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UFC Quick Quote: Experience tells Matt Hughes BJ Penn should win at UFC 94 Posted: 29 Jan 2009 08:33 AM CST “This weekend is the GSP/BJ rematch, I've been doing a lot of interviews on this topic, since I've fought both of them (lost to both and beat them both). I think this fight comes down to a lot of things, I think GSP will have a slight wrestling advantage and I think BJ will have a submission advantage. GSP might be a little quicker with his punches; but I believe BJ has more power and has a stronger chin. If BJ shows up in good shape, I think he can get his hand raised at the end. If BJ doesn't show up in good shape, then he might have some problems.” – Former welterweight champion Matt Hughes share his prediction on the upcoming megafight between champions Georges St. Pierre and BJ Penn via Matt-Hughes.com. As Hughes points out, he has competed against both fighters twice, splitting with both of them. Hughes is set to take on Matt Serra at UFC 98 on May 23. St. Pierre and Penn will collide this Saturday, Jan. 31 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nate Diaz and Clay Guida video on UFC 94 fight Posted: 28 Jan 2009 11:59 PM CST Finally … some hype for this fight, which has a nice little back story:

Matt Veach steps in for injured George Sotiropolous to fight Matt Grice at UFC Fight Night 17 Posted: 28 Jan 2009 11:50 PM CST It’s “Bedlam” all over again with UFC Fight Night 17. The first-ever event for the promotion in Tampa, Fla., has been riddled with injuries and last-minute replacements in the past week. Main event attraction Hermes Franca and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 winner Amir Sadollah were recently scratched. Now you can add George Sotiropolous to the hit list. The Australian — who gained notoriety on season six of TUF — suffered an injury while training, which has forced him off the Spike TV special. Sotiropolous has had a run-in with injuries recently, keeping him out of action since a dominating technical knockout win over fellow TUF contestant Roman Mitichyan at UFC Fight Night 13 last April. Hopefully, he can bounce back sooner rather than later. For now, undefeated promotional newcomer Matt Veach will take his place against newly anointed Oklahoma police officer, Matt Grice. Veach recently turned professional and hasn’t looked back since, winning all 10 of his fights in little more than two years worth of work. And he’s done it impressively with stoppages in 90 percent of those contests mostly by way of submission. Grice was on a personal leave from the UFC to pursue a career in local law enforcement. He hasn't been seen in the Octagon since his battle against Jason Black at last year's UFC 77. The two put on a stellar three-round war that garnered "Fight of the Night" honors and some much deserved buzz about their respective futures. His fighting future now includes a showdown with Veach, which will be relegated to the non-televised portion of the Spike TV card. UFC Fight Night 17 will feature a main event between TUF 5 alum Joe Lauzon against budding lightweight talent, Jeremy Stephens, in the main event. Stephens recently replaced the injured Hermes Franca. The fight between Catone and Downey will more than likely not be guaranteed to air during the televised portion of the Spike TV broadcast. To check out the latest UFC Fight Night 17 fight card and rumors click here.

Stephan Bonnar no stepping stone for Jon Jones at UFC 94 Posted: 28 Jan 2009 11:13 PM CST Props: Las Vegas Sun Quoteworthy: “I’ve been anxious to get back in there. I’m glad it’s finally here. I’m getting kicked in [my knee], grappling with it. It’s fine. It’s holding up…. He [Jon Jones] knows this is a big shot, I know he’s gonna come ready and look to bring it. I’ll be ready for it…. I got a good game plan, I know his strengths and my strengths and how we match up and what I got to do to win. I’m gonna follow it and do my best but hopefully I can catch him with a knockout or submission early.” The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season one light heavyweight finalist — the second half of the dynamic duo who helped catapult the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) into mainstream consciousness back in 2005 — is set to return from a serious knee that kept him on the sidelines for more than one year. “The American Psycho” will attempt to hand undefeated up-and-comer Jon Jones his first professional loss in mixed martial arts at UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s a huge opportunity for Jones to make a name for himself against a high-profile veteran like Bonnar … especially if cage rust and the knee injury are factors.

Nate Quarry vs Jason MacDonald on tap for UFC 97 in Montreal Posted: 28 Jan 2009 10:24 PM CST Jason MacDonald (21-11) will celebrate his tenth appearance inside the Octagon in front of a hometown crowd at UFC 97 from The Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on April 18, taking on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) alum Nate Quarry (10-3) in a middleweight bout. MMAmania.com today confirmed that “The Athlete” has been added to the card. He joins a bevvy of Canadian talent set to compete during the second-ever show for the promotion to take place north of the United States border. MacDonald has had a roller coaster ride during his UFC tenure. He has compiled a winning record (5-4); however, he has struggled against several of the top fighters the division has to offer — Rich Franklin, Yushin Okami, Wilson Gouveia and Demian Maia are notable losses. He was most recently overwhelmed by the vicious ground and pound of Gouveia at TUF 8 Finale back in December. The American Top Team (ATT) powerhouse smashed MacDonald with brutal elbows, forcing him to tap little more than two minutes into round one. MacDonald has been unable to gain any traction in the 185-pound division since bursting onto the scene in 2006 with back-to-back submission wins over Ed Herman and Chris Leben. If recent trends are any indication, MacDonald is poised for victory over “The Rock;” however, it won’t come easy. Quarry will return to the scene of the crime in what was one of the most bizarre fights ever against Kalib Starnes back at UFC 83: “St. Pierre vs. Serra 2″ in April 2008. He essentially chased the Surrey, British Columbia, native for a majority of the 15-minute bout. Starnes simply refused to engage. It was such a joke that Quarry mocked him inside the Octagon toward the tail end of the fight for playing keep-a-away. The Starnes fight was just his second after a nearly two-year break from competition to recover from a serious injury that required "spinal fusion" surgery to repair. He stopped Pete Sell via come from behind third round knockout in his return fight. He was then submitted by Maia in short order at UFC 91: “Couture vs. Lesnar” in November 2008. It’s once again a contrast in styles — MacDonald has some tricky submissions. Of course, his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills are not on par with a decorated grappler such as Maia, but Quarry — a heavy-handed power-puncher by trade — will have to be careful nonetheless. To check out the latest UFC 97 fight card and rumors click here.

Georges St. Pierre and BJ Penn face off at UFC 94 press conference (Pic) Posted: 28 Jan 2009 07:10 PM CST (Thanks as always to Tracy Lee of CombatLifestyle.com for the pics. See more right here.) Check out the final pre-fight press highlights conference after the jump!

Jon Fitch talks Mythbusters and UFC 94 undercard fight against Akihiro Gono (Video) Posted: 28 Jan 2009 06:58 PM CST Jon Fitch talks Mythbusters and UFC 94 undercard fight against Akihiro Gono

Programming reminder: ‘UFC Primetime’ episode three airs tonight on Spike TV at 10 p.m. ET Posted: 28 Jan 2009 04:28 PM CST It’s the third and final of the series, which means that we are just days away from showtime. Check out highlights from episode two after the jump.

UFC 94 video blog with Dana White (Episode 3) Posted: 28 Jan 2009 03:45 PM CST

WEC Quick Quote: Jamie Varner put his body through Hell Posted: 28 Jan 2009 12:10 PM CST “My medical bills are going to be way more than what I made in this fight. I had to get a bunch of X-Rays done, a CAT scan, I had to go get surgery on my hand, I’m gonna have to get my foot casted, I have to go back to the doctor and have my eyes checked out again, all that stuff adds up. It’s crazy that people can sit there and talk shit about me when they have no idea what I did [on Sunday night]. I laid it all on the line, I put my body through Hell. My hand’s broken, I can barely walk, my foot’s broken, I’m on crutches and I got a cast on my hand. I don’t know what the hell people wanted from me. It’s crazy.” -WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner talks to Pro MMA Radio about his 4.5 round war with Donald Cerrone at WEC 38 ‘Varner vs. Cerrone.’ "C-4″ and "Cowboy" put on a thrilling back-and-forth brawl for more than 20 minutes until the bout was stopped prematurely due to an illegal knee by Cerrone. A dazed Varner opted not to continue, sending it to the judges scorecards for a final decision and provided a disappointing ending to an otherwise great title fight. Afterwards, an incredulous Varner was lit up on the message boards for throwing in the towel - a criticism he maintains is unwarranted based on the abuse his body took during the fight. For the entire interview with Varner, check out the Pro MMA Radio replay by clicking here.

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