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

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• Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture will both adorn the cover of EA Sports MMA video game when it...
• UFC on Versus 2 moved to San Diego from Salt Lake City on Aug. 1
• UFC 115 videos blog with Dana White (Episode 2)
• Dana White: James Toney has signed his contract to fight Randy Couture in Boston
• Strikeforce results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Los Angeles' on June 16
• Lower-than-expected sales of 'UFC Undisputed 2010' prompts THQ to adjust earnings outlook for 2011
• Chuck Liddell retirement? MMA pros weigh in on 'The Iceman's' future (Video)
• UFC 115: Ben Rothwell promises 'Big' improvements after June 12 win over Gilbert Yvel
• 'Rampage' Jackson and 'A-Team' movie lose box office fight to 'The Karate Kid'

Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture will both adorn the cover of EA Sports MMA video game when it... Posted: 14 Jun 2010 07:22 PM PDT Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture will both adorn the cover of EA Sports MMA video game when it launches on October 19 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (Pic). Note: This image is not the cover.

UFC on Versus 2 moved to San Diego from Salt Lake City on Aug. 1 Posted: 14 Jun 2010 05:05 PM PDT UFC on Versus 2, which was supposed to be the first-ever event for the promotion in Utah from EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City on Aug. 1, has been moved to the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, Calif., instead. Poor ticket sales are apparently to blame for the relatively last-minute switch. Here's a snip from company president Dana White: "Our television ratings in Salt Lake City have always been strong. When we finally found the opportunity to bring a UFC event there with a great card, I was very surprised and disappointed in ticket sales. As a result, for the first time in UFC history, I decided to pull the plug and move this August 1st event to the San Diego Sports Arena." Those who purchased tickets for the event in "The Beehive State" will receive a full refund. There's currently no announcement for the tickets sale in San Diego; however, expect one to come real soon with just a few weeks until fight night. UFC on Versus 2 will feature a match up between light heavyweight superstar in the making Jon Jones and Belarusian brawler Vladimir Matyushenko.  Also on tap for the second such event on the cable network are bouts between Mark Munoz and Yushin Okami as well as Takanori Gomi and Joe Stevenson. For more on UFC on Versus 2 stay dialed in to MMAmania.com and remember to check out our event archive for the latest fight card and rumors right here.

UFC 115 videos blog with Dana White (Episode 2) Posted: 14 Jun 2010 11:55 AM PDT

Dana White: James Toney has signed his contract to fight Randy Couture in Boston Posted: 14 Jun 2010 11:39 AM PDT Looks like it's going to be "Lights Out" on August 28 in "Beantown." Past-his-prime pugilist James Toney will finally get the chance to prove that boxing (with takedown defense) trumps mixed martial arts on any given Saturday when he takes on former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Randy Couture at UFC 118 in Boston. UFC President Dana White confirmed the bout agreement was signed by Toney in a UFC 115 video interview with Ariel Helwani -- despite a recent report that his signature had yet to be obtained. Toney has enlisted the help of Juanito Ibarra, perhaps best known as the former trainer of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to help him transition to MMA. Despite his rookie status, the NABO heavyweight boxing champion was able to submit Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion "King Mo" in practice. But don't expect Couture to be as generous in August. No one will ever mistake "The Natural" as a world class striker, but he's as good (or better) than anyone in the game today at identifying an opponent's weakness and exploiting it. Also consider his wrestling background and experience inside the cage and it's hard not to give Toney anything more than a puncher's chance. It's just a question of how long Couture allows Toney to stay upright. UFC 118 is expected to feature a lightweight bout between current 155-pound contenders Kenny "KenFlo" Florian and Gray "The Bully" Maynard as they try to stake their claim to the winner of a possible championship rematch between Frankie "The Answer" Edgar and BJ "The Prodigy" Penn, also booked for the Aug. 28 card. For more on UFC 118 click here.

Strikeforce results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Los Angeles' on June 16 Posted: 14 Jun 2010 09:46 AM PDT Strikeforce recently put the finishing touches on its upcoming mid-week Showtime offering, which is set to go down from the Nokia Theater at L.A. LIVE on Wednesday, June 16, at 11:00 p.m. ET in Los Angeles, California. The Showtime televised event will mark the return of Renato "Babalu" Sobral as he takes on hard-hitting slugger "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler. Several of the promotion’s other top fighters will be in action as well, including a lightweight match-up between KJ Noons and Conor Huen as well as a 205-pound scrap between Tim Kennedy and Trevor Prangley. Here is the current Strikeforce: "Los Angeles" fight card: Main event: 195 lbs.: Robbie Lawler vs. Renato Sobral Main card (Televised): 170 lbs.: Evangelista Santos vs. Marius Zaramoskis 205 lbs.: Tim Kennedy vs. Trevor Prangley 155 lbs.: Conor Heun vs. K.J. Noons Under card (May not be broadcast): 160 lbs.: R.J. Clifford vs. Jeremy Umphries 135 lbs.: Marcus Kowal vs. Hugo Sandoval MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of "Los Angeles," beginning with the Showtime telecast at 11 p.m. ET on June 16. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action as it starts to flow around 10:00 p.m. ET. It’s going to be a fun night of fights so don’t miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight "L.A. LIVE" coverage you can handle.

Lower-than-expected sales of 'UFC Undisputed 2010' prompts THQ to adjust earnings outlook for 2011 Posted: 14 Jun 2010 08:48 AM PDT Sophomore slump? Perhaps there is some dispute after all to the earnings potential of "UFC Undisputed 2010," the second installment in THQ's video game series based on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world's largest mixed martial arts promotion. The combat-inspired video game, a sequel to their wildly successful "UFC Undisputed" release in 2009, hit store shelves on May 25 to much hype and industry fanfare. And while sales have been strong, they haven't been able to meet the lofty expectations that THQ set heading into the fiscal year. From THQ President and CEO Brian Farrell (via The Wall Street Journal): "UFC Undisputed 2010 is a high quality game, with a Metacritic score of 85, based on the tremendous UFC brand. Preorders were up 50% over last year and we saw strong retail and consumer demand for the title coming into launch, resulting in shipments of 2.6 million units to date. Unfortunately, total sell through to date has been below our expectations and prior-year results. We will continue to drive demand through a strong marketing campaign and by working with our partners at the UFC, including the upcoming July 4th UFC 116 event featuring our cover athlete, Brock Lesnar." Despite positive reviews, it's possible that some fans who already purchased the 2009 version were holding off on a 2010 upgrade until some of the user feedback started popping up Online. Or maybe some video game enthusiasts are saving their fifty-bucks for the Strikeforce-based EA Sports "MMA Live" due out later this year. Any Maniacs out there who did (or didn't) purchase the game have some insight into the sales performance? Let's hear your take!

Chuck Liddell retirement? MMA pros weigh in on 'The Iceman's' future (Video) Posted: 14 Jun 2010 07:36 AM PDT

UFC 115: Ben Rothwell promises 'Big' improvements after June 12 win over Gilbert Yvel Posted: 14 Jun 2010 06:31 AM PDT "For me the fight [against Gilbert Yvel] is bittersweet. In one aspect, I got my first 'W' in the UFC and it was the kind of fight that I really had to dig deep. I had a feeling that Gilbert was going to train hard for this fight, he was extremely tough and took a lot of elbows. It's not a victory for me in a sense. I got some lumps on my head and the hardest part for me is I got the feeling that maybe Dana and the fans weren't so happy with the fight. I didn't finish the fight and that to me is unacceptable. I go out to finish my fights and I had to fight smart because he's a dangerous guy. This is the kind of fight that I made a vow that I will go home and continue my training immediately and the next time I'm back you're going to see an improved Ben." UFC heavyweight sophomore Ben Rothwell talks to reporters during the UFC 115 post-fight press conference regarding his unanimous decision win over Gilbert Yvel last Saturday night (June 12) in Vancouver. "Big" Ben had a difficult time sealing the deal against the never-say-die Dutchman and survived a "Hurricane" in the second round to go home a winner. Still, his performance left the crowd a bit restless and wants to make sure Dana and the fans know he's coming back stronger than ever. With a Croatian victory on the same night, will we finally see Rothwell throw hands with "Cro Cop?"

'Rampage' Jackson and 'A-Team' movie lose box office fight to 'The Karate Kid' Posted: 14 Jun 2010 06:00 AM PDT Who would win a fight between Jackie Chan and Quinton Jackson? Well, as far as moviegoers are concerned, the former Supercop and Drunken Master is still the top fighter when it comes to box office success. "Rampage" had a plan that came together -- though probably not as well as he and the rest of the A-Team cast would have liked, as the soldiers gave up a fortune to Chan (as Mr. Miyagi) and his pint-sized co-star Jaden Smith in "The Karate Kid" remake. A-Team opened to a disappointing $26 million over the weekend and has a long way to go before recouping its reported $110 million budget. Not exorbitant by Tinsel Town's standards but more than double The Karate Kid's modest $40 million price tag. See how The A-Team stacks up against the rest of the box office releases after the jump. 1. The Karate Kid: $56,000,000 (Debut) 2. The A-Team: $26,000,000 (Debut) 3. Shrek Forever: $15,800,000 (Week 4) 4. Get Him to the Greek: $10,078,000 (Week 2) 5. Killers: $8,170,000 (Week 2) 6: Prince of Persia: $6,582,000 (Week 3) 7. Marmaduke: $6,000,000 (Week 2) 8. Sex and the City 2: $5,525,000 (Week 3) 9. Iron Man 2: $4,550,000 (Week 6) 10. Splice: $2,860,000 (Week 2) Should "A-Team" be considered a bust? Or will it have legs over the summer and make its money overseas? And what does this do to the Hollywood dreams of "Rampage" Jackson?

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