UFC star wants to do a Pacman

MANILA, Philippines - Like Manny Pacquiao in boxing, Fil-Am Mark Munoz dreams of lording it over the octagon ring in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“He’s really a role model, I wanted to be a Manny Pacquiao in mixed martial arts,” said Munoz, one of the fast rising stars in the UFC with a 7-1 (win-loss) record.

“I’m a very, very huge fan of Manny,” said Munoz in a phone interview arranged for the media by television giant ABS-CBN and its sports cable channel Balls at the ELJ Building in Quezon City yesterday.

Munoz is coming off an impressive victory over Ryan Jensen, finishing off his rival in just two and a half minutes in the first round during their middleweight undercard bout in UFC108 Evans vs. Silva at the MGM Grand Arena last Sunday.

It was Munoz’s second straight win since beating Nick Catone via split decision in UFC102 Couture vs. Nogueira last August. Those victories more than made up for his disappointing loss to light heavyweight contender Matt Hamill in UFC96 Jackson vs. Jardine five months ago.


Munoz said he even went to Los Angeles, California – a three-hour drive from his hometown in Vallejo – to train under Freddie Roach for a UFC bout and meet the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

“I actually trained with Freddie Roach when I was in LA and the reason I want to train with him is that I want to see Manny while training under the world’s best trainer,” said Munoz.

“At the same time, I want to see how compassionate a role model he is because aside from boxing, he’s a very good person that’s why I wanted to see and meet him,” Munoz said.

Like all boxing fans, Munoz said he was disappointed that the superfight pitting Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been called off, saying the unbeaten American fighter was scared of the Filipino champion.

“I think Mayweather is scared. I think he is putting off to create a lot of drama, so to speak. But I think they’re going to make it a bigger fight right now,” said Munoz.

Source: Joey Villar  | Philstar.com

Fil-Am Muñoz wants to be ‘Manny Pacquiao’ of MMA

Up and coming Filipino-American mixed martial artist (MMA) Mark Muñoz is a self confessed Manny Pacquiao fan.

In fact, he wanted to be the Manny Pacquiao of MMA.

“[I’m a] huge [fan of Pacquiao]. Very very huge,” Muñoz said in a phone patch interview with several sports scribes in the Philippines.

“Actually, I trained with Freddie Roach when I was in LA. The reason why I wanted to train with Freddie is that I can see Manny.”

The 6-foot tall fighter known as the “Filipino Wrecking Machine” said he doesn’t just admire Pacquiao’s boxing skills but he also likes the boxer's down-to-earth attitude.

“I got to see him train and how he treats people,” said Muñoz, who already scored 2 wins in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). “He’s a very good role model aside from his boxing. He’s a very good person.”

“That’s what I wanted to be. I definitely wanted to be the Manny Pacquiao of mixed martial arts,” he added.

Muñoz broke into the MMA scene with two successive wins in the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) where he scored first-round victories over Chuck Grigsby and Ricardo Barrios.

Although he lost his fighting debut in the UFC to veteran MMA fighter Matt Hamill, he made it up by scoring two more victories over Nick Catone and Ryan Jensen.

‘Mayweather’s just scared’

When asked about the cancellation of Pacquiao’s bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Muñoz said the American boxer is only looking for excuses to postpone the fight.

“I think Mayweather is scared, I think he’s putting it off,” said the MMA fighter.

Muñoz, one of the many fight fans who wanted the mega-bout to happen, said the cancellation only made the Pacquiao-Mayweather clash bigger than it was.

“It’s actually a big fight, huge fight right now but I think they‘re gonna make it a bigger fight because now it wasn’t gonna happen so people are talking about it now. I think it’s gonna happen,” he said.

He also frowned over the demand by Mayweather’s camp to have Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing.

Muñoz said he is puzzled over the move to change the drug testing process that has been used in boxing for years and years.

“I think he’s just finding a reason to cancel the fight. I don’t like how it’s been carried out, I don’t like it at all,” he said.

Still, Muñoz wanted the fight to push through.

“It has to happen,” he said.

Source: Dennis Gasgonia  | abs-cbnnew.com

Dana White says Mayweather, Pacquiao have to fight

There was much to talk about when UFC President Dana White met with media members Wednesday following the pre-fight press conference for UFC 108.

White is known for sitting down with the media and shooting straight answers to any questions they may have leading up to an event. Here are some highlights from today's chat.

Mayweather and Pacquiao need to fight already

For those living under a rock, there is a proposed mega-fight between top pound-for-pound boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao on March 13 at the MGM Grand.

That fight has been placed in jeopardy, however, as Mayweather has called for his opponent to undergo Olympic-style drug testing, which includes drawing blood.

Pacquaio has refused to agree to Mayweather's terms and a stalemate has resulted.

White said Wednesday he hoped the fighters would give the fans the fight they want to see.

"At the end of the day, I want to see that fight," White said. "Come on; let's fight. My thing is, who is Floyd to ask (Pacquiao) to take a drug test? (Pacquiao) has never failed a drug test. Why would he agree to take the Olympic-style drug test? It's crazy."

About that Jake Rossen rant

White's latest video blog dedicated a decent chunk of time showing him on the phone ripping somebody over a recent column written by Sherdog.com writer Jake Rossen.

Rossen had seen the piece in Las Vegas Sun in which White said the sport would be the biggest in the world by 2020. Rossen disagreed with White's opinion and basically said that the sport had lost momentum in its effort to expand globally.

White was furious with the editorial, which also ran on ESPN.com. Wednesday he pointed to the UFC 108 card and said he couldn't wait for it to do well on pay-per-view and prove any critics of the event wrong.

"The media loves to write negative (expletive), that's what they love to do," White said. "I think you know some of the stuff that's been written has really pissed me off. It's so ridiculous. I can't wait for Saturday night, for these guys to shut everybody the (expletive) up."

Even the matchmaker is injured

The UFC 108 fight card has earned the reputation of being 'cursed', as so many of the fighters originally scheduled to compete Saturday have dropped out because of illness or injury.

It's gotten so bad, in fact, that White says UFC matchmaker Joe Silva somehow has fallen victim to the curse, recently tearing a knee ligament.

"This is so bad, Joe Silva blew out his MCL," White said. "It's so bad the matchmaker is down. I don't know how, but he blew it. He's got to have surgery."

Rashad needs to beat Silva to get to Rampage

One of the big story lines leading up to Saturday is that Rashad Evans would need a win over Thiago Silva in the main event to earn the right to face his heated rival, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson.

The two were supposed to meet in December until Rampage left the UFC to pursue an acting career.

It appears as though Rampage is back with the organization now, but the fight still won't happen if Evans falls to Silva.

If the fight were to happen, White said, it likely would go down in March.

"I was insane when that fight first fell apart, literally insane," White said. "I've kind of gotten over it now. Rashad has to win this fight and if he does we'll finally see it."

Expect news on Brock Lesnar soon

Word on whether UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will fight again should come in the next seven days, White said.

Lesnar was forced to pull out of a fight in November because of health concerns and has since received surgery on his intestines to fix the problem.

"We'll know this week," White said. "I think Brock is going to the doctor this week and we'll know whether it's over. It could be career-ending for him."

Hates Mazzagatti, loves Herb Dean

We all know that White doesn't approve of referee Steve Mazzagatti's presence on the Nevada State Athletic Commission's payroll, so we'll spare that rant.

One referee White is certainly a big fan of, however, is Herb Dean — although White says it took a valuable lesson for him to learn never to question Dean's decisions.

"One of the most embarrassing moments I've ever had was when Frank Mir broke Tim Sylvia's arm (at UFC 48 in 2004)," White said. "I didn't see it. Nobody saw it. Herb Dean saw it. I didn't see it until the replay, but by then I was already up running around, yelling at the commission and acting like a jackass.

"After I found out Sylvia's arm was broke, I was embarrassed. I don't say (expletive) now. When Herb Dean makes a call, 99 percent of the time he's dead on."

Source: Brett Okamoto  Las Vegas Sun

Dana White says Mayweather, Pacquiao have to fight

There was much to talk about when UFC President Dana White met with media members Wednesday following the pre-fight press conference for UFC 108.

White is known for sitting down with the media and shooting straight answers to any questions they may have leading up to an event. Here are some highlights from today's chat.

Mayweather and Pacquiao need to fight already

For those living under a rock, there is a proposed mega-fight between top pound-for-pound boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao on March 13 at the MGM Grand.

That fight has been placed in jeopardy, however, as Mayweather has called for his opponent to undergo Olympic-style drug testing, which includes drawing blood.

Pacquaio has refused to agree to Mayweather's terms and a stalemate has resulted.

White said Wednesday he hoped the fighters would give the fans the fight they want to see.

"At the end of the day, I want to see that fight," White said. "Come on; let's fight. My thing is, who is Floyd to ask (Pacquiao) to take a drug test? (Pacquiao) has never failed a drug test. Why would he agree to take the Olympic-style drug test? It's crazy."

About that Jake Rossen rant

White's latest video blog dedicated a decent chunk of time showing him on the phone ripping somebody over a recent column written by Sherdog.com writer Jake Rossen.

Rossen had seen the piece in Las Vegas Sun in which White said the sport would be the biggest in the world by 2020. Rossen disagreed with White's opinion and basically said that the sport had lost momentum in its effort to expand globally.

White was furious with the editorial, which also ran on ESPN.com. Wednesday he pointed to the UFC 108 card and said he couldn't wait for it to do well on pay-per-view and prove any critics of the event wrong.

"The media loves to write negative (expletive), that's what they love to do," White said. "I think you know some of the stuff that's been written has really pissed me off. It's so ridiculous. I can't wait for Saturday night, for these guys to shut everybody the (expletive) up."

Even the matchmaker is injured

The UFC 108 fight card has earned the reputation of being 'cursed', as so many of the fighters originally scheduled to compete Saturday have dropped out because of illness or injury.

It's gotten so bad, in fact, that White says UFC matchmaker Joe Silva somehow has fallen victim to the curse, recently tearing a knee ligament.

"This is so bad, Joe Silva blew out his MCL," White said. "It's so bad the matchmaker is down. I don't know how, but he blew it. He's got to have surgery."

Rashad needs to beat Silva to get to Rampage

One of the big story lines leading up to Saturday is that Rashad Evans would need a win over Thiago Silva in the main event to earn the right to face his heated rival, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson.

The two were supposed to meet in December until Rampage left the UFC to pursue an acting career.

It appears as though Rampage is back with the organization now, but the fight still won't happen if Evans falls to Silva.

If the fight were to happen, White said, it likely would go down in March.

"I was insane when that fight first fell apart, literally insane," White said. "I've kind of gotten over it now. Rashad has to win this fight and if he does we'll finally see it."

Expect news on Brock Lesnar soon

Word on whether UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will fight again should come in the next seven days, White said.

Lesnar was forced to pull out of a fight in November because of health concerns and has since received surgery on his intestines to fix the problem.

"We'll know this week," White said. "I think Brock is going to the doctor this week and we'll know whether it's over. It could be career-ending for him."

Hates Mazzagatti, loves Herb Dean

We all know that White doesn't approve of referee Steve Mazzagatti's presence on the Nevada State Athletic Commission's payroll, so we'll spare that rant.

One referee White is certainly a big fan of, however, is Herb Dean — although White says it took a valuable lesson for him to learn never to question Dean's decisions.

"One of the most embarrassing moments I've ever had was when Frank Mir broke Tim Sylvia's arm (at UFC 48 in 2004)," White said. "I didn't see it. Nobody saw it. Herb Dean saw it. I didn't see it until the replay, but by then I was already up running around, yelling at the commission and acting like a jackass.

"After I found out Sylvia's arm was broke, I was embarrassed. I don't say (expletive) now. When Herb Dean makes a call, 99 percent of the time he's dead on."

Source: Brett Okamoto  Las Vegas Sun

The Power of "The Pacquiao" crosses over into MMA

How big is Manny Pacquiao? Big enough for other fighters to name a punch after him. Last night, at UFC 107, former heavyweight champion Frank Mir landed a picture-perfect lead straight left that floored his opponent, Chiek Kongo, just 40 seconds into the bout.

It was only the second punch that the southpaw heavyweight threw, but it was enough to secure the victory moments later when he locked in the guillotine choke for the submission. Afterwards, Mir revealed that he owed his victory to the power of "The Pacquiao".

"It's something we've been saying the whole training camp. We call it 'The Pacquiao' because Manny Pacquiao will step off as a southpaw and throw the overhand left," Mir told the Daily Telegraph's Gareth A. Davies.

"As soon as I hit Kongo I went to catch him with the uppercut and I didn't see him, he was on the ground."

Boxing fans have grown accustomed to seeing the power of "The Pacquiao" on a regular basis. The trademark punch of the Filipino wrecking machine, Pacquiao has rocked and dropped many elite champions, including Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales, by landing his devastating overhand left. Using his speed and angles, Pacquiao confuses his opponents and lands the punch when his opponents least expect it. It's the punch they never and 9 times out of 10, it's the punch that sends them straight to the canvas.

At UFC 107, the power of "The Pacquiao" was on full display when Mir landed a left hand reminiscent of the left that Pacquiao knocked out Ricky Hatton with. The fact that Mir worked hard in training to emulate Pacquiao's technique is a testament to just how far the Filipino superstar has come. Not only is he an influence in boxing, but he's also an influence in mixed martial arts as well. Needless to say, you probably won't be seeing to mixed martial artists implementing Floyd Mayweather's shoulder-roll techniques.

The Power of "The Pacquiao" crosses over into MMA

How big is Manny Pacquiao? Big enough for other fighters to name a punch after him. Last night, at UFC 107, former heavyweight champion Frank Mir landed a picture-perfect lead straight left that floored his opponent, Chiek Kongo, just 40 seconds into the bout.

It was only the second punch that the southpaw heavyweight threw, but it was enough to secure the victory moments later when he locked in the guillotine choke for the submission. Afterwards, Mir revealed that he owed his victory to the power of "The Pacquiao".

"It's something we've been saying the whole training camp. We call it 'The Pacquiao' because Manny Pacquiao will step off as a southpaw and throw the overhand left," Mir told the Daily Telegraph's Gareth A. Davies.

"As soon as I hit Kongo I went to catch him with the uppercut and I didn't see him, he was on the ground."

Boxing fans have grown accustomed to seeing the power of "The Pacquiao" on a regular basis. The trademark punch of the Filipino wrecking machine, Pacquiao has rocked and dropped many elite champions, including Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales, by landing his devastating overhand left. Using his speed and angles, Pacquiao confuses his opponents and lands the punch when his opponents least expect it. It's the punch they never and 9 times out of 10, it's the punch that sends them straight to the canvas.

At UFC 107, the power of "The Pacquiao" was on full display when Mir landed a left hand reminiscent of the left that Pacquiao knocked out Ricky Hatton with. The fact that Mir worked hard in training to emulate Pacquiao's technique is a testament to just how far the Filipino superstar has come. Not only is he an influence in boxing, but he's also an influence in mixed martial arts as well. Needless to say, you probably won't be seeing to mixed martial artists implementing Floyd Mayweather's shoulder-roll techniques.

UFC 107: Mir copied ‘The Pacquiao punch’ to KO Kongo

The unique style and use of angles to punch employed by Manny Pacquiao, who has won world titles from flyweight to welterweight, is crossing over into other combat sports.

‘The Pacquiao’ was used in a mixed martial arts fight on Saturday night – to stunning effect. One of Pacquiao’s trademark punches, where he dips his shoulder and head throws an overhand left-cum-hook, was used by Las Vegan UFC heavyweight Frank Mir in Memphis on Saturday night to deliver a devastating knockdown of his French opponent Cheick Kongo.

Mir, the former UFC heavyweight champion, who strikes from the south paw stance, delivered the same punch Pacquiao hit Ricky Hatton with in May 2009. Mir set the move up in the same way. He feinted to get Kongo moving into the direction of the left punch, and kerpow – the long left landed.

Mir explained: “It’s something we’ve been saying the whole training camp. We call it “The Pacquiao,” because Manny Pacquiao will step off as a southpaw and throw the overhand left. As soon as I hit Kongo I went to catch him with the uppercut and I didn’t see him, he was on the ground.”

“I knew I had the capability of beating Kongo based on what I could do in sparring. It’s just something I had to make sure crossed over. I charged him a little too aggressively (once he was down). I should have passed and established the under hook. Instead he was able to rotate and get back to his knees for a takedown which could have been a major mistake on other opponents like Cain (Velasquez) or Shane Carwin. But instead he gave me his neck and I train with Robert Drysdale on a daily basis. If I get someone’s neck in the heavyweight division, it’s over with.”

Mir’s submission win over Kongo – in the co-main event of Penn vs. Sanchez at UFC 107 could propel the Las Vegan into a fight against Shane Carwin while Brock Lesnar recuperates on the sidelines after stomach surgery.

UFC 107: Mir copied ‘The Pacquiao punch’ to KO Kongo

The unique style and use of angles to punch employed by Manny Pacquiao, who has won world titles from flyweight to welterweight, is crossing over into other combat sports.

‘The Pacquiao’ was used in a mixed martial arts fight on Saturday night – to stunning effect. One of Pacquiao’s trademark punches, where he dips his shoulder and head throws an overhand left-cum-hook, was used by Las Vegan UFC heavyweight Frank Mir in Memphis on Saturday night to deliver a devastating knockdown of his French opponent Cheick Kongo.

Mir, the former UFC heavyweight champion, who strikes from the south paw stance, delivered the same punch Pacquiao hit Ricky Hatton with in May 2009. Mir set the move up in the same way. He feinted to get Kongo moving into the direction of the left punch, and kerpow – the long left landed.

Mir explained: “It’s something we’ve been saying the whole training camp. We call it “The Pacquiao,” because Manny Pacquiao will step off as a southpaw and throw the overhand left. As soon as I hit Kongo I went to catch him with the uppercut and I didn’t see him, he was on the ground.”

“I knew I had the capability of beating Kongo based on what I could do in sparring. It’s just something I had to make sure crossed over. I charged him a little too aggressively (once he was down). I should have passed and established the under hook. Instead he was able to rotate and get back to his knees for a takedown which could have been a major mistake on other opponents like Cain (Velasquez) or Shane Carwin. But instead he gave me his neck and I train with Robert Drysdale on a daily basis. If I get someone’s neck in the heavyweight division, it’s over with.”

Mir’s submission win over Kongo – in the co-main event of Penn vs. Sanchez at UFC 107 could propel the Las Vegan into a fight against Shane Carwin while Brock Lesnar recuperates on the sidelines after stomach surgery.