Issue 081

November 2011

MMA gets comic book treatment 

A four-part comic book series centered on mixed martial arts is set to be released later this year. Titled Heart, it follows the “rise and fall” of young fighter Oren ‘Rooster’ Redmond and his journey into the sport of mixed martial arts. The series is created by Blair Butler, a comic book and MMA enthusiast who presents various shows on 

G4, a gaming-centric station linked to a UFC buyout earlier this year. Aimed at both mixed martial arts and comic fans, Heart follows a number of Japanese manga titles into the MMA story-telling world, such as the long-running Baki The Grappler and All-Rounder Megeru. 

Chael Sonnen quotes get dedicated fan page

Die-hard fans of UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen can now visit a website dedicated to the man’s greatest soundbites. Chaelsonnensaidso.com allows followers of the Team Quest wrestler to access his many quips and quotables via one click. The page includes such lines as: “I don’t fully understand what respect means. That sounds like something a kid says in the street after he’s getting ready to take your coat and shoes.” And: “[Anderson Silva]’s a grown man with saggy pants, pink T-shirts and crooked hats. Go join a gang, don’t get in the UFC.”

UFC strikes Latin American TV deal

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has signed a two-year broadcasting deal with Fox Sports Latin America, further broadening its global reach. The agreement will see UFC programming in the 29 million homes and 18 countries the network transmits to across the continent, excluding Brazil. Nations like Mexico and Argentina will now receive 24 live UFC events a year, as well as supplementary programming such as Spanish-language highlights show UFC Guerreros. It matches a similar partnership with the network’s North American branch.

Free Joe Lauzon iPhone app released

UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon has released a free, personalized iPhone app. Joe Lauzon Mobile takes Lauzon fans into the mind of the computer science graduate with ‘J-Lau’ news, videos and pictures. Although not the first MMA fighter iPhone app, Lauzon believes his is unique. “I am putting everything I am into this app,” Lauzon told MMA Weekly. “It will have MMA, of course, but tech stuff, movie stuff, random funny videos, and anything else I seem to come up with.” The program even helps fans connect with Lauzon on Xbox Live and Facebook. Available on iTunes now.