UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

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• UFC 110 video trailer: Going 'Down Under' for 'Nogueira vs. Velasquez' on Feb. 20
• WEC Quick Quote: Urijah Faber plans on fighting the best guys in the sport regardless of division
• Tom Lawlor vs Tim Credeur on tap for UFC 113
• Martin Kampmann out, Jake Ellenberger in against Ben Saunders at UFC 111
• Minotauro Nogueria: Cain Velasquez is not a good submission fighter (UFC 110 video)
• WEC 48 'Aldo vs Faber' PPV hype train has just left the station (Pic)
• Muay Thai trainer 'out of tune' with Anderson Silva; leaves 'Spider' camp
• UFC 109 video highlights and recap from 'Relentless'
• Joe Lauzon becoming an athlete under the tutelage of BJ Penn and Marv Marinovich
• UFC 109 ratings on Spike TV attract 1.7 million viewers
• UFC Quick Quote: Goran Reljic is going to show the doctors they were wrong at UFC 110
• Bellator Fighting Championships inks deal with middleweight Matt Major
• UFC 112: Jon Madsen vs Mostapha Al Turk under consideration for April 10
• New Sengoku ring girls!! Their bust, waist, and hip measurements are posted, but I am too...
• Sacramento Kings to host 'Urijah Faber Night' on Feb. 23

UFC 110 video trailer: Going 'Down Under' for 'Nogueira vs. Velasquez' on Feb. 20 Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:32 PM PST

WEC Quick Quote: Urijah Faber plans on fighting the best guys in the sport regardless of division Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:10 PM PST "I could go down to 135 pounds if he (Torres) wants to fight. I'm here for a long time so I'll probably fight everybody. Miguel is in there. (Mike) Brown, I'm going to fight him again. (Jose) Aldo, I'll take care of that. I didn't know for sure if Miguel would come to 145 and he's got his hands full with my boy Joseph Benavidez (on March 6), so we'll see how he does there first before I even think about fighting him.... That's a super fight (with B.J. Penn). I've thought about that. B.J. and I went to a USO show together. We're buddies and we've trained together but we're in the fight game to find out who's the man and I'm sure B.J. doesn't have a problem fighting me and I don't have a problem fighting him. We'd be buddies after." -- Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah "The California Kid" Faber talks about his big plans in the sport at UFC 109's fighter Q&A. Never one to lack confidence in his own game, Faber seems to have his sights set on some impressive accomplishments before his career is over. It certainly doesn't hurt the WEC as a promotion that is trying to build their brand that their biggest name possesses such lofty expectations. Question is, would Faber have a chance to walk away as the victor in fights with Miguel Torres or B.J. Penn, let alone in his upcoming bout with dynamo Jose Aldo at WEC 48? Let's hear it, Maniacs.

Tom Lawlor vs Tim Credeur on tap for UFC 113 Posted: 09 Feb 2010 06:46 PM PST Middleweights Tom Lawlor and Tim Credeur has have agreed to "get it on" at UFC 113, which is planned for the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on May 8, according to MixedMartialArts.com.  "The Filthy Mauler" is coming off a controversial split decision loss to Aaron Simpson at UFC Fight Night 20 last month in Fairfax, Virginia. Many people watching the bout on Spike TV, as well as live inside the Patriot Center, had Lawlor winning two of three rounds to secure his third consecutive win in the UFC. Just not all the judges sitting ringside. Prior to the setback, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 competitor had knocked off two other former TUF products, including Kyle Klingsbury and C.B. Dollaway in back-to-back contests. Tim "Crazy" Credeur was last seen in an absolute war with Nate Quarry last September. Even though he was on the wrong end of the unanimous decision, he and "The Rock" were rewarded for their classic battle with "Fight of the Night" honors. Credeur had won his first three bouts in the UFC following his stint on TUF 7. UFC 113 is expected to be headlined by a rematch between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The card's co-main event is set to feature an exciting welterweight match up between perennial top contender, Josh Koscheck, and the explosive Paul Daley. Kimbo Slice is also expected to make his pay-per-view (PPV) debut against fellow TUF 10 cast member, Matt Mitrione. MMAmania.com will have more news on UFC 113 as it breaks.

Martin Kampmann out, Jake Ellenberger in against Ben Saunders at UFC 111 Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:50 PM PST The welterweight showdown between Martin Kampmann and Ben Saunders, which was set for UFC 111 from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on March 27, has now turned into a match up between Jake Ellenberger and Ben Saunders. Kampmann -- who was looking to build on a submission win over Jacob Volkmann at UFC 108 -- pulled out of the fight because of a serious cut above his eye suffered in training, according to 5thround.com. "Hitman" was hoping it could heal in time to compete in March, but it his ascension back up the 170-pound ladder will now have to wait just a little bit longer. Stepping in to replace Kampmann against Ben Saunders is Team Quest fighter Jake Ellenberger (22-5). The Nebraska native put on a show in his UFC debut in a hard-fought loss against former WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit last September. He followed up that impressive performance, stopping Mike Pyle in the second round via technical knockout at UFC 108. Awaiting him at UFC 111 will be Ben "Killa B" Saunders (8-1). The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) alum has had a pretty good run of it since his official debut with the promotion in 2007. He reeled off three consecutive wins inside the Octagon, raising his unbeaten streak to nine before succombing to Mike "Quick" Swick at UFC 99. In his most recent performance, Saunders used his vicious knees to knockout Marcus Davis in the first round at UFC 106. UFC 111 will feature two title fights -- Frank Mir and Shane Carwin will throw down for the interim heavyweight title in the co main event and UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre will headline the show, putting his world title on the line when he takes on British striker Dan Hardy. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news on UFC 111 is it draws closer.

Minotauro Nogueria: Cain Velasquez is not a good submission fighter (UFC 110 video) Posted: 09 Feb 2010 05:10 PM PST

WEC 48 'Aldo vs Faber' PPV hype train has just left the station (Pic) Posted: 09 Feb 2010 12:23 PM PST Whoot! Whoot! Can "The California Kid" recapture the crown in Sacramento?

Muay Thai trainer 'out of tune' with Anderson Silva; leaves 'Spider' camp Posted: 09 Feb 2010 10:46 AM PST Props: Tatame.com Quoteworthy: "I thank Anderson for all the time we spent working together. He’s a champion, a born striker, but we won’t continue working together in this partnership due to lack of tune in some moments. I decided to let the way open or him to work his Muay Thai with anyone he decides. The last fight we did was the one against Griffin… I think I ended my work with him in a great way." French Muay Thai trainer Daniel Woirin, who helped Anderson Silva achieve victory in his previous four bouts, has parted ways with the current UFC Middleweight Champion after failing to find a middle ground with his training. Is there trouble brewing in the "Spider" camp? Or is this a routine change for a fight team heading into a UFC 112 bout against Vitor Belfort on April 10 in Abu Dhabi?

UFC 109 video highlights and recap from 'Relentless' Posted: 09 Feb 2010 10:11 AM PST

Joe Lauzon becoming an athlete under the tutelage of BJ Penn and Marv Marinovich Posted: 09 Feb 2010 10:11 AM PST Props: JoeLauzon.com Quoteworthy: "It’s been GREAT training. I have only been around for a couple weeks but I can see why BJ has looked so great in his last few fights. Marv and Gary Marinovich are on top of things here. On top of all the great stuff I have learned to do from Marv and Gary… I have really learned a lot of things NOT to do. Apparently I am not much of an athlete, because I do pretty much every activity with the worst form they have ever seen. I have horrible flexibility and I am just a nightmare. As Marv put it though: 'Imagine what you will be able to do when you become a real athlete.' I guess that just means I have a lot of room for improvement, right? I have made good improvements compared to how I started out though. I will have a LOT of time to improve on things before August rolls around anyways." Bridgewater native Joe Lauzon (18-5) gets a little taste of the BJ Penn camp after flying to Hawaii to train under "The Prodigy" and his head conditioning guru Marv Marinovich. "J-Lau" returned from knee surgery to hook 'em up with Sam Stout in their "Fight of the Night" at UFC 108 in Las Vegas but was unable to break the "Hands of Stone," who took home the unanimous decision victory. Now the former TUF 5 contestant hopes to get back to his winning ways when the UFC comes to his backyard on August 28 in Boston. Will the new and improved Lauzon be a force to be reckoned with at 155-pounds?

UFC 109 ratings on Spike TV attract 1.7 million viewers Posted: 09 Feb 2010 10:10 AM PST Spike TV once again aired a portion of a UFC fight card on its network prior to a major pay-per-view (PPV) broadcast, as fight fans were treated to one hour of uninterrupted mixed martial arts competition on the UFC 109: "Relentless" under card last Saturday night (Feb. 6). Similar to UFC 103 last Sept. and then UFC 104 in Oct., which both attracted about 1.4 million viewers as the promotion began to test the idea along with its cable television partner, select UFC 109 prelim bouts aired commercial-free and garnered 1.7 million viewers for a 1.2 household rating. That number beat the 1.5 million viewers tuning in to last month's UFC 108 under card -- and pretty much any other prelim offering since the Spike TV special debuted late last year. Spike TV today announced the broadcast was also a big hit among men between the ages of 18 to 34 and 18-49, scoring a 1.6 rating and a 1.1 rating, respectively. Viewers were treated to Mac Danzig and Melvin Guillard taking home "Relentless" decision victories. The Vegan warrior outpointed Justin Buccholz while "The Young Assassin" did enough to sway the judges against Ronnys Torres. For complete results and coverage of UFC 109: "Relentless" click here and here.

UFC Quick Quote: Goran Reljic is going to show the doctors they were wrong at UFC 110 Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:36 AM PST "Doctors actually told me I'll never fight again, but I love to prove people wrong and now I'm back. I can't wait to step inside and fight again. I said to them, 'I'm going to show you who's not going to be capable of coming back to the sport. I'm going to show you that you're wrong.' I said (that) to them in their face. I told them I'm going to prove you wrong and that's what I did. Look where I am now. I'm coming back. I feel great. I have a heart. I never quit and I proved them all wrong. C.B. (Dollaway) is a great fighter. He's a great wrestler. He has solid stand-up skills as well. I just think we're going to put on a great show for the crowd and I hope everybody's going to see what they expect and everybody's going to be satisfied." Undefeated Croatian fighter and real life superhero Goran Reljic (via Sherdog.com) anticipates his return to the Octagon at UFC 110 after nearly two years on the injured reserves. After knocking out Wilson Gouveia in his Zuffa debut in May 2008, the grappling phenom underwent surgery to repair a back injury sustained while training for his 185-pound fight against Thales Leites at UFC 90 later that year. It's been a long, hard road for Reljic -- but don't expect any sympathy from CB Dollaway, who looks to spoil the Croat's return in Sydney on Feb. 21.

Bellator Fighting Championships inks deal with middleweight Matt Major Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:12 AM PST CHICAGO, Ill. (February 9, 2010) – Matt Major, the colorful and sometimes-controversial mixed martial artist known for his appearance on the TapouT reality show and his upset victory over UFC veteran Shonie Carter, has signed on to compete in Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming Season 2 middleweight tournament. The 26-year-old Major—who moonlights as a fashion designer—boasts a professional record of 6-1, but says that his "actual record is closer to 20-1 when you include all the fights I’ve taken in clubs and in bars and in people’s basements." He drew big buzz throughout the MMA world with his 2008 win over Carter in a fight that Sherdog.com described by noting that Major "outclassed a man with 14 times as many professional fights" under his belt. "Matt has a unique and bigger-than-life persona, but below the personality is a 185 pounder who can really fight," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "If Matt focuses on our upcoming tournament, he’s a very dangerous draw for anyone at 185." Major says winning the Season 2 tournament and the chance for a title fight against Lombard is his singular goal now that he has signed with Bellator. "The real question is: ‘Is Hector Lombard ready for Matt Major?’" Major said. "I’ll tell you right now, if Hector Lombard knows I’m in the tournament, I know he’s worried about it. I want to be a world champion more than anything and I don’t care who I have to fight or what I have to do to get there." Before that, though, Major will have to get through three fights in Bellator’s eight-man Season 2 middleweight tournament. Other tournament competitors announced thus far include Eric Schambari and Bryan "The Beast" Baker. Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 145, 155, and 170 lbs. The winners in each division will be declared No. 1 contenders to the current roster of champions. All 24 fights in Seasons 2 and 3 will be televised on FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo. Major says he has been "fascinated" by the fight game and martial arts "pretty much since the day I was born." "All I ever wanted to do was be the next Jean Claude Van Damme, the next Steven Segal, the next Bruce Lee," he said. "And now I’m better than all of them. I knew since I was a little kid that I was going to be a great fighter." Major was born in Miami, but moved to New Jersey at the age of 8 to live with an aunt after both his mother and father passed away. In high school, he passed up the chance to compete on the school wrestling team, instead opting to take classes in fashion design and merchandising at the local community college. Later, he was accepted at the Art Institute of New York. He studied there and at several other art schools before switching his attention to MMA full-time in his early 20s. "I’ve trained in every kind of combat you can imagine: I’ve done English boxing, American boxing, Aikido, judo, sword, wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, you name it," he said. "If the fight ends up on the ground, someone’s gonna get tapped. If it stays standing up, someone’s gonna get hit in the mouth. It doesn’t matter to me." Major spent the better part of 2009 training at the famed American Kickboxing Academy is San Jose, Calif. He describes his contract with Bellator as "the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me." "Bellator, I think, is the new face of MMA," he said. "It’s just a very sophisticated organization and I’m proud to be a part of it." For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

UFC 112: Jon Madsen vs Mostapha Al Turk under consideration for April 10 Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:08 AM PST After a successful bid to get back into the UFC following his early exit on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10, Jon Madsen will be heading overseas to face Mostapha Al Turk at UFC 112 from the Concert Arena, Ferrari World, Yas Island on April 10 in Abu Dhabi. Our comrades at Around the Octagon confirmed the match up earlier today. Madsen made a name for himself in the high school and collegiate wrestling scene, but made a bee-line for mixed martial arts immediately following his quest for higher learning. After joining Matt Hughes H.I.T. Squad, Madsen racked up a perfect 2-0 record in 2008 after his debut at Crossroads Combat Challenge (CCC) 3 in Illinois. That success (along with his gym affiliation) landed him a spot on TUF 10, but he would eventually fall to finalist Brendan Schaub via knockout in their exhibition match in the quarterfinals. He rebounded against Justin Wren, grinding out a split decision at last year's TUF Finale and is ready to keep the momentum going. Waiting for him in the United Arab Emirates will be Al Turk — perhaps best known for having his eyes turned into a Croatian shisk kabob at UFC 99 by Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. He came up short in his debut against Cheick Kongo at UFC 92 after a successful run in Europe on the Cage Rage circuit. In fact, he has six wins in seven attempts for the promotion and was riding a two-fight win streak before getting dismantled at "The Ultimate 2008." Al Turk was going to welcome Rolles Gracie to the Octagon at UFC 109: "Relentless" until Visa issues forced him to withdraw from the event. He is a pretty well-rounded fighter with serviceable boxing and solid grappling skills -– good enough to earn him the British Cage Rage heavyweight title. Are they good enough to fend off the hungry up-and-comer? That remains to be seen. UFC 112 is expected to feature two world title fights, including middleweight champion Anderson Silva taking on Vitor Belfort and lightweight kingpin BJ Penn putting his belt on the line against Frankie Edgar. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on this still-developing fight card.

New Sengoku ring girls!! Their bust, waist, and hip measurements are posted, but I am too... Posted: 09 Feb 2010 06:35 AM PST New Sengoku ring girls!! Their bust, waist, and hip measurements are posted, but I am too lazy to convert centimeters to inches.

Sacramento Kings to host 'Urijah Faber Night' on Feb. 23 Posted: 09 Feb 2010 06:26 AM PST The Sacramento Kings will pay tribute to former WEC Featherweight Champion and local fight favorite Urijah Faber with a special night planned in his honor on Feb. 23 when the Kings host the Detroit Pistons at the ARCO Arena. Fans who purchase two tickets will receive a free Urijah Faber "Form Athletics" hoodie with the first 500 to be signed by "The California Kid" himself. From Faber: "I am a huge Kings fan and so excited about this new, young team we have in Sacramento. I’m pumped to be a part of this special night with the Kings and hope all Kings and WEC fans will join us at ARCO for this fun event." Faber will try to reclaim his 145-pound title from the seemingly invincible Jose Aldo when the two stars collide in Sacramento on April 24 in the first ever pay-per-view event from the WEC. Tickets for Urijah Faber Night with the Kings can be purchased by clicking here or visiting the ARCO Arena Box Office.

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UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

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• Mitsuoka-Santos, Blanco-Kunioku added to Sengoku 12
• UFC Quick Quote: Joe Rogan has a meltdown during 'Ice-gate'
• Chuck Liddell sandwich: "Relentless' UFC 109 after party pics. Check out complete gallery here.
• UFC 109 medical suspensions and injuries for 'Relentless'
• Ed Soares: Chael Sonnen should fight Demian Maia to determine number one contender
• UFC 109 backstage pics behind the scenes for 'Relentless'
• Chael Sonnen talks UFC 109 and more on tonight's presentation of Pro MMA Radio (Updated)
• Chuck Liddell is going to kill Tito Ortiz in 'tune up' fight
• UFC 114: Ryan Jensen vs Jesse Forbes on tap for May 29
• Gomi by first round knockout? You betta recognize ...
• Melvin Guillard gunning for title contention under Greg Jackson
• Michael Bisping UFC 110 video blog (Week 5)
• Dana White: 'Tito's back'
• UFC 109 CompuStrike fight stats illustrate Chael Sonnen's domination of Nate Marquardt (Pic)
• UFC Quick Quote: Wherever Cain Velasquez takes the fight, 'Minotauro' Nogueira will be ready
• Hidehiko Yoshida retirement event scheduled for April 25 at Nippon Budokan
• Wilson Reis returning to Bellator Fighting Championships for Season 2 tournament
• Pancrase '2010 Passion Tour' results and quick recap
• Team Japan bests Team USA at DEEP X 05

Mitsuoka-Santos, Blanco-Kunioku added to Sengoku 12 Posted: 09 Feb 2010 12:23 AM PST Sengoku 12 fight card continues to take shape with the addition of two big fights. Scheduled for March 7, Sengoku 12 will take place at the fabled sumo arena, Ryogoku Kokugikan. Eiji Mitsuoka (16-7-2) returns to face Brazilian Jiu Jitsu phenom, Leonardo Santos (6-3), while the rising star, Maximo Blanco (4-2-1) takes on 65-fight veteran, Kiuma Kunioku (34-22-9) in a collison of youth and experience. Mitsuoka stumbled against Kazunori Yokota in a battle between Sengoku's top lightweight contenders last November. Prior to fighting in Sengoku, he rose to prominence with a victory over Joachim Hansen in Shooto. In Sengoku, he has gone 4-2 and earned all four victories via submission in the first round. Leonardo Santos also looks to rebound after a close split decision loss to Yokota last May. A Nova Uniao product and younger brother of current WEC bantamweight, Wagnney Fabiano, Santos boasts an extraordinary list of accolades in BJJ and submission grappling tournaments, including a medal in ADCC. Maximo Blanco, a former standout freestyle wrestler, has represented his home country of Venezuela in international wrestling competitions. He has been training at Yoshida dojo and seeks to capitalize on his two-fight winning streak; his second-to-last victory over Katsuya Inoue earned him the Lightweight King of Pancrase title. Kiuma Kunioku has been competing since 1996, mostly in Pancrase. His current three-fight winning streak has come on the heel of a prolonged downturn during which he recorded six losses and two draws in nine fights. In his last fight, he bested A Sol Kwon by unanimous decision at Sengoku 5 in September 2008. Stay tuned to MMAmania for more information regarding the upcoming Sengoku 12.

UFC Quick Quote: Joe Rogan has a meltdown during 'Ice-gate' Posted: 08 Feb 2010 08:34 PM PST "Oh we got a problem, somebody spilled ice all over the Octagon. That's a big problem, that's a lot of ice. This is gonna take some time. This is a disaster. Look at it, they knocked the bucket over. This is "The Three Stooges." What are you freaks doing? Now everybody's booing. Now there's even more pressure. Now they're sweeping it out. That's good. Put it on the side and watch [Octagon girl] Arianny (Celeste) fall on her head. There's still ice! There's still too much! GET BACK IN THERE! YOU'RE NOT DONE! THERE'S ICE ALL OVER THE FLOOR! What are these guys doing? There's 100 pieces of ice still on the floor and these guys just scrambled out because of the pressure. What a disaster. There's ice everywhere! Those cornermen, somebody needs to kick their ass." UFC color commentator Joe Rogan empties his tray during the Ronnys Torres vs. Melvin Guillard fight at UFC 109: "Relentless" last Saturday night (Feb. 6). The ice bag applied to the back and neck of Torres ruptured as his corner was exiting the cage, causing a cubed glacier to make its way across the Octagon floor. Team Torres scrambled to get it cleaned up amidst a verbal berating from Joe Rogan, whose hilarious commentary on "Ice-gate" kept pay-per-view subscribers amused during the icy mishap. Video of the incident can be found here or after the jump.

Chuck Liddell sandwich: "Relentless' UFC 109 after party pics. Check out complete gallery here. Posted: 08 Feb 2010 08:33 PM PST Chuck Liddell sandwich: "Relentless' UFC 109 after party pics. Check out complete gallery here.

UFC 109 medical suspensions and injuries for 'Relentless' Posted: 08 Feb 2010 06:25 PM PST The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today issued its list of medical suspensions for UFC 109: "Relentless," which took place on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. With several of the night's participants sharing a gruesome common denominator, there were a handful of fighters who were flagged follow up visits with their doctors. Chief among them is Chael Sonnen for his grisly face and head lacerations that made opponent Nate Marquardt look a little like Carrie on prom night. Joining him on the injured reserves is fellow middleweight Demian Maia after the jiu-jitsu phenom tore open his eyelid while putting a beatdown on the venerable Dan Miller. But that's not all. Here is the complete list of UFC 109 injuries and their medical instructions: Mark Coleman: Suspended until March 9 and no contact until Feb. 28 (precautionary reasons) Nate Marquardt: Suspended until March 9 and no contact until Feb. 28 (precautionary reasons) Chael Sonnen: Suspended until March 24 and no contact until March 9 (forehead and nasal-bridge lacerations) Mike Swick: Suspended until Aug. 6 (elbow injury) unless cleared early by an orthopedic doctor; otherwise suspended until March 24 and no contact until March 9 (precautionary reasons) Demian Maia: Suspended until Aug. 6 (eyelid laceration) unless cleared early by an ophthalmologist or ocular-plastics doctor Dan Miller: Suspended until March 9 and no contact until Feb. 28 (precautionary reasons) Frank Trigg: Suspended until March 24 with no contact until March 9 (precautionary reasons) Mac Danzig: Suspended until Aug. 6 (left knee sprain) unless cleared early by an orthopedic doctor Justin Buchholz: Suspended until March 9 and no contact until Feb. 28 (precautionary reasons) Melvin Guillard: Suspended indefinitely unless cleared early by an ophthalmologist by March 26 Rolles Gracie: Suspended until March 9 and no contact until Feb. 28 (precautionary reasons) Just a quick reminder: Fighters often return to action much quicker once doctors give them the green light. The lengthy suspensions are just a precaution in most cases. For complete UFC 109 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

Ed Soares: Chael Sonnen should fight Demian Maia to determine number one contender Posted: 08 Feb 2010 06:04 PM PST Props: Sportsnet.ca Quoteworthy: "We've spoken with Chael on many occasions and have the utmost respect for him. He's never really come across in this manner, and it's obvious he's just drumming up hype in hopes to get a bout with Anderson. We are fine if this is what the UFC wants, but if you look at this logistically, Sonnen should fight Demian Maia first. Demian beat up easily, by submission, so why not make them fight first, to determine who gets a shot at the title? It's funny, but really, who actually listens to what Chael Sonnen has to say? The only time people listen is when he talks about Anderson. Who is he, really? If you walk down the street and you mention his name, does anyone really know who this guy is? Likely not, but if you mention Anderson Silva, people know the name. Chael's also said a few things about Anderson's choice of clothes and that he wears earrings, didn't he? Sounds to us like he may have a crush on Anderson." Sound familiar? Ed Soares, manager and translator for UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, is once again playing matchmaker, this time on the heels of a supposed 185-pound number one contender bout between Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt at UFC 109: "Relentless" this past Saturday night (Feb. 6). UFC President Dana White promised the winner of Sonnen vs. Marquardt the first crack at the division title after "The Spider" defends it at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. Now Soares is tampering with the formula -- much like he did after Dan Henderson decapitated Michael Bisping at UFC 100 to earn his rematch (and we all know how that ended up). Does Soares have a legitimate gripe? Or should he zip his lip leave the matchmaking to Joe Silva?

UFC 109 backstage pics behind the scenes for 'Relentless' Posted: 08 Feb 2010 03:38 PM PST Dan Miller exploding the term "Hitchhiker's Thumb." See the entire UFC 109 backstage gallery here.

Chael Sonnen talks UFC 109 and more on tonight's presentation of Pro MMA Radio (Updated) Posted: 08 Feb 2010 03:17 PM PST Top UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen has been added to tonight's edition of Pro MMA Radio to talk about his dominant performance over fellow contender Nate Marquardt at UFC 109: "Relentless" this past Saturday night (Feb. 6). The multi-dimensional fighter will also discuss his bid to become Oregon’s next State Representative. To learn more about Chael’s political future, visit VoteSonnen.com. To hear everything Chael has to say about UFC 109 and beyond, be sure to tune in tonight at 9 p.m. ET for our exclusive live feed!

Chuck Liddell is going to kill Tito Ortiz in 'tune up' fight Posted: 08 Feb 2010 01:48 PM PST

UFC 114: Ryan Jensen vs Jesse Forbes on tap for May 29 Posted: 08 Feb 2010 12:47 PM PST A middleweight bout between Ryan Jensen (14-6) and Jesse Forbes (11-4) has been signed for UFC 114, which is scheduled to go down at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 29, according to MMAFighting.com. Both fighters are coming off losses, meaning that this could very well end up being a good 'ole loser leaves town match. Jensen was last seen in action earlier this year at UFC 108 where he was defeated by Mark Munoz in the first round. Coming into that contest, Jensen had only won three of his previous seven fights and has only tasted victory once in five tries under the UFC banner. Jesse "Kid Hercules" Forbes, a member of the third season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), has had a bit of a better run lately than his counterpart at UFC 114. Despite dropping his last contest at UFC Fight Night 20 against Nick Catone, Forbes has only lost twice in his last nine fights.  After getting cut from the UFC following his defeat at the hands of Matt Hamill at the TUF 3 Finale, Forbes enjoyed great success in smaller regional shows, but just hasn't been able to put it all together on the sport's biggest stage. He'll look for his first win in the UFC come Memorial Day weekend. UFC 114 is expected to be headlined by TUF 10 coaches and now mortal enemies "Suga" Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. The card is also expected to feature an interesting battle between Forrest Griffin and Antonio Rogerio Noguiera. It's all set to go down on May 29 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news on UFC 114 as it becomes available.

Gomi by first round knockout? You betta recognize ... Posted: 08 Feb 2010 11:46 AM PST ... and git with da "Flo." "I think he will find out very quickly that [knocking me out is] going to be a very difficult thing to do. I didn’t get to where I am by getting beat in the first round and I’m looking forward to seeing if that’s going to come true. Gomi is a tough guy. He was the best in the world for a long time." Boston bruiser and perennial lightweight contender Kenny Florian (via The Boston Herald) dismisses Takanori's prediction of a first round knockout when "The Fireball Kid" makes his UFC debut opposite "KenFlo" at UFC Fight Night 21 from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday, March 31. The MMA community is already abuzz about the prospect of a rematch between Gomi and current division kingpin BJ Penn, but he won't get there without toppling the constantly improving Florian -- whose only losses in his past 12 fights have been at the hands of Sean Sherk and "The Prodigy." Fireball? Or fizzle out? Your prediction on Gomi's debut is ...

Melvin Guillard gunning for title contention under Greg Jackson Posted: 08 Feb 2010 09:07 AM PST Props: Examiner.com Quoteworthy: "I was ecstatic to have my first win under Coach Jackson. Like I told everybody tonight, I started out 0-0, now I'm 1-0 under Team Jackson and right now my goal is to just work hard and try to move myself into title contention. Working with Joe Stevenson full-time, we're like brothers now. My confidence grows because of him. He encourages me and I encourage him. Everybody there is just like a big family and just to work with Coach Greg, the best coach in the world, it's awesome. I got turned down by a couple of gyms actually, because people really don't know the real me, they just know what they see out and about, all the bad stuff, but Coach Greg took a chance on me and I won't let him down." Embattled former Ultimate Fighter 2 contestant and latest addition to the storied Greg Jackson family, Melvin Guillard, reflects on the changes both in his training and in his personal life that helped propel him to a unanimous decision win over Ronnys Torres at UFC 109: "Relentless" from the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Feb. 6. "The Young Assassin" has always held a tremendous amount of potential but never managed to correct the mistakes that led to repeated submission losses to fighters like Joe Stevenson and Nate Diaz. Now with the head training guru taking him in and showing him the light, should we expect to include Guillard's name in the list of 155-pound title contenders in 2011?

Michael Bisping UFC 110 video blog (Week 5) Posted: 08 Feb 2010 08:43 AM PST

Dana White: 'Tito's back' Posted: 08 Feb 2010 07:17 AM PST Props: Sherdog.com Quoteworthy: "Tito’s calling out (Mark) Coleman when he’s fighting Chuck (Liddell). I don’t even know what to say to that. That’s Tito. Guy just loses in the most important fight of his life. This meant more to Coleman than anything, to fight Randy Couture and beat him. He loses, he’s standing up there doing an interview and Tito’s screaming sh-- at him. Tito’s back." UFC President Dana White joins a perplexed MMA community in trying to unearth the reasoning behind the verbal remarks "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" hurled at Mark Coleman following his disappointing loss to fellow Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture in the main event of UFC 109: "Relentless" at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Feb. 6. Ortiz told "The Hammer" that "Paybacks are a bitch" just as Coleman was about to give his post-fight thoughts to Joe Rogan inside the Octagon apparently to get back at him for incendiary remarks directed towards his family in the not-too-distant past. Was Ortiz out of line? Or was he "just being Tito?"

UFC 109 CompuStrike fight stats illustrate Chael Sonnen's domination of Nate Marquardt (Pic) Posted: 08 Feb 2010 06:52 AM PST UFC 109: "Relentless" Chael Sonnen defeats Nate Marquardt via unanimous decision. Fight time: Standing (1:48); Ground (13:12) Total Strikes = Total Arm Strikes + Total Leg Strikes + Ground Strikes Total Arm Strikes Landed = Power Strikes Landed + Clinch Strikes Landed Total Leg Strikes Landed = Kicks Landed + Knees Landed For a round-by-round breakdown of all the UFC 109 fight stats head over to CompuStrike by clicking here.

UFC Quick Quote: Wherever Cain Velasquez takes the fight, 'Minotauro' Nogueira will be ready Posted: 08 Feb 2010 06:43 AM PST "I’m very excited for the fight. Wherever it goes, I’ll be ready. If he takes me down, we’re going for submissions. My jiu-jitsu will be 100 percent. King Mo is one the best wrestlers in America. We do a lot of single leg and double leg defense. I have a very good camp here. If I [win and rematch Frank] Mir, it will be different. I’ll be in better shape and no injuries. I don’t like how Mir talks. I come from jiu-jitsu. I come from martial arts. I train hard, and I respect my opponent. I will never say anything bad about my opponent. My opponent works hard so that’s my way. I don’t think he shows respect. I think I could fight until 37. I’m in really good shape. I’ll fight until my body tells me I can’t. I feel good. I’m going to do the best show possible." Mixed martial arts pillar Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1) tells Gary Herman that he's ready for anything in his UFC 110 main event against Cain Velasquez for the promotion's debut "down under" at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia on Saturday, Feb. 21. Big Nog is hoping that a dominating win over the rising star, coupled with his victory over Randy Couture last August can put him back into the heavyweight title picture after a 2008 stoppage to Frank Mir temporarily derailed his ascension. Are there too many miles on the Brazilians tires? Or is he merely getting his second wind?

Hidehiko Yoshida retirement event scheduled for April 25 at Nippon Budokan Posted: 08 Feb 2010 06:24 AM PST Barcelona Olympic judo gold medalist and Japanese MMA icon, Hidehiko Yoshida, has officially confirmed that he will fight his final bout on April 25th, 2010 - and it looks like he will go out with flair. On Monday, February 8, J-Rock, a sport/entertainment management company that houses Yoshida and a number of other fighters from his dojo, held a press conference to announce that an event titled, "Hidehiko Yoshida retirement event ~ASTRA~" to commemorate the final bout of Yoshida's career at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. While the event will be promoted and hosted under the auspices of J-Rock, Takahiro Kokuho, the president of J-Rock and former director of World Victory Road, stated that he hopes to enlist other promoters for collaboration. Also, there is currently no plan to continue "ASTRA" as a new promotion beyond Yoshida's farewell event, but Kokuho did not rule out the possibility. As for the synopsis of the event, 3-4 opening and 7-8 main card bouts contested under three, five-minute rounds, as well as a grand retirement ceremony for Yoshida, are in works. Needless to say, the main event will feature Yoshida against an unnamed opponent: Hoping to make Yoshida's farewell bout a "meaningful one," Kokuho is carefully seeking a rightful opponent from Japan and overseas. Yoshida cited recurring pain in his left shoulder that he injured during his fight against Mark Hunt in June, 2004 as the reason for his retirement. He initially planned to retire after the New Year's Eve fight against the fellow Olympic judo gold medalist, Satoshi Ishii, in the originally scheduled Sengoku Raiden Championship event; the plan was derailed, however, after DREAM and Sengoku joined forces for the FEG-promoted Dynamite!! 2009. Reflecting on his career, Yoshida named the two encounters with Wanderlei Silva in PRIDE as the most memorable bouts of the career. He also divulged his plan to open a judo dojo upon retirement. While he did not name a specific opponent for his upcoming fight, he said that he is willing to rematch Satoshi Ishii or oblige Kazuhiro Nakamura for a teammate battle. Besides Yoshida, fellow Yoshida dojo members, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Makoto Takimoto, Michihiro Omigawa, and Tatsunao Nagakura are scheduled to fight on the card. Finally, Nippon Budokan was chosen to host the event, given the fondness Yoshida has developed for the venue since his days as a Judoka. Stay tuned to MMAmania for more news regarding the April 25 event. For more on ASTRA click here.

Wilson Reis returning to Bellator Fighting Championships for Season 2 tournament Posted: 08 Feb 2010 06:14 AM PST CHICAGO, Ill. (February 8, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that 9-1 featherweight standout Wilson Reis will return for Bellator’s Season 2 featherweight tournament looking to avenge his Season 1 loss to Bellator Champion Joe Soto. The 25-year-old Reis is a back belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and, in 2008, took home the first-ever EliteXC bantamweight championship belt with his win over "The Silent Assassin," Abel Cullum. Despite entering Bellator Season 1 as the No 1 tournament favorite and the No. 7 ranked featherweight in the world, Reis fell in the semi-final round to the upstart Soto. It was considered by many as the upset of the tournament and was the first and only loss of Reis’ career. "Wilson’s a very talented fighter at 145 and was just one judge’s decision away from advancing to the featherweight championship fight last season," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "The Soto-Reis fight was one of the best fights in a season of great fights and the chance to potentially see a rematch between these two would be awesome. But first. Wilson has to get through a gauntlet of great fighters at 145. Plain and simple with Wilson’s addition, our featherweight tournament is stacked." Reis is the sixth confirmed competitor in Bellator’s upcoming eight-man Season 2 featherweight tournament, joining Joe Warren, Patricio Pitbull, Georgi Karakhanyan, William Romero and Bao Quach. Combined, the six fighters boast a remarkable career record of 57-12-2. Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 155, 170 and 185 lbs. during Season 2, which begins April 8th on FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo. The winners in each division will be declared No. 1 contenders to the current roster of champions. Reis was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, known worldwide as a breeding ground for young Jiu-Jitsu fighters. He trained under the famed Jiu-Jitsu coach Roberto Godoi and first made a name for himself while still a teenager, winning the 2004 Jiu-Jitsu World Championships. Later that same year, he came to the United States to continue his Jiu-Jitsu training at the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu United gym in Jenkintown, Penn., working construction during the day to make ends meet. About two years later, he began to take up an interest in MMA and started expanding his training to include boxing, grappling and Muay Thai, moving to the Daddis Fight Camps in Philadelphia. He took his first professional MMA fight in July 2007. "After that first fight, I knew MMA was going to be my sport," Reis said. "I knew I could be very successful." Since then, he has amassed an impressive 9-1 overall record with his lone defeat coming at the hands of the aforementioned Soto. "More than anything, I want to get my rematch against Joe Soto," Reis said. "I’m a lot more mature now as a fighter and an athlete … a lot more prepared than I was before." For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

Pancrase '2010 Passion Tour' results and quick recap Posted: 08 Feb 2010 06:14 AM PST Japanese MMA mainstay, Pancrase, kicked off its 2010 campaign with "Pancrase 2010 Passion Tour" on Sunday, February 7. In the main event of the night, UFC/Pride/Pancrase veteran and former Light Heavyweight King of Pancrase, Yuki Kondo successfully defended his Middleweight Interim King of Pancrase title against Kazushi Sakuraba protege, Takenori Sato. From the opening bell, Kondo seized the reins of striking exchange and refused to yield until the very end. Outmatched in the stand-up battle, Sato resorted to repeated takedown attempts that Kondo stuffed effortlessly. When Sato found himself on his back, Kondo proceeded with steady ground-and-pound from the top, adroitly maneuvering himself away from Sato's submission attempts. In the end, all the judges gave Kondo a nod, rewarding him with an opportunity to face Ichiro Kanai on April 29 for the Middleweight King of Pancrase title bout. The penultimate bout of the night crowned the second Flyweight King of Pancrase, as Kiyotaka Shimizu bested the defending and inaugural champion, Hisamitsu Sunabe. Shimizu, who stumbled against Sunabe in their prior meeting in June 2008, got off to a slow start, as he was knocked down early in the round by Sunabe's left hook. Sunabe launched his ground attack toward the end of the round with triangle choke and arm bar attempts off his back. Shimizu picked up his momentum in the second and third rounds, with successful takedown attempts, but neither fighter managed to gain a discernible edge on the feet or on the ground. At the end of three rounds, Shimizu earned a close decision (29-29, 29-28 x 2) to become the new King of Pancrase. In a bout billed as a "hidden main event of the night," Seiya Kawahara and Tashiro Nishiuchi, Pancrase's number one and number two-ranked bantamweights, respectively, thrilled the crowd with fast-paced action. Kawahara, who was on a two-fight winning streak since suffering a TKO loss to Nick Denis in the preliminary round of Sengoku's featherweight grand prix last year, survived the striking exchange and maintained a steady pace on the ground with strikes from the top to earn a unanimous decision victory. While the sum of their ages do not amount to 91 (if you do not get the reference, what in the world were you doing this weekend?), Yuji Hisamatsu and Keiichiro Yamamiya showed the crowd at Differ Ariake Arena that two late thirty-somethings can still fight their heart out. Hisamatsu edged Yamamiya with a close decision (30-30, 30-29 x 2) after three rounds of valiant striking exchange. Elsewhere, in a fight pitting youth against experience, 19 year-old Tetsuya Yamada scored a thrilling TKO victory against 37 year-old Takafumi Ito. Two minutes into the second round, Yamada found himself on his back: After thwarting Ito's attempt to pass his open guard, Yamada fired off an upkick that landed flush on the chin. With the victory, Yamada snapped a two-fight losing streak against Ronnie Mann and Maximo Blanco in Sengoku. Full result: Main-Event: Middleweight Interim King of Pancrase title fight: 11. Yuki Kondo (Champion) Def. Takenori Sato by Decision 3-0 Flyweight King of Pancrase title fight: 10. Kiyotaka Shimizu Def. Mitsuhisa Sunabe (champion) by Decision 2-0 9. Bantam: Seiya Kawahara Def. Tashiro Nishiuchi by Decision 3-0 8. Middle: Yuji Hisamatsu Def. Keiichiro Yamamiya by Decision 2-0 7. Light: Tetsuya Yamada Def. Takafumi Ito by KO Round 2 2:23 6. Feather: Tomonari Kanomata Def. Shigeyuki Uchiyama by decision 2-0 5. Light: Isao Kobayashi Def. Hiroki "AB" Aoki by TKO Round 1 1:00 4. Fly: Isao Hirose Def. Takuma Ishii by rear-naked choke Round 2 1:34 3. Middle: Hoon Kim Def. Ryuji Ohori by armbar Round 1 3:36 2. Welter: Daisuke Watanabe Def. Kosei Kubota by Decision 2-0 1. Welter: Kengo Ura Def. Shingo Suzuki by TKO Round 1 1:43

Team Japan bests Team USA at DEEP X 05 Posted: 07 Feb 2010 11:51 PM PST (Photo courtesy of God Bless the Ring) Japanese fans of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and submission grappling were treated to a night of heady grappling competition on Saturday, February 6 when DEEP held "DEEP X05," the fifth installment of its grappling event. The event featured a three-fight, "Japan vs. USA" competition that pitted some of the best submission grapplers from both sides of the Pacific. Team USA comprised Paul "El Technico" Schreiner, Baret Yoshida, and Ryan Hall. On the other hand, Team Japan featured UFC veteran, Keita Nakamura, Kohei Yasumi, and Takashi Yamada. While Team USA seemingly held the edge in terms of the pedigree and overall recognition of its members, Team Japan reeled off an outstanding performance, besting the competition 2-1. More amazingly, all three fights ended with submission. Takashi Yamada gave Team Japan an early lead with an upset victory over the 2009 ADCC bronze medalist and prolific submission grappler, Ryan Hall, via guillotine choke in the second round. Team USA bounced back, as 2009 World No-Gi Championship winner, Baret Yoshida, submitted Kohei Yasumi, an ADCC competitor and long-time sparring partner of Shinya Aoki and Satoru Kitaoka, with a lightening-quick triangle choke at 3:38 of round one. In the finale of the "Japan vs. USA" competition, UFC veteran and ADCC competitor, Keita Nakamura triumphed over former Brownbelt Mundial bronze medalist, Paul "El Technico" Schreiner, via kimura, sealing Team Japan's victory. Full results after the jump Japan vs. US (3 Fights): 81.5kg: Keita "K-Taro" Nakamura Def. Paul Schreiner by Kimura Round 2 1:44 68kg: Baret Yoshida Def. Kohei Yasumi by Triangle choke Round 1 3:38 73kg: Takashi Yamada def. Ryan Hall by Guillotine choke Round 2 1:30 56kg: Sayaka Shiota Def. Rikako Yuasa by kneebar Round 1 0:22 Open: Marcos "Marquinhos" Souza vs. KOTESU Cancelled 66kg: Tsubasa Tobinaga Def. Akihiro Hoshino by armbar Round 2 1:21 85kg: Motoki Miyazawa Def. Yuji Arai by choke round 1 2:13 Open: Taijiro Ui Def. Yuichi Ozono by points 8-2 Open: Hideki Sekine Def. Singh "Heart" Jaideep by points 27-1 Opening Fights: 63kg (1x5min.): Yuruka Sasaki vs. Yasushi Kiuchi Draw 75kg (1x5min.): Takashi Matsumoto Def. Nobuto Horiuchi by points 8-2 69kg (1x5min.): Takehiro Isetani Def. Tatsuya Karasana by choke 4:04 70kg (1x5min.): Kleber Koike Def. Hideto Okada by points 2-0 67kg (1x5min.): Takumi Murata Def. Kazuto Hamasaki by points 13-0 77kg (1x5min.): Takahiro Kanda Def. Naoto Miyazaki by points 4-2 65kg (1x5min.): Yuto Hirai Def. Yasufumi Suzaki by points 6-4 62kg (1x5min.): Michinori Tanaka Def. Satoru Ida

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UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

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• UFC 109 fighter salaries and paydays for 'Relentless'
• Super Bowl 2010: Time to talk 'Colts vs Saints'
• UFC Quick Quote: Randy Couture to keep plugging away at light heavyweight
• Randy Couture celebrated his easy victory over Mark Coleman at UFC 109 by hitting up Eve Nightclub...
• MMAmania.com announces UFC 109 Tokyo Five Matt Serra contest winners
• Chael Sonnen ready to myth bust Anderson Silva ...
• Matt Serra: I may not be the prettiest striker -- but when I land I do damage (Video)
• UFC 109: Paulo Thiago 'very happy' with submission win over Mike Swick
• UFC Quick Quote: 'Relentless' Mark Coleman performance likely his last inside the Octagon
• Dana White: Chael Sonnen looked 'unreal' in win over Nate Marquardt at UFC 109 (Video)

UFC 109 fighter salaries and paydays for 'Relentless' Posted: 07 Feb 2010 08:06 PM PST The official fighter purses for those who competed at UFC 109: "Relentless" this past Saturday night (Feb. 6) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, were released earlier today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). As expected, main event participant and UFC Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture was the big earner of the night. "The Natural" came away with a cool $250,000 for his submission win over fellow MMA pioneer Mark "The Hammer" Coleman, who banked a respectable $60,000 in defeat. Former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt "The Terror" Serra also had a big night, pulling in $150,000 for his crushing win over the fading Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg ($30,000). The next closest salaries came via winning performances from middleweights Chael Sonnen ($64,000) and Demian Maia ($62,000). Here is the complete list of UFC 109 payouts: Randy Couture: $250,000 (no win bonus) Mark Coleman: $60,000 Couture defeated Coleman via submission (1:09 R2) Chael Sonnen: $64,000 ($32,000 to show, $32,000 to win) Nate Marquardt: $45,000 Sonnen defeated Marquardt via unanimous decision Paulo Thiago: $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win) Mike Swick: $43,000 Thiago defeated Swick via submission (1:54 R2) Demian Maia: $62,000 ($31,000 to show, $31,000 to win) Dan Miller: $15,000 Maia defeated Miller via unanimous decision Matt Serra: $150,000 ($75,000 to show, $75,000 to win) Frank Trigg: $30,000 Serra defeated Trigg via TKO (2:23 R1) Mac Danzig: $40,000 ($20,000 to show, $20,000 to win) Justin Buchholz: $8,000 Danzig defeated Buchholz via unanimous decision Melvin Guillard: $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win) Ronys Torres: $4,000 Guillard defeated Torres via unanimous decision Rob Emerson: $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win) Phillipe Nover: $10,000 Emerson defeated Nover via unanimous decision Phil Davis: $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 to win) Brian Stann: $17,000 Davis defeated Stann via unanimous decision Chris Tuchscherer: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win) Tim Hague: $7000 Tuchscherer defeated Hague via majority decision Joey Beltran: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 to win) Rolles Gracie: $15,000 Beltran defeated Gracie via TKO (1:31 R2)   Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc. For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." To check out these figures for UFC 109 go here. The total base fighter payroll for the pay-per-view (PPV) event, which reportedly attracted a crowd of 10,687 attendees and a live gate of approximately $2.27 million, was $944,000. For complete results and coverage of "Relentless" click here and here.

Super Bowl 2010: Time to talk 'Colts vs Saints' Posted: 07 Feb 2010 02:00 PM PST It's open thread and discussion time as the clock ticks down to Super Bowl XLIV: "Colts vs. Saints." Kick off is set for 6:25 p.m. ET on CBS, giving us all ample time to discuss the game, predictions, commercials and whatever the hell else you want. Feel free to also post any MMA (or hot babe)-related news, gifs, photos or videos if football just ain't you're cup 'o tea. Have at it, Maniacs. The floor is yours.

UFC Quick Quote: Randy Couture to keep plugging away at light heavyweight Posted: 07 Feb 2010 11:38 AM PST "I don't know what's next. We'll see. Dana will probably call me tomorrow and say ‘Hey, do you want to fight next week?'.... I was very happy. We couldn't have mapped it out better. The last few camps have been fantastic and this camp went great too. Everybody talked about Mark and expected the fight not to go well for him. But I don't overlook anybody. I took him very seriously. I see him as a dangerous guy. We prepared for the worst-case scenario, and I'm gonna do that every time. It was great to get the submission win.... I don't know what you're supposed to feel like at age 46. I have no idea. I'm having fun. I'm still smiling. I still enjoy going to the gym and competing.... I'm enjoying competing against guys my own size to be frank. The trend in the heavyweight division is, these guys aren't just big individuals anymore, these guys are damn good fighters. So all other things being equal, when you give away 30, 40, or 50 pounds, that's a pretty disparaging difference. So I'm happy to be playing around with the 205'ers.... I wasn't pushing the UFC to fight again, the situation the circumstance were what they were and the opportunity to fight again presented itself. I was more than happy to compete again. I've been healthy and I've found that I like the shorter camps and I like being this active.... I haven't placed any limits on myself. But I'm a realistic guy. I know that sooner or later I'm gonna have to find something else to do, but so far I'm physically holding up. I'm hitting all the benchmarks I've set for myself. So I'm just gonna keep plugging away and having fun." -- UFC Hall of Famer and ageless wonder Randy "The Natural" Couture talks about his dominating victory over Mark Coleman at UFC 109. Couture admits that at this point of his career, the more active he his, the better. And since dropping back down to the 205-pound division, and compiling an undefeated (2-0) record, Randy knows, and feels, like this is the weight class where he belongs. So, what's next for the legend? He has clearly thrust himself back into the top tier of the division, and with a relatively short amount of time left in his illustrious career, you better believe Couture wants to make every bit of it count. Which guys in the division do you want to see Randy matched up with? How many fights away from a title shot is he? Sound off, Maniacs.

Randy Couture celebrated his easy victory over Mark Coleman at UFC 109 by hitting up Eve Nightclub... Posted: 07 Feb 2010 11:38 AM PST Randy Couture celebrated his easy victory over Mark Coleman at UFC 109 by hitting up Eve Nightclub in Las Vegas last night. More pics at TMZ.com.

MMAmania.com announces UFC 109 Tokyo Five Matt Serra contest winners Posted: 07 Feb 2010 09:13 AM PST MMAmania.com is proud to announce the grand prize winner of our UFC 109 Tokyo Five sponsored contest give-a-way, Alex McDowell. Alex came the closest out of the thousands upon thousands of entries that we had to sift through since Saturday night's "Relentless" pay-per-view (thanks for the support and participation everyone), predicting that Matt Serra would finish Frank Trigg via technical knockout in round one of their welterweight showdown at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 6. The official time of the stoppage was 2:23. Nice work, Alex. He walks away with a signed Serra walkout tee from Tokyo Five -- but he isn't alone. Several other MMAmania readers were close enough to earn their share of prizes, so we'll send them shirts (unsigned), too. Here they are: Robin Enman: Serra (TKO) Trigg in 1st Round 2:10 Greg Manco: Serra via TKO at 2:37 in Round 1 Stan Jasinski: Serra wins via TKO at 2:42 of round 1 Alex, Robin, Greg and Stan -- be on the lookout from the MMAmania.com team. We want to get your stuff in the mail as soon as possible. Thanks again for everyone who participated. And thanks to Tokyo Five for making this all possible. If you want to see more Tokyo Five gear click here.

Chael Sonnen ready to myth bust Anderson Silva ... Posted: 07 Feb 2010 08:24 AM PST ... he just needs to get a little rest first: "I'm feeling horrible right now, so I'll take anything to perk me up a little bit [being the number one contender]. I got cut in the fight. I got knocked out in the fight. I got choked in the fight. It was a miserable 15 minutes.... This is the Ultimate Fighting Championship. So while these guys are out there swinging a sledgehammer and flipping a tire around I'm throwing fists at a partners head, neck and chest. I'm fighting in practice everyday. I'm working on fighting things. I'm not spending my time on health or Anthony Robbins, screaming the word 'Yes!' over and over.... I never would have tapped [in the third round], but I was very close going to sleep. I was on my way out.... It was tight.... I would prefer to fight Anderson over Vitor [later this year] even though I think Vitor is the better fighter. Vitor has never lost a fight that was stand up. Not one ever. And I'm a Vitor fan. So I would know. The blueprint to beat Vitor is out there, but it's never been done by a stand up guy. It's been done by a guy who can push, pull and pummel him down there. The one weapon that Anderson's missing..... Anderson is fantastic. He's the champion of the world for a reason. I get that. I'm not delusional. I'd rather have Anderson who's big and tall and those long legs that I can come out and run over than Vitor. It will be a verbal beatdown [before the fight]. Anderson Silva will be in tears before it's all over.... This guy is no more real than the Loch Ness Monster. And if he needs me to expose him then I will. As far as him being the bully on the playground, his 15 minutes are up.... I've got to go get some rest. I feel horrible." Newly-minted number one middleweight contender, Chael Sonnen, reveals how close he was to losing to Nate Marquardt at UFC 109: "Relentless" last night (Feb. 6, 2010) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sonnen, for the most part, made "The Great" look bad -- certainly not the top ranked 185-pound fighter that he is today. But there were a few hairy moments, including eating an elbow that sliced his forehead wide open in the second round and a getting stuck in a choke in the final frame that nearly had him unconscious. Nonetheless, he persevered and now gets the opportunity to challenge the winner of the showdown between division champion Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort in April. Sonnen has been incredibly vocal about how he feels about the reign of "The Spider," who has never lost inside the Octagon and holds the record for the most straight victories for the promotion. Is Sonnen really the guy who can "expose" Silva or will Belfort beat him to it? Or, are both Belfor and Sonnen dead men walking? Let's hear it, Maniacs.

Matt Serra: I may not be the prettiest striker -- but when I land I do damage (Video) Posted: 07 Feb 2010 08:24 AM PST Who's next for "The Terror?"

UFC 109: Paulo Thiago 'very happy' with submission win over Mike Swick Posted: 07 Feb 2010 07:52 AM PST Props: MMA Fighting Quoteworthy: "I'm very, very happy with this victory. Mike Swick is a very tough guy and I knew it was going to be a tough fight. Mike Swick has a big career with the UFC so it's normal that people were going to think he would win. But I trained very hard, day and night. People should expect my next fight to be even better performance and continued improvement but yes, [back to work on Monday]." Brazilian supercop Paulo Thiago continues to defy the odds and muscle his way up the welterweight rankings, once again using a top-ranked fighter from the American Kickboxing Acadamy (AKA) as his springboard. Thiago pushed his record to 13-1at UFC 109 with a "Relentless" attack on Mike Swick, who succumbed to a perfectly executed D'arce choke in the second frame of their main card bout. It's back to work on Monday for the special forces police officer who promises to return to the Octagon even better the next time. That's a scary proposition for the rest of the 170-pound division and may have Josh Koscheck reconsidering that rematch he's been trying to get since falling to the Brazilian at UFC 95 in Thiago's UFC debut. Any fantasy matchmaker's want to take a stab at who his next victim might be?

UFC Quick Quote: 'Relentless' Mark Coleman performance likely his last inside the Octagon Posted: 07 Feb 2010 07:28 AM PST "Tonight is probably Mark Coleman's last fight in the UFC. Listen, he looked good against Bonnar. I'm not taking anything away from Mark Coleman -- I have nothing but respect for him. Mark Coleman's always been a stand up guy with me and he'll always be apart of this organization. I just think he'll have a hard time competing with the guys at the top level. Age is a factor with him. This fight was a dream for Coleman. His dream was to fight Randy Couture. And he wanted this thing bad.... He went in there and wasn't able to do anything. Randy pretty much beat him everywhere.... It's tough to say it's over and hang 'em up. It's the toughest thing in the world. And I hate dealing with it. It sucks.... Tito's a lot younger than him. He's talking shit to him after he just lost -- this fight that he wanted his whole life. And Tito's fighting Chuck. I'm not even thinking about Tito versus Coleman." -- UFC President Dana White talks about the fight future (or lack thereof) of former heavyweight champion Mark Coleman after a lopsided second round submission loss to Randy Couture in the main event at UFC 109: "Relentless." Coleman, 45, looked slow and sluggish compared to his equally-aged counterpart. The UFC Hall of Famer wanted to win the "legendary" fight badly to once again reinvigorate his career. But it didn't happen. And his performance was so meek that it will likely be his last ... despite getting into it with Tito Ortiz immediately following his loss to couture. So should Coleman, who claimed he would return during his post-fight remarks, be forced into retirement by White or should he be allowed to continue competing?

Dana White: Chael Sonnen looked 'unreal' in win over Nate Marquardt at UFC 109 (Video) Posted: 07 Feb 2010 07:01 AM PST

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