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“I don’t know why I didn’t take him down more. That’s the one thing I have been thinking about over and over. I should have taken him down more like in the first round. That was the game plan. My weapon is ground and pound…I don’t follow what people say in the media, all I can say is I didn’t follow the game plan that we put together. Duff wants me to perform at the level he knows I’m capable of. I’m glad I have a trainer that won’t accept that performance and I respect him for speaking the truth. Duff didn’t do anything wrong.”

-Matt “The Hammer” Hamill responds to the comments made by his trainer Duff Holmes who vented his frustration and bewilderment regarding the gameplan that his fighter executed against Rich Franklin back at UFC 88: “Breakthrough.” Hamill was finished in the third round via technical knockout after essentially going toe-to-toe with the former middleweight champion for most of the entire fight despite his superior edge in the wrestling department. And when he did attempt takedowns he could not finish them … Hamill appeared to be content just holding an ankle rather than driving Franklin into the cage or using it somehow to get “Ace” to the floor. For Holmes original comments click here.

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Rashad Evans was our guest on this weeks broadcast of Pro MMA Radio. Presented by MMAmania.com, Pro MMA Radio airs live every Monday night at 9pm and features many of the top fighters from the UFC and beyond.

Also on the show, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer Jesse Holland compared notes with host Larry Pepe on the Affliction/Golden Boy announcement as well as their picks for UFC Fight Night 15 “Diaz vs. Neer”.

The main attraction of course was Evans, who covered everything from his upset win over Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 to the infamous ‘Nipplegate’.

What I found interesting about his comments on Liddell was not just that he swung the overhand right a couple of times prior to the one that connected, but that the Iceman may possibly have a tell: A menacing facial expression just prior to striking.

Talk then shifted to life at the Jackson camp and I was surprised to hear Evans say that Paul Buentello hits harder and faster than Liddell. I know many fans may disagree but how many of us can say they’ve been hit by both men?

Rashad also maintains that he will never fight teammate Keith Jardine under any circumstance. I guess once was enough for those two when they clashed on The Ultimate Fighter Season 2. Speaking of TUF, none other than MMA Legend Dan Severn was instrumental in getting Evans a spot on the final roster.

His tenure on the show was a little tumultuous thanks to coach Matt Hughes. While he says the two are ‘cool’ now, he does admit that Matt’s showboating accusations have made that stereotype difficult to break.

I wonder if we’ll see more of that from Rashad’s brother, who will be a contestant on the upcoming season of TUF 8?

Tito is one fighter Evans would like a rematch with after “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” tried to punk him in front of his wife at a UFC show.

Finally there’s ‘Nipplegate”, the strange but effective method of playing “Tune in Tokyo” with one’s self. I would get into the graphic details but hey, that’s what the replay is for. Take a listen!

Stay tuned next week as UFC heavyweight Frank Mir dishes on everything from his stint on The Ultimate Fighter 8 to the meteoric rise of former opponent Brock Lesnar.

See you next Monday at 9pm!

For access to the Pro MMA Radio archive, click here.

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Fresh off his upset victory over Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 ‘Breakthrough’, Rashad Evans will join MMAmania.com’s exclusive broadcast of Pro MMA Radio tonight at 9pm EST.

“Sugar” will recap his win over the Iceman, his upcoming title fight with Forrest Griffin, The Ultimate Fighter 2 experience and his thoughts on why so many fans seem to be resisting his evolution as one of the sport’s top light heavyweights.

Also In tonight’s “Opening Round”, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer Jesse Holland will examine Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 15: “Diaz vs. Neer” as well as the start of The Ultimate Fighter Season 8.

Remember to check back at 9pm for the live feed.

See you then!

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Fresh off his upset victory over Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 ‘Breakthrough’, Rashad Evans will join MMAmania.com’s exclusive broadcast of Pro MMA Radio tonight at 9pm EST.

“Sugar” will recap his win over the Iceman, his upcoming title fight with Forrest Griffin, The Ultimate Fighter 2 experience and his thoughts on why so many fans seem to be resisting his evolution as one of the sport’s top light heavyweights.

Also In tonight’s “Opening Round”, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer Jesse Holland will examine Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 15: “Diaz vs. Neer” as well as the start of The Ultimate Fighter Season 8.

Remember to check back at 9pm for the live feed.

See you then!

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Greg Jackson interview after Rashads KO of Liddell.

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Team Jackson trainer Greg Jackson talks about the Rashad Evans vs. Chuck Liddell fight at UFC 88.

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Props: FightLine.com

Quoteworthy:

“No way Matt Hamill stands with a guy like Franklin. Matt is, by far, the best wrestler in the UFC’s light heavyweight division so our plan is simple; we’re going to take Rich down and work the ground and pound while avoiding submissions…. Matt got his start helping Rich work on his takedown defense. Those two go way back and Matt has a deep respect and allegiance to Rich…. He’s sponsored Matt with his company American Fighter and has been a kind of mentor to him, and to be honest, that has me a little concerned….. I practically begged Matt to take Rich down. I was screaming at him to stop fighting Rich’s fight and fight his fight. I can’t explain it. He just had this blank look on his face. I don’t know where he was, but the Matt Hamill that I know and trained for the past 11 weeks was not in that Octagon on Saturday…. I can’t explain it. The only person that knows why he didn’t come out to fight is him. I told him after the fight that his performance was uncharacteristic and that he really needed to do some soul searching to see if this is really what he wants to do. He had absolutely no fighting spirit, no killer instinct. He looked like a shell of himself and was just out there to get through it and that is very disconcerting.”

Duff Holmes — a trainer for Matt Hamill — vents his frustration and bewilderment regarding the gameplan that his fighter executed against Rich Franklin over the weekend at UFC 88: “Breakthrough.” Hamill was finished in the third round via technical knockout after essentially going toe-to-toe with the former middleweight champion for most of the entire fight despite his superior edge in the wrestling department. And when he did attempt takedowns he could not finish them … Hamill appeared to be content just holding an ankle rather than driving Franklin into the cage or using it somehow to get “Ace” to the floor. Curious indeed.

(Thanks to Tracy Lee once again over at CombatLifestyle.com for the pic.)

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The Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission recently issued its list of medical suspensions for UFC 88: “Breakthrough,” which took place on Saturday, September 6 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Unsurprisingly, former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell received the stiffest medical sentence, getting suspended for 60 days after his crushing loss to Rashad Evans in the main event of the evening.

Thiago Tavares, too, appears to be a little worse for the wear after his war with Kurt Pellegrino, which also earned him 60 days on the sidelines.

Other notables on the report include Rich Franklin for the grizzly “flap” gash over his right eye and his opponent, Matt Hamill.

Here’s the complete list of UFC 88 injuries and their medical instructions:

Chuck Liddell –- “The Iceman” has been suspended for 60 days and is required to have an MRI or CT scan after sustaining a brain-jarring knockout.

Rich Franklin -– “Ace” is suspended for 60 days because of a serious laceration above his right eye.

Matt Hamill -– “The Hammer” is suspended for 30 days after being on the receiving end of a technical knockout.

Martin Kampmann -– “The Hitman” is suspended 30 days after being on the wrong end of a ferocious technical knockout.

Matt Brown -– “The Immortal” is suspended for 15 days because of a facial cut.

Thiago Tavares -– The Brazilian is suspended for 60 days and will have to undergo a CT scan to determine whether or not he sustained any nasal or facial fractures.

Michael Patt -– The UFC newcomer is suspended for 42 days because of a nasal fracture and is required to undergo a CT scan.

Ryo Chonan -– “The Piranha” is suspended for 42 days because of a serious laceration near his right eye.

Just a quick reminder: Fighters often return to action much quicker once doctors give them the green light. The lengthy suspensions are just a precaution in most cases.

For complete results and coverage of the “Breakthrough” click here and here.

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The Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission recently issued its list of medical suspensions for UFC 88: “Breakthrough,” which took place on Saturday, September 6 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Unsurprisingly, former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell received the stiffest medical sentence, getting suspended for 60 days after his crushing loss to Rashad Evans in the main event of the evening.

Thiago Tavares, too, appears to be a little worse for the wear after his war with Kurt Pellegrino, which also earned him 60 days on the sidelines.

Other notables on the report include Rich Franklin for the grizzly “flap” gash over his right eye and his opponent, Matt Hamill.

Here’s the complete list of UFC 88 injuries and their medical instructions:

Chuck Liddell –- “The Iceman” has been suspended for 60 days and is required to have an MRI or CT scan after sustaining a brain-jarring knockout.

Rich Franklin -– “Ace” is suspended for 60 days because of a serious laceration above his right eye.

Matt Hamill -– “The Hammer” is suspended for 30 days after being on the receiving end of a technical knockout.

Martin Kampmann -– “The Hitman” is suspended 30 days after being on the wrong end of a ferocious technical knockout.

Matt Brown -– “The Immortal” is suspended for 15 days because of a facial cut.

Thiago Tavares -– The Brazilian is suspended for 60 days and will have to undergo a CT scan to determine whether or not he sustained any nasal or facial fractures.

Michael Patt -– The UFC newcomer is suspended for 42 days because of a nasal fracture and is required to undergo a CT scan.

Ryo Chonan -– “The Piranha” is suspended for 42 days because of a serious laceration near his right eye.

Just a quick reminder: Fighters often return to action much quicker once doctors give them the green light. The lengthy suspensions are just a precaution in most cases.

For complete results and coverage of the “Breakthrough” click here and here.

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“Matter of fact, I’m wearing his cup. That’s probably why I got the knockout because I’m wearing his cup! I fogot to say that - I’m wearing his cup! We’re brothers…we all just come together and help each other out.”

“Sugar” Rashad Evans reveals his secret weapon against Chuck Liddell during a UFC 88 post-fight interview. Evans shocked the world twice in twenty-four hours. First by knocking out “The Iceman” in brutal fashion at UFC 88 ‘Breakthrough” and then by sharing just how close Team Jackson gets during training. TMI!

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