Dongi "The Ox" Yang

CageCraze.com caught up with Dongi “The Ox” Yang of Korean Top Team as he trained at Derby City MMA in Louisville, Kentucky, in preparation for his middleweight bout against Rob Kimmons on the preliminary card of “UFC on Versus 3.” “The Ox” rattled off nine straight stoppage victories before entering the UFC. Yang’s first venture in the UFC ended with a split-decision loss to “The Ultimate Fighter Season 11″ cast member, Chris Camozzi. Most people had Yang winning the first two rounds of that fight but the judges at UFC 121 did not see it the same way. Yang won over many UFC fans with his performance against Camozzi and he brings his exciting style to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on March 3.

The man standing across the octagon from Yang this Thursday night will be UFC veteran Rob Kimmons. Kimmons holds a 3-3 record in the UFC, and his overall record is 23-6. Rob Kimmons has been stopped by Kyle Noke, Jorge Rivera, and Dan Miller during his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Kimmons will undoubtedly be hungry coming into the match-up with Yang as he has a chance to improve his UFC record to 4-3. We had a chance to ask Dongi “The Ox” Yang about the matchup with Kimmons, and how his training has gone thus far in Louisville.

"The Korean Zombie" and "The Ox"

We first met up with Yang and his Korean Top Team teammates last Wednesday when he arrived in Louisville at Derby City MMA. He was admittedly tired from the long journey to Kentucky but we still got to hang around and watch him train with his teammate, Chan Sung “The Korean Zombie” Jung, and coach, Dongjin Ha. CageCraze.com caught up with Yang once again over the weekend, and asked how he felt after a few days in country:

“I’m feeling good. Now we’re just down to cutting the excess weight. Right now I’m a little over 20lbs over (207lbs on Sunday, the fight’s on Thursday). I prepped really hard for this fight and I [am] ready to go.”

A little over two weeks ago, Dongi Yang’s camp was looking for a gym in Louisville that had a cage so that he could properly train for his fight. We suggested that Korean Top Team look into training at Derby City MMA because they have a full cage, which is exactly what they wanted to find. We were curious to see how the local gym was working out, and how it compared to other gyms that Yang had trained in over the course of his career:

“Derby City is a really nice gym. Lots of really friendly people there, too. Derek [Cissell, owner] was super friendly and it’s been a huge help to be able to work out there. One big benefit is the cage. Unfortunately, we don’t have a cage at Korean Top Team, so being able to work out in one is helpful.”

Chan Sung Jung and Dongi Yang

One thing on our minds was the effect that the split-decision loss to Chris Camozzi had on Yang’s mentality and his training regimen. Even though many people believe Yang was robbed in that fight, Yang was very humble and made no excuses for the loss:

“I think I could have been a little better prepared as far my stamina. So, that’s probably one thing I concentrated on a little more on this time around, but other than that, I haven’t really changed anything with my training.”

Rob Kimmons is much more experienced than Dongi Yang, but has had trouble when moving up to face tougher competition. We asked Yang how he felt he matched up with Rob Kimmons, and whether or not he sees any weaknesses in Kimmons’ fighting that he can exploit on Thursday night:

“He definitely has a lot of experience and no glaring weaknesses in his game. I’d like to keep the fight standing, which is where I feel most comfortable, but even if it goes to the ground, I’m confident that I can control the pace.”

Dongi would like to thank his sponsors and teammates for helping him prepare for “UFC on Versus 3″ in Louisville:

“Yeah, I [would] like to thank my sponsors Sseda, Mutnam.com, Plus, Dr. Ihm of SL Ophthamology, Dr. Hwang and my coaches at Korean Top Team, Coach Ha and Coach Jeon.”

CageCraze.com would like to thank Jeffrey Madden and Brian Rhee for helping with the logistics and translation for this interview. We would also like to thank Derek Cissell of Derby City MMA for giving us access to the gym for photos of Dongi Yang’s training sessions.

“UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs Kampmann” takes place on Thursday, March 3, in Louisville, Kentucky. The UFC announced that this event will be the first UFC event to be broadcast in 3D. The event will air live on Versus at 9:00PM ET. Visit UFC.com for more information on this event.  CageCraze.com is your MMA Social Network dedicated to connecting, promoting, covering and improving local MMA everywhere. Create your free profile today, and stay connected with local MMA Everywhere!

Dongi "The Ox" Yang

CageCraze.com caught up with Dongi “The Ox” Yang of Korean Top Team as he trained at Derby City MMA in Louisville, Kentucky, in preparation for his middleweight bout against Rob Kimmons on the preliminary card of “UFC on Versus 3.” “The Ox” rattled off nine straight stoppage victories before entering the UFC. Yang’s first venture in the UFC ended with a split-decision loss to “The Ultimate Fighter Season 11″ cast member, Chris Camozzi. Most people had Yang winning the first two rounds of that fight but the judges at UFC 121 did not see it the same way. Yang won over many UFC fans with his performance against Camozzi and he brings his exciting style to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on March 3.

The man standing across the octagon from Yang this Thursday night will be UFC veteran Rob Kimmons. Kimmons holds a 3-3 record in the UFC, and his overall record is 23-6. Rob Kimmons has been stopped by Kyle Noke, Jorge Rivera, and Dan Miller during his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Kimmons will undoubtedly be hungry coming into the match-up with Yang as he has a chance to improve his UFC record to 4-3. We had a chance to ask Dongi “The Ox” Yang about the matchup with Kimmons, and how his training has gone thus far in Louisville.

"The Korean Zombie" and "The Ox"

We first met up with Yang and his Korean Top Team teammates last Wednesday when he arrived in Louisville at Derby City MMA. He was admittedly tired from the long journey to Kentucky but we still got to hang around and watch him train with his teammate, Chan Sung “The Korean Zombie” Jung, and coach, Dongjin Ha. CageCraze.com caught up with Yang once again over the weekend, and asked how he felt after a few days in country:

“I’m feeling good. Now we’re just down to cutting the excess weight. Right now I’m a little over 20lbs over (207lbs on Sunday, the fight’s on Thursday). I prepped really hard for this fight and I [am] ready to go.”

A little over two weeks ago, Dongi Yang’s camp was looking for a gym in Louisville that had a cage so that he could properly train for his fight. We suggested that Korean Top Team look into training at Derby City MMA because they have a full cage, which is exactly what they wanted to find. We were curious to see how the local gym was working out, and how it compared to other gyms that Yang had trained in over the course of his career:

“Derby City is a really nice gym. Lots of really friendly people there, too. Derek [Cissell, owner] was super friendly and it’s been a huge help to be able to work out there. One big benefit is the cage. Unfortunately, we don’t have a cage at Korean Top Team, so being able to work out in one is helpful.”

Chan Sung Jung and Dongi Yang

One thing on our minds was the effect that the split-decision loss to Chris Camozzi had on Yang’s mentality and his training regimen. Even though many people believe Yang was robbed in that fight, Yang was very humble and made no excuses for the loss:

“I think I could have been a little better prepared as far my stamina. So, that’s probably one thing I concentrated on a little more on this time around, but other than that, I haven’t really changed anything with my training.”

Rob Kimmons is much more experienced than Dongi Yang, but has had trouble when moving up to face tougher competition. We asked Yang how he felt he matched up with Rob Kimmons, and whether or not he sees any weaknesses in Kimmons’ fighting that he can exploit on Thursday night:

“He definitely has a lot of experience and no glaring weaknesses in his game. I’d like to keep the fight standing, which is where I feel most comfortable, but even if it goes to the ground, I’m confident that I can control the pace.”

Dongi would like to thank his sponsors and teammates for helping him prepare for “UFC on Versus 3″ in Louisville:

“Yeah, I [would] like to thank my sponsors Sseda, Mutnam.com, Plus, Dr. Ihm of SL Ophthamology, Dr. Hwang and my coaches at Korean Top Team, Coach Ha and Coach Jeon.”

CageCraze.com would like to thank Jeffrey Madden and Brian Rhee for helping with the logistics and translation for this interview. We would also like to thank Derek Cissell of Derby City MMA for giving us access to the gym for photos of Dongi Yang’s training sessions.

“UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs Kampmann” takes place on Thursday, March 3, in Louisville, Kentucky. The UFC announced that this event will be the first UFC event to be broadcast in 3D. The event will air live on Versus at 9:00PM ET. Visit UFC.com for more information on this event.  CageCraze.com is your MMA Social Network dedicated to connecting, promoting, covering and improving local MMA everywhere. Create your free profile today, and stay connected with local MMA Everywhere!

Dongi "The Ox" Yang

CageCraze.com caught up with Dongi “The Ox” Yang of Korean Top Team as he trained at Derby City MMA in Louisville, Kentucky, in preparation for his middleweight bout against Rob Kimmons on the preliminary card of “UFC on Versus 3.” “The Ox” rattled off nine straight stoppage victories before entering the UFC. Yang’s first venture in the UFC ended with a split-decision loss to “The Ultimate Fighter Season 11″ cast member, Chris Camozzi. Most people had Yang winning the first two rounds of that fight but the judges at UFC 121 did not see it the same way. Yang won over many UFC fans with his performance against Camozzi and he brings his exciting style to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on March 3.

The man standing across the octagon from Yang this Thursday night will be UFC veteran Rob Kimmons. Kimmons holds a 3-3 record in the UFC, and his overall record is 23-6. Rob Kimmons has been stopped by Kyle Noke, Jorge Rivera, and Dan Miller during his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Kimmons will undoubtedly be hungry coming into the match-up with Yang as he has a chance to improve his UFC record to 4-3. We had a chance to ask Dongi “The Ox” Yang about the matchup with Kimmons, and how his training has gone thus far in Louisville.

"The Korean Zombie" and "The Ox"

We first met up with Yang and his Korean Top Team teammates last Wednesday when he arrived in Louisville at Derby City MMA. He was admittedly tired from the long journey to Kentucky but we still got to hang around and watch him train with his teammate, Chan Sung “The Korean Zombie” Jung, and coach, Dongjin Ha. CageCraze.com caught up with Yang once again over the weekend, and asked how he felt after a few days in country:

“I’m feeling good. Now we’re just down to cutting the excess weight. Right now I’m a little over 20lbs over (207lbs on Sunday, the fight’s on Thursday). I prepped really hard for this fight and I [am] ready to go.”

A little over two weeks ago, Dongi Yang’s camp was looking for a gym in Louisville that had a cage so that he could properly train for his fight. We suggested that Korean Top Team look into training at Derby City MMA because they have a full cage, which is exactly what they wanted to find. We were curious to see how the local gym was working out, and how it compared to other gyms that Yang had trained in over the course of his career:

“Derby City is a really nice gym. Lots of really friendly people there, too. Derek [Cissell, owner] was super friendly and it’s been a huge help to be able to work out there. One big benefit is the cage. Unfortunately, we don’t have a cage at Korean Top Team, so being able to work out in one is helpful.”

Chan Sung Jung and Dongi Yang

One thing on our minds was the effect that the split-decision loss to Chris Camozzi had on Yang’s mentality and his training regimen. Even though many people believe Yang was robbed in that fight, Yang was very humble and made no excuses for the loss:

“I think I could have been a little better prepared as far my stamina. So, that’s probably one thing I concentrated on a little more on this time around, but other than that, I haven’t really changed anything with my training.”

Rob Kimmons is much more experienced than Dongi Yang, but has had trouble when moving up to face tougher competition. We asked Yang how he felt he matched up with Rob Kimmons, and whether or not he sees any weaknesses in Kimmons’ fighting that he can exploit on Thursday night:

“He definitely has a lot of experience and no glaring weaknesses in his game. I’d like to keep the fight standing, which is where I feel most comfortable, but even if it goes to the ground, I’m confident that I can control the pace.”

Dongi would like to thank his sponsors and teammates for helping him prepare for “UFC on Versus 3″ in Louisville:

“Yeah, I [would] like to thank my sponsors Sseda, Mutnam.com, Plus, Dr. Ihm of SL Ophthamology, Dr. Hwang and my coaches at Korean Top Team, Coach Ha and Coach Jeon.”

CageCraze.com would like to thank Jeffrey Madden and Brian Rhee for helping with the logistics and translation for this interview. We would also like to thank Derek Cissell of Derby City MMA for giving us access to the gym for photos of Dongi Yang’s training sessions.

“UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs Kampmann” takes place on Thursday, March 3, in Louisville, Kentucky. The UFC announced that this event will be the first UFC event to be broadcast in 3D. The event will air live on Versus at 9:00PM ET. Visit UFC.com for more information on this event.  CageCraze.com is your MMA Social Network dedicated to connecting, promoting, covering and improving local MMA everywhere. Create your free profile today, and stay connected with local MMA Everywhere!

After the actions of UFC middleweight Michael Bisping at this past weekends UFC 127 event in Sydney, Australia, two fighters have stepped forward requesting matches with the Brit.

Both Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen have asked the Ultimate Fighting Championship to face Bisping next.

On my way to the airport going back to vegas I am looking forward to fight bisping on may card I need to fight soon I want to get busy

I really like to fight bisping next

Now Sonnen has formalized his request by sending an email to to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. MMAWeekly.com obtained a copy of that email.

To: Joe Silva, Matchmaker Extraordinaire, Ultimate Fighting Championship
Re: Spitsbing & his tainted victory

Joe:

If you get a chance to talk with him, please mention to your idiot-in-residence Michael Spitsbing it’ll be a little tougher to knee ME in the head when I’m charging at him like a runaway train and mincing him through the fence like a boiled potato, should we ever have the pleasure of each other’s company for a few (VERY few) moments in the Octagon.

Oh; and I’d suggest to him being a little careful about spitting on any of MY cornermen, since any one of them can beat him up as badly as I can. Thanks ever so much.
Hope all is well.

-Chael Sonnen

Sonnen is currently sidelined due after the UFC froze his contract following a guilty in Oregon on money laundering charges.

‘The Shoot!’ follows UFC welterweight Martin Kampmann (17-4) as he prepares for his upcoming fight with Diego Sanchez this week at UFC on Versus 3. Kampmann is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Jake Shields and will look to finish Sanchez when the two meet in Louisville, Kentucky.

HT: Yahoo! Sports

After this weekends actions by UFC middleweight Michael “The Count” Bisping towards opponent Jorge Rivera and his corner, UFC President Dana White has confirmed that disciplinary action will be taken against the British fighter.

MMAFighting.com and FightersOnlyMagazine.co.uk have both confirmed with White over the situation, noting that no decision has been made as to whether Bisping will receive a fine and/or suspension.

Leading up to their UFC 127 co-main event bout in Sydney, Australia, Rivera and his camp had been waging a video campaign of trash talk aimed at Bisping. In one of the videos Rivera made comments about ‘koala’s’ carrying STD’s, which he may have not known is Australian slang for women. Bisping’s partner is Australian and he took as a cheap shot at his wife.

Once both men entered the octagon, it was Bisping who would win their confrontation in the cage. The Brit would win a second-round TKO over Rivera. It was Bisping’s actions after the victory that has gotten him in trouble.

Shortly after the win Bisping went over to Rivera and his corner to continue issuing verbal insults, and then spit in their direction.

Bisping apologized for his actions during his post fight interview and when asked later about the spitting incident he stated “I was spitting on the floor to let them know what I thought of them.”

With the sport of mixed martial arts still in it’s youth, properly regulating the sport can be difficult, so it will be interesting to see how the UFC deals with the problem instead of a regulatory body.

Press Release – Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® and VERSUS announced today that the UFC® event airing this Thursday, March 3, will be broadcast in 3D for the first-time ever. The highly-anticipated card, which is headlined by a welterweight clash between Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann, emanates from the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. and will air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The 3D telecast, produced by VERSUS with the UFC and sponsored by Comcast Xfinity, will feature a separate 3D production crew and equipment from the traditional HD production. The telecast will also include a separate announce team, as veteran play-by-play voice Todd Harris will team up with UFC featherweight star Kenny Florian to call all of the night’s action.

Multiple 3D cameras will be placed strategically around the Octagon®, giving viewers access to some new camera angles not usually seen during previous UFC 2D telecasts. The 3D telecast will be made available live to those with 3D-capable television sets through dedicated 3D channels on affiliates across the country, including Comcast’s 24-hour, Next Generation Xfinity 3D channel.

“We’re really excited to start broadcasting UFC events in 3D,” UFC President Dana White said. “UFC is ahead of the curve when it comes to introducing new technology and we think UFC fans will really enjoy seeing fights in 3D.”

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Had producers not decided to "go another way" casting "The Ultimate Fighter 8," Danny Castillo might have been a more famous fighter.

But he certainly wouldn't have been a more humble fighter, and he might not be as far ahead in his career.

With a tough stretch of two losses behind him, Castillo is ready to make his mark in the UFC in a fight against the most decorated opponent he's yet faced: Joe Stevenson.

UFC middleweight, and “The Ultimate Fighter” season 7 finalist, C.B. Dollaway (11-2) will meet NCAA Divsion I National Champion Mark Muñoz this Thursday night on the main card of UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann.

One might expect that a match between Dollaway, Division I wrestler himself, and Muñoz would turn into a pure grappling match, but the former “TUF” finalist feels that he’s grown as a fighter who posses more than just one aspect of the fight game. Dollaway earned a submission over Joe Doerksen, a notable submission specialist, last September at UFC 119 in his last fight showing fans and critics how much he’s grown as a fighter.

Dollaway and Muñoz will meet on March 3 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky and will fight on the Versus televised main card.

“When I first started fighting, wrestling kind of ruled all. You know, I’d be able to go in and take guys down and not have to worry about other parts of my game as much. I kind of skipped over the jiu-jitsu side of things, and I think maybe that loss to Amir Sadollah the second time was one of the best things for my career.”

“(On defeating Doerksen) You know, sometimes, you yourself think, ‘Oh, my game’s getting good,’ but you don’t know how good until you do something like that, you know? It’s kind of like a payoff for all the hard work you put in, when you can do something like that. It just makes you open your own eyes and give yourself … it makes you believe in yourself and know that you can finish guys on the ground and that you can be a threat there as well.”

HT: Quote MMAFighting.com

UFC middleweight, and “The Ultimate Fighter” season 7 finalist, C.B. Dollaway (11-2) will meet NCAA Divsion I National Champion Mark Muñoz this Thursday night on the main card of UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann.

One might expect that a match between Dollaway, Division I wrestler himself, and Muñoz would turn into a pure grappling match, but the former “TUF” finalist feels that he’s grown as a fighter who posses more than just one aspect of the fight game. Dollaway earned a submission over Joe Doerksen, a notable submission specialist, last September at UFC 119 in his last fight showing fans and critics how much he’s grown as a fighter.

Dollaway and Muñoz will meet on March 3 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky and will fight on the Versus televised main card.

“When I first started fighting, wrestling kind of ruled all. You know, I’d be able to go in and take guys down and not have to worry about other parts of my game as much. I kind of skipped over the jiu-jitsu side of things, and I think maybe that loss to Amir Sadollah the second time was one of the best things for my career.”

“(On defeating Doerksen) You know, sometimes, you yourself think, ‘Oh, my game’s getting good,’ but you don’t know how good until you do something like that, you know? It’s kind of like a payoff for all the hard work you put in, when you can do something like that. It just makes you open your own eyes and give yourself … it makes you believe in yourself and know that you can finish guys on the ground and that you can be a threat there as well.”

HT: Quote MMAFighting.com