Upcoming
Events
Do you
want to list an event on Onzuka.com?
Contact
Us
(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2013
November
Aloha
State Championship
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(tba)
10/19/13
NAGA
Hawaiian Grappling Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(tba)
10/5-6/13
Senior Master World Championships
(BJJ)
(The Pyramid, Cal State Unversity at Long Beach, Long Beach,
CA)
8/24/13
Battle At The Bay
(BJJ)
(Hilo Armory, Hilo)
August
Maui
Open Championship
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(tba)
7/27/13
State
of Hawaii Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Pearl Cityh H.S. Gym)
7/13/13
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Momilani Community Center)
6/22/13
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Kalakaua District Park Gym)
6/8/13
King of the Cage
(MMA)
(Maui)
5/30/13 - 6/2/13
World
BJJ Championships
(BJJ)
(The Pyramid, University of California at Long Beach)
5/25-26/13
NAGA:
Pacific Grappling Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Radford H.S. Gym)
5/19/13
Amateur Boxing Event this (Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
5/4/13
Mad Skillz
(Triple Threat)
(Waipahu Filcom)
4/27/13
Star Elite Cagefighting: The Foundation
(Kickboxing)
(Aloha Tower Waterfront)
4/13/13
Hawaiian
Open Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
Denny Prokopos
Eddie Bravo Black Belt Seminar
9AM-11AM
$50
@ O2 Martial Arts Academy
3/23/13
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
3/20-24/13
Pan
Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(Irvine, CA)
3/20/13
David Kama Seminar
Rickson Gracie Black Belt
8-10PM
$50
@ O2 Martial Arts Academy
2/23/13
Got Skills
(MMA, Kickboxing, Triple Threat)
(Waipahu Filcom)
2/16/13
Mayhem At The Mansion
Kauai Cage Match 14
(MMA)
(Kilohana Carriage House, Lihue, Kauai)
Boxing Event
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym District Park Gym)
Uncle Frank Ordonez’s Birthday Tournament
(Palama Settlement Gym)
(Grappling, Sport-Pankration and Continuous sparring)
2/3/13
Diego Moraes Semainr
(BJJ)
(O2MAA)
2/2/13
World
Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship: Hawaii Trials
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(McKinley H.S. Gym)
2/1/13
IBJJF Referee Clinic
(O2MAA)
1/19/13
Destiny
Na Koa 2
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
1/12/13
Reuben "Cobrinha" Charles Seminar
4-7PM
(Ku Lokahi Wrestling Club)
|
|
July
2013 News Part 2
|
O2 Martial Arts Academy
provides 7 days a week training! Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu classes
taught by Black Belts Kaleo Hosaka and Chris & Mike Onzuka
We are also offering Kali-Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday
nights with Ian Beltran & Erwin Legaspi.
Kickboxing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with PJ Dean &
Chris Slavens!
Wrestling program (Folk Style) taught by Cedric Yogi on Wednesdays
and Thursdays.
Kids Classes are also
available!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from
the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
Want
to Advertise on Onzuka.com?
Click here for pricing and more
information!
Short term and long term advertising available.
More than
1 million hits and counting!
|
O2
Martial Arts Academy
Your Complete Martial Arts School!
Click here for pricing and more
information!
O2 Martial Arts features Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu taught by Relson
Gracie Black Belts Chris and Mike Onzuka and Kaleo Hosaka as
well as a number of brown and purple belts.
We also offer Boxing and Kickboxing classes with a staff that
is unmatched. Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA competitor PJ Dean
as well as master boxing instructor Chris Slavens provide incredibly
detailed instruction of the sweet science.
To top it off, Ian Beltran & Erwin Legaspi heads our Kali-Escrima
classes (Filipino Knife & Stickfighting) who were directly
trained under the legendary Snookie Sanchez.
Our wrestling program is headed by Cedric Yogi who was previously
the head coach of the Pearl City High School Wrestling Team.
Just a beginner with no background? Perfect! We teach you from
the ground up!
Experienced martial artist that wants to fine tune your skill?
Our school is for you!
Mix and match your classes so you can try all the martial arts
classes offered at O2!
If you want to learn martial arts by masters of their trade in
a friendly and family environment, O2 Martial Arts Academy is
the place for you!
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Follow O2 Martial Arts news via Twitter at:
http://www.twitter.com/O2MAA
World
Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda Fight Card Complete with
Five Prelims
The
World Series of Fighting returns for its fourth event with WSOF
4: Spong vs. DeAnda, which takes place on Aug. 10 at Citizens
Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.
The
main card was already set with Tyrone Spong (1-0) vs. Angel DeAnda
(11-2), Marlon Moraes (10-4) vs. Brandon Hempleman (9-1), Ray
Sefo (2-1) vs. Dave Huckaba (20-5), Tyson Griffin (16-6) vs.
JZ Cavalcante (17-7-1), and Nick Newell (9-0) vs. Keon Caldwell
(9-1), but the promotion recently fleshed out the preliminary
bouts to complete the line-up.
WSOF
officials recently added an intriguing lightweight bout between
14-year MMA veteran Antonio McKee (28-5-2) and undefeated Lewis
Gonzalez (8-0) and a light-heavyweight match-up pitting Lew Polley
(12-4) against Dutch standout Hans Stringer (21-5-2).
Additionally, Cleber Luciano product Joe Murphy (6-1) faces John
Robles (7-1) in a bantamweight contest, and Isaac Gutierrez (5-3)
faces Victor Valenzuela (12-6-2) in a 150-pound catchweight fight.
The
four new bouts join a previously announced feature between welterweight
star Jorge Santiago (25-11) and Gerald “Hurricane”
Harris (21-5) on the evening’s five-fight preliminary card,
which streams live on World Series of Fighting’s official
website, WSOF.com, beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The live,
two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast of the World
Series of Fighting 4 main card begins at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30
p.m. PT.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
VIEWPOINT:
BEST-CASE SCENARIO
BY TRISTEN
CRITCHFIELD
Anderson
Silva will look to retake the middleweight title at UFC 168.
There
was Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White on a
sleepy summer Saturday afternoon on SportsCenter, announcing
he had officially booked the “the biggest fight in UFC history.”
In
the case of Chris Weidman-Anderson Silva 2, White’s proclamation
has roots that run deeper than mere promoter’s hyperbole.
Where most events tend to have a limited shelf life upon conclusion,
the echoes of UFC 162 have continued to resonate for the past
week. Weidman, a virtual unknown prior to defeating Silva, has
become an instant celebrity, as evidenced by his taking the opportunity
to send Stephen A. Smith into near convulsions by mentioning
Tim Tebow on ESPN’s “First Take” -- a signal of
one’s arrival if there ever was one.
Meanwhile,
it did not take long for Silva to have a change of heart after
initially showing no interest in a rematch with Weidman. A sound
bite from “The Spider” also aired on the Worldwide
Leader on Saturday, with the former champion assuring the world
in broken English that he is indeed back.
Silva’s
curious performance at UFC 162 has been examined ad nauseam.
Analysis has ranged from the defiant “Taunting is a staple
of Silva’s greatness!” and the measured “Age catches
up to the best of us” to the sensational “Did Silva
take a dive?” The broad spectrum of reactions is natural
when an upset of this magnitude takes place. In mixed martial
arts, only Georges St. Pierre-Matt Serra 1 and Fedor Emelianenko-Fabricio
Werdum have had a similar feel. However, the rematch between
Serra and St. Pierre was inevitably anticlimactic, while Emelianenko
lost two more fights and departed from Strikeforce before he
could ever cross paths with Werdum again.
The
return date for Silva and Weidman has the delicious element of
the unknown. Anything could happen when they square off at UFC
168 in December, and none of it would be surprising -- not after
what went down at UFC 162. Oddsmakers have already listed Silva
as a favorite, but that has more to do with the business of encouraging
wagers than it does with what might take place in the Octagon.
Weidman
wanted the rematch.
Could Weidman win if the more serious version of Silva shows
up? Those who picked the New Yorker to win the first time around
certainly think so, as the majority of such predictions were
based on Weidman’s wrestling and grappling acumen, not his
knockout power. Could a motivated Silva make Weidman look like
an amateur? If he does, it would not be the first time the Brazilian
has made a stellar athlete appear ordinary. Or will the sequel
be something different entirely, something we have not yet considered?
At this point, nothing seems too farfetched.
That
is why Silva’s loss was the best-case scenario for the promotion,
the fans and even Silva himself. A fallacy that emerged from
post-UFC 162 discussion was that Silva’s legacy had been
tarnished in defeat. One loss to a capable and worthy foe is
nowhere near enough to erase six-plus years of excellence. The
defeat deserves to be thoroughly dissected but only because it
was nearly unprecedented. Before Weidman, a Silva loss was something
that occurred years ago in faraway lands, only available for
retrospective viewing on YouTube.
Prior
to UFC 162, Silva seemed relatively satisfied with his career
achievements.
“Whatever
I should have done in the sport, I have already done,” he
said during a pre-fight media call. “Win or lose, I’ve
already done everything there is to do. Now it’s just a
matter of doing what I love to do.”
Correction:
there is now one thing Silva has not done and that is rebound
after losing a title. We have seen Silva dominate, we have seen
him disinterested and we have seen him pull off the improbable.
Through it all, he always emerged with his hand raised. Seeing
a long-reigning champion, the sport’s pound-for-pound best,
come back to defeat the only man who was better than him in the
Octagon would be the capstone for Silva’s legacy. It is
the one thing he has not had to do.
If
he is unable to avenge that loss, it will speak volumes about
the future. If Silva cannot beat the best in his own division,
it means that the super fights that have teased and taunted us
much the way Silva recently clowned Weidman are no longer worth
seeing. Win, and discussions of Jon Jones and St. Pierre resume,
perhaps more fervently than before.
Those,
however, remain firmly in the fantasy matchmaking realm, where
they have resided for several years. Silva-Weidman 2, barring
injury, is very real. When Silva fell to the likes of Ryo Chonan
and Daiju Takase, he was not yet the fighter he would become.
He was not yet the best in the world.
Now,
he has the opportunity to reclaim his place. Nothing could be
more compelling.
Source: Sherdog
|
The
good, the bad, and the ugly regarding Fight Master
By Zach
Arnold
On
a night where we saw War Machine return to action and win, Babalu
retire after a loss, and Seth Petruzelli get blitzed by King
Mo, Bellator launched Fight Master on Spike TV.
Reality series ‘Fight Master’ draws on ‘The Voice’
to break ‘TUF” mold
The Good
The format of the show revolves around four coaches (Joe Warren,
Greg Jackson, Randy Couture, and Frank Shamrock) and qualifying
fighters picking the coach they want to work with in training
camps. The personality of the four coaches is great and Frank
Shamrock absolutely shines with his strong, devious personality.
It’s a lot of fun to watch. Jimmy Smith plays the role of
Dana White (bald, no tie, in-cage instruction guy) and semi-hosts
the show by leading the interaction between the fighters and
the coaches. Some of the obversations by the coaches are great.
Personal highlight was Joe Warren getting burned by having a
fighter he didn’t want selecting him as their coach. One
fighter ripped on Shamrock by saying he’s an old guy from
a bygone era and couldn’t teach anything about today’s
MMA scene.
The idea of the show being dominated by the personality of the
coaches is the core strength of the show. It also leads to the
show’s core weakness.
The Bad
The biggest problem with The Ultimate Fighter is that the show
declined in ratings due to the fact that UFC was no longer recruiting
the best fighters to participate on the show. If the UFC wants
a hot free agent, they’ll simply sign them to a new contract.
By doing this, they undercut the prospects of their own reality
show because what you end up with are fighters on TUF who win
the reality show and then go nowhere on UFC undercards.
Bellator & Spike attempt to cover up this flaw now in the
MMA talent pool by putting most of the focus on the coaches rather
than the fighters. It may help the television rating of the show
but it still doesn’t address the fact that UFC has so many
fighters under contract that it is tough to recruit that hot,
new prospect for a reality show because the depth just doesn’t
exist right now. This is the glass ceiling that will prevent
reality shows like TUF and Fight Master from becoming really
popular.
As evidenced by Wednesday’s debut show, we didn’t get
to see a whole lot of in-cage action with the fighters. It was
simply highlights and then focusing on the reality TV drama as
to which coaches the fighters wanted to work with.
The Ugly
For a one-hour reality TV show, it dragged. And dragged. And
dragged some more. The editing by Spike was awful. There were
a million commercial breaks and right before a fighter selected
a coach, they cut away to a commercial. It was the perfect excuse
for the viewer at home to switch the channel to go watch the
Boston Bruins/Chicago Blackhawks game or another program on television.
And when Fight Master came back from commercial break, the fighter
picked the coach and we moved onto another fighter. Rinse and
repeat.
I came away mildly interested in the show because I really like
the coaches and think that there’s potential with this show
due to the different feel than the bland, cookie-cutter Ultimate
Fighter format. With that said, I’m not sure how seriously
fans will take the show because of the lack of talent available
for a reality TV show like this. Also, Bellator isn’t a
strong brand name like the UFC so I’m not sure if the Spike
TV brand will carry the day on this. The hook for UFC’s
reality show is that you get a contract with the UFC. That means
something to the masses. Does the hook of a fighter winning a
contract with Bellator mean much to the viewers at home?
I’m keeping an open mind for this show but only for a couple
of more weeks.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Invicta
can improve with a few tweaks, but ultimately the fighters delivered
By Dave
Meltzer
The first Invicta Fighting Championship event on pay-per-view
could not come close to matching the big-budgeted Saturday night
fights people are used to. At this stage all you can ask for
is the fighters delivering, which they did in most cases.
As a kid on the playground, the most humiliating thing you could
hear if you were a guy is, "You fight like a girl."
For anyone watching Saturday night’s debut of the Invicta
Fighting Championships on pay-per-view, to a new generation,
that insult may actually be a compliment.
The
show from the Ameristar Casino in Kansas City, had both positives
and negatives as a night of entertainment. But the one thing
that couldn’t be argued was the skill level of the fighters,
and in most cases, the quality of the fights.
As
far as whether an all-women’s promotion can financially
pay off in the end, that is going to be answered like it would
be for any fledgling MMA company. It comes down to whether they
get the right television partner to pay them enough to make it
viable, and once getting that partner, being able to create big
enough stars and attract enough interest among both MMA fans
and the public.
Pay-per-view
without television is not going to work long-term, but pay-per-view
did give the promotion and its fighters at this stage of growth
the opportunity to be seen by more viewers than ever before.
It
would be difficult to go away without some positives, most notably
the exciting, and often evenly matched fights with women who
with the right promotion and exposure, have potential to be future
stars.
But
fights are still sold by main events. Cris "Cyborg"
Justino vs. Marloes Coenen was the strongest fight the company
could put on at this time. With Cyborg (12-1, 1 no contest) dispatching
Coenen (21-6) to become the first Invicta featherweight champion
in such one-sided fashion, the promotion has its biggest star
with no similar-level opponent in sight. For those who saw the
show, Cyborg was put in the spotlight and delivered, strengthening
a potential 2014 fight with Ronda Rousey. But if such a fight
happens, it’ll be in UFC, and probably be the biggest woman’s
combat sports fight in history. Building the Invicta brand is
a completely different story, and has to be the company’s
goal as opposed to creating UFC main events.
A
possible future opponent for Cyborg could be Ediane Gomes (10-2),
who Cyborg was originally supposed to meet on April 5, before
Gomes pulled out late due to an injury. After the show, that
fight was hinted about, but Invicta president Shannon Knapp said
a decision had yet to be made.
Gomes
ended up as one of the many casualties in the final few days
in a show that appeared so cursed in the first few hours that
announcer Mauro Ranallo was joking about what the 13 in July
13 really meant.
Problems
started with fighters dropping early and often. Gomes herself
went through three different opponents, and ended up not even
having a fight. Originally scheduled against Julia Budd, it was
changed to Canadian Charmaine Tweet, who couldn’t get into
the country due to visa issues. That was changed to Tamikka Brents,
and given Brents having little notice, the weight was changed
from 145 pounds to 150. Brents then missed weight, coming in
at 155.1 pounds, but the fight was still going to happen until
Brents then injured her knee warming up after the prelim fights
had already started.
This
cut the scheduled two-hour free preliminary fights from four
bouts to two. Veronica Rothenhausler, who was to face Mollie
Estes in a featherweight fight, was pulled from the fight the
day before by doctors after issues related to cutting weight
for the weigh-ins.
Additionally,
in a third of the four originally scheduled prelims, Livia von
Plettenberg, scheduled to face Cassie Robb at 105, ended up first
weighing in at 113 the day before. The decision was made to instead
put her against Kathina Catron, not even scheduled on the show,
and the weight class was moved all the way to 125, with both
women eventually weighing in at 123.
Robb,
Estes and Gomes ended up getting their appearance money, but
none were able to fight on the show.
As a potential contender for Cyborg, Gomes does have four wins
in a row, but was also one of Rousey’s victims, losing in
25 seconds to an armbar, in a fight on March 27, 2011.
Fortunately,
there were no changes after weigh-ins when it came to the main
card.
Knapp
had before the show promised quick turnaround between fights.
If you were watching with the idea that you saw nine pay-per-view
fights for as little as $14.95 (it was $24.95 for the HD feed),
then, based on the going rate, it was a bargain.
But
based on anecdotal fan reaction, they would have likely been
better off with seven fights, more packages and interviews between
fights so fans can better identify with the participants.
For
first-timers, and there were many, much of the show consisted
of a fight between two people they didn’t know with a quiet
crowd. There were so many fights that they became less memorable
when it was over. As far as the fights, many were evenly matched
and some were difficult to judge.
The
show opened with Tecia Torres (3-0), a tiny but muscular fighter
take the measure of Rose Namajunas (2-1), the girlfriend of popular
UFC fighter Pat Barry, in the kind of an opener that any show
should love to have. The two strawweight fighters set the tone
for the show, with three rounds of nonstop action. That sat the
theme for the show as a whole.
Up
and down, because the women in general are smaller than their
male counterparts, the positives were that they could fight three
rounds at a faster pace without tiring. The negative is with
the lack of power, more fights seemed destined to go the distance.
The women weren't cautious standing with plenty of great exchanges,
nor were they shy about constantly going for submissions. The
moves and escapes were more exciting than the majority of men’s
shows. The wrestling skill wasn’t as high. The striking,
while lacking power, was in most cases very technical. No fighter
on the show looked like they didn’t belong.
The
third fight featured a potential future superstar in Mizuki Inoue
(6-1), a Japanese strawweight fighter who is 18-years-old, and
had boxing skill far beyond her years. Still, she fought a close
fight that could have gone either way with crowd favorite "Rowdy"
Bec Hyatt,of Australia (5-3), whose work on social media made
her among the best known of the undercard fighters.
Both
fights would have been up for best fight on nearly any show,
but the fight-of-the-night honors went to a decision win by Leslie
Smith (6-3-1) over Jennifer Maia (7-3-1) with a shot at Barb
Honchak’s flyweight title at stake. Smith, who is from the
Cesar Gracie camp, fought almost like a Diaz brother with constant
punching. Maia got her share of takedowns and they opened with
third round with punches back-and-forth to the point the first
sequence could be compared to the legendary Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro
Takayama Pride fight that is amongst the wildest in MMA history.
After the show, Knapp confirmed a Honchak vs. Smith fight upcoming,
as well as Carla Esparza defending the strawweight title against
Brazilian Claudia Gadelha (11-0), who was simply too powerful
for Ayaka Hamasaki (9-1), the champion of Japan’s Jewel
promotion.
No
future date was announced, although the promotion after the show
was talking about an October show, in Kansas City. Esparza was
at ringside while Gadelha was controlling Hamasaki before finishing
her at 3:58 of the third round with punches on the ground. Inviting
the two of them into the ring to discuss a potential fight would
have given the viewers an imprint of something to look forward
to next.
From
a technical standpoint, there were some cable problems in parts
of the country, but it was not a national issue as most reported
no issues.
In
terms of broadcast commentary, the threesome of Mauro Ranallo,
Julie Kedzie and "King" Mo Lawal, who have been with
the group from the start, were well prepared. Yet with so many
close fights, the announcers need to talk about who they feel
is winning and why. Ranallo declined to give opinions on who
was winning the fights, as did Kedzie. Lawal would, when prompted,
but wasn’t encouraged. There were decisions booed, like
Hyatt losing, and a prelim result where Emily Kagen won over
Ashley Cummins that led to massive confusion. But there was no
discussions over the scoring, and as quickly as possible, they
were off to the next fight.
On
a show with a lot of fighters much of the audience would likely
only know by name, if that, you need more in the way of background.
Some was supplied, as far as where they came from, or in some
cases, like Lauren Taylor, her using fighting to battle back
from drug issues. Post-fight interviews would have helped familiarized
the audience with the winners, and quite frankly, many of the
losers looked impressive enough that you’d want to bring
them back and hear them talk about the experience, their feeling
on the judging, and their opponents.
The
crowd, sold out at the small Ameristar Casino, which held about
1,100 fans, was quiet most of the way. Ranallo described it as
a Japanese crowd, but for a casual fan watching, it took away
from the atmosphere.
Live
reports indicated the crowd was with every move in the main event,
but that didn’t come across on television.
This group doesn’t have the budget to have the kind of production
people expect from HBO Boxing or UFC, or for that matter, even
Bellator. There were a few weird noises on the mic at times,
but far less people than would usually work behind-the-scenes
on a pay-per-view held the show together well.
Overall,
watching the show was an enjoyable experience because the fighters,
by and large, delivered. That’s been a consistent theme
of the promotion, as the last several shows were every bit as
good as this one.
If
someone is a fan of huge impressive events, at this stage Invicta
can’t afford to be that and may never be able to afford
to be that. If you want a fun Saturday night of seeing several
fighters who are likely to be stars in a few years, and spirited
competition with fighters who can go all out for the duration
of the fight, this fit the bill. Any negatives within reason
are fixable, but long-run, it’s still about getting the
right television partner.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
'UFC
166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos III' tickets on sale Aug. 2
Tickets
for "UFC 166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos III," which
features a headliner rubber match between UFC heavyweight champion
Cain Velasquez (12-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) and ex-titleholder Junior
dos Santos (16-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC), go on sale next month.
The
event takes place Oct. 19 at Houston's Toyota Center. The evening's
main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports
1 and Facebook.
UFC
officials recently announced tickets go on sale to the general
public on Friday, Aug. 2, at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT local time).
However, UFC Fight Club members can buy tickets on Wednesday,
July 31, at 11 a.m. ET, and UFC.com e-newsletter subscribers
can purchase tickets on Thursday, Aug. 1, at 11 a.m. ET.
Ticket
prices haven't been announced.
Velasquez
and dos Santos meet for the third time in less than two years
in a heavily anticipated trilogy contest. The fighters set up
the trilogy in May at UFC 160 when Velasquez stopped Antonio
Silva in the headliner and dos Santos knocked out Mark Hunt in
the co-headliner. The bout was considered a title eliminator
for dos Santos.
Velasquez
and dos Santos first met at UFC on FOX 1 in November 2011, when
dos Santos stopped Velasquez in just 64 seconds. That was Velasquez's
first defense of the belt after taking it from Brock Lesnar.
In
their rematch at UFC 155, though, Velasquez dominated dos Santos
for five rounds to win back the belt. His win over Silva marked
his first successful title defense.
In
addition to the night's headliner, the evening's lineup also
includes welterweights Hector Lombard (32-4-1 MMA, 1-2 UFC) vs.
Nate Marquardt (32-12-2 MMA, 10-5 UFC), lightweight Gilbert Melendez
(21-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs. "The Ultimate Fighter 1" winner
Diego Sanchez (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC), and lightweights Tony Ferguson
(13-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) vs. Mike Rio (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC). More bouts
are expected to be announced shortly.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Anthony
Johnson vs. Mike Kyle Headlines World Series of Fighting 5
Press
Release
A
light heavyweight bout between knockout artist Anthony “Rumble”
Johnson (15-4) and slugger Mike “MAK” Kyle (20-9-1)
headlines World Series of Fighting’s return to Revel Casino
Hotel’s Ovation Hall in on New Jersey’s Revel Atlantic
City on September 14.
The
contest serves as the main event of “World Series of Fighting
5: Johnson vs. Kyle,” which airs live on NBC Sports Network
and marks the promotion’s second visit to the venue.
With
23 knockout victories between them, both Johnson and Kyle are
fierce strikers capable of downing any foe with a single blow.
Johnson, of Boca Raton, Fla., made his World Series of Fighting
debut at the promotion’s very first event and delivered
a “Knockout of the Year” candidate finish of the durable
D.J. Linderman. The 29-year-old Blackzilians product returned
to action in March and scored a convincing decision win over
former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholder
Andrei Arlovski.
Johnson
now returns to the light-heavyweight division on the strength
of a five-fight win streak and quickly is establishing himself
as one of World Series of Fighting’s most dynamic athletes.
Meanwhile,
Kyle is a 12-year veteran of the sport who hails from one of
MMA’s most-respected fight camps, American Kickboxing Academy.
A resident of San Jose, Calif., Kyle is no stranger to the spotlight
and has stepped in the cage against a who’s who list of
MMA’s top fighters in two weight classes, including Paul
Buentello, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, James Irvin,
Gegard Mousasi, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Krzysztof
Soszynski and Fabricio Werdum, among others.
Kyle
fought most recently in May, when he needed just 21 seconds to
score a knockout win over 86-fight veteran Travis “Diesel”
Wiuff.
World
Series of Fighting 5 features a five-fight main card in addition
to a full lineup of preliminary contests. Additional bouts will
be announced in the coming weeks.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fuel
TV removes UFC Tonight video segment trashing referee Steve Mazzagatti
By Zach
Arnold
“Steve
Mazzagatti: A danger to all fighters?”
That was the blaring headline from a two-minute segment on the
UFC Tonight show that aired on Tuesday on Fuel TV. It was Chael
Sonnen and Kenny Florian talking about Steve Mazzagatti as a
referee in reference to his performance during the Josh Burkman/Jon
Fitch fight last week in Vegas. Burkman choked out Fitch and
let go of the choke so that Mazzagatti would then stop the fight.
Dana White went nuts about Mazzagatti while he was in Winnipeg
and it led to Keith Kizer going after Dana in the press after
Dana said that Kizer would promote Mazzagatti to the Anderson
Silva/Chris Weidman fight in order to spite everyone.
Quotes from a recent Dave Meltzer article:
Keith Kizer, the Executive Director of the commission said that
he’s surprised this was a story, saying in this instance,
he didn’t even see it as a referee judgment call, good or
bad.
Kizer
compared the sudden choke out to a one punch knockout in boxing
where the fighter lands the punch, knocks the guy out, the opponent
stops on his own volition, and the ref sees the damage and waves
it off.
“Dana’s
a good guy,” said Kizer. “Very few people care about
other people as much as Dana. But you’ve heard what he’s
said about former fighters, former employees, even fighters in
his organization. Even Jon Jones. He likes to put people down,
whether rightly or wrongly. It’s an ego thing. We all have
egos. I think it’s wrong when people lie and you can make
your own conclusions on Dana.”
During
the UFC Tonight segment, Florian just dumped all over Mazzagatti.
It was a burial. Unlike most sports programs where referees are
criticized for their poor performance, the UFC Tonight segment
basically made Mazzagatti out to be a threat to the health &
safety of fighters who step into the cage with him. It came across
as a really personal attack that was ordered by UFC management.
In many ways, it reminded me of Vince McMahon. McMahon has had
some legendary grudges over the years and has used his television
platforms to live out his revenge. His two most famous cases
involved two controversial figures, sports owner giant Stan Kroenke
and famous conservative watchdog Brent Bozell. Kroenke was involved
in a booking mishap of the Pepsi Center in 2009 regarding the
Denver Nuggets and a playoff basketball game. The playoff game
pushed WWE’s booking out of the venue and so McMahon ended
up running the Staples Center in Los Angeles to spite the Denver
faithful. He went so far as to use the Lakers famous announcer,
Lawrence Tanter, to work the RAW show in which McMahon beat up
a fake Stan Kroenke and had a multi-man tag match where the heels
wore Denver Nuggets jerseys while the babyfaces wore Laker jerseys.
McMahon had a famous feud with Brent Bozell of the Parents Television
Council in 2000 and created an obnoxious heel group called Right
to Censor in protest.
Dana
and Lorenzo’s crusade against Steve Mazzagatti is now being
carried out on their media platforms. Their behavior is starting
to resemble that of when McMahon holds a grudge against someone.
It can go over the top. Tito, anyone?
Apparently, someone at Fox Sports watched what was going on and
wanted to make the UFC Tonight segment on Mazzagatti disappear
as fast as Lloyd Irvin wishes his $1 million USD lien from Uncle
Sam would vanish.
The video is not on MSN and it may (or may not) be on the Fuel
TV site.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Introducing
'El Profe': Fredy Serrano and the future of South American MMA
By Luke
Thomas
It's a familiar refrain we've all heard before: an amateur wrestler
converts to mixed martial arts fighter after a career in the
singlet has come to a close.
But
maybe this time the situation is, well, a little more unique.
Meet
Fredy 'El Profe' Serrano. He is arguably the best male wrestler
to ever emerge from Colombia. Born and raised in the capital
of Bogota, he's captured numerous titles in prestigious South
American wrestling tournaments, but is more known for being a
2007 Pan Am bronze medalist at 55kg and competing as an Olympian
in the 2008 Beijing Games. Like many other wrestlers before him,
now he wants to try his hand at flyweight MMA.
What
makes Serrano's case noteworthy is that he is one South America's
first world-class athletes with a strong amateur sports pedigree
to convert to MMA among the Spanish-speaking countries. MMA fighters
have been pouring out of Argentina for years. Peru's Inka FC
routinely stages respectable shows (all things considered), but
there aren't many documented cases of established, career athletes
making the switch to MMA from within South America's Spanish-speaking
territories.
Even
more noteworthy is the timing of Serrano's retirement from wrestling
and transition to MMA. Last week, the UFC announced a landmark
television deal with Caracol, one of Colombia's most-watched
television channels. The network is home to some of the country's
most popular telenovelas, soccer games, news broadcasts as well
as popular game and reality shows. Now it's home to four live
UFC events a year plus a wide range of UFC shoulder programming.
Serrano's
had two fights in his home country, both of which he won, both
of which were unsanctioned. And at age 33, time is not on his
side. But with his interest in MMA coinciding with the UFC's
interest in South America beyond the confines of Brazil, the
timing is right for both parties to potentially change the sport's
popularity and profile in the region.
On
a recent trip to the United States that was funded by t-shirts
Serrano's sponsor Ghost MMA sold on his behalf, the Olympian
spoke to MMA Fighting with the help of a translator about the
state of MMA in Colombia and South America, how popular the sport
can be, training with Frankie Edgar and Marcelo Garcia, his competitive
goals and more.
Why,
at age 33, did you finally decide to take up mixed martial arts?
Look,
I've had a career as a wrestler since 1990. So finally, this
sport has become the professional outlet of some sports, in this
case, Olympic wrestling. So my interests in working in this,
really from the beginning as a child were focused on combat sports.
This is not very new for me.
Have
you formally moved to America? If so, what prompted you to finally
make the move?
At
this moment, I'm just here for a small trip, a few days. But
with time I think it's going to be necessary to be here in the
United States. I have to come back to Colombia and make some
arrangements. In some time I think I'm going to be living here.
The
reasons are a lot. First, I can improve my quality of life. I
can showcase important aspects of my career. I'm a children's
coach in Colombia, so I think this is very to incentivize getting
into wrestling. In a country like Colombia, in reality it doesn't
have the commercial marketing that is needed to promote this
sport.
Why
not move to Brazil where there are also world-class camps?
I
work at the Octagon MMA gym and the Ghost MMA store is also located
there led by Irvin Rey. So he made a contact with Hector Castro,
who at this moment is my representative and manager. The career
developed in this direction than towards Brazil. However, I think
it has been an excellent decision because this is where we have
to be.
So
far, what has the training been like here?
This
has been the best measurement to know how far I am from being
the best. The best in MMA are here in the United States. This
week I had the chance to train with Frankie Edgar. I trained
with many fighters that are at a very good level. In terms of
jiu-jitsu, I have also been at Marcelo Garcia's school.
I
have realized what level there is here and what I have to improve,
what I have to work on in order to get where I want to be and
to improve my game to be able to get into the major leagues,
which is want we want.
How
did you end your competitive amateur wrestling?
I
retired about 6 months ago. I competed in national tournaments
in Colombia and that's where I retired. It was very beautiful
and representative of my career because I had to take my wrestling
shoes off in front of everybody in the colesium.
The
audience paid me respect for my career in the sport, so that
was my official retirement. I had a career as I said before for
23 years. During those years, I participated in Beijing Olympics.
I was a Pan Am medalist. I was the national champion 13 years
in Colombia, among other things in my wrestling career.
What
motivated you to start wrestling?
I'm
blaming my mom. We are from a very humble neighborhood in Bogota.
She always wanted us to be busy so we would do something different
during our free time. As an unintended consequence, I found amateur
wrestling. That was my love and my dream. And from there, a lot
of opportunities came up and I went through the process. My mom
is to take the blame for that.
I
started in a neighborhood called La Victoria, which is in the
southeast part of Bogota. There was a gym there and I trained
wrestling there until 1997.
My
trainer wasn't there anymore after that. I took over the school
and as of today am a coach and trainer in the same neighborhood
in the same gym.I am still working the children and kids there.
I still continue with the work, but now leading the process.
What
is wrestling like in Colombia? Where did you do most of your
training?
In
Colombia, wrestling is not a very commercial sport and there
it lacks of financial support. We used to train some seasons
concentrated at the home of the wrestling national team which
is Medellin. But, we also when we had the chance we traveled
to some tournaments, so we had the chance to compete at the Grand
Prix in Europe, camps in Romania, for example. And that was a
way for us to train and get prepared. But, most of the time I
was in Colombia training with the national team.
Wrestling
is much bigger here in the U.S. and still it's hard for a wrestler
to make money. How did you survive while competing?
I
was very fortunate to build my career around training kids, so
they paid me a salary for being their coach. This allowed me
to have more time to train more. However, in the beginning of
my career, it was very hard. I was a father when I was very young,
so at 17 with at kid, the responsibilities were big. My love
was always wrestling, but I had to work in construction and mechanical
work and in my spare time I'd train. Thank God with time, I got
to improve my wrestling level and it allowed him to make a living
out if it. And that improved my financial situation and quality
of life.
Compared
to other South American countries, where does Colombia stand?
I
know that in some countries MMA is getting really popular. In
Ecuador they are putting together some events, I heard in Argentina
they are doing something. But I think MMA is still in the early
stages in these countries, in Colombia MMA is just staring. However,
there are lots of fans and people that are curious about the
sport. Obviously my career as a wrestler allows me to get access
to a high level of MMA and I and I really want to spend time
dedicated to this... the expectations for MMA are high
Are
there other wrestlers like you in South America who are considering
MMA?
At
this moment I don't really know. I understand there are some
teammates that are thinking about making the transition from
other sports to MMA. But I can say that I'm the first Colombian
to have access to a manager in the United States and start a
professional career in MMA.
What
is the state of MMA in Colombia? Various news reports I've seen
from El Tiempo and other media outlets make it seem to be something
lewd and violent.
In
Colombia some reporters haven't been professionals and have shown
MMA like it's something illegal, that it's not a sport and that
has damaged the image of the sport in Colombia. However, there
are some people that are trying to lead the incursion of the
sport in Colombia by putting together serious events. Also, there
are some gyms that are working very hard on the training level.
But there are also, lots of irresponsible people that are doing
events that are opening gyms without having any knowledge and
this is creating conflict. People don't really know what is happening
with MMA in Colombia. I can tell you that in this sense, the
sport is very, very new in Colombia.
Can
a fighter in South America outside of Brazil make a living competing
in MMA?
No,
it wouldn't be possible. The truth is that what they paid at
events in Colombia is very minimal and also there are events
that get canceled or change dates at the last minute, so it's
very frustrating. I don't really think you can make a living
out of MMA in Colombia or South America. It‘s a dream to
be able to do that, but I don't think is possible at this moment.
How
popular can It be in South America?
I
think this sport is growing worldwide, not only here in the U.S.
The problem is that in countries like Colombia it's moving a
little bit slower, but we are starting to make interesting things
within the sport . The fact that I'm training here is going to
help a lot for the promotion of the sport in Colombia and to
portray it in a serious way. I believe in the future Colombia
and other countries will be at a very good level with reliable
promotional organizations. There will be professionals who will
be able to regulate and control the sport. I think it's a fact
that MMA is growing and will expand its popularity to other countries.
To
what extent is there MMA on television in Colombia today?*
Yes,
the best company that is organizing the best and most serious
events is called "Striker". Striker has been broadcast
some stuff on TV and they're trying to give a different image
to the sport. As I said before, the promotion of the sport is
very limited, but I think this company is starting to get promotion
and gain popularity in Colombia. Also, there has been some media
covering some of their events.
On
major television channels?
Yes,
some little pieces in RCN. Nothing too big, also in Caracol and
some other segments in the local news.
Who
are some of your favorite fighters?
I'm
also very new in the game, and I'm still trying to figure out
my style and still learning, but I like very much Frankie Edgar.
He is a fighter with lots of heart, something I feel identify
with. I also admire the level and technical style of Georges
St-Pierre. These two fighters really catch my attention.
At
age 33, time is not necessarily on your side. What are your competitive
goals in MMA?
Even
though I was in the highest level in Olympic wrestling, I never
got to step on a podium in a world wide tournament or competition.
My expectations in MMA are to get signed by the UFC and eventually
get to fight for a title shot.
Lastly,
Santa Fe or Millonarios?
Let's
say Millonarios, but I don't really like soccer.
*This
interview was conducted before the UFC's announcement of a deal
with Caracol.
Translation
services provided by Luza Bohorquez-Thomas.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
'UFC
Road to the Octagon: Johnson vs. Moraga' debuts Sunday on FOX
The
quarterly "UFC Road to the Octagon" preview show returns
Sunday to spotlight the upcoming UFC on FOX 8 headliner between
flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and challenger John Moraga.
The
event takes place July 27 at Seattle's KeyArena. The FOX-televised
main card airs on FOX following prelims on FX and Facebook.
"UFC
Road to the Octagon" debuts Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30
a.m. PT, though you should check your local listings since the
times may vary in certain locations.
Replays
air on FUEL TV on July 23 (11 p.m. ET), July 24 (3 a.m. and 1
p.m. ET), July 25 (1 a.m., 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET), July 26 (2
a.m. and 6 p.m. ET) and July 27 (midnight and 4 a.m. ET).
The
show is expected to preview the Johnson (17-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC)
vs. Moraga (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) headliner, as well as the Jake
Ellenberger (29-6 MMA, 8-2 UFC) vs. Rory MacDonald (14-1 MMA,
5-1 UFC) welterweight co-headliner. The show traditionally goes
behind the scenes with the fighters at home and in the gym ahead
of their network-televised fights.
The
full UFC on FOX 8 lineup includes:
MAIN
CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)
Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga - for UFC flyweight title
Jake Ellenberger vs. Rory MacDonald
Robbie Lawler vs. Bobby Voelker
Jessica Andrade vs. Liz Carmouche
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 5 p.m. ET)
Michael Chiesa vs. Jorge Masvidal
Danny Castillo vs. Tim Means
Mac Danzig vs. Melvin Guillard
Yves Edwards vs. Spencer Fisher
Ed Herman vs. Trevor Smith
Germaine de Randamie vs. Julie Kedzie
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4 p.m. ET)
Aaron Riley vs. Justin Salas
John Albert vs. Yaotzin Meza
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Bellator
99 Features Featherweight Tournament, Returns to Temecula, California
Press
Release
After
a widely successful Bellator MMA debut at Pechanga Resort &
Casino in March, the promotion returns to Temecula on Friday,
Sept. 13. The night will feature the start of the Bellator Featherweight
Tournament, along with a stacked preliminary fight card featuring
Southern California’s best talent.
Tickets for the event start at just $50, and can be purchased
by visiting Pechanga.com, Bellator.com, or by calling the Pechanga
Box Office at 877-711-2946 or visiting between noon and 8pm daily.
The event has an early start time as the first fight enters the
cage at 4:30 p.m. with the LIVE television broadcast starting
at 6 p.m. PST on Spike TV, as well as in Spanish language on
mun2. The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE on
Spike.com.
“We
had an absolutely packed house in March when we brought Bellator
MMA live on Spike to Pechanga,” said Bellator Chairman &
CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “We wanted to get back to California’s
greatest casino/resort as soon as possible. Pechanga offers our
fans the chance to see the some of the greatest MMA talent in
the world and be on hand to witness The Toughest Tournament in
Sports. September 13th is going to be fireworks.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
“Vitor
Belfort is Gonna Have to Wait; Anderson Silva is Getting the
Rematch” — Dana White
by Ken
Pishna
Vitor
Belfort began campaigning for a shot at the winner of the UFC
162 main event championship battle between Anderson Silva and
Chris Weidman well before Weidman pulled off the upset on July
6 in Las Vegas.
He’s
been tweeting. He’s been texting UFC president Dana White.
He’s been pleading his case to anyone and everyone that
would listen.
And
after Weidman won, he stepped up his lobbying efforts.
“@ChrisWeidmanUFC
Congratulations, you are the new champion,” he tweeted immediately
after the fight. “Next challenger is me!”
Belfort
lost to Anderson Silva at UFC 126 in August of 2011, but has
been stellar ever since, save for an unexpected shot at UFC light
heavyweight champion Jon Jones, whom he nearly upset via armbar
at UFC 152.
Outside
of the losses to Silva and Jones, Belfort hasn’t lost to
another fighter since Dan Henderson in 2006. In his two fights
since losing to Jones, he knocked out Michael Bisping and outgoing
Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold, two of the top middleweight
contenders.
White,
however, on Saturday announced that Silva and Weidman had signed
bout agreements to meet in a rematch at UFC 168 on Dec. 28 in
Las Vegas.
Even
before that, the company president was steadfast that Belfort
was going to have to wait for another shot at the belt.
“Anderson Silva has gone undefeated since 2006. He’s
beat everybody and held the title. He deserved the rematch before
he even fought (Weidman),” explained White following the
UFC 162 post-fight press conference.
“Vitor
is just gonna have to wait. He’s not getting the rematch,”
he continued.
“He
can text, he can tweet, he can write (expletive) letters, he
can call his congressman. He can do whatever he wants to do;
he’s gonna have to wait. Anderson Silva is getting the rematch.”
And
so it came to fruition on Saturday when White announced the rematch,
and Anderson Silva put out a message of his own confirming the
fight, saying, “I back, trust me, I back.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MATCHMAKING
MATTERS
BY YAEL GRAUER
Invicta
may have to get creative to find competitive matchups for Cristiane
Justino.
Seven
of the 11 fights at Invicta Fighting Championships 6 went the
distance on Saturday at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas
City, Mo., but it was not due to stall tactics or lay-and-pray;
it was not due to athletes circling endlessly or engaging in
bouts that looked like glorified sparring matches; and it was
not, as some women’s MMA detractors would have us believe,
due to the fact that females lack power, as previous Invicta
shows have featured as many as 10 finishes.
No,
the high percentage of fights that reached the judges can be
traced to one factor: good matchmaking.
Smaller
promotions have a difficult time finding two women with similar
records and skill levels, often asking fighters to agree to compete
at a higher weight class. Invicta matchmaker Janet Martin, who
compares her job to that of a college recruiter, puts in hours
studying footage and researching fight camps to create the most
even matchups possible, even on cards riddled with injuries.
There
have been missteps, of course. The first Invicta show featured
a mismatch between Ashleigh Curry and Liz Carmouche, while the
promotion’s follow-up event pitted Barb Honchak against
Bethany Marshall. Honchak had already faced Cat Zingano, Felice
Herrig and Roxanne Modafferi, while Marshall was entering her
fifth professional bout.
However,
as the promotion has grown and the process has become more refined,
criticisms have lightened and discussion has turned to the competitiveness
of the fights themselves.
Unlike
many smaller promotions, Invicta seems to shy away from building
contenders by creating stars and allowing top fighters to cherry
pick opponents for the purpose of padding their records. Invicta
throws them into the same pot and allows the chips to fall where
they may.
Take
prospects Tecia Torres and Rose Namajunas, for instance. Both
entered their fight at Invicta FC 6 with 2-0 records. Many organizations
may have opted to create more of a buildup by allowing these
two up-and-coming standouts to strengthen their records with
wins against less-skilled opposition. Instead, Invicta gave the
fans what they wanted when they wanted it. The “Tiny Tornado”
ultimately defeated Namajunas with swift footwork, slick combinations
and stellar submission defense.
Meanwhile,
Gracie Barra Katy’s Lauren Taylor and Sara D’ Alelio
engaged in an all-out battle in which Taylor held a slight edge
because of takedowns and precise striking; and Emily Kagan and
Ashley Cummins went at it in a striking and clinch battle that
resulted in a split decision -- one of many fights that could
have gone either way.
It
is virtually impossible to find a suitable opponent for Cristiane
Justino, so “Cyborg” figures to be a heavy favorite
entering the cage for some time to come. Still, Invicta seems
committed to creating fewer matches with strong favorites and
predictable outcomes. That is how you build a division. In the
short-term, it may be more pleasing to see a bunch of quick finishes,
but to develop long-term contenders, promotions have to avoid
easy fights, create a high level of competition and see who rises
to the challenges.
As
Martin puts it, you leave it in the hands of the athletes.
Source: Sherdog
|
SB
Nation middleweight rankings: Changing of the guard
By Dave
Doyle
USA TODAY Sports
Two guys enter the Octagon. One is the UFC middleweight champion,
the other his challenger. The fight ends with the challenger
knocking the champion cold. The guy who entered the fight as
challenger leaves with the title.
The
new champion is thus first in the new middleweight rankings.
It's so simple, even a sportswriter can get it. Such was the
case in the new SBNation middleweight rankings.
Chris
Weidman, who, in case you've been sleeping for the past week,
knocked out Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 162 to end
the longest title reign in major mixed martial arts history,
claimed first place in the latest 185-pound poll. Weidman took
five of six first-place votes to finish with 59 out of a possible
60 points. Silva took the other first-place vote and five seconds
to take the second spot with 55 points.
There
was unanimity as to who ranks third: Vitor Belfort, who took
all six third-place votes for 48 points. With Silva and Weidman
getting set for an eventual rematch, Belfort should get comfortable
with placing third for the foreseeable future.
Beyond
that, Mark Munoz was the month's biggest winner. His impressive
win over Tim Boetsch in his first bout in nearly a year bumped
him up from ninth place to sixth, with 27 points.
All
in all, there's minimal disagreement on who belongs in the 185-pound
top 10 in and of itself, as each of the top nine finishers placed
on all six ballots.
(Scoring:
Fighters are given 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points
for a second, etc., down to one point for 10th place. The results
are then tallied up and presented here. Official SB Nation rankings
policy: Fighters under commission suspension are ineligible to
be ranked during the duration of their suspension or if they
have licensing issues. This does not affect any middleweight
fighters under consideration at the moment).
1.
Chris Weidman (10-0, 59 points): Since Weidman is going to hear
for months from some quarters how he got lucky, the new champion
clearly wants the bout as much as anyone else.
2.
Anderson Silva (33-5, 55 points): You knew when Silva said in
the cage that he didn't want a rematch, that he'd come around
eventually. The fact he came around in a matter of days says
it all.
3.
Vitor Belfort (23-10, 48 points): Belfort can protest and campaign
all he wants, but he's not getting a title shot any time soon.
4.
Yushin Okami (29-7, 40 points): Okami's up for another challenge
after three straight wins. A bout with "Jacare" Souza
on Sept. 4 in Brazil fits the bill.
5.
Michael Bisping (24-5, 35 points): Bisping returns home to Manchester,
England in October to meet Mark Munoz.
6.
Mark Munoz (13-3, 27 points): Looked like a reborn fighter in
his UFC 162 win over Tim Boetsch as he masterfully mixed his
wrestling and striking. A consequential fight with Bisping is
up next.
7.
Ronaldo Souza (18-3, 1 NC, 17 points): Former Strikeforce champ
has his biggest career bout against Okami.
8.
Costa Phillippou (12-2, 1 NC, 20 points): The winner of five
straight fights is still waiting on his next fight after an injury.
9.
Luke Rockhold (11-2, 23 points): Still nothing on tap after his
may knockout loss to Belfort.
10.
Tim Boetsch (15-7, 6 points): A game competitor, but Boetsch's
career may have peaked.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
For
Spike TV, a shifting combat-sports strategy in its post-UFC era
by Ben
Fowlkes
If
you ask Spike TV President Kevin Kay why he decided to sign a
multiyear deal with a kickboxing organization, he'll tell you
it's simple, really.
There's
no detailed research behind it, no intense demographics studies.
None of that.
"I
love kickboxing," Kay told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
"That's the true answer."
The
question is, do fight fans love it? More specifically, will the
same fight fans who tuned in to Spike TV in droves to watch the
UFC also tune in to watch an entirely different sport just because
it contains some of the same familiar violence?
That's
what Spike TV seems eager to find out with its aggressive approach
to combat sports programming. Call it the "Moneyball"
philosophy, if you like. When the UFC left Spike TV for a deal
with FOX in 2011, it left a major hole in Spike TV's lineup.
It tried to replace the UFC with Bellator MMA, but filling in
for the industry leader is no easy task for an upstart fight
promotion. So what do you do if you can't replace what you've
lost? One option is to recreate it in the aggregate.
With
the addition of the GLORY kickboxing organization this fall,
Spike TV hopes to have the combat sports audience covered from
all angles. It already has MMA events and MMA reality show programming
thanks to Bellator. It has pro wrestling – complete with
occasional appearances by MMA fighters – thanks to TNA wrestling.
Soon it will also have kickboxing thanks to GLORY.
And
while Kay knows that not all fans will be equally intrigued by
all three, he is hoping that his network can capture a greater
share of the overall audience by casting a wide net over the
combat sports-loving population, and using the success of one
brand to help the others.
"I
think we know that mixed martial arts fans come here, and the
more combat sports we can offer them the better," Kay said.
"Whether it's running spots on Bellator to help GLORY, or
running spots on GLORY to help Bellator, to cross-promoting on
TNA where that's possible."
The
success of this approach hinges on a theory that's been tested
in various ways, yet not conclusively proven just yet. Will the
same people who get excited about MMA also get just as excited
about kickboxing? Will pro wrestling fans slowly become MMA fans,
and vice versa? Some overlap in these demographics seems inevitable,
but can a network increase it through cross-promotional exposure?
Kay
seems to think so. That's why Spike TV has been looking to add
a kickboxing organization to its roster for some time now, he
said. It experimented with K-1, Kay said, but, "It didn't
go that well, quite frankly."
"How
do I say this politely?" Kay said of K-1. "We never
saw the same people there twice. It just didn't feel like an
organization that had the same resources, the same funding, the
same roster and the same production values as GLORY."
But
even adding the best kickboxing organization it could find was
akin to operating on a hunch for Spike TV.
"We
didn't actually do any research around it because I think it's
just a gut [feeling]," Kay said. "I like kickboxing.
I love MMA. I get to run the place. On some level, that's always
part of it. You program with your gut."
According
to Kay, it will likely take "six months to a year"
before the ratings for GLORY can tell him if his gut was right.
It won't air every week, like Bellator, but will probably run
on a monthly schedule once it starts up in the fall, he said.
The early response from fans has been mostly positive, but that
doesn't necessarily guarantee that a wave of goodwill will translate
into viewers. The difficulty lies in convincing fight fans that
a completely different sport – one that's aesthetically
similar, but with athletes who are mostly unfamiliar to MMA fans
– is worth a shot.
"The
reaction on most of the MMA sites has been overwhelmingly positive,"
Kay said. "'Free kickboxing on American TV is a great thing'
is something I've been reading over and over again. MMA fans
are largely also kickboxing fans. One thing we know about MMA
fans is they like standup and they like knockouts. And GLORY
– there is some statistic that [Spike TV Senior Vice President
Jon] Slusser showed me the other day – I think about 80
percent of GLORY fights have ended in knockouts. That's pretty
stunning."
Viewed
from the outside, this seems to signal a shift in Spike TV's
sports strategy. Back when it had the UFC, its focus was single-minded.
It had the colossus of the MMA industry, which meant that it
saw no problem with handing over the keys and airing hours of
UFC fights, back to back to back.
Now,
with the UFC gone and Bellator still working to gain a foothold,
Spike TV seems to be trying for a broader appeal. It's hoping
that it knows combat sports fans well enough to know what they'll
be interested in even before they do.
What
it doesn't know yet is whether it's right, and whether fans of
one sport can be converted to a similar one. That's where the
gut feeling comes in. That's where Kay and Spike TV are operating
on faith, and depending on fight fans' love of head kicks and
knockouts to prove them right.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
For
all you conspiracy theorists, UFC’s T.J. Grant would like
to tell you something
No
caption necessary with this one. The picture says it all.
You
may think he’s taking a bribe to step aside, but UFC lightweight
T.J. Grant has one thing to say to you: shut it!
Late
Friday night, Grant shot down the theory that he got paid to
let Anthony Pettis step in for him against 155-pound champion
Benson Henderson at UFC 164.
“Sorry
all you conspiracy theorists,” Grant posted on Twitter.
“@danawhite / @ufc did not and could not pay me any amount
of money to step aside.”
Grant
said that he is in fact injured and can’t compete in time
for the Aug. 31 bout in Milwaukee. The injury, he tweeted, is
a concussion he sustained during Jiu-Jitsu training. And as all
our BJJ readers can testify, that actually can happen from time
to time.
“I
am healing from a concussion I suffered in BJJ of all things,”
he said. “I hope to be back training very soon.”
Henderson
and Pettis first faced each other in the final WEC card in December
of 2010, a match in which Pettis landed what today is called
the “Showtime kick.” Pettis earned the WEC lightweight
title with the win, and gave Henderson his last loss in MMA.
Now
the two will meet again, in what will surely be a fun fight for
MMA fans. Even the conspiracy theorists will get a kick out of
it – perhaps even a “Showtime kick.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Anderson
Silva Opens as the Odds-On Favorite in UFC 168 Rematch with Chris
Weidman
Former
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva may have lost his belt,
but he hasn’t lost his favored betting status, although
it has taken a hit.
Now
that the rematch is set and Weidman vs. Silva II is signed for
UFC 168 on Dec. 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas,
the odds are coming out for fight number two.
Silva,
despite the upset loss to Weidman at UFC 162, is still the favored
fighter, with the odds opening at -140 for Silva compared to
+100 for Weidman, according to the line set by MMAOddsbreaker.com’s
Nick Kalikas.
The -140 number means that Silva is favored and that you’d
have to place a $140 bet on him to win $100, should he win the
rematch. The +100 on Weidman means that you would have to wager
just $100 on Weidman to win $100 if he again defeated Silva.
That’s
a bit of a drop from the first fight, where Silva opened at -215
(bet $215 to win $100), while Weidman opened at +165 (bet $100
to win $165). The first fight closed with Silva at -240 (bet
$240 to win $100) and Weidman at +220 (bet $100 to win $220).
That’s
to be expected since Weidman won the first fight, proving that
he can beat Silva.
“The
first time around I opened Anderson Silva -215. This time around
the line is significantly lower, but Anderson is still coming
in as a slight betting favorite,” Kalikas said on MMAOddsbreaker.com.
“I’m opening him at -140, with the comeback on Chris
Weidman at +100.
“I
have a feeling a lot of the general betting public will support
Silva because they feel Weidman’s win was a fluke. But I
think you can make the argument for Weidman actually coming in
as a slight favorite, as stylistically he still matches up very
well with Silva and now he has the confidence backing it up coming
off that knockout win.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Where
does the UFC really stand financially?
By Zach
Arnold
The
last two weeks have been really strange for the UFC in terms
of what’s been discussed in the press. The organization,
with UFC 162 this past weekend, started the first of six shows
over the next two months where the roster is as busy as one can
recall. So many fights and the risk for injury causing a fight
to get canceled at the last minute remains high. However, if
the shows go off as planned, tons of great fights to watch and
positive developments for the UFC.
None of that withstanding, Tim Kennedy recently made comments
about fighter pay in the UFC. He just made his UFC debut over
the weekend by beating Roger Gracie.
Arguing
about fighter pay in the UFC is nothing new. However, with Kennedy’s
comments it seemed as if he really hit a nerve with UFC management.
Combined with comments made from former fighters like John Cholish,
the rabbit ears at Zuffa HQ really have been very sensitive.
Within a couple of days, Kennedy was not only backtracking from
his fighter pay comments but he was also emasculating himself
in the process.
This
led to Lorenzo Fertitta via Dana White making some rather curious
statements about fighter pay and UFC’s financial situation.
Dana responded by claiming that if they have to bump up fighter
pay on the undercards, then they will take away the bonus system.
What
makes this threat so weird is that the bonus system is a carrot
& stick approach for UFC in terms of controlling fighter
salaries. Even throwing this empty threat of getting rid of the
bonus system is an indication that the tactics management has
been using with fighters are not squashing the financial concerns
that the fighters have. That whole concept of being grateful
for fighting in the only big league in town and all that jazz.
Dana ramped up the rhetoric by saying that all the fighters now
want a trophy.
I
was waiting for him to drop his old “bitches in a beauty
salon” cliche but alas we didn’t get it from the front
man.
What has me wondering what’s going on with all these comments
is that you would think the UFC is in a good position, financially-speaking,
even with some duds buy rates over the last couple of PPVs. However,
the squealing from Zuffa HQ is unbecoming and also overly-aggressive
as par for the course.
Dana White claimed that this past weekend’s UFC 162 PPV
could draw up to 800,000 buys. He claims that a rematch in Newark,
New Jersey on Super Bowl Weekend would be the biggest fight in
the history of the UFC.
So, where do things stand?
Here’s
a note I received from a well-regarded source who pays close
attention to the business side of combat sports. My comments
after the remarks:
As a result of the UFC’s recent decision to cut more fighters,
we are beginning to see a paradigm shift in the MMA fighter pay
debate. For the 1st time in the sports history, fighters from
both inside and outside the UFC are questioning the organization’s
horrible pay. In response to these questions, Dana White recently
mentioned that the issue could be solved if the company eliminated
fighter bonuses.
To be quite honest, none of this sits well with me from a financial
standpoint. For the most part, ownership still states that business
is great. If things are so hunky dory, why have so many fighters
been cut and/or forced to retire? If the UFC is doing so well,
why can’t they afford to pay the low level fighters better
and keep bonuses? Is the UFC struggling or is business down a
bit and ownership is just too greedy to give up any profit?
To answer these questions and better understand the UFC financial
situation, I put together a basic financial analysis of the organization.
The numbers below are not meant to be exact figures, but more
of a generic guide to help the average fan understand the UFC
from a financial standpoint.
Let’s assume that the UFC has…
250 fighters at $100,000/year (including health insurance) =
$25 million
200 front office employees (legal, marketing, etc.) at $100,000/year
= $20 million
$24 million a year for advertising ($2M budget/month)
$24 million a year for production costs
$6 million a year for office expenses ($500,000/month)
$1 million cash-on-hand for incidentals
This is $100 million dollars in combined annual expenses. Since
the Fox deal is around that same financial range, let’s
make it easy and just estimate that these expenses are paid in
full with Fox money. With all the Fox revenue accounted for,
look at UFC’s other revenue streams:
PPV revenue – average of 500,000 buys at $50 a pop over
12 events = $300 million
Tickets & merchandise – $24 million from 12 PPV events
Advertising/event sponsorships – $18 million from 12 PPV
events
UFCStore.com = $12 million a year in sales
Other – licensing video games, action figures, online video
= $1 million a year
You’re looking at $355 million a year. What about remaining
expenses?
$450 million debt with Deutsche Bank -> $10 million per month
= $120 million per year
Since I don’t have access to all of Zuffa’s books,
let’s be extra cautious and budget an additional $10 million
a month for expenses missed. After accounting for loan payments
and budgeting extra cash for overlooked expenses, UFC’s
financial picture could be producing a scenario of $115 million
a year in annual profit. If that’s the case, here’s
what the payouts would look like if they were taxed at 25%:
Frank Fertitta: $34.5 million a year ($2.875 million/monthly,
$718,750/week, $102.678.57/daily)
Lorenzo Fertitta: $34.5 million a year ($2.875 million/monthly,
$718,750/week, $102.678.57/daily)
Dana White: $8.625 million a year ($718,750 a month, $179,687/week,
$25,669/day)
Abu Dhabi owner: $8.625 million a year
If the numbers are close to accurate, it means Zuffa is doing
better than expected. With the UFC being so economically strong,
Zuffa’s refusal to pay fighters becomes less acceptable.
It is now time for fighters to organize a union and fight for
every last penny.
The problem for UFC is that if you take away the Fox money, the
PPV cash is still the heavy driver of revenue for the organization.
That means it’s a volatile situation when buy rates get
cold and they have been very cold for the most part. When you
lose Brock Lesnar, it hurts. St. Pierre only has a few fights
left in his career before retirement. There’s nobody who
can step in and automatically draw 750,000 PPV buys for a fight.
It’s why they’re putting so many eggs in the Ronda
Rousey basket. Will Anderson Silva’s loss against Chris
Weidman damage his PPV drawing prospects?
Projecting
500,000 PPV buys a show in the past for the UFC was a lock a
couple of years ago. Now? There are some real duds mixed in with
success stories, so there’s even more pressure on the drawing
cards to really do well on the biggest shows.
This comment kind of sums up my feelings on where things stand
right now:
Has there been a bigger disappointment than the UFC’s complete
inability to make seemingly *any* new stars/draws since getting
on this multi-faceted Fox platform with all of this broad exposure??
Weidman
should really be a breakout star…maybe this will be a kingmaking
performance, but there’s no buzz on this guy outside hardcore
fans trying to rally themselves into buying into him being “the
guy to beat Silva”.
Rousey
seems to be the only “new” star/draw they have, but
Strikeforce and Coker for all of their shortcomings did all the
legwork in building up her star.
Shows
like Cain/Bigfoot and the Winnipeg event aren’t big revenue
producers. Until the core business model changes, UFC will always
remain somewhat volatile in terms of how much projected revenue
they receive a year. As for the larger point that the fighters
are getting screwed, well, that storyline has existed in the
media for years and nobody has done anything about it. Until
a new organization arrives on the scene to create competition
on a significant level, there is no monetary incentive for the
UFC to change their business practices. Bellator, being owned
by Viacom, was the one group that had a chance to be a player
given the resources at their disposal. However, Viacom is interested
in running Bellator on the cheap and Spike’s insistence
on giving preference to a horribly-run company like TNA over
Bellator pretty much tells you everything you need to know.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Chris
Weidman vs. Anderson Silva rematch signed for Dec. 28 in Las
Vegas
By Mike
Chiappetta
He thought he'd feel excitement, exhilaration, even relief, but
in the minutes after winning the UFC middleweight championship,
Chris Weidman admitted that he was already feeling anxiety about
defending the crown.
Now,
he can look forward to getting back to work.
On
Saturday, UFC president Dana White announced on SportsCenter
that the rematch between Weidman and Anderson Silva has been
signed for Dec. 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The
fight will be the main event of a blockbuster show that will
also feature a women's championship fight between Ronda Rousey
and Miesha Tate.
White
said he finished the deal about one hour before announcing it.
"I'll
tell you this: I think this will be the biggest pay-per-view
we've ever done," White told MMA Fighting moments after
making the announcement.
Weidman
knocked out Silva at 1:18 of the second round on a left hook
followed by ground strikes. In doing so, the unbeaten 29-year-old
became the first man to defeat Silva since 2006.
White
said Silva was hungry to get his belt back, and ESPN played a
short clip with "the Spider," who said the same.
"My
fans in the UFC and my fans in the world and the United States,
Dec. 28 I go back to fight, Weidman and Anderson Silva,"
he said. "I'm back. Trust me, I'm back."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
outspent PGA, MLB, NASCAR and NBA with 2012 lobbying efforts
by Steven
Marrocco
Only
the National Football League spent more on lobbyists than the
Ultimate Fighting Championship this past year on Capitol Hill.
The
industry-leading fight promotion shelled out $620,000, double
the amount of Major League Baseball and nearly five times the
National Basketball Association's payout, according to the Center
for Responsible Politics.
The
NFL dwarfed all major sporting organizations with $1.14 million.
The
UFC's 2012 figures represent a 51 percent increase from the previous
year, in which parent company Zuffa spent $410,000 in Washington,
and a 158 percent increase from $240,000 in 2008, when CRP first
tracked lobbying records.
This
year, Zuffa has spent $110,000. Records for the most recent fiscal
quarter are not yet available.
A
pair of firms – Brownstein, Hyatt, Faber and Schreck LLP,
as well as SB Consulting – represent the UFC. The promotion's
co-chief operating officer, Lawrence Epstein, told MMAjunkie.com
(www.mmajunkie.com) that the firms are used to educate legislators
on MMA and to push for tougher anti-piracy laws that could stem
financial losses from illegal streaming.
In
late 2011 and early 2012, the lobbyists also discussed Zuffa's
"competition policy," filings show. Epstein said the
designation refers to an anti-trust investigation by the Federal
Trade Commission, which closed in January 2012.
As
of late, legislative turnover in both houses of Congress and
fierce opposition to recent anti-piracy legislation have made
changing the law a tough fight.
"I
think we've got a lot of work to do," Epstein said. "There
is a general sort of bias that has anything to do with intellectual
property because of the fallout from [the Stop Online Piracy
Act] and [Protect IP Act]."
This
past year, Zuffa took a gut punch when the controversial anti-piracy
bills were shot down amid public outcry. Epstein said the company
worked with legislators to modify the current law so that stealing
copyrighted material would be a felony instead of a misdemeanor.
But when the language was lumped in with the bigger law, they
died together.
"We
saw this train coming down the tracks, but in Washington, those
in power make the decisions," he said.
Epstein
said Zuffa's primary aim still is to deter piracy by upping the
punishment for offenders. He said he plans to be in Washington
this week to speak with lawmakers.
"The
only way this is really going to slow down is if, frankly, there
is criminal prosecution," he said. "These pirates are
doing incredible damage to businesses like ours. This needs to
be a felony, and you need to prosecute these people."
Since
2010, Zuffa has done so several times in court, filing lawsuits
against website operators, individuals and business owners alleged
to have profited from stolen UFC content. Zuffa co-owner and
UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta once told the U.S. House Judiciary Committee
that the company had uncovered 271 illegal streams of a UFC pay-per-view
that allowed more than 140,000 viewers to watch the event for
free.
The
top 2012 spending by major sports organizations:
1.
National Football League - $1,140,000
2. Ultimate Fighting Championship - $620,000
3. Professional Golfer's Association - $380,000
4. Major League Baseball - $310,000
5. Bowl Championship Series - $270,000
6. U.S. Olympic Committee - $240,000
T-7. National Collegiate Athletic Association - $150,000
T-7. NASCAR - $150,000
9. National Basketball Association - $125,000
10. National Football League Player's Association - $120,000
Source: MMA Junkie
|
RFA
9: Munhoz vs. Koch Brings Resurrection Fighting Alliance to Los
Angeles
Press Release
Ed
Soares, President of Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA), recently
announced that the RFA will hold its first ever event in Los
Angeles and that Pedro Munhoz and Keoni Koch will be headlining
the card in a battle for the vacant RFA bantamweight title. On
Friday, Aug. 16, RFA will present “RFA 9: Munhoz vs. Koch”
live from the StubHub Center in L.A. and televised nationally
on AXS TV.
“I
am so excited to bring the RFA to Los Angeles and to give fans
in my hometown this championship title fight between undefeated
Pedro Munhoz and undefeated Keoni Koch,” said Soares. “This
fight not only gives the winner the RFA world bantamweight title,
he also gets to prove on live national television that he’s
one of the toughest rising stars in the division.”
Tickets
for RFA 9 start at $27.00 and are on sale now through www.StubHubCenter.com
or the StubHub Center Box Office, www.axs.com, or by calling
888-9AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Suites are available through SHC
Premium Seating at 877-604-8777 or premium@stubhubcenter.com.
For the RFA 9 VIP experience, a limited number of “VIP GOLD”
tables are available for purchase. SILVIO’s BRAZILIAN BBQ
caters to VIP GOLD tables and cocktail service is also offered.
For VIP GOLD table reservations, please call 310-951-0867 or
303-521-0966 or email llbeanz@hotmail.com; VIP tables are offered
on a first come, first served basis.
In
the televised main event of RFA 9, Pedro “The Young Punisher”
Munhoz (8-0) squares off against Keoni “Evil Genius”
Koch (5-0). This fight was originally scheduled to take place
at RFA 8, but Koch had to pull from the fight due to an injury.
Now the two will meet for the 135-pound RFA title in front of
a packed house in L.A. and for fans across the U.S. on AXS TV.
A
26-year-old native of São Paulo, Brazil, Munhoz now calls
L.A. home and fights out of the famed Black House MMA gym alongside
UFC greats Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida. Munhoz burst onto
the MMA scene this past November after submitting Koch’s
teammate Bill Kamery at RFA 5. It took Munhoz less than a half
a round to submit Kamery via Heel Hook. He followed up that win
with a first round Guillotine Choke submission of Mitch Jackson
last month at RFA 8. Now Munhoz looks to be named the first-ever
champion of the RFA’s bantamweight division, but he is fully
aware of the danger Koch poses on August 16th.
“Keoni
is the kind of guy I like to fight, because he has a tough mentality
and comes from a great MMA team,” said Munhoz. “He
wants this fight, I want this fight, and we both want to keep
our records perfect, so I’m excited for RFA 9. Our title
fight at RFA 9 on August 16th is going to be intense.”
The
older brother of UFC star Erik Koch, Keoni fights out of Cedar
Rapids, Iowa. Koch is a co-founder and longtime trainer at Hard
Drive MMA and has defeated everyone he has faced in MMA. That
includes four submissions via choke. Koch has previously competed
as a lightweight and featherweight, but is dropping down to bantamweight
for the opportunity to challenge Munhoz.
I’m
honored to be fighting for the RFA title and against someone
who is accomplished, yet humble, like Pedro Munhoz,” said
Koch. “This fight is going to come down to strategy and
who wants it most, because we are both highly confident and have
been training a long time. I’m looking forward to going
to L.A. and showing the MMA world what RFA fighters are all about!”
The
co-main event of RFA 9 will feature a battle between two of southern
California’s top jiu-jitsu specialists, as UFC veteran King
Kevin Casey (5-3) battles Strikeforce veteran Casey Spider Monkey
Ryan (5-0). Both men hold the rank of black belt in jiu-jitsu
and made their professional MMA debut in 2007.
Kevin
Casey, like Munhoz, trains out of Black House MMA. He is best
known as a competitor on the most recent season of the hit reality
series The Ultimate Fighter (TUF 17) and for being a longtime
student of the famed Gracie family under Rickson Gracie. He will
be making his RFA debut in front of his local crowd on August
16th.
I’m
definitely honored to come into the RFA as the co-main event
in my hometown,” said Casey. “RFA is where I can showcase
my talent and transition to the UFC. I’m facing an unbeaten
fighter, but it’s going to be a great match-up for me stylistically.
I’m coming in to do some damage at RFA 9.
Casey
Ryan has finished all five of his opponents in MMA, which includes
a Triangle Choke victory over Paul Song in a UFC-owned Strikeforce
event. He trains alongside current UFC bantamweight champion
Dominick Cruz, UFC light-heavyweight stars Phil Davis and Brandon
Vera, as well as several other UFC fighters at Alliance MMA in
Chula Vista, California. Ryan holds a black belt in jiu-jitsu
and is also an instructor at Alliance MMA.
Fighting
in the co-main event of RFA 9 is a huge opportunity,” said
Ryan. “I’m going to be fighting close to home in southern
California for the organization known for sending fighters to
the UFC. I expect Kevin to force the grappling and that’s
fine, but I also plan on testing his stand-up to see where it’s
at.”
The RFA 9 main card also features the return of one of the most
decorated heavyweight wrestlers in U.S. history, as 2008 Olympian
and two-time NCAA Division I national champion Steve Mocco (2-0)
returns to the RFA to face undefeated MMA fighter and K-1 kickboxing
veteran James “The Beast” Wilson (2-0).
The
main card will also see the return of RFA standout and The Ultimate
Fighter 15 alumni Jordan All Day Rinaldi (6-1) who participated
in the first-ever RFA title fight in his most recent outing.
He will look to bounce back against undefeated Black House MMA
standout Brian Ortega (6-0) in a featherweight bout.
An
explosive welterweight battle is also on tap, as UFC and Strikeforce
veteran Chris The Kiss Spång (5-2) will face Hollywood
based fighter, actor, and model Alan Jouban (6-1).
The
first televised portion of RFA 9 will kick off with the return
of former Junior Olympian boxer turned MMA standout Matt Manzanares
(6-1) against top-ranked flyweight prospect Steve Swanson (10-1).
Swanson is the older brother of UFC star Cub Swanson.
The
entire main card of RFA 9 – Munhoz vs. Koch will be televised
live on AXS TV starting at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT on Friday,
August 16th.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Invicta
FC 6 Results: Cris Cyborg Dominates Marloes Coenen, Captures
Featherweight Title
by Ken
Pishna
Invicta
FC returned to the Ameristar Casino in Kansas City for its sixth
event, but its first on traditional satellite and cable TV pay-per-view.
Company president Shannon Knapp couldn’t have picked a higher
profile event to make the move to PPV, as a rematch three years
in the making headlined the fight card.
Cris
“Cyborg” Justino and Marloes Coenen first met three-and-a-half
years ago with Cyborg, then the Strikeforce 145-pound champion,
winning by way of TKO stoppage in the third round.
On
Saturday night, they met with the inaugural Invicta FC featherweight
championship on the line.
The
belt that was on the line was about the only difference from
their first fight to this one. Much like their first fight, Cyborg
was clearly still the much more aggressive, stronger, and more
powerful fighter.
Coenen
opened strong, attacking with leg kicks and punch combinations,
but it was evident from the first round that Cyborg was in full
control of the fight.
Every
time Coenen threw a punch, Cyborg ignored it and answered with
two more powerful punches in return. When Coenen shot for the
takedown, Cyborg shucked her off or clinched and tossed her to
the mat like a rag doll.
When
hit the mat, Cyborg landed power punches, then backed off and
forced Coenen back into her stand-up world.
One
noticeable difference, however, was Cyborg’s approach. In
the past, she was often undisciplined, unleashing power shots
until her opponent crumpled to the mat, risking her gas tank
in the process.
Against
Coenen, Cyborg was much more calculated in her approach, picking
high percentage power shots, doing a significant amount of damage,
but never throwing caution to the wind until late in the fight
when she knew she could finish.
Cyborg
staggered Coenen with a right cross in the fourth round, but
even then she went to the mat and worked position. She quickly
moved into full mount, picking her shots, working the body and
forcing Coenen to uncover. Still she waited, moving Coenen to
the fence before unleashing a brutal flurry that left her defenseless,
referee Big John McCarthy forced to step in to stop the fight.
“I’m
very happy, the champion come back,” said an emotional Cyborg
following the fight, the newly minted Invicta FC featherweight
championship belt wrapped around her waist.
“I
train every day. I training for two months. I train every day,
hard,” she continued. “I am very excited to fight for
Invicta. I want to grow Invicta. People who see Invicta see me.”
Jewels
115-pound champion Ayaka Hamasaki was originally supposed to
challenge Invicta strawweight titleholder Carla Esparza, but
her plans changed when Esparza withdrew from the bout due to
a knee injury.
She
instead put her undefeated record, and title shot, on the line
against fellow-undefeated fighter Claudia Gadelha.
Gadelha
did well on the ground the entire opening frame, but had a point
deducted just as the round came to a close because she fired
a knee to the head of her downed opponent.
Hamasaki
came out aggressively to start round two, but her takedown attempt
backfired, Gadelha forcing Hamasaki to the mat and again taking
control of the entire round with effective positioning and ground
and pound. Gadelha nearly finished the fight with an arm-triangle,
but ran out of time.
Gadelha
immediately took Hamasaki to the mat again in the third round,
but this time Hamasaki reversed position. Gadelha would have
none of it, however, quickly taking back control and raining
down punches from both top mount and back mount. She continued
her attack, unleashing a final brutal series of punches that
forced the referee to stop the fight.
The
victory not only kept Gadelha undefeated, it also moved her into
Hamasaki’s No. 1 contender spot. She’ll get the next
shot at Esparza when the champ makes her return.
Sarah
D’Alelio and Lauren Taylor are two of the best 135-pound
female fighters not yet competing in the Octagon, and proved
it on Saturday night.
D’Alelio
and Taylor took the fight to each other, non-stop for all three
rounds, neither fighter giving any quarter. It appeared that
D’Alelio was the more aggressive fighter and giving Taylor
some trouble with her reach advantage, but at the end of the
night, the judges felt Taylor did enough to win a unanimous decision
victory.
Neither
D’Alelio nor Taylor should hang her head after that fight,
which was one of the more entertaining bouts of the night.
Leslie
Smith and Jennifer Maia were battling to move into title contention
for the flyweight title, and it showed in their performances.
Smith and Maia went toe-to-toe from the opening bell.
Making her flyweight debut, Smith engaged with her typical attacking
style, attacking Maia with her usual barrage of never-ending
punches. But even when the fight hit the mat, Smith attacked
the submission expert with submission attempts of her own. Her
aggression earned Smith the unanimous decision victory.
Former
Invicta atomweight champion Jessica Penne wasted no time getting
back to her winning ways after losing the belt to Michelle Waterson
in her last bout. Penne stood with Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc for
a time, but made the wise decision to take the fight to the mat
and submitted Rivera-Calanoc with three seconds remaining in
the opening round of their fight.
Invicta
FC 6 Post-fight Awards
Leslie
Smith and Jennifer Maia were awarded the Fight of the Night,
Jessica Penne earned Submission of the Night honors, while Miriam
Nakamoto scored the Knockout of the Night.
Invicta
FC 6 Results
Main
Bouts:
-Cris Cyborg Justino def. Marlose Coenen by TKO (Strikes) at
4:02, R4
-Claudia Gadelha def. Ayaka Hamasaki by TKO (Strikes) at 3:58,
R3
-Lauren Taylor def. Sarah D’Alelio by Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
-Leslie Smith dec. Jennifer Maia by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 29-28)
-Jessica Penne vs. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc by Submission (Rear
Naked Choke) at 4:57, R1
-Joanne Calderwood def. Norma Rueda Center by Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
-Mizuki Inoue def. Bec Hyatt by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
29-28)
-Miriam Nakamoto def. Duda Yankovich by TKO (Strikes) at 2:08,
R1
-Tecia Torres def. Rose Namajunas by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)
Preliminary
Bouts:
-Emily Kagan def. Ashley Cummins via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29,
30-27)
-Livia Von Plettenberg def. Kathina Catron by Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
THIS
WEEK’S MMA BIRTHDAYS: KAZUSHI SAKURABA TURNS 44
BY BRIAN
KNAPP
Kazushi
Sakuraba remains one of MMA’s most beloved figures.
Few
fighters have had a greater impact on mixed martial arts than
Kazushi Sakuraba, who will celebrate his 44th birthday on July
14.
Sakuraba
rose out of the ashes of Nobuhiko Takada’s failed MMA career
and became one of the sport’s unlikeliest superstars. A
professional wrestler and gifted submission grappler, he successfully
merged the two disciplines, emerged from the early days of Pride
Fighting Championships and helped lift the Japanese promotion
to unprecedented heights.
A
rivalry with MMA’s first family remains the centerpiece
of Sakuraba’s career. He became known as “The Gracie
Hunter” during a remarkable 13-month stretch from November
1999 to December 2000, when he defeated Royler Gracie, Royce
Gracie, Renzo Gracie and Ryan Gracie. The crown jewel of the
series was Sakuraba’s epic 90-minute showdown with Royce
in the Tokyo Dome on May 1, 2000. Their struggle ended when Rorion
Gracie threw in the towel on his younger brother’s behalf
after six grueling 15-minute rounds.
Though
Sakuraba lingered in the sport well past his prime, he was a
special fighter during his heyday and a pivotal figure in MMA’s
growth.
Those
in MMA celebrating a birthday the week covering July 14-July
20:
JULY
14
Kazushi Sakuraba (44)
Mostapha Al-Turk (40)
Falaniko Vitale (39)
Wagnney Fabiano (38)
Rolles Gracie (35)
Leonard Garcia (34)
Shane Roller (34)
JULY
15
Antony Rea (37)
Matt Mitrione (35)
JULY
16
Javier Vazquez (36)
Toby Imada (35)
Kazuhiro Nakamura (34)
Walel Watson (29)
JULY
17
Alexander Otsuka (42)
Yuki Kondo (38)
Ricardo Arona (35)
Mamed Khalidov (33)
Mike Byrnes (23)
JULY
18
Crosley Gracie (34)
Hatsu Hioki (30)
Ben Askren (29)
JULY
19
Jeremiah Constant (39)
Raphael Assuncao (31)
Jon Jones (26)
JULY
20
Aaron Simpson (39)
Pat Healy (30)
Ryan Healy (30)
Source: Sherdog
|
Marloes
Coenen says why rematch with Cris Cyborg will be different
By Dave
Meltzer
Marloes Coenen spent three rounds in the cage with Cris Cyborg
more than three years ago, and ended up shocked by her opponents’
power, that ultimately, she was unable to deal with.
Still,
when the fight was stopped in the third round, Coenen wasn’t
happy, feeling that she wasn’t beaten and had plenty left
for a late comeback.
"That’s
why I’m fighting her again," said the 32-year-old Dutch
veteran on the MMA Hour days before Saturday’s battle to
determine the first Invicta featherweight champion and in most
people’s view, the best female fighter in the world in the
weight class. "In the first round, she was breathing very
heavily. I was really surprised by that, but she did win. Everybody
saw the fight. I didn’t give up, although I lost. I felt
like a true fighter. I didn’t give up. The fight after,
she fought the blond girl, I don’t know her name (Jan Finney),
the female ref, she made the fight go way too long. That was
proof they stopped me too soon, and should have given me a second
chance."
The
rematch headlines the first all-women’s MMA pay-per-view
event, starting at 9 p.m. Eastern time from the Ameristar Casino
in Kansas City, Mo., available on virtually every system in the
U.S. and Canada, priced at $14.95. Coenen and Cyborg are the
two best-known active woman fighters outside of the UFC, making
it the single biggest fight Invicta could put on. The show will
also be available on Internet pay-per-view worldwide.
The fight has the obvious stakes, being the fighter who will
be viewed by most fans as the real world champion in the featherweight
division. There is also the not-so-obvious stakes.
Right
now, the biggest possible match-up in women’s MMA would
be Cyborg vs. Ronda Rousey, the UFC’s bantamweight champion.
The organizational barriers, the two fighters being under contract
to different companies, are not as significant as those that
have kept numerous potentially major fights in the sport’s
history from taking place.
Invicta
and UFC have a strong working relationship. UFC has sent fighters,
such as Sarah Kaufman in April, to Invicta shows. Invicta allowed
its contracted fighters to try out for the season of The Ultimate
Fighter that just completed filming last week, coached by Rousey
and Miesha Tate.
But
a win by Coenen would change the dynamic completely. If she was
to win, she would be in the drivers’ seat about getting
a fight that, if it was to take place, would likely be a UFC
pay-per-view main event sometime in 2014.
But right now, she can’t think about that.
"At
this moment, I’m only thinking about Cris and the belt,"
Coenen said. "UFC is an amazing organization. But I like
Invicta. What I like is they don’t have just one weight
class. They have a number of weight classes. They take female
MMA very seriously and I respect that."
Coenen’s
camp had made it clear to UFC officials when they were putting
together their plans that she preferred to fight at 145 pounds.
But she is open to going to 135, the only weight class UFC has
for women.
Coenen
defeated Kaufman on Oct. 9, 2010, to become Strikeforce’s
135-pound champion, a title she retained against Liz Carmouche,
and then lost to Tate. Had she beaten Tate, a showdown with Rousey
for the title would have been inevitable in 2012.
"I’ll
fight at 135 if they give me a big check," she joked. "And
then I’ll diet again.
"I
think I’m a better fighter at 145," she said. "In
Strikeforce, my first fight (against Roxanne Modafferi) was really
good. I don’t want to take away from Liz and Miesha (who
she fought at 135), she (Tate) beat me, but I wasn’t in
the best shape of my life fighting those fights."
Coenen
(21-5), who first became a star in Japan at the age of 19 when
she won what was billed as the female World Cup tournament, has
talked often about the first Cyborg fight, which took place on
Jan. 30, 2010, in Sunrise, Fla.
From
the moment she first got hit, she realized Cyborg, as Cristiane
Justino is better known, was far stronger than she expected.
"Oh
yeah, I underestimated her strength," she said. "I
thought I could handle that until she punched me in the face.
She punched like a guy of 80 kilos, 176 pounds. I’ve never
been hit that hard in my life."
It’s
statements like that, that Cyborg (11-1, 1 no contest) is more
muscular than most male fighters, combined with the positive
test for the steroid Stanazolol after a Dec. 17, 2011 fight,
that have put a cloud around all of Cyborg’s prior wins
and her entire career.
Since
breaking into the U.S. scene, brought in by Elite XC in 2008
to set up an ultimate showdown with Gina Carano, Cyborg has run
through every opponent inside the cage with little problem.
But
between a contract dispute with Strikeforce and a suspension
due to the steroid test positive, Cyborg, now 28, has only fought
twice in the last three years.
But
it’s the steroid question that will dog how Cyborg is viewed,
and Coenen is trying to take the diplomatic approach.
"A
lot of people ask me that question," she said when asked
if she believed Cyborg was on steroids for their 2010 fight.
"I have a private opinion, and you can guess what it is.
But I don’t want to judge her or kick her again."
Still,
for all the talk of Coenen having a lot more fighting experience
and arguments that she’s technically better, the strength
and ferocity of Cyborg dominated that first fight.
"The
difference, I think, is both of these athletes have grown and
changed in terms of adding to their skill levels," said
Invicta President Shannon Knapp. "They’ve done the
dance before. I know Marloes knows what she’s up against
this time. I certainly wouldn’t count her out. I’ve
watched her and seen her grow as an athlete. I think it’s
going to be very competitive. They both want this. Marloes wants
to avenge her loss and get the belt. Cris has a weight she’s
carrying on her shoulders she wants to get off."
Coenen
said there are two key differences. The first is knowing what
she’s up against. The second is that she’s trained
extensively for strength and conditioning this time as compared
to the first fight.
"This
time is different," she said. "You’ll see the
difference when I step into the cage. I’m bigger and stronger.
She’s still really strong, still amazingly strong, but she
isn’t the beast she was when I was fighting her a few years
ago."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Manager:
Anderson Silva anxious to reclaim UFC belt, will fulfill contract
Anderson
Silva is anxious to reclaim his UFC middleweight title from Chris
Weidman. In fact, the 38-year-old expects it to be just one of
the nine remaining fights he plans to fulfill on his existing
contract.
Just
prior to this past weekend's announcement that Weidman (10-0
MMA, 6-0 UFC) vs. Silva (33-5 MMA, 16-1 UFC) II will take place
Dec. 28 as UFC 168's pay-per-view headliner at Las Vegas' MGM
Grand Garden Arena, the ex-champ's manager, Ed Soares, told AXS
TV's "Inside MMA" that the fighter is anxious to reclaim
his belt.
Silva,
of course, suffered a shocking second-round TKO loss to Weidman
on July 6 at UFC 162. It ended the longtime champion's streak
of 16 consecutive UFC wins and 10 straight title defenses.
"Anderson
seems to be taking it pretty well, but it's definitely on his
mind," Soares told "Inside MMA" on Friday. "I
know that he's eager to get back in there and do it again and
get his belt back."
Despite
the defeat and his advancing age, Silva, who signed a new 10-fight
deal prior to the first Weidman fight, plans to fulfill the contract,
Soares said.
"[He]
will fight out the nine fights on his contract, but his next
fight will be against Chris Weidman," he said.
Silva
was promised an immediate rematch if he lost his title. Additionally,
since Silva's clowning and posturing played at least a part in
the defeat, Weidman is probably anxious to scored a second victory
to prove the doubters wrong. The bout's potential is so big that
it actually bounced a planned headliner between UFC women's bantamweight
champion Ronda Rousey (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and challenger Miesha
Tate (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) to co-headliner status at UFC 168.
But
Ray Longo, Weidman's head trainer, told "Inside MMA"
the second bout won't be unlike the first.
"He
wants to prove at all these people, some of the naysayers, this
wasn't an accident, and I think the rematch will end worse than
the first fight did (for Silva)," Longo said.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
Jiu-Jitsu
Expo brings Mendes bros., Ryron and Rener Gracie, plus 10 free
seminars
Vitor Freitas
The
second edition of the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo, in Long Beach, California,
is still a few months away (Nov. 9-10), but the Jiu-Jitsu community
already waits anxiously.
Aware
of this, the promoters are now divulging several of the attractions.
This Friday, the GRACIEMAG team learned that there are at least
12 free seminars available to those attending the two days of
the Expo.
If
last year the people went wild with classes by Ronaldo Jacaré,
Ricardo Cachorrão, Robert Drysdale, André Galvão,
Comprido and Cyborg, this year the quality should be maintained,
judging by the free seminars that are already confirmed.
We
predict the Expo is going to stop to see the seminars of these
two pairs of brothers: Guilherme and Rafael Mendes of Atos; and
Ryron and Rener Gracie, sons of Rorion and professors at the
Gracie academy in Torrance, California.
Fans
won’t be disappointed to expect an arsenal of techniques,
secrets, philosophy and teachings of Jiu-Jitsu from both these
seminars – all included in the price of the ticket for getting
into the Long Beach Convention Center.
Hosted
by Renzo Gracie, the Expo will also feature a bunch of exciting
superfights, the first of which is already announced: a no-gi
match between Bruno Malfacine and Jeff Glover. Fans will also
have the unique opportunity to get autographs and pictures with
Rickson and Royce.
To
get your ticket, visit the Jiu-Jitsu Expo website
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
A
big shoe drops at the California State Athletic Commission: Che
Guevara resigns
By Zach
Arnold
The era of Ernest “Che” Guevara will soon be ending.
Guevara, the major power player at the California State Athletic
Commission for many years, entered a resignation letter. Guevara
was the henchman for the bureaucratic behemoth known as the Department
of Consumer Affairs in Sacramento, an outpost featuring some
of the craziest political animals you have ever seen. It’s
practically a revolving door for cronies affiliated to powerful
politicians in both the state Assembly and state Senate (plus
the Governor’s office). All of the political interfering
over the years with CSAC has to do with major politicians who
micromanaged a lowly athletic commission into the mess that it
was in when Andy Foster took over.
Here is the statement from Andy Foster, acting Executive Officer
of CSAC:
Che Guevara has turned in his resignation as Chief Athletic Inspector
effective August 6th. I am hopeful that this transition process
will be smooth and we will see minimal operational deficiencies.
The Commission is very appreciative of the service Che has provided.
I will personally miss Che at the office, and I wish him much
success in his future endeavors.
Here
is the text of Guevara’s letter:
July 5, 2013
Ernest
Che Guevara
[address & private information redacted]
SUBJECT:
RESIGNATION OF CHE GUEVARA AS CHIEF ATHLETIC INSPECTOR OF THE
CALIFORNIA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION
Executive
Officer Andy Foster,
I
write to you to publically announce my resignation from my position
as Chief Athletic Inspector (CAI) of the California State Athletic
Commission (CSAC), effective August 6, 2013.
I
would like to formally express my appreciation and gratitude
to the staff, officials, and inspectors who have always demonstrated
the utmost professionalism, respect and kindness towards me.
And for continuing the good fight of making combat sports, in
California, safe and fair for all who compete.
I
would also like to extend my thanks to Chairman John Frierson,
past and present Commission members, Department of Consumer Affairs,
and specifically Executive Officer Andy Foster.
With
the continued leadership of Andy Foster and entire California
State Athletic Commission I am confident CSAC will continue to
lead as the safest Athletic Commission in combat sports.
If
I can be of any help during this transition, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Che
Guevara
cc:
Commission members, Supervising Attorney General Karen Chappelle,
Director Denise Brown
Now,
what are the implications of this development? There’s a
lot to discuss here.
The back story
When George Dodd was forced out by DCA big wigs from his position
as Executive Officer, Che Guevara reportedly believed that he
had a shot at getting the job. When that didn’t happen,
Andy Foster ended up being picked by DCA. The commission stamped
DCA’s approval after a job interview and Foster got the
gig.
A couple of months into his position, Foster took away a healthy
portion of Guevara’s job power and handled duties himself.
This left Guevara as a paper pusher in the Sacramento office.
Then Foster put Guevara to use by flying him out across the state
to various fighting events to do his job as a lead inspector.
Combine these factors with the scenario of a hostile political
climate in Sacramento regarding the shape the commission is in
along with Guevara’s biggest backers in DCA keeping a hands-off
approach and it led to the situation we have today. Sure, Guevara
could have kept his $60,000/year job with state benefits. However,
he didn’t see a path for accumulating political power and
the job simply became too much of a hassle.
What’s next for Guevara
For months, there have been rumors that Che believes he can get
a job with Golden Boy and that he could somehow work alongside
Oscar De La Hoya friends Eric Gomez & Armando Gaytan.
Whether that happens remains to be seen. It’s believed that
Guevara will get back into the managing fold in California for
boxers. Perhaps he will be a go’fer/conduit for Golden Boy
in getting local fighters in exchange for a cut of the action.
Perhaps there is a role for him given changes recently made at
Golden Boy HQ.
What’s next for the California State Athletic Commission
The way the Department of Consumer Affairs has treated CSAC has
been deplorable. The commission doesn’t have a FAX line.
There are now four workers left in the front office. Everyone
is completely maxed out over paperwork and politics. The burn
out factor is incredible. It’s the most thankless job one
could have in combat sports. The amount of shows that take place
in California dwarfs any other state. In fact, it may be safe
to say given the current event schedule that California has as
much activity as the other major players combined.
What makes Guevara’s exit complicating for the California
commission is that he was “the boxing guy.” Andy Foster
is an MMA guy. MMA is his passion. It’s the sport he knows.
Boxing is not a sport he knows. It’s not his passion. That’s
not to say that Andy doesn’t want the big boxing events
nor does it mean that he doesn’t want to deal with the major
promoters. Far from it, he wants action. However, he’s not
equipped to fully understand everything entailed with matchmaking
or politics for boxing. Boxing, in California, is the driver
of revenue for the athletic commission. California is the most
active commission in the United States and boxing is a key factor.
In other states, MMA is the main player now. In California, boxing
is king. With Guevara out of the loop in the front office, the
reaction from the major promoters in boxing will be very interesting.
There are already two camps of thought being formulated. Camp
A believes that it will be easier for promoters to get away with
booking huge mismatches and scamming fighters with someone like
Foster in charge because he isn’t a boxing-first guy and
wants to keep promoters happy. Camp B believes that some key
promoters will take a step back now from the state given that
an MMA man is in charge and they’re not sure how it is going
to politically play out.
One person who is a big winner in Andy Foster’s growth in
political power is Danny Goossen. After Andre Ward and his camp
attempted to get out of a Goossen contract based on flimsy accusations,
Goossen won arbitration. Goossen wants to promote in California.
Ward has largely fought in California. Whether Top Rank or other
parties were behind Ward’s attempt to get away from Goossen,
who the hell knows. However, as long as the Ward/Goossen marriage
lasts, it means big fights in California. I would likely expect
to see Top Rank play ball and get Ward vs. Julio Cesar Chavez
Jr. booked in California instead of Nevada. Texas would be the
only alternative but California makes more sense.
As for CSAC’s front office, words cannot describe how deplorable
the situation is right now (thanks to the Department of Consumer
Affairs). The stress level is insane. The state budget limits
being imposed now on the commission make Andy Foster’s job
that much more difficult. It’s an incredible tightrope he
is having to walk. The chaos is intense.
What it means for the Department of Consumer Affairs and big-name
politicians in Sacramento
I can safely predict that the next year is going to be hell for
a lot of key political players in the DCA food chain who have
been involved in some of the biggest scandals regarding the athletic
commission. There will be more firings and resignations to come.
The difference is that the names will involve political animals
rather than people who players in the combat sports scene know
about.
If I’m Doreathea Johnson, the nitwit in charge of DCA’s
legal department, I’m starting to get nervous right now…
and for damn good reason.
A lot of skeletons are about to come out of the closet. There
are quite a few people inside of DCA who are ready to turn on
the higher-ups in the organization. Serious names at stake here,
too. It will not just play out in the court system but also through
the press. Expect major developments that will further highlight
what kind of disintegration DCA has caused with the California
State Athletic Commission.
There will be public embarrassment coming on a big level unless
major financial payoffs occur. This much I am confident about.
The reaction internally amongst those who work for the commission
and those in Sacramento regarding Guevara’s resignation
fell into two categories. Camp A had some sympathy for his plight
but weren’t really backing him, just more understanding
of him than the current crop of Sacramento politicians. Camp
B, which is the majority, hates Guevara and what he represented.
However, you won’t find many people today throwing a party
or celebrating this development. The takeaway from both camps
on the issue is that if Guevara, a diehard lifer who destroyed
people like Dean Lohuis and Mike Bray, is quitting then the Titanic
really is sinking and the conditions are much worse than previously
believed.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Anderson
Silva vs. Chris Weidman Rematch at UFC 168; Ronda Rousey vs.
Miesha Tate is Co-Main
by Ken
Pishna
The
UFC middleweight championship changed hands for the first time
in seven years when Chris Weidman upset Anderson Silva at UFC
162 on July 6. The talk about the fight has not waned in the
days following the fight.
While
UFC president Dana White and new champion Chris Weidman both
proclaimed that Anderson Silva could have an immediate rematch
if he wanted it, the former champion took a step back to think
about it.
The
pondering was short-lived, however, as White announced on Saturday’s
edition of ESPN SportsCenter that Silva has agreed to rematch
Weidman at the promotion’s monster year-end event in Las
Vegas, UFC 168.
Not
only will Weidman vs. Silva II headline UFC 168 on Dec. 28 at
the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the event’s original headliner
between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate will remain on the card
as the co-main event.
“Ever
since the fight got over, I don’t know if there’s ever
been any more hype in UFC history after a fight,” said White
when announcing the fight. “Everybody’s been wondering
if there’s going to be a rematch. I’ve been working
on it since Thursday.
“Dec.
28 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Anderson Silva will fight Chris
Weidman in the rematch. Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate will be
the co-main event.”
Immediately
following the fight, Silva sounded as if he was almost relieved,
expressing how tired he was from the weight on his shoulders,
having defended the UFC middleweight championship for years.
“I
finish my work. I no more fight for the belt,” Silva said
while standing in the Octagon in defeat for the first time ever.
“I fight for the belt for a long time. I’m tired.”
The
days that followed, fans kept talking about the fight and a possible
rematch. Having initially said he wanted time to think it over,
Silva changed his tune rather quickly.
So
what changed?
“What
changed is, when Anderson Silva talked after the fight, the guy
forgot what it felt like to lose,” explained White. “He’d
never lost ever in the UFC; broke every record we ever had.
“I’ve
been talking to him for two days. Both guys signed their bout
agreement. Anderson Silva is motivated, fired up, and wants his
belt back.”
Silva certainly seemed to agree, providing SportsCenter with
a pre-recorded statement that they aired following White’s
announcement.
“My
fans in UFC and the world and United States I go back to fight
Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman,” Silva stated. “I
back, trust me, I back.”
Weidman
upsetting Silva poured water on years of talk about Silva matching
up with either Jon Jones or Georges St-Pierre in a superfight.
White said on Saturday that all the talk about the hypothetical
superfights doesn’t currently matter; this rematch is the
biggest fight that he could promote right now.
“This
fight between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman will be the biggest
fight in history,” he declared. “This is the biggest
fight out there right now, and that’s saying a lot.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Shannon
Knapp admits struggling with the idea of going to PPV
By Dave
Meltzer
Days away from Invicta's debut as the first all-women's MMA pay-per-view
product, company President Shannon Knapp talks the various struggles
it took to get there, her concerns, the lower price point and
the difference between managing male and female fighters.
For Shannon Knapp, Saturday’s Invicta pay-per-view represents
another step in a number of different struggles.
And
one of the biggest struggles was the decision to do it. Ever
since the original UFC owners starting having significant success
on pay-per-view in 1994 and 1995, it seemed like an easy business
model to copy. Get some fighters, preferably with names, buy
some belts, put on a show, and swim in cash.
The
reality has been altogether difference, as MMA on pay-per-view
has become a cemetery, filled with tombstones of promotions who
dug their own graves through overspending and overestimating
the hardcore fan base and its monetary rewards.
Knapp,
the President of Invicta, already went through one run as a pioneer
as the struggling men’s version of the sport gained acceptance
over the past decade. She was one of the first women working
in an executive capacity, and had experience with a number of
different promotions, a few of which ended up in that cemetery.
She talks of her struggles, whether it was with the IFL, Strikeforce,
or others, of working to build a promotion, and then it’s
gone and you’re left with the empty feeling the work has
been for naught.
Going
the all-women route is even more of a risk, although she’s
learned plenty over the years.
"It
is a struggle," she said. "We’ve had so much growth,
we’ve exploded, but I also know hat I worked for companies
that overemployed and at the end of time, they weren’t successful.
We always have to be very budget conscious."
It’s
been a few years since Gina Carano proved that tons of people,
in the millions, will watch a charismatic woman’s fighting
star compete on network television. Later, when matched with
Cris "Cyborg" Santos, Carano proved the right women’s
match could pack a major arena and set ratings records. Earlier
this year, the success of UFC 157, headlined by Ronda Rousey
vs. Liz Carmouche, proved a woman’s main event could be
very successful on pay-per-view, something there was incredible
skepticism about until literally the day of the show.
But
Saturday’s event from the Ameristar Casino in Kansas City,
Mo., represents something altogether different. It’s not
a women’s match headlining an otherwise all-male card, but
a show of nothing but women’s fights.
Whatever the ceiling would be today for such a show without the
UFC name attached to it will be made clear. The main event, featuring
"Cyborg," whose real name she goes by today is Cristiane
Justino (11-1), faces Marloes Coenen (21-5).
They
are the two best known active women fighters not under UFC contract,
and the two most successful in the 145 pound weight class. The
two battle in a five-round fight to become Invicta’s first
featherweight champion.
Cyborg, the muscular and controversial Brazilian, was champion
with the Strikeforce organization until being stripped of the
title after a positive steroid test at the end of 2011. One of
her victims, on Jan. 30, 2010, was Coenen, a 13-year veteran
of women’s MMA fighting dating back to some of its earliest
shows in Japan.
The
main event is a battle of technique and experience against strength,
aggressiveness and ferocity. The latter traits allowed Cyborg
to dominate the first fight, winning via third round TKO.
"This
is our biggest card," said Knapp, who began the promotion
more than a year ago, running shows that have gotten critical
acclaim by the hardcore fans, but up to this point, have had
no presence past the Internet.
"I
always struggled with going to pay-per-view. It took a while
for me to make my mind up about a televised pay-per-view. My
mind has always been that you never go to pay-per-view until
you really build things up. It took a while to break this mindset.
We got a good enough (financial) deal. This wasn’t costing
me any ore than the last show. I was already buying satellite
time. It’s just providing more options for the fans to watch
it, and hope it will lead to more opportunities for the athletes
and for sponsorships. It’s a big step for me. I had it so
stuck in my head after all these years that you never go to pay-per-view
until you’ve really elevated the brand, but I think it’s
a good move. We have nothing to lose. We’re just going to
get new viewers," Knapp said.
Knapp,
frustrated with problems of Internet streaming, switched to using
a satellite feed to distribute the last show, held on April 5.
She said she got a fantastic deal, only costing her a few hundred
dollars more than she was paying for streaming.
The
rule of thumb on combat sports pay-per-view is that no promotion
has ever been able to pull it off successfully without some form
of television. With the exception of the early UFC events, even
the UFC was losing money as a pay-per-view producer until getting
on Spike TV in 2005.
And
television has to be the ultimate goal. Knapp has had offers
to get the shows televised, but she’s insisted she’s
looking for a broadcast partner looking to help the company grow,
and not just a station who will put them on the air.
Rumors
of Showtime have been around ever since the Zuffa/Showtime relationship
ended earlier this year, but Stephen Espinoza has of late openly
questioned whether there is a demand for more MMA on television.
Knapp herself talks of a reality show idea which she said is
completely different from either The Ultimate Fighter or Bellator’s
Fightmaster concepts.
Saturday’s
event airs live at 9 p.m. Eastern time, both on pay-per-view
on virtually every system in the U.S. and Canada, but also on
the Internet, though Ustream.TV, priced at $14.95. Eight fights
are earmarked for the four-hour broadcast, but she’s planning
on almost no down time, and the plan is, if all goes well timing-wise,
to get 10 fights onto the pay-per-view.
To
give viewers a taste, a free four-fight pre-show will air at
7 p.m. Eastern on the Internet at UStream.TV, as well as on television
through DirecTV, The Dish Network and Fight Now TV in the U.S.
and Bell TV, Viewers Choice and The Fight Network in Canada.
Knapp
decided on a low price by pay-per-view standards, and with the
number of options for viewing, most notably the traditional pay-per-view
model and a low price, hopes it encourages people to give the
product a chance.
"If
everybody else is like me, I just purchased the UFC show last
week," Knapp said. "We’re being conscious about
the economy. We wanted to make sure as many fans as possible
have the opportunity to see it. If we were driving the price
up, we’re cutting off some fans. This was a good fair price,
a manageable price for fans. But I’m not selling my athletes
short. I think they’re worth a lot more. But coming off
a weekend pay-per-view, I just want to make it a fan-friendly
price."
Although
she was one of the first woman in major executive positions,
she was not one of the early proponents of women’s fighting.
"I
was very old school," she said. "Usually when a promoter
came to me, they would say, `What we want is hot chicks.’
I had no respect for it and it turned me off because it wasn’t
about talented female athletes. They were just looking for good
looking girls. I first thought it was taking a spot on the show
for one of the boys. It wasn’t really until I saw Gina Carano,
Cris Cyborg and Marloes Coenen. They trained like the guys. They
fought like the guys."
Selling
a predominately male MMA audience on women is difficult, and
overcoming a general public perception of the idea of putting
women in a cage to fight is another barrier. Things have come
a long way in six years, since Showtime had to be dragged, kicking
and screaming, into allowing Carano to fight on Showtime back
in 2007. It wasn’t until February that UFC opened the doors.
In
both cases, it took a woman who was both a legitimate great athlete,
but also possessed almost Hollywood like looks, to break down
the barriers. Carano has been getting regular movie work and
ultimately, Rousey, who was the impetus for UFC opening the doors,
is likely to reach the same end destination.
"It’s
gotten a lot better, but people are very cautious," she
said about the reaction. "I don’t blame them for that
opinion. I’ve seen a lot of mismatches. We’ve seen
athletes take fights two weight classes up, just to have the
opportunity to fight."
This
has led Knapp to have fights from 105 pounds to 145 pounds on
Saturday’s show, allowing everyone to fight in a proper
weight division
Knapp
expects a sellout Saturday, with only a few hundred tickets left,
but the arena she’s using only holds 1,100. Because of the
main event, she has raised the live ticket prices from previous
events.
It’s
really an international event. The main event pits Coenen, from
The Netherlands, against Cyborg, who grew up in Curatiba, Brazil,
and whose style is very much like Curatiba’s all-time most
popular fighter, Wanderlei Silva.
There are also fighters from Japan, Canada, Scotland, Australia
and Austria.
With
her background in talent relations, Knapp noted managing women
is different than men.
"The
big difference is these are young athletes, new athletes, we’re
educating them an helping them to grow into professional athletes,"
she said. "They’re a little further behind due to the
lack of opportunities. They fight the same way. I give a lot
more pregnancy tests. But for the most part, they are extremely
grateful, happy, excited and committed to both themselves and
the organization. Sometimes that is not always so true on the
men’s side."
She
noted with men, everyone‘s dream is to get into UFC. With
the women, they’re just happy to be fighting.
But there is a lot of pressure. A lot of people will be watching
the product for the first time on Saturday. The company doesn’t
have the budget to have UFC or HBO Boxing level of production.
The people in charge are few, and have to wear multiple hats.
But on television, they can’t come off rinky dink for people
to give them a second chance. It’s important to have good
fights, and the company has built a reputation in previous shows
for providing excitement.
"The
one thing I can always depend on is with my athletes, there is
no playing it safe," she said. "They’re there
to battle. They’ve all been fighting just for the opportunity
to get in the cage. They take it very serious. It’s a huge
card. It’s history, the first all-female MMA pay-per-view.
Sometimes I feel bad because they’re carrying a lot of weight
on their shoulders. They will all be judged. They are the pioneers,
each and every one of them on the show."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Ross
Pearson wants Takanori Gomi in Oct. 26 UFC-Manchester co-headliner
Poss
Pearson (15-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) wants a prime spot on the UFC's next
U.K. card, and he already has an opponent in mind.
The
English fighter, who's won back-to-back fights since a return
to lightweight, wants Japanese veteran Takanori Gomi (34-9 MMA,
3-4 UFC) on Oct. 26.
As
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported, the event,
which is expected to be a UFC on FOX Sports 1 show, features
a middleweight headliner between Michael Bisping (24-5 MMA, 14-5
UFC) and Mark Munoz (13-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC). The show is expected
to take place at Manchester Arena (formerly MEN Arena).
"Bisping
vs Munoz main event at M.E.N i would love Pearson vs Gomi co-main
what u think?" Pearson tweeted on Sunday.
Pearson,
who won "The Ultimate Fighter 9" in 2009, concluded
his featherweight stint with a 1-1 record that included a decision
victory over Junior Assuncao and a TKO loss to Cub Swanson. However,
since a return to lightweight and a coaching stint on "TUF:
The Smashes," the Alliance MMA fighter has posted back-to-back
TKO wins over George Sotiropoulos and Ryan Couture.
Gomi,
meanwhile, is technically coming off a loss, though it probably
should have been a win. The former PRIDE champion lost three
of his first four UFC fights, but he rebounded with back-to-back
wins over Eiji Mitsuoka and Mac Danzig. However, earlier this
year at UFC on FUEL TV 8, the Japanese vet halted the winning
streak and suffered a split-decision defeat to Diego Sanchez.
Every major media outlet scored the bout for Gomi, and MMAjunkie.com
actually scored it 30-27 in his favor.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
‘CYBORG’
STOPS COENEN AT INVICTA FC 6, CAPTURES PROMOTION’S INAUGURAL
145-POUND TITLE
BY TRISTEN
CRITCHFIELD
Cristiane
Cyborg stopped Marloes Coenen in the fourth round.
As
she was in their initial meeting, Marloes Coenen was plenty game
against Cristiane Justino on Saturday, but just like their Strikeforce
bout in 2010, “Cyborg” was simply too powerful for
the valiant Dutchwoman in the end.
Justino
(12-1, 1 NC, 2-0 Invicta) stopped Coenen (21-6, 1-1 Invicta)
with strikes 4:02 into the fourth round of the Invicta Fighting
Championships 6 headliner at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas
City, Mo., to become the promotion’s inaugural featherweight
champion. In defeat, Coenen became the first opponent to drag
the Brazilian into the championship frames. “Rumina”
was stopped at the 3:40 mark of round three in their first encounter
at Strikeforce “Miami.”
Relying
on a more measured pace than usual, Cyborg was never in real
danger against the 32-year-old submission specialist. Justino
connected with power punches on the feet, slammed her foe to
canvas repeatedly and landed intelligent ground-and-pound from
above. Despite a revamped strength and conditioning program,
Coenen still had no answer for the physical prowess of the Chute
Boxe representative, as Cyborg consistently wound up in top position
after stymieing Coenen’s takedown shots.
Even
though she landed strikes almost at will from top position, the
Brazilian on several occasions elected to allow Coenen back to
her feet rather than attack inside her guard. For the most part,
there were no wrong choices for Justino on this night. A right
hook dropped Coenen in round one, and another right to the jaw
spelled the beginning of the end for “Rumina” in the
fourth frame. With her opponent dazed, Justino mounted one last
assault from above before referee John McCarthy mercifully called
a halt to the contest.
Only
a temporary lapse in judgment was able to thwart the momentum
of Claudia Gadelha (11-0, 1-0 Invicta) in the co-main event.
Despite losing a point for landing an illegal knee in the first
round of her strawweight showdown with Ayaka Hamasaki (9-1, 0-1
Invicta), Gadelha dominated her Japanese opponent, finishing
the contest with strikes on the ground 3:58 into the third period.
With the win, Gadelha earns a 115-pound title shot against champion
Carla Esparza.
Clearly
the bigger, stronger fighter, Gadelha imposed her will through
takedowns and suffocating top control. The Brazilian’s ground-and-pound
increased in intensity in the third round, where a flurry of
heavy punches and hammerfists forced referee Greg Franklin to
intervene on Hamasaki’s behalf.
Gadelha
set the tone early, landing a takedown in the first round and
maintaining control from top position throughout the period.
However, the Brazilian landed a glancing knee to the head of
a seated Hamasaki just as the stanza expired, resulting in the
point deduction.
Elsewhere,
solid submission defense early and clean punches late allowed
Lauren Taylor (7-0, 2-0 Invicta) to remain unbeaten, as she captured
a hard-fought unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) against
Sarah D’Alelio (7-4, 3-2 Invicta) in a bantamweight tilt.
The bout favored D’Alelio in round one, with both fighters
jockeying for position for the majority of the period. However,
Taylor survived several submission attempts from “The Monster”
in the opening five minutes.
Taylor
began to find a rhythm on the feet in the second frame, landing
straight punches while D’Alelio attacked with uppercuts.
The third round featured several spirited exchanges, but it was
Taylor who appeared to land the cleaner strikes.
The
action in the flyweight bout between Leslie Smith (6-3-1, 3-1-1
Invicta) and Jennifer Maia (7-3-1, 1-1 Invicta) was fast and
furious throughout, but it was Smith who ultimately landed in
greater volume to earn a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
The Cesar Gracie Fight Team member set a frenetic pace from the
outset, moving forward and attacking Maia with punching combinations
and kicks.
Maia
refused to wilt, however, as she proved more than willing to
go toe-to-toe with her aggressive opponent. Smith was most dominant
in round three, where she staggered Maia with an elbow and followed
up with a flurry of punches and knees against the cage. Maia
responded with a trip takedown, but Smith reversed to top position
and closed out the frame landing a flurry of ground-and-pound
from above.
Former
Invicta atomweight queen Jessica Penne (11-2, 3-1 Invicta) choked
out Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (8-7, 1-2 Invicta) with just three
seconds remaining in the opening frame in their 105-pound clash.
Penne, who relinquished her title to Michelle Waterson in a thrilling
contest in April, took down Rivera-Calanoc with less than two
minutes to go in the period. The Californian quickly moved to
full mount and attempted to cinch a guillotine choke.
Penne
eventually relinquished the hold and unloaded with ground-and-pound,
forcing Rivera-Calanoc to surrender her back. From there, Penne
trapped her foe in a body triangle and gradually tightened her
grip on the choke. “The Night Queen” held on for as
long as she could but was forced to ask out of the match just
before the round expired.
Noted
muay Thai practitioner Joanne Calderwood (7-0, 3-0 Invicta) earned
a unanimous decision over a game Norma Rueda Center (2-1, 0-1
Invicta) in a featured 115-pound affair. Judges scored the bout
30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for the Glasgow, Scotland, native.
Calderwood
controlled much of the contest with her striking, using her kicks
to keep the wrestling-minded Center at a safe distance. The Dinky
Ninjas product thwarted the majority of Center’s takedown
attempts in the early going while stalking her foe and landing
knees and elbows against the cage. Center, who took the bout
on two weeks’ notice, landed a pair of takedowns in the
final frame but spent much of the period fighting off a Calderwood
armbar.
In
her Invicta debut, 18-year-old Japanese prospect Mizuki Inoue
(6-1, 1-0 Invicta) established herself as a person of interest
in the strawweight division, taking a unanimous verdict over
popular Australian Bec Hyatt (5-3, 1-2 Invicta). All three cageside
judges scored it 29-28 in favor of the Jewels veteran.
Inoue
utilized a versatile offensive attack in close quarters, punishing
Hyatt with leg kicks, elbows and uppercuts against the fence.
Inoue spent much of the second stanza landing ground-and-pound
from top position after scoring a trip takedown. Hyatt used aggressive
striking to mount a rally in the final round, but it was not
enough to earn the victory.
Vicious
knees in the clinch carried Miriam Nakamoto (2-0, 1 NC, 1-0 Invicta)
to a first-round technical knockout victory over Duda Yankovich
(1-2, 0-1 Invicta) in a bantamweight clash. “The Queen of
Mean” wasted little time in punishing her opponent with
knees and sharp elbows against the cage, dropping Yankovich early
in the opening round. Not much later, Nakamoto dropped Yankovich
again with a knee, and after a few follow-up strikes, referee
Mike England halted the contest 2:08 into the period.
To
kick of the pay-per-view portion of the card, Tecia Torres (3-0,
3-0 Invicta) captured an entertaining unanimous decision victory
(30-27, 29-28, 29-28) over Rose Namajunas (2-1, 2-1 Invicta)
in a battle of young strawweight fighters.
Both
women were extremely aggressive in the first round, but the highlight
of the frame occurred when Namajunas attempted a flying armbar
-- the same move she used to defeat Kathina Catron at Invicta
FC 5. Torres defended the maneuver well, but Namajunas eventually
transitioned to another armbar on the ground and appeared to
have Torres in serious danger. However, “The Tiny Tornado”
escaped. From there, Torres landed effective combinations for
much of the contest and weathered a late takedown from Namajunas
in the final frame.
In
preliminary action, Jackson’s MMA product Emily Kagan (3-1,
1-1 Invicta) captured a split verdict (30-27, 30-27, 28-29) against
St. Louis police officer Ashley Cummins (3-2, 1-2 Invicta) at
115 pounds; and Austria native Livia von Plettenberg (2-1, 1-1
Invicta) defeated Oklahoman Kathina Catron, who took the bout
on 24 hours’ notice, via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28,
29-28) at 125 pounds in the opening bout. Another scheduled prelim
between Tamikka Brents and Ediane Gomes was scratched when Brents
suffered a knee injury warming up backstage.
Source: Sherdog
|
Daniel
Cormier vs. Roy Nelson Being Considered for UFC 166: Velasquez
vs. dos Santos III
Daniel
Cormier has been constructing his move from heavyweight down
to light heavyweight for quite some time.
He’s
currently in the midst of working his way down to 205 pounds,
planning to fight one more time at heavyweight before making
the drop. And there seems to be no shortage of opponents for
him before he finally debuts at light heavyweight.
UFC
president Dana White recently confirmed that Fabricio Werdum
asked him to fight Cormier after Werdum defeated Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira in his most recent fight.
Cormier said he was fine with that fight, but White may have
other plans for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion.
White
told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports that he is currently in negotiations
with Roy Nelson for a new contract. Nelson fulfilled his last
contract with a loss to Stipe Miocic at UFC 161 in June.
White
told Iold, “If he re-signs Nelson in time, he plans to pair
him with Daniel Cormier at UFC 166 on the Velasquez-dos Santos
III undercard.”
UFC
166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos III is slated for Oct. 19 at the
Toyota Center in Houston. The rubber match between heavyweight
champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos headlines
the fight card.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Josh
Koscheck injured, scrapping potential UFC 163 fight with Demian
Maia
By Mike
Chiappetta
An injury to Josh Koscheck has forced him out of his scheduled
UFC 163 date with Demian Maia, and the promotion has elected
not to replace him, going forward with a 12-fight lineup for
the Aug. 3 date.
The
promotion made the announcement on Friday morning.
The
fight had been scheduled as part of the evening's main card.
No
information was provided on Koscheck's injury. The veteran would
have been attempting to end a two-fight losing streak, as he
dropped consecutive fights to Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler,
respectively.
Koscheck
is 17-7 overall.
Maia,
on the other hand, has surged since moving down a division to
welterweight. Since that time, he's 3-0 with wins over Jon Fitch,
Rick Story and Dong Hyun Kim. He's 18-4 overall.
UFC
163 takes place on Aug. 3 at HSBC Arena in Rio. In the headliner,
featherweight champion seeks his fifth UFC title defense against
Chan Sung Jung, while Lyoto Machida and Phil Davis clash in the
co-main event.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
How
big is fan interest in an Anderson Silva rematch with Chris Weidman?
By Zach
Arnold
For
boxing fans, Nate Campbell’s idiotic taunting of Robbie
Peden is a moment that no one will ever forget. The great Barry
Tompkins had the call for what was such a ridiculous knockout.
It was hard to imagine that we could possibly see something rival
as dumb of a taunt as what Campbell did in the ring.
Well,
that moment arrived when Anderson Silva taunted Chris Weidman
and got blasted for it.
The Campbell/Peden clip is still aired on television to this
day as the gold standard of blunders. So, you would think that
such a high-profile fighter like Anderson Silva getting brutally
punched would draw huge attention in the press. After all, Dana
White claimed that PPV buys were trending towards the 800,000
PPV buy range for UFC 162.
Instead, press coverage has largely been quiet. ESPN didn’t
air any clips from UFC 162 on Saturday night. Anderson’s
KO was tailor made for Sportscenter and there was nary a peep.
You would have thought on Monday that the clip would have gotten
a lot of oxygen on sports media platforms. It didn’t. As
I wrote on Fightline, you would think that Anderson Silva’s
art of beclowning himself would have gotten major play. He’s
the closest thing fans had to Fedor once Fedor became human.
He became the man Dana touted as pound-for-pound king once negotiations
fell apart with the Russian and his camp. If you read the Fightline
article, you’ll see quotes from Jordan Breen discussing
what Anderson Silva’s legacy is after the loss. That’s
a question that easily gets a lot of response for debate.
So, where’s the discussion amongst the masses about what
took place over the weekend? It’s as if Weidman was somehow
just a bystander who got lucky that a champion was clowning around
and that he punched the guy like any fighter should. Weidman
was an underdog going into the fight, but not a Buster Douglas-sized
42-to-1 underdog. He was basically a 3-to-1 underdog in Vegas.
Every fighter the UFC could find was picking Weidman to win the
bout. And yet it seems that about 80 to 85% of the discussion
from the fight is about Anderson Silva.
Vegas already has odds ready for the rematch, should it happen.
The odds? Anderson Silva is a 2-to-1 favorite. Should he take
the rematch, it will either happen in Las Vegas at the end of
the year or happen in Newark, New Jersey on Super Bowl Weekend
2014. Which location would be better business-wise for UFC? Before
you answer that question, consider the following:
Why hasn’t there been more discussion about what happened
this past weekend?
Why is Weidman not getting the hype despite the manner in which
he won?
How would you compare the fan reaction to his win versus the
fan reaction Fabricio Werdum got when he beat Fedor?
What does the UFC need to do to convince the sports media and
the public to take Weidman as a serious star who just grabbed
the torch for the UFC Middleweight division?
Josh Gross claims that Anderson Silva will either accept the
rematch or retire. If Silva doesn’t accept the rematch,
then we’re looking at a scenario with Chris Weidman vs.
Vitor Belfort and Belfort will probably want the fight in Brazil.
What a scenario it would be to see a possible super testosterone
death match between Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort.
Exit question: Given the recent discussion about where the UFC
stands financially, how bad does it look in the press that Nevada’s
athletic commission is claiming that Chris Weidman was paid only
$48,000 for his title win over Anderson Silva? Yes, we know the
figures given out by the athletic commissions isn’t fully
accurate, but the headline given to the press that he was paid
$48,000 to fight in the main event of a UFC 162 PPV that Dana
White claims was trending towards 800,000 PPV buys looks awful
— especially given that Weidman was marketed in the PPV
campaign as “the perfect fighter.” Having a know-nothing
sports press believe that you paid “the perfect fighter”
$48,000 to beat the legendary Anderson Silva is awful public
relations.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC's
Danny Castillo hopes latest actions inspire others to make similar
efforts
by John
Morgan
UFC
lightweight Danny Castillo was having a bad day. Two months of
training, it seemed, were down the drain. In the past that would
have likely meant a couple of cold beers to drown his sorrow.
Now things are completely different.
"I
was just having a really bad day, and what makes me feel better
is to go out and make someone else's day," Castillo told
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Castillo
(15-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) had just been informed his planned UFC on
FOX 8 opponent, Bobby Green (20-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC), had been forced
to withdraw from the July 27 contest. With just two weeks before
the bout, Castillo wasn't certain if the UFC would be able to
find a replacement opponent in time to keep him on the card.
Rather than feel sorry for himself, Castillo decided to stop
by Little Caesars Pizza, pick up a few pies and find some people
in need in his hometown of Sacramento, Calif.
"I
don't necessarily condone people eating Little Caesars,"
Castillo admitted. "I think fast food is ruining America.
But I was able to buy three pizzas for $14, and I just divided
them up, three slices each, and went to some local parks downtown
that I know tend to have some homeless people and handed the
food out. They were really grateful and happy."
Castillo
documented a few of the thankful recipients on his Instagram
and Twitter accounts in hopes that his good deeds might inspire
others to take similar steps.
"The
reason I took those Instagram pictures was to sort of inspire
people to do the same thing," Castillo said. "I got
a ton of compliments like, 'Oh, that's really inspiring,' and
that's all cool and all, but it's not really inspiring unless
they're doing it, as well. If they're not helping other people,
it's pointless."
For
Castillo, it wasn't his first time taking part in such an endeavor.
In fact, just a few weeks prior, he took bottles of water to
the streets in an effort to help the city's homeless combat the
brutal heat of summer.
"A
couple of weeks ago in Sacramento it was like 107 degrees,"
Castillo said. "I took my brother out with me, and we handed
out like 180 bottles of water to the homeless. The time before
that, I made a bunch of sandwiches. I'm just doing what I can
to help.
"I
just think we should do something to help people. If you're in
a position where you can help someone just by giving them a sandwich
or giving them water, why wouldn't you do that? Not only is it
rewarding to yourself, but giving a homeless person a bottle
of water when it's 107 degrees outside, that just brightens up
their day."
For
Castillo, things would eventually work out for the best, and
Tim Means (18-4-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) agreed to step in short notice,
preserving the UFC on FOX 8 matchup. It's just the latest blessing
for the 33-year-old Team Alpha Male product, who has been sober
for the past 13 months and recently opened his own health studio,
P2O Hot Pilates & Fitness, in Sacramento. He's also 4-1 in
his past five UFC appearances.
But
Castillo said he knows it's important to keep everything in focus,
and he believes giving back is a huge part of remaining balanced.
He hopes others can learn from the lesson and take part in similar
efforts.
"People
who are homeless aren't just lazy; they fall on hard times,"
Castillo said. "I know it's kind of extreme, but I know
I'm two losses away from being homeless, and that's how I live
my life. I try to train as hard as I can because if I lose two
fights, I'm not a big name in the UFC, and I'm sure I'd get cut.
"For
me to lose my only job and something I enjoy doing, I mean, I
wouldn't be homeless right away, but if I live life like that,
it will keep me humble. It keeps me grounded. I just think it's
hard to enjoy the money and the finer things in life when there's
people out there that don't have that opportunity."
Source: MMA Junkie
|
New
Helio Gracie Foundation to spread Jiu-Jitsu through public school
programs
Erin Herle
A
new philanthropist venture has bloomed in the Jiu-Jitsu community
called the Helio Gracie Foundation which serves to help spread
the gentle art through programs for kids and teens. President
of the foundation and co-founder of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Royler Gracie
has put together a way for youngsters to gain the wonderful benefits
for body and mind.
From
the founders, “The Helio Gracie Foundation began with the
simple idea that Jiu-Jitsu’s life-changing power should
be within reach of every individual motivated to pursue it, regardless
of his or her financial or social situation.” Programs are
aimed towards kids and teens through public schools where Jiu-Jitsu
can influence and strengthen the community.
The
foundation is currently partnering with GMA member Eduardo Rocha
of Rocha Jiu-Jitsu, a Gracie Humaita academy in San Francisco,
CA who also serves as executive director.
For
more information and how to support and/or donate to the cause
visit www.heliofoundation.org
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
on Fox Sports 1 #3 Fight Card Rumors
UFC
on Fox Sports 1 #3
Teixeira vs. Bader
Date: September 4, 2013
Venue: Mineirinho Arena
Location: Belo Horizonte, Brazil
-Glover
Teixeira (21-2) vs. Ryan Bader (15-3)
-Joseph Benavidez (18-3) vs. Jussier “Formiga” da Silva
(15-2)
-Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (18-3) vs. Yushin Okami (29-7)
-Sean Spencer (9-2) vs. Yuri Villefort (6-2)
-Rafael “Sapo” Natal (16-4-1) vs. Tor Troeng (16-4-1)
-Johnny Bedford (19-10) vs. Hugo Viana (7-1)
-Marcos Vinicius (20-4-1) vs. Ali Bagautinov (10-2)
-Godofredo Pepey (9-2) vs. Sam Sicilia (11-3)
-Keith Wisniewski (28-14-1) vs. Marcelo Guimaraes (8-1-1)
-Lucas Martins (13-1) vs. Ramiro Hernandez (13-4)
UFC
on FS1 #3 Times:
Preliminary Bout: TBA
Main Card on Fox Sports 1: TBA
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Anderson
Silva: “I’ll fight Weidman again on December 28?
Ivan Trindade
Silva
vs. Weidman 2 to happen December 28, according to the former
champion.
Anderson
Silva confirmed the date of the rematch with Chris Weidman.
The
title bout will take place on December 28, as the main event
of the UFC 168.
The
Spider confirmed the date on an interview to Brazilian magazine,
GQ.
He
said: “After the defeat, I have to get ready to fight again.
By the way, I confirm the remacth with Weidman for December 28?.
Silva
also talked about what happened in the octagon last Saturday:
“If i could go back, I would be more focused. I would chose
a diferent path, but would keep the same tactics. I have a lot
of confidence in my game, only it did not work this time. I had
never been knocked out before and I realy didn’t like it”.
The
former UFC middleweight champion refuted once again the possibility
of throwing the fight: “It’s crazy talk! I trained
four months for that fight. My team was in tears in the lockeroom.
I would never throw a fight. Never!”
The
UFC hasn’t confirmed the rematch between Weidman and Silva.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Injuries,
retirements, and rematches: Just another week for the UFC
By Zach
Arnold
Last weekend, Dana White was claiming that Chris Weidman vs.
Anderson Silva would draw 800,000 PPV buys. Then, Anderson Silva
played the fool and got knocked out… only for UFC to reportedly
not allow media outlets like ESPN from showing the actual finishing
scene. Even during Chris Weidman’s “car wash”
at Bristol on Thursday, they didn’t show the final blows.
Brian Stann announced his retirement from MMA. He said that the
loss to Wanderlei Silva in Japan put him too far back in the
food chain and that this development, combined with his fight
style, made it impossible for him to move upwards without suffering
significant damage. Therefore, he retired and will now move on
to doing college football work for Fox Sports South. You read
that right. Given that the season happens on Saturdays, I wonder
how many UFC events on Fox he will be able to appear on.
Josh Koscheck is out of his fight with Demian Maia due to an
undisclosed injury. Last night, it was announced that TJ Grant
was injured and that the end result would be Anthony Pettis vs.
Ben Henderson in Milwaukee next month for the Lightweight title.
An
Inconvenient Truth that should be pointed out, however:
And
today (Saturday), Dana White goes on ESPN to announce the rematch
between Chris Weidman & Anderson Silva for Las Vegas on 12/28.
That show also features Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate. The timing
of this announcement is already raising questions regarding Invicta’s
PPV on Saturday night.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
VET CHARLIE BRENNEMAN MEETS KYLE BAKER FOR VACANT LIGHTWEIGHT
CROWN AT CFFC 26
BY TRISTEN
CRITCHFIELD
Eight-time
UFC veteran Charlie Brenneman will lock horns with Kyle Baker/a>
at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 26 for the promotion’s
vacant lightweight crown.
CFFC
officials recently announced the pairing, which will take place
at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. on Aug.
17. The title has been vacant since John Cholish won the belt
by defeating Jameel Massouh at CFFC9 in 2011 and left the promotion
to make his UFC debut later that year. CFFC 26 also includes
a welterweight title tilt between George Sullivan and Jesus Martinez.
Brenneman
was released by the UFC after suffering a first-round TKO defeat
to Kyle Noke at UFC 152. “The Spaniard” is 3-0 since
then, besting Eric Irvin, Jeremy Castro and Gemiyale Adkins thus
far in 2013. The AMA Fight Club representative is perhaps best
known for beating Rick Story on short notice at UFC Live 4.
A
32-year-old Virginia native, Baker has competed for a variety
of organizations during his 20-fight professional career. Most
recently, “Alley Cat” knocked out Aung La Nsang in
24 seconds at CFFC 23 in April. Baker has finished 10 of his
13 career triumphs by knockout or technical knockout.
Source: Sherdog
|
Michael
Bisping vs. Mark Munoz Expected to Headline UFC Event in Manchester
The
UFC is returning to Manchester for the first time in four years,
and it looks like home-country favorite Michael Bisping will
headline the fight card in a middleweight bout with Mark Munoz.
Bisping
vs. Munoz is expected to headline a UFC on Fox Sports 1 event
on Oct. 26 in Manchester, England. MMAWeekly.com sources confirmed
the original report by MMAJunkie.com.
The
UFC last made the trip to Manchester for UFC 105, which featured
Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera in the night’s main event.
This time around, Bisping will be counted on to draw the crowd
to Manchester Arena, when he and Munoz square off in a five-round,
non-title fight at top end of the fight card.
Bisping
(24-5) most recently fought at UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen. He
defeated Alan Belcher by a unanimous technical decision after
the fight was stopped following an injury to Belcher’s eye.
The injury was a result of an incidental poke to the eye by Bisping.
Bisping
has been on the cusp of a title shot for the past couple of years,
but has twice been derailed; once by Chael Sonnen and then by
Vitor Belfort.
Munoz
(13-3) is fresh off of a dominating performance over Tim Boetsch
at UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman on July 6 in Las Vegas. He had
been out of action for a year prior to that bout, battling injuries,
depression, and extreme weight gain, but if anything, he seemed
to gain strength from overcoming adversity.
Munoz
had also been a step away from a shot at the UFC middleweight
championship, but was stopped last summer by Chris Weidman, who
recently upset Anderson Silva to win the belt.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fight
Master: Bellator MMA TV Ratings Continue to Climb
Bellator’s
reality series, Fight Master: Bellator MMA debuted with less
than stellar TV ratings in its first episode but has seen a marked
increase in viewership.
The
premier drew 432,000 viewers while the second episode improved
to 545,000 viewers. After a week off, the reality series returned
with its third episode on Wednesday with 676,000 viewers.
Fight Master: Bellator MMA is similar to its Spike TV predecessor,
The Ultimate Fighter, but has a slightly different twist to how
the teams are divvied up. Much like the singing competition The
Voice the participants select their teams instead of being chosen
by the coaches.
The
show started with 32 welterweight athletes that pair off, trying
to fight their way onto the show. The winners of the fights gain
the opportunity to select from one of four coaches.
Much
like The Voice, the coaches jockey for position, trying to sway
fighters into selecting their respective teams.
The
coaches for this inaugural season are former UFC championsRandy
Couture and Frank Shamrock, elite coach Greg Jackson, and former
Bellator champion Joe Warren.
Fighter
Master airs weekly on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET on Spike
TV.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SHERDOG’S
TOP 10: BLOODIEST BATTLES
BY TRISTEN
CRITCHFIELD
With
all due respect to the Oscar-winning film by the same name, “There
Will Be Blood” is about as fitting a theme as there is when
it comes to mixed martial arts. At the very least, it surpasses
the “As Real As It Gets” catchphrase coined by the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. Of course, the latter sounds
far less barbaric and is therefore less threatening to the sport’s
detractors.
Nonetheless,
there is undoubtedly a large segment of the MMA fanbase that
craves seeing a certain red bodily fluid sprayed all over the
canvas on fight night. Nothing suggests brutal combat like copious
amounts of blood, and nothing -- short of the spectacular knockout,
perhaps -- gets the pulse racing faster. In honor of the men
who have donated and spilled substantial amounts of blood in
the cage over the years, a panel of Sherdog.com staff has selected
MMA’s Top 10 Bloodiest Battles.
Nowhere
will the ideals of sensationalist journalism carry more weight
than right here: if it bleeds, it will most definitely lead.
10. Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon
UFC 155 “Dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2” -- Dec. 29, 2012
MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas
Sometimes,
a replacement opponent can be the perfect ingredient for upping
the violence quotient of a fight, especially when that opponent
turns out to be Lauzon. Originally slated to face the wrestling-oriented
Gray Maynard at UFC 155, an injury to “The Bully” instead
pitted Miller against Lauzon, one of the most notorious post-fight
bonus hunters in the promotion. It turned out to be a match made
in crimson heaven.
Miller
made it his personal mission to test Lauzon’s resolve early
in their lightweight scrap, as a barrage of wicked standing elbows
opened a considerable laceration near the Massachusetts native’s
right eye. Even as the blood began to pour down his face, Lauzon
continued to press forward.
In
between rounds, Lauzon’s corner urged him on, telling him
he had already absorbed Miller’s best. “J-Lau”
did his best to protect the cut, but his efforts were largely
unsuccessful. However, Lauzon was able to reverse from the bottom
in the second frame and share some of his blood with Miller.
During a referee stoppage to cut some loose tape from Lauzon’s
hand, the two combatants exchanged a brief fist bump while waiting
for the action to be restarted.
“He’s
basically donating blood,” UFC commentator Joe Rogan said.
“He’s donated for three people already.”
That
did not prevent Lauzon from pursuing a finish in the final stanza.
“The Ultimate Fighter 5” veteran opened a small cut
under Miller’s eye during an exchange and spent the final
moments of the bout hunting for a submission. When the horn finally
sounded, Miller breathed a deep sigh of relief as the crowd at
the MGM Grand Garden Arena erupted in appreciation. Despite Lauzon’s
best efforts, Miller emerged with a hard-earned decision.
“Joe
is one of the toughest guys in the world, and that’s why
he’s near the top of the division,” Miller later said.
“I knew I was going to have to give him everything I had
if I was going to put him away.”
9. Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva
UFC 146 “Dos Santos vs. Mir” -- May 26, 2012
MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas
A
motivated Velasquez is not afraid of monsters, not when the only
thing standing between him and a chance at regaining heavyweight
gold was an impressive victory over the 6-foot-4, 260-plus pound
“Bigfoot.” At the time, a victory against Silva was
not a guaranteed ticket to a heavyweight title rematch with Junior
dos Santos, who had defeated the Mexican-American at the UFC’s
first Fox event in November 2011. However, once Velasquez was
done with Silva, there was little doubt as to who was the most
deserving No. 1 contender.
It
did not take long for Velasquez to impose his will. Just as UFC
commentator Joe Rogan was questioning whether Silva could deal
with his opponent’s speed, the American Kickboxing Academy
product caught an ill-advised kick from the Brazilian and dumped
him to the canvas. From there, Velasquez sliced through the Brazilian
jiu-jitsu black belt’s guard with a steady stream of punches
and elbows, gashing Silva slightly more than a minute into the
fray. After about a minute of Silva transforming the logo in
the center of the Octagon from Bud Light to “Blood Light,”
referee Josh Rosenthal temporarily halted the fight so “Bigfoot,”
whose sight was obviously impaired, could be examined.
After
a brief respite, Silva elected to continue, but there would be
little relief as he was forced to return to the fight as he left
it: on his back with Velasquez dropping serious leather. Silva’s
vision problems persisted as he attempted to shake the blood
out of his eyes, but it was to no avail. Velasquez’s offensive
output continued to increase in intensity, forcing Rosenthal
to put a stop to the bloodshed 3:36 into round one.
By
leaving Silva looking like something from the set of a Rob Zombie
horror flick, Velasquez established himself as a man on a mission.
“The
only reason I got into this sport was to be the champ,”
Velasquez said at the post-fight press conference. “I just
don’t feel right without having [the title].”
Some
seven months later, he would once again realize his goal by defeating
dos Santos at UFC 155.
8. Gan McGee vs. Brad Gabriel
IFC “Battleground 2” -- Sept. 30, 2000
Tropicana Hotel and Casino | Atlantic City, N.J.
In
order to shed the unwanted “human cockfighting” label
that was so graciously assigned to it by Sen. John McCain in
the late 1990s, mixed martial arts had to gradually adopt a set
of rules that would allow the sport to appeal to a broader audience.
The shift toward a universal set of rules was hastened by a particularly
brutal matchup between McGee, a training partner of Chuck Liddell
and future UFC heavyweight title challenger, and Gabriel, who
at the time was two fights into a four-bout professional stint.
With
then-New Jersey State Athletic Control Board chief Larry Hazzard
watching cageside, McGee proceeded to make short work of his
inexperienced opponent by bludgeoning him with knees to the head
from side control. The attack opened a substantial cut on Gabriel’s
face and resulted in the bout being halted a little more than
three minutes after it began. More importantly, the image of
McGee kneeing a grounded Gabriel in the head repeatedly left
a lasting impression with Hazzard.
It
was the first regulated MMA event in a major state, but clearly,
more work needed to be done. As a result, what became known as
the “Gan McGee Rule” was instituted, putting an end
to knees to the head of a grounded opponent. It was another key
addition to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, which would
become the standard for events in North America.
Two
months later, the UFC held its first event under those unified
rules. Though Gabriel would compete just once more after facing
McGee, his misfortune played an integral role in the sport’s
rise to mainstream acceptance. Of course, Gabriel may also be
the reason fans curse when a fighter strategically drops a hand
to the floor to avoid serious damage. With progress comes sacrifice.
7. Hector Lombard vs. Jared Hess
Bellator 12 -- July 19, 2009
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino | Hollywood, Fla.
Before
Bellator MMA moved to the greener pastures and larger audience
of Spike TV -- or even MTV2 -- Lombard had already begun to use
the promotion to compile his own personal mixtape of mayhem.
When all was said and done, the Olympic judoka would reel off
eight consecutive victories under the fledgling organization’s
banner to make him one of mixed martial arts’ most coveted
free agents in 2012.
While
the man known as “Lightning” has experienced mixed
results since stepping into the Octagon, it is unlikely that
Hess will forget the night the powerful Cuban used his head as
a paintbrush, covering the canvas at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel
and Casino with splotches of red en route to capturing the promotion’s
inaugural middleweight crown.
Unbeaten
heading into the bout, Hess was never able to get untracked against
Lombard. The American Top Team product dropped Hess to a knee
with a punishing combination in the first round, which caused
Hess’ left eye to swell almost completely shut.
With
Hess’ takedown shots being denied repeatedly, the Oklahoman
resorted to pulling guard, and Lombard took advantage by mounting
a heavy ground-and-pound barrage. Prior to round three, the ESPN
Deportes broadcast briefly cut to a shot of Hess’ mother,
who was already looking apprehensive after watching her son absorb
some serious punishment in the contest’s first 10 minutes.
It was about to get worse.
A
series of elbows and punches from above had Hess oozing blood,
and the action was halted twice in the third frame to examine
the cut on Hess’ forehead, with the fighter himself even
taking a moment to admire the pool of fluid on the canvas. Hess
made it to round four, but after another stuffed takedown and
another series of heavy shots from Lombard, the cageside doctor
decided that the floor had been sufficiently decorated, giving
the Cuban a TKO victory.
6. Ricardo Arona vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
Pride “Critical Countdown 2005” -- July 26, 2005
Saitama Super Arena | Saitama, Japan
Heading
into his showdown with Sakuraba, which took place in the second
round of the Pride Fighting Championships middleweight grand
prix, Arona was probably best known for being slammed into oblivion
by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson approximately one year
prior, despite a resume that included victories over Jeremy Horn,
Guy Mezger, Dan Henderson and Murilo Rua.
Paired
against a Japanese icon with a penchant for beating Gracies,
Arona did his best to make people forget about his loss to Jackson
-- and he did so in shockingly brutal fashion. The early portion
of the bout was reasonably competitive, with the most memorable
moment being Sakuraba’s reckless diving forays into Arona’s
guard. The Brazilian’s decided edge in size and strength
began to show, as he pushed his opponent around the ring while
landing power punches and knees. Between rounds, Sakuraba’s
ear was bleeding, likely the result of one particularly vicious
series of knees.
Things
became more lopsided in the second frame. A failed takedown attempt
by Sakuraba resulted in him receiving a nasty kick to the face,
and during a break in the action, Sakuraba looked battered while
Arona appeared to be relatively unscathed. For much of the rest
of the round, the Japanese fighter’s face was obscured as
he continued to eat knee after knee from the merciless Brazilian.
When the round ended and the damage was revealed, Sakuraba barely
resembled the man who first stepped into the ring, his visage
a swollen and bloody mess.
“There
is no quit in Kazushi Sakuraba,” said commentator Mauro
Ranallo. “He has been quoted many times as saying, if his
life is going to end, he wants it to end in the ring.”
Fortunately,
it did not come to that, as Sakuraba’s corner threw in the
towel before the third round to save their fighter from taking
further punishment.
5. Joe Stevenson vs. Yves Edwards
UFC 61 “Bitter Rivals” -- July 8, 2006
Mandalay Bay Events Center | Las Vegas
UFC
61 was a largely lackluster undertaking, lowlighted by a tepid
five-round heavyweight title affair between Tim Sylvia and Andrei
Arlovski and an aging Ken Shamrock falling victim to Tito Ortiz
for a second time via controversial stoppage. However, even the
most disappointing fight card tends to have a hidden gem or two,
and in this case it was Stevenson and Edwards who did their best
to satisfy the bloodthirsty masses.
With
none other than the future “Machete” himself, Danny
Trejo, in attendance, the two lightweights squared off in the
opening pay-per-view bout. Edwards set the tone in the early
going, rocking his foe with a head kick before sending him to
the canvas with a follow-up flurry of punches. Stevenson would
recover quickly, however, and controlled the second half of the
stanza with ground-and-pound from above, opening a small cut
on Edwards’ forehead.
That
was only a small taste of the carnage to come, as a heavy onslaught
of punches and elbows from top position opened up a far more
significant gash on the side of Edward’s head in round two.
A puddle rapidly formed under the two combatants as Stevenson
methodically attacked. The action was temporarily halted so Edwards
could be examined, and then the fight was restarted right back
in the pool of the “Thugjitsu Master’s” blood.
Edwards survived the round, but the cageside doctor elected to
call off the fight prior to the beginning of the final frame.
Although
a disappointed Edwards would have liked to continue, UFC commentator
Mike Goldberg offered this helpful reminder at the bout’s
conclusion: “The ultimate of importance is our fighter’s
safety.”
4. Sean Sherk vs. Kenny Florian
UFC 64 “Unstoppable” -- Oct. 14, 2006
Mandalay Bay Events Center | Las Vegas
The
UFC brought its lightweight title back for the first time since
2003 at UFC 64, and the thickly muscled Sherk entered the bout
as a solid favorite against Florian, a veteran of Season 1 of
“The Ultimate Fighter.” While Florian struggled to
defend his opponent’s shots throughout the five-round tilt,
he made sure that “The Muscle Shark” left it all on
the canvas -- literally. In fact, as he spent much of the fight
defending against the powerful Sherk from his back -- he was
taken down eight times over the 25-minute duration -- it is entirely
possible that Florian came to regret the sharpness of his own
elbows.
A
series of short elbows landed by Florian from his back in round
two lacerated Sherk on the side of his forehead, and the bleeding
was pretty much a constant for the rest of scrap.
“Nothing
like a little blood to motivate you,” said guest analyst
Randy Couture.
Florian
received an up-close-and-personal glimpse of his handiwork, as
Sherk continually leaked into his opponent’s eyes from top
position. At one point, “Ken-Flo” needed a brief respite
so that he could have the blood cleaned from his eyes, but he
was forced to blink and squint beneath an unyielding assault
for the rest of the night.
Despite
frantic efforts to fix the cut, Sherk began drizzling down his
torso before round three could even begin. To his credit, the
Minnesotan took great care to position his head so that Florian
could not connect with more elbows in hopes of earning a doctor
stoppage. Sherk’s diligence paid off, as he emerged with
a clear-cut unanimous decision.
“It
was just a bloody, bloody war,” Sherk said after the bout’s
conclusion.
Apparently,
nobody makes “The Muscle Shark” bleed his own blood
and gets away with it.
3. Renato Sobral vs. David Heath
UFC 74 “Respect” -- Aug. 25, 2007
Mandalay Bay Events Center | Las Vegas
After
suffering a third-round technical knockout loss to Jacob Noe
-- his second straight TKO defeat -- at Bellator 96, the Brazilian
known as “Babalu” laid his gloves down in the center
of the cage and called it a career. Over the course of 48 professional
fights, time had taken its toll on the former UFC and Strikeforce
title challenger, but not before he was able he was able to leave
a lasting imprint of violence on Heath, who made the mistake
of insulting his foe prior to UFC 74.
Sobral
received all the motivation he would need at the weigh-ins, when
Heath allegedly disrespected his veteran opponent. The Oklahoman
would pay dearly for his transgressions. Sobral’s assault
turned vicious early in the second round, when he dragged Heath
to the canvas less than 30 seconds into the period. A relentless
barrage of elbows and hammerfists would follow, and as the Brazilian
continued to pound away, Heath’s blood leaked into his eyes
and spattered on the floor, partially obscuring the Xenergy advertisement
on the canvas.
To
add insult to injury, Sobral held on to the fight-finishing anaconda
choke for several seconds after eliciting a tapout, drawing boos
from those in attendance. Not only was Heath painted red, but
he was also briefly unconscious.
“I
did what I did because this guy’s a pretty young fighter,
and I’ve been in this game eight years,” Sobral said.
“He called me mother [expletive]. He has to learn respect.
He deserved that s---.”
2. B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson
UFC 80 “Rapid Fire” -- Jan. 19, 2008
Metro Radio Arena | Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
While
blood and gore in a fight almost always helps to satiate the
appetite of the violence-craving audience, it can also serve
a different purpose: submission enabler. Such was the case when
Penn captured the lightweight title for the first time in his
career against Stevenson at UFC 80.
“The
Prodigy” was in peak form throughout, blending striking,
grappling and agility to demonstrate why he was considered to
be perhaps the most gifted 155-pound talent the sport has ever
seen. After controlling the majority of round one with his grappling,
Penn connected with a glancing elbow with less than a minute
remaining. The gash in the center of Stevenson’s forehead
began to gush almost instantly.
“That
is one of the quickest bleeding cuts I think I’ve ever seen.
That’s like a broken fire hydrant,” UFC analyst Joe
Rogan quipped.
Meanwhile,
Stevenson was visibly upset because he knew the potential consequences:
obscured vision, a doctor stoppage and an abbreviated shot at
lightweight glory. Fortunately for “Daddy,” the cut
was perfectly placed -- relatively speaking -- so that the blood
drained directly between the fighter’s eyes. Despite this
bit of good fortune, Stevenson would have no answer for the Hawaiian’s
renowned submission game.
Penn
took Stevenson’s back in the second frame and, likely aided
by the considerable amount of fluid, was able to slide his arm
under his foe’s chin to earn a tapout at the 4:02 mark.
“In
this position, the blood actually helps get the choke. It makes
it more slippery; it helps that arm sink underneath the neck,”
Rogan explained.
1. Jonathan Goulet vs. Jay Hieron
UFC Fight Night 2 -- Oct 3, 2005
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino | Las Vegas
An
accomplished fighter outside of the Octagon, Hieron is winless
in four UFC appearances, including notable losses to Georges
St. Pierre, Jake Ellenberger and Tyron Woodley. However, it is
his bout with Goulet, who went on to post a 4-5 record with the
Las Vegas-based promotion, that left a lasting impression.
The
first bout of a card headlined by David Loiseau and Evan Tanner,
the opening round of Goulet-Hieron was ordinary enough, with
Hieron establishing himself as the superior wrestler by taking
his Canadian opponent’s back on three separate occasions.
A
knee to the head from Goulet early in round two changed the entire
course of the bout. Less than a minute into the frame, Hieron
began bleeding profusely, but he continued to score takedowns
while Goulet attacked the wound from his back with punches and
hammerfists.
“This
might be one of the bloodiest fights I’ve ever seen,”
UFC analyst Joe Rogan said. “These guys are coated in red
... Look how much blood is leaking out of [Hieron]. It’s
like he’s an open faucet.”
As
Hieron’s plasma drizzled all over Goulet, Rogan called for
the contest to be halted. Both fighters were a slippery mess,
but Hieron somehow made it to the end of the period.
“Critics
and people who think that Ultimate Fighting is bloody and brutal
-- this is fuel to the fire here. I’ve never seen a fight
this bloody,” Rogan said.
Goulet
left nothing to chance in the final stanza, attacking with a
flying knee and re-opening Hieron’s cut. Mercifully, as
a drained “Thoroughbred” wobbled back to his corner,
the fight was stopped a little more than a minute into round
three.
Honorable
Mentions: Jeremy Stephens vs. Estevan Payan (UFC 160); Rory Singer
vs. Josh Haynes (UFC “The Final Chapter”); B.J. Penn
vs. Diego Sanchez (UFC 107); Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Lytle (UFC
86); Mark Kerr vs. Fabio Gurgel (World Vale Tudo Championship
3).
Source: Sherdog
|
Dana
White names four potential locations for Silva vs. Weidman rematch
By Dave
Meltzer
Dana White said that the Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva middleweight
title rematch would be in one of four locations - Cowboys Stadium,
New Jersey, Las Vegas or Brazil, according to MMA Fighting's
Ariel Helwani.
White
is currently in Los Angeles trying to put the match together.
White denied to MMAFighting.com a report stemming from an interview
Silva did with the Brazilian version of GQ Magazine where he
said he could confirm the rematch for Dec. 28.
The
Dec. 28 date is the final UFC pay-per-view show of the year set
for Las Vegas. The company had announced Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha
Tate for the women's bantamweight title as the main event for
that show. Silva's camp has also denied the story of that date
being confirmed.
White
did list Las Vegas, which is booked for Dec. 28, as one of the
possible locations for the match. He also mentioned New Jersey,
which is booked on Feb. 1 for a pay-per-view date, as another
location. Weidman was on ESPN broadcasts on Thursday and mentioned
December or February as the potential date, but said that the
match would happen.
White
also talked about Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, as he had done in
a New York Post interview earlier this week, as a possible location,
as well as holding the show in Brazil.
Jerry
Jones has been pushing for a UFC event at the stadium, but White
had said that he didn't want to do it until the right fight came
along.
White
wouldn't list any of the places are the front runner because
it depended on the timing of when both sides would agree to fight,
and he wouldn't speculate on what the timing would be until he's
talked to both sides.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Cage
Warriors 57, Paul Daley-Lukasz Chlewicki stream Saturday on MMAjunkie.com
As
a reminder, you can watch a live and free stream of Saturday's
Cage Warriors 57 event on MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
The
event features a welterweight headliner between big-show veteran
Paul Daley (32-12-2) and Lukasz Chlewicki (10-2-1).
Cage
Warriors 57 takes place at Echo Arena in Liverpool, England,
which hosts its first show since "Cage Warriors 21: Enter
the Wolfslair" in 2006. The main card is available in North
American on MMAjunkie.com, and on www.cagewarriors.tv elsewhere.
Prelims stream on Facebook, though the lineup is subject to change.
The
main-card broadcast kicks off at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT (9 p.m.
BST local time).
Daley,
an English fighter, is on a 5-1 run that includes stints with
Strikeforce and current home Bellator. The former UFC fighter
fights for Cage Warriors for the first time since 2008, when
he knocked out Bojan Kosednar. It's one of the 23 knockouts he's
registered in 32 career wins.
Chlewicki,
meanwhile, is a Polish fighter who makes his promotional debut.
After suffering just his second loss (to UFC contender Demian
Maia), he took a five-year break from the sport beginning in
2005. However, since his return, he's posted a 5-0-1 record that
included an April knockout of Michal Kozmer (8-3 at the time)
in his home country.
Cage
Warriors 57 also includes recent Bellator fighter Ronnie Mann
(21-6-1) vs. Spanish bantamweight Jose Luis Zapater (17-9).
The
latest Cage Warriors 57 card includes:
MAIN
CARD (MMAjunkie.com, 4 p.m. ET)
Lukasz Chlewicki vs. Paul Daley
Aldric Cassata vs. Danny Roberts
Ronnie Mann vs. Jose Luis Zapater
Ali Arish vs. Jack Mason
Mats Nilsson vs. opponent TBA
Leeroy Barnes vs. Norman Paraisy
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 3 p.m. ET)
Chris Fishgold vs. Marcin Wrzosek
Mohsen Bahari vs. Matt Inman
Jason Cooledge vs. Saul Rogers
PRELIMINARY CARD (Untelevised, 1:40 p.m. ET)
Steve Dinsdale vs. Dan Rushworth
Mark Connor vs. Bryan Creighton
Mick Gerrard vs. Leon Pierre
Mick Kay vs. Dean Reilly
Source: MMA Junkie
|
T.J.
Grant Out, Anthony Pettis In Against Benson Henderson at UFC
164
by Jeff
Cain
An
injury has forced T.J. Grant (21-5) out of the UFC lightweight
title bout with Benson Henderson (19-2) scheduled for August
31. Former WEC lightweight titleholder Anthony Pettis will step
in against Henderson on the upcoming pay-per-view fight card.
The
news was first reported by MMAJunkie.com and later confirmed
by UFC president Dana White via Twitter.
Grant
had earned his title shot with a technical knockout win over
Gray Maynard at UFC 160 on May 25. He is currently riding a five-fight
winning streak. The nature of his injury is unknown.
Pettis
(16-2) was scheduled to fight for the featherweight title on
August 3, but was forced out of the bout with champion Jose Aldo
due to a knee injury.
He
had previously lobbied for the UFC 164 bout with Henderson because
it takes place at the HMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee,
Pettis’ hometown. White initially shot down the possibility,
citing Pettis wouldn’t be ready in time.
Pettis
and Henderson have history. The fight will be a rematch. The
two first met in the now defunct WEC on Dec. 16, 2010. Pettis
edged out Henderson by decision to capture the WEC lightweight
title.
Pettis
took to Twitter in reaction to the news.
U
can’t stop destiny !!! Me and Henderson for the belt in
my home town!!!!
— Anthony Pettis (@Showtimepettis) July 13, 2013
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fightweets:
Matt Hughes enthused with Robbie Lawler's resurgence
By Dave
Doyle
USA TODAY Sports
They were running buddies, a tag team, partners in crime. Wherever
Matt Hughes went when he was king of the welterweight hill, Robbie
Lawler tagged along. To this day, Hughes calls his campmate from
the heyday of Miletich Fighting Systems his "brother."
These
days Hughes, is a UFC Hall of Famer and has retired to a company
front-office job. But Lawler, who meets Bobby Voelker at UFC
on FOX 8 in Seattle on July 27, has transformed himself from
the 'can't-miss prospect who did' into a veteran experiencing
a career resurgence.
In
his return to both welterweight and the UFC, Lawler knocked out
Josh Koscheck in the first round of their UFC 157 fight. It was
Lawler's first UFC victory in nine years.
At
last week's UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas, Hughes told MMAFighting.com
that his "little brother" has finally grown up.
"He
never was an '85 pounder," Hughes said. "He just didn't
want to cut the 7 1/2 pounds to make welterweight. And the fact
is, he's getting mature now. He's seeing the bigger picture.
He knows that doing the PR and stuff is not a big deal, and he's
getting it done."
Hughes
also pointed out that Lawler was thrust into the spotlight at
an early age. He began his fighting career at 19 and had his
first UFC match, a win over Aaron Riley at UFC 37, at 20, whereupon
he was immediately declared the next big thing. That's a lot
for someone just out of high school to handle.
"He
was a young kid," Hughes said. "He was in his teens
for his first fight in the UFC, or his first fight for sure.
It was good for him to mature an to figure out that fighting
is a pretty good gig, you just have to figure out the paperwork
aspect of it."
Meanwhile,
one small but tangible result of Hughes' office gig was subtle,
but you may have noticed it at the UFC 162 post-fight press conference:
Hughes made a common-sense point that got the UFC's new fighter
dress code relaxed a bit.
Informed
by an unnamed co-worker that fighters were expected to go to
press conferences in a suit jacket, Hughes asked a simple question.
"I ask, ‘well, what's Dana [White] wearing? You'll
never have Dana out of a T-shirt. You know you're going to have
a hard time getting these guys in a coat if he's sitting there
wearing a T-shirt.' So they go, ‘Yeah, you might be right.'
Then they change [the dress code] from a suit jacket to just
nice clothes and covered feet, no flip flops."
With
that, on to the latest edition of Fightweets. I could have filled
this entire column with nothing but Anderson Silva-Chris Weidman
talk, but I've already been chatting about it for a week, so
a couple questions on last weekend's events and then on to the
rest.
You-know-what
@Bestcloseralive:
Anderson just said he wants the rematch. Do u think at UFC 168?
And have Rousey vs Tate as co-main event.
Depends.
My initial reaction when I heard that Silva wants his rematch
sooner rather than later is that Weidman-Silva 2 and Rousey-Tate
2 should be kept separate. Rousey, on her own, is already a significant
pay-per-view draw positioned in that solid tier a step below
the megastars like Silva and Georges St-Pierre. She draws media
attention from places other fighters don't, and she's going to
be bigger than ever after the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.
So my first instinct was, since there are only so many reliable
PPV draws to go around, why put them on the same card when you
can get two big buy rates if you keep ‘em separated?
Then
I heard UFC president Dana White talk about possibly holding
the rematch at Cowboys Stadium. Granted, I know we've all heard
this one before. But, the post-fight buzz to Silva vs. Weidman
was the loudest and most sustained since UFC 100, the biggest-money
event in UFC history. UFC said the first Silva-Weidman fight
was trending toward 800,000 buys going into the event. That was
the level of interest before Weidman knocked Silva out. White
also said part of the reason why Silva-Chael Sonnen 2, the UFC's
biggest event of 2012, took off was because people were intrigued
with the idea Silva looked vulnerable.
Now,
add in what transpired at UFC 162, and add in Silva looking to
avenge his first loss? Weidman-Silva 2 on its own will be the
biggest MMA event since UFC 100. The question is, how big does
White want to blow up this event? Would adding Rousey-Tate as
a double bill with Weidman-Silva spike enough of a one-time buy
rate to make up for having Rousey-Tate on its own? That's going
to determine whether they the two fights are paired together
or stay on separate cards.
@RyanBafo:
How bad does it look that the mainstream media is asking if the
fight was fixed?
It
reflects poorly on the people making the accusations. Actually,
in a weird way, when I see people in the mainstream take such
an accusation seriously, I actually find it a helpful reminder.
No matter how much traction the sport gained, no matter that
we're now 20 years into MMA as a sport and year seven or eight
of the "fad," there are still people in high media
positions who not only don't like MMA (which is their right),
but will spout willfully ignorant opinions without taking time
to do research. Sometimes, it's simply your traditional boxing
writers who are put off by the mere notion of even have to talk
about MMA (I won't dignify that embarrassing SI.com video from
a few days ago by linking it). Sometimes it's from those like
Mike Wilbon, who did his best to make sure the NBA officiating
scandals went away in a hurry, but continues to ridicule MMA.
There's nothing like a wingnut conspiracy theory to separate
the wheat from the chaff.
@Omaresco02:
If Weidman wins a rematch and Sonnen gets on a streak, is there
another title shot in near future?
Oh,
Chael. Always scheming. I don't think White is going to be in
a rush to let Sonnen jump any more lines. Sonnen has "Shogun"
Rua in his path. So let's see him simply win a fight, period,
before we book his next title shot.
Brian
Stann
@bestcloserlive:
Brian Stann is a great ambassador for the sport. What do u think
was his greatest accomplishment?
This
was one of several Stann-related questions which came in Thursday
after he announced his retirement on a special edition of The
MMA Hour. This might sound a little corny, but I mean it: Brian
Stann's greatest accomplishment is that he graced this crazy
sport with his presence and lent it an air of class and dignity.
As
for his career in the cage, Stann got everything he could out
of his talents, and that's really all you can ask. In his WEC
days, he performed admirably as a neophyte fighter under the
intense glare of his Silver Star-related publicity. When he hit
a wall in his career progress, he went to Jackson's, reinvented
himself to middleweight, and moved up to main events and co-main
event spots. When he came up just a bit short against elite names,
he had the good sense to walk away with his faculties intact.
And hey, he left us with one of the great moments in recent MMA
history in his bout with Wanderlei Silva. It took two to create
that tango and there was no shame in losing what was both MMAFighting.com
and Yahoo! Sports' fight of the half-year.
Stann's
MMA career is simply one chapter in what's turned into a remarkable
American life. His status as a war hero and a leader of young
men and women dwarfs anything he did in the cage. You get the
feeling that 20 years from now, when he's sworn in as Sen. Brian
Stann of Georgia, MMA will be simply be an interesting sidebar
to his story.
Where's
Joe Silva?
@ArtoH:
this is sort of random: You know why Joe Silva never gives interviews?
I can see why he's not on social media. but interviews?
Silva's
forbidden by his bosses to talk to the media on the record. But
I understand why.
You
don't usually hear from the matchmakers in combat sports business
for a reason. In the UFC's case, Joe Silva holds the keys to
hundreds of people's futures. Anyone who has spent a hour looking
at MMA stuff on Twitter can tell you how quickly every public
word uttered by a UFC official gets pulled out of context by
the very lowest subset of the MMA media: the would-be writers
who can't get anyone to pay them for their work, so they become
Twitter trolls while deluding themselves into believing they're
some sort of warriors against the big machine. Can you imagine
the feeding frenzy that would break out if Silva commented in
public about why certain fighters got certain breaks and others
didn't, or why one fighter's on the main card and the other is
on Facebook?
In
some ways it's a shame Silva doesn't speak in public. He'll chat
informally with reporters before the fights and it's some of
the most insightful info I've ever gotten. But I can accept the
reasons why he's officially muzzled.
Thompson
vs. Pettis?
(Note:
Obviously, this one was written before news of Henderson vs.
Pettis broke. Leaving it up since Pettis getting the title shot
sort of proves the point I was making). @EricSmith_SP: your thoughts
on a Josh Thompson vs. Anthony Pettis fight? I think it'd be
a fun one.
I'm
of two minds on this one. I agree, on paper, this could be an
awesome fight. But, that said, there's both a featherweight title
fight and a lightweight title fight coming up, so I wouldn't
blame Pettis if he waited to see how those two fights played
out before committing. Especially since White specifically mentioned
Pettis at the UFC 162 post-fight press conference when asked
if Cub Swanson or Frankie Edgar would get a featherweight title
shot. If your boss, who has a history of flaking on these things,
has you on his mind for a title shot, better strike while the
iron is hot.
Tito
Ortiz's kinda maybe comeback
@BruceWolcott:
Talk about Tito returning
Good
God, I hope he doesn't.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
167, St-Pierre vs. Hendricks heads to Vegas' MGM Grand Garden
Arena
The
UFC will close out the 2013 schedule with back-to-back pay-per-view
events at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.
As
previously announced, the Dec. 28 UFC 168 event, which features
the much-anticipated rematch between new middleweight champion
Chris Weidman and ex-titleholder Anderson Silva, takes place
at the Sin City venue.
Now,
the prior PPV event, UFC 167, which features welterweight champion
Georges St-Pierre (24-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC) vs. longtime top contender
Johny Hendricks (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC), also is scheduled for the
same venue.
UFC
167 takes place Nov. 16. In addition to the PPV main card, prelims
are expected to air on FOX Sports 1 and stream on Facebook.
Following
St-Pierre's latest title defense in March (over Nick Diaz), UFC
President Dana White said he wanted the champ's next fight to
be in Las Vegas rather than his home country of Canada. UFC officials
previously announced UFC 167 would take place in Las Vegas but
didn't specify a venue.
St-Pierre
hasn't fought in Vegas in more than four years. Most recently,
he notched a successful title defense over Thiago Alves in the
co-headliner of the historic UFC 100 card.
Currently,
St-Pierre is ranked No. 1 and Hendricks is No. 2 in the USA TODAY
Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA welterweight rankings.
MGM
will host four events this year while its sister property, Mandalay
Bay Events Center, will host just two.
Source: MMA Junkie
|
REPORT:
SILVA ANNOUNCES DEC. 28 WEIDMAN REMATCH; DANA WHITE DENIES DATE
IS SET
BY MIKE
WHITMAN
Though Anderson Silva initially dismissed the notion of a rematch
after his UFC 162 defeat to Chris Weidman, GQ Brazil reported
Friday that “The Spider” has changed his stance.
According
to a Silva interview posted on the GQ Brazil website, a Silva-Weidman
return bout will go down Dec. 28. That date is set to host UFC
168, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas
and airs live on pay-per-view.
"After
losing, I have to get ready again to fight,” Silva told
GQ Brazil in Portuguese. “By the way, I do confirm the rematch,
which will be on the 28th of December, this year.”
However,
UFC President Dana White responded to the interview on Friday,
telling MMAFighting.com that a date and location for the contest
has not yet been set in stone. According to White, Las Vegas
is only one of four possible destinations for the rematch, which
could also reportedly take place in New Jersey, Dallas or Brazil.
Weidman
punched Silva out in the second round of their July 6 title bout,
handing the 38-year-old former champion his first loss since
2006. The defeat did not come without controversy, however, as
Silva was knocked cold while trying to clown his opponent, as
he has done successfully many times in the past.
"I
think I would focus more,” Silva stated regarding what he
would change in the rematch. “I would make a reverse path
but would not change the tactic. I am confident that I did my
game, [and it] just did not work out. The game is the game --
you can win or lose."
Silva
also provided insight into how he is handling his first defeat
in the UFC cage -- a setback that snapped a 17-fight winning
streak for the sport’s former pound-for-pound king.
"[It
is] a bad feeling. In fact, I still have it. [I] had never been
knocked out in my career. I did not like it,” Silva said.
"The most important thing for me was to realize that people
like me and want to see me always winning. But it was also important
to reiterate that I am not invincible. Nobody is. Everyone has
bad days.”
Gleidson
Venga contributed to this report
Source: Sherdog
|
Dana
White Carefully Considering How Best to Handle Chris Leben After
Recent Loss
Since
becoming an inaugural member of The Ultimate Fighter reality
show, Chris “The Crippler” Leben has amassed quite
a career in the UFC.
Debuting
in the company in 2006, he has gone on to have 21 fights inside
the Octagon. In 2010, the Oregonian defeated Aaron Simpson and
perennial top-ten fighter Yohihiro Akiyama in the span of just
14 days He knocked out Simpson at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale
on June 19, earning the Knockout of the Night honors, and then
dispatched of Akiyama on July 3 at UFC 116 on July 3, earning
the Fight of the Night award.
Since
that win over Akiyama, Leben has gone 1-4 in the world’s
premier fighting organization. Most recently, the Crippler suffered
a split-decision loss to Andrew Craig at Saturday’s UFC
162, marking his third loss in a row.
Over
his career, Leben has been known as a knockout artist who will
do anything to please his adoring fans. His strike-first mentality
has certainly been costly in defeat, but it is also that mindset
that has undoubtedly extended his career in the eyes of UFC president
Dana White – a man who is quick to see the bottom dollar
in anything business related.
On
Saturday night, after suffering his third loss in a row, White
chimed in on Leben’s situation in the UFC.
“His
fight style is not healthy for him,” said White. “He’s
getting up there in age, and the big layoffs don’t help
him either.”
Unfortunately,
Leben’s career has been marred by personal and professional
controversy. The 32-year-old has spent years battling substance
abuse problems, having once tested positive for steroids after
his battle with Michael Bisping at UFC 89, and then later testing
positive for painkillers after his fight with Mark Munoz at UFC
138. These company problems have also been magnified by legal
troubles outside the cage, including an arrest over suspicion
of DUI in 2010.
When pressed on Leben’s future in the company and his personal
issues, White stated that he had to think about the situation
in depth, as Leben is someone he admittedly “loves.”
“I
don’t know. I have to figure that one out too,” White
said with a deep exhale. “I have to figure out what I think
is best for him – and I know people hate when I say that,”
he continued. “But I want Leben to get up every day and
be a part of society and have to do something.”
White
summed up Leben’s situation with a poignant to those who
have followed the middleweight’s career for the last seven
years.
“Chris
Leben has a personality that could go off the deep end very easily,
in a lot of negative ways. I really care about the kid. I like
him a lot. I love the kid. I have to figure this thing out.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Max
Holloway steps up against Conor McGregor after injury forces
Andy Ogle out
It
wasn't originally in his plans, but Max Holloway will be shipping
up to Boston next month.
The
Hawaiian fighter will face Irish sensation Conor McGregor in
a featherweight bout on the debut UFC on FOX Sports 1 card at
the TD Garden on Aug. 17. Holloway will replace Andy Ogle.
UFC
UK tweeted the news on Wednesday. In a follow-up, a UFC official
confirmed to MMAFighting.com that the U.K.-based Ogle is off
the card due to injury, and that it is not a paperwork hold-up
related to the UFC's recent issues with the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
McGregor,
a 24-year-old Dublin native, made a huge impression in his UFC
debut with a swift first-round finish of Marcus Brimage in Sweden.
McGregor earned Fight of the Night honors in raising his record
to 13-2 with nine straight victories via finish.
The
21-year old Holloway, meanwhile, has been impressive in his UFC
stint. The 7-2 Holloway is 3-1 in the UFC, with his only loss
in the span a disputed split decision against Dennis Bermudez
at UFC 160.
Source: MMA Fighting |
Morning
Report: Chuck Liddell defends UFC fighter pay, tells critics
‘you picked the wrong profession'
Grumbles
about low fighter pay remain a thorn in UFC officials' sides,
despite their best efforts to quell the ruckus. But if you're
to believe one Hall of Famer, the discussion is much ado about
nothing.
"Okay,
look. I just had this conversation with a top-10 fighter, and
he's saying the same thing. [Lower paid] guys have got to understand,
this is a performance based sport, like all sports," former
UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell recently explained
to SiriusXM Fight Club. "You fight good, you win, you get
paid. Alright? You're starting out, no one knows who you are,
no one cares, you don't get paid. Period. It's simple. I mean,
my first contract I was offered by the UFC, or my second contract,
it was 1-and-1, 2-and-2, 3-and-3. That's $12,000 for the year.
Don't complain to me about fighter pay. It was $12,000 for a
year and it was exclusive.
"Everybody
doesn't want to hurt to lower guys from getting paid, but it
comes down to, it's a performance based business. You get good,
you win, then you get paid. Guys are getting paid plenty, trust
me. I got paid plenty, trust me."
Liddell,
who currently serves as the UFC's Executive Vice President of
Business Development, continued to defend the UFC's pay structure,
then grew animated as the topic turned to the negative comparisons
drawn between MMA salaries and the lavish, multi-million dollar
purses pulled in by boxing's biggest stars.
"Everybody
points to, ‘Oh, boxing these guys are getting [paid].' There's
a couple guys that make these big huge paydays. That's it,"
Liddell explained. "The undercards don't make anything.
There's bottom guys on some of those cards that are making $100
a round. $100 a round. That's $400 for a four-round fight.
"People
got to understand, the fighters at the top are the fighters that
are supposed to get paid because they're the guys that are bringing
people in, bringing eyes to the TV, getting pay-per-views buys,
and putting people in the seats. I mean, that's what it comes
down to. You want to get that? Beat everybody. Be good enough.
If you're not good enough to get there -- sorry. It's not a welfare
state."
"You
picked the wrong sport," Liddell said in closing. "Hey,
you made a good run at it. You tried. Eh, try another sport because
this one doesn't work for you."
Source: MMA Fighting |
Munoz:
Belfort or Bisping Could be Next
Having
scored an impressive, unanimous decision win over Tim Boetsch
at UFC 162, Mark Munoz not only got back on track at the event,
but the “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” moved up two
spots in the middleweight ranks and now sits at #6. Although
following the victory Munoz relayed he’d love another another
shot at the newly crowned champ Chris Weidman, the 35 year-old
vet has begun mapping out plans, which include opponents who
might be more realistic at this juncture.
While
appearing on a recent episode of MMA Junkie.com Radio, Munoz
was asked for his thoughts on the title shot picture, and what
he thinks might be next for him. The decorated wrestler and feared
ground-and-pound specialist, noted:
“After
being out and losing to Weidman, and Vitor winning the way he
did against Luke Rockhold, if I don’t get it, Vitor should
be able to get it,” Munoz said. “Or me and Vitor might
fight for No. 1 contender. Maybe Bisping is up there, too. Or
I fight Bisping and we go for No. 1 contender. We’ll see
what happens.
“I’m
definitely ready, whoever they want to give me, and I plan on
wrecking whoever they put me in there with.”
Note
the nicely played use of the word “wrecking”; it’s
all about the branding remember…Of course, Belfort apparently
isn’t ready yet to give up on his title shot hopes, but,
if Anderson Silva does sign off on a rematch with Weidman, “The
Phenom” may elect to take a fight. Would he be interested
in fighting Munoz? Maybe, but Gegard Mousasi has also been calling
him out. Bisping also doesn’t have anything booked at the
moment, and since he’s ranked #4, that might be a more realistic
match-up for Munoz. Really, a bout with either man would be good
news for Munoz, as stylistically, his wrestling and top game
could present some difficulties for his fellow contenders.
Source: Caged Insider |
Gustafsson
on Jones: “Everyone is Beatable"
If
Anderson Silva had defeated Chris Weidman at UFC 162, Tuesday’s
press conference to pump up UFC 165 likely would have gone dramatically
different, as Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson may have been
the last hurdle to the much discussed super fight. Of course,
thanks to the fact that Chris Weidman’s left hook wasn’t
mesmerized by Silva’s “gameplan”, Gustafsson can
no longer play spoiler.
Now,
just because Silva’s storied reign came to an end on Saturday,
doesn’t mean that Gustafsson won’t still be a huge
underdog when he takes on Jones in September. Gustafsson was
predictably asked for his thoughts on Weidman’s win, and
how it might relate to his bout with Jones, and the Swedish fighter
noted (quo via MMA Junkie.com):
“We’re
all human beings. Everyone is beatable, and I’m here to
prove everyone wrong, and that’s how it’s going to
be.”
Sounds
pretty similar to what Mr. Weidman was just saying a few days
ago. Although Gustafsson has been calling for a fight with Jones
for sometime now, there was no ill will on display at the UFC
165 presser. The 26 year-old added:
“I’m
so pumped for this fight. I have nothing personal against Jones.
He’s a professional athlete; I’m a professional athlete.
This pays our rent and it’s our job, so it’s not personal
at all.”
It’s
crazy to think that in a three month span two of the sport’s
best pound-for-pound fighters (Jones is now #1 in the promotion’s
rankings) could lose. Will it happen? Probably not, but if it
does, don’t expect Gustafsson to win because Jones decides
to break out a new taunting routine.
Source: Caged Insider |
Dana
White confirms Maiquel Falcao's 2011 UFC release due to assaulting
woman
UFC
President Dana White has seen the gruesome video that shows MMA
fighters Kaue Mena (7-0) and Maiquel Falcao (31-6 MMA, 3-1 BFC)
savagely beaten, and he's as disgusted as anyone at the brutal
attack. But he admits he's not completely surprised that Falcao
appears to be at least partially responsible for igniting the
incident.
"This
whole situation is really unfortunate," White told MMAjunkie.com
(www.mmajunkie.com). "All you can do is just hope Kaue Mena's
health continues to improve. But I have to be honest and tell
you it really bugs me that it's being reported that Maiquel Falcao
is a UFC fighter. We let him go back in 2011 for the same reason.
We found out he had a charge on his record for hitting a woman,
and we cut him because of that."
According
to a news report from a Brazilian TV station Band Santa Catarina,
Falcao and Mena were at a gas station this past Saturday when
Falcao apparently got into an argument with a pair of women,
one of whom he pushed away. A group of men then came into the
store and began fighting with the two, and the violence spilled
outside. Surveillance video shows a man hitting them with a piece
of wood, and Mena falls to the ground after being knocked out
by a blow. The men then punch and kick him repeatedly as he lies
defenseless, and one returns a few moments later to deliver another
kick to his head.
Both
Falcao and Mena were rescued and taken to a local hospital. Falcao
was treated for his injuries and released, while Mena was put
in the intensive care unit at Hospital do Coracao in Balneario
Camboriu, Santa Catarina, where he remains, according to the
report.
Both
men have since been kicked off the Renovacao Fight Team in Balneario
Camboriu, Santa Catarina, Brazil, by head coach Marcelo Brigadeiro,
who said the fighters' behavior was not compatible with his team's
philosophy.
Falcao
fought just once for the UFC, earning a November 2010 decision
win over Gerald Harris. Shortly after, he was arrested in his
native Brazil for a charges stemming from a 2002 incident that
saw a woman injured during a clash between two groups, one of
which included Falcao.
Bellator
MMA officials have yet to issue an official statement, but White
wants to make it crystal clear that he does not support the type
of behavior that ultimately led to the brawl, and it's precisely
why Falcao was only given one chance in the UFC.
"We
don't want anything to do with men who punch women," White
said. "When the UFC found out Maiquel had a charge against
him that involved women, we immediately cut him from the roster.
Bellator/Viacom MMA then picked him up a few months later, and
he's been fighting for them ever since.
"The
UFC does not and will not ever tolerate situations like this.
Sexual assault, hitting a woman or anything like that, you're
gone from the roster. It doesn't matter if you're a winner or
a champion or anything like that. You're gone. Keep your hands
off women."
The
California-based Bellator MMA was launched in 2011. Falcao's
signing with the promotion was announced in October 2011, just
days before a controlling interest of the promotion was sold
to media giant Viacom MMA.
Source: MMA Junkie |
Sherdog’s
Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
After
2,457 days, Anderson Silva’s reign atop the middleweight
division has ended.
In
the main event of UFC 162, the Octagon’s most decorated
champion severely underestimated challenger Chris Weidman and
paid the price in the form of a crushing second-round knockout.
By striking aggressively and refusing to succumb to the Brazilian
star’s mind games, 29-year-old Weidman did what nine previous
challengers could not, ending an era by cracking Silva’s
chin with a clean left hook.
The
unbeaten college wrestling convert now sits atop the 185-pound
ranks, and with Silva dismissing the notion of a rematch after
the loss, Weidman figures to have no shortage of contenders clamoring
for a fight. Vitor Belfort has already called out the new champion
on Twitter, and former opponent Mark Munoz put in a strong showing
on the UFC 162 undercard with a unanimous nod over Tim Boetsch.
While
the top of the middleweight division got ruffled, it was the
middle of the featherweight division which saw the most change
this month. Cub Swanson propelled himself up the 145-pound list
with a brutal third-round TKO win over former No. 7 Dennis Siver
on July 6, and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar also
joins the top 10 with an impressive showing against Brazilian
youngster Charles Oliveira.
Heavyweight
1.
Cain Velasquez (12-1)
Velasquez
successfully defended the UFC heavyweight title for the first
time on May 25 with an 81-second battering of Antonio Silva --
a full two minutes faster than their bloody first encounter one
year earlier. The decisive win solidified the 30-year-old American
Kickboxing Academy fighter’s reputation as MMA’s premier
big man; more importantly, it set the stage for a rubber match
with Junior dos Santos, which is set for UFC 166 in Houston.
2.
Junior dos Santos (16-2)
In
his first fight since relinquishing the UFC title to Cain Velasquez
in December, “Cigano” used superior speed and a varied
offensive attack to take out Mark Hunt at UFC 160. Dos Santos
finished Hunt late in the third frame with a spinning hook kick
-- a highlight-reel knockout that put the Brazilian on course
for a third bout against Velasquez in October.
3.
Fabricio Werdum (17-5-1)
Werdum
proved he is deserving of serious title consideration at UFC
on Fuel TV 10, as he became just the second man to ever submit
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, forcing “Minotauro” to tap
to an armbar in the second round of the June 8 headliner. Barring
injury, Werdum’s championship dreams will have to wait,
as Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos 3 has already been booked
for the fall.
4.
Daniel Cormier (12-0)
It
might not have been the most spectacular of beginnings, but Cormier
dominated former heavyweight king Frank Mir from bell to bell
in his Octagon debut at UFC on Fox 7. Javier Mendez, Cormier’s
trainer at the American Kickboxing Academy, recently said the
Strikeforce veteran will prepare for an eventual move to light
heavyweight by competing at less than 230 pounds in his next
heavyweight appearance.
5.
Antonio Silva (18-5)
Back-to-back
finishes of Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne earned “Bigfoot”
a rematch with Cain Velasquez, but that is where the magic ran
out for the 6-foot-4 heavyweight. Silva once again succumbed
to first-round punches from Velasquez at UFC 160, ending the
Brazilian’s hopes of claiming UFC gold anytime in the near
future.
6.
Alistair Overeem (36-12, 1 NC)
After
returning to the Octagon from a year-long suspension, Overeem’s
arrogance led to his demise in the form of a third-round knockout
loss to Antonio Silva at UFC 156. An injury forced the former
Strikeforce champion out of a proposed meeting with Junior dos
Santos at UFC 160, but the “Demolition Man” has a new
target, as he will lock horns with Travis Browne at UFC on Fox
Sports 1 on Aug. 17.
7.
Frank Mir (16-7)
For
years, mixed martial arts fans pined for a showdown between Mir
and Josh Barnett, two of the best grapplers in the heavyweight
division. At long last, the two submission specialists will square
off at UFC 164 in Milwaukee on Aug. 31, as Mir attempts to avoid
his third consecutive defeat within the Las Vegas-based promotion.
8.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-8-1, 1 NC)
Nogueira
continued his recent trend of alternating wins and losses, as
he followed an October triumph over Dave Herman with a submission
defeat to Fabricio Werdum at UFC on Fuel TV 10. Do not expect
the 37-year-old “Minotauro” to hang it up anytime soon,
however. Although he may no longer be a title contender, Nogueira
is arguably Brazil’s most beloved fighter and should continue
to catch marquee fights in the UFC.
9.
Josh Barnett (32-6)
For
the first time since March 22, 2002, Barnett is a UFC employee.
“The Warmaster” recently came to terms with the Las
Vegas-based promotion on a multi-fight contract and will step
into the Octagon against Frank Mir at UFC 164. The ex-heavyweight
titlist has lost just once in 10 bouts since 2008 -- a decision
defeat to Daniel Cormier in last year’s Strikeforce heavyweight
grand prix final.
10.
Stipe Miocic (10-1)
Regarded
as one of the heavyweight division’s more intriguing prospects
in 2012, the hype surrounding Miocic seemed to die with a technical
knockout loss to Stefan Struve in September. However, the Ohioan
re-established himself as a person of interest in the division
with a dominant triumph over Roy Nelson at UFC 161. An underdog
heading into the bout, Miocic confounded “Big Country”
with punching combinations and movement throughout, all while
staying out of range of the portly Las Vegan’s renowned
right hand for his fourth UFC win in five appearances.
Light Heavyweight
1.
Jon Jones (18-1)
Not
long after Jones dismantled “The Ultimate Fighter 17”
coaching rival Chael Sonnen at UFC 159, the young champion mentioned
he would like to face Alexander Gustafsson upon his return to
the Octagon. “Bones” will get his wish on Sept. 21,
when he squares off with Gustafsson -- the opponent who some
claim most closely resembles Jones -- at UFC 165 in Toronto.
2.
Lyoto Machida (19-3)
With
victories over Ryan Bader and Dan Henderson in his last two outings,
Machida appeared to be the light heavyweight division’s
No. 1 contender-in-waiting. A rematch with Jon Jones will have
to wait for now, however, as “The Dragon” has been
booked to face talented wrestler Phil Davis at UFC 163 in Rio
de Janeiro.
3.
Rashad Evans (18-3-1)
Evans
took care of business in the UFC 161 headliner, as he claimed
a split decision over Dan Henderson in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The victory halted the first two-fight losing streak of Evans'
career and put the former champion in position for another meaningful
bout near the top of the light heavyweight division.
4.
Dan Henderson (29-10)
After
back-to-back split decision losses to Lyoto Machida and Rashad
Evans, Henderson's hopes of challenging for UFC gold again may
have been put permanently on hold. The two-time Olympian had
Evans reeling in the first round of their UFC 161 clash, but
he failed to capitalize and wound up on the wrong side on the
scorecards.
5.
Phil Davis (11-1, 1 NC)
Following
a year of ups and downs, Davis got 2013 off to a strong start
at UFC 159. The former Penn State University wrestler showcased
improved striking and a particularly stiff jab in his unanimous
decision win against fellow ground specialist Vinny Magalhaes.
“Mr. Wonderful” will have to demonstrate even more
improvement in his next bout: a UFC 163 showdown against former
205-pound champion Lyoto Machida.
6.
Alexander Gustafsson (15-1)
Gustafsson
has not competed since December, when he took a clear-cut unanimous
decision over Mauricio Rua at UFC on Fox 5. Despite missing an
April engagement against Gegard Mousasi due to a cut suffered
in training, the Swede will challenge Jon Jones for light heavyweight
gold in his next appearance at UFC 165.
7.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5)
Nogueira
was set to face Mauricio Rua at UFC 161 in a rematch of a 2005
Pride Fighting Championships clash between the two light heavyweights.
A herniated disc forced “Minotoro” out of that matchup,
and the Brazilian’s next move is currently unclear.
8.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (21-7)
When
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira pulled out of the UFC 161 co-main event
against Rua, it initially looked as though Chael Sonnen would
be able to step in on short notice to face “Shogun.”
However, visa troubles blocked Sonnen’s path to Canada,
so now Rua and the two-time middleweight title contender will
headline the UFC’s debut on Fox Sports 1 on Aug. 17.
9.
Glover Teixeira (21-2)
Teixeira
picked up a quick win and a $50,000 “Submission of the Night”
check by submitting James Te Huna with a guillotine midway through
the first round of their UFC 160 encounter. The Brazilian is
now unbeaten in his last 19 fights, including four strong victories
in his first 12 months with the UFC. Teixeira’s next test
will come at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Brazil on Sept. 4, when he
faces former Arizona State University wrestling standout Ryan
Bader.
10.
Ryan Bader (15-3)
Bader
needed just 50 seconds to dispatch veteran Vladimir Matyushenko
with a guillotine choke on Jan. 26, marking the first time the
Belarusian had ever been submitted. An injury forced the Power
MMA Team product out of a proposed matchup with Glover Teixeira
at UFC 160. Instead, Bader will face the highly-touted Brazilian
at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Brazil in September.
Middleweight
1.
Chris Weidman (10-0)
While
many expected the “All-American” to use his wrestling
and grappling skills to dethrone Anderson Silva, it was the New
Yorker’s hands that ushered in a new era at UFC 162. Unfazed
by Silva’s showboating, Weidman pressed forward and dropped
the future hall of famer with a left hook in the second round.
A series of heavy ground strikes clinched the victory for Weidman,
who is now unbeaten in six Octagon appearances. The newly minted
champion is open to a rematch with Silva, but if the Brazilian
is not interested in such a matchup, there figures to be no shortage
of new challengers for the belt.
2.
Anderson Silva (33-5)
All
good things must come to an end, including the extended reign
of a seemingly invincible champion. At UFC 162, Silva met an
opponent who was neither afraid of his mystique nor outclassed
by his skill, and the results were simultaneously shocking and
spectacular. Chris Weidman, driven by Silva’s clowning antics,
stopped the Brazilian with a left hook and follow-up punches
1:18 into the second round of their 185-pound title clash. While
a rematch is there if he wants it, Silva’s initial plans
are to take several months off before plotting his next move.
3.
Vitor Belfort (23-10)
Belfort
might have locked up “Knockout of the Year” honors
for 2013 at UFC on FX 8, where he blasted former Strikeforce
185-pound king Luke Rockhold with a spectacular spinning heel
kick in the opening frame of their main-event matchup. While
the Brazilian’s recent surge has been clouded by questions
regarding his use of testosterone replacement therapy, dominant
wins over Rockhold and Michael Bisping this year make it difficult
to deny “The Phenom” another shot at middleweight gold.
4.
Yushin Okami (29-7)
Japan’s
top MMA export scored a major win in front of a partisan crowd
on March 3, stifling the dangerous striking of Hector Lombard
with two rounds of top control at UFC on Fuel TV 8 in Saitama,
Japan. A rumored bout against another veteran of the Japanese
MMA scene, Dream vet and former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo
“Jacare” Souza, has been made official for UFC on Fox
Sports 1 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in September.
5.
Michael Bisping (24-5)
After
having his title hopes dashed by Vitor Belfort in January, “The
Count” got right back on track with a victory over Alan
Belcher at UFC 159. The bout came to an unfortunate and early
end when Bisping caught Belcher with an eye poke in round three,
but by then, the Brit had outworked “The Talent” enough
to earn a unanimous technical decision and keep his name among
the middleweight elite.
6.
Mark Munoz (13-3)
A
devastating knockout loss to Chris Weidman and a lingering foot
injury had Munoz on the figurative ropes for much of the past
year, but the “Filipino Wrecking Machine” returned
to top form against Tim Boetsch at UFC 162. Utilizing his trademark
“Donkey Kong” ground-and-pound, the Reign MMA product
battered Boetsch for the better part of three rounds to capture
a clear-cut unanimous verdict and return to the ranks of middleweight
contenders.
7.
Luke Rockhold (10-2)
Rockhold
met an abrupt and violent end in his Octagon debut, falling victim
to a Vitor Belfort spinning heel kick in the UFC on FX 8 headliner.
The loss ended a nine-fight winning streak for the American Kickboxing
Academy representative, who had not tasted defeat since 2007.
8.
Brian Stann (12-6)
After
a September decision loss to perennial top 10 middleweight Michael
Bisping, Stann moved up to 205 pounds for a headlining match
against Wanderlei Silva at UFC on Fuel TV 8. While the U.S. Marine
likely gained fans for his part in a frantic slugfest, it was
Silva who ultimately landed the home run shot and handed Stann
just the second knockout loss of his career.
9.
Costas Philippou (12-2, 1 NC)
Philippou
formally announced his presence in the middleweight division
with a TKO triumph over Tim Boetsch at UFC 155; it was his fifth
consecutive victory in the promotion. Since then, Philippou withdrew
from a UFC on FX 8 meeting with Ronaldo Souza and parted ways
with the Serra-Longo Fight Team, his longtime camp. A fall showdown
with Michael Bisping in Manchester has been rumored, though nothing
is official.
10.
Ronaldo Souza (18-3, 1 NC)
Since
losing his Strikeforce belt to Luke Rockhold, “Jacare”
has been on a roll, finishing his next four opponents in dominant
fashion. Most recently, Souza put on a grappling clinic against
Chris Camozzi in his first UFC outing, submitting the Coloradan
with an arm-triangle choke in the first round at UFC on FX 8.
A showdown with former No. 1 contender Yushin Okami is on tap
for UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Brazil in September.
Welterweight
1.
Georges St. Pierre (24-2)
GSP
made good on his well-publicized promise to put a beating on
Nick Diaz at UFC 158, neutralizing the Californian’s boxing
with relentless takedowns, top control and ground-and-pound across
25 minutes. St. Pierre’s next UFC title defense will be
against brick-fisted wrestler Johny Hendricks at UFC 167.
2.
Johny Hendricks (15-1)
Hendricks
never could put away the notoriously durable Carlos Condit during
their 15-minute encounter at UFC 158, but the former Oklahoma
State University wrestling stud landed more than enough of his
trademark left hands to secure a unanimous decision. Next, Hendricks
will get his desired title shot against Georges St. Pierre in
the fall.
3.
Carlos Condit (28-7)
Condit
had a disappointing Octagon debut, falling to Martin Kampmann
via split decision at UFC Fight Night 18 in 2009. More than four
years later, “The Natural Born Killer” gets his opportunity
for revenge against the Dane at the UFC’s second Fox Sports
1 event on Aug. 28.
4.
Nick Diaz (26-9, 1 ND)
Since
failing in his attempt to wrest the welterweight strap from Georges
St. Pierre at UFC 158, Diaz has elected to try his hand as an
MMA promoter. His first event, War MMA 1, took place on June
22 in Stockton, Calif., and received mostly positive reviews.
There is no hint as to whether the Cesar Gracie understudy will
emerge from retirement to compete in the Octagon again, however.
5.
Demian Maia (18-4)
Suffice
it to say that Maia could be a problem for the rest of the welterweight
division. The former middleweight standout is now 3-0 at 170
pounds after running a grappling clinic on perennial top 10 entrant
Jon Fitch en route to a unanimous decision at UFC 156. Next,
Maia faces another decorated wrestler in Josh Koscheck at UFC
163.
6.
Martin Kampmann (20-6)
After
12 months spent clawing his way into contention with three straight
wins over quality welterweights, Kampmann’s title hopes
were dashed in less than a minute by the heavy left hand of Johny
Hendricks at UFC 154. The Danish “Hitman” looks to
get back into the win column -- and go 2-for-2 against Carlos
Condit in the process -- at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Indianapolis
on Aug. 28.
7.
Jake Ellenberger (29-6)
Ellenberger
gave former UFC middleweight contender and Strikeforce welterweight
titlist Nate Marquardt a rude welcome in Marquardt’s return
to the Octagon, disposing of “The Great” with a brutal
barrage of punches in exactly three minutes at UFC 158. The Nebraskan
will next lock horns with one of the division’s most promising
talents, Rory MacDonald, at UFC on Fox 8.
8.
Ben Askren (11-0)
Askren
quieted some of his critics on Jan. 24 by finally finishing a
challenger to his Bellator MMA title inside the scheduled five
rounds. The “Funky” wrestler from the University of
Missouri spent three rounds grounding, pounding and battering
Karl Amoussou before the cageside physician put an end to the
Frenchman’s suffering. Next up for Askren is a title defense
against seventh-season tournament winner Andrey Koreshkov on
July 31.
9.
Rory MacDonald (14-1)
A
neck injury derailed MacDonald’s plans for avenging a UFC
115 loss to Carlos Condit in March. Instead of squaring off with
the “Natural Born Killer,” the Tristar Gym representative
gets a different top 10 foe -- the heavy-handed Jake Ellenberger
-- at UFC on Fox 8 on July 27.
10.
Josh Burkman (26-9)
Burkman
has been on a roll since parting ways with the UFC after a loss
to Pete Sell in 2008. The Pit Elevated Fight Team product has
won eight of his last nine bouts -- and he seems to be getting
better with age. “The People’s Warrior” has knocked
off UFC veterans Gerald Harris, Aaron Simpson and Jon Fitch in
three World Series of Fighting appearances, polishing off Simpson
and Fitch in a combined 3:45.
Lightweight
1.
Benson Henderson (19-2)
After
a dominant victory over Nate Diaz in December, “Smooth”
returned to his habit of winning closely contested decisions
at UFC on Fox 7. Paired with former Strikeforce titlist Gilbert
Melendez, Henderson outstruck his foe just enough to earn a razor-thin
split verdict. There will be no immediate rematch for “El
Nino,” however, as Henderson will next defend his crown
against new top contender T.J. Grant at UFC 164.
2.
Gilbert Melendez (21-3)
At
UFC on Fox 7, Melendez proved he belonged among the division’s
elite by giving reigning UFC 155-pound champion Benson Henderson
all he could handle before losing a split decision in the five-round
headliner. A bout between Melendez and former 155-pound title
challenger Diego Sanchez has been targeted for UFC 166 in Houston.
3.
Anthony Pettis (16-2)
After
growing weary of waiting out a lightweight title shot, Pettis
elected to drop to 145 pounds for a chance to challenge reigning
featherweight king Jose Aldo in August. Unfortunately, a torn
meniscus has forced “Showtime” out of his UFC 163 headlining
gig. As a result, Chan Sung Jung will take Pettis’ place
atop the card in Brazil.
4.
T.J. Grant (21-5)
Grant
staked his claim as the No. 1 contender to Benson Henderson’s
UFC lightweight throne by pummeling Gray Maynard in a first-round
blowout at UFC 160. The 29-year-old Canadian has been unstoppable
since dropping to 155 pounds in 2011, notching five straight
wins, three of them finishes. Grant will lock horns with Henderson
in Milwaukee on Aug. 31.
5.
Michael Chandler (11-0)
Chandler
continues to justify every bit of the significant hype surrounding
him, as he choked out judo Olympian Rick Hawn in his most recent
outing on Jan. 17. An injury to Dave Jansen revised Chandler’s
summer title defense plans; instead of battling the World Extreme
Cagefighting alum on June 19, Chandler will battle Season 8 lightweight
tournament winner David Rickels at Bellator 97 on July 31.
6.
Gray Maynard (11-2-1, 1 NC)
After
missing a bout with Joe Lauzon at UFC 155 due to a knee injury,
Maynard happened into a No. 1 contender bout with T.J. Grant
at UFC 160. Grant came out with guns blazing and became only
the second man to defeat Maynard, sending “The Bully”
down the lightweight ladder for the time being.
7.
Josh Thomson (20-5, 1 NC)
When
fully healthy, “The Punk” remains a formidable opponent
for anyone in the lightweight division, as he proved by becoming
the first person to stop the durable Nate Diaz with strikes at
UFC on Fox 7. With one resounding victory under his belt, the
former Strikeforce titlist figures to receive another contender
for his next Octagon appearance.
8.
Nate Diaz (16-9)
Diaz’s
second consecutive defeat at lightweight came in devastating
fashion. The Stockton, Calif., native fell victim to a vicious
head kick and follow-up punches from Strikeforce veteran Josh
Thomson at UFC on Fox 7. Diaz was recently suspended 90 days
and fined $20,000 for violating the UFC’s fighter code of
conduct in a tweet.
9.
Pat Healy (29-16, 1 NC)
Healy
made his long-awaited return to the Octagon count, putting divisional
stalwart Jim Miller to sleep with a third-round rear-naked choke
in UFC 159’s “Fight of the Night.” The Strikeforce
import did not get to enjoy his victory for long, however, as
the bout was changed to a no-contest after Healy tested positive
for marijuana, costing him $130,000 in bonus money.
10.
Donald Cerrone (20-5, 1 NC)
Cerrone
used effective takedowns and brutal ground-and-pound to outpoint
former EliteXC champ K.J. Noons at UFC 160. The win saw “Cowboy”
rebound from a nasty knockout loss to Anthony Pettis in January
and moved the Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative
to 7-2 in the Octagon. Cerrone will get surging Brazilian Rafael
dos Anjos in his next outing at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Indianapolis.
Featherweight
1.
Jose Aldo (22-1)
Try
as they might, challengers keep coming up short in their quest
to dethrone the Brazilian prince of the featherweight division.
Aldo’s active and precise striking faded in the championship
rounds of his latest title defense at UFC 156, but by the time
Frankie Edgar really got going, the champion had already racked
up enough points to earn a unanimous nod. Aldo was set to meet
former WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis at UFC 163, but with
Pettis sidelined due to a knee injury, the Nova Uniao product
will instead defend his belt against “Korean Zombie”
Chan Sung Jung.
2.
Chad Mendes (14-1)
Mendes
scored his third consecutive first-round knockout at UFC on Fox
7, ending the five-fight winning streak of fellow wrestler Darren
Elkins in the process. Buoyed by the addition of head coach Duane
“Bang” Ludwig at Team Alpha Male, Mendes appears to
be on track to eventually securing a rematch with Jose Aldo,
the man to whom he lost at UFC 142. However, he will first have
to make it through former lightweight contender Clay Guida at
UFC 164 in August.
3.
Ricardo Lamas (13-2)
After
impressive wins over Cub Swanson, Hatsu Hioki and Erik Koch,
Lamas was looking for a title shot against Jose Aldo, and rightfully
so. However, “The Bully” was instead paired with Chan
Sung Jung at UFC 162 on July 6, only to see their matchup nixed
by an injury to Anthony Pettis. Jung will now replace “Showtime”
and challenge Aldo for featherweight gold in August, leaving
Lamas without an opponent.
4.
Cub Swanson (20-5)
Swanson
extended his UFC winning streak to five at UFC 162, stopping
fellow contender Dennis Siver on third-round punches. The Jackson’s
MMA product was grounded for much of the opening stanza, but
his superior speed and boxing allowed him to take control over
the bout’s final 10 minutes. Swanson has been adamant about
wanting another shot at Jose Aldo -- he lost to the Brazilian
at WEC 41 -- but the waiting list is lengthy in an increasingly
deep division.
5.
Frankie Edgar (16-4-1)
Footwork
and accurate punching combinations allowed Edgar to secure his
first featherweight victory against a game Charles Oliveira at
UFC 162. The “Fight of the Night”-winning performance
was the New Jersey native’s first non-title bout since 2009,
but Edgar probably needs at least one more notable 145-pound
triumph before he can begin to think about a return date with
Jose Aldo, whom he lost to at UFC 156.
6.
Pat Curran (19-4)
Curran
solidified himself as one of Bellator’s stalwarts during
the promotion’s Season 8 transition to Spike TV with a pair
of 145-pound title defenses. The Crystal Lake, Ill., native took
a solid five-round verdict over Patricio Freire on Jan. 17 before
choking out Shahbulat Shamhalaev at Bellator 95. “Paddy
Mike” will likely make his next title defense against Season
6 tournament winner Daniel Straus.
7.
Clay Guida (30-13)
A
drop to 145 pounds seemed to have no effect on the frenetic “Carpenter,”
who repeatedly grounded and occasionally pounded Hatsu Hioki
in a controversial, three-round split decision on Jan. 26 in
Chicago. Guida was set to build on that performance against fellow
wrestler Chad Mendes at UFC on Fox 7 on April 20 before an injury
put him on the shelf. The two featherweights will instead collide
at UFC 164 in August.
8.
Hatsu Hioki (26-6-2)
Hioki’s
active guard work was not enough to sway the judges in a three-round
split decision loss to Clay Guida on Jan. 26. After debuting
in the UFC with back-to-back wins, the “Son of Shooto”
has fallen from the rank of top contender with consecutive decision
defeats to Guida and Ricardo Lamas. Hioki will try to halt his
skid on Aug. 28, when he meets Darren Elkins at UFC on Fox Sports
1.
9.
Nik Lentz (24-5-2, 1 NC)
At
UFC on FX 8, the Minnesotan utilized clinches, takedowns and
ground-and-pound to outpoint Hacran Dias in front of a hostile
Brazilian audience. Now 3-0 at featherweight, the competition
only figures to get tougher for Lentz as he attempts to ascend
the divisional ladder.
10.
Chan Sung Jung (13-3)
Jung
has been out of action since his May 2012 submission win over
Dustin Poirier, but “The Korean Zombie” will not get
a tune-up fight upon his return. Originally slated to meet Ricardo
Lamas at UFC 162, Jung will instead replace the injured Anthony
Pettis and take on featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the main
event of UFC 163.
Bantamweight
1.
Renan Barao (30-1, 1 NC)
Barao
survived a harrowing opening round against Michael McDonald in
his first interim title defense, but from there, the Brazilian’s
multifaceted attack took control, as he submitted the Californian
with an arm-triangle choke in the fourth round of their UFC on
Fuel TV 7 conflict. The Brazilian will look to extend his unbeaten
streak to 32 when he defends the interim strap for a second time
against Eddie Wineland at UFC 165.
2.
Urijah Faber (28-6)
Faber
keeps steamrolling all but the most highly ranked competition.
At UFC 157, “The California Kid” made short work of
Ivan Menjivar, submitting his opponent with a rear-naked choke
in the opening frame. The popular Californian followed that performance
by choking out good buddy Scott Jorgensen at “The Ultimate
Fighter 17” Finale. Next up for Faber is a UFC on Fox Sports
1 showdown with hard-nosed Brazilian Iuri Alcantara in Boston.
3.
Michael McDonald (15-2)
McDonald
was able to throw a scare into Renan Barao early in their interim
135-pound title tilt at UFC on Fuel TV 7, but in the long run,
the Brazilian proved to be too seasoned for the Modesto, Calif.,
native. If his skills continue to progress, the future looks
bright for the 22-year-old Last Stand Fight Team product, especially
in a division that needs star power beyond Urijah Faber. McDonald
will have the chance to add another big name to his ledger when
he meets Brad Pickett at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in August.
4.
Eddie Wineland (20-8-1)
The
rangy former WEC champion surprised many observers by outboxing
and bloodying Brad Pickett en route to a three-round decision
win at UFC 155, earning him a shot at interim titlist Renan Barao.
While a foot injury to the Brazilian nixed their UFC 161 showdown,
the bout has been rebooked for UFC 165 in Toronto.
5.
Brad Pickett (23-7)
In
a contest that earned “Fight of the Night” honors,
Pickett used a diverse attack to outwork Mike Easton over the
course of three action-packed frames on April 6. Up next for
“One Punch” is a pivotal showdown with another hard-hitting
bantamweight, recent title challenger Michael McDonald.
6.
Raphael Assuncao (20-4)
Assuncao
continues to impress at 135 pounds, most recently adding Englishman
Vaughan Lee to his list of victims with a second-round armbar
win at UFC on Fuel TV 10. The Ascension MMA leader has gone 4-0
since moving to the bantamweight division in August 2011.
7.
Scott Jorgensen (14-7)
While
he remains a difficult matchup for anyone in the bantamweight
division, three losses in his last four outings have Jorgensen
at a crossroads in his career. Most recently, “Young Guns”
was submitted by Urijah Faber in the fourth round at “The
Ultimate Fighter 17” Finale. Jorgensen has fallen to only
the toughest of opposition in the Octagon, also losing to Renan
Barao and Eddie Wineland during his UFC tenure.
8.
Eduardo Dantas (15-3)
Dantas
needed to erase the sting of an upset loss to Tyson Nam, and
he did so at the expense of Nova Uniao stablemate Marcos Galvao.
In dispatching Galvao via second-round knockout, “Dudu”
showcased the hand speed and precise striking that made him a
highly regarded prospect. As it stands, Dantas remains the class
of Bellator’s 135-pound division.
9.
T.J. Dillashaw (8-1)
After
knocking out Issei Tamura just one month prior, Dillashaw again
flashed power in his April 20 meeting with Brazilian import Hugo
Viana. The Team Alpha Male representative punched out Viana inside
the first round, marking Dillashaw’s fourth straight win
and third consecutive stoppage.
10.
Marlon Moraes (10-4)
Victories
over Miguel Torres and Tyson Nam in his first two World Series
of Fighting appearances have established Moraes as the top 135-pound
talent on the promotion’s roster. The Brazilian striker’s
third WSOF bout comes against once-beaten Team Sklavos member
Brandon Hempleman on Aug. 10 in Ontario, Calif.
Flyweight
1.
Demetrious Johnson (17-2-1)
As
expected, Johnson’s speed played a huge factor in his Jan.
26 title defense against John Dodson, but it was the endurance
and late offense from “Mighty Mouse” which won him
the day. Johnson was set to make his second flyweight title defense
against John Moraga at the “The Ultimate Fighter 17”
Finale, but an injury forced the AMC Pankration representative
to withdraw from the headliner. Instead, Johnson gets his second
opportunity to headline a network television card, as he meets
Moraga at UFC on Fox 8 in Seattle.
2.
Joseph Benavidez (18-3)
Since
losing a close five-round decision to Demetrious Johnson in September,
Benavidez has done little to dispel the notion that he is the
world’s No. 2 flyweight, taking consecutive victories over
Ian McCall and Darren Uyenoyama in his next two outings. The
Team Alpha Male member next faces submission whiz Jussier da
Silva at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Sept.
4; a win could secure Benavidez another shot at 125-pound gold.
3.
Ian McCall (11-4-1)
McCall
is 0-2-1 in his first three Octagon appearances, drawing with
and losing to Demetrious Johnson in 2012 before starting the
new year with a unanimous decision loss to Joseph Benavidez.
The world’s former No. 1 flyweight will have one more chance
to get back on track, and it is no easy assignment: “Uncle
Creepy” will welcome Jungle Fight veteran Iliarde Santos
to the 125-pound ranks at UFC 163.
4.
John Dodson (14-6)
Dodson
showed flashes of the power that many felt could win him the
UFC flyweight title, though he ultimately came up short on Jan.
26, falling to Demetrious Johnson in a five-round unanimous decision.
The loss was Dodson’s first setback in the UFC and snapped
a five-fight winning streak for “The Magician.”
5.
Jussier da Silva (15-2)
After
suffering a second-round TKO to John Dodson in his Octagon debut,
da Silva rebounded to capture a unanimous verdict against Chris
Cariaso at UFC on FX 8. “Formiga” relied on takedowns
and top control to impose his will in the bout’s first two
rounds before surviving a final-round surge from the resilient
Cariaso. Da Silva gets a formidable challenge for his next Octagon
appearance, as he locks horns with Team Alpha Male stalwart Joseph
Benavidez on Sept. 4.
6.
Darrell Montague (13-2)
Montague
earned his fourth consecutive victory on May 18, submitting Jesse
Miramontes with a first-round triangle choke at Submission Championship
MMA 2. As one of the top 125-pound talents not currently signed
to a UFC contract, it seems only a matter of time before the
Tachi Palace Fights veteran gets a chance to showcase his skills
in the Octagon.
7.
John Lineker (21-6)
After
taking a unanimous decision over Yasuhiro Urushitani in November,
“Hands of Stone” showcased splendid body work on home
soil in earning a second-round TKO against Azamat Gashimov at
UFC on FX 8. Lineker will get to compete in Brazil once again
when he faces Phil Harris at UFC 163 in Rio de Janeiro.
8.
John Moraga (13-1)
The
once-beaten Arizona Combat Sports representative has made a serious
splash with his first two UFC outings, besting Ulysses Gomez
and Chris Cariaso. Moraga has been rewarded for his efforts with
a title shot against Demetrious Johnson at UFC on Fox 8.
9.
Will Campuzano (12-4)
Since
his release from the UFC in 2011 as a bantamweight, Campuzano
has won four in a row with two knockouts and one submission.
The Texan’s only decision win came in the most recent defense
of his Legacy Fighting Championship flyweight title, a gritty
five-rounder over previously unbeaten Brazilian youngster Allan
Nascimento on April 12.
10.
Josh Sampo (9-2)
Sampo
has made a name for himself in the past eight months by upsetting
former big-show fighters. First it was Antonio Banuelos who had
his Legacy Fighting Championship debut spoiled by “The Gremlin,”
and then Bellator MMA vet Alexis Vila succumbed to a fifth-round
guillotine choke from Sampo in their Championship Fighting Alliance
title bout in January.
Source: Sherdog |
Sherdog’s
Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
After
2,457 days, Anderson Silva’s reign atop the middleweight
division has ended.
In
the main event of UFC 162, the Octagon’s most decorated
champion severely underestimated challenger Chris Weidman and
paid the price in the form of a crushing second-round knockout.
By striking aggressively and refusing to succumb to the Brazilian
star’s mind games, 29-year-old Weidman did what nine previous
challengers could not, ending an era by cracking Silva’s
chin with a clean left hook.
The
unbeaten college wrestling convert now sits atop the 185-pound
ranks, and with Silva dismissing the notion of a rematch after
the loss, Weidman figures to have no shortage of contenders clamoring
for a fight. Vitor Belfort has already called out the new champion
on Twitter, and former opponent Mark Munoz put in a strong showing
on the UFC 162 undercard with a unanimous nod over Tim Boetsch.
While
the top of the middleweight division got ruffled, it was the
middle of the featherweight division which saw the most change
this month. Cub Swanson propelled himself up the 145-pound list
with a brutal third-round TKO win over former No. 7 Dennis Siver
on July 6, and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar also
joins the top 10 with an impressive showing against Brazilian
youngster Charles Oliveira.
Heavyweight
1.
Cain Velasquez (12-1)
Velasquez
successfully defended the UFC heavyweight title for the first
time on May 25 with an 81-second battering of Antonio Silva --
a full two minutes faster than their bloody first encounter one
year earlier. The decisive win solidified the 30-year-old American
Kickboxing Academy fighter’s reputation as MMA’s premier
big man; more importantly, it set the stage for a rubber match
with Junior dos Santos, which is set for UFC 166 in Houston.
2.
Junior dos Santos (16-2)
In
his first fight since relinquishing the UFC title to Cain Velasquez
in December, “Cigano” used superior speed and a varied
offensive attack to take out Mark Hunt at UFC 160. Dos Santos
finished Hunt late in the third frame with a spinning hook kick
-- a highlight-reel knockout that put the Brazilian on course
for a third bout against Velasquez in October.
3.
Fabricio Werdum (17-5-1)
Werdum
proved he is deserving of serious title consideration at UFC
on Fuel TV 10, as he became just the second man to ever submit
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, forcing “Minotauro” to tap
to an armbar in the second round of the June 8 headliner. Barring
injury, Werdum’s championship dreams will have to wait,
as Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos 3 has already been booked
for the fall.
4.
Daniel Cormier (12-0)
It
might not have been the most spectacular of beginnings, but Cormier
dominated former heavyweight king Frank Mir from bell to bell
in his Octagon debut at UFC on Fox 7. Javier Mendez, Cormier’s
trainer at the American Kickboxing Academy, recently said the
Strikeforce veteran will prepare for an eventual move to light
heavyweight by competing at less than 230 pounds in his next
heavyweight appearance.
5.
Antonio Silva (18-5)
Back-to-back
finishes of Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne earned “Bigfoot”
a rematch with Cain Velasquez, but that is where the magic ran
out for the 6-foot-4 heavyweight. Silva once again succumbed
to first-round punches from Velasquez at UFC 160, ending the
Brazilian’s hopes of claiming UFC gold anytime in the near
future.
6.
Alistair Overeem (36-12, 1 NC)
After
returning to the Octagon from a year-long suspension, Overeem’s
arrogance led to his demise in the form of a third-round knockout
loss to Antonio Silva at UFC 156. An injury forced the former
Strikeforce champion out of a proposed meeting with Junior dos
Santos at UFC 160, but the “Demolition Man” has a new
target, as he will lock horns with Travis Browne at UFC on Fox
Sports 1 on Aug. 17.
7.
Frank Mir (16-7)
For
years, mixed martial arts fans pined for a showdown between Mir
and Josh Barnett, two of the best grapplers in the heavyweight
division. At long last, the two submission specialists will square
off at UFC 164 in Milwaukee on Aug. 31, as Mir attempts to avoid
his third consecutive defeat within the Las Vegas-based promotion.
8.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-8-1, 1 NC)
Nogueira
continued his recent trend of alternating wins and losses, as
he followed an October triumph over Dave Herman with a submission
defeat to Fabricio Werdum at UFC on Fuel TV 10. Do not expect
the 37-year-old “Minotauro” to hang it up anytime soon,
however. Although he may no longer be a title contender, Nogueira
is arguably Brazil’s most beloved fighter and should continue
to catch marquee fights in the UFC.
9.
Josh Barnett (32-6)
For
the first time since March 22, 2002, Barnett is a UFC employee.
“The Warmaster” recently came to terms with the Las
Vegas-based promotion on a multi-fight contract and will step
into the Octagon against Frank Mir at UFC 164. The ex-heavyweight
titlist has lost just once in 10 bouts since 2008 -- a decision
defeat to Daniel Cormier in last year’s Strikeforce heavyweight
grand prix final.
10.
Stipe Miocic (10-1)
Regarded
as one of the heavyweight division’s more intriguing prospects
in 2012, the hype surrounding Miocic seemed to die with a technical
knockout loss to Stefan Struve in September. However, the Ohioan
re-established himself as a person of interest in the division
with a dominant triumph over Roy Nelson at UFC 161. An underdog
heading into the bout, Miocic confounded “Big Country”
with punching combinations and movement throughout, all while
staying out of range of the portly Las Vegan’s renowned
right hand for his fourth UFC win in five appearances.
Light Heavyweight
1.
Jon Jones (18-1)
Not
long after Jones dismantled “The Ultimate Fighter 17”
coaching rival Chael Sonnen at UFC 159, the young champion mentioned
he would like to face Alexander Gustafsson upon his return to
the Octagon. “Bones” will get his wish on Sept. 21,
when he squares off with Gustafsson -- the opponent who some
claim most closely resembles Jones -- at UFC 165 in Toronto.
2.
Lyoto Machida (19-3)
With
victories over Ryan Bader and Dan Henderson in his last two outings,
Machida appeared to be the light heavyweight division’s
No. 1 contender-in-waiting. A rematch with Jon Jones will have
to wait for now, however, as “The Dragon” has been
booked to face talented wrestler Phil Davis at UFC 163 in Rio
de Janeiro.
3.
Rashad Evans (18-3-1)
Evans
took care of business in the UFC 161 headliner, as he claimed
a split decision over Dan Henderson in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The victory halted the first two-fight losing streak of Evans'
career and put the former champion in position for another meaningful
bout near the top of the light heavyweight division.
4.
Dan Henderson (29-10)
After
back-to-back split decision losses to Lyoto Machida and Rashad
Evans, Henderson's hopes of challenging for UFC gold again may
have been put permanently on hold. The two-time Olympian had
Evans reeling in the first round of their UFC 161 clash, but
he failed to capitalize and wound up on the wrong side on the
scorecards.
5.
Phil Davis (11-1, 1 NC)
Following
a year of ups and downs, Davis got 2013 off to a strong start
at UFC 159. The former Penn State University wrestler showcased
improved striking and a particularly stiff jab in his unanimous
decision win against fellow ground specialist Vinny Magalhaes.
“Mr. Wonderful” will have to demonstrate even more
improvement in his next bout: a UFC 163 showdown against former
205-pound champion Lyoto Machida.
6.
Alexander Gustafsson (15-1)
Gustafsson
has not competed since December, when he took a clear-cut unanimous
decision over Mauricio Rua at UFC on Fox 5. Despite missing an
April engagement against Gegard Mousasi due to a cut suffered
in training, the Swede will challenge Jon Jones for light heavyweight
gold in his next appearance at UFC 165.
7.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5)
Nogueira
was set to face Mauricio Rua at UFC 161 in a rematch of a 2005
Pride Fighting Championships clash between the two light heavyweights.
A herniated disc forced “Minotoro” out of that matchup,
and the Brazilian’s next move is currently unclear.
8.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (21-7)
When
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira pulled out of the UFC 161 co-main event
against Rua, it initially looked as though Chael Sonnen would
be able to step in on short notice to face “Shogun.”
However, visa troubles blocked Sonnen’s path to Canada,
so now Rua and the two-time middleweight title contender will
headline the UFC’s debut on Fox Sports 1 on Aug. 17.
9.
Glover Teixeira (21-2)
Teixeira
picked up a quick win and a $50,000 “Submission of the Night”
check by submitting James Te Huna with a guillotine midway through
the first round of their UFC 160 encounter. The Brazilian is
now unbeaten in his last 19 fights, including four strong victories
in his first 12 months with the UFC. Teixeira’s next test
will come at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Brazil on Sept. 4, when he
faces former Arizona State University wrestling standout Ryan
Bader.
10.
Ryan Bader (15-3)
Bader
needed just 50 seconds to dispatch veteran Vladimir Matyushenko
with a guillotine choke on Jan. 26, marking the first time the
Belarusian had ever been submitted. An injury forced the Power
MMA Team product out of a proposed matchup with Glover Teixeira
at UFC 160. Instead, Bader will face the highly-touted Brazilian
at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Brazil in September.
Middleweight
1.
Chris Weidman (10-0)
While
many expected the “All-American” to use his wrestling
and grappling skills to dethrone Anderson Silva, it was the New
Yorker’s hands that ushered in a new era at UFC 162. Unfazed
by Silva’s showboating, Weidman pressed forward and dropped
the future hall of famer with a left hook in the second round.
A series of heavy ground strikes clinched the victory for Weidman,
who is now unbeaten in six Octagon appearances. The newly minted
champion is open to a rematch with Silva, but if the Brazilian
is not interested in such a matchup, there figures to be no shortage
of new challengers for the belt.
2.
Anderson Silva (33-5)
All
good things must come to an end, including the extended reign
of a seemingly invincible champion. At UFC 162, Silva met an
opponent who was neither afraid of his mystique nor outclassed
by his skill, and the results were simultaneously shocking and
spectacular. Chris Weidman, driven by Silva’s clowning antics,
stopped the Brazilian with a left hook and follow-up punches
1:18 into the second round of their 185-pound title clash. While
a rematch is there if he wants it, Silva’s initial plans
are to take several months off before plotting his next move.
3.
Vitor Belfort (23-10)
Belfort
might have locked up “Knockout of the Year” honors
for 2013 at UFC on FX 8, where he blasted former Strikeforce
185-pound king Luke Rockhold with a spectacular spinning heel
kick in the opening frame of their main-event matchup. While
the Brazilian’s recent surge has been clouded by questions
regarding his use of testosterone replacement therapy, dominant
wins over Rockhold and Michael Bisping this year make it difficult
to deny “The Phenom” another shot at middleweight gold.
4.
Yushin Okami (29-7)
Japan’s
top MMA export scored a major win in front of a partisan crowd
on March 3, stifling the dangerous striking of Hector Lombard
with two rounds of top control at UFC on Fuel TV 8 in Saitama,
Japan. A rumored bout against another veteran of the Japanese
MMA scene, Dream vet and former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo
“Jacare” Souza, has been made official for UFC on Fox
Sports 1 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in September.
5.
Michael Bisping (24-5)
After
having his title hopes dashed by Vitor Belfort in January, “The
Count” got right back on track with a victory over Alan
Belcher at UFC 159. The bout came to an unfortunate and early
end when Bisping caught Belcher with an eye poke in round three,
but by then, the Brit had outworked “The Talent” enough
to earn a unanimous technical decision and keep his name among
the middleweight elite.
6.
Mark Munoz (13-3)
A
devastating knockout loss to Chris Weidman and a lingering foot
injury had Munoz on the figurative ropes for much of the past
year, but the “Filipino Wrecking Machine” returned
to top form against Tim Boetsch at UFC 162. Utilizing his trademark
“Donkey Kong” ground-and-pound, the Reign MMA product
battered Boetsch for the better part of three rounds to capture
a clear-cut unanimous verdict and return to the ranks of middleweight
contenders.
7.
Luke Rockhold (10-2)
Rockhold
met an abrupt and violent end in his Octagon debut, falling victim
to a Vitor Belfort spinning heel kick in the UFC on FX 8 headliner.
The loss ended a nine-fight winning streak for the American Kickboxing
Academy representative, who had not tasted defeat since 2007.
8.
Brian Stann (12-6)
After
a September decision loss to perennial top 10 middleweight Michael
Bisping, Stann moved up to 205 pounds for a headlining match
against Wanderlei Silva at UFC on Fuel TV 8. While the U.S. Marine
likely gained fans for his part in a frantic slugfest, it was
Silva who ultimately landed the home run shot and handed Stann
just the second knockout loss of his career.
9.
Costas Philippou (12-2, 1 NC)
Philippou
formally announced his presence in the middleweight division
with a TKO triumph over Tim Boetsch at UFC 155; it was his fifth
consecutive victory in the promotion. Since then, Philippou withdrew
from a UFC on FX 8 meeting with Ronaldo Souza and parted ways
with the Serra-Longo Fight Team, his longtime camp. A fall showdown
with Michael Bisping in Manchester has been rumored, though nothing
is official.
10.
Ronaldo Souza (18-3, 1 NC)
Since
losing his Strikeforce belt to Luke Rockhold, “Jacare”
has been on a roll, finishing his next four opponents in dominant
fashion. Most recently, Souza put on a grappling clinic against
Chris Camozzi in his first UFC outing, submitting the Coloradan
with an arm-triangle choke in the first round at UFC on FX 8.
A showdown with former No. 1 contender Yushin Okami is on tap
for UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Brazil in September.
Welterweight
1.
Georges St. Pierre (24-2)
GSP
made good on his well-publicized promise to put a beating on
Nick Diaz at UFC 158, neutralizing the Californian’s boxing
with relentless takedowns, top control and ground-and-pound across
25 minutes. St. Pierre’s next UFC title defense will be
against brick-fisted wrestler Johny Hendricks at UFC 167.
2.
Johny Hendricks (15-1)
Hendricks
never could put away the notoriously durable Carlos Condit during
their 15-minute encounter at UFC 158, but the former Oklahoma
State University wrestling stud landed more than enough of his
trademark left hands to secure a unanimous decision. Next, Hendricks
will get his desired title shot against Georges St. Pierre in
the fall.
3.
Carlos Condit (28-7)
Condit
had a disappointing Octagon debut, falling to Martin Kampmann
via split decision at UFC Fight Night 18 in 2009. More than four
years later, “The Natural Born Killer” gets his opportunity
for revenge against the Dane at the UFC’s second Fox Sports
1 event on Aug. 28.
4.
Nick Diaz (26-9, 1 ND)
Since
failing in his attempt to wrest the welterweight strap from Georges
St. Pierre at UFC 158, Diaz has elected to try his hand as an
MMA promoter. His first event, War MMA 1, took place on June
22 in Stockton, Calif., and received mostly positive reviews.
There is no hint as to whether the Cesar Gracie understudy will
emerge from retirement to compete in the Octagon again, however.
5.
Demian Maia (18-4)
Suffice
it to say that Maia could be a problem for the rest of the welterweight
division. The former middleweight standout is now 3-0 at 170
pounds after running a grappling clinic on perennial top 10 entrant
Jon Fitch en route to a unanimous decision at UFC 156. Next,
Maia faces another decorated wrestler in Josh Koscheck at UFC
163.
6.
Martin Kampmann (20-6)
After
12 months spent clawing his way into contention with three straight
wins over quality welterweights, Kampmann’s title hopes
were dashed in less than a minute by the heavy left hand of Johny
Hendricks at UFC 154. The Danish “Hitman” looks to
get back into the win column -- and go 2-for-2 against Carlos
Condit in the process -- at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Indianapolis
on Aug. 28.
7.
Jake Ellenberger (29-6)
Ellenberger
gave former UFC middleweight contender and Strikeforce welterweight
titlist Nate Marquardt a rude welcome in Marquardt’s return
to the Octagon, disposing of “The Great” with a brutal
barrage of punches in exactly three minutes at UFC 158. The Nebraskan
will next lock horns with one of the division’s most promising
talents, Rory MacDonald, at UFC on Fox 8.
8.
Ben Askren (11-0)
Askren
quieted some of his critics on Jan. 24 by finally finishing a
challenger to his Bellator MMA title inside the scheduled five
rounds. The “Funky” wrestler from the University of
Missouri spent three rounds grounding, pounding and battering
Karl Amoussou before the cageside physician put an end to the
Frenchman’s suffering. Next up for Askren is a title defense
against seventh-season tournament winner Andrey Koreshkov on
July 31.
9.
Rory MacDonald (14-1)
A
neck injury derailed MacDonald’s plans for avenging a UFC
115 loss to Carlos Condit in March. Instead of squaring off with
the “Natural Born Killer,” the Tristar Gym representative
gets a different top 10 foe -- the heavy-handed Jake Ellenberger
-- at UFC on Fox 8 on July 27.
10.
Josh Burkman (26-9)
Burkman
has been on a roll since parting ways with the UFC after a loss
to Pete Sell in 2008. The Pit Elevated Fight Team product has
won eight of his last nine bouts -- and he seems to be getting
better with age. “The People’s Warrior” has knocked
off UFC veterans Gerald Harris, Aaron Simpson and Jon Fitch in
three World Series of Fighting appearances, polishing off Simpson
and Fitch in a combined 3:45.
Lightweight
1.
Benson Henderson (19-2)
After
a dominant victory over Nate Diaz in December, “Smooth”
returned to his habit of winning closely contested decisions
at UFC on Fox 7. Paired with former Strikeforce titlist Gilbert
Melendez, Henderson outstruck his foe just enough to earn a razor-thin
split verdict. There will be no immediate rematch for “El
Nino,” however, as Henderson will next defend his crown
against new top contender T.J. Grant at UFC 164.
2.
Gilbert Melendez (21-3)
At
UFC on Fox 7, Melendez proved he belonged among the division’s
elite by giving reigning UFC 155-pound champion Benson Henderson
all he could handle before losing a split decision in the five-round
headliner. A bout between Melendez and former 155-pound title
challenger Diego Sanchez has been targeted for UFC 166 in Houston.
3.
Anthony Pettis (16-2)
After
growing weary of waiting out a lightweight title shot, Pettis
elected to drop to 145 pounds for a chance to challenge reigning
featherweight king Jose Aldo in August. Unfortunately, a torn
meniscus has forced “Showtime” out of his UFC 163 headlining
gig. As a result, Chan Sung Jung will take Pettis’ place
atop the card in Brazil.
4.
T.J. Grant (21-5)
Grant
staked his claim as the No. 1 contender to Benson Henderson’s
UFC lightweight throne by pummeling Gray Maynard in a first-round
blowout at UFC 160. The 29-year-old Canadian has been unstoppable
since dropping to 155 pounds in 2011, notching five straight
wins, three of them finishes. Grant will lock horns with Henderson
in Milwaukee on Aug. 31.
5.
Michael Chandler (11-0)
Chandler
continues to justify every bit of the significant hype surrounding
him, as he choked out judo Olympian Rick Hawn in his most recent
outing on Jan. 17. An injury to Dave Jansen revised Chandler’s
summer title defense plans; instead of battling the World Extreme
Cagefighting alum on June 19, Chandler will battle Season 8 lightweight
tournament winner David Rickels at Bellator 97 on July 31.
6.
Gray Maynard (11-2-1, 1 NC)
After
missing a bout with Joe Lauzon at UFC 155 due to a knee injury,
Maynard happened into a No. 1 contender bout with T.J. Grant
at UFC 160. Grant came out with guns blazing and became only
the second man to defeat Maynard, sending “The Bully”
down the lightweight ladder for the time being.
7.
Josh Thomson (20-5, 1 NC)
When
fully healthy, “The Punk” remains a formidable opponent
for anyone in the lightweight division, as he proved by becoming
the first person to stop the durable Nate Diaz with strikes at
UFC on Fox 7. With one resounding victory under his belt, the
former Strikeforce titlist figures to receive another contender
for his next Octagon appearance.
8.
Nate Diaz (16-9)
Diaz’s
second consecutive defeat at lightweight came in devastating
fashion. The Stockton, Calif., native fell victim to a vicious
head kick and follow-up punches from Strikeforce veteran Josh
Thomson at UFC on Fox 7. Diaz was recently suspended 90 days
and fined $20,000 for violating the UFC’s fighter code of
conduct in a tweet.
9.
Pat Healy (29-16, 1 NC)
Healy
made his long-awaited return to the Octagon count, putting divisional
stalwart Jim Miller to sleep with a third-round rear-naked choke
in UFC 159’s “Fight of the Night.” The Strikeforce
import did not get to enjoy his victory for long, however, as
the bout was changed to a no-contest after Healy tested positive
for marijuana, costing him $130,000 in bonus money.
10.
Donald Cerrone (20-5, 1 NC)
Cerrone
used effective takedowns and brutal ground-and-pound to outpoint
former EliteXC champ K.J. Noons at UFC 160. The win saw “Cowboy”
rebound from a nasty knockout loss to Anthony Pettis in January
and moved the Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative
to 7-2 in the Octagon. Cerrone will get surging Brazilian Rafael
dos Anjos in his next outing at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Indianapolis.
Featherweight
1.
Jose Aldo (22-1)
Try
as they might, challengers keep coming up short in their quest
to dethrone the Brazilian prince of the featherweight division.
Aldo’s active and precise striking faded in the championship
rounds of his latest title defense at UFC 156, but by the time
Frankie Edgar really got going, the champion had already racked
up enough points to earn a unanimous nod. Aldo was set to meet
former WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis at UFC 163, but with
Pettis sidelined due to a knee injury, the Nova Uniao product
will instead defend his belt against “Korean Zombie”
Chan Sung Jung.
2.
Chad Mendes (14-1)
Mendes
scored his third consecutive first-round knockout at UFC on Fox
7, ending the five-fight winning streak of fellow wrestler Darren
Elkins in the process. Buoyed by the addition of head coach Duane
“Bang” Ludwig at Team Alpha Male, Mendes appears to
be on track to eventually securing a rematch with Jose Aldo,
the man to whom he lost at UFC 142. However, he will first have
to make it through former lightweight contender Clay Guida at
UFC 164 in August.
3.
Ricardo Lamas (13-2)
After
impressive wins over Cub Swanson, Hatsu Hioki and Erik Koch,
Lamas was looking for a title shot against Jose Aldo, and rightfully
so. However, “The Bully” was instead paired with Chan
Sung Jung at UFC 162 on July 6, only to see their matchup nixed
by an injury to Anthony Pettis. Jung will now replace “Showtime”
and challenge Aldo for featherweight gold in August, leaving
Lamas without an opponent.
4.
Cub Swanson (20-5)
Swanson
extended his UFC winning streak to five at UFC 162, stopping
fellow contender Dennis Siver on third-round punches. The Jackson’s
MMA product was grounded for much of the opening stanza, but
his superior speed and boxing allowed him to take control over
the bout’s final 10 minutes. Swanson has been adamant about
wanting another shot at Jose Aldo -- he lost to the Brazilian
at WEC 41 -- but the waiting list is lengthy in an increasingly
deep division.
5.
Frankie Edgar (16-4-1)
Footwork
and accurate punching combinations allowed Edgar to secure his
first featherweight victory against a game Charles Oliveira at
UFC 162. The “Fight of the Night”-winning performance
was the New Jersey native’s first non-title bout since 2009,
but Edgar probably needs at least one more notable 145-pound
triumph before he can begin to think about a return date with
Jose Aldo, whom he lost to at UFC 156.
6.
Pat Curran (19-4)
Curran
solidified himself as one of Bellator’s stalwarts during
the promotion’s Season 8 transition to Spike TV with a pair
of 145-pound title defenses. The Crystal Lake, Ill., native took
a solid five-round verdict over Patricio Freire on Jan. 17 before
choking out Shahbulat Shamhalaev at Bellator 95. “Paddy
Mike” will likely make his next title defense against Season
6 tournament winner Daniel Straus.
7.
Clay Guida (30-13)
A
drop to 145 pounds seemed to have no effect on the frenetic “Carpenter,”
who repeatedly grounded and occasionally pounded Hatsu Hioki
in a controversial, three-round split decision on Jan. 26 in
Chicago. Guida was set to build on that performance against fellow
wrestler Chad Mendes at UFC on Fox 7 on April 20 before an injury
put him on the shelf. The two featherweights will instead collide
at UFC 164 in August.
8.
Hatsu Hioki (26-6-2)
Hioki’s
active guard work was not enough to sway the judges in a three-round
split decision loss to Clay Guida on Jan. 26. After debuting
in the UFC with back-to-back wins, the “Son of Shooto”
has fallen from the rank of top contender with consecutive decision
defeats to Guida and Ricardo Lamas. Hioki will try to halt his
skid on Aug. 28, when he meets Darren Elkins at UFC on Fox Sports
1.
9.
Nik Lentz (24-5-2, 1 NC)
At
UFC on FX 8, the Minnesotan utilized clinches, takedowns and
ground-and-pound to outpoint Hacran Dias in front of a hostile
Brazilian audience. Now 3-0 at featherweight, the competition
only figures to get tougher for Lentz as he attempts to ascend
the divisional ladder.
10.
Chan Sung Jung (13-3)
Jung
has been out of action since his May 2012 submission win over
Dustin Poirier, but “The Korean Zombie” will not get
a tune-up fight upon his return. Originally slated to meet Ricardo
Lamas at UFC 162, Jung will instead replace the injured Anthony
Pettis and take on featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the main
event of UFC 163.
Bantamweight
1.
Renan Barao (30-1, 1 NC)
Barao
survived a harrowing opening round against Michael McDonald in
his first interim title defense, but from there, the Brazilian’s
multifaceted attack took control, as he submitted the Californian
with an arm-triangle choke in the fourth round of their UFC on
Fuel TV 7 conflict. The Brazilian will look to extend his unbeaten
streak to 32 when he defends the interim strap for a second time
against Eddie Wineland at UFC 165.
2.
Urijah Faber (28-6)
Faber
keeps steamrolling all but the most highly ranked competition.
At UFC 157, “The California Kid” made short work of
Ivan Menjivar, submitting his opponent with a rear-naked choke
in the opening frame. The popular Californian followed that performance
by choking out good buddy Scott Jorgensen at “The Ultimate
Fighter 17” Finale. Next up for Faber is a UFC on Fox Sports
1 showdown with hard-nosed Brazilian Iuri Alcantara in Boston.
3.
Michael McDonald (15-2)
McDonald
was able to throw a scare into Renan Barao early in their interim
135-pound title tilt at UFC on Fuel TV 7, but in the long run,
the Brazilian proved to be too seasoned for the Modesto, Calif.,
native. If his skills continue to progress, the future looks
bright for the 22-year-old Last Stand Fight Team product, especially
in a division that needs star power beyond Urijah Faber. McDonald
will have the chance to add another big name to his ledger when
he meets Brad Pickett at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in August.
4.
Eddie Wineland (20-8-1)
The
rangy former WEC champion surprised many observers by outboxing
and bloodying Brad Pickett en route to a three-round decision
win at UFC 155, earning him a shot at interim titlist Renan Barao.
While a foot injury to the Brazilian nixed their UFC 161 showdown,
the bout has been rebooked for UFC 165 in Toronto.
5.
Brad Pickett (23-7)
In
a contest that earned “Fight of the Night” honors,
Pickett used a diverse attack to outwork Mike Easton over the
course of three action-packed frames on April 6. Up next for
“One Punch” is a pivotal showdown with another hard-hitting
bantamweight, recent title challenger Michael McDonald.
6.
Raphael Assuncao (20-4)
Assuncao
continues to impress at 135 pounds, most recently adding Englishman
Vaughan Lee to his list of victims with a second-round armbar
win at UFC on Fuel TV 10. The Ascension MMA leader has gone 4-0
since moving to the bantamweight division in August 2011.
7.
Scott Jorgensen (14-7)
While
he remains a difficult matchup for anyone in the bantamweight
division, three losses in his last four outings have Jorgensen
at a crossroads in his career. Most recently, “Young Guns”
was submitted by Urijah Faber in the fourth round at “The
Ultimate Fighter 17” Finale. Jorgensen has fallen to only
the toughest of opposition in the Octagon, also losing to Renan
Barao and Eddie Wineland during his UFC tenure.
8.
Eduardo Dantas (15-3)
Dantas
needed to erase the sting of an upset loss to Tyson Nam, and
he did so at the expense of Nova Uniao stablemate Marcos Galvao.
In dispatching Galvao via second-round knockout, “Dudu”
showcased the hand speed and precise striking that made him a
highly regarded prospect. As it stands, Dantas remains the class
of Bellator’s 135-pound division.
9.
T.J. Dillashaw (8-1)
After
knocking out Issei Tamura just one month prior, Dillashaw again
flashed power in his April 20 meeting with Brazilian import Hugo
Viana. The Team Alpha Male representative punched out Viana inside
the first round, marking Dillashaw’s fourth straight win
and third consecutive stoppage.
10.
Marlon Moraes (10-4)
Victories
over Miguel Torres and Tyson Nam in his first two World Series
of Fighting appearances have established Moraes as the top 135-pound
talent on the promotion’s roster. The Brazilian striker’s
third WSOF bout comes against once-beaten Team Sklavos member
Brandon Hempleman on Aug. 10 in Ontario, Calif.
Flyweight
1.
Demetrious Johnson (17-2-1)
As
expected, Johnson’s speed played a huge factor in his Jan.
26 title defense against John Dodson, but it was the endurance
and late offense from “Mighty Mouse” which won him
the day. Johnson was set to make his second flyweight title defense
against John Moraga at the “The Ultimate Fighter 17”
Finale, but an injury forced the AMC Pankration representative
to withdraw from the headliner. Instead, Johnson gets his second
opportunity to headline a network television card, as he meets
Moraga at UFC on Fox 8 in Seattle.
2.
Joseph Benavidez (18-3)
Since
losing a close five-round decision to Demetrious Johnson in September,
Benavidez has done little to dispel the notion that he is the
world’s No. 2 flyweight, taking consecutive victories over
Ian McCall and Darren Uyenoyama in his next two outings. The
Team Alpha Male member next faces submission whiz Jussier da
Silva at UFC on Fox Sports 1 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Sept.
4; a win could secure Benavidez another shot at 125-pound gold.
3.
Ian McCall (11-4-1)
McCall
is 0-2-1 in his first three Octagon appearances, drawing with
and losing to Demetrious Johnson in 2012 before starting the
new year with a unanimous decision loss to Joseph Benavidez.
The world’s former No. 1 flyweight will have one more chance
to get back on track, and it is no easy assignment: “Uncle
Creepy” will welcome Jungle Fight veteran Iliarde Santos
to the 125-pound ranks at UFC 163.
4.
John Dodson (14-6)
Dodson
showed flashes of the power that many felt could win him the
UFC flyweight title, though he ultimately came up short on Jan.
26, falling to Demetrious Johnson in a five-round unanimous decision.
The loss was Dodson’s first setback in the UFC and snapped
a five-fight winning streak for “The Magician.”
5.
Jussier da Silva (15-2)
After
suffering a second-round TKO to John Dodson in his Octagon debut,
da Silva rebounded to capture a unanimous verdict against Chris
Cariaso at UFC on FX 8. “Formiga” relied on takedowns
and top control to impose his will in the bout’s first two
rounds before surviving a final-round surge from the resilient
Cariaso. Da Silva gets a formidable challenge for his next Octagon
appearance, as he locks horns with Team Alpha Male stalwart Joseph
Benavidez on Sept. 4.
6.
Darrell Montague (13-2)
Montague
earned his fourth consecutive victory on May 18, submitting Jesse
Miramontes with a first-round triangle choke at Submission Championship
MMA 2. As one of the top 125-pound talents not currently signed
to a UFC contract, it seems only a matter of time before the
Tachi Palace Fights veteran gets a chance to showcase his skills
in the Octagon.
7.
John Lineker (21-6)
After
taking a unanimous decision over Yasuhiro Urushitani in November,
“Hands of Stone” showcased splendid body work on home
soil in earning a second-round TKO against Azamat Gashimov at
UFC on FX 8. Lineker will get to compete in Brazil once again
when he faces Phil Harris at UFC 163 in Rio de Janeiro.
8.
John Moraga (13-1)
The
once-beaten Arizona Combat Sports representative has made a serious
splash with his first two UFC outings, besting Ulysses Gomez
and Chris Cariaso. Moraga has been rewarded for his efforts with
a title shot against Demetrious Johnson at UFC on Fox 8.
9.
Will Campuzano (12-4)
Since
his release from the UFC in 2011 as a bantamweight, Campuzano
has won four in a row with two knockouts and one submission.
The Texan’s only decision win came in the most recent defense
of his Legacy Fighting Championship flyweight title, a gritty
five-rounder over previously unbeaten Brazilian youngster Allan
Nascimento on April 12.
10.
Josh Sampo (9-2)
Sampo
has made a name for himself in the past eight months by upsetting
former big-show fighters. First it was Antonio Banuelos who had
his Legacy Fighting Championship debut spoiled by “The Gremlin,”
and then Bellator MMA vet Alexis Vila succumbed to a fifth-round
guillotine choke from Sampo in their Championship Fighting Alliance
title bout in January.
Source: Sherdog |
UFC
President Dana White Didn’t Tell Fighters to Say Chris Weidman
Could Upset Anderson Silva
UFC president Dana White is often accused of being the Vince
McMahon of mixed martial arts.
He
doesn’t so much mind the comparison to McMahon when it comes
to being one of the greatest promoters in the world, but he immediately
shoots down any notion that he coaxes his fighters into public
personas like McMahon’s scripted professional wrestling
promotion.
Numerous
fighters – like UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre
– predicted that Chris Weidman would upset Anderson Silva
at Saturday’s UFC 162 in Las Vegas, and he did.
So
many fighters were either picking Weidman for the win or at least
endorsing his skill set as a “bad match-up” for Silva
that calls rang out across the net that UFC officials were pressing
their fighters to say Weidman had more than just a chance.
“I
saw a ton of this (expletive) on the internet, like we were getting
the fighters to say, like we were playing up this whole thing
on how fighters were saying this guy could beat Anderson Silva,”
White recounted in a UFC 162 post-fight scrum with reporters.
He
refuted such assertions, pointing out that, not only does he
not have that kind of influence over his fighters, but that most
of them would publicly call him to task for suggesting it.
“First
of all, half of them wouldn’t (expletive) do it,” explained
White. “Second of all, if I could talk some of them into
it, the first thing they’d say when they were (expletive)
pissed at me is, ‘Do you know what he (expletive) did? He
made us go out and say that we thought Chris Weidman was gonna
win.’
“We
don’t tell anybody to do anything.”
That’s
not wholly true. White admitted there is some instruction given
to his fighters, but it’s not in the form of specifically
what to say in regards to promoting their fights or others.
“You
know what I tell you to do? You gotta do PR on Tuesday, you gotta
go over here and do radio on Thursday, you gotta sign your contract,
don’t swear on free TV. All this (expletive), I do tell
them to do,” he continued.
“The
other thing I never do, I never call a guy and say, ‘Listen,
you need to start talking some (expletive) okay?’
“There’s
gonna be fights where guys talk (expletive), and there’s
gonna be fights when guys start hugging and loving each other.
Do I love that? No, but it is what it is.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
162: Silva vs. Weidman Prelims TV Ratings Show Significant Improvement
Over UFC 161
The TV ratings for the UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman Prelims on
FX on Saturday represented an increase of nearly half a million
viewers over last month’s UFC 161: Evan vs. Henderson Prelims.
The
UFC 162 preliminary bout telecast on FX drew an average audience
of 1.4 million viewers. The UFC 161 prelims audience was 968,000
viewers.
Andrew
Craig bested Chris Leben in the main event of the UFC 162 prelims,
which accounted for the largest average viewership since the
UFC 158: Jones vs. Sonnen prelims in April.
The
preliminary bout TV ratings for UFC pay-per-view events had been
drifting steadily down in the past few months, but received a
much-needed boost with Saturday’s UFC 162 Prelims on FX.
In
the main event on pay-per-view, Chris Weidman did what many of
his peers said he could; he defeated longtime UFC middleweight
champion Anderson Silva, although he did it in much more spectacular
fashion than most would have predicted. He knocked Silva out
with a left hook early in round two.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Anderson
Silva Reportedly Wants Rematch; Chris Weidman Expected It All
Along
Everything leading up to UFC 162 and everything since has pointed
to a rematch between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman.
UFC
president Dana White, leading up to Saturday night’s fight
in Las Vegas, promised that if Silva lost, which he did, that
an immediate rematch would be in the offing.
Weidman
said the same thing and reiterated that sentiment immediately
following the fight.
“He’s
unbeatable, the fricking Bruce Lee of mixed martial arts,”
the new champion said after the fight. “I just have to say
all respect to Anderson Silva. I’ll give him and immediate
rematch if he wants to do it.”
Silva
initially hesitated about a rematch, saying that it was now Weidman’s
time as champion.
“Chris
is the champion now. I finish my work. I no more fight for the
belt.”
He
backtracked on that statement at the post-fight press conference,
saying he just needed some time to mull things over, which is
understandable considering that he hadn’t lost in seven
years and 17 fights. Getting knocked out and then immediately
asked what his future held was most certainly a discombobulating
experience.
“He
wants it. That’s right after his bell’s been rung,
and I’m sure it was surreal for him,” Weidman said
on Wednesday’s Jim Rome Show when asked about the possibility
of a rematch. “He just lost for the first time in seven
years, he got knocked out, and that’s something he has a
lot of pride in is his stand-up and having a good chin.
“His
mind wasn’t in the right place when he’s doing an interview.
We’re doing a rematch.”
An
MMAFighting.com report citing sources close to Silva seems to
back Weidman’s assurance that there would be a rematch coming
down the pike. The report stated that Silva had already determined
he does want the rematch and he wants it before the end of the
year. He doesn’t want to wait for Super Bowl weekend, which
White had initially speculated might be good timing for the two
to lock horns again.
White
then shifted gears and told the LA Times that he was considering
the rematch for UFC 168 on Dec. 28, and pushing that event’s
main event between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate back to Super
Bowl weekend.
Silva’s
camp, however, was unavailable for comment at the time of publication,
but it wouldn’t be surprising that Silva – after having
the longest championship reign in UFC middleweight history come
to an end – would want to redeem himself as soon as possible.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Anthony
Pettis to Josh Thomson: I'll fight you in October, even though
no one knows who you are
If you thought Anthony Pettis was going to sit around for the
winner of Ben Henderson vs. T.J. Grant, think again.
Pettis
and Josh Thomson have been teasing an upcoming fight on Twitter,
and Pettis told MMAFighting.com on Wednesday that he's on board
with the idea.
"Thomson
called me out," he said. "I'm never afraid to fight
anyone, and I'm tired of waiting. If I'm supposed to be the best,
then why not beat him in October? [It will] set me up for a title
shot late this year or early next [year].
"Only
bad thing is no one really knows who he is."
Thomson
told Bleacher Report on Tuesday he asked the UFC for a fight
against Pettis.
Pettis
said the UFC has yet to officially offer him the fight against
Thomson, but he added, "I don't see them not doing it."
Both fighters seem to be targeting UFC 166 in Houston on Oct.
19, which will be headlined by Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos
Santos 3.
As
for Pettis' health, "Showtime" said he returned to
training on Tuesday and didn't feel any pain in his injured knee.
He plans on sparring later Wednesday.
Pettis
was scheduled to fight Jose Aldo for the UFC featherweight title
on Aug. 3, but he was forced to withdraw from the fight due to
a torn meniscus.
Source: MMA Fighting |
UFC
Welterweight Nick Diaz is Ready to Return
The
29-year-old Stockton, Calif., native called UFC president Dana
White during the UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman event weekend and
asked for a fight.
“He
said he broke up with his girlfriend and wants a fight. Dana,
get me a fight,” said White following the UFC 162 post-fight
press conference.
After
his loss to welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158
on March 16 – his last outing – Diaz (26-9, 1 no contest)
hinted at retirement.
“I
have to decide if I even want to do this anymore,” he said.
“To be honest, I don’t know if I really got any more.
“I
don’t make excuses; I think I’m done with mixed martial
arts. I’m tired of getting banged up like this.”
Diaz
has decided and his decision is he wants to fight.
“Nick
Diaz is under contract with the UFC. Whenever Nick Diaz wants
a fight, we’ll be more than happy to get him a fight,”
said the UFC president.
White
didn’t provide any further details. It’s unknown when
Diaz will be back in action or against whom, but it appears he
will be back in the UFC Octagon.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Brian
Stann Expands Broadcast Career from UFC to Include Fox Football
Coverage
UFC
middleweight Brian Stann has quickly become a favorite as part
of the broadcast team for various UFC related shows on the Fox
family of networks, due to his insightful comments and spot-on
analysis.
Fox
executives have taken notice, and now Stann is expanding his
broadcasting resume to include ACC football coverage on Fox Sports
South.
Fox Sports South on Wednesday unveiled its ACC football broadcast
team, which includes Stann, alongside Wes Durham and Jenn Hildreth.
Stann will partner with Durham, who will handle the play-by-play
duties, while Hildreth covers sideline reporting.
“FOX
Sports South is very excited to welcome Wes Durham and Brian
Stann to our newly-expanded ACC football package,” said
Jeff Genthner, Senior Vice President and General Manager of FOX
Sports South and SportSouth. “Wes is nationally recognized
as one of the great football play-by-play announcers at both
the college and pro level, while Brian brings a dynamic and energetic
perspective to the booth. We are also pleased to have Jenn Hildreth
return to the ACC sidelines, where she has provided informative
and insightful coverage on FOX Sports South football telecasts
for eleven years.”
Aside
from fighting for the UFC, Stann is a former linebacker for the
Naval Academy and decorated veteran of the United States Marine
Corps, who received a Silver Star for his combat valor. He will
join Durham in the booth as the ACC broadcast team’s analyst.
Stann
also currently runs the Hire Heroes USA non-profit organization.
“I
am honored and excited for this opportunity with FOX Sports South,”
Stann said. “I am a lifelong fan of college football and
feel so fortunate to be a part of ACC football.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Beating
the Odds: UFC 162
Longtime
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder Anderson
Silva’s defeat at UFC 162 on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas stunned the mixed martial arts community,
but it is worth noting that Chris Weidman was only a slight underdog
going into the fight.
Silva’s
incredible championship run lasted 2,457 days and covered 16
consecutive Octagon wins, 10 of them title defenses. While Weidman
entered the cage with just nine professional bouts under his
belt, the “All-American” was only a +180 underdog,
with Silva installed as a -220 favorite, according to BetDSI.com.
Those
predicting a Weidman victory expected the Serra-Longo Fight Team
representative to utilize his wrestling and submission skills.
That appeared to be his approach in the first round, where the
29-year-old Baldwin, N.Y., native landed an early double-leg
takedown and threatened Silva with a kneebar and heel hook. Silva
managed to escape and stand, spending the rest of the round taunting
and mocking the challenger. “The Spider” infamously
employed similar strategies against Thales Leites at UFC 97 and
Demian Maia at UFC 112, drawing the ire of fans and UFC President
Dana White.
This
time, however, Silva’s clowning finally caught up to him.
Weidman maintained his composure in the second round, moved forward
and finished the Brazilian. A clever jab set up a beautiful left
hook, and Weidman followed “The Spider” to the ground,
where he ended it with a series of violent ground strikes. It
marked the first knockout loss of Silva’s 38-fight professional
career and his first legitimate defeat since Ryo Chonan submitted
him with a flying scissor heel hook under the Pride Fighting
Championships banner on Dec. 31, 2004.
Source: Sherdog |
Invicta
FC 6 is First Time Lauren Taylor Wants to “Inflict as Much
Pain as Possible”
While
she feels she was a virtual unknown heading into Invicta FC 5
this past April, her win over veteran Kaitlin Young has helped
establish Lauren Taylor (6-0) as someone to watch in the promotion.
“Nobody
really knew who I was before I fought Kaitlin, but now I have
people calling me for interviews, and more people are going to
watch my upcoming fights because they know who I am,” said
Taylor. “It’s definitely opened more doors for me.
“Looking
back it feels kind of surreal, but it’s good to know that
I belong in a promotion like Invicta. I may not win every fight
from here on out, but I won that one and it tells me that I belong
with that caliber of women.”
Taylor’s
performance impressed Invicta enough to earn her a return to
the promotion’s upcoming sixth show in a feature bout against
Sarah D’Alelio (7-3). It could be one of the hardest-hitting
match-ups come Invicta FC 6 on July 13 in Kansas City.
“I
don’t mean this to be arrogant or anything, but the way
to beat Sarah is beat the (expletive) out of her,” said
Taylor. “She’s really tough and is a great wrestler.
So my game plan is no matter where she takes the fight, I’m
going to hurt her.
“I’m
going to try my best to hurt her really badly to where she’s
not going to want to take it there anymore, whether we’re
on our feet or clinched in the open or on the ground. I’m
going to try to find a way to hurt her anyway I can.”
Taylor
told MMAWeekly.com that while she’s always been aggressive
in her fights, this is the first time she out and out wants to
beat someone and make a statement.
“Every
fight I’ve had there’s been this urgency to finish
the fight as fast as I can because the longer it goes on, something
could happen to me. So there’s always been a sense of urgency,
but this is the first time where the game plan is inflict as
much pain as possible,” she said.
Cyborg
vs Coenen II-250adA win over D’Alelio could put the undefeated
Taylor into a good spot to challenge for a title shot later this
year or early next year. And while that’s something she’d
look forward to, she’s not going to stress herself out thinking
about it, but instead leave that call to the higher ups.
“I’m
going to take whatever comes my way. I really feel like the universe
put me here and I’m just going with the flow,” said
Taylor. “I’m just going to keep on doing this and it’s
up to the powers that be to where I go next.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Mitch
Gagnon vs. Dustin Kimura Set for UFC 165
Bantamweights Mitch Gagnon and Dustin Kimura are set to square
off at UFC 165 on Sept. 21 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
UFC
officials announced the bout Wednesday night.
Gagnon
(9-2) has fought twice in the Octagon, losing his promotional
debut to Bryan Caraway last summer. He returned in September,
bouncing back with a submission victory over Walel Watson at
UFC 152.
The
28-year-old Canadian was supposed to have returned at UFC 158
in March, but was forced off the card due to injury.
Kimura
(10-0) puts his spotless record on the line in what will be his
sophomore UFC effort. The Hawaiian made his Octagon debut earlier
this year at UFC 156, where he submitted Chico Camus.
UFC
light heavyweight champion Jon Jones puts his belt on the line
against Alexander Gustafsson in the UFC 165 main event.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Chael
Sonnen has a list of demands for his new UFC contract
Oh,
Chael Sonnen. You continue have a way with words.
The
UFC middleweight (or light heavyweight … we’re just
not sure anymore) said during a Q&A at the recent UFC Fan
Expo that his contract with the organization has expired.
We
know what you’re saying: “Yay! No more Chael!”
But don’t get ahead of yourself, readers. Sonnen has a list
of demands for a new UFC contract. And here they are (takes deep
breath).
Jello
Biafra replaces Bruce Buffer as ring announcer.
Every fight he’s in must be a No. 1 contender fight or a
title match.
If he loses, he gets an immediate rematch until he wins.
No media can look him in the eye, or they will be removed from
the room.
He requires a headset legalized through the commission so he
can call his own fights.
No longer will he walk to the ring. He needs to be carried.
Keys to Dana White’s least favorite Ferrari (he added that
he wasn’t asking too much with that one).
He can Skype or FaceTime his fights if he feels like flying.
And last but not least (nor negotiable), Dana White must tell
GSP to stop being such a d*ck. Sonnen will return his truck when
he’s done with it.
The
list of demands drew a laugh from the crowd in Las Vegas, but
Sonnen was adamant that he was serious. Sure, Chael. Keep saying
that and maybe someone, someday, will believe you.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Chael
Sonnen Says His UFC 159 Fight with Jon Jones Was Stopped Early
When
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ original UFC 151
opponent, Dan Henderson, injured his knee and was forced out
of the fight, Chael Sonnen offered to step in, but Jones declined.
The
event was eventually cancelled, but Sonnen got his fight with
Jones anyway after coaching opposite the youngest champion in
UFC history on the seventeenth season of The Ultimate Fighter.
The
two met in the main event of UFC 159 on April 27 and Jones defended
his title by finishing Sonnen with punches and elbows on the
ground late in the opening round, but Sonnen believes the fight
was stopped early.
“I
do think it was stopped too early. I was surprised when they
stopped the fight,” said Sonnen during a question and answer
session during the UFC Fan Expo leading up to UFC 162: Silva
vs. Weidman.
Sonnen
did not protest the stoppage when it happened, but has said he
was defending himself when the referee called a halt to the fight.
“Anytime
you’re in that type of competition, whether you agree with
it or you don’t agree with it, you get up and you walk out
because those are the rules,” he said. “I’ve won
plenty of fights where they stopped them too early, so it goes
both ways. Yes, it was stopped too early.”
Sonnen
is scheduled to face former light heavyweight titleholder Mauricio
“Shogun” Rua on Aug. 17 on Fox Sports 1, but would
like to get another crack at the champion.
“You’ve
got to understand, I stayed to fight. I walked out of the ring.
That’s more than I can say for Jon Jones,” said Sonnen.
“I stayed to fight. His little piggy ran to the market.
And I’m supposed to somehow be impressed because he got
a couple of takedowns?
“I’d
sure like to do it again.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Conor
McGregor Draws New UFC on Fox Sports 1 Opponent for Boston
Andy Ogle is off of the UFC on Fox Sports 1 fight card on Aug.
17. Popular Irishman Conor McGregor will now face Max Holloway
instead.
UFC
officials announced the change on Wednesday.
McGregor
and Ogle made for a solid Ireland vs. England in the heavily
Irish town of Boston, but it wasn’t to be.
McGregor
(13-2) made his long-awaited promotional debut at UFC on Fuel
TV 9, stopping Marcus Brimage with strikes little over a minute
into their bout. The victory showed that the McGregor hype was
spot-on, and improved his current winning streak to nine consecutive
fights.
Holloway’s
professional record currently stands at 7-2. He recently had
a three-fight winning streak ground to a halt with a split decision
loss to Dennis Bermudez at UFC 160.
McGregor
vs. Holloway is expected to take a spot on the preliminary portion
of the UFC on Fox Sports 1: Shogun vs. Sonnen fight card on Aug.
17 in Boston.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Anderson
Silva reportedly wants rematch; Chris Weidman expected it all
along
Everything
leading up to UFC 162 and everything since has pointed to a rematch
between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman.
Before
Saturday night’s fight in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana
White promised that if Silva lost, which he did, that an immediate
rematch would be in the offing.
Weidman
said the same thing and reiterated that sentiment immediately
following the fight.
“He’s
unbeatable, the fricking Bruce Lee of mixed martial arts,”
the new champion said after the fight. “I just have to say
all respect to Anderson Silva. I’ll give him an immediate
rematch if he wants to do it.”
Silva
initially hesitated about a rematch, saying that it was now Weidman’s
time as champion.
“Chris
is the champion now. I finish my work. I no more fight for the
belt.”
He
backtracked on that statement at the post-fight press conference,
saying he just needed some time to mull things over, which is
understandable considering that he hadn’t lost in seven
years and 17 fights. Getting knocked out and then immediately
being asked what his future held was most certainly a discombobulating
experience.
“He
wants it. That’s right after his bell’s been rung,
and I’m sure it was surreal for him,” Weidman said
on Wednesday’s Jim Rome Show when asked about the possibility
of a rematch. “He just lost for the first time in seven
years, he got knocked out, and that’s something he has a
lot of pride in is his stand-up and having a good chin.
“His
mind wasn’t in the right place when he was doing the interview.
We’re doing a rematch.”
An
MMAFighting.com report citing sources close to Silva seems to
back Weidman’s assurance that there would be a rematch coming
down the pike. The report stated that Silva had already determined
he does want the rematch and he wants it before the end of the
year. He doesn’t want to wait for Super Bowl weekend, which
White had initially speculated might be good timing for the two
to lock horns again.
White
then shifted gears and told the L.A. Times that he was considering
the rematch for UFC 168 on Dec. 28, and pushing that event’s
main event between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate back to Super
Bowl weekend.
Silva’s
camp, however, was unavailable for comment at the time of publication,
but it wouldn’t be surprising that Silva – after having
the longest championship reign in UFC middleweight history come
to an end – would want to redeem himself as soon as possible.
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Tito
Ortiz: 'Everyone has a comeback'
Don't
look now, but Tito Ortiz might be on the comeback trail.
A
year after Ortiz vowed he would retire following his loss to
Forrest Griffin at UFC 148, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy"
appears to be contemplating a return to MMA.
Ortiz
tweeted this on Wednesday:
When
MMAFighting.com reached out to Ortiz on Wednesday to ask if he
was considering a comeback, he wrote back via text message, "everyone
has a comeback."
When
asked if he was healthy enough to fight again, Ortiz wrote, "we
will see in five months."
The
38-year-old former UFC light heavyweight champion did not explain
what was happening in five months, nor did he respond to subsequent
text messages.
Ortiz
has undergone numerous surgeries over the course of his career,
most notably on his neck and back, which seemed to have cut his
career short.
After
starting his career with a 15-4 record, Ortiz retired last year
with a record of 16-11-1.
Source: MMA Fighting |
|