Just a few days away from the UFC on Versus 2 show and the anticipation is building.  In the main event, Jon "Bones" Jones takes on Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko.  Here's a preview video of the fight.

In his interview with MMAweekly, Aaron Simpson says that he is looking for answers.  But one of the answers Simpson ISN’T looking for is the real identity of the guy who killed his undefeated record.

Simpson fought Chris "The Crippler” Leben on June 19^th, 2010, as part of the UFC’s TUF 11 Finale. After taking Chris down early in round one, the rest of the fight was very Lebenesque, with Chris absorbing blows like a Brawny dishtowel and countering with gutsy flurries of schoolyard punishment.  The fight ended with about 45 seconds left in round two, after Simpson got into some trouble and appeared to stumble away from Leben’s accumulating face, face, face combinations.

Excellent article from Kountermove about leg lock finishes in MMA.  Enjoy!

Leg and foot locks are the red-headed step child of submissions. However, this was not always the case. The technique was used by traditional Jiu Jitsu schools in medieval Japan, North American Catch Wrestling, as well as in pre-World War II Judo. Then it fell onto hard times; Judo banned the ankle lock, Catch Wrestling faded from prominence. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu never actually banned ankle locks completely, but using them was considered crass and low-class.

At Kountermove we feel differently; we think leg locks deserve their due. So we decided to rank the top 15 leg locks of all time.

Interesting Kevin Iole article on Yahoo today, where he recalls Dana White's "vow" to cut Anderson Silva if the UFC MW champ has another "embarrassing" showing like the one he had against Demian Maia at UFC 112.

From the article:

He’ll also fight Chael Sonnen with the pressure of knowing that his boss vowed to cut him if he fails to perform or, more significantly, if he repeats his performance from UFC 112.

Now, it would be pretty bone-headed of the UFC to cut its champion, who is undefeated in the Octagon, with a record 7 title defenses, so it was probably Dana White just blowing off some smoke over his disappointment with Anderson's performances lately.  But like the NY Lottery, hey, you never know.

In a press release from Maximum Fighting Championship for their upcoming "MFC 26" show on September 10th, lightweight champion Antonio McKee was quoted with the following in regard to defending his belt against new challenger Luciano Azevedo:

“I’ve said before that I will fight differently but I was still cautious. Not anymore. I am going to destroy Azevedo … I will mess him up. If it goes to a decision, I will leave my gloves in the ring and walk away."

McKee is not exactly clear; but if he intends on retiring or taking any sort of drastic action if he's unable to finish Azevedo, he should consider how bold his statement really is.

When you set foot in your gym, what is the first thing you see? The treadmills?  Maybe it’s the elliptical machines?  Or perhaps it could be the circuit training machines? For some of us it might even be the smoothie bar.  What you may not notice at first glance in your gym is the collection of kettlebells that are hiding around there somewhere.  Unlike traditional dumbbells, the kettlebell allows for swing movements that are not possible with traditional dumbbells.  Because more muscle groups are utilized in the swinging motion of a kettlebell than during the lifting of dumbbells (particularly posterior chain and core muscles), a kettlebell workout is said to be more effective and gets better results in a shorter period of time (depending on training goals).  Much like the “skinny kid” in the gym, kettlebells sometimes go unnoticed.

What you may not know is that the kettlebells have actually been around for quite some time.  Originating over 300 years ago in Russia, the kettlebells were used to compare strength, endurance, and coordination.  As time progressed kettlebells were still never considered an “official” sport.  Russian men would show their abilities with kettlebells during city festivals.  Kettlebells finally got recognition as an official, regulated sport in 1985 and the sports’ popularity skyrocketed.  In November of 1985 the First National Championship of USSR was held in Lipetsk, Russia.  Kettlebells eventually made their way to America in the year 2000.  However, only in the last few years have these unique weights become extremely popular in many gyms around the country, and that popularity continues to rise.

Thiago Alves has wanted to avenge his loss to Jon Fitch ever since their encounter in 2006.  At UFC 117 on August 7th, he finally gets his chance.  And he says he's going to may Fitch pay every time Fitch misses a takedown.

The Pitbull, who we are proud to say is a big fan of this website, is coming off brain surgery to seperate a vein from an artery.  He's fully recovered and itching to get back in the Octagon and make a statement followin his loss to GSP at UFC 100 one year ago.

In the following video, he talks about the prospects of fighting Fitch a second time.

Chael Sonnen is not only a fighter, he's a real estate agent and a Republican with political aspirations.  These fine endeavors keep the UFC title contender busy, and he has no patience for fighters who say they train full time.

In an interview with Brawl Sports, Sonnen said: