Hardbody – Female Sports, Health and Fitness

Last weekend in Charleston, South Carolina a former NPC bodybuilder David Griffin tested himself as an MMA Fighter. David, husband to IFBB Figure Pro Melissa Griff, went three rounds with former UFC bad ass Houston Alexander at the Clash of the Coliseum. Working the fight as ring girls were (from left to right) Cheryl Foster – NPC Bikini, Nikki Larson, Brittany Bowser -NPC Bikini, Kierstin Flores – NPC Bikini, Tessa Wood – IFBB Figure and Ashley King – NPC Figure.

Clash of the Coliseum Rings Girls.
Thanks to Shannon Meteraud for the photo assist.

Ashley will be in Chicago this weekend for the NPC Jr Nationals. The other Bikini girls will be making their national debuts at the NPC JR USA later this summer. National Debuts at Jr USAs. Look’n good ladies!

IFBB Bikini Pro Monique Minton continues to collect belts but doesn’t bother taking names in her “other world”. Monique is an accomplished grappler who recently won yet another tournament. This time Momo headed to Ft. Worth, Texas where she competed in the expert division of Gi and No Gi (two forms of grappling). Don’t let the pretty face and bikini body fool ya, she’ll choke your ass out!

Monique shoring off her newest hardware.

The second UFC Fan Expo is taking place this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. While I was making my through the thousands of fans, snapping photos and doing video interviews, I spotted four IFBB Bikini Pros who will be back in Vegas this September. Amanda Latona, Tianna Ta, Shelsea Montes and Sheryln Roy are all qualified for the first Bikini Olympia and were represent’n at the Fan Expo.

FLEXonline bikini finalist, Katie Chung-Hua & IFBB Bikini Pro
Amanda Latona put up their dukes.

IFBB Bikini Pro Tianna Ta & Katie pose with fans at the BSN booth.

IFBB Bikini Pros Shelsea Montes & Sherlyn Roy.

Monique Minton is back after her trip to the Arnold Sports Festival.

Hello Guys,

Earlier this month was awesome! I was the Arnold expo and got to see many great things.  I feel like we women are growing a lot and gaining more space in our industry. One of the highlights of the show was when Arnold himself called Slyvester Stallone to give him a award. I thought it was so cool because tqo of the biggest butt kickers of all times (at least in the movies) were on the same stage. It brought reminded me of why I love the UFC so much!

On Saturday Night we had the WEC fights. The WEC is a kind of a smaller league of the UFC and they have the lighter weight fights.  There were a bunch of surprises, new champions and old champions got destroyed for the second time (Miguel Torres) it was a really interesting night!  Now this next two weeks will be awesome… first because I will be completing in California for the first time as an IFBB Pro and second ’cause there will be two UFC events. The first one is this Sunday, March 21, and it’s a FREE UFC show on the Versus channel. Lots of great fights on this one.  Brandon Vera will be fighting this guy who is so scary. He’s so scary good that I wouldn’t even want to fight him. lol.  If things go the way people say it will… Vera will get a huge cut in his face and his new nick name will be Brandon “Frankenstein”Vera!

On March 27th in New Jersey there will be a card full of famous fighters, I can’t wait to comment on them as well.  Especially how Dan Hardy is gonna get embarrassed for not training appropriately.  Here is a tip for you readers… it’s not a good idea to train with family member when you are fighting against GSP, unless you are a nephew of Mr. Miagi. Concluding this week on Spike tv lots of interesting UFC show that show how fighters are getting ready for their fights, it is good to remember that some of these guys are training for the fight of their lives.  If they lose they not only lose money but also their contracts and a chance to fight in the biggest MMA league in the world.

As a fan of fitness and a fan of MMA all I can say is that it is important to fight.  Life is like a big octagon where you find yourself.  You know you could have done more to get better prepared, but there is no time to cry or complain the idea is to go there and fight with all you have, never give up and in the end know that you are successful for never doubting yourself. Get the mission accomplished… winning or losing doesn’t really matter because the objective was to go beyond your limits.

<3momo

Hey guys,

Last weekend was awesome! Great fights and the UFC is getting better every day. The event in Australia was a great success they sold out all their tickets in the first day and the UFC is the most watch pay per view event.  If you’ve never watched it before, the next UFC event is in Broomfield Colorado and will be awesome plus it’s FREE.  This event will be shown on the VERSUS channel March 21, 2010 at 9p.m. ET.  The card will is very exciting and one of my favorite fighters, Pilipino Brandon Vera will be fighting Jon Jones, in my opinion Brandon Vera beat Couture on their last fight but they gave it to Couture. But this Jones guy is so tough his last fight he ran over a wrestling guy (in the octagon) and beat him up so bad that if I was the guy I would just go back to school.  Besides that fight they will have my close friend Junior “cigano” dos santos fighting Napao, great fight. Two Brazilian warriors fighting to show their country who is the king hahahha.  Sheik Congo will be fighting paul buttelo, also James Irving, Clay Guida and many others so  it will be good.

Now going back to what happened last week on the UFC 110 Nogueira vc Velasquez.
Cain knocked out my friend Nogueira, I was very said, but I admired Cain complements to Nogueira after the fight and the fact that he was a extra humble guy.

Silva won by unanimus decision over Bisping – I was very happy cause I don’t like Bisping because he is too full of himself so I was very happy. hahah

George Sotiropulos beat Joe Daddy Steverson – I thought he was gonna lose based on his last name.  I guess the lesson is never judge a book by its cover.

Cro Cop beat Perosh – By brutal man handling force! I felt sorry for perosh but give him 10 for the efford!

Krysztof TKO Bonnar – I guess people from my mom’s country are tough no wonder my mom beat us up hard. hahahha

Chis leg lock Foster – To show that Brazilian jiu-jitsu is still very effective

CB Dollaway beat Rejic – Good fight but cb need to work out more upper buddy, he looks like a 15 year old boy!

This is a perfect example of how to generate buzz in a big way. The video shows UFC superstar Chuck Liddell working out nude with his girlfriend, Heidi Northcott. The two were spotted in nothing but Reebok shoes.

The MMA community was having a field day with this video when it surfaced and eventually ended up on TMZ. The piece cost Reebok next to nothing to make and it’s generating more buzz than most tv commercials would ever do. It gained so much attention that Jimmy Kimmel Live featured it last night.

Props to Reebok for the creative stunt.

Hello Guys,
I can not explain to you in words how important this weekend is, as a UFC fanatic this will be a great weekend especially bc my teacher/friend will be doing the main event, Rodrigo “minotauro” Nogueira vc Cain Velasquez.  Nogueira is such a great guy, he is not a fake champion like tito ortiz, mike swick or many other posers that tell people they are good and some people actually believe them. This guy is the champion for 11 years,The champion in Japan and former UFC champion.  In our culture when people reach the top they became arrogant and timeless for anyone, Nogueira goes out of his way to talk to people take pictures and make everyone feel like a friend, the guy is not only a great fighter, he is a example of the ideal human being.  Now lets go to my picks!

Nogueira vs Velasquez – how can any mom named her son cain, she might as well  have called him spawn(devil child) cain in the bible was a guy who killed his own brother cause of jelousy.  I hope he has no brothers cause after my boy nogueira kicks his butt he will have to alleviate his hate on somebody, Nogueira by guillotine!

Silva vs Bisping - Bisping the big mouth(knows it all and have an excuse for everything) has done nothing yet, he is a creation of the UFC to win fans from england, as you know it is all about the show business, nothing like having a English fight hero  Bisping calls himself the best, the man , but who has he really beat? no one, who has wanderley beat? huh, bisping’s teacher 2times (Rampage Jackson) and Dan Henderson the guy who was made fun of the entire Ultimate Fighter show(spike’s tv reality show) and on the day of the fight kicked bispings ass. Silva the “mad dog” is gonna knock him out in second round and he will come with the most lame excuse such as, “fans i am sorry , but I broke my nail last month and i couldnt train for weeks!”

Steverson vs Sotiropulos – Joe daddy is gonna win, how can anyone with a last name like that win anything, this guy should go to court ask for a name change and them go back to fight at the UFC. It reminds me of that sesame street character…snuffaluffagus! and snuffaluffagus wouldnt hurt a fly!

Jardine vs Bader – that is easy just look at their body, Jardine looks like uncle fester from the Adams family and Bader looks like a Hydroxycut model!  He is the reality show champion (Ultimate fighter)when Nogueira was the coach and nogueira told me, he is really tuf. If nogueira said the guy is tuff , who am I to say otherwise. Im going with bader on this fight.

Cro Cop vs Routhwell - Cro Cop will win, cro cop is one of the greatest kickboxing fighters of all times, and routhwell is just a strong guy with heart, my advice for him is get a gym membership, shave some fat off, gain more muscles work on his cardio and learn to fight. Then come back to fight in the UFC!  Cro Cop will knock him out with a kick to the head

Stephan Bonnar vs Krzysztof Soszynski - huh should I go with my beloved america, or with my mom’s land Poland, I will need to pick out Soszynski cause I think Bonnar is too washed up, he got punched in the head too many times, that cant be good for you.  I love bonnar’s style, but I think the polish man will ground and pound him

Chris Lytle vs Brian Foster – dont know neither one of them but i will go for chris cause I seen him getting beat up by someone before! so maybe his time to shine! chris lytle , my pick.

CB Dollaway vs Goran Reljic – CB will win, very good wrestler, this guy is fearless and even though he looks smaller and has a baby face, and he is tuff as nails

To conclude all this guys are tough and it will be a great show, I love the story behind the fights and I love to see people that just like us in the industry train so hard for a competition and sometimes even be better they lose, but the most important think is to always remain positive and as rocky balboa quoted “it is not about how hard you can hit, but how hard you can get hit and not give up”
<3momo

ps.  Please root for my boy Nogueira, he is the people’s champ!

—-

Dean’s Picks
James Te-Huna vs Igor Pokrajac
James Te-Huna – He grew up watching Bruce Lee so he has to win!
Knockout – Right uppercut third round

C.B. Dollaway vs Goran Reljic
Goran Reljic – Everyone sees potential in CB but potential doesn’t win fights, plus its always fun to watch wrestler lose!

Chris Lytle vs Brian Foster
Chris Lytle – he is a warrior, then again Foster is known for knocking some ffols out. This should be a great toe-to-toe fight.

Stephan Bonnar vs Krysztof Soszynski
Krysztof Soszynski – this will be another great fight as both these men can take a beating and give a beating. I see Bonner getting more of a beating then he gives Soszynski, so look for the usual Bonner to get hammered and hang-in there for longer then you think he should.
Soszynski – Decision

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Anthony Perosh
Mirko – I know he hasn’t performed in the Octagon like we are used to seeing in the ring but I think after the last fight being controversial he will come out finish this one with authority!
Cro Cop – TKO via kick to the head late first round

Keith Jardine vs Ryan Bader
Jardine – I know of a lot of Jardine haters but the guy definitely looks MEAN! Regardless of likes or dislikes Jardines experience will get him the win over Bader.
Jardine – Split Decision

Joe Stevenson vs George Sotiropoulos
Joe Stevenson – Joe needs this win big time. This is a great fight for George, he has been working his way up with some impressive wins but Joe will be his toughest opponent yet. Joe has two wins but he needs a solid streak to get back on track as one of the divisions top fighters.
Stevenson – Unanimous

Michael Bisping vs Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlie – That’s all I have to say about this fight! Knockout 2nd round

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Cain Velasquez
This is a hard one to call, Nog was almost written off by many fans then pulled off a win against Couture. Cain has been unstoppable and many who doubted him are starting to believe. I want Nog to win this one but I am going to have to give it Cain. Nog needs to get a submission or he wont win this fight. Velasquez – Decision

We have a winner in the Hardbody Hook-Up! Michelle Wickert-Hatcher is the winner of our WEC/UFC Hook up, beating out a number of very worthy recipients. Michelle wins TWO FREE tickets to the WEC event in Columbus along with a UFC prize pack. Thanks to Reed Harris from the WEC and Larry Pepe from Pro MMA Radio for the assist on hooking this up.

Michelle convinced us she was a worthy winner by her MMA knowledge along with this story and photo…

There are many, many reasons why winning these tickets would mean so much. HOWEVER, there’s one reason more important than those above. My husband lost his job back in December and like many, we’ve struggled. No Christmas presents, no New Year’s dinner… just us making ends meet over the holidays.

Luckily, he got a full-time job last week and things are going to get better. His 40th Birthday is Monday February 15th. The Arnold weekend is my present to him / our Christmas / New Years / Valentines present to each other. We’re making the most of what we’ve got by driving to the event from Richmond, VA, packing food from home for the weekend and using some free reward nights at the hotel.

So as you can see… winning tickets to the WEC would make this trip truly special.

Sincerely,

-Michelle

Thanks to my man Jesse Holland over at MMAmania.com for passing along this information. After seeing the press release,  I spoke with Joe Doran from Bellator’s PR agency to get a little more info. Joe tells me that video is highly recommended for all entries. They are moving quick on this search and will narrow the field to the select finalists in March, so the sooner you enter the better. If you decide to enter, communicate why you’d be a good fit for Bellator and it (the video) only needs to be a couple minutes long. Maybe you’ll get bonus points for giving HARDBODY a shout-out, err then again maybe not. If you’re not familiar with Bellator Fighting Championships, check out their web site. It could be a great opportunity for you ladies.

Also worth noting… “After receiving application submissions, Bellator will choose finalists who will be flown to Chicago for in-person interviews beginning in March 2010. At the culmination of the interview process, three winners will be chosen along with two alternates. Winners will begin traveling with the Bellator team in April 2010. Compensation will be disclosed to finalists.”

Good luck!

Bellator Fighting Championships announces Bellator Girls spokesmodel search
Three winners will be featured on FOX Sports Net, NBC, and Telemundo

CHICAGO, Ill. (February 16, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships, a first-of-its-kind mixed martial arts promotion that will debut its second season this April on FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo, has announced a contest to recruit talented women to serve as the company’s official spokesmodels and round card girls – the Bellator Girls – in 2010.

Selected Bellator Girls will have the opportunity to travel around the country with Bellator Fighting Championships and will appear on the promotion’s nationally televised events, at various appearances for the brand and at various Bellator event related activities. Interested candidates must have excellent communications skills, a vivacious and outgoing personality as well as outstanding camera presence. Appearing at all 22 live events, the Bellator Girls will be given national television and live event exposure on a weekly basis from April to November 2010.

Job responsibilities will include:
- Serving as “round card” girls at Bellator events;
- Appearing at promotional events such as fighter weigh-ins and press events;
- Interaction with sponsors and making appearances at sponsor related events, and
- Professional photo shoots for Bellator promotional materials/videos, products, etc.

How to Apply Online:
1. Visit www.Bellator.com/BellatorGirls
2. Fill out all required information including name, address, and age
3. Attach all required materials or links including photos and resume
4. Attach or add link to video submission
5. Read the terms and conditions and check, “I Agree to these terms”
6. Press the Submit button

How to Apply Via Mail:
1. Send all required materials including name, address, age, photos, resume and video to the following address:

Bellator Fighting Championships: Bellator Girl Search
445 N Wells St.
Suite 401
Chicago, IL 60654

Additional requirements:
- All applicants must be at least 18 years old;
- All applicants must be able to travel three days a week between the months of April and November 2010;
- All applicants must be legal residents of the United States;
- In their application video, applicants should provide a specific answer to the question of why they would be the best choice to become a Bellator Girl;
- Pictures and videos must showcase physical and verbal talents; and
- All applicants must be willing to submit to background checks and drug testing.

After receiving application submissions, Bellator will choose finalists who will be flown to Chicago for in-person interviews beginning in March 2010. At the culmination of the interview process, three winners will be chosen along with two alternates.

Winners will begin traveling with the Bellator team in April 2010. Compensation will be disclosed to finalists.

For more information, visit www.Bellator.com.

About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Bellator’s team is comprised of experienced fighting sports and entertainment professionals with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

Momo recaps UFC 109 in amusing fashion.

UFC 109
Las Vegas, USA – Saturday, January 6, 2010

Main card:
- Randy Couture defeated Mark Coleman by submission at R2;
- Chael Sonnen defeated Nate Marquardt by unanimous decision;
- Paulo Thiago defeated Mike Swick by submission at R2;
- Demian Maia defeated Dan Miller by unanimous decision;
- Matt Serra defeated Frank Trigg by KO at R1;

Preliminary fights:
- Mac Danzig defeated Justin Buchholz by unanimous decision;
- Melvin Guillard defeated Ronys Torres by unanimous decision;
- Robert Emerson defeated Phillipe Nover by unanimous decision;
- Phil Davis defeated Brian Stann by unanimous decision;
- Chris Tuchscherer defeated Tim Hague by split decision;
- Joey Beltran defeated Rolles Gracie by KO at R2.

We saw Frank Trigg getting his butt whopped by Matt Serra and after getting TKO (technical knocked out) he looked very surprised! Haha, if I was there I would say, “you lost brother!” Nate surprised everyone getting taken down at will by a Republican Politician (Chael Sonnen). Chael showed, that just like Bush he used preventative striking and attacked Nate the whole fight. I was kind of sad ’cause Nate is much better looking and that he had no bottom game. Nate what happened? My boy Paulo Thiago made me really proud, first cause I made some money betting on him, second cause he showed that punching is cool but making a guy pass out is even cooler, I guess Mike “Quick” Swick is not so slick! And with the last fight of the night, I was far-fetched with my pick Mark “the Hammer” Coleman, the problem was he forgot to fight and came as if he was going for a picnic.

As of my picks challenger all I have to tell him is that takes some chances sometimes! Deano, its on for ufc 110

But all eyes now are on UFC 110 with my friend and teacher Antonio ”Minotauro” Nogueira, I get nervous thinking about that fight. Cain Velasquez, his opponent, is a young tough fighter. The event is going to take place in the land down under (Australia) land of “wolwerine” Hugh Jackman and Crocodile Dundee. All the tickets were sold out on the first day, so it will be a huge event! Lots of great fights but I will tell more about them when the time comes. Check back with Hardbody.com for more info on MMA news, gossip, interviews and predictions with MOMO

If you want a good laugh for today, check this you-tube video out
Its very funny and prolly the typical fighter wanna-be’s you may see around your city!

I posted the Hardbody Hook-Up for FREE WEC tickets earlier this month. If you missed the original post check it out here. The original hook up was for 2 free tickets to the WEC event in Columbus. Thanks to our friends at Pro MMA Radio, the WEC and now the UFC the deal just got a little sweeter. In addition to the WEC tickets, there will be a UFC prize pack (a shirt, hat, etc.) added to it. This is your chance to get hooked up with gear from the biggest promotion in MMA.

How do you get hooked up? Simple. Email me at isaac@hardbody.com and share why you’d love to attend the event. The most creative entry showing their love for MMA and the WEC will win. Photos, video, creative writing… Whatever it is that you think will get you the tickets. You have until Feb. 14th at 6pm PST to enter. We’ll announce the winner shortly after the deadline passes on Feb. 14th. Someone will get a little extra love on Valentine’s Day this year compliments of HARDBODY, WEC and the UFC.

The ticket give-away is open to everyone. If you have any questions email me or post in the comments below.

Dean bested Momo in their prediction battle for UFC 109. Despite only getting 28 percent of the votes in today’s Hardbody prediction poll Dean proved the voters wrong. He went 7-2 while Momo went 5-4. Momo went out on a limb with a few fights and it ended up costing her the win. Despite Dean’s smack talk and presently inflated ego, my money is on Momo to choke him out should the two ever get in the ring. Check back in a couple weeks to see if Dean can keep his streak alive as they make their predictions once again for UFC 110.

Momo gets quote of the night when she said, “Paulo Thiago hands down! The guy fights criminals in the favelas in Brazil, while Mike Swick eats cheeseburgers at Dave and Busters”. Thiago choked out Swick for the win.

Visit MMAmania.com for the full results.

Our resident MMA gir,l Momo has submitted her UFC 109 predictions. She’s going out on a limb the main fight and has some hilarious comments on the others. Dean Donlon, the man in charge up the contest section at Bodybuilding.com, thinks he has the winning picks.  It’s a UFC prediction throw down… MOMO vs DEAN. Dean’s already talking smack, “Bring it on MOMO!” Who will fair better? You can catch UFC 109 tonight on Pay Per View. Check back tomorrow to see how Momo and Dean did.

POLL CLOSED – Hardbody Voters call it…
Momo – 72%
Dean – 28%

Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman
Momo: I’m gonna call Mark Coleman because he is the underdog and like on Rocky 3 the underdog always wins.
Dean: Couture! Straight up! He is a little over a year older but physically he has a few years of youth on Coleman. Coleman is an old man and has lost his power over the years and that is all he ever had. Couture will finish him in the late second round by submission (choke)

Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen
Momo: Nate Marquardt, I trained with him…he is tough. Cheal is a crying baby… Paulo Filho put him in an arm-bar, he tapped and said he didn’t.
Dean: Marquardt, Nate is physically stronger and more well rounded, watching Nate fight is always a pleasure and he trains to win. If you have ever seen footage of Nate training you would not even consider Sonnen. Nothing against Sonnen but he is just not at the skill level of Nate the Great. Marquardt – 1st round KO (hopefully a flying Knee)

Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago
Momo: Paulo Thiago hands down! The guy fights criminals in the favelas in Brazil, while Mike Swick eats cheeseburgers at Dave and Busters… and only fought posers.
Dean: Hard to say but I’m not a fan of Swick, I think Thiago will finally put an end to Swicks un-entertaining fights. I give Swick props, he has some big name wins under his belt but that will end with Thiago. Just as most of Swicks fight I see this going the distance. Thiago – split decision.

Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller
Momo: Demain Maia on this fight, as long as he uses Brazilian Jiu-jit-su. I bet he is gonna get a rear naked choke or guillotine.
Dean: Should be a great grappling match, if either one comes out swing they will lose, there is not much stand up game in this fight.With that said it will be a great fight for real MMA fans who appreciate a well matched fight. Maia in my opinion just has the upper hand in BJJ and will win this fight. Maia – 1st round submission.

Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg
Momo: They both look older than Randy Couture and Mark Coleman, but ill pick Matt Serra on this fight, because Frank Trigg was already done 2002.
Dean: LOL – will be a good fight but I’m not a fan of either. Both will come into this fight well conditioned and I say it will start with a slugfest. After both take too many punches in the head Trigg will shoot and from there Serra will utilize the fact that he has far better BJJ skills and finish the fight. Serra – late first or mid second round submission

Mac Danzig vs. Justin Bucholz
Momo: One more time, they gave Mac the weirdo another dead chicken. If he doesn’t win this one, he should sign up for one of MTV’s reality shows! Mac for this fight.
Dean: Both are on losing streaks and honestly this fight is worthless. I’m going Danzig split decision

Ronys Torres vs. Melvin Guillard
Momo: I’m hope’n for Melvin, because I don’t wanna see him on celebrity rehab. Melvin.
Dean: Torres – better BJJ, Guillard’s only chance is a KO in the first minute. Torres – Submission Early second

Phillipe Nover vs. Robert Emerson
Momo: Phillipe, better jiu-jitsu
Dean: This could be a sort of comeback fight for Emerson, I think he will come in better prepared. Emerson – split decision

Brian Stann vs. Phil Davis
Momo: Brian because my dad was also in the U.S. military.
Dean: Phil Davis – Unanimous, dont think Stann will stop the streak of Davis Prediction: Davis by decision

Welcome our newest Hardbody contributor… IFBB Bikini Pro, top fitness model and MMA practitioner Monique “Momo” Minton.  Momo will be sharing some insight, tips and predictions on the world of MMA.

Hello Everyone!

I am Monique Minton, a MMA fanatic, lover and practitioner.  I train every day and that is where most of my cardio comes from. You burn crazy amounts of calories during grappling or sparring. I decided to venture into Brazilian Jiu-jit-su (BJJ) and muay thai because I wanted a different method of cardio, a more fun approach. I didn’t realize I would get addicted, find such passion for a sport and actually suceed in such a displined art. I love MMA because it is a nice way to exercise and also learn something very useful. As my coach says “fighting solves everything.” hahahaha just kidding.  But seriously, it is very good for women to learn self-defense.

Many women don’t know what MMA is or what it stands for. They tend to think it’s cage fighting and a blood sport where they put two people inside a cage to beat each other as much as they can. Those who judge the sport this way miss why MMA is the most fun, exciting and fastest growing sport in America.

The sport is so intriguing and so technical. What other sport can a 45 year old man like Randy “The Natural” Couture, fight with guys half his age (Brandon Vera) and still win? Luck?  No. Technique!  If I were you… this Saturday, get a group of friends together and visit a place where they are showing the UFC Fights. You’ll see some of the best athletes in the world compete and have fun in the process, at least I know I will.  Check back with my predictions and thoughts on the UFC 109 fights!

Ossssaa! <3 momo

We’re stepping things up a bit for this Hardbody Hook-Up. Thanks to Pro MMA Radio & the WEC we’re hooking one hardbody fan up with 2 free tickets to the WEC event in Columbus, Ohio. The event takes place March 6, 2010 at 10:00pm ET. That means you’ll have time to go to the Arnold Classic AND take in the WEC event. The live event will be held at Nationwide Arena.

How do you get hooked up? Simple. Email me at isaac@hardbody.com and share why you’d love to attend the event. The most creative entry showing their love for MMA and the WEC will win. Photos, video, creative writing… Whatever it is that you think will get you the tickets. You have between now and 6PM PST on Feb. 14th to enter. We’ll announce the winner on Feb. 14th and someone will get a little extra love on Valentine’s Day this year compliments of HARDBODY.

The ticket give-away is open to everyone. If you have any questions email me or post in the comments below.

Check out the latest promotional video for the new UFC GYM. One familiar name/face to those who follow the fitness/figure industry is IFBB Pro Tanya Merryman. We interviewed her a couple years ago here on HARDBODY if you’re new to the site. She’s often remembered for her killer calves however she’s making a name for herself off the stage as the Group Fitness Manager for UFC GYM.

UFC GYMs are the newest extension of the UFC brand. As the video explains, it’s not a place to go and be a UFC fighter, it has a huge list of offerings from classes to weights and cardio. Congrats on the position Tanya and best of luck with the gym!

Today Affliction clothing is offering 25% off all their SINFUL Hooded Sweatshirts with a special promo code. IFBB Bikini Pro Dianna Dahlgren is the featured model for the promo that’s sure to be seen by thousands of fans. Props to Dianna for her continued success in the modeling world.

It didn’t take long for the UFC to cut Natasha Wicks from their roster. Natasha won the Maxim/UFC Octagon Girl contest in May and was cut last month. She’s one of the women featured in the 2010 Girls of BSN calendar.

Tonight former Playboy Playmate Chandella Powell will make her UFC debut as an octagon girl alongside Arianny Celeste. This photo, taken by Combat Lifestyle, shows the new Octagon girl rock’n a hardbody and  more muscle than Natasha and Logan (the other girl cut).

New Octagon girl rock’n the Hardbody.

Chandella & Airanny getting ready for tonight’s fights.

Who says Bikini competitors don’t work out and can’t hang with the “real athletes”? Obviously, those people haven’t met and tangled with IFBB Bikini Pro Monique Minton. Monique continues to work on her MMA training and does very well at it. Over the weekend she competed in Florida State Championships and won her class, open class and gi. She took home first place (by submission in each one) every match. Congrats!

Monique putting a beating down on an opponent.

Those of you wondering if Monique has hung up to bikini for good, not so fast. She tells me she’ll be competing next year in the new IFBB Bikini pro division.

UFC 102 goes down tonight at the Rose Garden Arena and we asked some of our resident HARDBODY hotties chime in with their picks. These women are known for their rock’n hardbody physiques but will their picks match up? We’ll soon find out as the fights get started in a bit. Each of these fitness models has an interest in the UFC for various reasons.

Here’s the main event card the ladies are predicting:
Randy Couture vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Keith Jardine vs Thiago Silva
Nate Marquardt vs Demian Maia
Brandon Vera vs Krzysztof Soszynski
Chris Leben vs Jake Rosholt

Monique Minton – Dallas, Texas
Published fitness model, IFBB Bikini Pro, MMA practitioner

Hello Guys,
I am really excited for the fights tonight, I love the UFC ’cause it is electrifying. You never know who is gonna win, soon you will see me there! OK these are my picks!

Randy Couture vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Minotauro by guillotine 3rd round, first cause he is my teacher, second cause he is the nicest guy you will ever meet, 3rd cause he is not too explosive but he keeps his phase the whole fight he has amazing cardio!

Keith Jardine vs Thiago Silva
Thiago by tko 1st or 2nd round, he looks much better hahahahah, he has amazing jiu-jitsu he already toy with Houston Alexander who’s stronger than keith, so the strategy is simple take him down and celebrate.

Nate Marquardt vs Demian Maia
Demian Maia 2nd round by submission. This one is tuff I trained with Nate in Pittsburg, he is amazing, really nice guy, amazing tecnique, he’s been fighting forever, but Demian is Jiu-Jitsu, appearences are deceiving and if I am correct the tecnique will beat power!

Brandon Vera vs Krzysztof Soszynski
Brandon by tko – first he is fillipino like me , loyd irving brown belt that means a lot! now the sosynki was kind of a douche bag in the ultimate fighter show, he thinks he is the man, but I think he has a lot to learn, maybe one day I will show him.

Chris Leben vs Jake Rosholt
Leben tko – Leben loses a lot cause he just like to go crazy but today I think he will be more focused.

Yvonne Vaicus – Denver, Colorado
Top 5 National Level NPC Bikini Competitor

I honestly don’t see any major upsets in this one… maybe in the Couture fight but don’t see it happening. My addiction to UFC grew as I got to learn about the sport and realized it wasn’t just about two guys beating the pulp out of each other. The more I learned about the different skills and training behind it I was hooked and having met locals like Nate Marquardt and Eliot Marshall puts the a face and character with a sport and lets you see how dedicated these men are to their sport.

Randy Couture vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
I’m torn on the Couture fight I might just have to go Couture on this one.

Keith Jardine vs Thiago Silva
Have to go Silva on this fight.

Nate Marquardt vs Demian Maia
Picking Nate. He is on a good streak and he’s a colorado kid gotta go local!! LOL

Brandon Vera vs Krzysztof Soszynski
Hands down Brandon Vera

Chris Leben  vs Jake Rosholt
Same thing here going with Chris Leben

Gale Elie – Jacksonville, Florida
Top National NPC Figure Competitor, Boyfriend is Mr. Olympia Dexter Jackson

I did tae kwon do growing up & Dex took me to my first UFC fight 3 yrs ago, in Vegas! They had every one there fighting, Randy and chuck, Tremblay, St Pierre, it was awesome! We sat 3 rows from the cage and I was hooked after that! We got to go backstage and meet everyone who was really cool! My absolute fave is St. Pierre. My picks to win…

• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
• Keith Jardine
• Demian Maia
• Brandon Vera
• Chris Leben

Teri Turner – Bossier City, Louisiana
IFBB Figure Pro, Fitness Model

Hot damn… All the fights should be bad ass but Randy Couture will be interesting to watch. He’s been fighting for so long and is one of the most popular fighters in the UFC.
•  Randy Couture
• Thiago Silva
• Demian Maia
• Brandon Vera
• Chris Leben

Who do you think has the best picks and will come out the leader in this first of many prediction posts? Think you could pick them better and want to be part of the next group? Post a comment or email to isaac @ hardbody.com and let us know.

Carano versus Cyborg was the first headline event for women’s Mixed Martial Arts. This was a big step for the women in MMA. Gina Carano has been the face of women’s MMA but on Saturday night she fell to Cyborg in the first round. How will this change the landscape of women’s MMA in the months ahead? Only time will tell but this was one helluva fight. You can hear the fans going nuts in this video. Check it out…

Props to both women.

We told you about Natasha Wicks last month after she won the Maxim/UFC Octagon Girl contest. If you missed it, check out the post here. This weekend Natasha will make her debut in the Octagon at UFC 101. The Las Vegas native shares in her UFC video that she loves to workout and it isn’t a chore for her. It’s good to hear her share with millions of UFC fans that working out and eating healthy is important.

Natasha Wicks – New UFC Octagon Girl.

Norm Turner aka Satan is Gina Carano’s strength and conditioning coach. Gina is the most popular female in MMA and you might remember her as one of the American Gladiators. She will face her toughest opponent next weekend when she fights Cyborg. One of the things that people dog Gina for his her apparent lack of discipline when it comes to making weight for her fights. She’s had some time off from fighting and by the looks of this video, I doubt she’ll miss weight this time around.

Think you train hard? Watch this video and see if you still feel the same way.

Ya, I’d say that is one helluva workout.

Check out this video with won of the top strength and conditioning coaches, Jonathan Chaimberg. Jonathan trains a number of top UFC fighters and in this video he shows a MMA Fitness workout with Rashad Evans and fitness model Amanda Carrier. Remember Amanda showing off her guns here?

ESPN’s MMA fitness video:

Let us know if you try any of this workout and how it goes.

The inaugural NPC Bikini contest caused some controversy in Columbus earlier this year when Kristal Marshall took home second place. Many felt Kristal (myself included) should have won the short class and battled for the overall title. That’s all water under the bridge now. I caught up with the former WWE diva and Price is Right girl to see what she’s been up to and what we can expect to see in Las Vegas. Kristal will be competing at the NPC USA contest this weekend and from my vantage point has all the makings to be a top contender.

Kristal Marshall earlier this year.

What will we see different from the Arnold stage?
Well, when I competed at the Arnold, inn March, it was the first NPC Bikini contest, so nobody really knew what to expect, or what the judges were looking for. I felt like I went into it a bit blind.  I sat back and let a few contests go by so that I could see which bodies were awarded and to train accordingly. I am so excited for the USAs! I feel no stress and have no expectations. This time is different in so many ways for me: I have my entire family coming to support, I got an awesome off the rack suit, My body is toned, strong and feminine… I feel so sexy.

Where did you get your suit?
I actually bought my suit at Victoria’s secret for $13! Then I took it to Christine Marsh and had her pucker the booty.

How’s baby Myles Doing?
My son is awesome! He keeps us on our toes. He just turned one and he is non-stop!! He’s my little good luck charm. He was there when I won Bikini America and hopefully he can give mommy some luck at USAs.

You’ve been keeping busy – what are some of the things you’ve been doing besides preparing for this competition?
Wow…busy is an understatement. I have been running our online supplement site Lashleynutrition.com, Training (of course), Starting Cosmetology school, renovating a rental home, being mommy and working on our new baby American Top Team Altitude.  ATT is a high level MMA Professional fight gym which has trained some of the best MMA fighters around: Thiago Alves, Thiago Silva, Jeff Monson, Mike Brown, JZ, and of course the undefeated Bobby Lashley who happens to be my favorite .  Bobby came up with the idea to open up an ATT in Denver to take advantage of the high altitude…hence ATT Altitude. We are very proud to say that the gym will be up and running early fall of 2009. So come check it out if you are in the Denver Area.

Kristal Marshall & Bobby Lashley in studio.

Favorite supplements?
The cool thing about owning our own supplement store is that I can try all the new fun stuff. I really love optimum nutrition’s casein protein, mixed with oats pre-bedtime. I am a big fan of Forever Fit’s whey isolate in cran-razz (yum). Most recently I have feel in love with Recovery X’s Liquid MD. It’s a blue green algae solution, which helps with everything from arthritis to sore muscles.

What advice do you have for mommas out there who are struggling to stay fit much less compete?
With kids it is really tough and you are definitely going to have to make some lifestyle changes. Prioritize: Kids first, your health next. Working out is only 10% of the solution; diet and hydration are the other 90%. As mother we want to put the best foods possible into our kiddos’ tummies right? So put it into yours too! Make little changes to start like: Eat when you first wake up (this spikes your metabolism) and will give you energy. You want to break-the-fast so the speak, Switch to whole grains (pastas, breads, cereals), Switch from traditional salt to ancient volcanic salt (a natural brown organic unbleached salt), Cut out most white colored foods (think about it there are not a lot of natural things that organically are white), sleep when baby sleeps  (I had to get that in there).  Don’t be so hard on yourself; your baby has to crawl before he walks, so approach your fitness goals the same way. Most importantly stay hydrated.

Thanks Kristal and Good luck in Vegas!

Proof that MMA is gaining further mainstream appeal. What does this have to do with anything related to women? Well, first most women are drawn to UFC fighter Georges St. Pierre’s looks. He was voted the most popular athlete in all of Canada last year. When Gatorade features you in an ad, you’ve officially arrived. As the mainstream media features the world of MMA more, the people in and around it benefit. There are many supplement companies who are marketing to the MMA industry. Most if not all MMA fighters weight train in some fashion. As more MMA fans are converted into supplement taking, gym going people… The fitness industry benefits.

GSP – women want him and guys want to look like him. Hard to dislike the guy.

Forty beautiful women took the UFC FAN EXPO stage on July 11, 2009 in hopes of becoming the new UFC Octagon Ring Girl. One lucky woman walked away with a year-long UFC contact and a photo shoot with Maxim Magazine. At the end of three rounds it was 24 year old, Natasha Wicks coming out on top of the judges scorecards. The Las Vegas resident will break up the trio of brunettes currently serving as UFC Octagon Ring girls by sporting her blondish, brown curly hair.

The judging started with the forty women in Maxim tank tops and their own shorts. The four judges…two men from Maxim Mag, UFC Fighter Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and the chief marketing officer for the UFC, Bryan Johnston narrowed the field to twenty.

The chosen twenty were in bikinis and asked what super-hero power would they choose if they could pick one. Most responses were fairly weak. More than one woman responded with, “Invisible”. You’re competing based on your looks and you want to be invisible? Come on ladies, come up with something a bit more memorable. A couple appeared to be UFC groupies wanting to be around the fighters, also not a good response. I doubt the answers had much to do with the final five but I could be wrong. It was pretty clear that the judges wanted a different look from the current group of Octagon girls. The final five were selected and they were all blondes. There were a few women I would have chosen over three of the five but overall it wasn’t bad. I liked #27 for the win but her large back tattoo may have hurt her for the win. She had a nice physique and one of the cutest faces in the competition. She ultimatelyfinished in the runner-up position.

Top five in the Maxim Maga & UFC Octagon Ring Girl contest.

It’s interesting to see what the mainstream folks gravitate towards in terms of physiquea. A few of the women could have held their own in a NPC Bikini contest but most would need to train a bit longer. Many pretty faces though. So how about the winner… What is her story?

Natasha Wicks – the new UFC Octagon Ring Girl.

From NatashaWicks.com:

Natasha Wicks is a Los Vegas native, and a former cross-country runner for NAU. She got her modeling start in Hawaii shortly after graduatin college, and has recent signed on as the UFC’s newest “Octagon Girl”. She beat out 39 other girls for the contract with the UFC, and is speculated to become the most popular “Octagon Girls” yet. She is 100% all-natural, and has never had any plastic surgery!

Natasha checks in at 5′2″ and 105lbs. She has a nice, healthy, fit look and was a solid choice for the win. Her athletic look ultimately helped her win the crown, at least in my opinion. She got her start in modeling while living in Hawaii and has been involved in a variety of modeling jobs since. According to her modelmayhem.com profile she says, “I am adventurous, fun, light-hearted and professional and always the first one ready to roll in the mud and get crazy and creative.”

Natasha Wicks – photo by Calvin Dakari

Natasha also shares, “I was a Bunny at the playboy club in Las Vegas where I worked with and met some of the most famous people in the world. Good times for sure! No, I did not pose for playboy and though I have nothing against it.. I am looking to turn my modeling in a different direction. I have GOGO danced all over Vegas and love it… I am a wicked, crazy dancer! I get along with everybody unless you’re a hater and then there is nothing I can do about that.”

What about her goals for the future? “My goals are such an array of colors! I want to be a model, a nature photographer, marine biologist, pro-surfer, seaworld animal trainer, designer, painter, actress….. I just want to try everything!”

Congratulations Natasha and good job on rock’n the hardbody in Las Vegas.

Comments (2) Permalink

Read More