5th Place Match
Kyler Allen (Lovett) 4-2, over David Wells (Benedictine Military) 3-3. (Pin 0:58)

113 Results

1st Place – Alex Elsea of McCallie
2nd Place – Jack Pantanella of Kiski School
3rd Place – Christopher Wesnofske of Father Ryan
4th Place – Matt Calcote of Archbishop Rummel
5th Place – Peter Cunningham of Calvary Chapel
6th Place – Nicky Tribble of St. Thomas

1st Place Match
Alex Elsea (McCallie) 5-0, over Jack Pantanella (Kiski School) 4-1. (Dec 9-7)
3rd Place Match
Christopher Wesnofske (Father Ryan) 5-1, over Matt Calcote (Archbishop Rummel) 4-2. (Pin 4:10)
5th Place Match
Peter Cunningham (Calvary Chapel) 6-2, over Nicky Tribble (St. Thomas) 3-3. (FF)

120 Results

1st Place – Anthony Petrone of Lake Highland Prep
2nd Place – Adam Alvarado of Calvary Chapel
3rd Place – Jack Mutchnik of St. Paul’s MD
4th Place – Kyle Jennings of St. Benedict at Auburndale
5th Place – Austin Marsico of Kiski School
6th Place – Caleb Greer of Landmark Christian

1st Place Match
Anthony Petrone (Lake Highland Prep) 5-0, over Adam Alvarado (Calvary Chapel) 3-1.(Dec 2-1)
3rd Place Match
Jack Mutchnik (St. Paul’s MD) 7-1, over Kyle Jennings (St. Benedict at Auburndale) 6-2. (Maj 9-1)
5th Place Match
Austin Marsico (Kiski School) 3-2, over Caleb Greer (Landmark Christian) 2-3. (I-D)

126 Results

1st Place – Zach Watson of Baylor
2nd Place – Eric Friedman of St. Paul’s MD
3rd Place – Connor Campo of St. Paul’s LA
4th Place – Chandler Pyke of Woodward Academy
5th Place – Judson Preskitt of Bishop Lynch
6th Place – Peter Palacios of Calvary Chapel

1st Place Match
Zach Watson (Baylor) 5-0, over Eric Friedman (St. Paul’s MD) 4-1.(Dec 5-0)
3rd Place Match
Connor Campo (St. Paul’s LA) 6-1, over Chandler Pyke (Woodward Academy) 5-2.(Dec 8-2)
5th Place Match
Judson Preskitt (Bishop Lynch) 4-2, over Peter Palacios (Calvary Chapel) 5-3. (Dec 4-3)

132 Results

1st Place – Chris Caton of Northside Christian – N Carolina
2nd Place – Travis Rodenbaugh of Bishop Lynch
3rd Place – Zack Kelly of Kiski School
4th Place – JahlaniCallender of Calvary Christian Academy
5th Place – Tim Westbrooks of McCallie
6th Place – Brandon Brunner of Baylor

1st Place Match
Chris Caton (Northside Christian – N Carolina) 5-0, over Travis Rodenbaugh (Bishop Lynch) 4-1. (Pin 1:44)
3rd Place Match
Zack Kelly (Kiski School) 7-1, over JahlaniCallender(Calvary Christian Academy) 4-2. (Dec 6-3)
5th Place Match
Tim Westbrooks (McCallie) 4-2, over Brandon Brunner (Baylor) 2-3. (Dec 6-3)

138 Results

1st Place – Chad Pyke of Woodward Academy
2nd Place – Alex Ward of McCallie
3rd Place – Michael Longo of Calvary Chapel
4th Place – Robbie Martin of St. Pius X
5th Place – Bryant Meyers of Kiski School
6th Place – Daniel Bellet of Montgomery Bell Academy

1st Place Match
Chad Pyke (Woodward Academy) 5-0, over Alex Ward (McCallie) 4-1. (Dec 4-2)
3rd Place Match
Michael Longo (Calvary Chapel) 5-1, over Robbie Martin (St. Pius X) 5-2.(Dec 1-0)
5th Place Match
Bryant Meyers (Kiski School) 6-2, over Daniel Bellet (Montgomery Bell Academy) 3-3. (Pin 2:19)

145 Results

1st Place – Mark Marchetti of Father Ryan
2nd Place – Ricky Regas of St. Thomas
3rd Place – Aaron Negrette of Calvary Chapel
4th Place – Cole Wheeler of First Presbyterian Day School
5th Place – Bryson Popp of Baylor
6th Place – Connor Wagh of St. Paul’s MD

1st Place Match
Mark Marchetti (Father Ryan) 5-0, over Ricky Regas (St. Thomas) 4-1. (Dec 7-2)
3rd Place Match
Aaron Negrette (Calvary Chapel) 5-1, over Cole Wheeler (First Presbyterian Day School) 4-2.(Dec 11-6)
5th Place Match
Bryson Popp (Baylor) 5-2, over Connor Wagh (St. Paul’s MD) 5-3. (Pin 3:32)

152 Results

1st Place – Pete Galli of St. Paul’s MD
2nd Place – Spencer Jones of Darlington
3rd Place – John Mark Bellet of Montgomery Bell Academy
4th Place – Cole Moseley of Father Ryan
5th Place – Manny Markantone of Kiski School
6th Place – KaylonSencio of St. Thomas

1st Place Match
Pete Galli (St. Paul’s MD) 5-0, over Spencer Jones (Darlington) 4-1.(Dec 7-5)
3rd Place Match
John Mark Bellet (Montgomery Bell Academy) 5-1, over Cole Moseley (Father Ryan) 4-2.(Dec 3-1)
5th Place Match
Manny Markantone (Kiski School) 5-2, over KaylonSencio (St. Thomas) 4-3. (TF 17-2)

160 Results

1st Place – Michael Hooker of Father Ryan
2nd Place – Brad Mutchnik of St. Paul’s MD
3rd Place – Connor Sutton of LaSalle Institute
4th Place – Elijah Ballard of Athens Christian School
5th Place – James Cavaliere of St. Paul’s LA
6th Place – Zach Feuerbach of Greater Atlanta Christian

1st Place Match
Michael Hooker (Father Ryan) 5-0, over Brad Mutchnik (St. Paul’s MD) 4-1. (Pin 5:12)
3rd Place Match
Connor Sutton (LaSalle Institute) 5-1, over Elijah Ballard (Athens Christian School) 4-2. (Dec 11-6)
5th Place Match
James Cavaliere (St. Paul’s LA) 5-2, over Zach Feuerbach (Greater Atlanta Christian) 4-3. (Dec 8-5)

170 Results

1st Place – Geordan Speiller of Pine Castle Christian Academy
2nd Place – Jason Grimes of Holy Innocents
3rd Place – Spencer Craig of Baylor
4th Place – Chris Arms of St. Paul’s LA
5th Place – Elliot Berz of McCallie
6th Place – Ben Veler of Bishop Lynch

1st Place Match
Geordan Speiller (Pine Castle Christian Academy) 4-0, over Jason Grimes (Holy Innocents) 4-1.(Dec 8-4)
3rd Place Match
Spencer Craig (Baylor) 4-1, over Chris Arms (St. Paul’s LA) 4-2. (Pin 2:06)
5th Place Match
Elliot Berz (McCallie) 4-2, over Ben Veler(Bishop Lynch) 4-3. (TF 16-1)

182 Results

1st Place – Scott Gibbons of Archbishop Rummel
2nd Place – Lee Davis of Holy Innocents
3rd Place – TJ Holmes of Father Ryan
4th Place – Matt Bodine of Baylor
5th Place – Nathan Hoodenpyle of McCallie
6th Place – Thomas Cusack of Episcopal Academy

1st Place Match
Scott Gibbons (Archbishop Rummel) 4-0, over Lee Davis (Holy Innocents) 3-1.(Dec 7-1)
3rd Place Match
TJ Holmes (Father Ryan) 4-1, over Matt Bodine (Baylor) 5-2.(Dec 3-1)
5th Place Match
Nathan Hoodenpyle (McCallie) 5-2, over Thomas Cusack (Episcopal Academy) 3-3. (Dec 8-3)

195 Results

1st Place – Kenneth Brinson of Marist
2nd Place – Jeff Lamer of St. Benedict at Auburndale
3rd Place – Ricky Fisher of Father Ryan
4th Place – Mike Green of St. Paul’s MD
5th Place – Charlie Rousseau of Holy Innocents
6th Place – Max Wilsey of Woodward Academy

1st Place Match
Kenneth Brinson (Marist) 4-0, over Jeff Lamer (St. Benedict at Auburndale) 3-1.(Dec 7-6)
3rd Place Match
Ricky Fisher (Father Ryan) 5-1, over Mike Green (St. Paul’s MD) 4-2.(Dec 5-1)
5th Place Match
Charlie Rousseau (Holy Innocents) 3-2, over Max Wilsey (Woodward Academy) 3-3. (OT 6-4)

220 Results

1st Place – Carter Shipley of Lake Highland Prep
2nd Place – Mark Mongell of St. Francis
3rd Place – John Babson of LaSalle Institute
4th Place – Parker Fair of Greater Atlanta Christian
5th Place – Michael Vickers of Woodward Academy
6th Place – Morris Eguakun of Montgomery Bell Academy

1st Place Match
Carter Shipley (Lake Highland Prep) 5-0, over Mark Mongell (St. Francis) 3-1. (Dec 5-4)
3rd Place Match
John Babson (LaSalle Institute) 5-1, over Parker Fair (Greater Atlanta Christian) 4-2. (2-OT 6-3)
5th Place Match
Michael Vickers (Woodward Academy) 4-2, over Morris Eguakun (Montgomery Bell Academy) 4-3. (Dec 6-2)

285 Results

1st Place – Jashon Roberton of Montgomery Bell Academy
2nd Place – Elliot Taylor of Calvary Chapel
3rd Place – Tye Youngblood of McCallie
4th Place – Allan Beattie of Kiski School
5th Place – Shane Burkholder of St. Paul’s LA
6th Place – Gavin Lawrence of Darlington

1st Place Match
Jashon Roberton (Montgomery Bell Academy) 5-0, over Elliot Taylor (Calvary Chapel) 4-1.(Dec 5-1)
3rd Place Match
Tye Youngblood (McCallie) 5-1, over Allan Beattie (Kiski School) 4-2.(Pin 2:42)
5th Place Match
Shane Burkholder (St. Paul’s LA) 3-2, over Gavin Lawrence (Darlington) 4-3. (Pin 0:47)

Sonnen and Bisping is the kind of fight we used to wait months for. Two trash talking guys at the top of their game would have had PPV gold written all over it. Those were the days before the UFC entered a big money seven year deal with FOX. When Mark Munoz (who was scheduled to fight Sonnen) got hurt, the UFC was in a jam to fill its co main event spot for UFC on FOX 2. Munoz got hurt with just 11 days to go until fight night, which didn’t make UFC match maker Joe Silva’s job any easier.

For the short term the UFC got lucky because Bisping was already training to fight Damian Maia on the same card. A couple of phone calls later the fans ended up with quite a surprise, a dream match-up between two of the most hated guys in the game.

The fact that Sonnen vs. Bisping is put on free TV in the same week a proposed PPV card from Montreal gets cancelled due to “scheduling conflicts” tells you how different life must be for Zuffa.

UFC 145 had been scheduled for March in Montreal, but was cancelled after the UFC could not put together a decent main event. It’s easy for me to say the UFC should have postponed a fight between Bisping and Sonnen, but there are other factors involved. With less than two weeks until fight night most guys are in shape and want to fight. Having everything put on hold for another eight weeks is asking a lot of both fighters. I get that.

Still, Sonnen has as much buzz around him as any guy in the game and it’s impossible for me to believe the UFC hype machine would not have been running at full power getting people hyped up to see which loudmouth would get his ass kicked. My pitch to both guys would be simple. You are going to make a lot more money headlining in Montreal than you will in Chicago. Take some time to rest and then get back after it. You are a fighter, this is what you do.

Would Bisping/Sonnen set PPV buy records? Maybe not, but I’d bet a few bucks it would end up in the top 5 for 2012 as well as selling out the Bell Center in Montreal.

Instead, UFC 145 was cancelled and Bisping and Sonnen find themselves in a supporting role to the main event of Phil Davis against Rashad Evans.

I don’t blame Dana White for being excited about getting a deal done with FOX. The promotion during the MLB playoffs as well as last week’s NFL games is priceless, plus the programming on Fuel and FX has been excellent for the first month.

It doesn’t change the fact that White and the UFC have backed themselves into a corner by signing with FOX. FOX is used to getting the best from all of the leagues they sign deals with and it’s no different with the UFC. That’s why when Munoz gets hurt; we the fans ultimately win by getting Sonnen vs. Bisping on free TV.

Here is a bigger problem. There is almost no excitement for this card and we are less than a week away. It feels like nobody cares if they see Rashad Evans try to move one step closer to his long awaited showdown with Jon Jones and with only 11 days notice, Bisping/Sonnen didn’t have enough time to develop into a “must see” fight. Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit is another insane fight and we are just 10 days away from that. Are you counting the days down and locking in plans with friends for that one or are you like many who say “If I don’t see this one, I will see the next one”?

Last Friday we saw some great fights for the debut of UFC on FX. These are usually the kind of fights where friends are calling and texting me talking about what we just saw. How many texts did you get on Friday?  I got two, one of which was asking what time the fights started.

We haven’t even touched on dueling seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter” beginning in March. I feel like I do when watching my four year old boys rip through Christmas presents not paying attention to what they have, instead they are more concerned with what is next.

It’s OK for the UFC to boast about all the great fights they are putting on, but if a lot of those fights are getting lost in the shuffle does it really matter? White’s made a ton of money for himself and his company by always staying a step ahead of everyone else and for that he deserves the benefit of the doubt. It just seems like the risk is starting to catch up with the reward.

follow me on twitter @jpdotseth

I’ve interviewed Dan plenty of times, but I still have no idea how to describe the relationship between Henderson and White. If you watch Dana on TV he likes to play the bad ass. In contrast, Henderson is one of the nicest guys you will meet but can also be a major league ball breaker.

I think Dan likes picking on Dana because of the attitude White shows when he is front of the camera. Think about it, did you ever see Henderson make a joke at the expense of Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker? I never did. Still, Henderson needs to remember that Dana White is the boss and if the boss calls asking for a favor, I think most of us are going to do that favor ESPECIALLY if we just came back from Strikeforce.

White needs a main event for UFC 145 taking place March 24^th in Montreal. With options limited due to injuries and the need to fill a whopping 34 cards in 2012, White turned to Henderson. Wouldn’t you have loved to see White’s expression when Hendo said no?

When we spoke with Dan last week on “Clinch Gear Radio” he made the point that the fans are not interested in seeing him fight Nogueira and I agree with Dan on that point. Nogueira has been on the downside of his career going just 2-2 in his last 4 fights. If you look at Nogueira’s record, prior to beating an over-the-hill Tito Ortiz at UFC 140, his last major win was a knockout over Alistair Overeem back in July 2006.

Dan also said he told White he would be willing to face Nogueira in a 3 round fight (instead of the UFC’s new dumb rule that every main event will be 5 rounds) but White said no. So here we sit just about 8 weeks out with no main event for UFC 145 and no fight for Henderson.

What’s been made clear over the past week is the fans agree with Henderson and don’t feel there is a need for Dan at this stage of his career to take fights that don’t matter. While White’s history shows he listens to the fans via twitter and other social media outlets, I just have a weird feeling Dan could be headed to the end of the bench for a long time.

Light heavyweight is a pretty deep division for the UFC. You have Rashad Evans and Jon Jones as well as newcomers Alexander Gustafsson, Phil Davis and Ryan Jimmo all of whom could pose a strong challenge to Jones. Mix in former champs “Shogun” Rua and “Rampage” Jackson and the wait could get long for Henderson.

I’m not crazy, I know fans want to see if Jones can handle an “H-Bomb” and would riot in the streets if Jimmo got a title shot ahead of Henderson. I’m just saying the UFC has options outside of the former Strikeforce champ and if they want to punish Dan by making him wait, they do have challengers standing by. If Davis beats Evans next week in Chicago, “Mr Wonderful” could jump ahead of Dan.

Henderson has fought 37 times without my advice and I know he isn’t looking for it here. I just hope the decision he made last week pays off big instead of leaving the poker loving Henderson with no chips left to play.

2012 Clinch Gear Battle for the Belt Individual Champions

Clovis HS, 2012 Clinch Gear Battle for the Belt Team Champions

Isaiah Martinez, Lemoore HS, Champion of Champions

Photo credits: Photos John Sachs courtesy of www.tech-fall.com

Clovis High School (Intermat #3, Clinch Gear National HS Team Rankings #5, TheCaliforniaWrestler.com #1) stormed to the team points lead during the semi-final round and never looked back, advancing six wrestlers to the finals. The Cougars finished the grueling two-day tournament with three champions, nine total medalists and 272.5 team points.

Poway High School (Intermat #18, Clinch Gear National HS Team Rankings #18, TheCaliforniaWrestler.com #2) finished a distant second in the team standings with 203 team points. The Titans had one finalist and eight placewinners.

Bakersfield High School (Intermat #22, Clinch Gear National HS Team Rankings Honorable Mention, TheCaliforniaWrestler.com #3) finished third in the Clinch Gear Battle for the Belt team race with 150.5 team points. The Drillers had three individual champions and four placers, as well as a fourth finalist representing the Bakersfield “B” squad.

Defending California state champion Johnson Mai (Intermat #5, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #3) of North Torrance won the title at 106, recording a technical fall over the state’s fifth-ranked wrestler, Angel Velasquez of Central Catholic. Mai earned the Lower Weight MVP award with four falls and two technical falls. St. John Bosco’s freshman phenom, Zahid Valencia (Intermat #1, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #2), did not compete.

At 113, returning California state runner-up Isaiah Locsin (Intermat #4, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #7) of Live OakHS, ranked second in the state, defeated fifth-ranked Joseph Dominguez of St. John Bosco by a 5-0 score to capture the championship. Micah Perez (Intermat #9, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #8) of Central Union, a junior currently ranked third in the state, did not compete.

Clovis HS brothers Jonas and Daniel Gaytan each moved up a weight class and took home the belts at 120 and 126, respectively. Jonas is currently the state’s top-ranked wrestler at 113, while Daniel, a returning California state champion, is ranked second at 120.

Righetti’s Josh Rodriguez, the state’s second-ranked wrestler at 126 and the Clinch Gear Battle for the Belt top seed, placed third. Second seed Connor Pollock of Folsom, ranked third in the state, finished in third.

St. John Bosco freshman standout Anthony Valencia, ranked first in the state at 126, claimed the title at 132, shutting out third-ranked Martin Ramirez of Elk Grove, 7-0. Ramirez placed third in the 2011 California CIF State Championships. Poway’s Victor Lopez, ranked sixth in the state, beat returning Nevada 4A state champion Zack Perry of Green Valley in the third place match.

It was an all-Bakersfield HS affair at 138, as Natrelle Demison (Intermat #11, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #14), ranked second in California, bested teammate Micah Cruz. Ranked fifth at 132, Cruz wrestled up a weight and represented the Drillers’ “B” team. It was Demison’s third career Battle for the Belt title.

Fifth-seeded Luke Wilson of Righetti pulled off the upset win at 145 over Bakersfield’s Maxx Ramirez, the state’s fourth-ranked wrestler, recording a fall just 24 seconds into the first period.

Lemoore junior Isaiah Martinez (Intermat #3, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #2), a returning state champion who is currently ranked first at 152, defeated Del Oro’s Austin Branum, the state’s third-ranked wrestler, by technical fall, 23-8. It was the third consecutive Clinch Gear Battle for the Belt title for Martinez, who was named the tournament’s Champion of Champions.Second seed Coleman Hammond (Intermat #6, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #6) was injured in the quarterfinal round and withdrew from the tournament.

Two Nevada standouts squared off at 160, with Spring Valley’s Ray Waters, a 2011 4A runner-up at 152, pinning Green Valley’s Ryder Newman, a 2011 4A state champion at 145, in the third period to claim the Clinch gear Battle for the Belt championship. Clovis’ Adrian Salas, ranked third in the California, was upset in the second round but came back to place third.

The 170 final pitted two nationally ranked wrestlers, Zach Nevills (Intermat #2, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #4) of Clovis versus Bakersfield’s Silas Nacita (Intermat #18, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #15), who are also ranked first and second in the California, respectively. Nacita, who lost to Nevills in the third-place match at the 2011 California CIF State Championships, turned the table with a 5-3 victory. Poway’s Connor King (Intermat #19, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #17) placed fifth.

At 182, California’s fifth ranked Kyle Pope of Bakersfield narrowly defeated third-ranked Ryan Davies of Clovis to capture the tourney belt. Sixth-ranked Jon Wixom of Chaparral HS finished third.

In the 195 division, Bucknell-bound Robert Marchese (Intermat #11) recorded two falls, a tech fall, a major decision and two decisions to earn the Upper Weight MVP award. Marchese, the state’s top-ranked wrestler, beat number three-ranked Dakota Gordon of Clovis in the final, 3-1. Bellarmine’s Danny Chaid, ranked fourth in the state, finished third.

De La Salle senior Justin Walker, ranked second in California at 195, claimed the Clinch Gear Battle for the Belt title at 220 with a 3-1 victory over Elk Grove’s Josh Letuligasenoa, who upset third-ranked Richard Durr of Poway in the semi-finals.

At 285, Clovis sophomore Nick Nevills (Intermat #5, Clinch Gear National HS Rankings #5), ranked first in the state, notched a 3-2 win over’s sixth-ranked senior Robert Chismof Downey.

The 2012 Clinch Gear Battle for the Belt is one of just 21 high school events nationwide to earn the prestigious FloNationals Major designation, welcoming over 60 top high school wrestling teams from throughout California, Colorado & Nevada.

Final Team Standings:

1. Clovis 272.5
2. Poway 203
3. Bakersfield 150.5
4. Lemoore 129
5. Righetti 112
6. Green Valley 108
7. Sultana 105
8. Chico 104.5
9. Spring Valley 101
10. St. John Bosco 98

Individual Results:

106: Mai Johnson, North Torrance def. Angel Velasquez, Central Catholic, TF 18-3
113: Isaiah Locsin, Live Oak def. Joseph Dominguez, St. John Bosco, 5-0
120: Jonas Gaytan, Clovis def. Josh Miranda, Poway, 2-1
126: Daniel Gaytan, Clovis def. Evan McKirdy, Del Norte, 4-1
132: Anthony Valencia, St. John Bosco def. Martin Ramirez, Elk Grove, 7-0
138: Natrelle Demison, Bakersfield def. Micah Cruz, Bakersfield “B”, 12-3
145: Luke Wilson, Righetti def. Maxx Ramirez, Bakersfield, F 0:24
152: Isaiah Martinez, Lemoore def. Austin Branum, Del Oro, TF 23-8
160: Ray Waters, Spring Valley def. Ryder Newman, Green Valley, F 5:18
170: Silas Nacita, Bakersfield def. Zach Nevills, Clovis, 5-3
182: Kyle Pope, Bakersfield def. Ryan Davies, Clovis, 2-1
195: Robert Marchese, Oak Hills def. Dakota Gordon, Clovis, 3-1
220: Justin Walker, De La Salle def. Josh Letuligasenoa, Elk Grove, 3-1
285: Nick Nevills, Clovis def. Robert Chism, Downey, 3-2

Individual Awards:

Lower Weight MVP: Johnson Mai, North Torrance
Upper Weight MVP: Robert Marchese, Oak Hills
Champion of Champions: Isaiah Martinez, Lemoore

Between the referees and the judges, I’m not sure who had a tougher night. Dana White has always said he feels Herb Dean is the best referee in MMA. I’ve always wondered if White truly believes this, or intends it as a shot at “Big” John McCarthy who had a falling out with White a few years back.

White will not allow announcer Bruce Buffer to refer to McCarthy as “Big John”. Listen the next time the UFC has a card in California; you will hear Buffer almost whisper “your referee is John McCarthy”.

Getting back to Dean, I think Herb usually does a great job. How many times have I written what he told us on Clinch Gear Radio…”A good referee is one who stops a fight a punch too early as opposed to a punch too late”.

I wish Herb would have followed his own advice Saturday as he let a helpless Keith Jardine take punch after punch from Luke Rockhold when “The Dean of Mean” was clearly out and no longer able to defend himself. It was scary to see live and watching the replay of the Showtime broadcast it was obvious Mauro Ranallo felt the same way I did.

As bad as Dean was, he wasn’t even the worst referee working. That honor would go to Kim Winslow. White has always complained about the work of Steve Mazzagatti, calling Mazzagatti “The worst referee in the sport” any chance he gets. I wonder if the UFC president will change his vote after sitting ringside and watching Winslow allow “King Mo” Lawal  to land 15 unanswered punches to the face of Lorenz Larkin before finally stepping in.

Winslow is the same ref who a year ago let an over-matched Jan Finney answer the bell for the second round against Cris “Cyborg” Santos when it was clear the beaten up Finney had no shot to win the fight.

This was supposed to be a big weekend for Strikeforce as they hosted their first card of the year on a weekend where Showtime was being provided by most cable and satellite providers for free. You have to wonder how many people decided to check MMA out for the first time. Luckily, Larkin and Jardine are OK, but I hope someone from the NSAC sits down with both to review the tapes and ask them what the hell they were waiting for.

The judges assigned for the night of fights also had their problems. Most of the people in attendance believed James Terry did enough to defeat Nah Shon Burell. Not NSAC’s finest who awarded Burell the victory. Burell’s corner men were heard telling people backstage “we stole that one”.

One judge gave Tarec Saffiedine all three rounds of his back and forth battle with Tyler Stinson. The always classy Saffiedine questioned this afterwards saying he believed Stinson had done enough to win the first.

The worst call of the night was the judge who thought Jordan Mein (who spent all three rounds on his back after being taken down) had done enough to beat Tyron Woodley. Woodley used his superior wrestling skills to dominate Mein over the course of the fight.

I’m pretty sure Glen Trowbridge was the ONLY person in Vegas who thought Mein won the fight.

Like I said for the most part the NSAC does a solid job of making sure qualified people are assigned to work the fights. Saturday night (in front of a national TV audience) was not one of those nights. Let’s hope they are better the next time before somebody gets seriously hurt.

People couldn’t get on twitter or facebook fast enough to post messages making fun of the former champ. I’ve never understood why there is so much animosity towards a guy who retires with a 4-3 record. Lesnar walks away with wins over Heath Herring, Frank Mir, Randy Couture and Shane Carwin.

That’s it. Outside of Couture no real fan favorites in the group so the hatred can’t be based here. It also can’t be based on his lifestyle. Lesnar’s not a guy you see getting out of limos in front of the hottest clubs, he is a guy who says his life consisted of just three things; family, fighting and training. Seems like the same message we hear from Dan Henderson, but the two guys couldn’t be further apart when it comes to popularity.

Is it his fighting style? Win or lose most of his fights featured a ton of action and his last two saw Lesnar take some monster shots before the fights were called. His walks to the octagon provided some of the loudest responses in UFC history.

I was in Anaheim when the Ducks won the NHL’s Stanley Cup championship in 2007. Honda Center was as loud as any building I’ve ever been in as the Ducks skated around with the cup hoisted high. It was pretty cool to be there, just as it was in October of 2010 when Cain Velasquez knocked out Lesnar to become the UFC heavyweight champion. I’m not kidding when I saw it was louder for Lesnar’s walkout then it was for the Ducks. The noise ringing in my ears wasn’t boos, it was cheers. Yes, there were boos mixed in and with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” pounding through the loudspeakers it was tough to decipher what was what, but believe me there were more cheers than boos.

How can you not appreciate a guy who survived a surgery in which a foot of his colon was removed? It became obvious early that Lesnar may look the same, but physically he was no longer able to take shots to the body and that was in the end his downfall. Overeem was too big and too strong for Lesnar and those shots to his surgically repaired midsection did incredible damage.

Sorry, I like the guy and I am sorry to see him go. There was energy around Lesnar that is different than any other current fighter outside of maybe Nick Diaz.  Maybe people considered Lesnar a bully and they were happy to see him get beat up. He didn’t come across as a bully during his time as a coach on “The Ultimate Fighter” in fact he was just the opposite. He looked a guy who even with limited experience had the skills and knowledge to make some of the young fighters better.

Does Lesnar belong in the Hall of Fame? No, but he is definitely a guy who made a mark in the sport. The UFC will never open their books but I’d be willing to bet Lesnar is top 5 in PPV and merchandise buys. Maybe you think that shouldn’t matter to us, but I guarantee Dana White is sorry to see him go. Lesnar may not have been able to beat the guys at the top of the heavyweight division but coming back from diverticulitis is the biggest win of his career and for that he deserves your applause not boos.

Like a lot of you I love the NFL but I forgot about the experience of talking to your average fan. The word “sucks” comes out of their mouth 3-4 times in each sentence.

“Hey Guys, I just want to say that our GM sucks, and he hired a coach that sucks, so now our team sucks! Thanks for letting me on the air, Merry Christmas!”

Wednesday I go back to hosting “Clinch Gear Radio” with Stephen Quadros and I honestly can’t remember a time in the past year where we ever took a call like the one above.

We get plenty of calls from fans who may not like a fighter, or are disappointed in a fight they laid out $55.00 to watch, but the majority of the callers are actually very nice.

It just makes me laugh that a sport that gets so much bad publicity has the most well spoken fans. I’m not blowing smoke, you can go listen to any of our past shows and you will agree. Maybe it’s because I host the show with “The Fight Professor” so people think they need to be on their best behavior, but I don’t think so.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people that criticize the sport without giving it a chance or taking the time to learn a little about the fighters themselves.

The NBA during the finals is OK, but I would rather wash your car then watch the Golden State Warriors play a regular season game, because it’s boring. It’s about as exciting as watching my neighbor throw away a bag of trash. I have been to plenty of games, met players and coaches who were good guys but it still doesn’t appeal to me as a fun way to spend any night of the week.

I have a buddy of mine who finally decided to watch a UFC fight after hearing me talk about how cool the sport was for years. No joke, the ONLY fight he has seen start to finish is the Frank Mir vs. Minotauro Nogueira fight from UFC 140. You know, the fight that ended when Mir snapped “Big Nog’s” arm!

I tried to explain that isn’t the norm, but it didn’t matter he was one and done. It’s OK at least he gave it a shot and the fight probably gave him a nightmare or two so it worked out in the end!

All kidding aside, it’s hard for me to believe any skeptic would not have enjoyed recent fights between Ben Henderson and Clay Guida as well as the epic battle between Dan Henderson and “Shogun” Rua.

These were two completely different styles of fights that were filled with drama and excitement, just like a great NFL game. Anytime I get a chance to be on the radio I will do it, but give me Lesnar vs. Overeem instead of “What do the Lakers do Now?” any day of the week. Happy New Year Everybody!

Remember as a kid watching your favorite sports stars in action? What was your natural response? You grabbed a ball and bat then headed outside trying to mimic what we just saw. That usually led to playing little league baseball or Pop Warner football. I’m not just talking to the guys, the girls on my block played every sport we did and were usually pretty damn good.

I would imagine plenty of you played high school sports and some may even have played in college. We were chasing a dream and having a great time doing it.

What girl watched Strikeforce on Saturday night and said “I want to do that”! “I want to fight “Cyborg”!?  Maybe some said they wanted to fight LIKE “Cyborg”, I doubt anyone wanted to be next in line for the featherweight champ. Hamanaka got crushed just as Jan Finney and so many others before her did. Ronda Rousey may have been smiling and waving at ringside, but do we really believe the former Olympian is in a hurry to face Santos at this stage of her career? Rousey has had just 4 professional fights and 3 amateur matches, winning all of them in under a minute.  She has been impressive and I get it that you have to be pretty good to have the success worldwide that Rousey has had. Still, I would have sat there quietly hoping Santos left the cage without seeing me.

When asked in her post fight interview about a possible showdown with Rousey, the champ simply said “she talks too much”. Uh-oh. I think the results are bad enough with a happy champion; I don’t want to see what goes down when she enters the cage in a bad mood.

Maybe Rousey is able to tap out the champion as she has done her previous 7 opponents. Maybe she catches Santos charging in, takes the fight to the mat and executes an Armbar to win the title. That’s the scenario Strikeforce officials have to be praying for. Rousey is an excellent fighter, but Santos looks unstoppable right now.

What happens if Santos beats Rousey in the same manner she has defeated world class fighters like Gina Carano and Marloes Coenen? Who does she fight next? Scott Coker the former head of Strikeforce said last week that fighters are dropping down to 135 to avoid Santos. That isn’t good.

When asked his thoughts on women’s MMA, UFC president Dana White has always said the same thing; ”There are some good fighters, just not enough to fill out a division”. If fighters are cutting an extra 10 pounds to avoid a possible beat-down at the hands of Santos, how does that help the long term future of the sport?

Forget about the talk of Santos fighting a man. That is never going to happen. The UFC has enough fires to put out without starting a massive one promoting a fight between a man and a woman.

If you are a young male fighter you try to work your way up the ladder and hope to get a shot in the UFC. If you are a young female fighter you could find yourself in Bellator or Strikeforce pretty quickly due to the lack of quality fighters. If you weigh 135 pounds you could someday face Miesha Tate, Sara Kaufman or Coenen. All excellent fighters, but not the wrecking machine Santos is.

Yamanaka was a 9-1 underdog Saturday night who fought like a 99-1 underdog. Fights are great when you have no idea how they are going to play out. Most of us expected a short night, but I’m not sure anybody saw the fight ending in less than 20 seconds. Yamanaka was in the midst of an 8 fight win streak and had an overall record of 12-1. While all of her previous fights took place in Japan, she was expected to give Santos a good challenge. She didn’t.

If I am Sean Shelby (matchmaker for Strikeforce) I make the Rousey/Santos fight right now.  Rousey is the only viable challenge and people want to see the fight. I then pray for a Rousey win to set up not only a rematch, but hopefully to encourage more quality fighters to enter the 145lb division.

Look at the lightweight division. You have 7/10 guys spread out over the UFC, Strikeforce and even Bellator that put together make excellent fights. That’s what we need for the women as well. Start with 5 fighters and work up from there. It generates buzz and keeps the women a major part of the sport. Anymore 16 second blowouts and the buzz goes away replaced by memories.

I am a big fan of Cris Santos, and it was great to see her live, it doesn’t change the fact I think she needs to lose and lose fast if women’s MMA has any chance to survive.

Jones is the total package for the UFC. He is at the top of the pound for pound list, looks like a movie star and is an excellent interview. Dana White knows better than anyone how quickly titles change hands in this sport, so he is going to get the most out of Jones.

Jones talked about taking some time off after defeating Lyoto Machida Saturday night. I can’t imagine how mentally draining his schedule had to be the past couple of weeks. Add in the fact he has fought “Shogun” Rua, “Rampage” Jackson and now Machida in his last three fights, the kid has earned a vacation.

That would be fine in a normal UFC but with GSP and Silva hurt and pay per views needing to be sold, I would expect Jones back in the octagon this spring.

His fight at UFC 140 came exactly 11 weeks after he defeated Jackson. When you consider most guys at this level use 6/8 weeks to get prepared, that didn’t leave Jones a lot of time to recharge the battery.

With money making fights against Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans coming in 2012, the road doesn’t get any easier.

Another piece to this puzzle was exposed Saturday night. Machida had a pretty decent first round before getting choked out in the second. During the course of that first round, Machida cracked Jones with a couple of hard punches. The look on Jones face made it clear that the champ didn’t enjoy the experience.

Most people don’t enjoy getting punched in the face, but it is one of the job skills required if you are going to be a champion in the UFC. Watching Jones grimace made me think of Roger Gracie. Gracie was having great success in his brief Strikeforce career winning his first 4 fights via submission. There was talk of Gracie getting a shot at the light heavyweight belt if he was able to get by King Mo.

There was only one problem. King Mo came to fight and as soon as he landed a huge shot to the side of Gracie’s head, the man with the famous last name couldn’t find a soft place to land fast enough. He was done and the mystique ended.

There was a pretty good documentary about former NFL quarterback Todd Marinovich on ESPN this weekend. Marinovich stated that after winning a big game for the LA Raiders during his rookie season, he lost his desire for football and was ready to move on to other challenges.

Marinovich had bigger issues that luckily are not a problem for Jones, but I don’t think “Bones” is a “lifer” when it comes to fighting. When I say “lifer” I’m talking about guys like Nick Diaz who will probably still be fighting when he’s 50, I wonder if Jones will still be fighting when he is 30.

If there’s ever a guy that the saying “the world is your oyster” applies to, it’s Jones. Why would you want to keep up the crazy schedule, the weight cuts, the punches to the head when there are careers screaming your name that pay more money without all the hassle?

Jones had a look on his face Saturday night that we haven’t seen before. Maybe he beats Henderson and Evans and challenges Anderson Silva’s record for most successful title defenses. He might, but I am not betting on it. I think Dan Henderson is going to land one of those massive right hands and Jon Jones (like Roger Gracie) is going down and out.

Out as light heavyweight champion and out of the rat race the UFC has put him in over the past 12 months.

You have to be of a different mindset to last in this game. Guys like Liddell, Diaz, Henderson, Silva (Anderson and Wanderlei) have that mindset and maybe Jones does too, I just think his reign will end sooner than later.

THAT FIGHT WAS STOPPED WAAAAAY TOO EARLY!- I heard this twice last week. I heard it first during The Ultimate Fighter finale in the fight between John Dodson and TJ Dillashaw and I also heard it in regards to the boxing match between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. Let’s start with the Dillashaw fight which I admit was a crazy ending. Dodson landed a forearm right above Dillashaw’s ear knocking him to the mat. At that point Dodson pounced and landed a couple of more punches before Herb Dean stepped in and called off the fight.

For as many fights as we fans watch during any given week, Herb Dean probably works twice that number. He is the guy Dana White called “The best in the business”. If Herb Dean says TJ has had enough that’s good enough for me. Dean is a former fighter, and has been in the cage for hundreds if not thousands of fights. He knows what to look for, what the warning signs are that a guy is truly hurt. I remember when Herb joined us on Clinch Gear Radio a couple of months back. When talking about what makes a good referee, Herb said “The guys who stop a fight one punch early instead of one punch too late”. TJ Dillashaw will fight again. I’m sure his pride was hurt, but other than that he will be fine. That may not have been the case had Dean let Dodson continue his assault. Joe Rogan mentioned  Dillashaw was on very shaky legs when he got up off the mat

In regards to the boxing match, Margarito’s fans have been crying for the past couple of days about his fight with Cotto being stopped after the 9^th round. Keep in mind that their hero was down by at least 5 points on all judges’ scorecards, and his surgically repaired right eye was swollen shut. They are mad because he wasn’t carried out on his shield. I like Margarito because he never stops talking and his comments after the fight were very funny. That doesn’t change the fact he had no chance to come back and win that fight. Let’s hope the damage done to his right eye is not too severe. “The Tijuana Tornado” is good for boxing and I hope the doctor’s decision to stop the fight allows him to fight again down the road.

Here is another stupid thing I hear all the time…

_________ has already beat________ so there is no reason for them to fight again.

Spoken like a true fan. A fan that forgets it may be called the fight “game” but it’s very much a business and when done right a very profitable business. You can fill in the blanks with hundreds of names on each side, and admittedly there are times when the above statement would be true. It does not apply to Anderson Silva though when talking about rematches with Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson. I’m biased as a friend of Dan’s so for this blog I will focus strictly on Sonnen. When I hear Silva’s camp (and fans) saying there is no reason for a rematch I just laugh. Sonnen was cruising to an easy victory when he made one mistake allowing Silva to retain his title. It was a perfect example of how easy things can change in an MMA fight. That is reason enough for a rematch. Was Sonnen lucky? Was his performance for 4 ½ rounds a fluke? Was the champ sick or injured? Let’s match them up again and find out.  The other part of the puzzle is by far the biggest piece and that is the trash talking abilities of Sonnen. Ever since that night in Oakland, Sonnen has been talking and talking in an attempt to get a rematch. When he grabbed the mike at UFC 136 in Houston and said….”Anderson Silva…you absolutely suck!!”  The crowd went crazy.  Do we need every contender in the UFC grabbing the mike and acting the same way? Of course not, but in this case it works. It makes us want to see the rematch and it makes Dana White and the rest of the UFC see nothing but dollar signs. If this fight is held in Brazil, it will be the single largest gate in UFC history. Silva is a hero in Brazil and Sonnen will have no trouble wearing the black hat as he rides in to town to get the title he believes is his.

For people to say this fight doesn’t need to happen is crazy. Do you really think Dana White is going to let that fight slip through the cracks? No chance.  Go look at the middleweight division at UFC.com and tell me two names you would pay $55.00 to watch Silva fight.  Alan Belcher?  You want to see Silva fight Ed Herman? Both are tough guys that I always enjoy watching fight, but I’m not paying $55.00 to see them fight “The Spider” and Dana White knows it.

It’s great to talk s**t with your buddies while having a couple of beers watching the fights, I’m just saying its even better when you know what the hell you are talking about.