Thursday, December 3, 2009

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

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


Kimbo Slice vs Houston Alexander video preview Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale

Posted: 03 Dec 2009 04:28 AM PST

Kimbo Slice vs Houston Alexander Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale fight official for Spike TV

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 08:47 PM PST

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It's finally official: Ratings monster Kimbo Slice is set to make his much-anticipated Octagon debut against hard-hitting Houston Alexander at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale, which is slated for "The Pearl" at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 5.

Slice was bounced out of the 16-man tournament-style competition, losing to pre-season favorite, former International Fight League (IFL) standout Roy Nelson, via second round technical knockout. About 6.1 million viewers tuned in to watch Slice compete on Spike TV, smashing the network's previous record by more than 3 million.

Unsurprisingly, producers teased a potential Slice return throughout the remaining episodes. In fact, UFC President Dana White actually approached the former Elite XC posterboy about filling in for a flaky Matt Mitrione in the quarterfinals; however, Slice declined because of arthritis in his knee.

Mitrione ended up fighting (and losing) anyway, but Slice's response shocked White. He indicated that he was trying to be smart and think about his future rather than risking another potential setback at less than full strength. Now we get to see if it was all worth it as he readies for the "Nebraskan Assassin."

He sure sounds as if he is:

"... it's time for the next step in my career.... It's gonna be good.... All I can say is that somebody's getting knocked out. Everybody knows what my stronghold is."

Alexander recently took out Sherman Pendergarst with a barrage of leg kicks and punches at Adrenaline MMA 4 in September, getting himself back in the win column after suffering three straight losses inside the Octagon.

The five-fight UFC veteran came up short against Eric Schafer, James Irvin and Thiago Silva, which was quite a twist of fortune after starting his career with the promotion with two big, and emphatic, victories over Alessio Sakara and Keith Jardine.

With a high-profile opportunity to battle Slice -- a fighter who he knows will likely stand and trade with him -- the Nebraskan can get his name back in the mix literally overnight with an exciting performance.

TUF 10 Finale will feature a showdown between the top two finalists from the Spike TV reality show, Roy Nelson and Brendan Schaub, as well as a light heavyweight war featuring Jon "Bones" Jones as he inches his way closer to contention against Matt "The Hammer" Hamill.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the TUF 10 Finale, beginning with the Spike TV telecast at 9 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action on fight night.

To check out the latest TUF 10 Finale fight card and rumors click here.

Roy Nelson vs. Brendan Schaub set for Dec. 5 Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 08:45 PM PST

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Former IFL champion Roy Nelson has fought his way into the Dec. 5 Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale and will face fellow contestant and undefeated Greg Jackson disciple Brendan Schaub this Saturday, live from "The Pearl" at the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Spike TV.

"Big Country" quickly put an end to the Kimbo Slice experiment in front of a record-breaking 6.1 million viewers on Episode 3 of the Spike TV reality show. While UFC President Dana White panned the performance, it was still good enough to move him into the quarterfinals.

His second fight was far from the dominant performance of the first, as Nelson opted to throw leather for two rounds against Justin Wren. He squeaked past "The Viking" via majority decision and into a semifinal bout against James McSweeney.

Once again, Nelson kept it standing, but when a cocky McSweeney ate a hard right hand, the portly jiu-jitsu black belt capitalized on the rubber legs and took the fight to the ground. From there it was academic, as he used the same belly crucifix he used to pound out Kimbo Slice to finish McSweeney and launch himself into the live Finale.

He'll definitely have his hands full against Schaub.

The undefeated Colorado native took a few shots from Demico Rogers in his opening elimination fight, but stayed composed and secured an anaconda choke to finish "Night Train" and advance to the quarterfinals.

Waiting for him was Jon Madsen, who used his wrestling prowess to keep Schaub's hands at bay; however, Schaub was able to catch the H.I.T. Squad member with a brutal combination, putting him to sleep in the second round.

His final test would be against Marcus Jones in the semifinals. "The Darkness' powered him to the ground and tried to keep him there, but the wily Schaub battled back and once again used his superior stand-up to finish his larger foe.

Now he'll look to keep his perfect record intact against Roy Nelson on Dec. 5.

Who takes it?

TUF 10 Finale will feature a showdown between the top two finalists from the Spike TV reality show, Roy Nelson and Brendan Schaub, as well as a light heavyweight war featuring Jon "Bones" Jones as he inches his way closer to contention against Matt "The Hammer" Hamill.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the TUF 10 Finale, beginning with the Spike TV telecast at 9 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action on fight night.

To check out the latest TUF 10 Finale fight card and rumors click here.

Marcus Jones vs Matt Mitrione Ultimate Fighter 10 bout announced for Dec. 5

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 08:33 PM PST

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Payback is a bitch.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer defensive end, Marcus Jones, will indeed pursue his mixed martial arts career when he takes on former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle, Matt Mitrione, at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale this Saturday (Dec. 5) live from "The Pearl" at the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jones and Mitrione went nose-to-nose in second-to-last episode of the season when "Darkness" learned that an errant (and accidental) Mitrione eye poke jeopardized the fight future of friend and fellow castmate, Scott Junk. No punches were thrown; however, Jones vividly explained the bodily harm that he wanted to inflict on "Meathead."

It was revealed shortly thereafter that Junk would make a full recovery; however, matchmakers/producers apparently hope to capitalize on the heat that may or may not still exist between the fighters after their heated exchange.

Jones was actually one fight away from facing Roy Nelson on Saturday night after handily defeating Mike Wessell and Darrill Schoonover. Unfortunately, Brendan Schaub didn't get the memo, finishing "Big Baby" via strikes in the final episode.

It's one fight closer than Mitrione got. The hypochondriac bested Scott Junk on Episode 7, but got choked out by James McSweeney in the quarterfinals just last night.

He could easily erase those bad memories with a big win over Jones.

TUF 10 Finale will feature a showdown between the top two finalists from the Spike TV reality show, Roy Nelson and Brendan Schaub, as well as a light heavyweight war featuring Jon "Bones" Jones as he inches his way closer to contention against Matt "The Hammer" Hamill.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the TUF 10 Finale, beginning with the Spike TV telecast at 9 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action on fight night.

To check out the latest TUF 10 Finale fight card and rumors click here.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10: Final episodes recap and discussion

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 04:36 PM PST

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The final episodes of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 10 are now underway and Dana White is still fuming over Matt Mitrione's inability to make a decision about fighting in the quarterfinals. With that, he immediately calls Kimbo Slice into his office to gauge his desire to fill in should "Meathead" throw in the towel.

Well, ever since Kimbo got marshmallowed out of the competition by Roy Nelson in episode three, all we've heard from the former YouTube star was how badly he wanted a second chance at TUF stardom. He would Hulk-up and blow steam from his nose like an angry bull whenever a fellow fighter fell ill.

Then White presents it as a real possibility, only to have Kimbo stutter and stammer his way through a bunch of excuses about not fighting at 100-percent and having knee pain and blah, blah, blah. The doctor examines him and offers a cortisone shot to relieve him of the pain but since Kimbo is afraid of needles it's kind of a moot point.

So after all that jazz, Kimbo passes on the chance to fight again because he's only at 40-percent and taking a bout against McSweeney "wouldn't be the smart thing to do."

Turns out it doesn't matter, since Mitrione wakes up on the day of his deadline and feels great. He tries to pass it off as the doctor's decision to give him the green light but Coach Rashad knows Meathead had the go-ahead to fight two days ago. McSweeney is thrilled to hear the news and looks to exact a little bit of revenge.

Mitrione then goes on to admit most of it was an act. Partly to get into the head of James McSweeney and partly to keep himself entertained. At this point I'm not sure what to believe but it does make me just a bit more grateful that this season is coming to a close.

Back at the house we get the haunting piano solo and lo and behold Scott Junk shows up at the house with post-op sunglasses on. Uh-oh. Turns out he suffered severe retina damage in his fight against Mitrione (eye poke) and could face blindness if he continues fighting. Junk vows to keep visiting different doctors until he finds one that says he can fight.

Marcus Jones gets wind of the bad news and has a complete and utter meltdown. His solution is to go batshit on Matt Mitrione for jerking everyone around for the past week with his phantom medical woes. Jones was probably bottling up his emotions all season and it just happened to boil over now, but it was still entertaining to see him go nose-to-nose with Meathead.

Good thing Jones didn't murk the unsuspecting Mitrione because the next day Junk gets good news from the doctor and he may be able to fight again after all.

Official weigh-ins get underway and it's Mitrione at 256 vs. McSweeney at 229. Dana gives his predictions for the fight which are never right so I'm betting the house on McSweeney - who sends a little message with a quick shove after they tip the scales.

Mitrione, in what can only be described as a bad omen, will be cornered by Roy Nelson. McSweeney, naturally, has most of Team Evans in his corner.

Quarterfinal elimination fight #3: Matt Mitrione (2-0) vs. James McSweeney (3-3)

Round 1: Outside leg kick by McSweeney. Another. High kick misses. Lots of dancing around by both men. A quick throw of hands and each fighter backs away. An inside low kick by McSweeney. Then an outside low kick and he eats a jab. Mitrione charges with a combination but McSweeney shrugs it off. They exchange kicks. Mitrione slings leather but gets nothing. Nice front kick connects for McSweeney. Mitrione blocks a high kick and McSweeney cracks him with a right. Mitrione catches a leg kick and blasts McSweeney for his efforts. At close range, they tee off but nothing solid connects. They back away and then tie up. McSweeney scores a single leg takedown. Mitrione looking for an ankle lock but McSweeney spins into side control. Mitrione powers out but stands up right into a textbook guillotine. McSweeney jumps into the hold and Meathead taps rather quickly.

James McSweeney defeats Matt Mitrione via submission (guillotine choke)

After the fight Rashad criticizes Mitrione for tapping so quickly. Meathead does a fair share of swearing but doesn't really seem that broken up over the loss. He does however; admit to tapping out "like a bitch."

We get right back into the action as Marcus Jones prepares for his quarterfinal fight against Darrill Schoonover. "Titties" warns the haters not to underestimate him and that he plans on setting up "a big right hand."

No weigh-ins, just right to the cage.

Quarterfinal elimination fight #4: Marcus Jones (4-2) vs. Darrill Schoonover (10-0)

Round 1: Punishing outside leg kick by Jones scoots Schoonover back a few steps. Jones immediately clinches and throws him to the mat like a rag doll. Jones uses his size to throw one leg over the head of Schoonover and punch him at the same time. Schoonover trying valiantly to escape but the power of Jones is just too much. Rape choke! Jones postures up and starts raining down blows. Schoonover, out. Total dominance.

Marcus Jones defeats Darrill Schoonover via technical knockout (strikes)

After the fight, Coach Evans apologizes for underestimating "The Darkness" and admits he can fight. So too, does Dana White, who praises the performance of Jones. Schoonover takes the loss hard but vows to come back better than ever.

It's time for the semifinal announcements and after a not-so-lengthy decision process Dana White pits Roy Nelson vs. James McSweeney and Marcus Jones vs. Brendan Schaub. He also manages to sneak in another potshot on "Big Country."

Each fight will be three, five-minute rounds.

Naturally no TUF episode would be complete without a few minutes of bickering between Rashad and "Rampage" so the two start jawing (again) and have to be separated (again).

Afterward, Marcus Jones and Coach Jackson are working on their fight strategy. Simply put, it's get Schaub to the ground and keep him there. While they're busy blueprinting, Zak Jensen is busy getting locked in the bathroom by James McSweeney.

It starts in good fun, but we learn Jensen is claustrophobic. That causes him to freak out and bum rush McSweeney with a barrage of bitch-slaps. McSweeney responds with a tight guillotine that stops Jensen dead in his tracks.

Good times.

Coach Evans shows up at the house to help the remaining contestants from his team "visualize" their upcoming fights. Roy Nelson plays the odd man out and says that Rashad is not his coach and it's him against the rest of the team. Wes Sims helps McSweeney get psyched up by reading Ultimate Poetry.

Semifinal fight #1: Roy Nelson (13-4) vs. James McSweeney (3-3)

Round 1: Nipple tweak! Nelson with a nice combo. Hard right grazes for McSweeney. Again. Body kick by McSweeney. Nelson shoots and lands in a guillotine. Nelson pops out and McSweeney scurries away from the cage. Nice leg kick by McSweeney. Left lands for McSweeney. Then another. McSweeney getting cocky and sticks his chin out. Nelson answers with a thundering right. McSweeney is rocked. Nelson quickly shoots and takes him down. Nelson pins the arm and expertly works for position until the dreaded belly crucifix is achieved. Marshmallows start flying. McSweeney unable to escape and Mazzagatti is forced to stop it.

Roy Nelson defeats James McSweeney via technical knockout (strikes)

After the fight, Dana White finally gives "Big Country" some respect for reaching the finals. McSweeney is dejected but hopes to learn from the experience.

Moving right along, we get some civil war drums as Brendan Schaub shadowboxes inside an empty cage. His plan is to let his hands go against Jones and not be so tentative like he was in his quarterfinal match up. He thinks he has the tools to go all the way.

Rashad and Rampage pick up right where they left off, calling each other "bitch" over and over. It was so exhausting I was almost nostalgic for the Ken vs. Tito arguments from Season 3. Twenty-five minutes to go, I can make it.

Coach Jackson really wants Marcus Jones to make it to the finals. Not because he believes in "Big Baby," but because he wants to save face against Rashad and not be embarrassed that the Dec. 5 Finale will be represented exclusively by Team Evans.

Now we get Gladiator drums as Jones bobs and weaves out on the balcony in preparation for the fight. Schaub admits his fight against "The Darkness" won't last long as they both have two stoppages coming into the bout.

Semifinal fight #2: Brendan Schaub (4-0) vs. Marcus Jones (4-2)

Round 1: Schaub lets the hands go and Jones clinches and pushes him to the floor. Jones immediately into side control. Jones looking for the big punch but Schaub defending well. Jones postures and Schaub uses the break to scramble out. As soon as he hits his feet he lets the hands fly again but Jones avoids the onslaught. Back to the center of the cage and Jones shows zero head movement. As a result, he eats a Schaub right and collapses. Schaub pounces, rape chokes him and rains down bombs. Josh Rosenthal lets the punishment go on a bit too long and finally rescues the fallen fighter.

Brendan Jones defeats Marcus Jones via technical knockout (strikes)

After the fight, Jones contemplates hanging up the gloves for good. Rampage waits until the last fight of the season to actually say something coach-like. Better late than never I suppose.

Now it's official, Brendan Schaub vs. Roy Nelson for the Dec. 5 TUF 10 Finale. Who do you like? And what did you think of Season 10? Dana White called it a "great season." Do you agree?

Let's hear it in the comments section below.

TUF 10 Finale video: Frank Edgar not underestimating Matt Veach

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 04:35 PM PST

KJ Noons signs with Strikeforce; Could debut as early as Dec. 19

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 04:29 PM PST

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KJ Noons (7-2) is the latest free agent to be added to the quickly expanding Strikeforce roster, according to Sherdog.com. The former Elite XC lightweight champion agreed to a multi-fight deal earlier today and could make his debut as early as Dec. 19 on the televised "Evolution" event on Showtime.

Noons has been out of mixed martial arts for more than a year after, retiring from the sport in late 2008 after he was stripped of his title for refusing to accept a rematch with Nick Diaz under the terms Elite XC was offering.

"King" felt that his previous performance against Diaz (a first round technical knockout) and his lone title defense -- a first round technical knockout victory over Yves Edwards in June of 2008 -- was enough to at least earn himself a bigger paycheck than Diaz in the rematch.

The promotion, however, apparently disagreed, causing a big mess and ultimately leading to Noons being forced to relinquish his title.

The ex-boxer then decided to make an attempt at a return to his roots inside the square ring, but a disappointing decision loss to James Countryman earlier this year threw a wrench into those plans. The City Boxing product did manage to put together a solid record of (4-1) as a pugilist, but he likely wasn't going to be winning a world title any time soon.

That won't be the case in Strikeforce.

Afterall, how many more times can Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez fight each other? Noons left the sport on top of his promotion's division, and a win or two over some of the talented 155 pounders on Strikeforce's roster should put be right back in the thick of the title hunt.

No official date or potential opponent for his return is known at this time. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com -- you'll know when we do.

Jon 'Bones' Jones looks to 'neutralize' Matt Hamill's wrestling at TUF 10 Finale

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 02:16 PM PST

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Props: ProMMARadio.com

Quoteworthy:

"With Matt Hamill, my main concern is his wrestling, basically. His go to thing is his wrestling. His go to thing is his wrestling, and he has decent hands, but I think he’s not going to get any faster than he’s ever been. I’ve watched all of his fights and he doesn’t seem like a very fast individual. At mid-30’s you’re not just going to become fast out of nowhere. So the main thing is just to try to neutralize his wrestling."

Jon Jones discusses how his superior speed will neutralize Matt Hamill’s wrestling skills in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale main event on Dec. 5. Jones is coming off a submission victory over Jake O’Brien at UFC 100. The young light heavyweight sensation will try to remain undefeated (9-0) record when he goes up against "The Hammer" in just a few days. "Bones" is one of the top prospects in the 205-pound division and will look to continue his roll through the division this Saturday.

UFC 107 videos blog with Diego Sanchez (Episode one)

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 02:01 PM PST

UFC Quick Quote: TUF 10 heavyweight Darrill Schoonover wants to fight 'Rampage' Jackson

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 02:01 PM PST

"Honestly, I really, I just dislike the guy. Oh man. I try not to hold grudges at all, so I’m not going to let it beat me up inside. I really don’t care that much, but I would really love to fight him. Like a really, really want to fight this guy. It was kind of childish man. He was like a bully. Honestly at first, 'Rampage' is one of my favorite fighters. Like I remember me and my little brother when I was going in, my little brother was pretty proud of me. He’s like, 'Yeah bro. That’s cool man. You’re going to get to train with Rashad or ‘Rampage.’ 'He’s like, 'I hope you get ‘Rampage.' You’re going to love him.' And I was just like, 'Yeah man. ‘Rampage’ is pretty cool.' And then all this starts happening and I’m just like, 'I hate ‘Rampage.'"

-- Darrill Schoonover discusses the animosity he holds for Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and his desire to fight him on this week’s edition of Pro MMA Radio. Schoonover has been ragged the majority of the season by Jackson, who has used derogatory remarks ("titties," among others) that have left Schoonover with a general dislike for the former UFC light heavyweight champion. The "Ultimate Fighter" hopeful will look to shut "Rampage" up through future successes. His fight with Marcus Jones will air tonight on "The Ultimate Fighter" at 10 p.m. ET.

Mike's Gym burns down to the ground; Badr Hari in shock

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 01:59 PM PST

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Just days remain until Badr Hari's eagerly anticipated appearance in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 2009; Melvin Manhoef's signing with Strikeforce graced the headlines of multiple MMA media outlets on Wednesday.

On the heels of the big publicity surrounding two of the brightest stars from Mike's Gym comes a very tragic news.

According to K-1 official Web site, Mike's Gym, where Hari and Manhoef call home, burned down to the ground on Nov. 26.

While an ongoing investigation has yet to uncover the source of the fire that razed the Amsterdam gym, it is suspected that the fire started in a neighboring building and then quickly engulfed the gym.

Hari, who has been in Japan since last week, held an open workout for the media on Monday, Nov. 30 at the Omori location of Gold Gym in Tokyo. He could not hide his shock upon receiving the news of the fire: Despite proceeding with the open workout an hour longer than he had originally planned, he looked somewhat frazzled during the workout.

During a brief Q & A with the media after the workout, Hari had little to say regarding the tragic fate of Mike's gym and simply stated that "it's a big shock since I trained so hard in that gym. It's a big disappointment."

The K-1 Web site's description of Hari's demeanor during the open workout raises serious concerns about the psychological repercussions of the unforeseen tragedy on Hari.

MMAmania would like to express our condolence to Hari, Manhoef, and other members of Mike's Gym in the wake of the tragic incident.

Anderson Silva video talks slow (but steady) recovery from recent elbow surgery

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 11:46 AM PST

Props: Sherdog.com

-- Current UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva talks about his slow road to recovery after recent elbow surgery but also expresses his anxiousness about getting back into the Octagon in the near future. In the meantime, the rest of the middleweight division -- including Vitor Belfort -- will have to keep themselves busy while he recuperates. Does that mean Belfort vs. Marquardt in early 2010? Stay tuned.

Super Channel inks deal with Showtime to air Strikeforce MMA live across Canada

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 11:44 AM PST

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EDMONTON
(Dec. 2, 2009)-Super Channel, Canada's only national pay television network, is pleased to announce an exclusive agreement to offer SHOWTIME Sports® telecasts of STRIKEFORCE Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events live to viewers across Canada, beginning Saturday, Dec.19.  On that night, undefeated middleweight (185 pounds) superstar Cung Le (6-0) will take on hard-hitting Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith (16-6) in the main event of a stacked fight card at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

The live HD telecast of STRIKEFORCE: Le vs. Smith on Super Channel will begin at 10 p.m. ET and will include as many as five bouts. 

"Super Channel is striving to offer Canadians programming they can't get anywhere else and we saw an excellent opportunity in bringing live MMA to viewers from coast-to-coast and knew it would be well received," said Sandy Perkins, Super Channel's Vice President Programming. "We are very pleased to add SHOWTIME Sports® and STRIKEFORCE MMA to our roster with an exclusive deal and will be rounding out our Super Channel Fights! lineup. They are a great team to have in our corner."

"Canadian fans have consistently shown a deep appreciation for MMA, so to have the opportunity to bring live STRIKEFORCE action to this market on a regular basis on an outstanding, high definition platform like Super Channel is very exciting," said STRIKEFORCE Founder and CEO Scott Coker.  

Also in action on December 19 will be 2000 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt "The Law" Lindland (21-6), who will take on fellow superstar Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (10-2) at middleweight.  Light heavyweight (205 pounds) star Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (5-0) and middleweight knockout artist "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (16-5) will each face opponents to be announced.

Le recently made a successful transition to acting and has since been touted as Hollywood's next great martial arts action film star.  In 2009, he played supporting roles in the science fiction thriller Pandorum, co-starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster, as well as the action film Fighting, which co-stars Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard.  Next year, he will return to the silver screen in the motion picture adaptation of blockbuster video game franchise Tekken.

Le, who last month voluntarily relinquished the STRIKEFORCE middleweight belt he had claimed by dismantling MMA legend Frank Shamrock in 2008, has never lost a fight in his professional fighting career. He‘s perfect in MMA, kickboxing (22-0) and Sanshou (17-0).

Joe Rogan's Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale video preview for Dec. 5

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 08:29 AM PST

UFC Quick Quote: Kenny Florian wants to fight the best in the world - starting with Clay Guida

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 08:29 AM PST

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"I think a win over Clay would definitely keep me as one of the top lightweights in the world. My goal is to get the chance and the opportunity to fight for the lightweight title again. But I'm taking it one fight at a time. I need to get by Clay Guida, and then hopefully that puts me in a good position to challenge for the belt. Hopefully I continue to get great fights. I want to fight the best people in the world, and Clay is certainly one of those guys. So I'm just looking forward to December 12, and I'll be ready for whatever happens after that."

--Former number one lightweight contender Kenny Florian talks to Heavy.com about his upcoming war against frizzy-haired fightmonger Clay Guida at UFC 107 in Memphis on Dec. 12. He’s eager to get back on the horse and start finishing more fights to earn another crack at the elusive title, which has so far alluded him twice. He rattled of six consecutive wins to earn another opportunity opposite "The Prodigy" at UFC 101, but once again came up short. Will the third time be the charm for Florian? Or will "The Carpenter" send him to the back of the line?

Strikeforce signs K-1 star and MMA veteran Melvin Manhoef

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 07:36 AM PST

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K-1 wrecking machine and mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran, Melvin Manhoef (23-6-1), is once again set to put his all-around skills to the test when he debuts with the San Jose-based Strikeforce promotion in the coming weeks.

MMAmania.com confirmed the signing earlier today.

While a Dec. 19 bout against Robbie Lawler has been rumored for "Evolution," nothing is official at this time and a more likely time line for his debut would be early 2010.

Manhoef looked "Marvelous" in the opening round of his DREAM 10 fight against Paulo Filho back in July, putting the Brazilian grappling stud on queer street with his trademark blitzkrieg of punches; however, Manhoef ultimately fell short after the fight hit the mat.

He's going to need to keep his ground game sharp if he plans to make himself a stateside contender. There are a bevy of top middleweights under the Strikeforce banner with serviceable grappling skills that could negate the power punching of the hard-hitting Hollander.

Assuming he doesn't separate them from their consciousness first.

Prior to the Filho bout, Manhoef went toe-to-toe with "Super Samoan" Mark Hunt during the stacked New Year’s Eve Fields Dynamite!! card at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Dec. 31, 2008. Despite being at a huge size advantage, as well as taking the fight on literally a few days notice, Manhoef needed just 18 seconds to dispatch of the granite-chinned heavyweight.

Strikeforce has continued to bolster its talent roster with quality signings and Manhoef is no exception. Aside from being the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Champion, "No Mercy" has a 37-8 kickboxing record with 27 knockouts.

Expect fireworks in his upcoming debut.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on Manhoef's upcoming opponent.

Josh Koscheck and Steel Panther don't want you to stop believing (Video)

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 07:07 AM PST

Somewhere out there Steve Perry weeps...

Vitor Belfort: Nate Marquardt is a good fighter to raise my name in this division

Posted: 02 Dec 2009 05:57 AM PST

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Props: Terra.com.br

Quoteworthy:

Look, as far as I know the UFC still didn’t give me any opponent ,but Marquardt would be a good one. They still didn’t talk to me. Nobody got through to me so far. But if this rumor is sounding off that’s because it must be serious. I think Nate is an excellent athlete. He has good takedowns, is a strong guy and strikes well too. It’s a good fight to raise my name in this category.”

Vitor Belfort talks about a possible match up against Nate Marquardt to determine the true number one contender to Anderson Silva's middleweight belt. "The Phenom" has recently expressed his desire to have a definitive opponent for his next fight and does not mind throwing leather with another contending middleweight while "The Spider" takes as much time as he needs to heal from his recent elbow surgery. While a fight against Marquardt is just speculation at this point, it would go a long way in clearing the murky waters of the 185-pound division. If the UFC does pull the trigger on Belfort vs. Marquardt, who takes it and why? Opinions, please.

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