Cris Cyborg Mauls Gina Carano In Strikeforce Main Event

By Ross Everett

Gina Carano put womens MMA on the map, but Cris Cyborg Santos may have become the sports first dominant female champion by virtue of her overwhelming TKO victory in the main event of Saturdays STRIKEFORCE event. Cyborg simply was too physically strong and her punches too powerful for Carano.

Before a near capacity crowd at San Joses HP Pavilion, Carano and Cyborg made history as the first women to headline a major US mixed martial arts event. The crowd went nuts for Carano, who was accompanied into the arena by Randy Couture who trained her for the matchup.

Despite the fight being scheduled for five rounds of five minutes each, the women set a frantic pace from the opening horn. Cyborgs size and strength advantage was apparent from the outset, as she landed an immediate flurry of punches before taking Carano to the canvas. Carano landed in top position, but quickly found herself in trouble as Cyborg worked for a kneebar and then a heel hook. Carano was able to extricate herself, and get to her feet but Cyborg took her back and immediately took her down again. Carano landed in top mount, however, and was able to score with some big punches from the top. Inexplicably, she backed off and let Cyborg get to her feet instead of pressing what may have been her best opportunity to win the fight.

Cyborg once again took her opponent to the mat and after an unsuccessful armbar attempt mounted Carano and began a brutal punching assault that eventually forced the stoppage at 4:59 of the first round.

Despite Cyborgs triumph the most dominating performance of the evening belonged to former DREAM middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi. In his first fight at 205, Mousasi destroyed STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight champion Renato Babalu Sobral via TKO at the 1:00 mark of the first round.

Earlier in a card full of decisive finishes, Gilbert Melendez became STRIKEFORCE interim lightweight champion with a third round TKO victory over the double tough Mitsuhiro Ishida. Melendez will now face Josh Thompson to unify the belts once Thompson is medically cleared to resume fighting. - 23806

About the Author:

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

MMA Flashback: Sobral Beats Southworth For Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Title

By Ross Everett

Renato Babalu Sobral defeated Bobby Southworth by TKO to become Strikeforce light heavyweight champion at the 'Destruction' card. Despite leaving with the belt around his waist, it wont be the centerpiece of Babalu's highlight reel with the way it transpired.

A -350 wagering favorite despite his challenger status, Sobral was expected to use his world class Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills and vast experience against superior competition to dominate the tough but limited Southworth. It didnt happen that way, as Southworth easily got the better of things in the first round.

The first round displayed Southworth's style in microcosm, with much of the frame spent pushing Babalu up against the cage or on the ground inside his guard not really doing much. Sobral had one effective strike the entire round--during a clinch against the cage wall the challenger rocked Southworth with a hard elbow strike that not only busted his nose but opened a huge cut over his right eye.

Upon seeing the gusher of blood Referee John McCarthy brought the ringside physician over to take a look. As Southworth's corner futilely worked on the gaping wound during the break the doctor once again took a look and better realizing the severity and placement of the cut recommended to McCarthy that the fight be stopped. The veteran official complied, awarding Sobral the TKO victory and the championship belt.

The other half of the co-main event was decided in much more decisive fashion as Scott Smith knocked out well traveled veteran Terry Martin in a mere :24 seconds. Unfortunately, Martin didn't adequately close the distance against a fighter dubbed 'Hands of Steel' and was caught with a perfectly placed punch that knocked him out cold.

In the semifinal event, Duane 'Bang' Ludwig defeated Yves Edwards by unanimous decision in a very closely contested bout. Edwards was originally slated to face lightweight champion Josh Thomson until a toe injury necessitated his withdrawal. Ludwig took the fight on two weeks notice, and after a takedown clinic by Edwards in the first began to control the fight with his superior standup skills. Edwards' superiority on the ground in the first two frames wasnt enough to sway the judges who obviously favored Ludwig's more effective striking. All three judges scored the contest 29-28 Ludwig, and he may have earned himself a championship match as a result.

Earlier in the evening, Kim Couture made short work of overmatched Lina Kvokov as she TKOd her foe in 1:44 of the first round. Couture, the wife of UFC legend Randy Couture, gained even more notoriety for the courage she displayed in her professional debut last June. She had a much easier time here"despite the fact that both fighters entered with 0-1 records Couture was significantly more polished as she put Kvokov on the defensive from the outset with her sharp punching combinations. She recovered momentarily and survived the initial onslaught. The reprieve was only temporary, however, as Couture launched another barrage of punches prompting the referee to step in and wave off the non-competitive affair. - 23806

About the Author:

Ross Everett is a noted writer who has written on sports betting and how to successfully bet on NFL football. He has appeared on TV and radio talking about boxing, hockey and NFL pointspreads. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a wombat.

The MMA Legacy Of Helio Gracie

By Ross Everett

The founding father of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and patriarch of the Gracie family, Helio Gracie, died in early 2009 at the age of 95. His influence in martial arts as well as the sport of mixed martial arts is mind boggling. The Gracie family name will forever be synonymous with Brazilian sports, jiu-jitsu, MMA and the UFC"not only due to Helios own accomplishments but the legacy he created both by training others and through his family.

Helio Gracie began studying martial arts early in life, and by the age of 16 had already begun to teach judo in his native Brazil. While Helio had no problem mastering the theoretical aspects of judo, he found that many of its techniques required a great deal of brute strength which made them less effective for a smaller fighter such as himself. Along with his brother Carlos, he began to adapt many of judos techniques to make them more reliant on leverage rather than strength. This experimentation led to the creation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) which is often referred to as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in his honor.

Gracie also had a professional fighting career of his own, taking on champions from other fighting disciplines in an early version of modern MMA. These bouts were arduous, unregulated affairs with arbitrary rules and no time limits. By his own recollection, Gracie fought 15 times against the top opponents of his time. He began his career in'32 by submitting professional boxer Antonio Portugal in just 32 seconds. Later that year, he fought American catch wrestler Frank Ebert to a draw after the ringside doctor ordered the bout stopped after an ungodly fourteen ten minute rounds.

His most famous battle was against Japanese judo legend Masahiko Kimura, resulting in a rare loss for Gracie. Despite the setback, he fought bravely and may have actually enhanced his legend after refusing to submit to a reverse arm bar (the same modern MMA submission that now bears Kimuras name). Only after his arm was broken did his brother Carlos throw in the towel.

Gracie's greatest impact, however, may have been through his progeny which is an important part of Brazilian sports and mixed martial arts even today. Royce Gracie is well known as the first UFC superstar, while sons Rickson Royler, Renzo have also achieved considerable fame in professional MMA. At the time of his death, Helio Gracie was a 6th Dan Judo black belt and the only living 10th degree master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Gracie died at age 95, after suffering stomach problems though the cause of his death was officially listed as 'natural causes'. His last words are classic and highly fitting for a man who gave so much to martial arts and fighting sports:

"I created a flag from the sports dignity. I oversee the name of my family with affection and nerves of blood. - 23806

About the Author:

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

The Arena Football League Reaches The End Of The Line

By Ross Everett

After canceling their 2009 season, the Arena Football League has shut down entirely and appears headed for bankruptcy. Earlier this week, the league office released a short statement indicated that it had ceased operations because owners were "unable to reach any consensus on restructuring the league over the past eight months." The league had reached a new agreement with players earlier this year, but was unable to convince enough owners that they had a viable plan to return to profitability. The leagues statement continued that there are no other viable options available to the league right now."

Even before the decision was made to cancel the 2009 season this past December, it had been a tumultuous off-season for the Arena Football League. It began with the resignation of long time AFL commissioner David Baker just two days before the Arena Bowl championship game. Though Baker put a positive spin on his resignation saying that he felt it was time, the timing was curious despite his insistence that it was due to "personal reasons".

In October, the owner of the New Orleans VooDoo announced that the team would cease operations"despite being one of the league leaders in attendance. In announcing that the team would fold, owner Tom Benson (who also owns the NFL Saints) cryptically explained that it was due to circumstances currently affecting the league and the team."

At that point, uncertainty began to reign over the leagues future. A dispersal draft to reassign the VooDoo personnel was scheduled and postponed several times amid assurances from the AFL office that rumors of financial instability were unfounded.

The inability to get any consensus on a business model for the league reportedly served as the final nail in the AFLs coffin. A major problem was skyrocketing player salaries, and some sort of compensation system tied to team revenues was a necessity. That agreement was reached with the players, but a bigger schism was left between several factions of owners"primarily drawn along lines of overall wealth.

Despite the demise of the AFL, it wont be the end for "The 50 yard indoor war. The sport lives on the AF2 league which, ironically, was originally started as something of a developmental organization for the AFL. The league plays in smaller markets and has a more realistic salary structure. A number of current AFL players"and possibly a couple of AFL franchises"could end up in AF2. - 23806

About the Author:

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer specializing in casino gambling, entertainment and sports betting. He has appeared on a number of TV and radio programs offering strategies for successful NFL football betting. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a pet llama. He is currently writing a biography of former NFL quarterback Jim Plunkett.

All Those Special Effects Are Possible Through Green Screen Studio

By Phil Guye

Shooting at a Green screen studio is not only a good experience, but also one that does not shake your position up. Today, everybody appears to be giving a lot of thought to the amount of money that they're spending on a movie. It is important for them to add each single dollar before shelling it out. No waste can be afforded, because cash is in such short supply. With the IRS breathing down your neck, trying to gather your taxes down to the last cent, the very last thing you want is a problem with the income department. Thus if you were to shoot at a facility like this, you could ensure that your money was spent well and not a cent went down the drain.

Looking for a studio to provide all those computer effects generating technologies that a Green screen studio provides should be one of the things that are on the requirements list of a director. This is particularly true if he's shooting a film which has dinosaurs and oversized snakes or a scene with J Lo and Brad Pitt lounging around sexily on the mossy ground in an exotic, alien Amazon forest. He actually won't be successful if he is going to run around in a real forest looking for these prehistoric creatures to physically shoot.

Instead, going to the technical staff of Green screen studio could help him a great amount. They're going to be ready to help him with workable suggestions for creating just the sort of ambience that he's looking for. Considering the indisputable fact that he's attempting to find something out of the Ice or Stone Age, he will have to be clear on his necessities. Whether it be dinosaurs or the setting of an exotic land, anything is possible.

Once the wants are made known to the staff at Green screen studio, it is their job to provide all the tools that are required to ensure that the shot is done according to the specs provided. All thru the year, the staff is faced with challenging ever-changing eventualities where the requests keep getting more demanding than previously. Nonetheless, they try hard to provide what the director is attempting to find in order that they are able to maintain their reputation as a single-stop shop for all studio necessities.

Since the Green screen studio can be employed out by the hour, there are people who are prepared to working out an arrangement so the studio can be hired for a longer time period at a reduced cost. The amount paid also entitles the director and his crew to be aided by a technical person who is able to make sure that all the equipment is working correctly and in the correct way. Once this is done, the work can go on unhindered and the final result will be miles better than the director was really in hope of. Even artists begin to feel that sense of professionalism that pervades the entire studio, which engulfs the staff as well. - 23806

About the Author:

There are so many other websites offering various forms of advice on how to use green screen but most of them are not very detailed or concise. Before following these, be sure to check my own articles and reviews on Green Screen Studio and Green Screen Los Angeles , additionally, you can reach me at phillipguy@hotmail.com or 1-323-851-3825