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

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• UFC 101 odds and betting lines
• UFC Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz’ ‘new beginning’ starts today
• Affliction collapse, Tito Ortiz to the UFC and more on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’ (Video)
• Gilbert Melendez vs Mitsuhiro Ishida 2 booked with Josh Thomson ruled out of Strikeforce fight Aug. 15
• Fedor Emelianenko was not offered $30 million, six-fight UFC contract …
• Jeff Monson grounded and possibly incarcerated for graffiti-related stunt
• Nyet! ‘Iron’ Vadim Finkelchtein steadfast in goals of Fedor, M-1 Global (Video)
• UFC Quick Pic: Hendo gets country following UFC 100 win
• UFC confirms details on ESPN deal for UK broadcasting
• Forrest Griffin video talks UFC 101 and Tito Ortiz rematch

UFC 101 odds and betting lines Posted: 31 Jul 2009 03:59 AM PDT The clock is ticking to get your bets in for UFC 101 — it'll be here before we know it. The pay-per-view (PPV) event from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pa., begins Saturday, Aug. 8 at 10 p.m. ET. That means, of course, that you should start to think about placing possible bets on the fight outcomes before it’s too late. Therefore, here are the latest UFC 100 odds (- = favorite; + = underdog): Bj Penn -230 BET NOW Kenny Florian +180 BET NOW Anderson Silva -350 BET NOW Forrest Griffin +250 BET NOW Kendall Grove +135 BET NOW Ricardo Almeida -165 BET NOW Josh Neer -220 BET NOW Kurt Pellegrino +175 BET NOW Amir Sadollah -130 BET NOW Johny Hendricks Ev BET NOW Thales Leites -350 BET NOW Alessio Sakara +250 BET NOW Time to put up or shut up for all us keyboard warriors … get in on the action before it's too late. For a little help with how to bet on UFC fights and what all the numbers mean check out this post right HERE (Disregard the UFC 85 references … all the information is still accurate and helpful.) Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, Aug. 8). It's going to be an exciting evening of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 101 coverage you can handle. To check out our complete UFC 101 event archive click here.

UFC Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz’ ‘new beginning’ starts today Posted: 31 Jul 2009 03:24 AM PDT “A new beginning starts tomorrow (Friday, July 31, 2009). I have stood my ground as a fighter and business man. Now my fans will get to see the best of me. New back, new mind, and new motivation. Every fighter will thank me later. Let the punishment begin!” – Former UFC lightweight champion Tito Ortiz updates his fans via his personal MySpace.com page about big news on the horizon concerning his fighting future. It’s expected that UFC President Dana White will announce today at 2 p.m. ET that the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” will return to the Octagon after a huge rift was apparently patched up at the fan expo earlier this month. Ortiz is coming off major spinal fusion surgery to correct a back problem that plagued him in his most recent bouts. His last appearance was in May 2008 — a unanimous decision loss to now 205-pound champion, Lyoto Machida. Speculation has swirled that Ortiz could return to competition as soon as UFC 103 on Sept. 19, but nothing is official at this time. Care to guess who may be the first to get punished?

Affliction collapse, Tito Ortiz to the UFC and more on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’ (Video) Posted: 31 Jul 2009 03:06 AM PDT

Gilbert Melendez vs Mitsuhiro Ishida 2 booked with Josh Thomson ruled out of Strikeforce fight Aug. 15 Posted: 30 Jul 2009 03:26 PM PDT Strikeforce confirmed earlier today that Interim Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez (15-2) will no longer rematch current Strikeforce 155-pound champ Josh Thompson at “Carano vs. Cybrog” on Aug. 15 because “The Punk” was denied medical clearance to compete. Thompson — who is apparently still not completely healed from a broken left leg sustained while training to take on Melendez back on April 11 — will be replaced by Mitsuhiro Ishida. It’s certainly more bad news for the injury-riddled fight card; however, "El Nino" is perhaps comforted in knowing that even though his opponent was switched, he still has the opportunity to exact revenge. Melendez was out to avenge a decisive unanimous decision loss to "The Punk" from their June 2008 encounter. The loss was only the second of his sparkling 16-fight career, which includes notable wins over Hiroyuki Takaya, Clay Guida, Tatsuya Kawajiri and others. His only other defeat came via unanimous decision to, you guessed it, Ishida, at Yarennoka on New Years Eve 2007. Ishida has since signed with Strikeforce and made a successful debut for the promotion with a first round submission win over Justin Wilcox last September. Now the two will once again collide in a five-round title fight with Melendez’s interim belt on the line. It may not be Melendez vs. Thomson, but it’s the next best thing under the difficult circumstances. The August 15 Strikeforce event will feature Gina Carano finally taking on Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos as well as Nick Diaz facing off against Jay Hieron for the newly-created Strikeforce welterweight championship. For all the latest on the ‘Carano vs. Cyborg’ fight card click here.

Fedor Emelianenko was not offered $30 million, six-fight UFC contract … Posted: 30 Jul 2009 02:26 PM PDT … according to Joost Raimond, CEO for M-1 Global, in the latest report from Sherdog.com: "I can say that the guaranteed — and the word 'guaranteed' is of great importance here — the guaranteed offer made by the UFC is less than what Fedor made before. The five-million (per fight) is way, way, way out of range. Half of that is even way out of range of what they offered…. And there were a number of provisions attached to that offer that made it very much less interesting. We made it clear that Fedor, now and forever is part, even part owner, of M-1 and those two cannot be separated. If the rest of M-1 is excluded from any kind of deal, it makes the deal difficult…. We had a very professional, productive and respectful meeting with the UFC. I think both parties walked away (knowing) even though a deal wasn't made, that a very decent meeting was had." The Fedor Emelianenko circus sweepstakes continues with M-1 officials vehemently denying a report from CBS Radio host Carmichael Dave that the Russian was offered a lucrative deal in the neighborhood of $30 million, in addition to other incentives/concessions, to compete inside the Octagon. Emelianenko and his M-1 counterparts today left the United States without confirmation of a striking a deal with the UFC or any other promotion for that matter, meaning that UFC President Dana White will likely not be making any Emelianenko-related announcements during the conference call set for Friday, July 31. I think … maybe …

Jeff Monson grounded and possibly incarcerated for graffiti-related stunt Posted: 30 Jul 2009 01:43 PM PDT Former number one UFC heavyweight contender, Jeff Monson, is facing up to 90 days in prison and a $21,894 fine after pleading guilty to malicious mischief for spray-painting an anarchist symbol on the Washington state Capitol building, according to Yahoo!Sports. Perhaps more damaging is that fact that "The Snowman" had to surrender is passport, which essentially rules out an upcoming rematch against Pedro Rizzo at "Bitetti Combat" in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Sept. 12. In addition, the 37-year-old submission specialist had other plans to compete in Japan and Russia in early 2010. Upon hearing the ruling, Monson asked the judge: “Are you going to support my family now?” Monson — who was actually photographed by ESPN the Magazine committing the graffiti-related offense — is scheduled to be sentenced in October. Since his departure from the UFC, Monson has performed quite well against quality competition in lesser known events. In fact, the self-described anarchist has won seven of his last eight fights following the Rizzo loss back in 2007. After stealing a controversial unanimous decision victory against Roy "Big Country" Nelson at "March Badness," Monson made short work of Russian gladiator Sergei Kharitonov at DREAM 8, forcing the Russian to tap with a north-south choke early into round one. The American Top Team (ATT) product also recently made headlines when he tossed his name into the hat to fight Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction: "Trilogy" on Aug. 1 when Josh Barnett was scratched because of a positive test for steroids. The entire event was eventually canceled. With Affliction out of the fight business, and restricted from international travel, Monson has just a handful of choices at his disposal. One that he may want to consider is Strikeforce, which is looking for an opponent to challenge Fabricio Werdum on Aug. 15. Get it while you can.

Nyet! ‘Iron’ Vadim Finkelchtein steadfast in goals of Fedor, M-1 Global (Video) Posted: 30 Jul 2009 11:45 AM PDT Props: Sherdog.com

UFC Quick Pic: Hendo gets country following UFC 100 win Posted: 30 Jul 2009 11:35 AM PDT Thanks to Tracy Lee of Combat Lifestyle for the pic. See more here.

UFC confirms details on ESPN deal for UK broadcasting Posted: 30 Jul 2009 11:17 AM PDT The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has found a permanent home on ESPN for its live programming in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland after an abrupt end to its partnership with Setanta Sports earlier this year. "The Worldwide Leader in Sports" will launch its UFC programming on August 3 on both the Sky and Virgin networks in the UK and Ireland at no cost for the first thirty days. Following the initial free period, Sky Sports viewers will be eligible to subscribe to ESPN for £9 per month, and viewers without Sky Sports can subscribe for £11. First up on the docket will be a live broadcast of UFC 101: ‘Declaration’ on Saturday, August 8, followed by UFC 102: ‘Couture vs. Nogueira’ on August 29. UFC Unleashed will also air every Thursday at 10pm. From UFC UK President Marshall Zelaznik courtesy of telegraph.co.uk: “We are ecstatic to announce that ESPN is the new home of the UFC in the UK and Ireland. ESPN is one of the most trusted and respected brands in all of sports broadcasting, and we are thrilled to be working with them as they launch their new channel in the UK and Ireland. Over the last three years, the UFC has become as big a part of the sporting landscape in the British Isles as football and rugby, and for the worldwide leader in sports broadcasting came to us and we were able to reach an agreement so quickly is another testament that the UFC is an important part of the British sporting calendar.” Starting with UFC 80 back on January 19, 2008, the Ultimate Fighting Championship struck a deal with international sports broadcaster Setanta Sports to bring the UFC to millions of homes in the United Kingdom. That deal recently eroded because of the broadcaster’s financial instability following the dissolution of some of its English Premier League rights that left Setanta strapped for cash and on the prowl for some emergency funding. It was unknown if UFC 99, scheduled for June 13 in Cologne, Germany, would even make the airwaves in the UK until just a day before the broadcast, jeopardizing the momentum of Zuffa's Europe expansion. The UFC was also forced to scramble to get airtime for UFC 100, their biggest show of the year. The pay-per-view eventually ended up airing via Sky TV on a defunct 'Racing World' channel. The new deal with ESPN will not only solidify the presence of the UFC on UK television, it will also be a major step towards Zuffa's goal of brand globalization. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com as more details are expected to be announced over the next few days.

Forrest Griffin video talks UFC 101 and Tito Ortiz rematch Posted: 30 Jul 2009 10:18 AM PDT Props: RawVegas.tv

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• Nick Diaz vs Jay Hieron Strikeforce welterweight title fight slated for Aug. 15
• Josh Barnett’s camp responds to ‘alleged’ positive drug test from the CSAC
• Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley signs four-fight contract with UFC
• Fedor Emelianenko inks deal with EA Sports; Negotiations with UFC still ongoing
• BJ Penn not sweating the small stuff in Florian’s ‘last’ title shot
• UFC 101 video: Ricardo Almeida ready for a great fight against Kendall Grove
• UFC Countdown to 101 debuts on Spike TV August 4
• UFC Quick Quote: ‘Rampage’ Jackson feels threatened by Rashad Evans
• WEC 43: Damacio Page vs Akitoshi Tamura on tap for Sept. 2
• BJ Penn gets chummy with Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi while training for UFC 101 (Video)

Nick Diaz vs Jay Hieron Strikeforce welterweight title fight slated for Aug. 15 Posted: 29 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT Foul-mouthed fightmonger Nick Diaz will face International Fight League (IFL) veteran Jay Hieron for the newly-created Strikeforce welterweight championship at the "Carano vs. Cyborg" event from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Aug. 15, MMAmania.com has learned. Hieron — who was training to fight Paul "Semtex" Daley this weekend at Affliction: "Trilogy" before the promotion folded — apparently beat out Phil Baroni as a late replacement for Joe Riggs, who was hospitalized and forced out of the rematch against Diaz last week. Diaz comes into this fight on an absolute tear. Aside from dismantling the clearly-overmatched Scott Smith at June's "Lawler vs. Shields" event, the Cesar Gracie-disciple busted up the legendary Frank Shamrock en route to a second round TKO at the last San Jose-based event back in April. The Stockton, Calif., native is riding a five-fight win streak and has finished each of his opponents in dominating fashion. Hieron is also currently enjoying a five fight winning streak, including his most recent first round knockout win over the previously unbeaten Jason High on the Affliction: "Day of Reckoning" card back in January. The Xtreme Couture trainee was a staple under the now defunct IFL, fighting nine times for the promotion in a span of just under two years. Since then, however, "The Thoroughbred" has only been in action twice, defeating High earlier this year and also out-pointing Chris Kennedy en route to a unanimous decision victory at a "Super Fights MMA" event last October. Hieron and Diaz were actually rumored to face off at the Strikeforce event back in June; however, the promotion instead ended up booking Scott Smith as Diaz's opponent for the event. It was a fight that Hieron wanted real bad at the time. That's because he was part of KJ Noons corner the night he and Diaz had that melee in the cage following KJ's technical knockout win over Yves Edwards at Elite XC: "Return of the King." There's even video footage of Hieron throwing a punch at the Cesar Gracie-trained black belt. Now he may get another opportunity to do that several times over, and much more, on Aug. 15. Strikeforce: "Carano vs. Cyborg" will feature a 145-pound title fight between female fighting sensation Gina "Conviction" Carano and her nemesis Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos as well as a lightweight title unification bout between reigning champ Josh "The Punk" Thomson and interim champ Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez. For all the latest on this ever-changing fight card click here.

Josh Barnett’s camp responds to ‘alleged’ positive drug test from the CSAC Posted: 29 Jul 2009 07:03 PM PDT Josh Barnett — who recently failed a pre-fight drug screening for anabolic steroids prior to a showdown with Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction: "Trilogy" on Aug. 1 — is now speaking out against the ‘hasty decisions’ that were made in light of a test result that “The Babyface Assassin” now refutes. Barnett's positive test led to Affliction MMA's house of cards to come crashing down, calling it quits as a fight promoter and returning to the UFC as a corporate sponsor with its clothing brand. Several intriguing fights were scrapped as a result, forcing fighters to search for work elsewhere … Barnett included. Now the former PRIDE and UFC star is calling into question the integrity of those results alleged by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). From his official press release: The media has reported that Mixed Martial Arts Heavyweight fighter Josh Barnett would not be eligible to fight Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction Trilogy as he was denied his California license due to an alleged positive test for 2α-methyl-5α-androstan-3α-ol-17-one, which is purportedly a metabolite of a banned substance. Mr. Barnett was shocked at these allegations and was extremely disappointed to learn that Affliction had made the hasty decision to cancel the August 1st event in its entirety. Mr. Barnett vehemently denies intentionally ingesting any banned substances in preparation for the August 1st fight and he is looking forward to presenting his case to the California State Athletic Commission. In the meantime, Mr. Barnett has yet to learn of the results of the B sample testing and he has not received any of the documentation that provides further details of the alleged positive sample despite numerous requests. In fact, the documentation that Mr. Barnett has received raises serious questions about the integrity of the sample and the validity of the results themselves. At this time Mr. Barnett would like to thank his fans and colleagues for their ongoing support and faith in him. He intends to vigorously defend himself against these allegations and hopes for a swift resolution to this matter so he can get back to what he does best — fighting! I would like to further add that Josh is as disappointed as all of his fans and supporters that he will not be fighting on August 1st. He also empathizes with all of the other fighters that were scheduled to appear on the card and shares their frustration and shock at the cancellation of the entire event. Barnett indicated that he intends to appeal this most recent steroid finding with the CSAC. His second "B" sample is currently being tested to confirm the initial positive result. If it's upheld it could mean that Barnett's license to fight in the United States could be revoked for a good amount of time, forcing him to remain exiled in Japan indefinitely. With a looming Sengoku heavyweight grand prix looming and a successful wrestling career, however, it may not be such a bad twist of fate after all. Keep in locked on MMAmania.com as we'll let you know more on Barnett's future when it's announced.

Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley signs four-fight contract with UFC Posted: 29 Jul 2009 05:34 PM PDT Former Elite XC number one welterweight contender and Cage Rage champion, Paul Daley, is the latest fighter to join the deep Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) talent-rich 170-pound pool, according to Fighters Only magazine. The report indicates that “Semtex” signed a four-fight contract to compete inside the Octagon. No possible opponent or date for his debut is known at this time; however, UFC 105 at the Manchester Evening News (MEN) Arena in Manchester, England, on Nov. 14 would seem to be a good fit for the Nottingham native. He’ll certainly be more than ready — Daley was training to collide with Jay "The Thoroughbred" Hieron at Affliction: “Trilogy” this weekend before the event was scrapped. Daley — who boasts a sick Muay Thai game and has the ability to finish his opponents at any time — has 16 career stoppages because of strikes in his 21 wins (75 percent). The British brawler most recently put his stamp on Junior Barata, needing less than three minutes to take care of business. He has now won his last two contests after dropping two out of three to Nick "The Goat" Thompson and Jake Shields prior to that. Daley holds notable career wins over Xavier Foupa-Pokam, Duane Ludwig, John Alessio, Mark Weir and many others.

Fedor Emelianenko inks deal with EA Sports; Negotiations with UFC still ongoing Posted: 29 Jul 2009 02:31 PM PDT Despite a report from the Los Angeles Times that set the mixed martial arts community on fire yesterday, which indicated that the top heavyweight fighter on the planet, Fedor Emelianenko, was close to finally "finalizing a deal" with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), M-1 Global (M-1) today held a press conference that essentially nixed that possibility once again. For now, anyway. It was difficult to hear the audio, but the message was clear: Negotiations between Emelianenko and the UFC are "diplomatic" and ongoing, but M-1 will only work under "co-promotion conditions" to spread the word of MMA globally. Because as Vadim Finkelchtein, who runs M-1 to produce international MMA events and also manages Emelianenko, said during the call, the UFC cannot be the only show in town and that "he's worked too hard" over the years building M-1 to spread MMA worldwide. Reality check: Wouldn't those efforts be best served long-term with Emelianenko as the undisputed best fighter in the world as current or former UFC champion? Sure, he'd have to defeat Brock Lesnar, but that's not really the point. The point is Finkelchtein appears to be holding all of Emelianenko’s cards. And we can only hope that the seemingly self-serving statements that he made today were designed to up the ante and force the hand of the casino billionaires who run Zuffa (yes, even though Station Casinos recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection) at the negotiating table. Who knows. But for now what we do know is: Emelianenko is not headed for the UFC, which apparently made a very generous offer that Finkelchtein noted "wasn't interesting to us," right now, other promotions such as Strikeforce are still in the mix, and he will fight "very soon." Oh, and Emelianenko recently agreed to "headline" the upcoming EA sports MMA video game, which will more than likely go over like a lead balloon over at UFC and THQ corporate headquarters. Until Friday, Maniacs, when "As Fedor Turns" continues at the UFC press conference.

BJ Penn not sweating the small stuff in Florian’s ‘last’ title shot Posted: 29 Jul 2009 01:57 PM PDT Yesterday's UFC 101: "Declaration" media conference call gave UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn and current number one contender Kenny Florian a chance to square off before their Aug. 8 fight. The build-up was all part of the game for Penn, who frequently finds himself in a personal grudge match with his opponents heading into a bout. "I don't know how I get caught up in this stuff," Penn explained, admitting that he's had personal feuds with past opponents, including former lightweight champion Sean Sherk. "The Prodigy" famously accused Sherk of "cheating" after the "Muscle Shark" tested positive for banned substances following his title defense against Hermes Franca. And then there's reigning welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. "The whole GSP thing got started into hyping up the fight," Penn says, "and then Prime Time wanted to portray me as an asshole instead of some guy passionate about winning his dream fight. And then Dana goes and calls and starts speaking about stuff he doesn't even know about, saying I'm surrounded by yes-men. And then back and forth, and that just blew out of proportion." But beyond Penn's criticism of Sherk and the media — even beyond his past feuds with former champions Matt Hughes and Jens Pulver — sits the grand-daddy of them all: "Greasegate," or the infamous greasing scandal that rocked UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2." And this, albeit complicated enough, brings us to the current challenger to BJ Penn's belt, Kenny Florian, who inadvertently found himself tied to the middle of the controversy because of a certain text message he may or may not have sent prior to the January 31st bout. But thanks to the conference call, we now have both sides of the story … sort of. In a nutshell: Florian claims he had a conversation with Dave Weintraub — a writer following Penn at the time — that referred to Florian's previous opponent, Roger Huerta, as a greasy fighter and also told Weintraub to wish Penn "good luck" in his upcoming fight against Georges St. Pierre. Penn claims the message received was that GSP greases, which, as Penn puts it, "actually led to us making the pre-bout warning in the fight at the arena when we got there" — the pre-fight warning being that the Penn camp warned ringside officials to keep an eye out for illegal greasing tactics used by GSP's camp … which wouldn't have been a big deal, except that there were illegal greasing tactics used by GSP's camp. Thus followed the media frenzy that was "Greasegate." During yesterday's conference call, Florian corrected stories from Penn's camp that he ever accused GSP of greasing, saying he was only referring to Huerta, "Those are the only accusations that I've ever made about a fighter." And as the champion finally summed up, either Florian's lying, Penn's lying or Dave Weintraub got his texts confused. "As far as that whole text message thing with Kenny. That's small stuff. We gotta go in there and fight for the championship of the world. That's small stuff, that text message stuff. (Laughs) I don't know how I get caught up in all this stuff. (Laughs) I gotta laugh it off myself." Not sweating the small stuff may, in fact, be Penn's best strategy, given his opponent's considerable evolution in the sport since his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Finale back in April 2005. The TUF Season One Finale saw an out-sized and out-gunned Florian lose in the first round to Diego Sanchez in a middleweight contest. Since then, Florian has dropped down two weight classes, earned a title shot for the then-vacant lightweight strap against Sean Sherk (which Florian lost in October 2006) and then continued to demonstrate improved stand-up and ground games en route to wracking up six more wins (nine UFC wins total) over such lightweight fighters as Joe Stevenson, Roger Huerta, Joe Lauzon and Din Thomas. In fact, it's his two lone Octagon losses that Florian cites as being key to revamping his game, both mentally and physically. "Did I have to revamp what I did?" Florian said, "Yeah, of course. One of the most important things is to be honest with yourself, and say, 'Listen, look at all these mistakes that I made.' Sometimes it was mental, sometimes it was physical, technical, sometimes all together. So those fights have really helped me a lot." Whatever doesn't kill you, as they say … Florian continued, "Those (losses) are what motivate me. I don't want that to ever happen again. It's made me a much, much different fighter. I use that as fuel and I use that as lessons. Not only my losses, but my wins. I'm never satisfied with any performance that I've had. I'll go back and watch it two weeks later and be like, 'Man, that was terrible.' So it's a work in progress." Has the revamped Florian evolved enough to outwork the champion BJ Penn? Regardless, Penn says, he "can't sit here and dwell on that fact, I gotta dwell on the fact that Kenny Florian — this is his second title shot and quite possibly his last — and I gotta get out there and I gotta keep the belt." The two get a change to fight about it on August 8 at UFC 101.

UFC 101 video: Ricardo Almeida ready for a great fight against Kendall Grove Posted: 29 Jul 2009 11:10 AM PDT

UFC Countdown to 101 debuts on Spike TV August 4 Posted: 29 Jul 2009 09:44 AM PDT Countdown to UFC 101 will debut next Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 11 p.m. ET on Spike TV to promote the upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) event scheduled for the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Aug. 8. The hour-long special presentation will provide a glimpse into the preparation and training camps of the fighters set to headline the show, including main event participants and heated rivals BJ Penn and Kenny Florian. We'll also get the skinny on the light heavyweight showdown that features Anderson Silva, stepping out of his comfort zone at 185-pounds to challenge the feisty Forrest Griffin, on the main card. And let’s not forget about Ricardo Almeida taking on the dangerous Kendall Grove. For those who miss the “Countdown to UFC 101″ premier it will re-air on Thursday, Aug. 6 at 2 a.m. ET and then again on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. ET. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, Aug. 8), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on PPV from the Wachovia Center. To check out the complete UFC 101 fight card click here.

UFC Quick Quote: ‘Rampage’ Jackson feels threatened by Rashad Evans Posted: 29 Jul 2009 09:43 AM PDT “You know what, during the taping of the show … We got into it every time we faced each other, you know? It got challenging for both of us to keep our hands off of each other. He don’t like me and I don’t like him, so it got really hard for me not to tee off on him and I’m sure he felt the same way. I think Rampage wants to be the only one. I don’t know if he wants to be the only brotha. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know, he’s just very competitive with me. I think besides all of that and the fact that he feels threatened by me, a lot happened when we got into each others face at the UFC when he fought Jardine. After that, we got into it on our own time. We got into it on our own personal time. I think that one of his biggest problems is that he’s fallen in love with his power. He counts on his power. He’s like Tyson after he got rid of Kevin Rooney. He just relied on his power because he knew he had it. Well that’s what Rampage is doing. He’s not as well-rounded as he was when he fought for Pride.” –- Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans tells FightHype about the drama of facing fellow ex-champ Quinton Jackson during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter 10, set to debut after UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16. “Sugar” and “Rampage” will finally settle their score later this year at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tennessee. With both fighters still in the hunt for the 205-pound gold, expect things to continue to heat up as time goes on. Early predictions are always welcome. Sound off…

WEC 43: Damacio Page vs Akitoshi Tamura on tap for Sept. 2 Posted: 29 Jul 2009 09:43 AM PDT With WEC 42 just over a week away, a fantastic 135-pound match-up between two of the divisions rising stars in Damacio “The Angel of Death” Page (11-4) and Akitoshi “Ironman” Tamura (14-7-2) has been added to the promotion’s next event, which is scheduled to go down at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio on September 2. Tamura will make his second start as a bantamweight at WEC 43 after previously competing in the featherweight division. In fact, “Ironman” once held the Shooto 145-pound title in Japan before coming stateside to compete in the WEC cage. He does hold five wins by submission, but he’s no stranger to grinding out victories, with more than half his wins coming by way of decision. So far that trend hasn’t changed during his tenure with the Zuffa-owned promotion — Tamura most recently outpointed former bantamweight number one contender Manny Tapia at WEC 37 on the judges scorecards. And in his debut with the promotion he was on his way to another fight being settled by the scorecards before tapping out to a Wagnney Fabiano arm traingle choke with only 12 seconds remaining in the fight. Page, on the other hand, likes to finish his opponents … quickly. Eight of his professional wins have been decided in the first round. He’s coming off a dominating early first round knockout victory over a very tough Marcos Galvao at WEC 39: “Brown vs. Garcia.” Seven months earlier, however, his aggression backfired on him and he was submitted by the division’s current number one contender, Brian Bowles, with a first round guillotine choke. The Greg Jackson disciple has compiled a record of 2-1 during his time with the promotion and with his mix of size, power and speed, Page is believed to be one of the most dangerous 135-pound fighters on the roster. If there’s one knock on “The Angel of Death” it’s that his submission defense has caused him problems in the past, with three of his four losses coming by way of tapout. Going up against a talented grappler like Tamura, that could certainly be an issue in this fight. We’ll find out on Sept. 2. WEC 43 will be headlined by an interim lightweight championship fight between Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and winner of two straight under the WEC banner, Ben “Smooth” Henderson. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this developing fight card.

BJ Penn gets chummy with Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi while training for UFC 101 (Video) Posted: 29 Jul 2009 07:48 AM PDT Props: BJ Penn.com

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• UFC Quick Quote: ‘Relaxed’ Forrest Griffin hoping to make contact on August 8
• UFC nears deal with ESPN to screen MMA events on UK television
• UFC 104: Ben Rothwell vs Chase Gormley ‘Trilogy’ fight moved to Oct. 24
• LA Times reports that Fedor Emelianenko and UFC are ‘finalizing deal’
• WEC 42 conference call recap and highlights: Torres and Bowles talk bantamweight belt
• MMA Quick Pic: Gina Carano gets roped into Aug. 15 ‘Cyborg’ fight
• Fedor Emelianenko to address media about ‘Trilogy’ cancelation and more on July 29
• Josh Barnett next ‘fight’ scheduled for Inoki Genome Federation on Aug. 9
• Nick Diaz vs Jay Hieron Strikeforce fight possible for Aug. 15
• Amir Sadollah vs Johny Hendricks UFC 102 video fight talk

UFC Quick Quote: ‘Relaxed’ Forrest Griffin hoping to make contact on August 8 Posted: 28 Jul 2009 09:38 PM PDT “I don't know if you're going to get Anderson out of his game. He's a cool, calm, relaxed guy. Very focused. He seems to have a good plan for every fight and sticks to it. I think what you can't do is be a big slow guy that follows him around. (You can't) be too aggressive about trying to attack him. He's still a great counter-fighter. And that's why his last fight wasn't so exciting, because he's a tough guy to attack, you know? But you gotta come in smart and just try to land punches. Not big ones. Little ones. Just land something. Just make contact. And stay as loose and relaxed as he does.” –Former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin talks Anderson Silva during Tuesday's UFC 101: “Declaration” media conference call. The two meet up at the Wachovia Center on August 8 in Philadelphia, Pa., in what will be the middleweight champion's second foray into the UFC's 205-pound division. Griffin compared the difference between training for a fighter with “incredible” reach like “The Spider” against training for a fighter with “explosive inside power” like his last opponent, Rashad Evans. He did however, stop short of giving too much away and promised, “If I had a game plan, I'd be a genius and tell you about it right now.”

UFC nears deal with ESPN to screen MMA events on UK television Posted: 28 Jul 2009 09:22 PM PDT The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) may have finally found a permanent home for its live programming in the United Kingdom (UK) after an abrupt end to its partnership with Setanta Sports earlier this year. According to The Sun, a new deal with ESPN is expected to be announced during a UFC press conference on Friday, July 31. “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” will reportedly launch its UK channel shortly after that on August 3 with plans to air UFC 101 as its first major event on August 8. Starting with UFC 80 back on January 19, 2008, the Ultimate Fighting Championship struck a deal with international sports broadcaster Setanta Sports to bring the UFC to millions of homes in the United Kingdom. Setanta operates in Great Britain, Ireland, Luxembourg, the United States, Canada and Australia and provides premium sports television channels on a subscription basis, including its multi-year deal with Zuffa. That deal recently eroded due to the financial instability of Setanta. Unfortunately, the dissolution of some of its English Premier League rights left Setanta strapped for cash and on the prowl for some emergency funding. A complete and utter collapse in operations — which would effectively blackout any and all UFC programming in the UK, had been reported as inevitable. It was unknown if UFC 99, scheduled for June 13 in Cologne, Germany, would even make the airwaves in the UK until just a day before the broadcast, jeopardizing the momentum of Zuffa's Europe expansion. The UFC was also forced to scramble to get airtime for UFC 100, their biggest show of the year. The pay-per-view eventually ended up airing via Sky TV on a defunct ‘Racing World’ channel. A deal with ESPN would not only solidify the presence of the UFC on UK television, it would be a major step towards Zuffa’s goal of brand globalization. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more developments on this story as they unfold.

UFC 104: Ben Rothwell vs Chase Gormley ‘Trilogy’ fight moved to Oct. 24 Posted: 28 Jul 2009 08:54 PM PDT Former IFL heavyweight "Big" Ben Rothwell (30-6) will get another chance to battle undefeated Chase Gormley (6-0) as the UFC has opted to resurrect their Aug. 1 Affliction bout for UFC 104 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 24, according to Sherdog.com. Rothwell and Gormley were originally penciled in for the “Trilogy” event that quickly went up in smoke after Affliction MMA collapsed like a deck of cards on the heels of Josh Barnett’s positive steroid test. The UFC quickly re-established a working relationship with the clothing company and acquired several of the fighter contracts that were up for grabs. Rothwell is coming off a dominating TKO win over Chris Guillen at Adrenaline II back in December 2008. Prior to that, “Big” was riding a career high 13-fight win streak before running into former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in July 2008 during the inaugural Affliction event. Before the loss, he had defeated former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 standout Krzysztof Soszynski, Roy "Big Country" Nelson and others. The Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS)-trained fighter will add depth and experience to a growing list of talent in the once anemic UFC heavyweight division. Opposing him is the undefeated Gormley, who burst onto the scene in 2007 with a decision win over Elite XC veteran Jon Murphy. The NAIA All-American Wrestler hasn’t seen action since a decision win over Eric Pele at Maximum Fighting Championships 16 in May 2008. UFC 104 will feature a main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez have also been rumored to meet to determine the UFC number one heavyweight contender. For all the latest news on UFC 104 check out our complete archive right here.

LA Times reports that Fedor Emelianenko and UFC are ‘finalizing deal’ Posted: 28 Jul 2009 04:13 PM PDT Almost one year to the day it held its first event on July 19, 2008, Affliction Entertainment folded its mixed martial arts division and returned to the UFC under an agreement that will allow the clothing brand to once again sponsor the world's top promotion and the fighters under its umbrella. Affliction indicated that an inability to find a worthy replacement for Josh Barnett — who tested positive for anabolic steroids and was denied a license to compete — led to the decision to cancel its “Trilogy" event, which was expected to take place from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 1. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back for the critically acclaimed but far from profitable venture. The end of Affliction MMA — much like the end of Elite XC in 2008 — left a coterie of fighters under contract who no longer have a place to call home. And at the top of that list of unemployed combatants is perhaps the most prized asset in all of MMA: Former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. Zuffa worked hard to bring the Russian on board after the collapse of Pride FC in 2007; however, talks broke down when the parties could not agree on an exclusive fight contract. UFC President Dana White and M-1 Global spent the next two years pointing fingers, but a report from the LA Times earlier today suggests that whatever hangups preventing the two promotions from working together in the past may now be water under the bridge. From the LA Times Web site: “A long-awaited agreement between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the man considered the world’s best mixed martial arts fighter, Fedor Emelianenko, is expected to be announced by UFC President Dana White on Friday, a source with information about the negotiations told The Times today. The source, who asked not to be identified because he’s not authorized to speak publicly about the dealings, called negotiations between the UFC and Fedor ‘very civil’ just days after Fedor’s scheduled Affliction Trilogy fight Saturday against Josh Barnett was canceled.” The UFC has scheduled a press conference for July 31 to cover a bevy of formal announcements, including their new Affliction deal, among other things. White has already gone on record to state that if acquired, Fedor’s first fight would be for the UFC heavyweight championship, presumably against division kingpin Brock Lesnar. If the signing of “The Last Emperor” is on Friday’s docket, it could represent not just one of the biggest announcements in UFC history, but perhaps a whole new era in mixed martial arts. However, nothing is official at this time. In fact, M-1 recently denied the LA Times report as “not accurate” in an SI.com article. Stay tuned … these next three days should tell the tale, hopefully, once and for all.

WEC 42 conference call recap and highlights: Torres and Bowles talk bantamweight belt Posted: 28 Jul 2009 03:09 PM PDT WEC 42, featuring a main event between bantamweight champion Miguel Torres and undefeated challenger Brian Bowles, is set to go down from “The Joint” at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, August 9. Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air live on Versus at 9 p.m. ET. Co-headlining the show is another exciting 135-pound showdown between one of the most dangerous young fighters in the organization, Joseph Benavidez, and the red hot former 145-pound standout, Dominick Cruz, who is currently enjoying a four-fight win streak, including three under the WEC banner. WEC Vice President Peter Dropick, General Manager Reed Harris and bantamweight championship main event participants Miguel “Angel” Torres and Brian Bowles took part in a conference call earlier today to promote next Sunday’s event. Check out highlights from the call below: WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres: - On having to prepare differently for fights now that he’s more well known and opponents can develop better game plans for him: “Well, my last fight with Mizugaki I went out there thinking I was going to bully him around with my jab, but the first round he confused me because he was waiting for my left jab. So he was looking for my jab the whole time and then he caught me with a big right hand. So that first round I was trying to adjust the hitting game instead of having him adjust to mine. I came out there with the mentality that I was going to bully him around like I did my past opponents with my jab. So that made me think a little bit about that. I realize that people to have footage on me now and I understand I have holes in my game. I know I’m considered one of the best fighters in the world, but at the same time I have some holes in my game. I’ve been working a lot on my wrestling and fixing my stand up. A lot of times when I go out there and fight I’ll take up points to give a punch, but now I’m trying to become more crafty. I’ve been working with a couple more boxing coaches and I’ve been working a ton on my wrestling to dominate the clinch more. I realize that everybody has holes in their game and I’m trying to make those holes very small.” - On whose striking is better: “Well I’ve never seen Brian Bowles throw one kick or one effective knee. He comes with a big right hand and a big left hook, then a left uppercut. He just comes straight forward with big punches. I’ve been working with pro boxers in Chicago and the midwest and they’ve all come in with the idea that they were going to knock me out and it’s always reversed. And I was only using my boxing skills. I wasn’t using knees or kicks or anything like that or elbows. So, if Brian likes to box, to dirty box with elbows, I’m going to surprise Bowles. I think the big difference is that I know I can take a punch. It’s one thing to take a punch in training and it’s one thing to take a punch in a fight in the fifth round. I know I can take damage and keep going. I know I can get hurt and keep going. The guys that he’s shown up against haven’t had the set of skills that I have. They don’t have the ground skills that I have. So, Brian’s earned his shot, but I don’t think he’s faced opponents better than myself, or opponents that can put together the game that he has. I don’t think he’s worked with anybody that has the game that I have. It’s hard to mimick my game, and I think that’s where I’m going to surprise him.” - On the experience factor: “I think Brian Bowles has more fights than we think. I think he has an amateur record. I don’t know exactly what the record is, but I know he has wins and losses on that record. I know he’s lost by triangle a couple of times. I looked for his amateur record online, but I couldn’t find it, so I know he’s trying to hide that. I have a couple of buddies that have seen him fight before in local shows. So, there’s a past that Brian keeps secret, which is very smart, to make it seem like he doesn’t have that much experience. As far as myself, I think the biggest thing is mindset when you go into a fight, your mindset and your heart. And mine are unshakable and unquestionable. I’ve been wanting to do this since I was a child. In my mind I’m doing what God wants me to do with my life, and it’s hard to beat that. Especially when I know I have the experience to back it up. I didn’t come in here for fun to impress a couple of buddies or to stumble upon this. I’ve always wanted to do this and I’m living my dream. It’s been a long road to get where I’m at. I haven’t forgotten where I came from. Training is a priority in my life right now. I could be into television or business or doing a bunch of other stuff but I don’t. I put that on the sidelines because I want to be a world champion and I want to dominate my weight class. Brian Bowles is the next road block in my journey and I’m going to go out there and I’m going to bust him down.” WEC Bantamweight Number One Contender Brian Bowles: - On fighting for the world title in only his eighth professional fight: “It’s real important you know. Ideally you’d like to have some more fights, but I took some tough fights with some experienced guys. I won those and they weren’t easy opponents. They were tough opponents and I won handily. I didn’t go to a decision. It’s going to be an honor to fight for the belt and it’s going to be an honor to fight Miguel.” - On training with American Top Team for this fight: “It’s always good to be able to get into a room with a bunch of guys like that. Everybody down there is a world champion at something or they’re just really good at something. So, you might get your butt whooped wrestling someday by one guy and teach you a lesson, and you might get your butt whooped on the ground by another guy. It’s a learning experience to get down there with guys like that. They really push you and they have you in their mind when they’re training with you. They try to make you a better person.” - On thinking he has the keys to end Miguel Torres’ seventeen fight winning streak: “I don’t think it’s just one thing that I have that’s going to beat him. I don’t think it’s that easy. I just think my style of fighting, you know, I’m always coming forward. I’m well rounded. Some of the people he’s fought aren’t as well rounded as me. And I think I’m bigger and more powerful than any of the guys he’s fought so far.” - On where a win over Torres would put him in terms of world rankings: “I definitely think it’s going to get my name starting to get talked about. I don’t know if just beating him one time would instantly put me in his position. I’m sure if I beat him he’ll probably get another title shot soon. Then if I beat him and keep rolling with a few more wins I’ll be in his position, considered one of the best pound for pound.” Something that’s also worth noting from the call is that the WEC plans to not only air the main card of WEC 42 live on the Versus network, but the promotion will also provide a live stream of the main card on UFC.com and WEC.tv for free in North America and for a fee of $9.99 internationally. This fight, as well as the WEC 42 card as a whole, have shaped up nicely. Mixed martial arts fans should be in for another great night of fights from the WEC on August 9. For more on WEC 42 click here.

MMA Quick Pic: Gina Carano gets roped into Aug. 15 ‘Cyborg’ fight Posted: 28 Jul 2009 03:09 PM PDT Thanks to Esther Lin at Strikeforce for the pic. See more here.

Fedor Emelianenko to address media about ‘Trilogy’ cancelation and more on July 29 Posted: 28 Jul 2009 11:50 AM PDT Anaheim, Calif. — Ever since Affliction announced late last week that its “Trilogy” event scheduled for Aug. 1 had been canceled, the combat sports world collectively has waited for an official response from former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. On Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT inside the DoubleTree Hotel in Anaheim, Calif., Emelianenko will address the media for the first time since last week’s sudden cancellation. During the press conference, Emelianenko will discuss the ramifications of the cancellation, comment on his future in the fight game, and respond to questions from members of the media. “Since the cancellation, there has been a great deal of speculation regarding Fedor and M-1,” said Vadim Finkelchtein, whose M-1 Global fight company not only produces international MMA events but also manages Fedor. “On Wednesday, the media and fans will be able to hear what’s going on with Fedor from the man himself.” Emelianenko, considered by most pundits to be the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, had been scheduled to fight top contender Josh Barnett. A win over Barnett would have marked the sixth former UFC heavyweight champion that Emelianenko has defeated in his career. Unfortunately, Emelianenko was denied his opportunity after the California State Athletic Commission announced last Wednesday that Barnett would not be granted a license in time for the fight. Emelianenko, 30-1, is perceived by many within the industry to be a free agent and it is believed he is being courted by every major MMA promotion in the world. Already considered a superstar in many other countries, he has seen his popularity rise in the U.S. since defeating Tim Sylvia, a former UFC heavyweight champion, in just 36 seconds in July of 2008. Emelianenko followed up the dominant Sylvia victory with a first round knockout over Andrei Arlovski — another former UFC heavyweight champion — this past January.

Josh Barnett next ‘fight’ scheduled for Inoki Genome Federation on Aug. 9 Posted: 28 Jul 2009 10:09 AM PDT Josh Barnett — who recently failed a pre-fight drug screening for anabolic steroids prior to a showdown with Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction: “Trilogy” on Aug. 1 — will return to action at Inoki Genome Federation in Japan on Aug. 9, according to his manager, Shannon Hooper, via a report on MMAFanHouse. However, it’s a professional wrestling gig — not a mixed martial arts bout. “The Baby Faced Assassin” has enjoyed a successful career in “The Land of the Rising Sun” in this capacity for several years. Now it appears with his options limited stateside, the former UFC champion is already heading overseas to collect a paycheck. That’s perhaps more than several of the other fighters can say who were scheduled to compete at “Trilogy.” Barnett’s positive test led to Affliction MMA’s house of cards to come crashing down, calling it quits as a fight promoter and returning to the UFC as a corporate sponsor with its clothing brand. Several intriguing fights were scrapped as a result, forcing fighters to search for work elsewhere … Barnett included. The good news for Barnett is that Japan is a place that has been very good to him. In fact, in an interview he did with us back in January, he talked about how he still wrestles on a regular basis and how he doesn’t find it to be much different that fighting as a mixed martial artist: Here’s a snip: “I continue to wrestle over in Japan for the IGF on a fairly regular basis — at least four matches maybe five matches a year. In my mind, whether I'm over there in Japan in the IGF or in the ring in Affliction, they're all pro wrestling to me. I'm fighting for the entertainment of the fans.” Barnett indicated that he intends to appeal this most recent steroid finding with the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). His second “B” sample is currently being tested to confirm the initial positive result. If it’s upheld it could mean that Barnett’s license to fight in the United States could be revoked for a good amount of time, forcing him to remain exiled in Japan indefinitely. With a looming Sengoku heavyweight grand prix looming, and a successful wrestling career, however, it may not be such a bad twist of fate after all. Keep in locked on MMAmania.com as we’ll let you know more on Barnett’s future when it’s announced.

Nick Diaz vs Jay Hieron Strikeforce fight possible for Aug. 15 Posted: 28 Jul 2009 07:11 AM PDT It appears that International Fighter League (IFL) veteran Jay Hieron is the "frontrunner" to take on Nick Diaz in a 170-pound match at Strikeforce: "Carano vs. Cyborg" from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Aug. 15, according to GracieFighter.com. Hieron — who was training to fight Paul "Semtex" Daley this weekend at Affliction: "Trilogy" this weekend before the promotion folded — apparently beat out Phil Baroni as a late replacement for Joe Riggs. "Diesel" was hospitalized and forced out of the rematch against Diaz last week, which was supposed to be for Strikeforce's newly created welterweight title. Promotion officials did not immediately confirm the possible Diaz-Hieron bout or whether or not a welterweight title would be up for grabs on fight night. Stay tuned. Diaz comes into this fight on an absolute tear. Aside from dismantling the clearly-overmatched Scott Smith at June's "Lawler vs. Shields" event, the Cesar Gracie-disciple busted up the legendary Frank Shamrock en route to a second round TKO at the last San Jose-based event back in April. The Stockton, Calif., native is riding a five-fight win streak and has finished each of his opponents in dominating fashion Hieron is also currently enjoying a five fight winning streak, including his most recent first round knockout win over the previously unbeaten Jason High on the Affliction: "Day of Reckoning" card back in January. The Xtreme Couture trainee was a staple under the now defunct IFL, fighting nine times for the promotion in a span of just under two years. Since then, however, "The Thoroughbred" has only been in action twice, defeating High earlier this year and also out-pointing Chris Kennedy en route to a unanimous decision victory at a "Super Fights MMA" event last October. Hieron and Diaz were actually rumored to face off at the Strikeforce event back in June; however, the promotion instead ended up booking Scott Smith as Diaz's opponent for the event. It was a fight that Hieron wanted real bad at the time. That's because he was part of KJ Noons corner the night he and Diaz had that melee in the cage following KJ's technical knockout win over Yves Edwards at Elite XC: "Return of the King." There's even video footage of Hieron throwing a punch at the Cesar Gracie-trained black belt. Now he may get another opportunity to do that several times over, and much more, on Aug. 15. Strikeforce: "Carano vs. Cyborg" will feature a 145-pound title fight between female fighting sensation Gina "Conviction" Carano and her nemesis Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos as well as a lightweight title unification bout between reigning champ Josh "The Punk" Thomson and interim champ Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez. For all the latest on this still-developing fight card click here.

Amir Sadollah vs Johny Hendricks UFC 102 video fight talk Posted: 28 Jul 2009 05:52 AM PDT Hear what two-time 165-pound national collegiate wrestling champion from Oklahoma State University, Johny Hendricks, has to say after the jump.

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• UFC 101 weigh in results information for ‘Declaration’ PPV event on Aug. 8
• UFC Quick Quote: ‘Shogun’ Rua doesn’t deserve a title shot against Lyoto Machida
• George St. Pierre has ‘no fear:’ UFC champ featured in Rolling Stone
• Faster and stronger: BJ Penn trains for Kenny Florian UFC 101 fight (Video)
• Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral vs Gegard Mousasi fight moved to Strikeforce on Aug. 15
• Rani Yahya vs John Hosman bout booked for WEC 42 with Kenji Osawa hurt
• King Mo: ‘Rampage’ Jackson is not funny — and talks like he’s in the Klan
• WEC founder and General Manager Reed Harris featured on tonight’s presentation of Pro MMA Radio
• Nevada State Athletic Commission to vote on the inclusion of MMA instant replay
• WEC Quick Quote: Miguel Torres needed a hug and Mark DellaGrotte gave it to him

UFC 101 weigh in results information for ‘Declaration’ PPV event on Aug. 8 Posted: 28 Jul 2009 04:37 AM PDT The official weigh-in event for UFC 101: “Declaration” is set to take place from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia on Friday, Aug. 7, 2009. It is currently scheduled to air LIVE on UFC.com via streaming video. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. ET. As usual, MMAmania.com will provide the latest coverage of the UFC 101 weigh-in, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude. “Declaration” will feature a main event between lightweight champion BJ Penn and number one contender Kenny Florian. In addition, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva will step up once again to compete at light heavyweight against former 205-pound champion, Forrest Griffin, in a three-round, non-title special attraction. Here's the complete UFC 101 fight card: Main event: UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian Main card (Televised): 205 lbs.: Forrest Griffin vs. Anderson Silva 170 lbs.: Amir Sadollah vs. Johny Hendricks 185 lbs.: Kendall Grove vs. Ricardo Almeida 155 lbs.: Kurt Pellegrino vs. Josh Neer Under card (May not be broadcast): 155 lbs.: Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley 170 lbs.: John Howard vs. Tamdan McCrory 185 lbs.: Alessio Sakara vs. Thales Leites 170 lbs.: Matt Riddle vs. Dan Cramer 170 lbs.: Danillo Villefort vs. Jesse Lennox For those fortunate enough to be in "The City of Brotherly Love" for the promotion’s first-ever trip to the “Keystone State” remember that the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 3 p.m. local time for the general public. In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend an exclusive Q&A session with UFC President Dana White and co-owner, Lorenzo Fertitta, on that same day an hour earlier at 2 p.m. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, Aug. 8), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view from the Wachovia Center. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 8 p.m. ET. It's going to be an awesome and memorable night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 101 coverage you can handle.

UFC Quick Quote: ‘Shogun’ Rua doesn’t deserve a title shot against Lyoto Machida Posted: 27 Jul 2009 07:13 PM PDT "I'm going to root for Lyoto [Machida]. I'm not saying Shogun is not prepared but how long did Lyoto have to wait to get a title shot? The truth is Shogun fought twice and how many fights Machida had to do? Its obvious something is up. I'm not here to talk bad words on nobody but life is made of chances and I said to our managers this fight shouldn't happen. Shogun didn't fight enough to deserve the belt. The thing is precious and if I was Lyoto I wouldn't accept. He is a great champion and must be respected but this is my opinion. [That said], I've much respect for Shogun, who is a great athlete that has showed good performances lately and recovered from injuries." – UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva shares his thoughts with BrasilCombate.com.br (via Fighters Only) on the first title defense of his good friend and training partner, Lyoto Machida, against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 24. Rua — widely regarded as the top 205-pound fighter in the world before a submission loss to Forrest Griffin in his Octagon debut in 2007 — is coming off a first round technical knockout of former 205-pound champion, Chuck Liddell, at UFC 97: "Redemption.” He also defeated Mark Coleman via third round technical knockout in a lackluster performance earlier this year at UFC 93: "Franklin vs. Henderson.” So is “Shogun” really ready to slay the “Dragon” or is he merely the only man left standing after Quinton “Rampage” Jackson turned down the opportunity to battle Rashad Evans instead? Or both? And just for the record, Machida had to win six fights, not two, to earn a crack at championship glory.

George St. Pierre has ‘no fear:’ UFC champ featured in Rolling Stone Posted: 27 Jul 2009 04:56 PM PDT Props: Rolling Stone Quoteworthy: “This former Montreal club bouncer isn’t huge — he’s 5-10, 170 pounds — but it hardly matters. Check any Mixed Martial Arts ranking for his class and you’ll find GSP near the top. Marketers envision him as the sport’s big breakout star — he’s the first MMA guy to pimp Gatorade, for one thing — and his win over Thiago Alves at UFC 100 could very well be the fight that does it. ‘He is a new breed of mixed martial artist,’ says UFC honcho Dana White. ‘He is good at everything and is getting more confident. He has absolutely no fear of any opponent. Anybody that the public or UFC sees as a challenge to him, he wants to fight — anyone.’” UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre is featured in this month’s edition (issue 1084) of Rolling Stone magazine among 17 other “Athletes Without Fear.” “Rush” joins Troy Polamalu, Carl Edwards, Gina Carano and several others as “the boldest and strongest in sports.” To check out the complete list click here or pick up a fresh hard copy, which is now on newsstands.

Faster and stronger: BJ Penn trains for Kenny Florian UFC 101 fight (Video) Posted: 27 Jul 2009 02:22 PM PDT

Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral vs Gegard Mousasi fight moved to Strikeforce on Aug. 15 Posted: 27 Jul 2009 01:52 PM PDT After a week of bad news, we finally have some positive information to pass along. Strikeforce today announced that it has salvaged the dynamite light heavyweight showdown between Renato Sobral and Gegard Mousasi, which appeared to be scrapped when Affliction MMA closed its doors just one week prior to "Trilogy" on Aug. 1, 2009. It gets better: Sobral, the Strikeforce 205-pound champion, will put his belt on the line when the two fighters collide at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Aug 15. It will be a featured bout on the televised main card, which will air on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET. Sobral was forced to withdraw from his first-ever light heavyweight title defense against former Elite XC superstar, Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, at the Strikeforce: 'Lawler vs. Shields' event slated for the the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., on June 6, due to the birth of his child in late May. Babalu has won four straight fights since departing from the UFC in late 2007, including a decision win over Mike Whitehead at Affliction: "Banned," a submission win over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at Affliction: "Day of Reckoning" and a first round technical knockout win over Bobby Southworth at Strikeforce: "Destruction" to win the promotion's 205-pound strap. He will need every ounce of that experience (and his jiu-jitsu chops) to stymie Mousasi. For Mousasi, who surrendered his DREAM middleweight title to focus on competing at a higher weight class, it is another opportunity to capture a major belt early in his bright career. Here's what he had to say about fighting Babalu under the Strikeforce banner: "I am very happy that Strikeforce has resurrected this fight and that I will have the opportunity to become Strikeforce world champion…. Strikeforce is one of the world's top promotions and I am proud to be a part of their roster of world-class fighters." "The Young Vagabond" (25-2-1) is fresh off a first round submission win over Mark Hunt at Dream 9 on May 26. Mousasi is riding a 12-fight winning streak with victories over Denis Kang, Melvin Manhoef and Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza. 23 of his 25 wins have been either submission or (T)KO stoppages. Strikeforce: "Carano vs. Cyborg" will feature a 145-pound title fight between female fighting sensation Gina "Conviction" Carano and her nemesis Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, as well as a lightweight title unification bout between reigning champ Josh "The Punk" Thomson and interim champ Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez. For all the latest on this still-developing fight card click here.

Rani Yahya vs John Hosman bout booked for WEC 42 with Kenji Osawa hurt Posted: 27 Jul 2009 01:24 PM PDT Japanese native Kenji Osawa (15-8-2) has been pulled from his bantamweight bout against Brazilian submission specialist Rani Yahya (14-4) at WEC 42 because of a foot injury suffered in training, according to a Versus.com report. John Hosman (13-4-1) will fill-in on less than two weeks notice for the three-fight WEC veteran at “The Joint” at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Aug. 9. The 28-year-old promotional newcomer who trains out of the Midwest Training Center has been a winner in 10 of his last 11 contests, including five in a row since last July. He too, brings a solid jiu jitsu game to the cage, having forced seven of his 13 victims to submit. WEC general manager Reed Harris confirmed the bout earlier today. Here’s a snip: "Rani Yahya is clearly one of the best grapplers in the division, but we expect John to bring the heat on Aug. 9. This is a big opportunity for him." While the up-and-coming bantamweight fighter will look to introduce himself to the main stream mixed martial arts world on the under card of WEC 42, perhaps the world’s best known 135 pound fighter, Miguel “Angel” Torres, will headline the event against undefeated Brian Bowles — winner of four straight under the WEC banner. For more on WEC 42 click here.

King Mo: ‘Rampage’ Jackson is not funny — and talks like he’s in the Klan Posted: 27 Jul 2009 11:46 AM PDT Props: Fighthype Quoteworthy: “He’s not even funny anymore. Every time Rampage makes a joke about black people, he talks about our features. He says things that someone in the Klan would say to us. When he made that ‘black on black crime’ comment towards Rashad, I didn’t see any black people laughing at that, but the white people was. They say, ‘Rampage is so cool and so funny.’ How is that funny? He then said it three or four times. It’s a minstrel show. Anyone that watched that video know he’s lying about not knowing who I am. We met before that. But he shouldn’t be worried about me. He should be worried about Rashad! My thing is the truth will come out and we will see how it makes us look. Memphis is a highly black-populated area. We’ll see how many blacks show up to his fight.” Undefeated up-and-comer Muhammed Lawal (4-0) fires back at Quinton Jackson following some disparaging remarks the former UFC light heavyweight champ took at “King Mo” last week. The decorated collegiate wrestling champion and Division I All-American from Oklahoma State University will lock horns with grizzled veteran Don Frye (20-7-1) at "M-1 Global Presents Breakthrough" from the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 28 in his stateside debut. Can a trip to the UFC — and clash with “Rampage” — be far behind?

WEC founder and General Manager Reed Harris featured on tonight’s presentation of Pro MMA Radio Posted: 27 Jul 2009 11:09 AM PDT With less than two weeks to go before WEC 42: "Torres vs. Bowles" hits ‘The Joint’ at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, WEC founder and General Manager Reed Harris will join us tonight at 9 p.m. ET on MMAmania.com's exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio. Harris will talk about the August 9 event, bringing the WEC to pay-per-view, eliminating the heavier weight divisions and establishing his promotion as the premiere destination for the world's best fighters in the lighter weight classes. MMAmania.com’s own Nostradumbass will also drop by later in the show to discuss the fallout from the collapse of Affliction MMA and the repercussions it could have on the future of fighting. Hosted by Larry Pepe, Pro MMA Radio is professional, guest-driven program that features some of mixed martial arts biggest names. If you're looking for a radio show that revolves around a couple of MMA fans ranting and raving about everything that's already been covered ad nauseam, then Pro MMA Radio probably isn't for you. However, if you want to hear from actual fighters and industry insiders answering questions that are relevant to the current MMA scene, tune in every Monday night at 9 p.m. ET for our exclusive live feed. See you tonight at 9 p.m. ET!

Nevada State Athletic Commission to vote on the inclusion of MMA instant replay Posted: 27 Jul 2009 09:47 AM PDT The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) will soon vote on the inclusion of instant replay within the sport of mixed artial arts to better assist referees in the UFC and other organizations in determining the outcome of televised fights. Set for August 19, the NSAC will specifically examine the relevance of instant replay as it pertains to fight-ending injuries or fouls, particularly those that may or may not have been ruled a technical knockout, like in the case of Mirko Filipovic vs. Mustapha Al-Turk back at UFC 99 on June 13. From the NSAC: Sec. 7.  NAC 467.682 is hereby amended to read as follows: A referee may view a replay, if available, at the conclusion of a contest or exhibition stopped immediately due to an injury to an unarmed combatant pursuant to NAC 467.718 in order to determine whether the injury in question was caused by a legal blow or a foul. (a) If the determination is made that the injury was the result of a legal blow, the injured unarmed combatant shall be determined to have lost the contest via technical knockout. (b) If the determination is made that the injury was the result of a foul, it must be determined whether the foul was intentional or accidental. (1) If deemed intentional, the outcome of the contest shall be determined in accord with NAC 467.698; or (2) If deemed accidental, the outcome of the contest shall be determined in accord with NAC 467.702 or 467.7966. If accepted, the implementation of instant replay is going to be limited in its application (by design). The purpose is to preserve the integrity of a contest’s outcome rather than find faults with judgment calls. Is the sport of MMA in need of instant replay to compensate for blown calls? Or does the technology in and of itself open a can of worms? Opinions, please.

WEC Quick Quote: Miguel Torres needed a hug and Mark DellaGrotte gave it to him Posted: 27 Jul 2009 08:10 AM PDT “I said I don’t mind getting hit, and (DellaGrotta) said, ‘That’s not smart. Everyone knows you’re super tough, everyone knows you can take a punch. Everyone knows you’re the man. You want to impress somebody? Don’t get touched. Don’t get hit.’ I was frustrated by that. I said, No, I want someone to hit me. It’s the macho thing. And he said, ‘You know what you need? I’m going to help you.’ And he hugged me. At first, I said, Let go of me man. But he just kept hugging me. It was kind of funny, but I did need a hug. No one ever gave me a hug before. It was what I needed.” – WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres talks to Yahoo Sports about his evolution inside the gym after training with MMA guru Mark DellaGrotte, who brings a revolutionary “hugs, not drugs” philosophy to his training camp. Torres (37-1), who is widely considered the best bantamweight in the world, will next fight Brian Bowles (7-0) and defend his title once again in the WEC 42 main event on August 9. Could the era of “Lay and Pray” be extinct in favor of the new “Hugs and Slugs?” Stay tuned…

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• Demian Maia trains for Nate Marquardt UFC 102 fight (Video)
• ‘Flo’ Job: An MMAmania.com UFC 101 interview exclusive with Kenny Florian
• The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 cast video preview
• Gray Maynard has a plan: Kick Roger Huerta’s ass on Sept. 16
• M-1 boss Vadim Finkelchtein seeks ‘moment of truth’ with UFC

Demian Maia trains for Nate Marquardt UFC 102 fight (Video) Posted: 26 Jul 2009 07:17 PM PDT

‘Flo’ Job: An MMAmania.com UFC 101 interview exclusive with Kenny Florian Posted: 26 Jul 2009 09:43 AM PDT It’s been roughly three years since Kenny Florian’s first title shot in which he lost a bloody, five round battle to mixed martial arts veteran Sean Sherk at UFC 64. Needless to say, a lot has changed since that juncture in his career. Six consecutive victories over top lightweight contenders including Roger Huerta, Joe Stevenson, and Joe Lauzon and Florian once again finds himself in the familiar number one contender spot. This time around, however, he’s a little older and a little wiser — and some may argue a completely revamped and weakness-free fighter. Enter UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn, who will be looking to spoil Florian’s quest to reach his ultimate goal to be a champion in his own right. Will Florian be able to upset arguably the best lightweight fighter in the history of MMA? Or does Penn have something else in mind? The Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA will play host to UFC 101 on August 8, where all unanswered questions will be resolved. In the meantime, “KenFlo” took some time out of his busy schedule to discuss training with Georges St. Pierre, welcoming the underdog role, Diego Sanchez and the aforementioned “Prodigy.” Check it out: Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I want to start by going back to your UFC 64 fight with Sean Sherk. If you could go back right now and speak with that version of Kenny Florian what advice would you give yourself? Kenny Florian: I think I did everything that I could have done for that fight at the time. My heart was there. Everything was there. I lacked the technical ability to really do well. The strength and conditioning aspect of it was not there at all. That’s the main thing. The experience, the technique, and the physical aspect were lacking tremendously. I was training hard but I was only training hard when I got a call for the fight. I wasn’t training year round. I wasn’t putting in all the effort. I lacked experience for obvious reasons. I tried to win that fight every second of every round. I never gave up. I was strong to the end and that really wasn’t an issue. The issue really was being able to hang on a technical and physical level with a guy like Sherk. Ever since that fight I have been putting in a tremendous amount of hours in my training year round. I’ve sacrificed more than anyone out there. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): It’s been roughly nine months since your fight with Joe Stevenson at UFC 91. Does it seem like longer than that and how bad are you itching to just get back into the cage? Kenny Florian: I’m definitely itching to get back into the cage. I’ve been preparing for a long time. It is what it is. I think it has been useful for my preparation for this fight. I actually had an opportunity to get my tonsils removed, which were infected for the last year really badly. I finally actually had the time to do it. I’m in better shape because of that. I’m healthier because of that. I’ve been able to work on a lot more skills because of it (the layoff) as well. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Everybody knows by now that you did some training up in Canada with Georges St. Pierre for you upcoming fight with BJ Penn. Did you decide to go up there to get help with a game plan since GSP just fought him or were you going simply to hone your overall skills? Kenny Florian: Really I was there to hone my overall skills. I’ve been wanting to train with Georges St. Pierre and his camp for a long time now. I started working with Jonathan Chaimberg, his strength and conditioning coach. He’s my new strength and conditioning coach. I’ve been working with him for the last three months in preparation for this fight. I got to work with Firas Zahaby as well who is a phenomenal trainer. And, of course, I got the chance to learn and spar and train with Georges St. Pierre. Anytime you get the chance to train with one of the best pound-for-pound guys and feel that pressure and intensity in training it’s going to help you grow as a fighter. Were there things we talked about with BJ? Yeah, there were things that I already knew, but as far as game planning, everybody is different. I’m a much different fighter than Georges St. Pierre. Some of the things he can do I’m not going to be able to do so I have to come up with a completely different game plan for BJ Penn. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Someone put a couple of video clips of BJ online recently. One of him jumping out of a pool and one where he puts his legs behind his head without using his hands. Are you impressed? Kenny Florian: (laughs) It’s good. That’s good that he can do that. That’s cool. He needs to be able to apply that with a sustained effort throughout the fight for it to be impressive. It’s not really fight related stuff. If we fight in the pool and the game plan is to try to jump out of the pool without using your hands then maybe he has an edge. I haven’t tried that before. We’ll see if it’s really applicable to this fight. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I’m still waiting for the Kenny Florian parody with you jumping out of a kiddie pool or something? Kenny Florian: (laughs) I was actually thinking about doing it. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I’m hearing a lot of chatter on various forums about how you can’t take BJ down, how you can’t match his boxing, and on and on. I think you’re officially the underdog at this point. Are you okay being the Rocky Balboa figure in this matchup? Kenny Florian: 100%. I think I’ve been the underdog once or twice in my career so it’s nothing new. That just puts more pressure on BJ, I think. For me, I just see it as a wonderful opportunity to test my skills. I’m confident I can get the job done. I think this is by far the biggest challenge of my career. It’s going to be an honor to go out there and test myself against someone with the skill of a BJ Penn. I believe I’ve done all the work. Not just for this fight. Everything I’ve put in since I was a kid has been for this fight. I’m looking forward to it. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): For the record, what is your favorite quote from any of the Rocky movies? Kenny Florian: You know what, as bad as Rocky Balboa was it actually had one of the more memorable lines - “It’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You posted a quote on your frequently updated Twitter page a short time ago - “The reflection on a pool of water does not reveal its depth.” Do you feel like the fans and media haven’t seen your 'depth’ up to this point and is proving the world wrong added motivation for you? Kenny Florian: Oh yeah for sure. That is always the way I’ve been portrayed. People see me as this regular guy who doesn’t really look like a fighter. They don’t really take me seriously, which I think is great. I think the assassin that you don’t take seriously is the most dangerous one. I’ve never been a big talker so people maybe don’t take me seriously or think I’m dangerous. Then if I do say I’m confident going in that I’m going to win a fight then they say that I’m cocky. People don’t believe in me but that’s fine. The main thing is that it starts with me. You have to believe you can do it. Hopefully I can turn some more people around. I know I have in the past. For me, I’m just focusing on what I need to do to win this fight. I’m sure there will still be doubters even if I beat BJ Penn. I can’t change everybody’s mind. I just need to go out there and focus on what I need to do to become a better fighter. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I’m not going to ask what your game plan is for BJ since nobody has ever answered that question. BJ, on the other hand, was quoted recently in an Online interview saying, “I’m not really the kind of guy that goes out there and makes a game plan, I just go out and fight.” Are you buying that and, if so, is not having a game plan a good idea? Kenny Florian: It’s not necessarily a bad thing depending on what kind of training he did. I’m sure there is some half truth to that. There is some truth to that with myself as well. When we look at BJ’s strengths and we say we need to be able avoid this or avoid that and try to implement your strengths which is this and that. In doing that maybe it’s not a complete game plan, but in saying that and in training (technically) that it is a game plan. I’m sure BJ is looking at things that I do and looking at things he does and trying to match it up so I’m not sure I really believe that. The way that he trains should have prepared him for some kind of game plan. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Would you like to make an official prediction for the fight? Kenny Florian: I don’t know man. I don’t know how I’m going to get it done but I’m predicting a win. Obviously I go into every fight expecting to win. I sacrifice too much to let anybody else win. I won’t allow it. I train too hard for it. Regardless, I think it’s going to be a highly technical fight. It’s going to be a very tough fight. I expect from every second of every round I’m going to have to work for it against BJ Penn. He’s as good as it gets. I have my work cut out for me but I’m confident I’ll come away on August 8 the champ. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Is this fight going the full five rounds? Kenny Florian: I’m not sure but I know I’ve been doing five rounds for the last two months now. I’m confident I can go five ridiculously hard rounds. I’m ready for that. Whatever it may be. I’m ready for a first round win or five hard rounds. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): If you win the belt do you promise not to spit in the camera and say you need a Coors Light and all that stuff like Brock Lesnar did at UFC 100? Kenny Florian: (laughs) I’m solemnly swear not to do that. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Maybe it’s a Sam Adams in your case, some Boston lager. Kenny Florian: (laughs) That would be acceptable. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What was your take on how Lesnar reacted after his victory over Frank Mir at UFC 100. Are you okay with it and, in general, is Lesnar good for the sport of MMA? Where do you come out on him? Kenny Florian: It’s tough man. Anytime you have a dominant champion in a sport it’s never a bad thing. He certainly has proven to be dominant of late. I don’t see too many people who can beat him at this point. It turned me off a little bit seeing the way he acted towards Frank Mir and his camp and all that stuff. I definitely was a little upset about it. I know that Brock apologized later but there are some people watching the sport who already have these preconceived notions that we are barbarians and things like that. Seeing that fight kind of just confirms what they already thought about the sport perhaps. It’s tough man. Brock’s a great fighter. I think he realized he made a mistake. He apologized so for that I don’t have a problem with him. He definitely needs to be careful. Not just Brock but any fighter needs to be careful because there are kids watching and other people watching and it can give the wrong impression. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Rumor has it that Diego Sanchez has been guaranteed the winner of this fight. Do you think he deserves a title shot after coming off decision victories over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida at 155? Kenny Florian: I’ll say yes and no. For me, I’d love to fight Diego. I’m excited if that would happen. Obviously, I’m just focused on BJ Penn but I do think that Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar have done more in the lightweight division to deserve a shot over him. A fight between myself and Diego is a more marketable fight. That is fine with me. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Like you said, not to look past BJ in any way but is there a 'Wanted’ poster at the Kenny Florian Martial Arts Center with Diego’s picture on it? Kenny Florian: (laughs) No definitely not. BJ Penn is the only one up there right now. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Forrest Griffin and Anderson Silva are going to go at it at UFC 101 as well. Who do you got and why? Kenny Florian: That’s a tough fight. Forrest is a friend of mine. Anderson Silva, in my opinion, is one of the best fighters in the world - one of my favorite fighters. Right now you have to think Anderson Silva is going to be the favorite going into this fight. The guy’s skill level is at a very high level. I believe it’s at a higher level than what Forrest is at right now. I think Forrest will have the size advantage. Being the underdog is always a good thing for him. Forrest always does better when he’s the underdog - when not much is expected of him. That’s when he seems to perform at his best. We saw him when he was a favorite against (Keith) Jardine. He didn’t do as well. I’m sure he felt the pressure as a champion when he fought Rashad Evans. I think when he’s the underdog that’s when he really shines, which makes him a very dangerous fighter. It comes down to how smart of a game plan Forrest comes in with. He’s going to have to really control his emotions out there. A more aggressive Forrest Griffin is more likely to get knocked out against Anderson Silva. That’s when he’s at his best - when guys are coming forward against him. I think he just needs to be careful but you have to give Anderson Silva the edge. Anytime Forrest Griffin goes in there anything can happen so it will be an exciting fight. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Let’s stay with Anderson Silva. His last couple of fights he’s won easily but he appears different. People say he may have lost his killer instinct, he’s being too cautious to protect his belt and his legacy, whatever. As an observer what is your take on him at this juncture in his career? Kenny Florian: As a fan of the sport he hasn’t had the most exciting fights recently. You want him to put more on the line. You want to say, “Listen, his skill level is so far above that of Thales Leites. Why didn’t he go out there and just try to take him out?” The reality is that Anderson Silva has always been a tactician. He’s always been a guy who has been a very calculating assassin. He needs to see those openings. He needs to see those opportunities to attack and expose his opponents. If those aren’t presented to him he’s not going to take them. He’s patient. He’s experience and will take his time to wait for that perfect opportunity. It takes two to tango and not all the blame should be on Anderson Silva. Would I like to see him in more exciting fights? Sure, but I don’t think you can blame Anderson Silva 100% for that. If you’re looking for a brawl you’re probably not looking for a fight with Anderson Silva. He’s a guy who will be exciting but at the right time when it’s most beneficial to him, which I agree with. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Before I go I also wanted to ask you about your commentary on MMA Live and on the WEC and UFC telecasts. Do you feel like a pro at it yet and, if not, what would you say is the toughest part about it? Kenny Florian: Definitely not a pro at all as of right now. I think I do a decent job. I still need more training. I’m never satisfied with anything that I do. I always think there’s room for improvement. Just getting used to going in there and doing it over and over again helps. Certainly the stuff I’m doing for ESPN has helped me tremendously to become comfortable in front of the camera. I’m trying my best to educate the common fans first and foremost and then the hardcore fans as well. I do my best and know that I still need to work on that stuff. I love doing it. I feel really blessed that I have the opportunity to do things like that. I’m looking forward to continuing to do stuff for both the UFC and the WEC. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Should Joe Rogan watch his back in about four or five years? Are you coming for him? Kenny Florian: No, by no means. He’s a guy that has been involved in martial arts probably longer than I’ve been alive. He’s been around a long time. He knows the sport inside and out. Not only that but he does a great job of delivering his lines with excitement and passion. You can see it, it’s very genuine. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): He looks like he could get in the cage if the UFC ever need a replacement fighter at the last minute? Kenny Florian: Yeah, he’s that skilled. People forget that the guy is very skilled in stand-up and in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, obviously. He’s a bad ass in his own right. No doubt about it. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): That’s all I had for you Kenny. Would you like to pass along a message to your fans or thank any sponsors at this time? Kenny Florian: I want to thank all the fans for their support. I want to encourage everybody to check out KennyFlorian.com. I would like to thank all my coaches and teammates. Check out Florian Martial Arts Center. I would like to thank Tapout as well. Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Thanks again Kenny and best of luck in a few weeks. We’ll do it again soon. Kenny Florian: Thanks buddy. Derek Bolender is a staff writer for InsideFights.com. He is also syndicated to FoxSports.com and CNNSI.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter and on Facebook. Look for future articles from him on MMAmania.com.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 cast video preview Posted: 26 Jul 2009 09:12 AM PDT Props: Spike TV

Gray Maynard has a plan: Kick Roger Huerta’s ass on Sept. 16 Posted: 26 Jul 2009 08:22 AM PDT Props: MMAWeekly Quoteworthy: “I'm trying to learn how I can avoid (getting caught). If I get caught, then I'm an idiot. Because that's part of the sport: defense. Blocking stuff, movement, which I think a lot of guys don't do. You see offense everywhere, but if you can just move a little bit, it's a lot easier. I'm here to win. (I'm not going to say), 'I think it's going to be a bloody, an unbelievable throwdown [and] we're going to get the fight of the night check.' To be honest, I don't even want it to be close. I want to kick this dude's ass. That's the plan.” Undefeated UFC lightweight Gray Maynard looks to bully his record up to 8-0 when he collides with former UFC 155-pound sensation Roger Huerta at UFC Fight Night 19 from the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on September 16. “El Matador” is returning to the Octagon to satisfy the remaining fight on his current deal after declining a five-fight contract extension to pursue a career in acting and modeling. He may go out on a high note if he shows some of the ability that took him to an impressive 20-2-1. Or the former Ultimate Fighter 5 (TUF) contestant could deport him to the land of also-rans with his suffocating wrestling. Who ya got?

M-1 boss Vadim Finkelchtein seeks ‘moment of truth’ with UFC Posted: 26 Jul 2009 08:07 AM PDT Mixfight.ru, the official Russian-language site of M-1Global.com, was able to reach M-1 Global President and Co-Owner Vadim Finkelchtein by phone soon after the cancellation of "Trilogy." During the brief conversation with Mixfight.ru, Finkelchtein explained Affliction's logic behind canceling the entire event. "Affliction is asserting that all the steps that have transpired had to take place because of the disruption caused in the presentation of their PPV," he began to explain. "The fact is that according to American laws, if you advertise the showing of an event on a paid television channel, you are obligated to deliver what has been advertised. "In other countries, the marketing was centered around Fedor. However, in the U.S. the marketing of the fight was clearly built around both Fedor and Josh Barnett. Since Barnett was unable to compete as advertised, Affliction was concerned about legal issues." In a bit of a surprise, Affliction announced a reconciliation with the UFC on Friday and confirmed that its involvement in MMA will now be limited to that as a sponsor. Finkelchtein was asked if M-1 will continue to work with Affliction. "This question remains open," he answered. "Negotiations are currently taking place as we speak. With this cancellation they not only let us down but all the fighters and the MMA fans all over the world as well." One of the most pressing questions coming from the cancellation is what will be the fate of former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. In an official statement over the weekend, M-1 Global promised fight fans that Emelianenko will return to active competition as soon as possible. "We are now with Fedor in the U.S. and we hope to make a decision about his next fight within the next few days," Finkelchtein stated. "There are many business meetings and negotiations planned with all the major promotions. We will explore the possibility of Fedor fighting Barnett and will even look into whether the fight can take place as soon as August (since Barnett has not been suspended)." Finkelchtein also believes that the cancellation of "Trilogy" could be used as an opportunity to jump start stagnant negotiations to bring Fedor to the UFC. "This is the moment of truth that the UFC has talked about. Fedor and I are here in the States. If they want to come out and fly here, we are ready to conduct negotiations. Of course it still doesn't imply we are ready to accept any conditions they'll throw at us. We want to talk to the UFC about having Fedor compete against some of their fighters, but only within the framework of co-promotional efforts with M-1 Global."

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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 101 video: Anderson Silva is going to have fun hitting Forrest Griffin
• UFC 103: Junior dos Santos ready to knockout ‘the most dangerous man in MMA’
• UFC 102: ‘Couture vs Nogueira’ fight card and line up finalized for Aug. 29 in Portland
• ‘Carano vs Cyborg’ video ‘news brief’ for Strikeforce title fight on Aug. 15
• DREAM 12 announced for Osaka-jo Hall on Oct. 25
• K-1 World MAX 2009 semifinal bouts confirmed for Oct. 26
• UFC 100 PPV buys in 1.5 million range; Dana White to jump off Mandalay Bay
• MMA Quick Quote: Gegard Mousasi may just go to the UFC
• UFC 101 video preview in depth for ‘Declaration’ on Aug. 8
• Rich ‘tweet’ Franklin indicates something may be awry with UFC 103 main event opposite Dan Henderson

UFC 101 video: Anderson Silva is going to have fun hitting Forrest Griffin Posted: 25 Jul 2009 07:15 PM PDT

UFC 103: Junior dos Santos ready to knockout ‘the most dangerous man in MMA’ Posted: 25 Jul 2009 02:57 PM PDT Props: Tatame.com Quoteworthy: “I train a lot of boxing — I like the striking a lot and I'll go after another knockout. What I want is the knockout…. This guy is dangerous standing, but I'm going after the knockout, as always. With the opportunity, I'll show my ground too…. I’m facing it as a very good opportunity in my life. Cro Cop is a guy that, if you talk about MMA, you know who he is. He's very dangerous and famous, if not the most dangerous man in the MMA … this is an incredible opportunity….” Despite a solid ground game, Junior dos Santos plans to go toe-to-toe with former K-1 and Pride FC wrecking machine, Mirko Cro Cop, when the heavyweights collide at UFC 103 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19. The hard-hitting Brazilian has spent little more than two minutes combined inside the Octagon in his two appearances for the promotion, knocking out Fabricio Werdum and then following that performance up with a stoppage of Stefan Struve. Is “Cigano” perhaps feeling a little over confident heading into his match with the unforgiving Croatian striker or can he beat Cro Cop at his own game? Thoughts please, Maniacs ….

UFC 102: ‘Couture vs Nogueira’ fight card and line up finalized for Aug. 29 in Portland Posted: 25 Jul 2009 02:40 PM PDT Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently confirmed the final bouts for its upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) event scheduled for the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, on August 29, 2009. UFC 102 will feature a main event between former champion Randy "The Natural" Couture battling former Pride FC champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira in a dream match up between two legendary mixed martial arts competitors. Perennial light heavyweight contender Keith Jardine is also slated to throw down in a 205-pound slugfest against hard-hitting Brazilian import Thiago Silva on the televised PPV portion of the card, as well as a possible number one middleweight title contender eliminator match between Demian Maia and Nate Marquardt. Here is the current UFC 102 fight card: Main event: 265 lbs.: Randy Couture (16-9) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1) Main card (Televised): 205 lbs.: Keith Jardine (14-5-1) vs. Thiago Silva (13-1) 185 lbs.: Chris Leben (18-6) vs. Jake Rosholt (5-1) 185 lbs.: Nate Marquardt (28-8-2) vs. Demian Maia (10-0) 205 lbs.: Krzysztof Soszynski (18-8-1) vs. Brandon Vera (10-3) Under card (May not be broadcast): 265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga (10-4) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (17-1) 185 lbs.: James Irvin (14-5) vs. Wilson Gouveia (12-6) 265 lbs.: Mike Russow (11-1) vs. Justin McCully (9-4-2) 265 lbs.: Todd Duffee (4-0) vs. Tim Hague (10-1) 205 lbs.: Nick Catone (7-1) vs. Mark Munoz (5-1) 155 lbs.: Matt Veach (11-0) vs. Evan Dunham (8-0) Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 102, beginning with the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action on fight night about two hours earlier (8 p.m. ET). It's going to be a great night of fights … be sure to join us for the best coverage and discussion on the Internets! For all the latest UFC 102 information you can handle be sure to hit up our event archive right here.

‘Carano vs Cyborg’ video ‘news brief’ for Strikeforce title fight on Aug. 15 Posted: 25 Jul 2009 02:20 PM PDT

DREAM 12 announced for Osaka-jo Hall on Oct. 25 Posted: 25 Jul 2009 02:08 PM PDT Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) recently announced that DREAM 12, which was originally set for Oct. 31, is now set to take place from the Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan, on Oct. 25. Its the latest shake up from the company for its upcoming lineup of events. DREAM 12 was expected to feature the semifinals of the "Super Hulk" open weight tournament; however, the match ups were recently moved to DREAM 11 on Oct. 6. Remember that DREAM 11 was originally expected go down on Sept. 23. So now this all means that the promotion will stage two events in the month of October. FEG has yet to announce any bouts for DREAM 12 — the card is empty at this moment. That will likely change real soon as we get closer to fight night, which is just three months out. On the other hand, in addition to the "Super Hulk" semifinals, DREAM 11 will feature the conclusion of the featherweight grand prix — the semifinals and final are set to go down in the same night. DREAM 11 is expected to air in primetime on Japanese broadcasting network TBS. It will be last show on the promotion’s current television deal. And that’s likely the reason the card has started to become stacked in hopes of drawing much needed high ratings. Indeed, two title bouts are also in the works for DREAM 11. Its lightweight champion, Joachim Hansen, (19-7-1) will make a return to action and defend his title for the first time against Japanese mainstay Shinya Aoki (21-4). And Jason "Mayhem" Miller (22-6) will battle it out with bitter-rival Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (10-2) for the vacant DREAM middleweight title. For more on DREAM click here.

K-1 World MAX 2009 semifinal bouts confirmed for Oct. 26 Posted: 25 Jul 2009 01:55 PM PDT Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) has officially announced the pairings for the semifinals of its K-1 World MAX 2009 (154 lbs) tournament, which are scheduled to take place from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, on Oct. 26. K-1 MAX Japan Tournament runner-up Yuya Yamamoto will face off against Italian bruiser Giorgio Petrosyan, who managed to outscore the first ever K-1 MAX champion Albert Kraus on the judges scorecards to claim victory in his preliminary bout at K-1 World MAX Final 8. On the other side of the brackets will be a contest between a pair of former two-time K-1 World MAX Champions, Dutch blitzkrieg Andy Souwer (2005 and 2007 winner), taking on Muay Thai sensation Buakaw Por. Pramuk (2004 and 2006 winner), in what will be the third showdown between the two. The pair have faced off twice before and are currently one apiece in the rivalry with Souwer winning a decision at the 2005 K-1 MAX Final and Buakaw exacting revenge with a vicious knockout in the 2006 K-1 MAX Final. Now they will duke it out once more for the upper hand in the rivalry scorecards and also to reach this years tournament final and a chance to win it for a record third time; however, Yamamoto or Petrosyan may have something else to say about that. The winners of the semifinal bouts will then be given time to rest and will meet later in the same evening in the main event of the show. The winner of the K-1 MAX World 2009 Final is expected to get the honor of taking on K-1 legend Masato, on new years eve at the annual "Dynamite!!" event, in what will be Masato's retirement match. In addition, after both being victorious in their bouts at K-1 World MAX Final 8 this July, Yoshihiro Sato and Yasuhiro Kido will battle it out in a tournament reserve bout. Here is the current line-up for K-1 World MAX 2009 Final: K-1 World MAX 2009 Semifinals: Giorgio Petrosyan (2-0) vs. Yuya Yamamoto (7-5) Andy Souwer (19-3) vs. Buakaw Por. Pramuk (25-4) K-1 World MAX 2009 Final: Giorgio Petrosyan (2-0) or Yuya Yamamoto (7-5) vs. Andy Souwer (19-3) or Buakaw Por. Pramuk (25-4) K-1 World MAX 2009 reserve bout: Yoshihiro Sato (14-9) vs. Yasuhiro Kido (9-4)

UFC 100 PPV buys in 1.5 million range; Dana White to jump off Mandalay Bay Posted: 25 Jul 2009 09:55 AM PDT Prior to the landmark centennial pay-per-event (PPV) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), company president Dana White promised to do a backflip off the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, if the show attracted buys in the 1.5 million range. He’s apparently a man of his word. UFC 100 on July 11 must have hit or exceeded that gaudy number because White announced during the ESPN Radio 1100 Radiothon that he would be base jumping off the 39-story luxury hotel and casino, according to ESPN.com. And he sounded dead serious. No date or time for the stunt was mentioned in the interview; however, the annual year-end event in Las Vegas would seem like a logical choice, putting an exclamation point on yet another banner year for business. Prior to UFC 100, it’s believed that UFC 92: “The Ultimate 2008″ on Dec. 27, 2008, held the company record for the most PPV buys for a single event with an estimated 1.2 million. UFC 66: “Liddell vs. Ortiz 2,” which took place on Dec. 30, 2006, now falls to third all-time with an estimated 1,050,000 PPV buys. Of course, it's always hard to nail down an exact figure because the information is never made public; however, with all the mainstream media coverage and the historic nature of the show, it’s easy to understand the many reasons UFC 100 was so successful. UFC 100 also attracted a sell-out crowd of more than 11,000 fans, tallying a juicy $5,128,490 live gate for the promotion. It ranks second all time behind UFC 66: “Liddell vs. Ortiz 2″ in Dec. 2006 ($5.3 million) as the most successful gate in the history of the organization. Who wouldn’t flip out with those types of numbers?

MMA Quick Quote: Gegard Mousasi may just go to the UFC Posted: 25 Jul 2009 09:23 AM PDT "Well, what can I say? It's ridiculous. Because (of) one idiot, we all have to pay for that. Fuck it. Maybe I … I don't know … Maybe I'll go to the UFC. It's ridiculous that this has to happen. I've been preparing for weeks now." – Gegard Mousasi expresses his frustration to Fight Network Radio over the cancellation of the Affliction: "Trilogy" event (and eventual collapse of the promotion), which followed the announcement that heavyweight title contender and main event participant Josh Barnett had tested positive for steroids. The cancellation hits Mousasi (25-2-1) especially hard, as he was hoping to make his United States debut and add to his 12-fight win streak in a highly anticipated match up against Renato "Babalu" Sobral. Before he can even think of heading to the Octagon, however, he has to finish what he started with the Dream “Super Hulk” tournament. Mousasi is set to face Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) in the semifinals of the open weight competition on Oct. 6.

UFC 101 video preview in depth for ‘Declaration’ on Aug. 8 Posted: 25 Jul 2009 08:40 AM PDT

Rich ‘tweet’ Franklin indicates something may be awry with UFC 103 main event opposite Dan Henderson Posted: 25 Jul 2009 08:36 AM PDT “Ive heard the ufc pulled my fight off the website for 103. I dont kno y. They hvnt spoken to me @ this, n i assume the fight is still on.” – Former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin gets the rumor mill swirling via his official Twitter account after his main event bout against Dan Henderson at UFC 103 went from the pages of UFC.com to the back of a milk carton. While “Ace” hasn’t been contacted about any change in opponents, it’s hard not to speculate if the return of Tito Ortiz has anything to do with either fighter — especially Franklin, who is now comfortable fighting in the light heavyweight division. The ol’ Zuffa switch-a-roo? Or much ado about nothing? Stay tuned.

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• UFC announces official collaboration with Affliction; plans July 31 press conference
• Bas Rutten becomes latest fighter to choke out hapless media mark (Video)
• Dana White: Tito Ortiz next fight in the UFC a ‘possibility’
• Report: Affliction MMA folds, will now be allowed to sponsor UFC and its fighters
• UFC Quick Quote: Dana White spurns offer from Affliction to acquire fighter contracts
• Affliction cancels Aug. 1 ‘Trilogy’ event
• UFC 107: Frank Mir in talks to face Cheick Kongo on Dec. 12
• Now Playing: UFC Radiothon in the fight against cancer
• Miguel Torres: ‘Floyd Mayweather is a cocky A-hole and I will smash his ass’
• Report: Joe Riggs hospitalized, won’t rematch Nick Diaz on Aug. 15 for Strikeforce

UFC announces official collaboration with Affliction; plans July 31 press conference Posted: 25 Jul 2009 12:34 AM PDT Who says you can’t go home again? Affliction MMA reportedly burned plenty of money after becoming fight promoters a little over year ago — though it looks as if they haven’t burned any bridges. If they have, the UFC got those puppies rebuilt in a matter of hours. Affliction Entertainment and The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced yesterday (July 24) an official collaboration that would bring the popular clothing line back into the world’s biggest MMA promotion, effectively removing the ban implemented after “The T-shirt Guys” threw their hat into the MMA ring. From UFC President Dana White: “We are excited about the return of Affliction to the UFC and look forward to seeing our fighters once again walk into the Octagon wearing the Affliction brands. Affliction is an innovator of mixing fashion with this sport and we are looking forward to working together to promote the sport.” The two sides had been reportedly trying to mend their fences for quite some time, but couldn’t seem to agree on acceptable terms for a reunification of brands. Fortunately for them, Josh Barnett was able to “inject” new life into those negotiations. Barnett became the Seth Petruzelli of Affliction by helping to destroy a financially crippled organization in one swift move. Instead of knocking out the company poster boy, he knocked himself right out of an upcoming event by failing a random, pre-fight drug test intended to nab users of banned substances before they can cycle off. By testing positive, “The Babyface Assassin” was denied a license to compete, forcing company officials to scramble for a replacement to headline opposite Fedor Emelianenko at the “Trilogy” event planned for August 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Atop of a short list of candidates to fill in was current middleweight contender Vitor Belfort, who was scheduled to face Jorge Santiago that same night, but who also stated he was willing to move up in weight to fight "The Last Emperor." Dark horse Brett Rogers, fresh off a stunning first round knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, as well as freelance fighter Jeff Monson were also under consideration. In the end, Atencio & Co. opted to cancel the event altogether, cut their losses and go back to the proven formula of sponsoring fighters and promoting their clothing line at UFC events. From Eric Foss, co-founder of Affliction: “Our brand is synonymous with the ‘Live Fast’ approach to life and UFC is the perfect venue for us to market our brand. We have come to an agreement with the UFC which we feel will be the best for the sport and will help the UFC continue delivering the highest caliber of fights.” To help make heads or tails of this incredible turn of events, the UFC has tentatively scheduled a press conference on July 31 to cover the new Affliction deal, among other things. As of today, Tito Ortiz, Affliction Clothing and Kimbo Slice are all property of the UFC, which if I’m not mistaken is three of the seven signs of the apocalypse — four if you include a certain WWE wrestler who went on to become heavyweight champ. Anyone taking a guess as to what 2010 might bring?

Bas Rutten becomes latest fighter to choke out hapless media mark (Video) Posted: 24 Jul 2009 11:22 PM PDT

Dana White: Tito Ortiz next fight in the UFC a ‘possibility’ Posted: 24 Jul 2009 07:08 PM PDT Dana White may not be out of the Tito Ortiz business after all. While nothing is official at this time, and despite a “welcome back Tito” message on White’s Twitter account earlier this afternoon, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” could “possibly” return to the Octagon sometime soon. White clarified the situation, sort of, on ESPN 1100’s Radiothon just a few minutes ago. Here’s a snip: “Tito and I have been talking, and we’ve been trying to see if we can figure things out,. It’s a possibility…. I’ve said many times Tito and I have issues. We both need to grow up.” White and Ortiz began to mend fences at the fan expo on UFC 100 weekend, which was another surprising twist in their tumultuous relationship. It appears now that both parties may have put their prides aside to once again make money together. Lots of it. Ortiz — one of the most recognizable and controversial faces in the sport — has been a part of several of the top-grossing pay-per-view (PPV) events ever for the promotion. All but one of his 22 professional fights have come under the UFC banner in a career that dates back to 1997. He has three wins, two defeats and one draw since he returned to action in 2006 from a brief hiatus. And those three victories have come at the expense of a past-his-prime, Ken Shamrock (twice), and a controversial split decision over Forrest Griffin. His last fight was a unanimous decision loss to current 205-pound light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 84: “Ill Will” back in May 2008. Ortiz has blamed nagging back injuries, which he recently underwent major spinal fusion surgery to correct, as the reason for his most recent lackluster performances.

Report: Affliction MMA folds, will now be allowed to sponsor UFC and its fighters Posted: 24 Jul 2009 03:32 PM PDT Affliction has apparently tapped out of the mixed martial arts promotion business almost one year to the day it held its first event on July 19, 2008. Yahoo!Sports today issued a report that Affliction MMA will cease to exist, coming to terms with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) under an agreement that will allow the clothing brand to once again sponsor the world’s top promotion and the fighters under its umbrella. Affliction was “banned” from doing so when it decided to begin promoting events last year. The cancelation of Affliction: “Trilogy,” which was expected to take place for the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 1., was the genesis for this stunning turn of events. Affliction indicated that an inability to find a worthy replacement for Josh Barnett — who tested positive for anabolic steroids and was denied a license to compete — led to its decision to scrap the show. Barnett was supposed to challenge Fedor Emelianenko in the main event of the evening. What a difference a needle makes. Affliction and UFC are expected to release a joint statement later on today. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this breaking news as it develops.

UFC Quick Quote: Dana White spurns offer from Affliction to acquire fighter contracts Posted: 24 Jul 2009 01:59 PM PDT "I told him, 'I hope you idiots stay in business.’ We had a record year in 2007. We had a record year in 2008. And we're going to have an even bigger record year in 2009. I said, 'I hope you … stay around in 2010 and burn every dollar you have.' What they do is of no concern to me." – UFC President Dana White tells Yahoo!Sports.com that an Affliction attorney “flew to Las Vegas only days after UFC 100 and offered to fold and turn its contracts over to the UFC if the UFC would remove its ban on its fighters wearing Affliction T-shirts.” White, allegedly, told him he wasn’t interested (in his own unique way its seems) — perhaps because Affliction contracts are non-exclusive and/or they would be difficult to transfer similar to the Pride FC debacle. If the statement is accurate then it would clearly indicate that Affliction is no longer interested in promoting mixed martial arts events long-term. However, it contradicts a statement today about the cancelation of its most recent event on Aug. 1, in which Affliction said that its “first priority is to ensure that all future events live up to the company's high standards.” On another note, the Yahoo!Sports report indicates “several sources” revealed that the promotion turned to “Plan B” and is currently in the process of merging with Strikeforce. Officials from Affliction and Strikeforce could not be reached for comment on the possibility. Lot’s of mixed messages out there right now. Only time will really tell the true tale. In the meantime, interested in telling us what you think is the best possible outcome for the fighters and the fans?

Affliction cancels Aug. 1 ‘Trilogy’ event Posted: 24 Jul 2009 10:31 AM PDT Affliction has canceled its upcoming “Trilogy” event, which was planned for the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 1. The promotion today announced the bad news in an official statement. It comes just days after Affliction suffered a major blow to its pay-per-view main event when headliner Josh Barnett tested positive for anabolic steroids in the first ever random drug test administered by the California State Athletic Commission on June 25. As a result, Barnett was denied a license to compete, forcing company officials to scramble for a replacement opponent opposite Fedor Emelianenko. Speculation had revolved around who that replacement fighter would be. At the top of a short list of candidates was current middleweight contender Vitor Belfort, who was scheduled to face Jorge Santiago that same night, but who also stated he was willing to move up in weight to fight “The Last Emperor.” Dark horse Brett Rogers, fresh off a stunning first round knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, as well as freelance fighter Jeff Monson were also under consideration. Now it appears their services will no longer be needed, as Atencio didn’t want to commit to a replacement bout without sufficient time to promote it. Here’s a snip: “Finding an opponent for the No. 1 ranked MMA heavyweight champion in such a short period of time was a huge endeavor and I’m thrilled at the amount of fighters willing to take on this challenge. But in the end, we just didn’t have enough time to promote a new fight to our standards.” What impact this cancellation has on the future of Affliction MMA remains to be seen — but as of now it’s not looking very promising. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more breaking news on this unfortunate turn of events.

UFC 107: Frank Mir in talks to face Cheick Kongo on Dec. 12 Posted: 24 Jul 2009 09:59 AM PDT Eager to rebound from their recent losses, UFC heavyweights Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo are in talks to collide at UFC 107, tentatively scheduled for the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee on December 12. While bout agreements have not been distributed, MMAmania.com has been able to confirm an earlier report by Sportsnet.ca that both sides have expressed interest in the potential showdown. Mir is coming off a smothering and painful loss Brock Lesnar at UFC 100 on July 11 in the final round of the mini heavyweight tournament set up to declare an undisputed division champion. Prior to that, Mir did what no man before him ever had, finishing the legendary Antonio Nogueira for the first time in his prestigious career with crisp stand up and not his bread and butter, the submission game. Whether or not Mir keeps it standing against Kongo — who has been susceptible to the takedown — remains to be seen. Like Mir, Kongo was on the wrong end of wrestler’s bludgeoning when he got planished by Cain Velasquez at UFC 99 this past June. While the Parisian manged to drop the up-and-coming prospect with his heavy hands, Velasquez survived and utilized his ground and pound to grind out the lopsided decision. Kongo went into UFC 99 winning five of six after dismantling Antoni Hardonk at UFC 97: "Redemption" back in April, stopping the Dutch kickboxer in the second round via technical knockout — the first TKO loss in Hardonk's career. A win over the crafty Mir would certainly get people talking about his place in this division. UFC 107 is expected to be headlined by “Sugar” Rashad Evans vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, bitter rivals and opposing coaches on the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing fight card.

Now Playing: UFC Radiothon in the fight against cancer Posted: 24 Jul 2009 09:57 AM PDT The UFC has teamed up with ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas for a 24-hour radio show featuring a slew of UFC superstars and other sports personalities to benefit the The Caring Place of Nevada. Now underway, the program features guests such as Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, Matt Serra, Mike Swick and Rashad Evans. Also during the broadcast, UFC president Dana White will be honored as the 2009 Nevada Sportsman of the Year. Here is the schedule along with a complete guest list: 1 p.m. ET - Al Bernstein - Showtime Boxing 2 p.m. - Forrest Griffin - UFC 3 p.m. - UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger and former coach Charlie Spoonhour 4 p.m. - Randy Couture - UFC 5 p.m. - Amir Sadollah - UFC 6 p.m. - Brandon Vera - UFC 7 p.m. - Stephan Bonnar - UFC 8 p.m. - Chuck Liddell - UFC 9 p.m. - Dana White and Kevin Iole Yahoo! Sports - UFC 10 p.m. - Rashad Evans - UFC 11 p.m. - Matt Serra - UFC Midnight - Arianny Celeste - UFC Octagon Girl 1 a.m. - Carlota (KOMP 92.3) and Steph (97.1 The Point) 2 a.m. - Brian Blessing FoxSportsRadio 920 3 a.m. - Jason Feinberg and Lorraine Blanco FOX 5 Las Vegas 4 a.m. - Las Vegas TV sports anchors 5 a.m. - Fantasy Girls Luxor 6 a.m. - Ball Park Frank FoxSportsRadio 920 7 a.m. - Mitch Moss ESPNRadio1100 8 a.m. - Mitch Moss and Johnny Salami (KOMP 92.3) 9 a.m. - Dave Hasll and Ted Pretty FOX 5 Las Vegas 10 a.m. - UNLV football p-by-p voice Dave McCann 11 a.m. - Mike Swick - UFC Noon - Al Bernstein For more information click here.

Miguel Torres: ‘Floyd Mayweather is a cocky A-hole and I will smash his ass’ Posted: 24 Jul 2009 08:55 AM PDT Props: Yahoo Sports Quoteworthy: “I would love to fight Mayweather, just because of the simple fact that I think he’s a cocky asshole … I’m not a white person, and I will smash his ass. I don’t care. His style of boxing is all built on getting people in the clinch. He’ll hit them, and then he’ll get in the clinch with them. Then the referee breaks them, and he’ll hit them and grab them again. I think it’s a great strategy. It’s not clean boxing, but it’s smart boxing. He’s going to hit somebody and grab them in MMA, and he’ll be done for. They’ll take him down. That’ll be all. I’ll be on top of the list to fight him.” Fresh off his cobra venom and lions blood performance at last night’s White Sox game, WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres responds to boxing big-mouth Floyd Mayweather who recently slammed mixed martial arts as a sport for beer drinkers and white people. The non-Anglo Torres takes exception to the Mayweather generalization and promises to show “Pretty Boy” an eight-sided beatdown should he ever be man enough to find his way to the cage. Torres (37-1), who is widely considered the best bantamweight in the world, will next fight Brian Bowles (7-0) and defend his title once again in the WEC 42 main event on August 9 while Mayweather will go head-to-head with Juan Manuel Marquez inside the ring and UFC 103 outside of it on Sept. 19.

Report: Joe Riggs hospitalized, won’t rematch Nick Diaz on Aug. 15 for Strikeforce Posted: 24 Jul 2009 05:56 AM PDT Another one bites the dust. Joe Riggs has been forced out of his upcoming rematch against Nick Diaz for the first-ever Strikeforce welterweight title at "Carano vs. Cyborg" from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Aug. 15. GracieFighter.com reports that "Diesel" suffered "a bad reaction to an as of yet undisclosed drug" and "will be recovering in the hospital for the next couple of weeks." The good news is that Diaz plans to still compete on the card; however, no possible replacement is known at this time. Of course, Riggs joins Alistair Overeem on the recently-scratched list for the promotion’s upcoming event, which originally featured four championship bouts. More on this story in a bit. Stay glued to MMAmania.com for the latest and greatest on this breaking news.

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• MMA Quick Quote: Miguel Torres witchcraft leads to Mark Buehrle perfect game for ChiSox
• Brandon Vera on UFC 102 fight against Krzysztof Soszynski on short notice (Video)
• Jorge Santiago is still training to fight Vitor Belfort at Affliction …
• Josh Barnett fallout, DREAM 10 recap and much more on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’ (Video)
• Ryo Chonan next fight against Jutaro Nakao at DEEP: ‘43rd Impact’ on Aug. 23
• Georges St. Pierre: Winning would mean everything against Anderson Silva
• Michael Bisping vs Wanderlei Silva UFC 105 main event possible for Nov. 14 (Updated)
• Hello, Mr. Atencio? I have Jeff Monson on line two…
• CSAC insists Barnett test was ‘random,’ confident with integrity of result
• Josh Barnett ‘had no reason to believe there would be any issues’ with pre-fight drug test

MMA Quick Quote: Miguel Torres witchcraft leads to Mark Buehrle perfect game for ChiSox Posted: 23 Jul 2009 05:32 PM PDT “I left a cup of lions blood and some cobra venom for him to throw a no-hitter. That’s how I roll. I have that effect on people…. “[The ceremonial first pitch] went good. I’d call it a strike, but the guy didn’t catch the ball, man. It made it to the plate. I did put a little bit of cut on it — I didn’t plan that, it just happened. I only wanted to make it to the plate, and I made it to the plate. Now it’s time to go beat people up at the gym.” – WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres talks to the Northwest Indiana Times about the voodoo effect he had on the mound when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch today for the Chicago White Sox. Pitcher Mark Buele went on to register just the second perfect game in team history and only the eighteenth in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, defeating the visiting Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 5-0. In addition to Torres’ supernatural heroics, outfielder Dewayne Wise helped Buehrle’s cause with a surreal fence-leaping grab to steal a Gabe Kapler homerun and preserve the perfect game. Outside the stadium, Torres will look to ruin the perfect run of number one 135-pound title challenger Brian Bowles (7-0) and defend his title once again in the WEC 42 main event on Aug. 9.

Brandon Vera on UFC 102 fight against Krzysztof Soszynski on short notice (Video) Posted: 23 Jul 2009 03:01 PM PDT

Jorge Santiago is still training to fight Vitor Belfort at Affliction … Posted: 23 Jul 2009 02:14 PM PDT … even though the camp for “The Phenom” thinks a fight against Fedor Emelianenko is a done deal and has apparently already switched gears. Santiago’s trainer at American Top Team, Marcus Conan Silveira, explains via Tatame.com: "I know exactly what you know, that Josh (Barnett) tested positive, but the situation is the same: Jorge (Santiago) will fight Vitor Belfort. He has growth a lot, he's one of the best fighters we have at American Top Team. He's a complete fighter and I think it describes who he is and how he is now.” The longer this takes the messier it seems to get. Of course, playing matchmaker under these types of conditions — with literally days until fight night — is an incredibly daunting task. However, the more moving parts, the harder the situation becomes. Why change two fights when you can just find a replacement for Josh Barnett to fight Fedor Emelianenko? Belfort is a big middleweight who has to cut a significant amount of weight to make 185. If this goes in a different direction, how does this distraction affect that process? It’s not like we’re talking just a little water weight — Belfort would probably come in well over 200 pounds to fight Emelianenko. It’s a fine line. And how does Santiago prepare for a new opponent who is more than likely nowhere near the caliber of Belfort — is it worth possibly derailing the great progress he has made in the last two years? Emelianenko is in the same boat. There is no real upside to accepting a fight against Belfort because he is explosive, hits hard and is overall a very dangerous opponent. He’s also a middleweight. If Brett Rogers can’t go, Jeff Monson stepping in sounds better by the second. Note that as of 3:24 p.m. ET the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has still not been approached by Affliction about a replacement for Barnett.

Josh Barnett fallout, DREAM 10 recap and much more on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’ (Video) Posted: 23 Jul 2009 12:38 PM PDT

Ryo Chonan next fight against Jutaro Nakao at DEEP: ‘43rd Impact’ on Aug. 23 Posted: 23 Jul 2009 12:30 PM PDT DEEP, which recently announced the acquisition of Pride FC and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Ryo Chonan (15-10), has revealed that “The Piranha” will take on Jutaro Nakao (22-14-4) at DEEP: “43rd Impact” from the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on Aug. 23. Chonan most recently competed under the UFC banner, amassing a disappointing record (1-3) with the promotion. His last outing was split decision loss to Canadian grappler TJ Grant (14-3) at UFC 97: "Redemption" this past April. It marked the second consecutive loss for Chonan, which would lead to him getting handed his walking papers and released from his contract. The good news is that it didn’t take long for Chonan to return home — he has had a solid relationship with the organization throughout his career, hosting 12 of his previous professional bouts. And he once held the promotion’s middleweight title. In fact, Chonan has stated it's now his goal to reclaim DEEP gold. First up, however, he'll have to get past crafty veteran Jutaro Nakao. Nakao has spent most of his career toiling on the small circuits in his home country of Japan. However, he has fought for bigger organizations such as UFC and also Pride FC with varied success. He holds a handful of victories over a few household names, including current lightweight standout Shinya Aoki, which was a while back and very early into Aoki's career. DEEP: “43rd Impact” will also feature be a bantamweight title clash between present champion and leg-lock specialist Masakazu Imanari (16-7-1) and Tomohiko Hori (10-4-3). And in other championship action will be defending DEEP featherweight champion Dokonjonosuke Mishima (19-6-2) facing off against Takafumi Otsuka (8-4-1).

Georges St. Pierre: Winning would mean everything against Anderson Silva Posted: 23 Jul 2009 12:25 PM PDT Props: TSN.com Quoteworthy: “If I fight Anderson Silva one day, if this fight happens, I’m going to take an extra month to make sure that my weight is at 200 pounds minimum. I want to get bigger and I’m going to take some extra time to do that because if I do it I want to do it well. And if I do it I want to win … there is only one thing on my mind. I’m not going to do it just to try. If I do it it’s to win. It depends on the timing — right now is not good timing for me, but maybe one day it will be. “ Georges St. Pierre talks about needing time to bulk up and prepare for a possible clash with Anderson Silva in the future. The potential clash of champions, and perhaps the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, has picked up steam since “Rush” steamrolled Thiago Alves for five rounds at UFC 100. He’ll likely face the winner of Mike Swick-Martin Kampann at UFC 103 at a later date. And if he can pull off another dominating win he will have essentially defeated every top welterweight on the promotion’s roster, leading to a potential move up in weight to test himself against the best at 185 pounds. It’s closer than we may think — early 2010 perhaps?

Michael Bisping vs Wanderlei Silva UFC 105 main event possible for Nov. 14 (Updated) Posted: 23 Jul 2009 10:07 AM PDT Ask and you shall receive … Michael Bisping demanded to face a “top fighter” after his devastating knockout loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 on July 11. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva was apparently listening and willing to satisfy that request. Big time. Wanderlei Silva is currently the front-runner on a short list of potential candidates to face Bisping in the main event at UFC 105 from the Manchester Evening News (MEN) Arena in Manchester, England, on Nov. 14, MMAmania.com has confirmed after a SunSport article about the match up appeared just yesterday. Talk about jumping right back on the horse. However, according to Silva’s manager via Fighter’s Only Magazine, Silva would prefer to wait until February 2010 before returning to action. Here’s a snip: “The rumors about Wanderlei fighting Michael Bisping at UFC 105 in Manchester or at any point are simply that, rumors. For some publication to say they have been given an exclusive statement on this from Team Wand is not truthful. This fight has not been discussed or offered to us by the UFC. Wand’s preference is to fight in February. He wants to take time off to heal his body and mind, and with his new gym in Las Vegas, he has business affairs and a growing team to attend to.” Whether or not the middleweight contest comes to fruition now appears to be about timing, and of course, money. Even though Silva has lost five of his last six fights, he’s an extremely aggressive and dangerous fighter who is capable of ending things early. In fact, “The Axe Murderer” has a technical knockout percentage of more than 70 in his 43 professional mixed martial arts bouts. He’ll likely look to up that “Count” against a potential bout against Bisping … especially in front of a potentially hostile British crowd. UFC 105 will be the first show held at the MEN Arena since UFC 70: "Nations Collide," which featured one of the sport's biggest upsets when Gabriel Gonzaga defeated Mirko Filipovic via crushing head kick. It appears that the promotion is looking to ensure that United Kingdom fans are treated to even more fireworks, while stateside fans get to enjoy the show for free via tape-delay on Spike TV. Whether it’s Silva or some other “big name” opponent for the local product, who is looking to get back in the 185-pound title picture sooner rather than later.

Hello, Mr. Atencio? I have Jeff Monson on line two… Posted: 23 Jul 2009 09:36 AM PDT “I'm the guy to beat Fedor. He's a great fighter. It's a perfect match-up. He's the guy I'm destined to fight. I want to be the guy to beat him. I'd definitely love to be carried off afterward…after I submit him. My goal is to be the best in the world, even if it's for one fight.” – Cocky and stocky submission specialist Jeff Monson tells Five Ounces of Pain that he’s available for work on August 1 should the promotion happen to need a last-minute replacement for Josh Barnett against Fedor Emelianenko. “The Snowman” is notorious for fighting at will and wouldn’t mind a little Soviet-flavored tune-up before his titanic tilt with Pedro Rizzo at Biletti Combat on September 12. Does the self-described anarchist have the grappling goods to topple the Russian Rancor? More importantly, would anyone pay to see it?

CSAC insists Barnett test was ‘random,’ confident with integrity of result Posted: 23 Jul 2009 08:19 AM PDT “It was just a random selection … and in some cases if there’s prior history, that is also a flag … it allows us that opportunity to test that individual and require a clean test prior to renewal of a license … The inspector that observed this particular test is one of our drug testing experts in terms of the correction procedure, and works on many events of this nature, and oversees a lot of the drug testing that’s performed by our staff. In this particular case, this was a hands-on test that he performed himself … And in terms of the lab itself, we have been using the same lab that tests the NFL and the International Olympic Games, as recently as the last Games, they tested every sample ever took there. They test the NCAA for all the sports, all minor league baseball. It’s a very, very tough lab to dispute - the best of them all. So it was almost a trial, so to speak, to see what the process was going to be like moving forward so we can learn from this. And it just so happens that the first one we’ve ever done here in California produced a result. First one ever. I mean, right out of the gate.” California State Athletic Commission’s assistant executive officer, Bill Douglas, talks to MMA Fanhouse in wake of the pre-fight drug test that returned a positive result for Affliction headliner Josh Barnett — the second of his career. “The Babyface Assassin” has been denied a license to compete at “Trilogy” on August 1 against Fedor Emelianenko and is expected to be replaced by Vitor Belfort in the main event. Barnett previously stated that his drug test was not random and that he was planning an appeal pending the results of his second sample. No matter what the outcome, Barnett will have an uphill battle trying to market himself to a stateside promotion going forward.

Josh Barnett ‘had no reason to believe there would be any issues’ with pre-fight drug test Posted: 23 Jul 2009 06:42 AM PDT Props: MySpace.com Quoteworthy: “Many of you are wondering what’s happening. What I can say is that when applying for my license, the CSAC asked for me to submit a urine sample for testing prior to granting my license as they do with everyone, I believe. It was not a random test. I had no reason to believe there would be any issues and went in to submit my sample at the earliest possible opportunity on June 25th. I never once thought there would be a problem. My representatives and I are working to gather as much info as possible and handle this situation as best as we can. I am embarrassed and want for nothing more than to resolve this issue and receive a license from the State of California as I have done many times already and for other states as well. I am very thankful for all the great family, friends and fans that still support me.” Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett responds after the California State Athletic Commission denied him a license to fight Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction 3 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 1, after testing positive for anabolic steroids in a pre-fight drug test. While Affliction officials scramble to find his replacement for “Trilogy,” Barnett plans to file an appeal and is awaiting the results of his second sample, currently being tested to either uphold or call into question the original results. “The Babyface Assassin” certainly does not have the court of public opinion on his side after testing positive for anabolic steroids and getting stripped of the UFC heavyweight title back in 2002. But conversely, the CSAC doesn’t have the greatest reputation either. It’s a lose-lose situation for everyone involved.

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

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• Moving forward: Search still in progress to find replacement for Josh Barnett at Affliction 3
• CSAC releases statement on refusing to allow Josh Barnett to fight Fedor Emelianenko on Aug. 1 at Affliction
• Fox Fight Game video talks Affliction fiasco, pushes for Fedor Emelianenko vs Tito Ortiz
• Forrest Griffin: ‘The next evolution for me is wrestling’
• Screw job: Frank Shamrock (sans metal) vows to return in surgical video blog
• Report: Josh Barnett tests ‘positive;’ Fedor Emelianenko fight at Affliction 3 in jeopardy (Updated)

Moving forward: Search still in progress to find replacement for Josh Barnett at Affliction 3 Posted: 22 Jul 2009 02:11 PM PDT With the recent news that heavyweight Josh Barnett tested positive for banned substances and might not be eligible to fight Fedor Emelianenko just 10 days from now at the Affliction: "Trilogy" event, company vice president Tom Atencio today headlined a media conference call to address the issue. "As you obviously can imagine, this has been a complete surprise to us,” he said. “When we spoke to the California Athletic Commission, this was not something we were prepared for. But it's our understanding that Josh is taking further measures to validate the results of the test. And if the results stand, then we are deeply disappointed. Having said that, we are very confident in getting a worthy (replacement) opponent (for Fedor)." While Atencio refused to comment on who that replacement opponent could be, he did say that he is in negotiations with three different fighters to fill the gap in the headline fight. "I've got three people who I'm speaking with. Until I have a contract in hand — negotiations are in place — but until I have a contract finalized and it's done, I'm just not going to say anything. It just doesn't make sense for me to get anybody's hopes up." Speculation has revolved around who that replacement fighter could be. The most likely candidates include current middleweight contender Vitor Belfort, who is scheduled to face Jorge Santiago that same night, but who has stated that he is willing to move up in weight to fight "The Last Emperor"; Fabricio Werdum, who was slated to face Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem until a hand injury forced the champ off the August 15 card; and dark horse Brett Rogers, fresh off a stunning first round knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski. It is believed that former professional wrestler turned MMA newcomer, Bobby Lashley, was also in the mix, but decided to gracefully bow out, saying the money wasn’t worth risking a setback so early in his blossoming career. Nonetheless, it's anyone's guess if these fighters — or perhaps someone else — make up the "three people" Atencio is in negotiations with. In the meantime, Barnett's second sample is being tested for banned substances. Atencio stated on the call that it was his understanding that Barnett was asked to provide two samples at the same time, approximately one month ago. While his “A” sample came back positive for banned substances — what type of substances Atencio could not say — his “B” sample has yet to be tested. He stated that, should the second “B” sample come back clean, it is up to the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) to clear Barnett to fight, and it was out of his control. I had a chance to ask my own question during the call, which was: Given the importance of this event, should Josh Barnett's second sample come back positive, how will that affect Atencio's relationship with the fighter? "I don't see it affecting anything," Atencio said. "I've known Josh for years. He's a fighter. I've fought. I have a lot of respect for him. If it comes back positive, you know, that's on him. That's something he has to continue to move forward with … If he can't fight for me, then the only real way it affects is that he cannot fight in my organization anymore." By the sound of it, Barnett might not be getting a second chance at this long-awaited fight with the world's greatest heavyweight, unless by some minor miracle his second sample comes back clean or it happens at a later date with a different promotion. Atencio stated his belief that Barnett stands a "great possibility" of being reinstated by the CSAC, should the second sample come back clean; but in the meantime, Atencio must move forward by trying to find another opponent. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more breaking news on this unfortunate and evolving turn of events.

CSAC releases statement on refusing to allow Josh Barnett to fight Fedor Emelianenko on Aug. 1 at Affliction Posted: 22 Jul 2009 01:30 PM PDT SACRAMENTO — The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has denied a license to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Josh Barnett after Barnett tested positive for a banned substance. Barnett's June 25 drug test came back positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid. CSAC learned of the results July 21 and immediately denied a license for Barnett. CSAC also informed the promoter of Barnett's August 1 bout against Fedor Emelianenko that the bout would not be approved. "The license of Josh Barnett was denied pursuant to rule 303 of Title IV of the California Code of Regulations," said CSAC Interim Executive Officer Dave Thornton. "That rule prohibits the use of certain substances, including anabolic agents, by any boxer or MMA fighter." Barnett's test was observed in the presence of a CSAC representative and the sample was sent to the World Anti-doping Agency test facility at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on June 25 for processing. CSAC was notified of the results yesterday. Barnett has the right to appeal the denial of his license. "Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters," said Thornton. "Anabolic agents and other banned substances put the users of those agents at risk, as well as their opponents. The commission simply will not tolerate their use." CSAC has among the toughest drug testing standards of any Athletic Commission in the country.

Fox Fight Game video talks Affliction fiasco, pushes for Fedor Emelianenko vs Tito Ortiz Posted: 22 Jul 2009 09:57 AM PDT

Forrest Griffin: ‘The next evolution for me is wrestling’ Posted: 22 Jul 2009 08:35 AM PDT Props: USA Today Quoteworthy: “You can’t load up. You’ve got to be quick and just try and catch him in some way. Punch him in the shoulder. Hit him anywhere. Don’t swing wildly for his head and don’t get caught in that mindset. I discovered quickly that I am not knockout-proof, and people ain’t falling down when I’m hitting them any more. You’ve got to constantly try to evolve a little, and I think the next evolution for me is wrestling. There’s a certain amount of time (that it takes to develop), because I didn’t wrestle and the shot doesn’t come naturally to me, you know? It’s going to be, when am I confident to shoot in the fight? When is that coming? So we’ll see what happens.” Former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin talks about his upcoming 205-pound non-title fight against middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva at UFC 101, which is slated for the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Aug. 8. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner from season one is expecting the most dangerous fight of his career — but has also been evolving in his training to try and exploit “The Spider’s” weaknesses. Is wrestling one of them? Or is the NY Times bestselling author going to be written out of his own Cinderella story? We’re less than three weeks away. Predictions please.

Screw job: Frank Shamrock (sans metal) vows to return in surgical video blog Posted: 22 Jul 2009 08:14 AM PDT

Report: Josh Barnett tests ‘positive;’ Fedor Emelianenko fight at Affliction 3 in jeopardy (Updated) Posted: 22 Jul 2009 06:00 AM PDT Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett submitted a “positive test” prior to his much anticipated title fight against Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction: “Trilogy” from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 1, according to Sherdog.com. ***UPDATE: Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio has confirmed with MMA Fanhouse that the August 1 main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett has been canceled. Here’s a snip: “(Barnett) tested positive for a banned substance. The athletic commission will not reinstate his license. Him and Fedor is off.” Middleweight Vitor Belfort, a former light heavyweight who is already booked to fight Jorge Santiago in a 185-pound contest on the same night, has reportedly agreed to step in if needed; however, Atencio refused to comment on that possible scenario, as well as a potential call up for Bobby Lashley. The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) will apparently issue a “comprehensive statement” on its findings later today. Stay dialed in to MMAmania.com throughout the day for more on this developing story.

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Brock Lesnar vs Fedor Emelianenko UFC

Brock Lesnar vs Fedor Emelianenko UFC Betting Odds: First, it was Anderson Silva vs. Fedor Emelianenko that MMA fans would obsess and salivate about, night and day. Now that people are realizing that the former WWE champ is for real, the new dream match is between Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko Betting Odds.

Just moments after Lesnar’s successful title defense over a battered Frank Mir at UFC 100, the questions about Russia’s “Last Emperor” coming to the UFC began to surface… again.

"This Fedor thing has gone on and on and on," UFC president Dana White said in his post-UFC 100 press conference. "Eventually, Fedor's going to be here. I want Fedor. I want him to come to the UFC and everything else… This guy (Brock Lesnar) just won the heavyweight title, and we'll end up getting that deal done. And then we'll do Brock vs. Fedor, and it'll be a huge fight."

With all the speculation surrounding what would be a monstrous fight, the WAMMA champ addressed many different issues in a recent interview. Among some of the topics discussed, Emelianenko spoke about the possibility of fighting in the UFC and his feelings on a mega-match against Lesnar.

"That (fight with Lesnar) interests me a lot," Emelianenko said through an interpreter. "He's a serious guy and a good fighter. I would definitely be interested in testing my skill."

Nevertheless, the Russian isn’t too happy with the terms and conditions the UFC has put on the table in past discussions with the company. "At the present time, I don't think (I'll be in the UFC)," Emelianenko said. "I don't think you'll see me in the UFC, just because the terms and the manner in which those terms are offered are not acceptable today."

Are you geared up for UFC 101? Then what are you waiting for? Did you know that UFC 101 is stacked with another great fight card?

That’s right, it’s the much-anticipated return of Anderson Silva to the Octagon, and believe me when I tell you: he has plenty to prove this time against a tough Forrest Griffin! Also in action will be another guy with lots to prove after getting destroyed by GSP, as BJ Penn defends his UFC lightweight belt against longtime title contender Kenny Florian!

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

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• Vitor Belfort vs Jorge Santiago Affliction video for Aug. 1
• Jorge Gurgel vs Billy Evangelista Strikeforce Challenger Series main event in the works for Oct. 25
• Alistair Overeem withdraws from Aug. 15 title defense against Fabricio Werdum
• Back from the dead: ‘Confirmed’ reports of Kimo Leopoldo’s untimely demise prove to be untrue
• Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic: Brock Lesnar has ‘yet to have a real struggle’
• UFC 103: Eliot Marshall vs Jason Brilz on tap for Sept. 19
• UFC 100 gate does more than $5.1 million and 11,000 attendees
• UFC ‘Fights of the Year’ for 2009 … so far
• MMA Quick Quote: Jesse Taylor wants the best Japan has to offer
• Ultimate Fighter Kimbo Slice motivated to not get smashed in the UFC (Video)

Vitor Belfort vs Jorge Santiago Affliction video for Aug. 1 Posted: 21 Jul 2009 07:41 PM PDT Sleeper fight of the night:

Jorge Gurgel vs Billy Evangelista Strikeforce Challenger Series main event in the works for Oct. 25 Posted: 21 Jul 2009 07:31 PM PDT Jorge Gurgel announced today that he will headline the next Strikeforce Challenger Series event against American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) standout Billy Evangelista at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on Oct. 25. Gurgel scored a unanimous decision win over Conor Heun in his debut for the promotion last month. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt once again abandoned his ground game in favor of an all out slugfest. This time, however, unlike in his UFC career, Gurgel had his hand rasied after a three-round, which Showtime commentator Mauro Ranallo classified as "a fight for the ages at 160 pounds." The seven-fight Octagon veteran and former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 2 contestant snapped a two-fight losing skid with the performance and will look to string together consecutive wins for the first time since 2007. Evangelista lost for the first time in his career to Mike Aina last night back in May. He was accused of "intentionally" (and illegally) kneeing the Hawaiian fighter in the head while he was down in the second round. "Iron" was said he was hurt and unable to continue, which forced referee to call a stop to the action on the recommendation of the cageside doctor. Evangelista planned to appeal the loss after video footage appeared to indicate that his errant blows landed on Aina’s shoulder area; however, the loss still stands. Strikeforce Challenger Series serves as a proving ground to promote up-and-coming (and lesser known) fighters. The events are similar to what Elite XC used to promote with its SHO XC: "Challenger Series" on Showtime. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on the fight card as it becomes official.

Alistair Overeem withdraws from Aug. 15 title defense against Fabricio Werdum Posted: 21 Jul 2009 03:56 PM PDT Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem has been forced to withdraw from his upcoming title defense against Fabricio Werdum at the "Carano vs. Cyborg" event from the HP Pavilion on August 15 after re-aggravating a previous hand injury. MMAmania.com confirmed the change with Strikeforce officials earlier today. Overeem has yet to defend his heavyweight crown after capturing it with a second round submission win over Paul Buentello way back in 2007. "Demolition Man" has since been employed in Japan, racking up a 3-0 record in MMA (1 NC) and a 1-1 record under the K-1 banner during that span. Werdum holds a second round submission win over the hulk from Holland when they tangled at PRIDE: "Total Elimination Absolute" in May 2006. Now it looks as if he’ll have to wait for his chance to make it two straight while Overeem nurses a bum hand. Unfortunately with just over three weeks until fight night, Strikeforce officials have been forced to scratch the bout altogether and are currently in the process of finding a replacement fight for the main card. We’ll bring you more information on a potential replacement as soon as it becomes available. Strikeforce: "Carano vs. Cyborg" will feature a 145-pound title fight between female fighting sensation Gina "Conviction" Carano and her nemesis Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos as well as a lightweight title unification bout between reigning champ Josh "The Punk" Thomson and interim champ Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez. For all the latest on the August 15 event click here.

Back from the dead: ‘Confirmed’ reports of Kimo Leopoldo’s untimely demise prove to be untrue Posted: 21 Jul 2009 03:55 PM PDT Despite several early morning reports that ‘confirmed’ the death of MMA’s Kimo Leopoldo, MMAmania.com is happy to pass along the news that the former UFC competitor is alive and well — and likely a bit confused over all the recent attention. The story was picked up earlier this morning and confirmed by TMZ before subsequently being reported by the Orange Country Register and the New York Daily News, leading us right here at MMAmania.com to incorrectly and prematurely pass along the news. Fortunately after pursuing the Leopoldo camp throughout the day, we managed to reach his publicist, Bob Trieger, who gave us the good news that his client was in fact, alive and well. The 41-year-old MMA veteran last competed inside the Octagon at UFC 48 in 2004, losing to Ken Shamrock via first round knockout (knee). He fared no better in the last performance of his career, which was a technical knockout loss to Wes Sims at Extreme Wars 5: "Battlegrounds" in 2006. Kimo (10-7-1) is perhaps best known for wearing down Royce Gracie in a losing effort at UFC 3, thus allowing Nebraska police officer Steve Jennum his 15 minutes of fame. Throughout his 12-year career, Kimo struggled with substance abuse. He tested positive for steroids several times, including after his last fight with Shamrock and prior to a scheduled bout against Bas Rutten at the World Fighting Alliance that never materialized. Kimo — who made an unsuccessful bid to become the executive director of the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) — was also recently held by police for drug possession in Tustin, Calif., after authorities spotted the ex-fighter wearing a Long Beach Police Department jumpsuit complete with patches and a cloth badge. Leopoldo is expected to make a statement by tomorrow.

Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic: Brock Lesnar has ‘yet to have a real struggle’ Posted: 21 Jul 2009 01:30 PM PDT Props: Index.hr via MMA Fanhouse Quoteworthy: “I must point out that his victory is a defeat for the sport as such. Don’t get me wrong, Lesnar is a fearsome and very dangerous opponent, but I am old school, I prefer skill and technique. This win was a defeat of martial skills. Much of what he achieved in the fight is a result of pure power… Of course, Lesnar has quality sparring partners, is an experienced wrestler and a man who learns very quickly. But he is yet to have a real struggle. He does not have many fights in his career and I would love to see how he would react to two or three good low kicks.” Pride FC 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix winner Mirko Filipovic (25-6-2) talks about Brock Lesnar’s ability to win using strength and power rather than technique and skill. “Cro Cop” recently returned to Zuffa at UFC 99, performing unlicensed orogolomistician surgery on Mustapha Al-Turk en route to a TKO victory back on June 13. While the Croat is agog over Lesnar’s masterful mutilation, he does raise an interesting point in that the Champ has never really been tested by a striker who can utilize the tried-and-true method of leg kicks to chop down a larger opponent. I wonder if Filipovic had anyone in particular in mind? Maybe he does — though I’m sure Junior Dos Santos might have a thing or two to say about it first on September 19. What say you?

UFC 103: Eliot Marshall vs Jason Brilz on tap for Sept. 19 Posted: 21 Jul 2009 12:43 PM PDT The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 semifinalist Eliot Marshall (7-1) and surging light heavyweight Jason Brilz (17-1-1) are set to collide on the undercard of UFC 103 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on September 19 according to Five Ounces of Pain. Marshall cut his teeth in the 'Ring of Fire' promotion before making his debut on the eighth season of TUF. He would eventually fall to division winner Ryan Bader in the semifinals, but bounced back at the TUF 8 Finale with a submission victory over castmate Jules Bruchez. “The Fire” made it two in a row under the Zuffa banner when he outpointed dangerous submission fighter Vinny Magalhaes at UFC 97: “Redemption” back on April 18. Brilz boasts a near perfect professional record and has won 12 straight contests, including his first two UFC appearances. He first stopped Brad Morris in the second round at last year’s Fight Night 15 before taking a unanimous decision win over Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch at UFC 96 this past March. The Nebraska-based fighter –- who is a decorated amateur wrestler -– has notable wins over veterans such as Jason MacDonald, Alex Schoenauer and others. UFC 103 will feature a main event between Rich “Ace” Franklin locking horns with “Dangerous” Dan Henderson in a rematch from their UFC 93 main event back on January 17 that saw Hendo squeak out a split decision victory. Also slated for the main card is a heavyweight tilt between former PRIDE superstar Mirko Cro Cop and surging heavyweight prospect Junior Dos Santos. In addition, Martin Kampmann and Mike Swick will collide to determine the number one contender for Georges St. Pierre's 170-pound title. For the latest UFC 103 fight card click here.

UFC 100 gate does more than $5.1 million and 11,000 attendees Posted: 21 Jul 2009 11:24 AM PDT A sell-out crowd of more than 11,000 fans attended UFC 100 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on July 11, tallying a juicy $5,128,490 live gate for the promotion, according to provisional numbers released today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). In addition to the live gate, the NSAC reports that 6,256 closed circuit tickets were sold for a grand total of $312,800. That means the historic centennial pay-per-view (PPV) ranks second all time behind UFC 66: "Liddell vs. Ortiz 2" in Dec. 2006 ($5.3 million) as the most successful show in the history of the organization. However, that figure does not include PPV buys, which are expected to well over one million, as well as merchandise sales and other event-related profits. And remember that tens of thousands of fans from around the world descended on "Sin City" for the first-ever two-day fan expo. In short, it was a very successful weekend for the UFC. But it did come at a price: The promotion dished out $1,790,000 in fighter salaries and another $400,000 in additional bonus money for the four participants who delivered outstanding performances. Production costs and employee salaries, too, more than likely cost a pretty penny. Inside the Octagon, Brock Lesnar unified the UFC heavyweight championship with a second round mutilation of Frank Mir in the UFC 100 main event. Current Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre solidified his place among the pound-for-pound best with a dominating five round victory over Thiago Alves in the co-featured fight of the night. And who could forget Dan Henderson’s knockout of the night (and perhaps century) when he iced Michael Bisping in the second round with a crushing overhand right. For complete UFC 100 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

UFC ‘Fights of the Year’ for 2009 … so far Posted: 21 Jul 2009 09:13 AM PDT Props: UFC.com Quoteworthy: Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99 Cain Velasquez vs. Cheick Kongo at UFC 99 Martin Kampmann vs. Carlos Condit at UFC Fight Night 18 Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher at UFC 100 Honorable mention included Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin, Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle, Frankie Edgar vs. Sean Sherk, and Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra, among others. Agree or disagree with the “highly unofficial” list from the promotion? Have other memorable fights in mind outside of the UFC that are even better than those mentioned above? Let’s hear what ya’ got.

MMA Quick Quote: Jesse Taylor wants the best Japan has to offer Posted: 21 Jul 2009 08:59 AM PDT "I feel great, it's a win, it's my first time here, definitely not my last. I really like being here in Japan and fighting here, I love the audience. I really loved it out here but I really wish you know it wasn't an injury, I think I would have won any kind of way, I would have won anyways but I don't like winning like that … the UFC kind of labeled me [as a “bad boy”] and I don't know if I really like that or not but yeah I just want to show the fans, the people at home that I'm actually a pretty good guy. Obviously from my past I have a lot to prove now. I have two boys, two sons and you know this provides a means to an end and I really like fighting here, I mean, to tell the truth I like fighting here a lot more than in the States so hopefully you guys like me and hopefully I'll be back and I want the best. I can also go both wegiht classes, so I can do welterweight or middleweight here, so wherever the fight you demand from me is where I'll go." – Former contestant on Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7, Jesse Taylor, talks about his most recent win over Korean Judoka Dong Sik-Yoon at DREAM 10 during the post-event press conference (transcript via FightOpinion.com). “JT Money” dominated the action from the get-go before it was halted because of an injury — Sik-Yoon appeared to suffer a serious leg/foot injury while defending a takedown. It was the seventh straight win for Taylor and his sixth in 2009 alone. He’s certainly been a busy man since losing to CB Dollaway via submission (Peruvian Necktie) at UFC Fight Night 14 back in July 2008. And he wants to keep the pedal to the medal, competing against top welterweights and middleweights under the DREAM umbrella. DREAM 2009 Welterweight Grand Prix winner Marius Zaromskis might be a good start.

Ultimate Fighter Kimbo Slice motivated to not get smashed in the UFC (Video) Posted: 21 Jul 2009 08:06 AM PDT

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• Miguel Torres vs Brian Bowles WEC 42 video for Aug. 9
• ‘King Mo’ Lawal vs Don Frye booked for M-1 show in Los Angeles on Aug. 28
• Brian Stann vs Steve Cantwell 3 set for UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16
• Rich Franklin vs Dan Henderson 2 will headline UFC 103 on Sept. 19
• Gina Carano vs Cyborg Santos video for Strikeforce Aug. 15
• DREAM 11: Joachim Hansen vs Shinya Aoki rematch set for Oct. 6
• UFC 102: Krzysztof Soszynski replaces injured Matt Hamill against Brandon Vera on Aug. 29
• DREAM 11: Featherweight grand prix semifinals announced for October 6
• UFC Quick Quote: Michael Bisping wants to rematch Dan Henderson after kicking some backside at UFC 105
• Just say no: Hawaiian funny business sours KenFlo on UFC 101 title fight

Miguel Torres vs Brian Bowles WEC 42 video for Aug. 9 Posted: 21 Jul 2009 04:24 AM PDT

‘King Mo’ Lawal vs Don Frye booked for M-1 show in Los Angeles on Aug. 28 Posted: 21 Jul 2009 04:23 AM PDT Undefeated up-and-comer Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (4-0) will lock horns with grizzled veteran Don Frye (20-7-1) at "M-1 Global Presents Breakthrough” from the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 28, according to HDNetFights.com. It will mark the United States debut for the decorated collegiate wrestling champion and Division I All-American from Oklahoma State University. Lawal has competed exclusively under the World Victory Road banner in Japan since his professional mixed martial arts debut just last year. The 28-year-old has show tremendous promise, defeating several veterans of the sport and stopping most of them. His biggest — and perhaps most surprising victory — came in his debut against Travis Wiuff at Sengoku: “Fifth Battle” — Lawal needed little more than two minutes to score a convincing technical knockout win via strikes. He most recently outpointed Ryo Kawamura via unanimous decision at Sengoku: “Seventh Battle” back in March 2009. Despite the 15-year difference in age, Lawal will certainly want to be careful against “The Predator” if he intends to keep his perfect record intact. Frye — who began his career way back in 1996 with an eight-second knockout win over Thomas Ramirez at UFC 8: “David vs. Goliath” — has spent most of the last seven years fighting overseas for the K-1 and Pride FC promotions. The self-professed beer lover has competed less frequently since Pride FC went out of business in 2007 — just three times to be precise. Frye has won two of those three bouts, including his most recent fight against Rich Moss at Shark Fights 4 back in May via submission (rear naked choke). Like Lawal, Frye boasts a very solid wrestling background. However, he has been known to throw caution to the wind recently and trade punches rather than shoot for takedowns. He clearly holds the edge in experience, as well as submissions. But Lawal has youth, and more than likely endurance on his side, making this one an interesting test to see where he stands in the grand scheme on things. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news and updates regarding “M-1 Global Presents Breakthrough.”

Brian Stann vs Steve Cantwell 3 set for UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16 Posted: 21 Jul 2009 03:47 AM PDT Former WEC light heavyweight champions Steve Cantwell (6-2) and Brian Stann (6-2) will duke it out in a rubbermatch inside the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 19 from the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Sept. 16. The 205-pound match up, which was originally supposed to take place back in Dec. 2008, was today confirmed by the promotion. Stann — a former Marine who earned a Silver Star for valor while serving his country in Iraq — defeated Doug Marshall early last year to capture the WEC title. However, his reign atop the weight class was short lived (just five months later) thanks to Cantwell and a second round technical knockout. In the process, Cantwell avenged the first loss of his career to the “All American” back in early 2007. He rebounded after the loss with a three-fight win streak, stopping all of his opponents to earn another shot at Stann. Stann and Cantwell were brought over to the UFC when the WEC eliminated its heavier divisions in late 2009. Both fighters have struggled a bit with the transition — Stann dropped his Octagon debut to Krzysztof Soszynski via first round submission (kimura) at UFC 97 earlier this year. And Cantwell dropped a lopsided unanimous to Luis Arthur Cane on the same card; however, “Robot” did win his debut with a first round submission (armbar) over Razak Al-Hassan at UFC Fight For The Troops in Dec. 2008. UFC Fight Night 19 features a main event between TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz tangling with Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard. It is also expected to feature a lightweight rumble between Roger "El Matador" Huerta and Gray "The Bully" Maynard. It will serve as the lead-in for the upcoming tenth season of TUF, which features Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and a solid collection of 15 other heavyweight fighters competing in a tournament-style format to earn one "six-figure contract." For all the latest news on UFC Fight Night 19 check out our complete archive right here.

Rich Franklin vs Dan Henderson 2 will headline UFC 103 on Sept. 19 Posted: 20 Jul 2009 03:14 PM PDT Former champions Rich Franklin (25-4) and Dan Henderson (25-7) will collide for the second time this year in the UFC 103 main event from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19. The promotion made the surprise announcement earlier today; however, the weight limit for the rematch is unclear at this time. The pair first battled to a somewhat controversial split decision at UFC 93: “Franklin vs. Henderson” with “Dangerous” earning the nod from the judges after three rounds of action. Perhaps the UFC felt as if there was some unfinished business. Or, it just needed a compelling main event to anchor its upcoming trip back to the “Lonestar State.” Regardless, it’s certainly odd timing with Henderson in the hunt for another middleweight title shot and “Ace” out to establish himself among the best in the 205-pound class. Henderson most recently put his stamp on Michael Bisping at UFC 100, knocking out the British posterboy with a crushing right hand that had “The Count” down and out. It was a highlight reel finish that will more than likely go down as one of the best ever inside the Octagon. The former Olympic wrestler earned a showdown with Bisping after defeating Franklin to earn a spot as coach on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 mixed martial arts reality series. It marked his third consecutive win after returning to the promotion with back-to-back losses. And the highlight reel fashion on which he did it had most under the impression that he was on the short list to rematch 185-pound deity Anderson Silva … certainly not Franklin. For his part, Franklin scored a big win over the always dangerous Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99: “The Comeback” via unanimous decision back in June at a catchweight of 195 pounds. It was the third win in the last four attempts for the Cincinnati, Ohio, native, solidifying his position as a serious, and capable, light heavyweight contender. Once again, this is a curious booking with both fighters seemingly headed in the same direction albeit in different weight classes. Someone will get derailed on fight night … dare to venture who? Also confirmed for UFC 103 today is the heavyweight tilt between former Pride FC superstar Mirko Cro Cop and surging heavyweight prospect Junior Dos Santos. In addition, Martin Kampmann and Mike Swick will collide to determine the number one contender for Georges St. Pierre's 170-pound title. For the latest UFC 103 fight card click here.

Gina Carano vs Cyborg Santos video for Strikeforce Aug. 15 Posted: 20 Jul 2009 02:33 PM PDT

DREAM 11: Joachim Hansen vs Shinya Aoki rematch set for Oct. 6 Posted: 20 Jul 2009 02:32 PM PDT Japan's Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) has announced that WAMMA lightweight champion Shinya Aoki is set to do battle with DREAM 2008 lightweight grand prix winner Joachim Hansen for the promotions lightweight strap at DREAM 11 from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, on Oct. 6. This will be the third showdown between the pair. Their first meeting would go down at Pride Shockwave 2006 which would see "Hellboy" succumb to the ground game of the "Tobikan Judan" and become part of the ever growing highlight reel of Aoki's by being victimized via gogoplata. However the second encounter would go a little differently. They would end up facing off again in the DREAM Lightweight Tournament Final at DREAM 5 in July of 2008. Aoki was trying to work his ground game as usual, when Hansen decided he wanted no part of it and got back to his feet and threw a earth shattering left punch to the jaw of the still grounded Aoki. This would leave him dazed and prepped for more punishment courtesy of some nasty strikes forcing the referee to jump in and save the helpless victim. Now a rubber match is in place for one of the combatants to get the upper hand on the scorecard. Hansen hasn't competed since his last clash with Aoki in the summer of 2008. He was set to throw down with highly regarded lightweight standout Gesias "JZ" Calvancante in a non-title bout at 'FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008′ on New Years Eve until Hansen failed pre-fight medicals and was forced to pull out of the fight with a mysterious "head injury" just hours before the event. He was apparently back to full fitness and ready to scrap at DREAM 10 which took place earlier today and was set to face off against Aoki. The bout was officially announced, but Hansen was abruptly pulled from the card by DREAM officials and inserted in his place was Vitor Ribeiro, who Aoki managed to garner a decision over. Now it appears whatever problems between Hansen and DREAM have now subsided, though it wouldn't be at all surprising if they re-emerged and more mysterious shenanigans take place before we reach October 6. DREAM 11 will also play host to the conclusion of the featherweight grand prix, the “Super Hulk” open weight tournament semifinals are also set for the event. Here is the current line-up for DREAM 11: DREAM Lightweight title: Joachim Hansen (19-7-1) vs. Shinya Aoki (21-4) DREAM middleweight title: Jason Miller (22-6) vs. Ronaldo Souza (10-2) Featherweight grand prix semifinals: Joe Warren (2-0) vs. Bibiano Fernandes (5-2) Hiroyuki Takaya (11-6-1) vs. Hideo Tokoro (22-16-1) "Super Hulk" open weight grand prix semifinals: Hong Man-Choi (2-2) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (42-30-8) Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) Non-tournament bout: Zelg Galesic (9-4) vs. Andrews Nakahara (2-1) For more on DREAM 11 click here .

UFC 102: Krzysztof Soszynski replaces injured Matt Hamill against Brandon Vera on Aug. 29 Posted: 20 Jul 2009 01:29 PM PDT Krzysztof Soszynski has been tapped to face Brandon Vera in a light heavyweight bout at UFC 102 from the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, after a knee injury has forced Matt Hamill to withdraw from the upcoming event on August 29, according to Sherdog.com. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 semifinalist is no stranger to last minute call-ups. Soszynski replaced an injured Houston Alexander against Andre Gusmao at UFC 98 back on May 23, knocking out the IFL vet in the first round. "The Polish Experiment" made his homecoming at UFC 97 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, on April 18, defeating former WEC 205-pound champion Brian "All American" Stann via first round submission — his third straight finish by Kimura. Soszynski (18-8-1) trains under Dan Henderson in Temecula, Calif., along with training partner Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. He has a strong wrestling base, powerful strikes and solid submission skills to boot. Vera (10-3) is a former heavyweight fighter who was considered a possible title contender until sustaining back-to-back losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum. He recently beat Mike Patt into submission with leg kicks to score a second round technical knockout at UFC 96: "Jackson vs. Jardine" earlier this year. It was the second win in three attempts for "The Truth" at 205 pounds -– he has a unanimous decision win over Reese Andy at UFC Fight Night 14 and lackluster split decision loss to Keith Jardine at UFC 89: "Bisping vs. Leben" to his credit. Vera has re-dedicated himself to training and vows to do nothing but kick people's asses from this point forward to re-establish himself as a top fighter in 2009. He's off to a good start; however, he'll have to figure out a way to keep that momentum going against the surging Soszynski. UFC 102 is will feature a main event between Randy "The Natural" Couture (16-9) locking horns with Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira (31-5-1) in a dream match-up that most fans expected to see before Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir played spoiler roles in the opening round of the mini heavyweight tournament created in late 2008 to crown an undisputed division champion. Also slated for the main card is perennial light heavyweight contender Keith Jardine (14-5-1) who has been tapped to replace Forrest Griffin in a 205-pound slugfest against hard-hitting Brazilian import Thiago Silva (13-1). To check out the latest UFC 102 fight card and rumors click here .

DREAM 11: Featherweight grand prix semifinals announced for October 6 Posted: 20 Jul 2009 11:25 AM PDT Japan's Fighting & Entertainment Group (FEG) recently announced the pairings for its featherweight grand prix semifinals which are set to go down at the DREAM 11 event scheduled for the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, on Oct. 6. First up will be wrestling convert Joe Warren (2-0) taking on jiu-jitsu ace Bibiano Fernandes (5-2). Warren made his debut in mixed martial arts in the tournament opening round at DREAM 7 this March where he defeated former WEC bantamweight champion Chase Beebe (12-4) via TKO (cuts). Then in only his second professional bout he shocked the world when he bested featherweight superstar Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (17-2) to a decision win at DREAM 9 this May. Fernandes path to the tournament consisted of garnering decision victories over Takafumi Otsuka (8-4-1) and Masakazu Imanari (16-7-1). On the other side of the brackets will be hard hitting slugger Hiroyuki Takaya (11-6-1) who is coming off a impressive annihilation of Yoshihiro Maeda (24-7-2) at DREAM 9. He takes on fellow countryman, fan favorite and general underdog Hideo Tokoro (22-16-1). The semifinal bouts for DREAM's open weight tournament, which has been dubbed the "Super Hulk" tournament, will also take place at the event. Japanese fan favorite Ikuhisa Minowa (42-30-8) has been put to the task of facing off against 7'2" Korean gargantuan Hong Man-Choi (2-2) in his semifinal fight, while the other side of the brackets will see Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1) doing battle against the dangerous Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4). The "Super Hulk" tournament finalists will then do battle on New Years Eve at the annual Dynamite!! event. Also slated for the card is a clash to take care of some unfinished business and to crown a new DREAM middleweight champion between the charismatic Jason "Mayhem" Miller and grappling phenom Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, when the two bitter rivals face off for a third time. Here is the current line-up for DREAM 11: DREAM middleweight title: Jason Miller (22-6) vs. Ronaldo Souza (10-2) Featherweight grand prix semifinals: Joe Warren (2-0) vs. Bibiano Fernandes (5-2) Hiroyuki Takaya (11-6-1) vs. Hideo Tokoro (22-16-1) "Super Hulk" open weight grand prix semifinals: Hong Man-Choi (2-2) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (42-30-8) Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) Non-tournament bout: Zelg Galesic (9-4) vs. Andrews Nakahara (2-1) For more on DREAM click here .

UFC Quick Quote: Michael Bisping wants to rematch Dan Henderson after kicking some backside at UFC 105 Posted: 20 Jul 2009 09:21 AM PDT “I am gonna kick someone’s backside in Manchester in front of my hometown crowd, then fight again as soon as possible and then rematch with Henderson. That wasn’t the best of me in the ring in Vegas and I want another crack at him. I want a top fighter in Manchester, I want to get back up there straight away. That’s what I have told the UFC. I can’t wait to fight in Manchester again, it will be good to fight in front of my own supporters again.” – A fired up Michael Bisping talks to the Manchester Evening News about avenging his knockout loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 on July 11. “The Count” managed to avoid a lengthy suspension after going limp against “Hollywood” and should be cleared in time to exact his revenge at UFC 105 in Manchester on November 14. The question is, who gets the first crack at “The Clitheroe Kid?” We know The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 light heavyweight winner has talent, but we also know he’s not ready for the world’s best. So which mid-level fighter will be a good opponent for him at the UK show? Fantasy matchmakers — sound off.

Just say no: Hawaiian funny business sours KenFlo on UFC 101 title fight Posted: 20 Jul 2009 09:05 AM PDT Props: Las Vegas Sun Quoteworthy: "I think things changed a little bit when [BJ Penn] went and helped train Joe Lauzon (to fight Florian last April). I take these things personally — when someone decides to train someone that's going to fight you. If someone had come to me and said, 'Hey, can you help me train to fight B.J.?' I would have said no. He decided to do that and that's his decision." Number one lightweight contender Kenny Florian shares his thoughts on earning the second title shot of his career against reigning 155-pound champion and MMA mercenary BJ Penn. "KenFlo" stopped Penn product Joe Lauzon at UFC Fight Night 13 in April 2008 with some nasty "Hellbows" despite some insider information "The Prodigy" may have given "J-Lau." Florian, who trained under BJ back in 2007, took it personally when his former master went on to train an opposing fighter. Now Florian looks to complete his revenge on Team Hawaii when he gets a second bite at the championship apple against Penn at UFC 101 on August 8 in Philadelphia. Sour grapes? Or does Kenny have a legitimate gripe?

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• DREAM 10 open thread and discussion
• Pride of a billionaire: Lorenzo Fertitta talks UFC Fan Expo, TUF 10 and Chuck Liddell (Video)
• Mirko Cro Cop: ‘I’m pleased with my return to UFC’
• Gina Carano and Cyborg Santos hit the red carpet at the ESPYs (Pic)
• DREAM 10 press conference videos
• Georges St. Pierre groin injury will not require surgery
• DREAM 10 weigh in results for welterweight grand prix and more
• Forrest Griffin on Anderson Silva UFC 101 fight video
• DREAM 11 and the ‘Super Hulk’ rescheduled for Oct. 6

DREAM 10 open thread and discussion Posted: 19 Jul 2009 07:35 PM PDT DREAM 10 is set to air early Monday morning at 3 a.m. until about 8 a.m. on HDNet — five consecutive hours of LIVE mixed martial arts action from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The conclusion of the promotion’s welterweight grand prix is the centerpiece of the event, featuring the final four of Hayato Sakurai, Marius Zaromskis, Andre Galvao and Jason High. Other notable non-tournament bouts include Shinya Aoki vs. Vitor Ribeiro and Paulo Filho vs. Melvin Manhoef, among others. We’ll of course pass along DREAM 10 results, as well as a recap, when the event is over as soon as possible Monday morning. In the meantime, for those fans out there who intend to watch is live feel free to talk about the action and anything else DREAM 10-related in the comments section below. Enjoy the fights, Maniacs!

Pride of a billionaire: Lorenzo Fertitta talks UFC Fan Expo, TUF 10 and Chuck Liddell (Video) Posted: 19 Jul 2009 06:58 PM PDT

Mirko Cro Cop: ‘I’m pleased with my return to UFC’ Posted: 19 Jul 2009 06:57 PM PDT Props: Nokaut.com Quoteworthy: “I’m pleased with my return to UFC, the only global MMA organization. Unfortunately, every other organization is far beyond UFC. DREAM cannot compete with Americans in sports or financial terms. The UFC has succeeded to become in this sport what PRIDE used to be, maybe even more than that. I will always be grateful to the Japanese fans, that is the country where I became famous as a fighter. But the offer I got from Dream was not a challenge for me. I’m sorry that UFC and DREAM argued over me. There was a lot of noise over nothing, I was even called a liar, and I read supposed statement by Dana White that I called him 600 times. Exact number of my calls was zero. I texted him once and that’s all. I wouldn’t call anyone 600 times, even if my life depends on that. I don’t want to be presented in such a degrading way.” The 2006 Pride FC Open Weight Grand Prix winner, Mirko Cro Cop, clarifies the recent brouhaha over his contract status, saying he chose the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) because of the money and level of competition. The Croatian caused quite a controversy after his most recent appearance inside the Octagon — a controversial first round technical knockout over Mustafa Al-Turk — when it appeared that he was DREAM bound, despite a verbal agreement with company president Dana White to ink a longer deal. Now that the situation is seemingly settled, and Cro Cop is signed to a reported three-fight deal, he can now focus on what he does best, fighting. And he’ll likely get that opportunity against up-and-coming knockout artist Junior Dos Santos at UFC 103 in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19.

Gina Carano and Cyborg Santos hit the red carpet at the ESPYs (Pic) Posted: 19 Jul 2009 06:01 PM PDT “Cyborg” was first mistakenly referred to as Carano’s bodyguard in the caption on ESPN: Props: InGameNow.com

DREAM 10 press conference videos Posted: 19 Jul 2009 09:39 AM PDT Always interesting (and refreshing) to see how Japan does things so different: Check out part two after the jump.

Georges St. Pierre groin injury will not require surgery Posted: 19 Jul 2009 09:01 AM PDT UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre will not require surgery for the groin injury that he suffered during his successful five-round title defense against Thiago Alves at UFC 100 on July 11, according to Sherdog.com. The report indicates that “Rush” will be back training “within a few weeks after a brief rehabilitation.” St. Pierre solidified his place among the pound-for-pound best by completely dominating “The Pitbull” for 25 minutes, nullifying his dangerous striking attack with a mix of speed, wrestling and ground and pound. The win snapped Alves’ seven-fight win streak, who simply could not get anything going during the match because of St. Pierre’s super skill and gameplan. Things could have possibly been worse for the American Top Team (ATT) product if St. Pierre was full strength for the entire bout — he believes the injury occurred in the third round when attempting and armbar submission. He was clearly in pain when all as said and done, wincing in pain and revealing that he heard the abductor ligament pop. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) slapped him with a stiff medical suspension that could last until Jan. 8, 2010, unless he’s cleared by orthopedic doctor beforehand. Rest assured he will likely return to action much sooner based on this latest update. St. Pierre is scheduled to fight the winner of the 170-pound showdown between Mike Swick and Martin Kampmann at UFC 103 from American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19. That would mean St. Pierre would be ready to return to action for the promotion’s signature year-end blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) event sometime in mid to late December.

DREAM 10 weigh in results for welterweight grand prix and more Posted: 19 Jul 2009 08:19 AM PDT Japan's Fighting & Entertainment Group (FEG) held the weigh-ins today for its DREAM 10 event, which is set to go down from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on July 20. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai missed weight twice today; however, the good news is that he was able to hit the mark on his third and final attempt.  It marks the second time in a row "Mach" has tipped the scales overweight — he had similar problems this past April at DREAM 8. Everyone else on the card made weight and are locks for the event. Here are the official weigh-in results for DREAM 10 (converted from kilograms to pounds): Welterweight Grand Prix semifinals: Andre Galvao (167.2) vs. Jason High (167.2) Hayato Sakurai (167.2)* vs. Marius Zaromskis (166.8) Welterweight Grand Prix reserve bout: Seichi Ikemoto (166.8) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (166.8) Non-tournament bouts: Shinya Aoki (153.6) vs. Vitor Ribeiro (153.8) Jesse Taylor (184.4) vs. Dong Sik-Yoon (184.8) Paulo Filho (184.8) vs. Melvin Manhoef (184.4) Andre Amade (154) vs. Katsunori Kikuno (154) *Sakurai made weight on his third attempt. DREAM 10 will be broadcast stateside early Monday morning on HDNet at 3 a.m. ET and an encore presentation is set for next Friday, July 24, at 10 p.m. ET. It will, of course, feature the promotion's welterweight grand prix tournament, which will come to its conclusion with the semifinals and finals set to all go down in the same night. Sakurai is the pre-tournament favorite — he’ll do battle with Cage Veteran Marius Zaromskis, while on the other side of the brackets will be jiu-jitsu ace Andre Galvao locking horns with Jason High. Also in non-tournament action in a battle of lightweight standouts and jiu-jitsu phenoms will be Shinya Aoki up against Vitor Ribeiro. And former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho will make a return to action as well, he takes on Dutch bruiser Melvin Manhoef in what should present an interesting styles clash. Be sure to check back tomorrow morning for our complete recap. In the meantime, get up to speed on all things DREAM right here.

Forrest Griffin on Anderson Silva UFC 101 fight video Posted: 19 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

DREAM 11 and the ‘Super Hulk’ rescheduled for Oct. 6 Posted: 19 Jul 2009 05:24 AM PDT Japan's Fighting & Entertainment Group (FEG) recently announced a change of date and venue for its DREAM 11 event, which will now take place from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, on Oct. 6. It was originally set to go down Sept. 23 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan; however, a venue switch and an additional two weeks were required to make it happen. The semifinal bouts for DREAM's open weight tournament, which has been dubbed "Super Hulk,” will take place at the event. Japanese fan favorite Ikuhisa Minowa has been put to the task of facing off against 7'2" Korean gargantuan Hong Man-Choi in his semifinal fight, while the other side of the brackets will feature Gegard Mousasi doing battle against the dangerous Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. "Super Hulk" tournament finalists will then do battle on New Years Eve at the annual Dynamite!! event. DREAM 11 is also expected to feature the semifinal bouts of the featherweight grand prix. Though the pairings are still to be announced, it will feature fan favorite and underdog Hideo Tokoro, jiu-jitsu ace Bibiano Fernandes, hard-hitting slugger Hiroyuki Takaya and also wrestling stud Joe Warren, who shocked the world recently by defeating featherweight superstar Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto. Also slated for the card is a clash to take care of some unfinished business between the charismatic Jason "Mayhem" Miller and grappling phenom Ronaldo Souza. The bitter rivals recently fought this May at DREAM 9 for the vacant DREAM middleweight title, though the bout was stopped after an errant blow from Miller to a downed Souza caused a deep laceration, which the severity of forced the ringside officials to call off the bout and declare it a no contest. Now the pair will tangle for a third time this October for a more decisive outcome and also to declare a new DREAM middleweight champion. And elsewhere in non-tournament action Karate stylist Andrews Nakahara is set to throwdown with Croatian sensation Zelg Galesic in a middleweight showdown. Here is the current line-up for DREAM 11: DREAM middleweight title: Jason Miller (22-6) vs. Ronaldo Souza (10-2) Featherweight grand prix participants: Joe Warren (2-0) Hideo Tokoro (22-16-1) Bibiano Fernandes (5-2) Hiroyuki Takaya (11-6-1) "Super Hulk" open weight grand prix semifinals: Hong Man-Choi (2-2) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (42-30-8) Gegard Mousasi (25-2-1) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) Non-tournament bout: Zelg Galesic (9-4) vs. Andrews Nakahara (2-1) For more on DREAM click here.

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• Bad timing: Thiago Alves knows he can beat Georges St. Pierre
• Dream 10 quick preview with final fight order set for July 20
• Fedor steals glory from latest heavyweight villain, Brock Lesnar
• Kimbo Slice: UFC Ultimate Fighter is ’still learning’ (Video)
• Paulo Filho vs Melvin Manhoef is this weekend at Dream 10 …
• UFC Quick Quote: Tom Lawlor all set after ‘collaring the Doberman’

Bad timing: Thiago Alves knows he can beat Georges St. Pierre Posted: 18 Jul 2009 12:32 PM PDT Props: Tatame.com Quoteworthy: "I have nothing to say, he was better than me that night and now I have to go back to my training and work hard to get this belt. There are a lot of thing in my camp that was a mistake. Now I see the mistakes that I did and I'll fix them and won't let it happen again. St. Pierre is a great fighter, fought very well, but I couldn't find myself in the fight. I learned a lot with this fight, I saw what the best fighter in the world has at his best, seen the best of the best fighter and I know I can beat him…. The only problem that I had in my preparation for this fight is that I wasn't with my Muay Thai coach, with whom I train for the last three years. He had to go away three months ago and I missed him a lot. I felt out of timing in the fight…. My cardio was good, I was strong, but my timing wasn't good." Former number one welterweight contender Thiago Alves talks about what went wrong during his five-round unanimous decision loss to 170-pound kingpin Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100. “The Pitbull” — who still feels he can defeat “Rush” despite the lopsided drubbing — makes no mention of “weighty issues” having any impact on his performance. Instead, he reveals that his striking, which is clearly the most dynamic aspect of his game, was what failed him because his instructor was out of town for the final three months of training. Regardless, Alves will have to get back in line and work his way up the welterweight ladder for another crack at the unstoppable Canadian. Who’s next? His next fight is still up in the air, but perhaps you want to play matchmaker in the comments section below — Jon Fitch, Marcus Davis, Dan Hardy … what showdown do you want to see?

Dream 10 quick preview with final fight order set for July 20 Posted: 18 Jul 2009 11:57 AM PDT Japan's Fighting & Entertainment Group (FEG) recently announced the final line up and bout order for its next event, DREAM 10, which will take place from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on July 20. For North American fans it will air live on HDNet at 3 a.m. ET and an encore presentation is set for next Friday, July 24, at 10 p.m. ET. The focal point of the event will of course be the conclusion of the welterweight tournament, which was created in a bid to crown a new 168-pound champion. The event will get kick started with the welterweight grand prix reserve bout between Seichi Ikemoto and Tarec Saffiedine, then after that the welterweight semifinals should quickly get underway. First up in tournament action will be Japanese mainstay and veteran of the sport Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, who is set to take on crafty Cage Rage veteran Marius Zaromskis in what should promise to be an entertaining showdown. "Mach" is coming off a quick 27-second destruction of lightweight standout Shinya Aoki, who made the jump up to welterweight at DREAM 8 this April, but was quickly sent packing back down to 154 pounds after Sakurai landed some deadly knees and vicious ground and pound to claim victory. His opponent Zaromskis competed at the same event, managing to garner a unanimous decision over Seichi Ikemoto in a fast paced exciting bout, which saw Zaromskis attempt an unorthodox back flip into his opponent’s guard. Rounding out the rest of the grand prix will be jiu-jitsu ace Andre Galvao, who is set to clash with the explosive Jason High. Galvao progressed to the next stage of the tournament by dominating his quarterfinal fight on the ground back at DREAM 8 and eventually went on to submit opponent John Alessio by armbar late into the opening stanza. High dominated his preliminary bout against Yuya Shirai from the get-go, coming out strong and landing a flurry of punches that would knock down Shirai and allow High to take his back and choke him unconscious. The winners of the semifinal bouts will then be given time to rest and will meet later in the same evening in the main event of the show. Also in non-tournament action will be WAMMA Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki, colliding with fellow jiu-jitsu phenom Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro in what should turn out to be quite a grappling demonstration. Another standout bout should be the one between Dutch berzerker Melvin Manhoef and former WEC Middleweight champion Paulo Filho which should present an interesting styles clash when the two do battle. Here is the official bout order for DREAM 10: Welterweight Grand Prix Final: Andre Galvao (3-0) or Jason High (7-1) vs. Hayato Sakurai (35-8-2) or Marius Zaromskis (9-2) Non-Tournament bouts: Shinya Aoki (20-4) vs. Vitor Ribeiro (20-2) Jesse Taylor (11-3) vs. Dong Sik-Yoon (4-6) Paulo Filho (16-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (23-5-1) Andre Amade (6-3) vs. Katsunori Kikuno (11-1) Welterweight Grand Prix Semifinals: Andre Galvao (3-0) vs. Jason High (7-1) Hayato Sakurai (35-8-2) vs. Marius Zaromskis (9-2) Welterweight Grand Prix reserve bout: Seichi Ikemoto (18-15-5) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (6-0) For more on DREAM click here.

Fedor steals glory from latest heavyweight villain, Brock Lesnar Posted: 18 Jul 2009 09:11 AM PDT Note: This “press release” was distributed by Affliction MMA shortly after UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar defeated Frank Mir at UFC 100. SEAL BEACH, California — Even in promotions he doesn't fight for, Fedor is the star. In the wake of Brock Lesnar's current heavyweight win, Fedor Emelianenko is the talk of the town. Leave it to Fedor to steal another man's fire without ever uttering a word. Lesnar's bad behavior at his recent victory has his name appearing in all kinds of sports and mainstream media venues. But much of the attention gets instantly shifted away from his WWE-style antics to a potential match-up between him and the wildly acknowledged heavyweight champion of the world — Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko. It seems that Lesnar is being cast as the MMA villain du jour. And since every villain needs a hero, media and fans alike seem to prefer Fedor as the man for the job. Instead of celebrating Lesnar's victory or simply descrying his after-fight performance, many are looking for vengeance. And the one to provide his medicine, they have decided is the world's ultimate heavyweight champ—Fedor. Disgruntled fans angry at his unsportsmanlike behavior think Fedor would teach Lesnar a painful lesson. Fedor's name has appeared in every article written about the recent match, and in editorials and chatrooms around the world. If this should be a time for Lesnar to bask in his notoriety, it seems that all the attention is going to The Last Emperor. It's as if Lesnar handed his victory over to the WAMMA Heavyweight Champion on a platter. Everyone, everywhere is talking about Fedor. Comparisons abound between the two fighters, there's even a poll asking who would win a bout between Fedor and the bulky Lesnar, with Fedor in the lead. Fedor's technical superiority is measured against Lesnar's heft. And the Russian fighter's cool, collected, and always respectful demeanor stand in contrast to the outburst by Lesnar after his last bout. Ironically, at one time, the competition rejected claims of Fedor's dominance in the ring. But now even they have abandoned their claims and openly recognized Fedor's insurmountable skills. In fact, the competition is being judged by its potential to upset the WAMMA Champ who now fights for Affliction M-1 Global. They couldn't ignore the facts or the fans any longer. Before Lesnar's match, an Internet campaign was started to get fans to chant Fedor Emelianenko’s name during the fight. The chanting never materialized. But the enthusiasm for Fedor is impossible to disregard. And the excitement is swelling as all prepare for Fedor's August 1st battle against "The Babyfaced Assassin," Josh Barnett, at Affliction M-1 Global's "Trilogy." All eyes—including a mass of newly anointed Fedor fans — will be on the ring when the number one and two ranked heavyweight fighters of the world meet to establish who is the best in the world. And whoever wins that match will rein supreme, as the legitimate world heavyweight champion and the most exciting heavyweight in MMA. GoDaddy.com presents Affliction M-1 Global's "Trilogy" featuring Fedor vs. Barnett in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Donald J Trump. The show is separated into two live broadcasts on the same night—a one-hour special will air on HDNet starting at 7:30 PM/ET (4:30 PM/PT), followed by the sensational Pay-Per-View event, "Trilogy," commencing at 9 PM/ET (6 PM/PT).

Kimbo Slice: UFC Ultimate Fighter is ’still learning’ (Video) Posted: 18 Jul 2009 08:59 AM PDT

Paulo Filho vs Melvin Manhoef is this weekend at Dream 10 … Posted: 18 Jul 2009 08:50 AM PDT … from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on July 20. Despite some highly questionable new tattoos, Filho looks to be in solid shape: Has the Brazilian jiu-jitsu stud put his troubles outside the ring behind him, ensuring a return to top form, or will "No Mercy" strike again? Check out more background on this interesting clash of styles right here. Check out a pre-fight interview with Manhoef after the jump.

UFC Quick Quote: Tom Lawlor all set after ‘collaring the Doberman’ Posted: 18 Jul 2009 08:27 AM PDT “It’s hard to say (what’s next). I’ve been pretty poor the past few years, so after getting this bonus, I’ll have to fight again in like eight or nine years. That’ll probably be how long it takes me to run out of money if I keep living at the standard of living I’ve been at. Look for me in about 2018. UFC 200 I’ll be fighting the serpent from Revelations, as the world is coming to an end in about nine years.” – The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 contestant, Tom Lawler, talks to MMAWeekly.com about his banner weekend at UFC 100 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 11. “Filthy” — who many fans apparently believed didn’t deserve a spot on the historic fight card — needed less than a minute to choke former castmate CB Dolloway unconscious with a guillotine choke. Lawlor earned $116,000 for the effort, which includes $100,000 for the “Submission of the Night.” However, he’ll perhaps be remembered most for his performces outside the Octagon rather than inside it. If his “Just Bleed” parody at the weigh ins wasn’t enough, he also captured quite a buzz with his entrance. Check it out after the jump:

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• BJ Penn vs Kenny Florian UFC 101 video hype
• Jim Rome burns on Brock Lesnar UFC 100 post-fight meltdown …
• Wanderlei Silva honored with the key to the City of Pensacola, Florida (Pic and video)
• UFC 100 drug test results come back clean from the NSAC for ‘Lesnar vs Mir’
• Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Mixed martial arts is for beer drinkers; Not even on his level
• Dana White: People are calling Brock Lesnar the Mike Tyson of MMA
• JAKKS reveals upcoming series of figures and collectibles at UFC Fan Expo
• Sengoku 10: World Victory Road adds Silva, Doerksen and Schultz to Sept. 23 fight card
• Ribbit! BJ Penn becomes ‘third person in the world’ to jump three feet out of a pool (Video)
• UFC Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz ‘came to amends’ with Dana White (Update)

BJ Penn vs Kenny Florian UFC 101 video hype Posted: 17 Jul 2009 07:54 PM PDT Best one yet:

Jim Rome burns on Brock Lesnar UFC 100 post-fight meltdown … Posted: 17 Jul 2009 07:50 PM PDT … during his radio show today: “It's been a week since Brock Lesnar opened up Frank Mir's face and then went WWE after the fight. And the debate rages on! Is Lesnar good or bad for the sport? WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown says Lesnar is bringing the one thing the sport probably doesn't need … hillbillies: ‘normal sports fans or MMA fans, I don't think they're into this type of thing. But the pro-wrestling fans, that's what they're into. I've never been a pro-wrestling fan, but I could imagine, I know there's a lot of them, how they got really into that. They love the heel, the bad guy, the jerk who talks a lot of smack. So maybe it's going to attract some hillbilly fans.’ Maybe it'll attract some hillbilly fans? Right! And maybe the new Harry Potter movie will attract lames in capes and costumes with broomsticks. I'm with Brown … I've never been a pro wrestling fan either. Or a fan of laying a beatdown on a guy and getting in his grill to remind him of it while he's getting medical attention! Or, of ‘flipping off’ the fans! Or, telling them what you're going to do your wife later that night. Or hillbillies! All that said … don't tell me this guy isn't good for the UFC, because he is! Either you love him or you hate him, but you will pay to see him. You know the guy is the ‘Next Big Thing,’ the biggest pub hound ever! Shaq is trying to hitch his gravy train to him saying he wants to fight him. Shaq … check it …. you know how I be — you won't last five minutes in the C-A-G-E. Check it … you know how I be — you can't hang with that hill-bill-ee!” That’s an interesting take to say the least. Let’s hear yours … even though we may have heard it already.

Wanderlei Silva honored with the key to the City of Pensacola, Florida (Pic and video) Posted: 17 Jul 2009 07:37 PM PDT For more background click here. The “Axe Murderer” was also in town to sponsor the start of Alex Silva Ruas’ — a fourth degree blackbelt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu — MMA gym. One more pic and a video of the ceremony after the jump.

UFC 100 drug test results come back clean from the NSAC for ‘Lesnar vs Mir’ Posted: 17 Jul 2009 12:21 PM PDT Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today confirmed that 13 of the 22 competitors who were tested for illegal/banned substances after competing at UFC 100 have all passed with flying colors. UFC main event participants Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir, as well as Georges St. Pierre and Thiago Alves, joined a line up of fighters that included Shannon Gugerty, Jon Fitch, Dan Henderson, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Mark Coleman, Tom Lawlor, Jon Jones, Dong Hyun Kim and Jim Miller, who were all screened for performance enhancers such as steroids and drugs of abuse like cocaine and marijuana, among others. Results from these battery of tests all returned negative. The fighters mentioned above were randomly selected. However, athletic commissions typically test the main event participants and fight night winners, as well as those who have failed tests in the past. The UFC dished out $1,790,000 in fighter salaries for the pay-per-view (PPV) event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Nevada and another $400,000 in additional bonus money for the four participants who delivered outstanding performances. Brock Lesnar unified the UFC Heavyweight Championship with a second round mutilation of Frank Mir in the UFC 100 main event. Current Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre solidified his place among the pound-for-pound best with a dominating five round victory over Thiago Alves in the co-featured fight of the night. And who could forget Dan Henderson’s knockout of the night (and perhaps century) when he air-mailed Michael Bisping back to the UK with a crushing overhand right. In fact, Bisping should arrive in Liverpool sometime around the middle of next week. For complete UFC 100 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Mixed martial arts is for beer drinkers; Not even on his level Posted: 17 Jul 2009 11:27 AM PDT Note that “Pretty Boy” is slated to go head-to-head with Juan Manuel Marquez inside the ring and UFC 103 outside of it on Sept. 19 … ding-ding:

Dana White: People are calling Brock Lesnar the Mike Tyson of MMA Posted: 17 Jul 2009 10:54 AM PDT Props: Cagewriter Quoteworthy: “I was on Opie and Anthony a couple of nights ago and those guys were like you know what? [Brock Lesnar is] your Mike Tyson. This is the guy where people are gonna tune in and say ‘Oh My God what’s this guy gonna do next?’ You know what the crazy part is? I just flew up there a couple weeks ago and we hung out and went to dinner. [Lesnar’s] such a good guy, but I’ll give you this: The week of the event I have a hard time dealing with him. He gets miserable, he’s a grouchy guy who can snap at any time. That’s for real.” UFC President Dana White does not condone but at the same time understands the behavior of Brock Lesnar before, during and after UFC 100. White gave Lesnar a verbal lashing following his meltdown against Frank Mir in the main event of their July 11 super-show, but also admits that (aside from the unprovoked sponsor bashing) he might have reacted in a similar fashion following the months of trash talk coming out of the Mir camp. Lesnar — who already claims he’s built like a black man may indeed have that same aura surrounding him that Tyson did. We can only hope that his career ends on more favorable terms. Not just for him, but for the sake of mixed martial arts as well.

JAKKS reveals upcoming series of figures and collectibles at UFC Fan Expo Posted: 17 Jul 2009 10:53 AM PDT Fans who attended the first ever UFC Fan Expo got a chance to see their favorite fighters enshrined in plastic as JAKKS Pacific debuted its first two waves of action figures during the UFC 100 fan extravaganza at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 10 and 11. JAKKS unveiled to the public Wave 0 and Wave 1 UFC action figures along with two separate UFC Octagon Playsets and new UFC Championship Belts. A Limited Edition 1:500 Chuck Liddell Platinum Edition figurine was also available at the booth for fans to purchase. Included in the series is current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, middleweight champion Anderson Silva, former UFC light heavyweight champions Forrest Griffin and Rampage Jackson as well as the man who started it all, Royce Gracie. Several of the fighters were in attendance to check out the new figures before they hit retail shelves this Fall and took the time to meet and greet with fans at the JAKKS expo booth. Among those in attendance were Randy “The Natural” Couture, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Mike Thomas Brown and Miguel Torres. JAKKS plans on shipping new waves every other month, featuring at least eight different fighters along with exclusive figures and assortments available for a suggested Retail Price $9.99. The 14.5″ UFC Octagon playset will be on sale for a suggested retail price of $19.99. Also available for the true collector is the Official Scale Deluxe UFC Octagon playset, a huge, 30″ authentic playset in 1:1 scale with the Deluxe UFC action figures featuring more than 50 pieces, padded posts, foam-polymer mat and removable cage walls for battle access. The suggested retail price will be $99.99. You can also own your very own collection of UFC Championship Belts from the UFC, Pride, and WEC for a suggested retail price of $11.99. For more on the JAKKS line of UFC figures and collectibles click here.

Sengoku 10: World Victory Road adds Silva, Doerksen and Schultz to Sept. 23 fight card Posted: 17 Jul 2009 10:07 AM PDT World Victory Road (WVR) recently announced the first handful of participants for it's Sengoku 10 event, which takes place at the Saitama Community Arena in Saitama, Japan, on September 23. The first (and last) Elite XC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva (12-1), UFC veteran Joe Doerksen (41-12) and former IFC lightweight champion Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) are the participants scheduled for Sengoku 10, though all pending opponents are to be announced at a later date. Silva last competed at Sengoku "Rebellion" this January, where he picked up a quick and easy win over Yoshihiro Nakao who came up lame with a knee injury just one minute into the bout and had to forfeit. "Bigfoot" has been targeted as one of the focal points (along with Josh Barnett) for a yet to be announced mini-heavyweight tournament, so a good outing at Sengoku 10 should keep him in the running for that while a loss may not. Since washing out of the UFC in April of 2008 after a loss to Jason McDonald at UFC 83: "St. Pierre vs. Serra 2", middleweight Joe "El Dirte" Doerksen has gone on to win three straight, including picking up a victory in his debut for WVR at Sengoku 6 last November, where he pummeled Izuru Takeuchi late into the third round, winning by technical knockout (TKO). IFC veteran Ryan Schultz will be looking to turn his luck around after a disappointing succession of losses within the promotion. In his debut he was knocked out by Mizuto Hirota who managed to land a devastating superman punch on Schultz at Sengoku 4 last August. Then just one moth after that in his second outing for WVR he was disposed of quickly by Jorge Masdival after he landed a barrage of strikes to claim victory at Sengoku 5. Schultz has not competed since than, which will equal a one year layoff come September. First up though for the promotion will Sengoku 9 which takes place from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on August 2. For more on Sengoku click here.

Ribbit! BJ Penn becomes ‘third person in the world’ to jump three feet out of a pool (Video) Posted: 17 Jul 2009 09:35 AM PDT Pool … not hit back … (Thanks to MMAmaniac “Kevin” for the tip)

UFC Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz ‘came to amends’ with Dana White (Update) Posted: 17 Jul 2009 09:29 AM PDT “UFC is not out of the picture…. There’s a possibility — I don’t know. I had a conversation with Dana last week, me and him spoke … we were really, really good friends at a point, best friends at a point, and everything got mucked up because of the fight game…. I wanted to be a man and squash things between me and him and wish him luck in his journeys and he did the same to me. So we kind of amended and squashed things, which is great. Dana showed the kind of person he is by apologizing to me and vice versa…. I’m very thankful for Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta from the UFC and I’m glad that me and Dana (White) kind of got to brush each other off. We may not still like each other or whatever but we came to amends — which is awesome. I gotta thank Strikeforce for giving me an opportunity and I want to thank Affliction for giving me an opportunity.” –Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and current Zuffa exile Tito Ortiz tells TapouT Radio that while he still won’t be exchanging Christmas cards with the UFC President, he and Dana White have patched things up after many years of back-and-forth squabbling. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has always had a amicable relationship with the Fertittas — is it possible that Lorenzo flew to Huntington Beach to reclaim the surgically repaired 205-pound star like his did last month with Mirko Cro Cop? And with UFC 103 still needing an opponent for rumored headliner Rich “Ace” Franklin, could they shock the world of MMA by pairing him up with a new and improved Ortiz? Opinions please. UPDATE: White confirms that he and Ortiz did indeed recently smooth things over via Twitter.com: “Yes tito and I made up. Doesn’t mean he’s back it means we aren’t smashing each other anymore and we don’t hate each other.” Let’s see how long that lasts … the soap opera continues. Stay tuned.

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• Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and ‘King’ Mo Lawal go at it in a van (Video)
• Brock Lesnar vs Fedor Emelianenko in the UFC (Part two)
• Gina Carano sex tape ‘just a joke’ from Kit Cope
• UFC 100 video review, Shane Carwin on Brock Lesnar and more on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’
• Get down or get out: UFC establishes hard line on fights between teammates
• Boxings Manny Pacquiao bests UFCs Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva as ‘Best Fighter’ at 2009 ESPY Awards
• Bitetti Combat: Jeff Monson vs Pedro Rizzo in the works for Sept. 12
• ‘Money’ talks: Jesse Taylor announces DREAM 10 bout opposite Dong Sik Yoon
• Bobby Lashley: ‘My sights are set on Brock Lesnar’
• Randy Couture vs Antonio Nogueira UFC 102 video preview

Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and ‘King’ Mo Lawal go at it in a van (Video) Posted: 16 Jul 2009 08:24 PM PDT While monstrous Bobby Lashley plays the role of Wall Flower:

Brock Lesnar vs Fedor Emelianenko in the UFC (Part two) Posted: 16 Jul 2009 08:20 PM PDT Josh Barnett is not the only person who could spoil a match up between the UFC and WAMMA heavyweight champions. Randy Couture may, contractually, get first dibs on “The Last Emperor:” “Not only do I think I deserve a shot at him, kind of part of the agreement in settling our differences in coming back to the UFC, is they were going to be dilligent about trying to find a way to make that fight happen.” Remember that Couture resigned from the promotion not too long ago, rescinded his belt and sat on the sidelines for about nine months, getting embroiled in an ugly legal battle in the process, because he wanted to fight Emelianenko and the UFC couldn’t sign him (Couture also cited money as another reason for his sudden departure). UFC President Dana White has attempted to ink the Russian — widely considered the best heavyweight MMA figher alive today — to an exclusive contract several times; however, the parties have always been far apart on agreeable terms. White poured more fuel on the fire in the wake of UFC 100, saying he would make another run at Emelianenko when his contract is up with Affliction (supposedly Aug. 1 after his fight against Barnett) and get him inside the Octagon to finally end the years-long debate about who is the best big man in the sport. Emelianenko would have to first defeat Barnett, and then possibly Couture, before getting a UFC title shot against Lesnar, who will have to successfully defend his unified title for the first time against the winner of Shane Carwin-Cain Velasquez later this year. That’s one complicated jigsaw puzzle, which all hinges on whether or not the promotion can sign Emelianenko in the first place … if he beats Barnett, of course. Phew …

Gina Carano sex tape ‘just a joke’ from Kit Cope Posted: 16 Jul 2009 06:11 PM PDT Props: MixedMartialArts.com Quoteworthy: “Come on kiddies! Listen to the whole interview. The sex tape thing was OBVIOUSLY a joke response to a listener’s question. I said that a bunch of times. I also didn’t say she should train with me, but Master Chan, her old Muay Thai coach. And I never called out any of the Xtreme Fashion guys. I actually said they were all gnarly fighters. Lastly, I said Tompkins was proficient at get someone in shape and simply lacks technical Muay Thai skills. Good twisting though.” Kit Cope, who is perhaps best known for MTV’s “True Life: I’m a Muay Thai Fighter,” attempts to clarify recent remarks made in radio interview, during which he hinted that a sex tape existed with ex-girlfriend Gina Carano. The one-fight UFC veteran backtracks on the provocative claim, saying it was all just in good fun. Cope and Carano broke up about two years ago — well before Carano became the pretty face of female mixed martial arts. She’s about to put that pretty face on the line and battle Chute Boxe wrecking machine Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos for the first-ever Strikeforce female world title on Aug. 15. Carano is more than likely not amused with Cope’s “joke,” which set the message boards on the Interwebs ablaze for the past few days, just three weeks before the biggest fight of her career. Distraction?

UFC 100 video review, Shane Carwin on Brock Lesnar and more on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’ Posted: 16 Jul 2009 05:46 PM PDT

Get down or get out: UFC establishes hard line on fights between teammates Posted: 16 Jul 2009 05:42 PM PDT As the UFC expands, several major camps have distinguished themselves from the rest, building strong stables of fighters focused on proving themselves as top contenders in their respective divisions. Camps like Xtreme Couture, Greg Jackson's MMA, American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) and American Top Team, among others, have developed into MMA powerhouses. In the process, they've also developed strong ties between teammates who, more often than not, refuse to fight one another. Thus far, this hasn't presented very many problems, except perhaps for Diego Sanchez, who as a welterweight left Greg Jackson's camp when it started a partnership with welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. From Sanchez's perspective, he was gunning for St. Pierre's belt and felt he couldn't train with his would-be opponent. But beyond that, several fighters have openly stated that they refuse to fight teammates; however, it may only be a matter of time before they will have to, according to UFC Co-owner and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. Fertitta recently told Sherdog.com that he's not in the business of trying to make sure teammates won't fight teammates. "Look, at the end of the day, we're here to see fighters, we're here to see fights," said Fertitta. "If teammates don't want to fight, then they're gonna have to go somewhere else. We don't put up with that stuff." While Fertitta might be taking the hard-line approach, it makes sense from a business perspective. The UFC wants to put on the best fights, regardless of who likes who. That didn't stop current contender Mike Swick from dropping from middleweight to welterweight in early 2008, despite the fact that two of his AKA teammates, Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, were top contenders in the division at the time. The three have been vocal in the past about refusing to fight one another, as Fitch recently stated, "I want the best for my teammates and my friends, and still, there's plenty of good fights to be had out there. It's not like if [Swick] wins the belt my entire fighting career is over. There's a number of guys that I could fight and could be happy fighting at 170 in the UFC." Greg Jackson light heavyweight teammates Rashad Evans and Keith Jardine have also said that they would not fight one another — even in the lead-up to UFC 96, when Jardine fought Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to decide the number one light heavyweight contender. Jardine lost that fight, but had he won, it's anyone's guess if he would have stuck to his guns and refused a title shot against then-champion Evans. Black House teammates Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida, both champions in their respective divisions, have also stated their refusal to fight one another. Middleweight champion Silva, who competes in both the 185 and 205-pound divisions, went so far as to say that he was not interested in challenging for the light heavyweight strap, because he saw it as already belonging to his teammate, Machida — this an entire year before "The Dragon" even challenged for the light heavyweight title. Talk about confidence in your mates … not to mention foresight. So what do you think? Do you think teammates should put their friendships aside and fight one another, if and when they are asked? Keep in mind logistical concerns, such as shared space when training, which coaches and training partners corner which fighters, and how to develop fight strategies when your opponent might be in the next room. Or do you think the UFC needs to better understand the loyalty that exists between fighters from the same camp? Fighting, after all, is a lot more than dollars and cents.

Boxings Manny Pacquiao bests UFCs Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva as ‘Best Fighter’ at 2009 ESPY Awards Posted: 16 Jul 2009 01:04 PM PDT Props: PhilStar.com (Note: “Pac Man” also beat out fellow boxer Sugar Shane Mosley for the prestigious award.)

Bitetti Combat: Jeff Monson vs Pedro Rizzo in the works for Sept. 12 Posted: 16 Jul 2009 12:04 PM PDT A heavyweight battle between stocky grappling guru Jeff "The Snowman" Monson (30-8) and former WVC heavyweight champion Pedro Rizzo (16-9) is in the works for “Bitetti Combat” from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 12, according to Super Lutas. The titanic tilt is actually a rematch from their September 2007 fight at “Art of War 3″ from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Rizzo dropped Monson midway through the third with a series of punches for what has turned out to be his only victory in his last three fights. The heavy-handed Brazilian is coming off two devastating back-to-back knockout losses. Josh Barnett stopped him at Affliction “Banned” in July of 2008 before he went stiff against Gilbert Yvel at “Ultimate Chaos” just last month. It was only his third fight in as many years and he likely suffers from the gaps of inactivity. Hopefully the once-feared striker can get back to his winning ways against Monson this September. The self-described anarchist has won seven of his last eight fights following the Rizzo loss. After stealing a controversial unanimous decision victory against Roy "Big Country" Nelson at "March Badness," Monson made short work of Russian gladiator Sergei Kharitonov at DREAM 8, forcing the Russian to tap with a north-south choke early into round one. “The Snowman” has momentum on his side, but you can never count Rizzo out so long as he continues to hit like a cement truck. Bitetti Combat will feature a light heavyweight showdown between Marvin Eastman and Ricardo Arona. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Alex Stiebling are also expected to hook ‘em up. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this developing card.

‘Money’ talks: Jesse Taylor announces DREAM 10 bout opposite Dong Sik Yoon Posted: 16 Jul 2009 11:21 AM PDT The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 cast member Jesse "JT Money" Taylor (11-3) has recently announced that his next bout will be against Korean Judoka Dong Sik-Yoon (4-6) at DREAM 10 on July 20, from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, according to his official Web site. Taylor had his fair share of infamy throughout the seventh season of TUF, but it may be the feat he managed to establish towards the end of the show that he's best known for: Being the first person ever to reach the finale but to get kicked off before competing. That incident stemmed from Taylor's drunken debauchery in a Las Vegas Casino which rubbed UFC president Dana White the wrong way and lead to him giving the boot to the TUF 7 Finalist. He did get a second chance with the organization at UFC Fight Night: "Silva vs. Irvin" in July 2008, though ended up losing to fellow TUF 7 castmate CB Dolloway via slick Peruvian necktie which would also lead to Taylors second exile from the UFC. Since than he has been toiling on the small circuits of North America, where he has managed to rack up five wins in the last year which apparently has earned him a call up to go fight on the big stage in Japan for DREAM. Also announced for DREAM 10 today was a welterweight grand prix reserve bout featuring Seichi Ikemoto (18-15-5) doing battle with Tarec Saffiedine (6-0). The semifinals and finals of the promotions welterweight tournament, which was created in a bid to crown a 168 lbs champion are of course set to go down the same night. Japanese mainstay Hayato Sakurai (35-8-2) takes on unorthodox Marius Zaromskis (9-2) and on the other side of the brackets will be jiu-jitsu ace Andre Galvao (3-0) facing off against the explosive Jason High (7-1). Also in non-tournament action will be WAMMA lightweight champion Shinya Aoki colliding with fellow jiu-jitsu phenom Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro in what should turn out to be quite a grappling demonstration. Here is the current line-up for DREAM 10: Welterweight Grand Prix Semifinals: Andre Galvao (3-0) vs. Jason High (7-1) Hayato Sakurai (35-8-2) vs. Marius Zaromskis (9-2) Welterweight Grand Prix Final: Andre Galvao (3-0) or Jason High (7-1) vs. Hayato Sakurai (35-8-2) or Marius Zaromskis (9-2) Welterweight Grand Prix reserve bout: Seichi Ikemoto (18-15-5) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (6-0). Non-tournament bout: Shinya Aoki (20-4) vs. Vitor Ribeiro (20-2) Andre Amade (6-3) vs. Katsunori Kikuno (11-1) Paulo Filho (16-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (23-5-1) Jesse Taylor (11-3) vs. Dong Sik-Yoon (4-6) For more on DREAM click here.

Bobby Lashley: ‘My sights are set on Brock Lesnar’ Posted: 16 Jul 2009 10:34 AM PDT Props: Sherdog.com Quoteworthy: “I'm not going to say anything bad on Brock, because Brock is doing all the right things, [but] my sights are set on Brock. I'm not saying I want to fight him because he's 'the wrestling guy.' I'm saying it because I am a heavyweight fighter and he's the champ.” Fresh off his battering of Bob Sapp at last month’s “Ultimate Chaos” event, former WWE superstar and decorated amateur wrestler Bobby Lashley focuses on his goal is to eventually upend UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. Despite the fact that Lesnar only has one more professional fight than he does, Lashley understands that he must first become a reputable fighter prior to a potential UFC debut. He had trouble finishing Jason Guida at “March Badness” in only the second MMA match of his career, but vows to improve and work his way up to the top. The question is, with Lesnar so far ahead of him in terms of MMA accomplishments, will he ever get there?

Randy Couture vs Antonio Nogueira UFC 102 video preview Posted: 16 Jul 2009 10:33 AM PDT

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• K-1 MAX 2009 Final 8: ‘Kid’ Yamamoto suffers brutal KO loss to Jae Hee Cheon (Video)
• Justin Buchholz tapped to replace an injured Ronny Torres against Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 19
• Dan Henderson no longer raving over Range Rover …
• UFC Fan Expo ’super fights’ videos from Grapplers Quest 2009
• MMA Quick Quote: Fabricio Werdum plans to submit Alistair Overeem (again) on Aug. 15
• Dana White: EA Sports spurned UFC video game, now wants a piece of the THQ money pie
• Josh Neer puts legal troubles behind him to focus on Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101
• Gina Carano and ‘Cyborg’ Santos storm NYC to promote August 15 Strikeforce title fight
• Fedor Emelianenko talks Affliction, UFC and a superfight with Brock Lesnar (Video)
• UFC 104: Jorge Rivera vs Rob Kimmons in the works for Oct. 24

K-1 MAX 2009 Final 8: ‘Kid’ Yamamoto suffers brutal KO loss to Jae Hee Cheon (Video) Posted: 15 Jul 2009 10:22 PM PDT

Justin Buchholz tapped to replace an injured Ronny Torres against Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 19 Posted: 15 Jul 2009 10:12 PM PDT Justin Buchholz is in talks to face Jeremy Stephens in a lightweight bout at UFC Fight Night 19 from the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., after an undisclosed injury has forced Ronny Torres to withdraw from the upcoming event on September 16. MMAmania.com was informed of the change earlier today — bout agreements were recently distributed but have yet to be signed. Buchholz stands at 1-2 inside the Octagon. After dropping a first-round submission loss to Matt Wiman at UFC Fight Night 12 in his UFC debut, the Sacramento native made some noise in the division by choking out Corey Hill at UFC 86 "Jackson vs. Griffin" last July. He failed to capitalize on that momentum however when the super-tough Terry Etim wrapped up a fight ending Brabo choke in the second round of their scrap at UFC 99 just over a month ago. He’ll need a big win against Stephens if he expects to be considered for future events. “Lil’ Heathen” stands at an even 4-4 in the UFC. He filled in for his mentor, Hermes Franca, when he was scratched from a fight against Joe Lauzon at UFC Fight Night 17. The heavy-handed fighter out of Iowa went on to lose the fight via second round submission (armbar). He followed that up with a tough decision loss to Brazilian jiu-jitsu stud Gleison Tibau at UFC Fight Night 18 back in April. Despite his back-to-back losses, fans have still not forgotten his "Knockout of the Night" at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" when he sent Rafael dos Anjos back to Brazil with a thundering uppercut that he threw from what appeared to be the center of the cage. It was among the most devastating finishes of 2008. Stephens has really stepped up his training in anticipation of this event, calling on Josh Neer and Diego Sanchez to help refine every aspect of his offense and defense. It’s sure to pay off come fight night. The main event of the evening will see TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz get a chance to break out of an 0-2 slump when he tangles with Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard. It is also expected to feature a lightweight rumble between Roger “El Matador” Huerta and Gray “The Bully” Maynard. UFC Fight Night 19 will serve as the lead-in for the upcoming tenth season of TUF, which features Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and a solid collection of 15 other heavyweight fighters competing in a tournament-style format to earn one "six-figure contract." For more on UFC Fight Night 19 remember to check out our event archive right here. Also be sure to check out the latest FN 19 card and rumors right here.

Dan Henderson no longer raving over Range Rover … Posted: 15 Jul 2009 02:33 PM PDT … like he was right here. It appears “Dangerous” ran into some trouble heading home from Las Vegas: “Made it all the way from Vegas to Primm before it broke down–45 min. of driving heaven & 3 hrs of waiting for the tow truck. LOL.” Booby prize be damned — it’s nothing a career-defining knockout over a coaching nemesis and an extra $100,000 for doing it on the promotion’s most-watched pay-per-view (PPV) ever can’t cure. The good news is that he got it fixed just in time to walk the red carpet at the ESPY’s: Life is good.

UFC Fan Expo ’super fights’ videos from Grapplers Quest 2009 Posted: 15 Jul 2009 02:14 PM PDT Joe “Daddy” Stevenson vs. Bill “The Grill” Cooper: Check out more competition after the jump. Rumina Sato vs. Ulysses Gomez: Jeff Glover vs. Wilson Reis:

MMA Quick Quote: Fabricio Werdum plans to submit Alistair Overeem (again) on Aug. 15 Posted: 15 Jul 2009 01:12 PM PDT ” … the fight starts standing. I'll train standing as on the ground, but I'll give more emphasis to the ground. I like to train and fight standing, and it hasn't that thing of taking the fight directly to the ground. It's difficult to take Overeem to the ground. In the other time that we fought, I couldn't give him any takedown, and he took me down five times, so I was forced to fight standing with him. The strategy is this, take to the ground as soon as possible and submit…. I know he's heavier and stronger, but there is one thing: the stronger and heavier, the guy can get tired fast. In our other fight, he gave me a heat in the first round and began to get tired in the second. I can use this strategy too, just wait for him to get tired, but if I have how to finalize before, I will.” – Chute Boxe-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum talks strategy with Tatame.com for his upcoming fight against Strikeforce World Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem at “Carano vs. Cyborg” from the HP Pavillion in San Jose, Calif., on Aug. 15. "Vai Cavalo" holds a second round submission win over the hulk from Holland when they tangled at PRIDE: "Total Elimination Absolute" in May 2006. Will lightning strike twice one month from today or has the “Demolition Man” now just too much to handle?

Dana White: EA Sports spurned UFC video game, now wants a piece of the THQ money pie Posted: 15 Jul 2009 12:29 PM PDT Props: Yahoo Sports Quoteworthy: "I went to EA Sports. Know what EA Sports said? 'It's not a sport. This isn't a sport. We would never get involved in something like this.' We come out with a video game and now they want to come out with a video game? (Expletive) you. All these people that want to cry and bitch, EA Sports didn't give a (expletive) about you and wouldn't even touch this thing with a 10-foot pole. We went out and made this whole thing happen. THQ basically put their entire business on the line. If this game didn't work, they were in big trouble. The great thing about this business is, the UFC brand, plus stars, equals success for everybody. So when we do a video game, you're a guy in the video game for (expletive) ever … and you get paid off of that forever. You think Leon Spinks is getting royalty checks somewhere? I just saw a thing on him; he's a janitor. That's what we're trying to not let happen to these guys.” UFC President Dana White blasts video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) for being a fair weather business partner. White alleges that EA wanted nothing to do with a UFC video game so he went to THQ, which put its business on the line to produce “UFC Undisputed 2009.” After a wildly successful launch, EA announced a mixed martial arts video game of its own — much to the chagrin of Dana White, who acknowledged that any UFC fighter under contract would be unemployed if they signed on to the still-in-development fighting game. EA vehemently denies banging the bandwagon and claims its MMA title has been in the planning stages for two years. So, who do we believe?

Josh Neer puts legal troubles behind him to focus on Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101 Posted: 15 Jul 2009 11:40 AM PDT … according to a statement released today to MMAmania.com by Mickey Dubberly of KO Dynasty, Neer’s manager: “We are very pleased with the decision the judge made on Josh's hearing, and we can now finally put this matter behind us and move on. In no way will the Judge's decision keep Josh from fighting in UFC 101. Josh has been training very hard for this fight, and is looking forward to putting on a great fight for the UFC and the fans. Josh would like to thank the UFC, family, friends, fans, sponsors and his training partners for supporting him through this incident.” “The Dentist” plead guilty to OWI and Eluding or Attempting to Elude a Police Vehicle last month in Polk County, Iowa, where he was sentenced to two years imprisonment on the first count and 5 years imprisonment on the second count. Neer was given a suspended sentence and will avoid jail time if he successfully completes the terms of his probation. He will also be permitted to compete in the UFC, effectively green-lighting his lightweight scrap with Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101 on August 8. For the details surrounding Neer’s arrest click here.

Gina Carano and ‘Cyborg’ Santos storm NYC to promote August 15 Strikeforce title fight Posted: 15 Jul 2009 10:26 AM PDT Strikeforce held a press conference and fan meet and greet session yesterday (July 14) in the heart of New York City starring female fighting sensation Gina Carano (7-0) side-by-side with former Elite XC fighter Cristiane Santos (7-1) to promote their upcoming Strikeforce title fight on August 15. “Conviction” and “Cyborg” will collide at Strikeforce: ‘Carano vs. Cyborg’ on Saturday, August 15, from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, in a five round tilt for the Strikeforce women’s championship. The female American Gladiator has been on the sidelines ever since her thrashing of Kelly Kobald at 'Heat' back in October 2008. A victory over the dangerous Santos would undoubtedly cement her status as one of the world's top female fighters. But Carano recognizes the challenge that lies ahead: “I have the ultimate, utmost respect for Cyborg. This is the toughest fight of my life. [She] is very strong. That is why I have reached out to Randy Couture to support me. Randy is training me to get ready for the toughest fight of my career. He is my head trainer and he will be in my corner. I want to thank Strikeforce and Showtime. It took a lot of balls to put [on a main event between two women] .” "Cyborg," the wife of former Pride FC fighter Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, burst onto the scene in May of 2008 with a dominating performance against Shayna Baszler in her debut under the Elite XC banner. Like her husband, she's a product of the Brazilian Chute Boxe Academy, a style that's evident as soon as she steps foot in the cage. Her most recent fight was on the Strikeforce: 'Shamrock vs. Diaz' card last April when she received heavy criticism for missing weight for her fight against Japanese import Hitomi Akano. Santos brutalized "Girlfight Monster" for two rounds before stopping her with strikes in the final frame. Like Carano, Santos isn’t taking this title fight lightly: “I think the one who makes the fewer mistakes will win this fight. I am expecting a war. I have been training a lot since my last fight. I am ready and very excited. This is a great opportunity and this will be a very good fight for the fans.” Both combatants left the press conference looking confident and ready to fight. They took the time to sign autographs and pose for pictures before and after their public workout in front of the entrance to Madison Square Garden. How much attention yesterday’s MMA event brought to “The city that never fights” remains to be seen. While it certainly garnered it’s share of onlookers, most of the slack-jawed public reacted with “Oh, that’s the UFC stuff.” Draw your own conclusions. Check out more pics from the Strikeforce: “Carano vs. Cyborg” press conference below. Gina Caran “Oh!” ‘Hot’borg (Yeah I said it) The Strikeforce Women’s Championship. Up for grabs! Cyborg ready to strut her stuff. MMA’s new power couple? For more on Strikeforce: “Carano vs. Cyborg” click here.

Fedor Emelianenko talks Affliction, UFC and a superfight with Brock Lesnar (Video) Posted: 15 Jul 2009 08:11 AM PDT

UFC 104: Jorge Rivera vs Rob Kimmons in the works for Oct. 24 Posted: 15 Jul 2009 08:03 AM PDT A middleweight bout between Octagon veteran Jorge Rivera (22-4) and grappling stud Rob Kimmons (22-4) is expected to take place at UFC 104 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 24, MMAmania.com has learned. "El Conqistador" has fallen on hard times over the past year. After a first round submission loss to Martin Kampmann at UFC 85: "Bedlam" back in June 2008, he was blindsided with the sudden and tragic death of his 17-year-old daughter. Rivera — a UFC veteran who was also a former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 4 — notched a big knockout win over Kendall Grove at UFC 80: "Rapid Fire" earlier in 2008. He's also got a technical knockout win over Edwin DeWees and a knockout loss to Terry Martin since his most recent return to the organization. It's safe to say that Rivera is consistently inconsistent — he has been unable to string together consecutive wins in nine attempts with the UFC. The good news for him is that he was able to get back into the win column against Nissen Osterneck at Fight Night 18 last April. Kimmons was successful in his debut for the promotion, submitting Rob Yundt with a guillotine choke at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 Finale back in June. After falling to wrestling ace Dan Miller at Fight Night 15, he quickly rebounded with a “Submission of the Night” win over Joe Vedepo at Fight Night 18. “The Rosedal Reaper” has been all over the place throughout his five-year professional career, competing for organizations such as International Fighting Organization (IFO), American Bushido, Titan Fighting Championships (TFC) and Victory Fighting Championships (VFC), among others. The Kansas City-bred fighter has now won five of his last six bouts — all by first round submission. UFC 104 will feature a main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez have also been rumored to meet to determine the UFC number one heavyweight contender. For all the latest news on UFC 104 check out our complete archive right here.

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• Gina Carano open workout videos at MSG in NYC for Strikeforce presser
• WEC 45: Mike Brown in talks to defend featherweight crown against Jose Aldo on November 11
• UFC 103 tickets for American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19 for sale soon
• UFC 103: Tomasz Drwal vs Drew McFedries on tap for Sept. 19
• Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida takes shape for UFC 104 on Oct. 24
• Kenny Florian breaks down fight against BJ Penn at UFC 101 (Video)
• Brock Lesnar vs Fedor Emelianenko in the UFC
• Kimbo Slice: ‘I don’t mind being a gatekeeper’ for UFC heavyweight division
• UFC Fight Night 19: Ed Herman vs. Aaron Simpson in the works for Sept. 16
• Reminder: Watch Strikeforce: ‘Carano vs Cyborg’ presser online today (July 14)

Gina Carano open workout videos at MSG in NYC for Strikeforce presser Posted: 15 Jul 2009 04:31 AM PDT

WEC 45: Mike Brown in talks to defend featherweight crown against Jose Aldo on November 11 Posted: 14 Jul 2009 07:39 PM PDT WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown (22-4) and division number one contender Jose Aldo (15-1) will throw down at WEC 45 at a location to be named later on November 11, according to the Brazilian at InTheGuard.tv. Brown burst onto the scene at WEC 36 as the number one contender to face Urijah Faber in what was at the time the ex-world champion's sixth title defense. The American Top Team powerhouse shocked many by stopping the seemingly unbeatable Faber in the first round with a brutal barrage of strikes. The newly crowned champion then cemented his status as one of the best at 145-pounds four months later by successfully defending that title with a first round submission win over Greg Jackson product Leonard Garcia at WEC 39. "The California Kid" attempted to reclaim his title at WEC 41 back in June, but Brown rebuked him with five rounds of punishment — on the same card that saw Aldo win in just eight seconds. The promotion's 145-pound division has recently skyrocketed with talent. And the line of contenders is growing longer as each event passes. Still, it's hard to imagine anyone more deserving than Aldo. The Brazilian smashing machine is now undefeated (5-0) in the WEC with five straight (technical) knockout victories. He recently scored a crushing win over Cub Swanson at WEC 41, ending the fight before it even got started with a slick skin-splitting flying knee. This bout — which could be the champ’s toughest test to date — has fireworks written all over it. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on this developing fight card.

UFC 103 tickets for American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19 for sale soon Posted: 14 Jul 2009 03:01 PM PDT Tickets for UFC 103, which is slated for the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19, will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, July 18 at 11 a.m. ET. UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers, naturally, will be able to scoop up tickets prior to them being available for public consumption. UFC 103 is expected to feature Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg, as well as a heavyweight tilt between former PRIDE superstar Mirko Cro Cop and surging heavyweight prosepct Junior Dos Santos. In addition, Martin Kampmann and Mike Swick will collide to determine the number one contender for Georges St. Pierre’s 170-pound title. Also slated for the main card is former lightweight champion Sean Sherk as he tries to get back to his winning ways against Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Gleison Tibau. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) standouts Efrain Escudero and Cole Miller are also expected to hook ‘em up. Here is the UFC 103 tickets sales schedule (all times are ET): UFC Fight Club presale: Thursday, July 16 at 11 a.m. UFC Newsletter presale: Friday, July 17 at 11 a.m. General tickets sale: Saturday, July 18 at 11 a.m. UFC 103 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will als