MMA Link Club: Celebrity Fans, Super Saiyans, and the Pride-Yakuza War

- Strikeforce Photo Gallery: Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey, Face to Face (CagePotato)

"This Saturday, Miesha Tate puts her Strikeforce bantamweight title on the line against sassy armbar-savant Ronda Rousey, in the first major MMA event to be headlined by two women since Carano vs. Cyborg. Will Tate’s experience and wrestling win the day, or will “Rowdy Ronda” continue her phenomenal rise? Check out these stunning promo photos from our buddies at Showtime and let us know what you think..."

- Mike Tyson, 50 Cent and 10 Biggest Celebrity Fans of MMA (BleacherReport)

"As MMA has gathered momentum in the sporting stratosphere, so has its popularity among the celebrities, who have begun to appreciate an art where a variety of disciplines are entwined to produce artistic beauty and brutality in equal measures. At present, MMA is fast following in the footsteps of boxing, which once held sway over the "must be seen at a  sporting event" culture. And as such, stars from almost any vocation are more or less keen to be affiliated with it."

- Thiago Alves Talks Weight Issues, Anthony Johnson, UFC Trusting Him, Facing Kampmann (FightLine)

"I feel great, it's been a great training camp. I've been training really hard and I have the right guys behind me. I'm so excited about fighting and getting back in there. I am very thankful that the UFC has trusted me with this main event spot and it's an honor for me to headline this show in Australia. I've never been down there, but I've heard nothing but good things about the fans and the country. - Thiago Alves"

- Before you see him next weekend at Bellator 60, watch this Ronnie Mann Documentary (MiddleEasy)

"Ronnie Mann's opponent, Wagney Fabiano is out of the Bellator featherweight tournament due to a knee injury. He has been replaced by 11-2-1 Mike Corey who made his Bellator debut last year by fighting Chris Horodecki to a confusing draw. The good news is that we made this extensive documentary in conjunction with WHOA! TV that follows Ronnie Mann and his path to the Bellator featherweight tournament..."

- Proof that Super Saiyans are Real (TheFightNerd)

"Did you know that Super Saiyans from Dragonball Z are real? It’s true, it happens all the time. This viral video hit, which stars Fight Nerd correspondent Syl Peterkin, dives into a taboo topic in DBZ – why there are no Black Super Saiyans. Perhaps you can be the watcher that makes this video have OVER 9000 views… heh. Internet memes are kewl."

- Kimbo Slice to host debut of Spike’s “Ultimate Fighter Fridays” (MMAPayout)

"While some may not appreciate the counterprogramming tactics, Spike TV is taking advantage of the opportunity to utilize the UFC library. Having Kimbo Slice host the debut is another good move. Despite not being an ultimate fighter, Slice is a ratings grabber. Season 10 was one of the highest rated seasons in TUF history due to Slice. His May 2008 fight with James Thompson (remember the ear explosion) on CBS scored 1 million more viewers than UFC on Fox 1..."

- Strikeforce: Miesha Tate Facing Long Odds Against Ronda Rousey (5thRound)

"While some are still wondering why Ronda Rousey (Pictured) was granted a shot at the Strikeforce bantamweight belt at such an early stage in her young career, the Gambling Gods believe she’s going to steamroll reigning champ Miesha Tate this Saturday and capture the crown. Despite owning merely a 4-0 professional mixed martial arts record, Rousey is nearly a 4-to-1 odds-on favorite to snatch the hardware from Tate."

- Face the future: Strikeforce lightweight Caros Fodor Interview Exclusive (MMAMania)

"(Pat Healy) has been to the third round, been hurt, been cut and I've never experienced that. I know that deep down, I've had gym battles and I've been hurt before so I know what it's like and I know I'll handle it fine if he does get the upper hand on me in a couple of rounds. ... At any point, the fight can be over and I definitely see myself winning but I don't see any easy fight at all at any place. I think it's gonna be brutal for both of us. - Caros Fodor"

- UFC on FX 2: ‘Alves vs. Kampmann’ Preview (MMAConvert)

"When last we saw Alves, the Brazilian striker and former welterweight top contender was smoking a hopelessly outgunned Papy Abedi at UFC 138, with Abedi playing the welcomed role of softball in a game Alves has been steadily losing since Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch hugged the fighting spirit right out of him. But lo! Dangerous Dane Kampmann is no hugger He’s a pleasingly well-rounded fellow more than willing to slug it out..."

- Miro Mijatovic: The PRIDE Yakuza ownership war in Nov. 2003 (FightOpinion)

"At the backstage, behind the scenes of that particular event, I was personally… usually there was plenty of yakuza around as customers of the shows, the guys that were picking up the ring side seats for 100,000Y, you know, a lot of those guys were yakuza and obviously customers of the event. The first time I’d actually seen that there was something going on behind the scenes was at that specific event where there was probably, I’d say, between 100-to-200 armed yakuza..."

- Ryan Couture ready to break Conor Heun’s arm if necessary (Five Ounces of Pain)

"I think from a technical standpoint I match up fairly well with Conor. I think we’ve got a lot of similar skills we bring to the table. Obviously, I think the biggest thing he brings to the table that no one else really does is his mental toughness. You’ve got to kill him to get him out of there, and I think that presents an interesting puzzle, but I’m really looking forward to trying to solve that puzzle and find a way to come out with the win. - Ryan Couture"

For last week's MMA Link Club: Pioneers in Japan, Wild Redneck Fights, and Top Diaz Bros. Middle Fingers

Photo: Francis Specker