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

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• Junior dos Santos confident heading into Gabriel Gonzaga fight at UFC on Versus 1 (Video)
• Chuck Liddell is in 'fight shape' already for Tito Ortiz (Pic)
• Strikeforce tickets for 'Nashville' from the Bridgestone Arena on April 17 on sale soon
• Strikeforce returns to CBS with 'Saturday Night Fights' on April 17 from Nashville
• WEC Quick Quote: Brian Bowles welcomes a Miguel Torres rematch -- and another knockout to go with it
• Cesar Gracie: If you don’t have Jose Canseco -- then who the hell is Herschel Walker going to fight?
• UFC 112 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Invincible' on April 10 in Abu Dhabi
• Dominick Cruz talks WEC 47 title fight against Brian Bowles (Video)
• UFC 111: Rodney Wallace 'doesn't feel like he can be beat' by Jared Hamman
• Report: Josh Barnett signs with DREAM for March 22 return to MMA (Updated)
• UFC Quick Quote: Jon Fitch isn't improving, Josh Koscheck has too many one-sided losses and Mike Swick will never fight for a title

Junior dos Santos confident heading into Gabriel Gonzaga fight at UFC on Versus 1 (Video) Posted: 02 Mar 2010 06:03 PM PST

Chuck Liddell is in 'fight shape' already for Tito Ortiz (Pic) Posted: 02 Mar 2010 06:02 PM PST Chuck Liddell is in 'fight shape' already for Tito Ortiz (Pic)

Strikeforce tickets for 'Nashville' from the Bridgestone Arena on April 17 on sale soon Posted: 02 Mar 2010 02:42 PM PST Tickets for Strikeforce: "Nashville" at the Bridgestone Arena (formerly known as the Sommet Center) in Nashville, Tenn., will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, March 5 at 10:00 a.m. CT. However, "Strikeforce Insiders" e-newsletter subscribers will be afforded a special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity that begins tomorrow (March 3) at 10:00 a.m. CT. Strikeforce Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter with the pre-sale code. The CBS televised event will mark the promotion’s first-ever trip to "Music City" after successfully heading down south to Sunrise, Florida, with Strikeforce: "Miami" on Jan. 30, as part of its Showtime broadcasting deal. Confirmed for "Saturday Night Fights" is a 185-pound title bout featuring current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields taking on former PRIDE champion and UFC import Dan Henderson. Several of the promotion’s other top fighters will be in action on the card as well, including a lightweight title fight pitting Strikeforce 155-pound champion Gilbert Melendez against DREAM division title holder Shinya Aoki. Fast-rising light heavyweight prospect Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal is booked to challenge for the light heavyweight strap when he takes on reigning champion Gegard Mousasi. It’s going to be a great night of fights. If you live in the Nashville area be sure to snag your tickets as quickly as possible. They go fast. For more on Strikeforce: "Nashville" click here.

Strikeforce returns to CBS with 'Saturday Night Fights' on April 17 from Nashville Posted: 02 Mar 2010 02:37 PM PST It's official. After weeks of speculation, CBS and Strikeforce today announced that "Saturday Night Fights" will return to the airwaves with three world title fights from the Bridgestone Arena (formerly known as the Sommet Center) live on April 17 at 9:00 p.m. ET in Nashville, Tennessee. The main event of the evening will feature current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields against former PRIDE champion and UFC import Dan Henderson. From Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker: "We are excited about returning to CBS primetime with a card featuring some of the top mixed martial arts fighters in the world, including three title fights and the Strikeforce debut of MMA legend, Dan Henderson. CBS has shown a tremendous commitment to furthering the sport of MMA on network television and we appreciate the home they have given Strikeforce to deliver world class cards for MMA fans everywhere." Showtime Sports will produce the broadcast with host Gus Johnson calling the action and Strikeforce pillar Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo serving as color analysts. In addition to the main event title fight, the night will also include two additional championship bouts. Surging light heavyweight prospect Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal will try and dethrone current Strikeforce 205-pound champion Gegard Mousasi while DREAM import Shinya Aoki answers the call of Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. From CBS Senior VP Kelly Kahl: "When you have one event with three championship fights and this many top-ranked athletes, it's more than just a great card, it's a big night for MMA. Audiences are going to see a great range of mixed martial arts skills, styles and talent on one broadcast." Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, March 5. For more information regarding the upcoming Strikeforce: "Nashville" event, keep it locked into MMAmania.com in the coming weeks. In the meantime, get up to speed on all the latest Strikeforce news by clicking here.

WEC Quick Quote: Brian Bowles welcomes a Miguel Torres rematch -- and another knockout to go with it Posted: 02 Mar 2010 11:25 AM PST "I knew that I was gonna win that night [against Miguel Torres]. I felt unbeatable going into that fight. I've never felt that good before. I was just totally calm and I was so sure that I was gonna win that I thought something was wrong because I was so confident ... I rocked his world and left him thinking about me night and day. If he wins and I win, he'll get a chance to fight me again... He may think that he's a totally different fighter now, but he's still the same fighter. Things come slow when you make changes a style you've had for so long. Another fight between us would go just like it did last time." WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles is set to defend his crown against Dominick Cruz this Saturday night (March 6) from Columbus, Ohio. But before he throws down with Cruz, Bowles joined Pro MMA Radio to talk about the fight with Cruz, and of course, his stunning upset of former bantamweight kingpin Miguel Angel Torres. And as much as Torres wants to believe that a rematch would yield a different result, Bowles insists that another fight with Miguel would go down the exact same way. Is he right? Is Brian Bowles the better fighter, or did Miguel just get "caught" that night?

Cesar Gracie: If you don’t have Jose Canseco -- then who the hell is Herschel Walker going to fight? Posted: 02 Mar 2010 10:50 AM PST Props: MMAWeekly Quoteworthy: "Jose walked into our gym and said, ’hey, I would love to train with you guys. You own three of the belts in Strikeforce. I believe you’re the best camp out there.’ Why wouldn’t we train the guy? Because he wrote a book about baseball and steroids? He’s just like anybody else walking in off the street ... I’ve read some of this stuff too, and I’ve talked to people and they’re like, ‘it’s a farce,’ and ‘it’s a spectacle,’ as if two people fighting in a cage for money isn’t a spectacle, but whatever. People have got to slow down a little bit. This is entertaining. I mean, if you don’t have Jose Canseco then who the hell is Herschel Walker going to fight? Think about that ... I mean let’s face it, this is a money industry. Let’s not make no qualms about that. There would be no UFC, no Strikeforce, no MMA really if people weren’t paying to watch, and I guarantee you’d have well over a million people watching Canseco fight Herschel Walker. It would bring so many fans to the sport." Cesar Gracie talks about the latest addition to his world famous jiu-jitsu academy and the negative feedback he's received regarding the disgraced baseball star. Jose Canseco has been on a mission to fight Herschel Walker ever since the former NFL great made his successful debut at the Strikeforce "Miami" event back on Jan. 30. Is the steroid stool-pigeon simply looking for a quick hustle to payoff personal expenses? Or is he sincere is his quest to conquer the fight game? Either way, a student is a student according to Gracie. Anyone out there who wants to disagree with that statement?

UFC 112 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Invincible' on April 10 in Abu Dhabi Posted: 02 Mar 2010 10:28 AM PST Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is close to finalizing the upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) fight card for the promotion's first-ever trip to Abu Dhabi when the Octagon makes its outdoor debut at the Concert Arena from Ferrari World, Yas Island, on Saturday, April 10. UFC 112 will feature two world title fights, including middleweight champion Anderson Silva taking on Demian Maia and lightweight kingpin BJ Penn, putting his belt on the line against Frankie Edgar. Legendary welterweights Matt Hughes and Renzo Gracie are also booked to collide on the PPV main card, which kicks off at 10 p.m. ET. Here is the current "Invincible" line up: Main event: 185 lbs.: UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia Main card (Televised): 155 lbs.: UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn vs. Frankie Edgar 170 lbs.: Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie 185 lbs.: Kendall Grove vs. Mark Munoz 155 lbs.: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Terry Etim Under card (May not be broadcast): 170 lbs.: Nick Osipczak vs. Ricky Story 170 lbs.: John Gunderson vs. Paul Taylor 265 lbs.: Mostapha Al Turk vs. Jon Madsen* 155 lbs.: Paul Kelly vs. Matt Veach 205 lbs.: Phil Davis vs. Alexander Gustafsson* *Fight not yet officially confirmed by UFC.com. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 112, 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 much earlier on fight night. We’re still a few weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on "Invincible" in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event. For more on the April 10 event click here.

Dominick Cruz talks WEC 47 title fight against Brian Bowles (Video) Posted: 02 Mar 2010 08:38 AM PST

UFC 111: Rodney Wallace 'doesn't feel like he can be beat' by Jared Hamman Posted: 02 Mar 2010 08:13 AM PST Props: TheTandD.com Quoteworthy: "I love [Hamman's approach]. I love people that go for knockouts in the first round. That’s my favorite type of person to fight, somebody that is confident to come in with their hands. I don’t ever lose confidence when I’m fighting somebody. That is just me. You can beat me five times in a row, and the next time I feel like I am going to get you. There are a bunch of ways to lose. I know that it is possible, but prefight, I don’t feel like I can be beat." Coming off a disappointing Octagon debut at January's Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale, Rodney Wallace (9-1) stays confident heading into his light heavyweight scrap against Jared Hamman (10-2) at UFC 111 on March 27 in Newark, NJ. "Shonuff the Master" was stymied on Dec. 5 by fellow Tar Heel Brian Stann after the "All American" outworked him en route to a unanimous decision win, snapping Wallace's perfect record at nine wins. Can he rebound in "The Garden State" and avoid the dreaded 0-2 hole?

Report: Josh Barnett signs with DREAM for March 22 return to MMA (Updated) Posted: 02 Mar 2010 07:19 AM PST Affliction Grim Reaper and former PRIDE star Josh Barnett is reportedly making his return to mixed martial arts and could debut under the DREAM banner at the Yokohama Arena on March 22, according to MMAWeekly. ***UPDATE: A representative from Barnett's camp has informed MMAmania.com that nothing has been signed at this time and as of 3/2/10 Barnett remains a free agent. Barnett hasn't competed since failing a pre-fight drug screening for anabolic steroids prior to a showdown with Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction: "Trilogy" in summer 2009. The last minute catastrophe 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 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 has decided to head overseas once again to try and make a living. Barnett's quest to appeal the denial of licensure to fight in the state of California (following his bust by the CSAC) is turning into a prolonged ordeal. Last Month, the appeal was delayed for a fourth time and is now scheduled for a April 20 hearing. The sticking point this time turned out to be Barnett's absence at the session. The legal counsel was present and ready to plead his case regarding the testing procedures and chain of custody regarding his positive steroid sample from July 2009; however, the commission ruled it would not proceed without the fighter being present. Barnett has been out of the country, according to his attorney, Michael J. DiMaggio, competing in Antonio Inoki's IGF event in Tokyo at JCB Hall. Now it's likely he won't return home before the April hearing -- if he decides to return at all if in fact he's back on the Japanese assembly line. Keep in locked on MMAmania.com as we'll let you know more on Barnett's future when it's announced.

UFC Quick Quote: Jon Fitch isn't improving, Josh Koscheck has too many one-sided losses and Mike Swick will never fight for a title Posted: 02 Mar 2010 06:10 AM PST "I've beaten everyone the UFC has put in front of me; I've never turned down a fight and I am not about to now. I would have been happy having a couple more fights before getting my shot, but I was offered a spot as a late replacement against Mike Swick in a final eliminator in November, accepted, and beat him up. It's funny Swick is now moaning that I didn't deserve this shot. Swick should have kept his mind off me and on his last opponent, Paulo Thiago, and maybe he wouldn't have been beaten again…. I've won four UFC bouts to get here, not-so-great Nate had three, none of which were against world-beaters. I am very amused Josh Koscheck is still bitching his lungs out that he deserves a title shot, not me. British fans will know Koscheck as the Fraggle-haired guy who got sparked out in one round in London a year ago, only to take his loss out on an innocent chair backstage, scoring a split decision points win over the unsuspecting piece of furniture. If you've forgotten that fight (and if you blinked, you'd have missed it) you'll see something very similar in May when Paul Daley knocks him out. Koscheck says I have beaten nobodies but my latest win was over his supposed friend and teammate in Swick. How loyal. That's why Jon Fitch isn't improving, why Koscheck has so many one-sided losses on his record and why Swick will never fight for a title. They aren't really a team, they don't have each others' best interests at heart and clearly there's a lack of respect in that gym." -- Number one welterweight contender Dan Hardy lashes out at his critics, as well as his 170-pound peers at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), who have expressed doubt that he deserves a crack at reigning division deity, Georges St. Pierre, at UFC 111 on March 27. "The Outlaw" also singles out middleweight Nate Marquardt in his most recent blog post on ThisIsNottingham.co.uk, saying "The Great" isn’t so great after his losing performance against Anderson Silva for the middleweight crown. Is Hardy brimming with (over) confidence or stirring the pot feverishly to sell his upcoming showdown with Canada’s best -- or possibly even the AKA stable for future fights -- or all of the above?

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