Nate Diaz Vs. Dustin Poirier At The Madison Square Garden In New York City

1. The news that Dustin Poirier will be facing Nate Diaz at the Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 3, 2018 was first reported by Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times. According to Pugmire's report which was published on August 2, 2018, the bout between the two top lightweights will be the co-main event for UFC 230. However, an official announcement hasn't been made by the UFC. The organization was expected to make the announcement at a press conference in Los Angeles on August 3, 2018.

Dustin Poirier's record prior to the bout: 24 wins, 5 losses, 1 no contest
Nate Diaz's record prior to the bout: 19 wins, 11 losses

So far, the announced bouts for UFC 230 are as follows:
Nate Diaz vs. Dustin Poirier
Ronaldo Souza vs. David Branch
Yoel Romero vs. Paulo Costa
Luke Rockhold vs. Chris Weidman
Sultan Aliev vs. Lyman Good

The Greatest MMA Fight Posters In History. Hang These On Your Walls!

As a huge mixed martial arts fan, one of my hobbies is collecting MMA fight posters. I've spent countless hours browsing through forums, blogs, and e-commerce websites like eBay and Amazon looking for collectible MMA event posters. I'd say I've seen them all and these are my absolute favorites. For me, these are the greatest and most memorable MMA posters ever made in the history of the sport. Enjoy!

Pride GP Final Round (2005)

Pride 31: Unbreakable (2006)

Pride GP Open-Weight (2006)

Pride 34 (2007)

Dream 5 (2008) - Lightweight Grandprix Final Round

HEIWA DREAM 7 (2009)

Pancrase 2009 Changing Tour

Pride GP 2004

UFC XVIII

UFC 158: George St. Pierre vs Nick Diaz (2013)

UFC Fight Night: Mark Hunt vs Roy Nelson (2014)

UFC 181: Robbie Lawler vs Johny Hendricks 2 (2014)

UFC 179: Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes 2 (2014)

Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix (2015)

Was Georges St. Pierre (GSP) Really Abducted By Aliens?

The story about Georges St. Pierre (GSP) being abducted by aliens first seeped into the consciousness of the mixed martial arts community when the Canadian champion appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast on April 23, 2013. During the podcast, the discussion segued into alien topics when Rogan asked St. Pierre if he's afraid of aliens. What followed was a nearly 20-minute segment wherein Rogan and his co-host Brian Redban queried St. Pierre about his supposed alien experiences.

St. Pierre was initially hesitant on talking about his otherworldly experiences but he opened up as Rogan tried to dig up more information from him. To be fair to St. Pierre, he didn't say nor claim that he was abducted by aliens. He merely mentioned his strange experiences like missing time. You can go watch the JRE episode yourself but to save you some time, here's the highlights of the section where Rogan, Redban, and St. Pierre talked about aliens. 1. St. Pierre says he is afraid of a lot of things and these include aliens.
2. He says he's not sure about his experiences. He answers "I don't know" to a lot of Rogan's questions.
3. His experiences are mostly characterized by missing time. In St. Pierre's words: "Sometimes, I'm looking at the clock and it's like I wake up and I look at the clock right after..it's like the clock advanced like four hours or two hours. There's a timezone that I don't remember what happened."
4. He says it also happens while he's driving: "I'm driving my car during the day and it also happens. I'm going somewhere then I look and two hours has passed. Two hours just passed. Like this."
5. He denies having any memory of interactions with alien beings. He doesn't remember green things doing something to his body.
6. His experiences don't involve encounters with Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). He wasn't taken aboard any flying object.
7. He says the experiences have been going on since he was a kid.
8. He has a hard time talking about his experiences in public because they sound crazy.

Rogan Thinks St. Pierre Should Retire
Several months after he interviewed St. Pierre in the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Rogan appeared as a guest on the Opie & Anthony radio show. In the show, Rogan said that St. Pierre should retire and one of the reasons why he mentioned why he should retire is St. Pierre's supposed alien experiences. In the words of Rogan: "I think Georges should retire. One of the reasons I think Georges should retire is he was on my podcast and he was talking about being abducted by aliens. I was going, 'You think you've been abducted by aliens?' … He starts talking about missing time. He started talking about how he’s driving his car and all of a sudden he's at home and he has no idea [how] he got there. … I think it's head kicks and punches." UFO Sighting in New Mexico by St. Pierre, Rashad Evans and Company
In 2014, St. Pierre appeared on Chael Sonnen's podcast, You're Welcome! Sonnen prodded the Canadian about his alien experiences which prompted him to elaborate and more. In the podcast, St. Pierre told a story about how him, Rashad Evans, Mike Van Arsdale, and a couple of other guys encountered an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) at a highway in New Mexico. In another episode of the podcast, Sonnen had Evans as a guest and the former pretty much confirmed St. Pierre's UFO sighting tale.

In the words of Rashad Evans: "We’re driving down the highway, the mountains are west of us. The sun was setting, it was getting pretty dark. And we’re driving—Mike van Arsdale, Ali Abdel-Aziz, this Mexican guy who couldn't speak any english… his name was Alejandro and he came down to train with us for a while. We’re amidst discussion, you know, busting each other’s chops and we look over and we’re like, ‘Yo what is that! and it just lit up the whole sky. It lit up the whole sky! And everybody in traffic starts to look at it and everybody’s, like, driving slow… everybody slowed down… everybody was looking. And then it just took off in a bolt of light. [makes spaceship sounds] It was super slow, then it took off like a bolt of light and it out was of view… The funny thing is Georges is already scared of UFOs, before that… he was staying at Greg Jackson’s house, and the room he was staying in Greg Jackson’s, it had a skylight in the room…you could see outside… And Georges was scared the whole night that a UFO was going to beam him up."

Michael Bisping's Alien Abduction Jokes
In the lead-up to his fight with St. Pierre, Michael Bisping has used the St. Pierre alien abduction story as a joke during interviews and press conferences. Here's one: "I’m going to remind him why he retired. Johny Hendricks beat him so bad, he thought he was f*cking abducted by aliens. That’s why Georges retired. You know this. Everybody knows this. And he’s going to walk in there and come find out. It’s easy, me now talking to you, and it’s easy for Georges, talking to you, doing TV, doing the Countdown, doing all of this. But you can’t lie to yourself."

UFC Fighter Books: The Top 10 Best MMA Books Written By Fighters In The UFC

There's a good number of former and current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters who penned really interesting books about the sport of mixed martial arts. These books range from autobiographies (the most common), to MMA manuals, to comedic tomes (Forrest Griffin's forte). Below is a quick overview of the very best of these books. If you want to learn more about mixed martial arts through the perspective of the sport's biggest athletes, these are the books you should dig your fingers into.

1. The Way of the Fight by Georges St. Pierre
There's no denying the fact that Georges St. Pierre (GSP) is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. Since making his professional debut in 2002, St. Pierre tore through the competition and quickly established himself as a bonafide MMA star. He became a three-time welterweight champion in the UFC with wins over the likes of Johny Hendricks, Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, Jake Shields, Dan Hardy, and B.J. Penn. He only lost twice - to Matt Serra and Matt Hughes. He got over these losses by dominating Serra and Hughes in the rematch bouts.

In The Way of the Fight, St. Pierre chronicles his journey from an unknown to an internationally recognized athlete and champion. If anything, his ride to the top was never easy. He was bullied as a kid. He went through injuries that threatened to derail his career. He suffered painful losses both inside and outside of the UFC cage.

From the publisher: "In The Way of the Fight, Canadian championship fighter St. Pierre invites fans into the circle of his life, sharing his most closely guarded memories. A compelling memoir that offers an intimate, gritty look at a fighter’s journey, told through inspiring vignettes, GSP is a moving account of commitment and power, achievement and pain, dedication and conviction from one of the world's greatest champions." 2. Why I Fight: The Belt is Just an Accessory by B.J. Penn and Dave Weintraub
Back in July 2015, Penn was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. It was a well-deserved recognition and the ceremony was presided over by no other than Matt Hughes, Penn's long-time cage rival. The two men shared the cage three times during their storied careers with Penn winning two of the encounters via submission and knockout.

Penn was one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts. He's faced a lineup of who's who in the sport (Frankie Edgar, Nick Diaz, Rory MacDonald, Jon Fitch, Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, Georges St. Pierre, Jens Pulver, and Takanori Gomi). One of the most amazing things about Penn was his unbelievable venture into multiple divisions. He's fought as a featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight. At one time, he jumped to light heavyweight and fought a bloated Lyoto Machida.

In Why I Fight, Penn provides fans an inside look on how he transformed from a scrawny kid in Hilo, Hawaii into a feared fighter in the biggest stage in all of mixed martial arts. He is never one to back down from a fight. In this book, Penn goes into detail about his most well-known ring encounters.

From the publisher: "Why I Fight is the answer that everyone—critics, fans, commentators, pundits, and perhaps even Dana White, current president of the UFC—has been waiting for. In his own words, Penn tells the story of his life spent fighting, explaining what led a scrappy teenager from the rough streets of Hilo, Hawaii, onto the biggest stage in all of mixed martial arts (MMA). From his earliest days, becoming one of the preeminent practitioners of Brazilian jujitsu in the world, to his first MMA fights and his battles with UFC champions like Matt Hughes and Georges St-Pierre, Penn shows that in life, just like in the Octagon, he is never one to back down from a fight. " Anderson Silva
Fighters Only

BJ Penn, Erich Krauss, and Glen Cordoza
Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman
Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival

Chael Sonnen
The Voice of Reason: A VIP Pass to Enlightenment

Forrest Griffin and Erich Krauss
Be Ready When The Shit Goes Down: Forrest Griffin's Survival Guide To The Apocalypse
Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat

Brian Stann and John R. Bruning
Heart for the Fight: A Marine Hero's Journey from the Battlefields of Iraq to Mixed Martial Arts Champion

Chuck Liddell and Chad Millman
Iceman: My Fighting Life

Ken Shamrock, Richard Hanner, and Clixtro Romias
Inside the Lion's den

Matt Lindland
Dirty Boxing for Mixed Martial Arts: From Wrestling to Mixed Martial Arts

Pat Miletich
Blood in the Cage

Ronda Rousey
My Fight, Your Fight

Sean O'Connell
Hellbound/Heavensent (The Angel War Book 1)

Tito Ortiz and Marc Shapiro
This Is Gonna Hurt: The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion

Randy Couture
Becoming the Natural: My Life In and Out of the Cage

Matt Hughes and Michael Malice
Made in America: The Most Dominant Champion in UFC History

Jens Pulver and Erich Krauss
Little Evil: One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top

Urijah Faber
The Laws of the Ring

Bangkok Ready Meme: The Origin Of The MMA Internet Meme

The phrase "Bangkok ready" is an internet meme that originated from The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on YouTube. In the January 1, 2017 episode which featured Eddie Bravo, Brendan Schaub, and Joey Diaz as guests, Bravo narrated a story about a mixed martial artist named Gerald Strebendt who confidently believed that he was "Bangkok ready" after only six months of Muay Thai training. The particular segment in the podcast tackled the issue of striking coaches giving grapplers false confidence. Bravo used the case of Strebendt as an example.

Eddie Bravo's Narration of the Story
Back in 2003, Bravo was part of the team who trained Gerald Strebendt when he was preparing for his UFC debut against Josh Thomson. Bravo served as the team's Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach. According to Bravo, Strebendt had a Muay Thai coach who had Strebendt falsely believe that he's "Bangkok ready" after only six months of doing Muay Thai. Strebendt was so confident in his Muay Thai skills that he entered the octagon in full Muay Thai regalia. He wore a mongkol (headband) and a druang rang (arm band) when he made his way into the octagon. Bravo added that Strebendt did some Muay Thai rituals once he made it inside the octagon. Thomson won the bout by knocking out Strebendt in the very first round.

According to Bravo, Thomson told him sometime after the fight that he got very worried about Strebendt's standup after seeing all his Muay Thai rituals and antics during his entrance. In the Joe Rogan podcast, Bravo said that Thomson took Strebendt down to the ground because he was so worried about his Muay Thai.

The Fight
Right off the bat, Strebendt went for the takedown but Thomson stuffed it. Strebendt made another attempt but he ended up with his back on the mat with Thomson attacking him. Strebendt made it interesting on the ground by attempting several submissions but none of them were successful. About halfway through the round, Thomson threw a back-fist which caught the grounded Strebendt flush on the head. Thomson went for the finish with nasty ground and pound. Big John McCartney saw enough and halted the fight.

What happened to Gerald Strebendt after the Josh Thomson fight?
The Thomson bout is Strebendt's first and last fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He went on to fight in various MMA organizations before retiring in 2008. He retired with a record of nine wins and seven losses. Eight of his wins came by submissions. Thomson on the other hand went on to have fairly successful stints in the UFC, Strikeforce, and Bellator. At one point, he became the Strikeforce lightweight champion after defeating Gilbert melendez in 2008.

Where to buy a Bangkok Ready t-shirt?
Your best option is to go online and seek out any of the stores that offer customized t-shirt printing services. Among the most popular of these stores are Zazzle, Redbubble, and Cafepress. These sites allow you to design your own t-shirt. Just upload your design or text and the site will do the rest. Make your order and the t-shirt will be delivered to your doorstep.

Filipino UFC Fighters List: Names Of Every Filipino Who Fought In The Ultimate Fighting Championship

This is a list of the names of Filipino mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters who had fought or currently fights for the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). In the list below, they are arranged alphabetically with the first letter of their surnames as the basis. Following the names of the fighters are bits of information about their careers and their stints in the UFC. Do take note that this Filipino UFC fighters list includes both active UFC fighters and those who left the organization or were released by it.

Ricky "Pretty Rick" Turcios - Ricky is an American who is half-Filipino and half-Salvadoran. He joined the MMA reality television show The Ultimate Fighter in 2020 as a bantamweight. He made it all the way to the finale where he defeated Brady Hiestand via split decision. With the victory, Turcios earned a contract with the UFC.

Rolando Dy - After stints in several organizations like Nemesis MMA, Pacific Xtreme Combat, Legend FC, and Brave Combat Federation, Dy made his debut in the UFC on June 17, 2017 in Singapore. He faced Alex Caceres and lost by technical knockout in the third round due to an eye injury.

Carls John De Tomas - Like his compatriot Rolando Dy, De Tomas made his debut in the UFC on June 17, 2017 in Singapore. He lost to Naoki Inoue of Japan via unanimous decision. Prior to joining the UFC, De Tomas campaigned in the Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) where he accumulated six straight wins. He fought Alex Perez for his second UFC fight on December 9, 2017 but lost via submission in the second round.

Jenel Lausa - A native of Iloilo, Lausa made his debut in the URCC in 2011. He then fought for about four years in the PXC organization. He was signed by the UFC in 2016 and made his debut in the organization in the undercard of Rober Whittaker versus Derek Brunson in Melbourne, Australia. He won his fight against Zhikui Yao via unanimous decision.

Chris Cariaso - Born and raised in San Jose, California, Cariaso had an MMA record of 10 wins and 2 losses when he debuted in the UFC in January of 2011. His UFC record currently stands at 7 wins and 4 losses. He has fought some of the best in the flyweight division like Demetrious Johnson, John Moraga and Michael McDonald. He is scheduled to engage Henry Cejudo on March 14, 2015.

Shane Del Rosario - From Newport Beach, California, Del Rosario fought only twice in the UFC. He lost both fights to Stipe Miocic and then Pat Barry. He hasn't fought since December 2012. Before joining the UFC, Del Rosario was undefeated in 11 fights in other MMA organizations. All of these were via knockouts and submissions.

John Dodson - From Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dodson is considered as one of the best flyweights in the world. He had wins over big name fighters like John Moraga and T.J. Dillashaw. His UFC record currently stands at 5 wins and only 1 loss.

Former Filipino UFC fighter Brandon Vera (right) during his impressive victory over Igor Subora in his ONE FC debut. Image credit: One Fighting Championship

Mark Eddiva - Born and raised in the Philippines, Eddiva was a decorated wushu athlete before he turned his attention to mixed martial arts. He racked up five wins in different organizations before he was signed by the UFC in 2014. He fought twice that year, winning his debut in Macau then losing his second fight which was held in Brazil.

Dave Galera - A team mate of Mark Eddiva, Galera was the first homegrown Filipino fighter to enter the octagon. He was undefeated in five fights when he debuted for the UFC in an event held in Singapore in January 2014. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Galera hasn't fought since the loss.

Robbie Lawler - From San Diego, California, Lawler had two stints in the UFC. He fought for the organization in the early 2000's. After losing two fights in a row in 2004, Lawler set his sight on other organizations. He fought in Superbrawl, KOTC, Pride, IFL, EliteXC, and Strikeforce. He returned to the UFC in 2013 and fought his way to the top. He is now the current UFC welterweight champion.

Mark Munoz - Fighting out of California, Munoz first fought in the UFC in 2009. He has fought some of the biggest names in the middleweight division like Yushin Okami, Demian Maia, Chris Leben, Chris Weidman, Tim Boetsch and Lyoto Machida.

Roldan Sangcha-an - After winning his first four fights either via knockout or submission, Sangcha-an was signed by the UFC in 2014. He made his debut in June of the same year and lost to Richie Vaculik. Sangcha-an is also from Team Lakay and he hails from Mt. Province in the Philippines.

Brandon Vera - From Norfolk, Virginia, Vera joined the UFC in 2005 and racked up four straight wins including a submission victory over Frank Mir. He then lost his next two fights and since then his UFC career has been an up and down affair. Vera joined another organization, the ONE Championship, in 2014 and won his debut under the new promotion against Igor Subora.

Eddie Yagin - Fighting out of Honolulu, Hawaii, Yagin fought only twice in the UFC. He lost his debut against Junior Asuncao. In his second outing, he earned a split decision victory over Mark Hominick. After the Hominick bout, Yagin left the UFC and started fighting for other organizations.

If you think we missed including a particular Filipino UFC fighter in the list, then please inform us by leaving a comment. Simply mention the name of the fighter and add any information that you deem necessary. We will take care of the rest. We will have to confirm the details about the mixed martial artist and if everything looks fine, we will add him or her to the list.