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Pollock’s POV: Who’s The Strangest Of ‘Em All?

by John Pollock, JarryPark.com contributor

When you interview people on a daily basis such as we do on Fight Network Radio and Ariel Helwani does on Jarry Park and MMARated.com, you’re going to have some gems, you’re going to have some duds and you’re going to have ones that are just insane!

This week, I take a look at some of the stranger guests in Fight Network Radio’s one-year history!

And I’ll throw it out to the Jarry Park nation: What is the strangest combat sports-related interview you have ever heard?

Tyson?

Hogan?

Mayhem Miller?

Let us know!

Pollock’s POV: Who’s The Strangest Of ‘Em All?

You can hear much more from John Pollock weekdays at 3 p.m. ET on Fight Network Radio on Sirius channel 186 or via Hardcoresportsradio.com not to mention every Sunday evening at 11 p.m. ET on Live Audio Wrestling.

Posted in The Fight Network | 2 Comments »

MMARated Radio: The Misrepresentation of Jeremy May?

It wasn’t quite Gabe Ruedieger-esque but Jeremy May’s behavior on last week’s episode TUF 7 was quite the controversial one. Actually, maybe controversial isn’t the right word…annoying might be more accurate.

So, why did he pour lime juice in Matt Brown’s dip anyways? And why did the rest of the cast appear to be rooting against him?

We reached out to May to get some answers to these questions and the responses we got were pretty interesting.

For example, the guy we spoke to on the phone seemed completely different than the one portrayed on television. Now, that might have to do with the fact that he realized how poorly he came off on television and is now trying to change his persona but, regardless, it still seemed like a different guy.

Other topics we spoke to May about included:

– The mistakes he made against Matt Brown

– His lack of cardio in the fight

– The way he was portrayed on the show

– What prompted him to pour lime juice in Brown

– His thoughts on some of his cast members

– Did he enjoy the experience of being on a reality show?

– Was he happy with the coaching he received?

– How did he end up on the show in the first place?

LISTEN TO THE JEREMY MAY INTERVIEW HERE 

Posted in Interview, Jeremy May, MMA, The Ultimate Fighter | No Comments »

MMARated Radio: The Week’s End Update

Here’s the latest and greatest from MMARated Radio: Each and every Friday we’ll be inviting another member of the MMA media to discuss the week that was and the weekend ahead in the sport we love so dearly.

Today, we kick things off with the uber-talented Ben Fowlkes of cagepotato.com and si.com to talk about a number of different topics:

* Changes in the IFL

* Is there any reason to watch Cage Rage 26?

* The legend that is Ross Pointon

* Will Nick Diaz actually fight for DREAM this weekend?

* Why would Elite XC even allow him to fight on their card in the first place?

* Can this be DREAM’s best offering yet?

* The case for Sean Sherk

* The Kimbo Slice article in ESPN The Magazine

* Bas Rutten’s reaction to the article

* Fowlkes’ take on Kimbo vs. Thompson

LISTEN TO THE WEEK’S END UPDATE

Posted in Interview, MMA | No Comments »

Nate Quarry To Replace Chris Leben At UFC 84?

Last week, I was tipped off by a reliable source that Nate Quarry was being considered as a replacement for Chris Leben should his legal troubles get worse. Well, I think it’s officially safe to say that Leben’s problems have worsened.

MMAMania.com is reporting that Leben was sentenced today to 35 days in jail. Here are the details:

““The Crippler” turned himself in to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in Portland, Oregon, on April 30 because of an old Driving Under the Influence (DUI) probation violation.

MORE

Posted in Chris Leben, MMA, Nate Quarry, UFC | No Comments »

MMARated.com: A Tough Pill To Swallow For Luke Zachrich

Luke Zachrich is coming off a disappointing, yet spirited, loss to Dan Cramer on last night’s edition of “The Ultimate Fighter” and I can’t help but feel a little bad for him a day later.

You see, Zachrich’s fight was nudged right after the whole Matt Brown-Jeremy May battle with little fanfare, hype or buildup. Now we probably won’t hear much about him for the rest of the show (unless, of course, he returns as an injury replacement which is quite possible).

Regardless, he was kind enough to sit down with us today and was quite honest and sincere throughout the interview. Highlights include:

* His thoughts on the fight

* His lack of conditioning in the fight

* Would he have done anything differently

* The way he was portrayed on the show

* The fact that his fight came right after the Brown-May bout

* Does he regret doing the show in the first place?

* Will we see him in the UFC following the conclusion of the show?

Again, Zachrich had some very interesting things to say about the whole TUF experience. Definitely worth checking out.

LISTEN TO THE LUKE ZACHRICH INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM

Posted in Interview, Luke Zachrich, MMA, The Ultimate Fighter | No Comments »

Kurt Angle To Appear In New Spike Show

Our old friend Kurt Angle (shhh don’t tell TNA Wrestling that we are friends) has been tabbed to host a new original series for Spike TV. Here are the particulars courtesy of Variety.com:

“Sharon Levy, senior VP of original series for Spike TV, said that the network has signed Kurt Angle, the TNA champion, to become host of “Caught in the Action,” a hidden-camera show.”

First off, doesn’t Variety know Angle dropped the strap to Samoa Joe at the last PPV. Sheesh, get with it Hollywood.

In all seriousness, though, it’s nice to see Angle land a gig outside of wrestling. We all knew he’s had serious aspirations of spreading his wings outside the wrestling world and this appears to be a step in the right direction.

The following short film that I wrote for him, on the other hand, was not.

Kurt Angle Action Short

Posted in Kurt Angle | 2 Comments »

MMARated.com: Opportunity Knocks For Jon Murphy

“Hey, young fighter! Yeah, you with six fights under your belt. Listen up, I know your last fight was in August and I know you’re recovering from shoulder surgery but, forget all that, I have the proposition of a lifetime for you. How would you like to fight on the televised portion of Elite XC’s debut on CBS. You’ll be sharing the stage with the likes of Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, Robbie Lawler and Phil Baroni. Sounds like the deal of the century for someone in your shoes, right?”

You’re damn right it does and that’s exactly the spot Jon Murphy has been placed in. Murphy is getting ready to face Brett Rogers in a heavyweight swing bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, on May 31st that is unlikely to last very long. If you ask me, the ten or so fighters, including Murphy, that are assured a spot on the CBS card are probably the luckiest MMA fighters around.

Without a doubt, they have a chance to propel this sport into full mainstream acceptance by simply doing what they do best. Furthermore, score a big knockout or slick submission and you’re guaranteeing a spot for yourself in MMA for at least the next couple of of years.

We caught up with Murphy to talk about the most important fight of his life:

* How did he feel when he found out he would be fighting on the televised card

* The responsibilities that come with it

* His mindset going into the bout

* What he’s expecting from Brett Rogers

* The health status of his shoulder

* Losing back-to-back fights in 2007 including a loss to Houston Alexander

* What he learned from that experience

* His contract situation with Elite XC

* Why he cut off all his hair

All that and much more from a fellow Syracuse University student and a heavyweight fighter that we may be talking about for years to come.

LISTEN TO THE JON MURPHY INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM 

Posted in Elite XC, Interview, Jon Murphy, MMA | No Comments »

MMARated.com: Do or Die for Joe Daddy?

Joe Stevenson was featured today on MMARated Radio. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

On his next fight:
“The way I look at it, I’m fighting for the title again in my head because to get another title shot, I got to beat Gleison (Tibau) and not just beat him in a close decision. I’ve got to go out there and finish him.”

On his loss to BJ Penn:
“I practiced to go into his power hand, his right, because I thought his left hook was more dangerous, and he never really throws his right. However, on this fight, I guess he was practicing his right hand a lot more according to his boxing coach and stuff.”

On BJ Penn’s greatness:
“To tell you the truth, in my book it goes, Dan, Randy, and then B.J. Those are all people that I, you know, work and want to aspire to be, so, honestly, he beat me on that day, and was in great shape and did a great job. I can’t take anything away from him.”

On Penn liking the blood off his gloves after the fight:
“I didn’t see it. I didn’t see that until after the fight and watching it on the videotape. I was pissed off for a minute it was like ‘oh you jerk!'”

All that as well as why he turned down a fight against Tyson Griffin and which non-UFC lightweight star would he love to fight next.

Posted in Interview, Joe Stevenson, MMA, UFC | No Comments »

Ali Sonoma To Appear On ABC’s “The Mole”

Without a doubt, MMA fans are a very “what have you done for me lately” kind of bunch. Betray their trust or put up a stinker and they may never forgive you. So, you can imagine my surprise when someone sent me a tip that former UFC Octagon girl Ali Sonoma would be appearing on the fifth season of ABC’s “The Mole.”

When Sonoma and the UFC parted ways at the end of 2007, she told everyone who would listen that she would be back in the limelight sooner rather than later. Of course, most believed that would be modeling at some car expo in Ohio. Au contraire, she has landed the biggest non-UFC gig of any Octagon girl.

I wish I could tell you what “The Mole” is but, sadly, I have never seen the show. That said, I have been able to gather this essential information:

* It airs on ABC

* It premieres on June 2, 2008

* This is its fifth season

* There are twelve contestants on the show

Oh, and the basic premise is that contestants will work together to complete various physical and mental challenges to build up a significant cash prize for the winner. One of them, however, is “the Mole,” a double agent hired by the producers to sabotage the efforts of the group.

READ THE REST OF THIS POST AT MMARATED.COM

Posted in Ali Sonoma, MMA | 1 Comment »

MMARated.com: Ryan McGivern Is Now The Hunted

It’s been almost a year since Ryan McGivern lost a hard-fought battle to Tim Kennedy via guillotine choke. Needless to say, McGivern then found himself at a crossroads in his career. After winning his first six professional fights, the Iowa-native lost five of his next nine including the submission loss to Kennedy.

His next test came in the form of Fabio Leopoldo – the man responsible for the second loss of his career. Thankfully for McGivern, he may have saved himself a job in the IFL by recording his first-ever knockout victory. He was waiting to find out which fighter he would face next when Tim Kennedy, scheduled to fight then-IFL middleweight champion Matt Horwich in February, was called into duty by the U.S. Military.

His replacement came in the form of our friend Ryan Mcgivern and a few weeks later the once struggling fighter was crowned the IFL’s new middleweight champion following a unanimous decision over Horwich.

His first title defense comes on May 16, against Dan Miller, winner of seven of his first nine fights (one no contest). For the first time in his career, McGivern now enters the ring with a bulls-eye on his back.

MMARated Radio caught up with McGivern to talk about a whole host of topics:

* What’s like being a champion?
* Has life changed?
* Has the IFL treated him any differently?
* His upcoming fight against Dan Miller?
* Will he enter the fight with a different mindset now that he is the champion?
* Filling in for Kennedy less than a month before the Horwich fight?
* The Horwich fight
* What he would like to accomplish in his career

LISTEN TO THE RYAN MCGIVERN INTERVIEW AT MMARATED.COM

Posted in Interview, MMA, Ryan McGivern | No Comments »