GSP Autograph signing in Seal Beach at Affliction

UFC Champion Georges St Pierre will be there Wed Oct 26th for an autograph signing Affliction's Seal Beach store. We will be giving away a free GSP bandana with every purchase!!!

Dan Henderson Interview (from 6 years ago)

Dan Henderson's sense of humor is very dry. Like, Sahara Desert dry. And also, he's very direct. You ask him a yes or no question, you get a yes or no answer...and that's it. Just asking Dan how he was doing made me feel like I was bothering him. At team Quest 6 years ago Ryan Loco and Evan Shoman interviewed Dan. Ryan started the interview and Evan came in during the middle of the interview because, as he said later, "It was so quiet in there, I thought Dan had murdered you. Not that I could have done anything about it."

Why post this now? Why post this again? Because since that time Dan went from 'Decision Dan' to one of the top 5 greatest fighters of all time. This was conducted after a long training session at Team Quest, in Dan's office. Here it is, untouched, with all our interruptions. Enjoy.



Ryan Loco: First off, thanks for taking the time out of your busy, sweat filled evening to sit down with me.

Hendo: My pleasure.

Ryan Loco: The main question that has been on everybody's mind, it's all over the internet, is...Are you ever going to bring back the mullet from that prom picture?

Hendo: *Laughs* You like that picture?

Ryan Loco: I love that picture. It's hilarious. With the bowtie? It's fantastic. I mean, you're imposing right now with the shaved head, but if I saw a dude coming at me with a mullet, it's over.

Hendo: Well, I don't think I'll bring back the mullet, mostly because I'm too goddamned lazy to do my hair. This is so easy, I shave once, twice a month, buzz my hair, I'm good to go.

*Art Santore's wife comes in to talk to Dan about seeing Santa at the mall.*

Ryan Loco: So no mullet, that's unfortunate.

Hendo: I'm too lazy.

Ryan Loco: Understandable. Now, driving up here, we got that lovely smell. Why did you choose Temecula of all places, it smells like Matt Lindland out there.

Hendo: It's not that big of an armpit.

Ryan Loco: What brought ya here?

Hendo: I just kinda like being out of the big cities. And it's kinda situated okay, close enough to San Diego and Orange County. And I kinda like my space. I like it out here. Good place to open a gym, too. Lotta young families. The sport is growing so much, especially in that age group. The young adults, they wanna get their kids into it.

Ryan Loco: This is the part where I was gonna ask a question about Nate Quarry, but no one cares about Nate Quarry, so never mind.

*Dan gives me a bored, deadpan look.*

Ryan Loco: Nate's a friend of mine, I just like to mess with him.

Hendo: Ok.

Ryan Loco: So now that you got MayheM as part of Team Quest, are we thinking about anything for your teeth? Maybe a platinum piece?

Hendo: Nope.

Ryan Loco: Nothing? Come on Dan!

Hendo: If my fake teeth were platinum, they'd fall out all the time, they're too heavy.

Ryan Loco: We'd just glue 'em in.

Hendo: Again, I'm too lazy.

*Evan Shoman walks in with prints for Dan to sign*

Shoman: Did you ask him about his nicknames?

Ryan Loco: Not yet.

Shoman: Mind if I ask him?

Ryan Loco: Go for it.

Shoman: Aside from Twinkle Toes, you may have 4 of the worst nicknames in MMA.

Hendo: 4 of 'em?

Ryan Loco: Hollywood.

Hendo: I've never endorsed that one.

Ryan Loco: Decision.

Shoman: Dan the Hand.

Hendo: Dan the Hand, never heard that one.

Shoman: It's on your website.

Hendo: It's on MY website?

Shoman: The Team Quest website. "Dan, sometimes known as Dan the Hand."

Hendo: I've never even heard of that nickname. )Dan turns to Heath Sims) You better check that out, Heath. Ok, that one's not a known nickname.

Shoman: And Dangerous?

Hendo: That one's been around for a little while.

Shoman: How about the pedophile?

Ryan Loco: I was thinking Defcon.

*This is the part of the interview where Dan forgets that we are in the room, possibly on purpose.*

Hendo: You guys haven't heard the Japanese nicknames, there's more. There's like 2 or 3 more. They call me the American Athlete. I didn't know it for awhile. Then they shortened my name by Dan Hen. And then they call me Middle Nice or something. They try and GQ me up.

Ryan Loco: Middle nice?

Hendo: Yeah, a nice, middle aged guy. Before one of my fights, they put it up there. Way up on the big screen.

*Art Santore walks in*

Art Santore: Have you guys seen my glasses?

Hendo: Did you sit on them?

Shoman: I don't think Dan stole them.

Ryan Loco: Okayyyyy...umm, Defcon 1 is ok, Defcon 5 is terrible, Defcon Dan is trouble.

Shoman: We were talking to Daniel Puder the other day, everything became Puders. He got kicked in the "Puders."

Ryan Loco: That'd be hot. "That guy has a beautiful Hendo."

Shoman: Well, I said...I thought, I...that's a good one.

Ryan Loco: I know, I should trademark it.

Hendo: A lot of people call me Hendo. Or Dan Hen. Or American Athlete.

Ryan Loco: Aren't a lot of people an American Athlete over there? "Oh, there goes that American Athlete."

Hendo: Anyways...

*Had there been a gun or a knife or even a letter opener in Dan's office, I would have been murdered*

Shoman: How about your nickname is Dan? They call you Dan DAN.

Hendo: That...that was weak.

Shoman: It's better than the American Psycho.

Hendo: Who's that?

Ryan Loco: Stephen Bonnar.

*SILENCE*

Ryan Loco: Umm, yeah, I haven't heard of him either.

Hendo: I mean, I've heard of him, but...

Ryan Loco: I think it goes Stephen Bonnar and then Nate Quarry.

Hendo: ...I didn't know his nickname.

Shoman: I was supposed to draw Nate a new shirt, and since he's "Rock" and not "The Rock" I was just going to draw...a rock.

Ryan Loco: The Paperweight.

Hendo: He doesn't wanna be "The Rock?" I thought he was always "The Rock". Maybe it's because "THE Rock" became famous and he wants his own name.

Ryan Loco: Nate Quarry last fought in 1964.

Shoman: Against a bear.

Hendo: That...that...that fight with Franklin just killed him.

Ryan Loco: Literally.

Hendo: Killed his will. He shouldn't have fought that fight.

Shoman: You're not gonna put that in there, are you?

Ryan Loco: I'm just gonna record it and mail it to Nate.

Hendo: I'll tell Nate that. I already told Nate. Anyways...

Ryan Loco: This is really exciting.

Hendo: Is this all you got for me, what the hell? You guys are worthless.

Ryan Loco: I am worthless.

Hendo: Yeah.

Ryan Loco: So...has it been since the second the Wanderlei fight ended that you wanted to fight him again?

Hendo: I didn't really care. For awhile I didn't really care, until they started that whole belt thing, and then I wanted his belt. I didn't care if it was him or not. I wanted the belt at that weight class. Then they started this other weight class, where I had to cut weight. I don't care what weight class I fight at. I kinda had some goals set at 205 that...I mean, I wanna fight Wanderlei again now. I should have beat him the first time. If it was in the UFC, I would have beat him. They would have stopped the fight. Still, you know, he recovered well and beat me in a nice decision, but they would have stopped that fight in the US. I'd like to fight him in Vegas.

Ryan Loco: Now, do you want to fight him in Vegas because it is here in America, or because of the rule changes?

Hendo: No, just to fight him. And it's here in America. Be a good fight for the American fans. I think a lot of people thought that that fight was pretty exciting. We're both older, a bit smarter, and a little bit better skilled now.

Ryan Loco: And you're way better looking.

Hendo: Yeah, well...I was then too, but that didn't matter. I would be undefeated if they judged fights by how guys looked afterwards, too. He had a second person on his eye. I'd love to do that again. Dot the "eye" on Silva.

Ryan Loco: You could Nate Quarry him.

Hendo: I don't think he's going to come at me with his hands out that far. I would love to fight Wanderlei again, and I want that fight in Vegas.

Ryan Loco: Have they said anything to you about that?

Hendo: Well, I'm fighting on that card. Don't know who. Wanderlei is fighting on that card. I know that I'm an option. So, it's a good chance that it could happen.

Ryan Loco: You're ready either way.

Hendo: Yeah. He's a cheating bastard and I want to beat his ass this time. He won't be able to grab the ropes and head stomp me this time. He'll still be able to grab the ropes, just no headstomp. Dirty Brazilian cheating bastard. Dirty fighter.

Ryan Loco: Dirty fighting cheating bastard, the Brazilian athlete. Got it. Now, do you take any tips from Tim Sylvia about your belt? Do you shower with it?

Hendo: I wonder if he wears a condom with that thing, when he makes love to it.

Ryan Loco: Maybe some Scotch Guard.

Shoman: It could be like when they get obese people off the couch, and they grow into it. Maybe his skin is fusing with the belt.

Hendo: It's a good thing that the UFC makes new belts for everybody. His would be pretty nasty though, it's been everywhere he's been.

Ryan Loco: A lot of corn fields.

Hendo: A lot of Corn Holes.

Ryan Loco: Do you have your belt with you?

Hendo: It's collecting dust at my house.

Ryan Loco: Did you get a belt for winning the MW tourney in the UFC?

Hendo: No. I don't know what they gave me.

Ryan Loco: A participant trophy for showing up?

Hendo: A little one, if they did.

Ryan Loco: Thanks for fighting, here, we validated your parking.

Hendo: I don't remember what I got there.

Shoman: Can't be too exciting, if you can't remember.

Hendo: My knee was swollen after that.

Ryan Loco: Alright...well, yeah, that's all I got. Thank you American Dangerous Hollywood Dan Hen the Hand...

Hendo: Don't forget Middle Nice.

Ryan Loco: Middle Nice Henderson.

Shoman: How about the question, "Where do you get this vibrant personality?"

Ryan Loco: Yeah, could you turn it off just for a few seconds, please.

Shoman: Dan, I'm gonna need you to calm down.

Hendo: I'm busy signing these damn prints! My wife said my lips were off.

Shoman: Thanks. Official Dan the Hand prints.

Hendo: I never heard that one.

Shoman: It's on 3 different websites.

Ryan Loco: And a couple porno sites.

Hendo: That's a different Dan. Same hand though.

Ryan Loco: I got one more question Dan, How much Xanax are you actually on right now?

Hendo: What the hell is Xanax?

Shoman: Everything Jason Miller needs to get through his day.

Hendo: Oh. I think I need the other part of the spectrum.

*The understatement of the year*

Shoman: Has your ear ever exploded? Because it's bleeding right now.

Hendo: It always bleeds in that same spot. Whenever I do stuff.

Ryan Loco: Like beating the piss out of Art Santore.

Shoman: Like the axe kick to the face, followed by the punch to his ass?

Hendo: When did I do that?

Shoman: Tonight.

Hendo: Oh.

GNC and Xyience Autograph Signing with Jake Shields and Matt Serra

XYIENCE, the maker of Xenergy, the official energy drink of the UFC®, and retail partner General Nutrition Centers (GNC) invite mixed martial arts fans to meet XYIENCE team athletes. Former UFC welterweight titleholder Matt 'The Terror" Serra and the previous #1 UFC® welterweight contender Jake Shields. The autograph signing is Friday June 10th from 5 to 7 p.m at the GNC store located at 1126 Robson St. Vancouver, British Columbia.

The XYIENCE event at GNC is a part of an action-packed UFC weekend in Vancouver that includes: UFC 131® Dos Santos vs. Carwin at Rogers Arena on Saturday, June 11. Adding to the excitement, XYIENCE team athletes Mark Munoz and Krzysztof Soszynski are featured on the UFC 131 fight card. Both athletes recently signed endorsement deals with XYIENCE that run through 2012.

Earlier this year, XYIENCE's nutritional supplements XYPRO and XYMASS hit the shelves of 171 GNC stores from coast to coast in Canada. GNC, the leading supplement retail in Canada, also carries XYIENCE's Xenergy Premium and Xenergy Xtreme energy drinks.

About XYIENCE (pronounced zy-ince)
Headquartered in Las Vegas, XYIENCE products support an active and healthy lifestyle and are held to the most stringent standards of excellence. Visit www.xyience.com for details.

Xenergy (pronounced zen-ergy)

Xenergy is the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and is one of the fastest growing brands in its category. The first energy drink created by a nutrition company, Xenergy is a sugar- and calorie-free drink that's fortified with vitamins. All-natural flavors provide a consistent supply of energy, without the "crash" inherent in most other energy drink brands. Xenergy Premium flavors include Cherry Lime, Cran Razz, Mango Guava and Blu Pom. Xenergy Xtreme flavors include Fruit Punch, Orange Fuel, Citrus Slam, and Cherry Rush. Xenergy is available throughout the United States and Canada.



###

For more information, please contact:

Forte Creative Media PR for XYIENCE

Stephanie Forte, sforte@fortecreativemedia.com 702.596.9866

Sara Talesfore, sara@fortecreativemedia.com 702.898.2547

Ring Girls, autographs, prizes, and tailgates... OH MY!!!

UFC 131 VIP Experience Sweepstakes

XYIENCE, Mac’s Convenience Stores Launch UFC 131 VIP Experience Sweepstakes

In-store promotion runs April 25 - May 22, 2011 in 289 Mac’s Convenience Stores in Western Canada



LAS VEGAS (April 21, 2011) XYIENCE, maker of Xenergy, the official energy drink of the UFC, and Mac’s Convenience Stores Inc., a division of Alimentation Couche-Tard, the largest Canadian convenience store chain in Canada, have joined forces to launch a joint promotion, UFC 131 VIP Experience Sweepstakes. The consumer contest kicks off April 25 and runs through May 22, 2011 exclusively at all Mac’s Convenience Stores throughout Western Canada (provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan & Manitoba).

The grand prizewinner will be selected at random, and will receive roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations for two in Vancouver, British Columbia as well as a pair of tickets to UFC 131 that is being held on Saturday, June 11 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The winner and a guest also receive VIP entry to XYIENCE’s pre-fight and post-fight parties and will take part in a special meet and greet with various UFC fighters.

“Mac’s is proud to partner with XYIENCE for these exciting consumer promotions,” says Karen Ziegler, Mac’s Convenience Stores category manager for Western Canada. “We have been very pleased with the performance of the Xenergy brand in our stores and as a result, have recently expanded our listing base to include Xenergy Xtreme flavors.”

Contest entry details are available at Mac’s Convenience Stores within Western Canada and at www.mymacs.ca. During this time, there will also be special promotional pricing on Xenergy: 2 cans for $5.

“Our current promotion with Mac’s in Ontario for UFC 129 has been such a success that we are thrilled to work with Mac’s in Western Canada for UFC 131,” says Gus Prokos, XYIENCE’s vice president of sales for Canada. “The Couche Tard family continues to demonstrate its expertise in executing promotions on the retail level as well as in the social media realm, and it ends up paying off considerably for both our brands. We’re looking forward to another successful promotion.”

About Couche-Tard

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In North America, Couche-Tard is the largest independent convenience store operator (whether integrated with a petroleum company or not) in terms of number of company-operated stores. Couche-Tard currently operates a network of 5,904 convenience stores, 4,178 of which include motor fuel dispensing. The stores are operated by 12 business units, including nine in the United States covering 42 states and the District of Columbia, and three in Canada covering all 10 provinces. More than 53,000 people are employed throughout Couche-Tard’s retail convenience network and service centers.



About XYIENCE (pronounced zy-ince)

Headquartered in Las Vegas, XYIENCE products support an active and healthy lifestyle and are held to the most stringent standards of excellence. Visit www.xyience.com for details.



Xenergy (pronounced zen-ergy)

Xenergy is the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and is one of the fastest growing brands in its category. The first energy drink created by a nutrition company, Xenergy is a sugar- and calorie-free drink that’s fortified with vitamins. All-natural flavors provide a consistent supply of energy, without the “crash” inherent in most other energy drink brands. Xenergy Premium flavors include Cherry Lime, Cran Razz, Mango Guava and Blu Pom. Xenergy Xtreme flavors include Fruit Punch, Orange Fuel, Citrus Slam, and Cherry Rush. Xenergy is available throughout the United States and Canada

UFC 129 Sweepstakes!!!

LAS VEGAS (March 24, 2011) XYIENCE, maker of Xenergy, the official energy drink of the UFC, and Mac’s Convenience Stores Inc., a division of Alimentation Couche-Tard, the largest Canadian convenience store chain, have joined forces to launch a joint promotion, UFC 129 VIP Experience Sweepstakes. The consumer contest kicks off March 28 and runs through April 24, 2011 exclusively at all Mac’s Convenience Stores throughout Ontario.

The grand prizewinner will be selected at random, and will receive a pair of tickets to the now sold out UFC 129 St. Pierre vs. Shields that is being held in Toronto on Saturday, April 30 at the Rogers Centre. The winner and guest will receive VIP entry to XYIENCE’s pre-fight and post-fight parties, and experience a special meet and great with various UFC fighters. In addition, the winner and his/her guest will receive tickets to the UFC Fan Expo, which is being held in Canada for the first time, on April 29 and 30 at the Direct Energy Centre in Ontario.

Contest entry details are available at Mac’s Convenience Stores in Ontario or visit mymacs.ca. During this time, there will also be special promotional pricing on Xenergy: 2 cans for $4.

People, especially MMA fans, are encouraged to join Mac’s on Facebook at facebook.mymacs.ca and to follow the convenience store giant on Twitter. Starting on April 24, 2011, Mac’s will be launching a weeklong social media contest and the grand prize will include another pair of tickets to UFC 129.

“Working with key retail partners like Mac’s to truly engage the consumer in the XYIENCE brand allows us to share the spirit of the MMA lifestyle that we work very hard to support,” says Gus Prokos, XYIENCE’s vice president of sales for Canada. “Mac’s, and the entire Couche Tard family, understands our brand’s message--they make the execution of these promotions seamless and have enabled XYIENCE to enjoy a strong presence in the Canadian market. We’re certain that our UFC 129 promotion will be nothing short of a knockout success.”


XYIENCE, a nutrition company for athletes and fitness enthusiasts, is a proud sponsor of the UFC. Its team of mixed martial arts athletes includes the Brazilian fighter Wanderlei Silva, an international icon in the sport, as the UFC’s light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones. Its energy drink brand, Xenergy, is carried throughout the United States and Canada at prominent retailers, including Mac’s and Circle K.

In February of this year, XYIENCE was named a national brand by Circle K in the United States, an agreement that assures the placement of Xenergy beverages in U.S. Circle K stores. XYIENCE has been a national brand for Circle K in Canada (where it has been doing business as Couche Tard and Mac’s) since 2010.

About Alimentation Couche-Tard & Mac’s Convenience Stores Inc.

Mac’s Convenience Stores Inc. is part of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., who is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In North America, Couche-Tard is the largest independent convenience store operator (whether integrated with a petroleum company or not) in terms of number of company-operated stores. Couche-Tard currently operates a network of 5,904 convenience stores, 4,178 of which include motor fuel dispensing. The stores are operated by 12 business units, including nine in the United States covering 42 states and the District of Columbia, and three in Canada covering all 10 provinces. More than 53,000 people are employed throughout Couche-Tard’s retail convenience network and service centers.