UFC 150: COWBOY CERRONE QUOTES AND VIDEO

UFC^® 150 CO-MAIN EVENTER DONALD CERRONE PROMISES ‘STRICTLY BUSINESS’ BRAWL

Las Vegas, Nevada – Top UFC^® lightweight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone says his UFC 150 showdown with friend and rival Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard will be “strictly business” but –motivated to impress his hometown fans – the Cowboy added he will go all out for a KO in what he expects to be the fight of the night.

Cerrone collides with friend and rival Guillard in the co-main event of the UFC’s return to the city of its birth, Denver, Colorado, this Saturday.

The Cowboy said: “I’m from Colorado Springs, and all my aunts, uncles, cousins and lots of friends live right here in Denver. I kept calling the UFC to get me on this card, and thankfully Melvin stepped up and allowed me to have a great fight in my hometown.

“I am honored Melvin stepped up. He could have said ‘We trained together, we’ve sparred, he knows my style, it is in his hometown…’ but he stepped up right away. He’s a warrior. He’s a man. When I heard he’d stepped up I called him up to thank him. I was like ‘Thanks for being a warrior and letting me have this fight that I wanted so bad’.

“We hang out, he’s a great guy. He’s been over to my house for barbeque and, after this fight, he’ll be welcome back again. This is going to be a war, he’s a tough explosive guy and he wants to get to that title shot as much as I do, but it is nothing personal. I will try to knock him out, he will try to knock me out, it is just business. We both said ‘Hey, let’s earn some money together and get the Fight of the Night’ bonus. 

“It should never get personal with fights. The one time I got personal was with Nate Diaz. Diaz did a great job of getting me angry, getting inside my head, making me get emotional. He had my number that night for sure. I learned then never to let emotions into it. I like Melvin, but I am going to beat him up like he’s any other fighter.”

In the main event UFC lightweight champion Benson “Smooth” Henderson and former UFC lightweight titleholder Frankie “The Answer” Edgar rematch to decide who is the best lightweight on Earth.

CERRONE INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE

This action-packed card from Pepsi Center will air live on PPV at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

UFC^® 150: HENDERSON vs. EDGAR II, which is presented by the United States Marine Corp., will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship^®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter^®, which now airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website,UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed^® video game franchise distributed by THQ, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM^®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo^® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

UFC On FX:TRAVIS BROWNE AND ANTONIO ‘BIGFOOT’ SILVA

HEAVYWEIGHTS TRAVIS BROWNE AND

ANTONIO ‘BIGFOOT’ SILVA MEET ON FRIDAY, OCT. 5 AT TARGET CENTER IN MINNEAPOLIS

PLUS:

JOHN DODSON vs. JUSSIER FORMIGA

MATT MITRIONE vs. ROB BROUGHTON

JOSH NEER vs. JUSTIN EDWARDS

TICKETS FOR UFC^® on FX: BROWNE vs. BIGFOOT

GO ON SALE FRIDAY, AUG. 10

Las Vegas, Nevada – A five-round heavyweight showdown between contenders Travis “Hapa” Browne and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva will headline an exciting UFC^® card scheduled for Friday, Oct. 5 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The event will mark UFC’s first in Minneapolis since 2008, when UFC 87 broke the Target Center live gate record with a $2.25 million mark.

Additional fights include: The Ultimate Fighter^® season 14 winner John Dodson vs. highly touted flyweight Jussier Formiga; Matt Mitrione vs. Rob Broughtonin heavyweight action; Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards in a welterweight contest.

Tickets for UFC^® on FX: BROWNE vs. BIGFOOT go on sale to the public on Friday, Aug. 10. Doors open on fight night at 3 p.m. CT with the first bout slated for 4 p.m. CT.

The main card will also air live on FX at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Unbeaten at 4-0-1 in his UFC career, the 30-year-old Browne has made an immediate impact in the heavyweight division thanks to his versatile and dangerous attack. Training alongside UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and under the guidance of renowned coach Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, N.M., the Hawaii native will face the sternest test of his career in Silva.

Owner of wins over the likes of former UFC champions Andrei Arlovski and Ricco Rodriguez, as well as former PRIDE^® star Fedor Emelianenko, the 32-year-old “Bigfoot” has 11 wins by knockout and three by submission. He’ll look to place himself in the title picture on Oct. 5 when he meets the hard-hitting Hawaiian.

“Travis Browne is undefeated in his career and wants to prove that he’s ready for a shot at the title,” UFC President Dana White said. “He’s got a tough test in front of him in ‘Bigfoot’ Silva, who’s beaten two former UFC champions and also finished Fedor. I’m excited to finally get back to Minneapolis and I’m confident this card is going to deliver for the fans at the Target Center!”

Tickets for UFC^® on FX: BROWNE vs. BIGFOOT go on sale Friday, Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $175, $125, $75 and $50. Tickets are available at Target Center’s box office, all ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or charge by phone 800.745.3000. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC^® Fight Club^™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Aug. 9, starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship^®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter^®, which now airs on FX in an exciting new live format.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website,UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed^® video game franchise, UFC GYM^®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo^® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

Physically fit kids score higher on reading and math

Physically fit kids score higher on reading and math, research reveals

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Stone Hearth News

Newswise — ORLANDO, Fla. — Having a healthy heart and lungs may be one of the most important factors for middle school students to make good grades in math and reading, according to findings presented at the American Psychological Association’s 120th Annual Convention.

“Cardiorespiratory fitness was the only factor that we consistently found to have an impact on both boys’ and girls’ grades on reading and math tests,” said study co-author Trent A. Petrie, PhD, professor of psychology and director of the Center for Sport Psychology at the University of North Texas. “This provides more evidence that schools need to re-examine any policies that have limited students’ involvement in physical education classes.”

The researchers gathered data at five Texas middle schools from 1,211 students, of whom 54 percent were female with an average age of about 12. Overall, the group was 57 percent white. Among the boys, the breakdown was 57.2 percent white, 24.2 percent Mexican-American, 9.1 percent African American, 1.1 percent Asian-American and 1.2 percent American Indian. For the girls, 58.6 percent were white, 23.4 percent were Mexican-American, 9.2 percent were African-American, 2.3 percent Asian-American and 0.6 percent were American Indian.

While previous studies have found links between being physically fit and improved academic performance, this study also examined several other potential influences, including self-esteem and social support. It also took into account the students’ socioeconomic status and their self-reported academic ability, Petrie said.

In addition to cardiorespiratory fitness, social support was related to better reading scores among boys, according to the study. It defined social support as reliable help from family and friends to solve problems or deal with emotions. For girls, having a larger body mass index was the only factor other than cardiorespiratory fitness that predicted better reading scores. For boys and girls, cardiorespiratory fitness was the only factor related to their performance on the math tests. “The finding that a larger body mass index for girls was related to better performance on the reading exam may seem counterintuitive, however past studies have found being overweight was not as important for understanding boys and girls performances on tests as was their level of physical fitness,” Petrie said.

From one to five months before the students were to take annual standardized reading and math tests, they answered questions about their level of physical activity, and how they viewed their academic ability, self-esteem and social support. The school district provided information on the students’ socioeconomic status and reading and math scores at the end of the year.

To determine students’ physical fitness, the researchers worked with physical education teachers to administer a fitness assessment program widely used in U.S. schools. The program includes a variety of tests to assess aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition. The assessment provides an objective measure of cardiorespiratory fitness through the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, or PACER, and body composition through measuring BMI, the study said.

“Because this is a longitudinal study, these variables can now be considered risk factors in relation to middle school students’ performance on math and reading examinations,” Petrie said. “And that is essential to developing effective programs to support academic success.”

UFC® on FOX

 AFTER TWO YEARS AWAY, MIKE SWICK RETURNS TO THE OCTAGON^® 

‘It is great to be back!’

 

Las Vegas, Nevada –On the same card as four light heavyweight warriors compete to be next in line for a UFC^® title shot, one athlete has already overcome enormous obstacles to simply be competing on the UFC On FOX card (live at 8pm ET/5pm PT) live from Los Angeles.

By the time he steps into the Octagon at the STAPLES Center it will have been been two years, five months and 30 days - 911 days in total - since welterweight contender Mike ‘Quick’ Swick, 14-4, last fought. A seven year veteran of the UFC and one of the original ‘Ultimate Fighter’ cast members, the popular Texan has battled a series of health issues including a condition called esophageal spasm which threatened his career.

Swick on his illness : “I would wake in the night feeling like I had a heart attack. I wasn’t getting any sleep at all during camps or even during the week of fights. I got misdiagnosed a couple of times but eventually they found it was  esophageal spasm, which would give me cramps and pains when I was trying to sleep.

“I never thought about wanting to quit myself. But there was a time where I thought my career might be over, talking to the doctors. If I couldn’t eat like an athlete, if I couldn’t rest my body, I was finished. But, slowly, I learned to control the condition through diet. The only thing diet-wise that is different for me is I miss all those great foods that taste good. Career wise, it is under control.”

On finally getting back to Octagon: “I think in a way I’ve preserved a lot of my athletic prime while dealing with my health issues. Over the last two years I’ve not taken any damage to my body or head in a way that eight or 12 fights would have done. Even though I had to miss out on all those fights, I feel I’m coming back more healthy than ever. I’m faster than I’ve ever been, I’ve worked speed non-stop for two years, and I’m more motivated and hungry. That fire that used to burn is even bigger. So I’m definitely far from done, and I think this is a whole new beginning for me.”

To sit there and watch that many shows go by and not fight, it’s really tough. But everyone’s been super supportive and everywhere I go, people come up and shake my hand and show support and they’re excited for my return. So it makes me feel good to know that I haven’t been forgotten.”

On UFC On FOX opponent DaMarques Johnson: “I love how he pressures and comes forward, he looks for the finish, and he’s not a boring fighter. He’s not gonna try to hang on to me or win a decision, and I think it’s gonna be a great matchup for the fans. He’s the perfect fight to showcase that I am back.”

Swick returns video - YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ONjS5fzqHU

Also live from the Los Angeles’ STAPLES Center, former light heavyweight champion and karate expert Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida battles Ryan “Darth” Bader, a thunderous puncher and former NCAA All-American wrestler. Then, in the five round main event, one of the greatest of all time, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, fights on free TV when he throws down with a resurging Brandon “The Truth” Vera.

Tickets for UFC^® on FOX: SHOGUN vs. VERA are on sale now are priced at $200, $150, $100, $85, $70, $45 and $30. Tickets will be available at the STAPLES Center Box Office or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are subject to convenience and service fees.

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship^®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter^®, which now airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed^® video game franchise distributed by THQ, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM^®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo^® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.