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

---

• UFC 112 tickets for Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi on April 10 for sale soon
• UFC 110: Wanderlei Silva talks about Michael Bisping fight (Video)
• Demian Maia to face Anderson Silva for middleweight title at UFC 112
• Vitor Belfort: 'I think I did the right thing'
• Cain Velasquez on 'Minotauro' UFC 110 fight: 'It's my time now' (Video)
• Anderson Silva still scheduled for UFC 112 title defense as Vitor Belfort undergoes successful shoulder surgery
• Joe Stevenson doesn't want to train with BJ Penn ...
• SB Nation and MMAmania.com present 'Facebook Connect'
• One and done: Rolles Gracie cut from the UFC after Feb. 6 loss
• UFC Quick Quote: Wanderlei Silva feels 'fast' at 185-pounds
• Rampage Jackson gets knocked down in Nike commercial 'Human Chain'
• Jose 'Can'seco arrives at Gracie Academy with hopes of future Strikeforce fight (Pic)
• Gegard Mousasi severs ties with M-1 Global
• Chuck Liddell: This year the TUF guys want to be fighters, not TV stars
• Chael Sonnen sends a shout out to 'brother Yushin'

UFC 112 tickets for Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi on April 10 for sale soon Posted: 12 Feb 2010 07:12 PM PST It's official.  Tickets for UFC 112: "Invincible," which is slated for the Concert Arena, Ferrari World, Yas Island In Abu Dhabi on April 10, will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010. UFC 112 will feature two world title fights, including middleweight champion Anderson Silva taking on Demian Maia -- no longer the injured Vitor Belfort -- and lightweight kingpin BJ Penn, putting his belt on the line against Frankie Edgar. Here's what UFC President Dana White had to say about the re-worked main event: "It’s always tough when a top fighter like Vitor Belfort has to pull out of a big title fight, but we have found a high quality replacement. Top contender Chael Sonnen was not available due to injuries sustained in his fight with Nate Marquardt, so top six middleweight Demian Maia will step in to fight for the title. Maia is an Abu Dhabi grappling champion, a five-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, and he is 12-1 in MMA and coming off a win over Dan Miller at UFC 109. Anderson Silva vs Demian Maia will be a matchup between MMA’s best striker and MMA’s best grappler." Legendary welterweights Matt Hughes and Renzo Gracie are also booked to collide on the pay-per-view (PPV) main card, which kicks off at 1 p.m. ET. To purchase tickets for UFC 112 on Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. ET click here. For more on UFC 112 stay dialed in to MMAmania.com. In the meantime, remember to check out our complete event archive right here.

UFC 110: Wanderlei Silva talks about Michael Bisping fight (Video) Posted: 12 Feb 2010 06:09 PM PST

Demian Maia to face Anderson Silva for middleweight title at UFC 112 Posted: 12 Feb 2010 06:03 PM PST The speculation is over. Demian Maia has been tapped as Vitor Belfort's replacement for the UFC middleweight title fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 112 from the Concert Arena from Ferrari World, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on Saturday, April 10. MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) confirmed the news with a source close to the situation earlier today. Belfort's shoulder injury that forced him to pull out of the title fight yesterday shook the MMA world to its core. Discussion as to who would step in to face Silva in the main event at UFC 112 immediately took center stage with names like Chael Sonnen, Thiago Silva, and even Randy Couture getting thrown into the mix. But as UFC President Dana White announced last night, Silva would fight at middleweight instead of taking on a top light heavyweight. And though Chael Sonnen earned number one contender status with his victory over Nate Marquardt at UFC 109, the cut he suffered during the fight will not heal in time for Sonnen to get his shot. Instead, the man who submitted Sonnen at UFC 95, Demain Maia, gets the lucky break.   Maia (12-1) was on his own path to earning the title shot before the aforementioned Nate Marquardt derailed his efforts with one punch at UFC 102. The recipient of four "Submission of the Night" awards under the UFC banner, Maia will bring an unrivaled Brazilian jui-jitsu pedigree to the Octagon in an attempt to knock off middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva. "The Spider" has successfully defended his middleweight belt five times since he put the MMA community on notice when he dominated former champ Rich Franklin at UFC 64 to wrestle the title away from "Ace." Owner of an unblemished 10-0 record inside the Octagon, Silva (25-4) has twice jumped up in weight class to fight at light heavyweight in an attempt to challenge himself, but neither James Irvin nor Forrest Griffin were capable of doing so. Can Demian Maia represent that challenge? We'll see on April 10. But the question remains; is Maia the best option the UFC had to fill in for the injured Belfort? Would you have rather seen Silva take on another top light heavyweight? Let's hear your thoughts, Maniacs.

Vitor Belfort: 'I think I did the right thing' Posted: 12 Feb 2010 11:44 AM PST Props: UOL Esporte   Quoteworthy:   "You can’t describe something indescribable. Everyone is upset but I think they understand the situation. It’s part of the life and I will come back stronger after this. This situation gives me more wish to become the champion. Soon I will be fighting for the belt and doing what is need. I just want to thank the support and endearment from the fans. I only ask everyone to root for my recovery. It’s hard to speak over it. It’s like the saying ‘the past is a bounced check, the future is a dated check and the present is money in the hand.' I have to look ahead. I know I have a brilliant career to come. It came until I couldn’t stand the pain anymore. I was sacrificing myself too much. Then I went through MRI scan and the doctor said I couldn’t put off the surgery otherwise I wouldn’t continue working. It could be worse if I fought with my shoulder less than 50% good. Surely It would be a terrible performance and might mean an injury for the rest of my life. I think I did the right thing now."   Vitor Belfort spoke out today about his decision to withdraw from his UFC 112 title fight against middleweight champion Anderson Silva on April 10 in Abu Dhabi due to shoulder surgery that he underwent two days ago. "The Phenom" has explained the pain in his shoulder has been hurting since July of 2009 and the Brazilian had been taking anti-inflammatories just to train. Belfort cannot resume training for four months but promises to come back better than ever when he does. Did he do the right thing? Or should he have made this decision before committing to the Silva fight?

Cain Velasquez on 'Minotauro' UFC 110 fight: 'It's my time now' (Video) Posted: 12 Feb 2010 11:00 AM PST

Anderson Silva still scheduled for UFC 112 title defense as Vitor Belfort undergoes successful shoulder surgery Posted: 12 Feb 2010 10:10 AM PST UFC middleweight number one contender Vitor Belfort has undergone successful shoulder surgery to repair a lingering injury that was severe enough to see him withdraw from his April 10 title fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. From "The Phenom" courtesy of Sherdog.com: “I’ve already had the surgery on my left shoulder. I’ve already had three injections since I was scheduled to fight Fedor, but lately the pain got really unbearable and my doctor decided to take an (MRI) and it showed chronic injury that was getting worse. My doctor, Michel Simoni, said that if I did not stop and do the surgery immediately, I was running serious risk of my shoulder going out of place. Also I was already losing the power of my left arm. How could I fight (without) my strongest hand? I’m feeling good, and according to the doctor, in four months I can start returning to training little by little. Now I have a long journey of work with physical therapy every day. I think before the end of the year, I’ll be back in the Octagon. No matter if it’s fighting for the belt or not, I’ll be back 100 percent.” Belfort and Silva were initially penciled in to collide at UFC 108 earlier this year; however, minor elbow surgery for Silva postponed the Brazilian brawl until UFC 112 at the Concert Arena from Ferrari World, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on Saturday, April 10. Perhaps it's just not meant to be -- Belfort even seemed uncomfortable with the quick title shot after a first round destruction of former 185-pound division champ Rich Franklin in a 195-pound catchweight fight on Sept. 19, 2009. In fact, he admitted that Nate Marquardt more than likely deserved the nod over him. Nonetheless, he accepted the bout, twice, and both times the plans have had to be scrapped. UFC President Dana White recently confirmed to MMA Fighting that "The Spider" will still defend his 185-pound strap overseas as scheduled. Now it is a question of finding a suitable opponent on short notice to tangle with one of the world's best pound-for-pound fighters. Waiting in the wings, of course, is Chael Sonnen, who utterly dominated Marquardt at UFC 109: "Relentless" this past weekend; however, he sustained a humongous gash on his forehead during the three-round unanimous decision win and was slapped with a lengthy medical suspension. Sonnen, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), is not allowed to spar until March 24, giving him little time to truly prepare to battle a world class and dangerous opponent such as Silva. Regardless, Sonnen indicated in several post-fight interviews that he would be ready just in case something like this happened. It's a tall order, considering Silva hasn't really lost in more than five years (sans a disqualification loss to Yushin Okami in 2006), and he's essentially obliterated the middleweight division since entering the Zuffa fold in mid 2006. Whether or not the promotion gives him the green light is still up in the air, and more than likely, currently the focus of heated debate in the UFC war room. Stay tuned.

Joe Stevenson doesn't want to train with BJ Penn ... Posted: 12 Feb 2010 08:52 AM PST ... because he anticipates a rematch with "The Prodigy" in late 2010. "It is awesome that people are starting to talk about me maybe fighting for the title again. But I don’t want it whisper in the wind that I maybe get a title shot. I want to keep on winning, and winning big, so the fans are like 'Give Joe Daddy his second title shot already!' I was asked by BJ if I wanted to train with him for this fight but, as great as would be, I had to say no because I think I am going to be fighting him again at the end of the year." UFC lightweight Joe Stevenson (via Fighter's Only) passes on the opportunity to train with current division champion BJ Penn heading into his UFC 110 fight against George Sotiropoulos on Feb. 21 because "Daddy" is planning on another title shot against the Hawaiian by year's end. Of course he must win in Australia and Penn must win in Abu Dhabi, but does anyone else need to see a repeat of the drubbing Stevenson took at UFC 80?

SB Nation and MMAmania.com present 'Facebook Connect' Posted: 12 Feb 2010 08:25 AM PST Just because you aren't mixing it up under your favorite MMAmania.com post doesn't mean you can't stay in touch with the awesome community of Maniacs. In fact, many of our readers use the Facebook application to not only stay in touch with all things UFC (and beyond), but to also coordinate on a variety of topics and local happenings not related to mixed martial arts. Now the SB Nation has made it even easier to integrate your Facebook account with your favorite MMA site by offering "Facebook Connect." What is Facebook Connect? Well for starters, you can now sign in to SB Nation/MMAmania using your Facebook log in information. That means one click sharing of all the MMA news that's fit to print. Want more people to see your FanPost or FanShot? By using your Facebook profile to log in, all it takes is one click. For more information on Facebook Connect and a complete breakdown of how it works click here. Of course your personal information will never be displayed and users can easily change their preferences to modify what's being shared. And in the process, why not make us a "Friend" and see what all the buzz is about? To join us right now click HERE and HERE.

One and done: Rolles Gracie cut from the UFC after Feb. 6 loss Posted: 12 Feb 2010 07:51 AM PST Rolles Gracie (3-1), decorated grappling champion and member of the famed Gracie clan, apparently had one chance to impress the Zuffa brass when he debuted opposite Joey Beltran at UFC 109 on Feb. 6 from Las Vegas. He was unsuccessful. The Brazilain Jiu-Jitsu black belt and son of Rolles Gracie Sr. made his Octagon debut an "embarrassing' one according to cousin Renzo, after "The Mexicutioner" pounded him out in the second frame of their Feb. 6 undercard bout. He was subsequently released from his contract, according to MMAWeekly. Prior to his Octagon debut, Gracie was perfect in three attempts including an appearance under the IFL banner in late 2007, submitting Sam Holloway via rear naked choke in the Team Championship Finals. After seeing no action in 2008, Gracie competed twice in 2009 for China's "Art of War" promotion, including a submission win (arm-triangle choke) over Peter Graham last September. While he may have been put out to pasture by the UFC, he's sure to find employment elsewhere based on his grappling skills and name recognition. Perhaps a return to Art of War?

UFC Quick Quote: Wanderlei Silva feels 'fast' at 185-pounds Posted: 12 Feb 2010 07:20 AM PST "I feel so great. I feel fast. My timing is better. I think I’m going to have a great performance in the division. The surgery I make because I broke my nose a lot of times before. I reconstruct my nose because before I don’t sleep very well. Now, I sleep better and my recovery’s better, no? I feel great. My cardio is better now and I’m ready to fight (again). For my next fight, I trained a lot of wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai. I’m going to try and use it now." Mixed Martial Arts icon Wanderlei Silva (32-10-1) talks about the advantages of his cut to middleweight (via Sherdog.com) for his upcoming middleweight scrap against Michael Bisping at UFC 110 from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21. "The Axe Murderer" has just one win in four attempts under the Zuffa banner but fights with such intensity and reckless abandon that no fan would dare complain about his spot among the Octagon elite on the main card of a UFC pay-per-view. Would a devastating loss to "The Count" become the catalyst for a premature retirement? Or does Silva always have a home on a UFC fight card?

Rampage Jackson gets knocked down in Nike commercial 'Human Chain' Posted: 12 Feb 2010 07:20 AM PST How quickly does he get up? (Appears at the 0:38 mark)

Jose 'Can'seco arrives at Gracie Academy with hopes of future Strikeforce fight (Pic) Posted: 12 Feb 2010 07:14 AM PST He must really be serious about fighting Herschel Walker. Hopefully Strikeforce isn't.

Gegard Mousasi severs ties with M-1 Global Posted: 12 Feb 2010 06:45 AM PST One of mixed martial arts most promising talents will no longer answer to the powers that be under the M-1 Global banner, as Gegard Mousasi announced the end of his business relationship with the Vadim Finkelchtein-led fight promotion. From "The Dreamcatcher," courtesy of Sherdog.com: "After careful consideration, I have decided that it is in my best interest to part ways with M-1 Global. During the time I spent under their wing, M-1 Global, as a promoter and management company, allowed me to achieve many great things. I appreciate all they have done for me. My management is [now] being taken care of by someone close to me." Aside from capturing the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship from Renato Sobral in August 2009, Mousasi (28-2-1) is the winner of 15 straight fights and continues to dominate at home and overseas. In fact, the former DREAM champion will return to Japan to compete in the promotion's light heavyweight grand prix in late spring. The Armenian is still under contract with Strikeforce and is expected to compete against "King Mo" Lawal at the upcoming Strikeforce/CBS card in April. But now that he is no longer shackled by the M-1 organization, there is a chance we could see Mousasi in the UFC at somepoint in the near future. And given his intentions to eventually compete at heavyweight, things could get real interesting over the next year or so. Stay tuned.

Chuck Liddell: This year the TUF guys want to be fighters, not TV stars Posted: 12 Feb 2010 06:44 AM PST Props: MMA Fighting Quoteworthy: "We've got some good guys like usual, but this season there are some that I just know are going to be really good. The thing that reminds me of that first season is we've got so many guys who you can see that they've got what it takes. What's so much different is that the first season, we really didn't even know what we were doing. We had those stupid challenge things and we did so many stunts because that's what we thought reality TV was supposed to be about. I think we have some guys like that this year. I know some years you have guys who look like they're just going into it to stir things up and become TV stars but that's not what this year's guys are about. This year the guys want to be fighters. No one is in it thinking, 'I just want to be on TV.'" Former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell talks about the difference in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) after ten seasons of being away from it. "The Iceman" had the dubious honor of coaching the very first season opposite Randy Couture back in 2005 and now five years later finds himself paired up with longtime nemesis Tito Ortiz for TUF 11. Shortly thereafter, Liddell and Ortiz will hook 'em up for a third time. Anyone pumped for the upcoming season of the Spike TV reality show? Or has the series reached its saturation point?

Chael Sonnen sends a shout out to 'brother Yushin' Posted: 12 Feb 2010 05:15 AM PST Chael Sonnen has been hoarding the MMA headlines as of late with his gutsy victory over Nate Marquardt, impending title shot, political ambition, and his verbal missiles against Anderson Silva, Strikeforce, amongst others. Understandably, some of you may be tired of seeing him garner publicity with his mouth. Enough with the brazen remarks and "I tell it like it is" posturing, you say - well, here is a little something different for a change. On MMAPlanet.jp, website run by a renowned MMA writer, Manabu Takashima, that covers American MMA for Japanese fans, Mr. Takashima delivered Sonnen's remark regarding his UFC 104 foe and recent training partner, Yushin Okami. Following UFC 109 post-fight press conference, Sonnen rushed past a horde of inquisitive journalists and reporters to get his Frankenstein-like wound treated; however, when asked about Okami, he slowed down his gait and took time to offer complimentary remarks. If you can jog your memory back several months, Sonnen laid a verbal beatdown on Okami before their UFC 104 bout, calling him "boring and unmarketable." Fast forward several months - note that Okami spent a month training at Team Quest in Portland with him, Matt Lindland, and others - Sonnen expressed newfound respect and friendship for Okami: "I want to say hello to my brother, Yushin through this interview. I am saddened that he returned to Japan - it feels like I parted with a close friend. Though Yushin lost against me, he came forward and asked to train with me: Is this a Japanese thing? It is admirable that he tried to learn from an opponent who defeated him. While at Team Quest in Portland, he thoroughly handled me during training. I was lucky that I managed to defeat him in our fight. I probably won't agree to a rematch with him (laughs). The one fighter whom I never want to fight again - that is Yushin Okami." In his appearance on Pro MMA radio (which airs live on this website on Monday evenings) before his UFC 109 fight against Nate Marquardt, Sonnen talked briefly about fighting and subsequently training with Okami. He stressed that Okami's vaunted physical strength is indeed real. Apparently, Okami's strength repeatedly thwarted his attempt to maintain top control during their fight. Also, he filled the listeners in on another interesting bit of information about Okami. When Okami weighed himself one day after a training session at Team Quest, he tipped the scale at about 200 pounds. Unless he happened to be significantly under his walk-around weight, it makes him an average-sized middleweight - a surprising statistic for a fighter known primarily for his size and strength. Yushin Okami is scheduled to make his Octagon return at UFN 21 in March against Lucio Linhares. Now that the advantage conferred by his strength and physicality is well-established, it will be interesting to see how his training at Team Quest has helped him develop as a fighter: Will he show more versatility or will training with a stable of wrestling-based fighters like Lindland and Sonnen continue to mold him into a fighter dependent on takedown and top control?

You are subscribed to email updates from MMA Mania To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610