Tuesday, June 8, 2010

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

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

UFC 114 nabs $3,730,125 at the gate with 13,294 tickets sold on May 29

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 03:51 PM PDT

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The UFC 114 pay-per-view took in a gate of $3,730,125 on May 29 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to official figures from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) released today.

The final attendance of 14,246 was a result of 13,294 tickets sold and 952 comped tickets.

A mere 14 tickets remained unsold.

The UFC dished out $1.371 million in fighter salaries for the live event and another $260,000 in additional bonus money for the four participants who delivered outstanding performances.

"Rampage vs. Evans" featured a close but still clear-cut unanimous decision win for "Sugar" Rashad Evans, who overcame the power of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson with an effective combination of wrestling and defense.

205-pound stalwart Antonio Rogerio Nogueira inched his way closer to a future title shot with a controversial split decision win over the ultra tough Jason Brilz.

For complete UFC 114 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here.

"Captain Morgan" and the "Morganettes" joined UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre on the...

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 03:51 PM PDT

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"Captain Morgan" and the "Morganettes" joined UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre on the red carpet before the 2010 Spike Guys Choice Awards on Saturday June 5 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Via Sherdog.com).

UFC 116: Gerald Harris vs Dave Branch booked for July 3 in Las Vegas

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 01:56 PM PDT

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The resurgent Gerald Harris (15-2) is back (again) and will try to keep his momentum going when he welcomes Octagon newcomer Dave Branch (6-0) to the promotion at UFC 116: "Lesnar vs Carwin" on July 3 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

MMAWeekly confirmed the match-up last Sunday.

Harris was bounced from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 reality show by eventual winner Amir Sadollah. Since then, "The Hurricane" has enjoyed a torrid nine-fight winning streak, including back-to-back technical knockout wins over John Salter and Mario Miranda in consecutive "Fight Night" appearances.

No doubt the Tulsa native is making the promotion second-guess their decision not to include him in the 2008 TUF Finale, but Harris perhaps owes his maturity as a fighter to the time spent on the regional circuit.

That experience could prove to be trouble for Branch -- though the Brooklyn native has some big stage experience of his own under the Bellator banner.

In two appearances for the upstart promotion, Branch scored submission wins (rear naked choke) over Dennis Olson and Derrick Mehmen. None of his six fights have gone the distance and he's a well balanced finisher at three subs and three (T)KO's.

A win over Harris would certainly leave a lasting impression in his UFC debut.

UFC 116 will feature a titanic heavyweight showdown between division champion Brock Lesnar and interim titlist Shane Carwin. It marks the return of the promotion's biggest box office draw, Lesnar, who will return from a career-threatening intestinal problem to once again establish himself as the undisputed man among men.

"Lesnar vs. Carwin" will also feature a middleweight showdown between Wanderlei Silva and Yoshihiro Akiyama, as well as a highly-anticipated rematch between Stephan Bonnar and Krzysztof Soszynski.

For the latest UFC 116 news and notes click here.

Strikeforce video preview for 'Fedor vs Werdum' on June 26 in San Jose

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 10:49 AM PDT

Gary Shaw: 'The UFC made a huge mistake by cutting Kimbo Slice'

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 10:49 AM PDT

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Props: Fight Hub

Quoteworthy:

"I think the UFC made a huge mistake. Once again Dana's ego has gotten in the way. I think Kimbo Slice could be a draw wherever he goes around the world. I think they matched him up wrong. I would have put him in against just stand-up fighters. I would have built to a pay-per-view with James Toney. My way of doing business is obviously different than Dana's and the UFC. I don't knock them -- they got a great product and make a ton of money so God bless them, but I sure wouldn't have promoted Kimbo Slice like they did and I hope Kimbo comes around and gets in a boxing ring with me."

Former Elite XC boss and the man who made Kimbo Slice a heavyweight attraction, Gary Shaw, doesn't agree with the UFC's decision to cut the backyard brawler after his UFC 113 loss to Matt Mitrione earlier this year. Kimbo was bounced out of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 by tournament winner Roy Nelson and despite a decision win over the fleet-footed Houston Alexander, the UFC perhaps felt his age and inability to make significant progress made it clear that he was not suited for MMA's big leagues. Shaw points to a failure of match-making and not skill while holding out hope that Slice will return to his stable as a boxer. Can the duo make another run (or another paycheck) in the sweet science? Or has the ship already sailed on their respective careers?

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12: 'St. Pierre vs Koscheck' now filming for Sept. 15

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 10:25 AM PDT

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And so it begins.

Filming is now underway for the twelfth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" (TUF), the Spike TV reality series that welcomes a group of aspiring fighters to the UFC by way of exhibition-style elimination fights that are a conduit to a live Finale and of course, a "six-figure" contract.

Who among this season's 28 lightweight contestants will make it to the promised land? Well, that could depend on the tutelage from newly-appointed coaches, reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and nemesis Josh Koscheck.

Joining "Rush," who hasn't seen the TUF camera's since his season four cameo, will be assistant coaches Firas Zahabi (MMA), Phil Nurse (Muay Thai), Jean-Charles Skarbowsky (Muay Thai), John Danaher (BJJ) and Shawn Williams (BJJ).

Countering that all-star line-up will be Team "Kos," staffed by Bob Cook (MMA), Daniel Cormier (Wrestling), Javier Mendez (Kickboxing), Dave Camarillo (BJJ) and Teddy Lucio (Boxing).

Koscheck of course made a name for himself in the inaugural season, where he lost to Diego Sanchez (as a middleweight) by split decision in the show's semifinals. He returns as coach after defeating Paul "Semtex" Daley at UFC 113 to cement his status as welterweight number one contender.

TUF 12 will film for six weeks and air this fall (Sept. 15) immediately following UFC Ultimate Fight Night 22 at 10 p.m. ET on Spike TV. St. Pierre and Koscheck will battle it out for GSP's 170-pound gold following the live Finale at an event to be named.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more TUF 12 news as it develops.

Cro Canada: Mirko Filipovic arrives for UFC 115; will 'play dead' against Pat Barry on June 12

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 09:56 AM PDT

UFC 115: Rich Franklin doesn't know what to expect from Chuck Liddell on June 12

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 09:38 AM PDT

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Props: Sports Radio Interviews

Quoteworthy:

"I like Chuck. He’s a good guy. I doubt he’s going to, just based on his Dancing With the Stars performance, just mesmerize me with some of his moves. The thing is, in this sport, it’s kinda crazy because you’re expected to take three or four fights a year in mixed martial arts, but when you look at the top level boxers, often times boxers have anywhere from six to twelve months between fights. It’s a normal thing for that to happen. For myself particularly, I’ve had nine months since my last fight and if I was a top-level professional boxer, it wouldn’t be so abnormal but in this sport people are like, whoa what do you think about ring rust. In Chuck’s case, he’s had 14 months off. I don’t know if that’s going to be a factor or anything like that but he looked to be in the best shape I’ve ever seen him in when I saw him recently. I heard he hired a new wrestling coach so as far as getting a gauge on this fight, I’m not really sure what his game plan will be coming in. I don’t know if were gonna see the same Chuck we normally see or if he’s gonna try to switch things up and look to take me down or what his game plan will be."

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin admits he doesn't know what he's in for when he throws hands with former Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 in Vancouver. "Ace" wasn't impressed by "The Iceman's" robotic dancing on ABC, but was impressed by his physical preparations for their upcoming fight. Both strikers have a lot riding on the June 12 main event, but will Chuck look to surprise his foe with a more versatile attack? Or will these guys just stand and bang until somebody's chin gives way?

Spike TV presents UFC 113 'Machida vs Shogun 2' to counter program Strikeforce 'Fedor vs Werdum' on June 26

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 08:52 AM PDT

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Spike TV is once again hosting a special encore presentation of a recent UFC pay-per-view (PPV) when the cable network goes head-to-head with Showtime on Saturday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET.

Featuring a light heavyweight rematch between two of the world's top 205-pound athletes, UFC 113: "Machida vs. Shogun II" will counter program the upcoming Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Werdum" event set for the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

In addition to "The Last Emperor," Strikeforce will feature Women's Champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos against Jan "Cuddles" Finney as well as a rematch between former middleweight champion Cung Le and Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith.

Is that enough to outdraw a couple of Brazilians, Kimbo Slice and a Canadian piledriver?

The UFC seems to think so. Here is a list of the featured bouts for Saturday's Spike TV presentation:

205 lbs.: Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua
265 lbs.: Kimbo Slice vs. Matt Mitrione
155 lbs.: Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens
185 lbs.: Joe Doerksen vs. Tom Lawlor
170 lbs.: Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet
185 lbs.: Patrick Cote vs. Alan Belcher

This latest counter-programming effort should come as no surprise.

The UFC and Spike aired a special presentation of  "Ultimate Fights" to run opposite the Strikeforce "Heavy Artillery" event from St. Louis back on May 15.

Of course most fans who want to see both cards will DVR one broadcast and watch the preferred one live -- or simply flip-flop back and forth between the bouts that don't hold their interest.

Which one of those descriptions best fits you? Let's hear it Maniacs, what are your plans for June 16?

Sound off!

Bellator 21: Megumi Fujii vs Sarah Schneider set for June 10 in Hollywood

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 08:27 AM PDT

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CHICAGO, Ill. (June 7, 2010) - Japanese MMA sensation Megumi Fujii, widely regarded as the No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world, will make her U.S. television debut on Thursday night on FOX Sports Net as part of the LIVE broadcast of Bellator 21 from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

The judo and jiu-jitsu black belt will take on 9-3 Kansas City product Sarah Schneider in the hopes of improving her unblemished pro MMA record to 20-0 and notching her 17th career submission win during what will be her first major-promotion fight on U.S. soil.

Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.com and at the Hard Rock Live box office.

The 36-year-old Fujii is also one of four confirmed participants in Bellator's forthcoming Season 3 Women's Tournament along with 11-1 British tae-kwon-do black belt Rosi Sexton (the world's No. 1-ranked 125 lbs. female fighter), 12-5 Seattle submission artist Lisa Ward and 7-0 Southern California striker Jessica Pene. The tournament kicks off in August.

"With our Season 3 Women's Tournament now just three months away, this fight between Megumi Fujii and Sarah Schneider on Thursday gives U.S. MMA fans their first opportunity to see the woman many believe is the best female fighter in the world," Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said. "This fight will be a tough test as she prepares for an extremely strong tournament field. As a fan, I can't wait to watch on Thursday and in August."

Fujii was trained in MMA by Shooto veteran Hiroyuki Abe and top heavyweight Josh Barnett and is known for her quick takedowns and skilled submissions. Remarkably, only three of her 19 victories have come by decision with the rest coming via a wide variety of submissions - most frequently the inazuma toe hold, which has been dubbed the "Megulock."

Fuji said through her translator that she is ecstatic to be fighting under the Bellator banner.

"Bellator is a great organization and they have some excellent competition," she said. "I'm looking to stick to my game plan, get submissions and win the tournament. That's my only goal."

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator. Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com.

Strikeforce 'Special Edition' video preview for 'Los Angeles' on June 16

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 07:47 AM PDT

Original A-Team cast 'howling mad' over June 11 movie remake

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 07:40 AM PDT

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Apparently some of the original cast members of the A-Team television show didn't like the plan that came together for the big-budget Hollywood movie.

Dirk Benedict, who played Templeton Peck on the 1980's TV show, did an about "Face" after his cameo appearance in the upcoming remake, which according to him did nothing to honor his memory.

From The Sunday Express:

"If you blink, you’ll miss me. I kind of regret doing it because it’s a non-part. They wanted to be able to say ‘Oh yeah, the original cast are in it’ but we’re not. I’m on for a mere three seconds and I find that kind of insulting."

Dwight "Murdoch" Shultz also had a bit part , but refused to comment on his appearance or the movie -- probably because Lawrence "Mr. T" Tero had enough to say for both of them.

"People die in the film and there’s plenty of sex but when we did it no one got hurt and it was all played for fun and family entertainment. These seem to be elements nobody is interested in any more. It was too graphic for me. I’ve no doubt it will do big business at the box office but it’s nothing like the show we turned out every week. We ran on TV for five years without having to sex-up the show. You can’t get away with that these days."

Mixed martial arts star Quinton "Rampage" Jackson took over for Mr. T in the role of B.A. Baracus and recently returned to the Octagon after more than a year out of action. "Rampage" dropped a unanimous decision to bitter rival Rashad Evans at UFC 114 upon his return.

A-Team opens June 11.

UFC Undisputed 2010 forums indicates gameplay patch coming soon; expected to address the lion's...

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 06:43 AM PDT

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UFC Undisputed 2010 forums indicates gameplay patch coming soon; expected to address the lion's share of recent bugs including Super CAF's, automatic takedowns and Online rankings.

UFC 115: Beating Ben Rothwell moves Gilbert Yvel one step closer to vengeance

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 06:32 AM PDT

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Props: Las Vegas Sun

Quoteworthy:

"Losing is always very bad. Walking out of the cage or ring not a winner, it’s just like, I failed. It’s the worst thing ever. And OK, you can lose, but to be done so quick without even putting up a good fight — it was just terrible. I started with two sparring partners. One got knocked out in our first session and the other I did three rounds and he didn’t show up anymore. Everybody was doing the Christmas thing. But we wanted to get in the UFC and this was our chance. I knew the conditions weren’t right but I said I didn’t care. I will fight prepared or not prepared. Sometimes you have to work with the things you’ve got. I sincerely hope Dos Santos will become the champ so I can beat him. It would be great to avenge myself and take the belt from him when he’s at his high point."

Dutch "Hurricane" Gilbert Yvel is hoping to leave MMA fans with a different memory this Saturday night after being stopped with a crushing left hook courtesy of Junior dos Santos at UFC 108 in his promotion debut earlier this year. Before succumbing to the explosive hands of "Cigano," Yvel had won eight of his prior nine bouts, with his last win coming against Pedro Rizzo last summer. He could conceivably get right back into the thick of things if he's able to finish Ben Rothwell in Vancouver -- but he also might be updating his resume if "Big" Ben prevails. Who ya' got?

UFC 117: Stefan Struve vs Christian Morecraft inked for Aug. 7 in Oakland

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 06:10 AM PDT

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A battle of promising up-and-coming heavyweights has been slotted for the preliminary card of UFC 117 as Stefan Struve (19-4) will welcome newcomer Christian Morecraft (6-0) to the Octagon when the promotion heads to the Oracle Arena for "Silva vs. Sonnen" on August 7.

MMA Fight Council first reported the titanic tilt on Sunday night.

After getting battered by Junior dos Santos in his UFC debut in early 2009, "Skyscraper" finished out the year with three big wins over Denis Stojnic, Chase Gormley and Paul Buentello. There was talk about his place among the division contenders until Roy "Big Country" Nelson sent him to the back of the line with a thunderous overhand right.

Still, the lanky Dutchman is early in his career and already has a couple of high profile fights under his belt. While he prefers to stand and bang, he also owns a sneaky submission game, finishing 14 of his 19 wins by way of tap out.

Hoping to make a name for himself right out of the gate is Morecraft, who can certainly make an indelible impression by finishing Struve. The New England nightmare has been wreaking havoc in regional promotions, including his heavyweight championship run in Cage Fghting Xtreme (CFX).

The 23-year-old is also an imposing physical presence, listed at 6' 8" and 265-pounds. Struve for once will not have a significant size advantage. But will he need it with Morecraft, who's only 6-0?

Time will tell.

UFC 117 will feature the put-up-or-shut-up middleweight title fight between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva in the main event of the evening. A welterweight rematch between top contenders Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves is also expected to go down.

For the current "Silva vs. Sonnen" fight card click here.
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