Tuesday, July 20, 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

Matt Hughes vs Ricardo Almeida UFC 117 video breakdown with Joe Rogan

Posted: 20 Jul 2010 03:34 AM PDT

UFC 119 poster for 'Mir vs Nogueira 2' on Sept. 25 in Indianapolis

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 06:24 PM PDT

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To check out the latest UFC 119: "Mir vs. Nogueira 2" fight card and rumors click here.

Now Playing: Pro MMA Radio featuring UFC stars Clay Guida and Mark Munoz

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 06:00 PM PDT

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Pro MMA Radio live feed featuring Clay "The Carpenter" Guida (UFC 117) and Mark "The Philippine Wrecking Machine" Munoz (UFC on Versus 2) now playing after the jump.

Pro MMA Radio will begin playing automatically. Press (||) to turn it off.

UFC 119 tickets for 'Mir vs Nogueira 2' at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN, on sale soon

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 02:05 PM PDT

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Tickets for UFC 119: "Mir vs. Nogueira 2," which is slated for the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indinapolis, Indiana on Sept. 25, will go on sale to the general public on Friday, July 24, at 10 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 119 will feature a heavyweight rematch between Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the main event of the evening. Joining his brother in "The Circle City" will be Antonio Rogerio Nogueira trying to stop the light heavyweight ascension of Ryan Bader in the co-featured fight of the night.

Another exciting showdown (and rematch) between Chris Lytle and Matt Serra has also been made official.

Here is the UFC 119 tickets sales schedule (all times ET):

  • UFC Fight Club presale: Wednesday, July 22 at 10 a.m.
  • UFC Newsletter presale: Thursday, July 23 at 10 a.m.
  • General tickets sale: Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m.

UFC 119 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch on on pay-per-view (PPV) at 10 p.m. ET on fight night.

For more on "Mir vs. Nogueira 2" stay dialed in to MMAmania.com. To check out the latest UFC 119 news and notes click here.

Whoops! Dana White accidentally revealed his phone number while responding on Twitter. And yes, he...

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 01:56 PM PDT

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Whoops! Dana White accidentally revealed his phone number while responding on Twitter. And yes, he was bombarded by fanboys and pranksters.

If you had the chance to speak to the UFC president, what would you ask/tell him?

Bellator 24: Eddie Sanchez vs Neil Grove booked for Aug. 12 in Hollywood

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 01:11 PM PDT

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CHICAGO, Ill. (July 19, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships' much-anticipated Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament will kick off on Thursday, Aug. 12th with an intriguing opening-round fight between heavy-handed UFC veteran Eddie Sanchez and massive British knockout artist Neil "Goliath" Grove at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood , Fla.

Sanchez and Grove join a stacked Bellator 24 card that also features:

- A special non-title "Super Fight" between reigning Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard (26-2-1) and former NFL standout Herbert "Whisper" Goodman (15-8);

- An opening-round fight in Bellator's Women's World Championship Tournament featuring the world's No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter, Megumi Fujii, and veteran submission grappler Angela Magana, the world's No. 8-ranked female fighter at 115 lbs.;

- Another opening-round Women's Tournament fight between the world's No. 6-ranked 125-pounder, Lynn "Lights Out" Alvarez, and Jessica Aguilar, the world's No.7-ranked 115-pounder.

Tickets for the event - which will also be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net - are on sale now at ticketmaster.com.

The Sanchez-Grove fight is one of four opening-round fights in the Heavyweight Tournament that will take place during Bellator's first four Season 3 events in South Florida, Chicago , Kansas City and San Antonio . Also competing in the tournament are undefeated European finisher Damian "The Polish Pitbull" Grabowski, Seattle-area knockout artist Mike "300" Hayes, Spanish submission ace Rogent Lloret, Georgia-based ground-and-pound specialist Scott Barrett and two yet-to-be named fighters.

Sanchez (12-3) has finished eight of his fights via KO or TKO. The San Diego native is now in the midst of a four-fight win streak that includes a devastating 10-second KO of Jay White during Bellator 7 in 2009 and a miraculous come-from-behind TKO victory over Marcus Sursa at Bellator 20 in San Antonio on May 27th.

Grove (8-2-1) has notched all eight of his wins via KO or TKO. The South African-born former semipro rugby player earned widespread recognition with a highlight-reel 10-second KO of former EliteXC, Pride and Sengoku headliner James Thompson and followed that up with an impressive TKO of UFC veteran James McSweeney.

"Both Eddie and Neil are known for their finishes so this should be an exciting fight," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "In addition, fans watching Bellator 24 at the Hard Rock and on our national TV broadcasts will also get a chance to see some outstanding fights featuring stars like Hector Lombard and Megumi Fujii. It's going to be a great night in South Florida on August 12th."

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

Jake Shields officially signs with Zuffa, set to face Martin Kampmann at UFC 121 in Anaheim

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 12:20 PM PDT

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A couple days ago it was a rumor. Today it is a fact.

Jake Shields (25-4-1) confirmed his inevitable signing with the UFC via Twitter, as well as his first opponent with the promotion, Martin Kampmann.

The former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion has come to terms with the UFC after getting his release from his contract with the San Jose-based mixed martial arts promotion he's called home since the collapse of Elite XC nearly two years ago.

During his recent negotiations, Shields flirted with the UFC and spoke publicly about his desire to fight Octagon champions Georges St. Pierre (welterweight) and Anderson Silva (middleweight).

He also served as assistant coach to Chuck Liddell on Season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).

While he competed in the 185-pound class in Strikeforce, Shields is a natural 170-pound competitor and has the flexibility to move between weight classes depending on what opportunities present themselves.

For now, he'll concentrate on his longtime goal of facing St. Pierre should "Rush" defeat Josh Koscheck (again) later this year with his first step in that direction coming in the form of a top-flight welterweight scrap with Martin Kampmann.

 

Kampmann has done some recent damage himself, welcoming another high profile welterweight to the Octagon when former WEC stud Carlos Condit debuted at UFC Fight Night 19 back in April 2009.

"The Hitman" emptied his clip into Jacob Volkmann when "Christmas" rang in the New Year for the injured Rory Markham at the UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva" event earlier this year.

It was a much needed win for the Dane, who saw his title aspirations evaporate at the hands of Paul "Semtex" Daley back at UFC 103: "Franklin vs. Belfort" in September 2009.

In addition to the win over "Natural Born Killer," Kampmann is 13-2 since 2004 and like Shields, has also done time as a middleweight.

He is of course coming off a dominant win over the man that many pegged as a future welterweight title challenger, Paulo Thiago, at UFC 115 last month. A win over the surging Shields would likely vault Martin back to the top of the 170-pound division.

Shields vs. Kampmann at UFC 121: Who ya' got?

Marshall Zelaznik: 'The UFC could eventually hold two events on the same weekend'

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 11:55 AM PDT

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Props: MMA Fighting

Quoteworthy:

"I think this market [the U.K.] could take four to six events a year. The realities of the business make that difficult, but we're starting to put together a business model that would allow us to bring more events to the U.K. and parts of Europe. I think there's certainly an appetite for it... If we had our way, we'd have an event a weekend. I think we could eventually be at that place where there are two events on a weekend."

UFC U.K. President Marshall Zelaznik makes the case that the market for MMA across the pond is so large that the UFC could be inclined to hold as many as six events in the United Kingdom a year. While the love is likely to be spread around in such a fashion that no market will ever see a half dozen events in a single year, Zelaznik, in agreement with Dana White, believes that there will be a day when the UFC is holding two events on the same weekend. Say for instance, a pay-per-view event from Las Vegas on Saturday and a free card on Spike TV from London on Sunday. Bonkers, right? Anybody think this ambitious plan will eventually come to fruition? Or, is the UFC better off staying away from this idea in fear of diluting the product? Sound off, Maniacs.

UFC 116 PPV buys trending toward 1.3 million

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 10:16 AM PDT

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So, apparently this Brock Lesnar character is pretty popular. Say what you want about the guy, but at this point, two items are inarguable: He can fight, and people love to watch him fight.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer (via Bloody Elbow) reports on UFC 116's pay-per-view buy rate:

The latest numbers for UFC 116 seem to be reporting higher. As we figured, there appear to have been a ton of replay order buys based on all the talk about the show, including all the mainstream news show coverage after the event. Various cable estimates have ranged from 1 million to 1.28 million, and as noted, internally it is being said it's the third biggest in history, which would be a lot closer to the former number than the latter number.

At the very least Brock Lesnar generated 1 million PPV buys almost entirely buy himself. His opponent on the night of July 3, Shane Carwin, did little to no promoting of this fight, purposely mind you. And the rest of the card, while it surely delivered in every way, was filled with names not known to casual fans. 

With Brock set to defend his title against undefeated challenger Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 on October 23 in Anaheim, California, rest assured that the UFC will hit the 1 million PPV buy mark at least one more time this year. Going forward, it appears as though Lesnar is good for no less than that.

UFC 117: Junior dos Santos has a 'surprise' for Roy Nelson

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 09:13 AM PDT

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Props: ValeTudo.ru

Quoteworthy:

"I’ve been studying Roy Nelson and he’s a very dangerous guy, he likes to trade punches, and tries hard not to get stuck on the ground game. But he’s a dangerous guy, is coming from great wins, so we have to be careful, because he might not have the ideal physique, but he’s indeed a dangerous opponent. We kept our usual training plan and I always try to see my forthcoming fight as the most important one. To reach the top, you have to win your fights and take that seriously, so that’s why I’m training hard, so I can surprise him ... Nowadays I have one big difference, which is a larger experience. And I can tell you I’m feeling a lot more confident on my fights and developing my game. When you get confident, you can develop what you know better. I feel it that way and I believe it’s a growing moment in my career, and if it’s God’s wish, I’ll keep growing just the same as I’m doing now: with great knockouts, great fights and great wins."

Heavyweight (and heavy-handed) Brazilian wrecking ball Junior dos Santos is one fight away from competing for the division title as he charges into UFC 117: "Silva vs. Sonnen" on Aug. 7 in Oakland. Hoping to play spoiler will be Roy Nelson, who has title aspirations of his own after capturing the TUF 10 crown and then knocking out Stefan Struve. Can "Big Country" complete his unlikely ascension to the top of the heavyweight ladder? Or will "Cigano" send him tumbling back down the mountain with his sixth straight finish?

Strikeforce Challengers 9 weigh ins set for July 22 in Everett

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 09:13 AM PDT

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The official weigh-in event for Strikeforce Challengers 9: "Del Rosario vs. Mahe" will take place this Thursday (July 22) live from "The Ice Box" at Comcast Arena in Everett, WA.

The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 7 p.m. PT.

As usual, MMAmania.com will feature live coverage of the Strikeforce Challengers weigh ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.

Undefeated heavyweight prospect Shane Del Rosario (9-0) will attempt to extend his unblemished streak when he faces fellow heavy hitter Lolohea Mahe (4-1-1) in the main event live via the Showtime network at 11 p.m. ET this Friday night (July 23) from the Comcast Arena.

Unbeaten Women's World Welterweight Champion Sarah Kaufman (11-0) will also be in action against fellow female notable and international veteran Roxanne Modafferi (15-5).

Bonney Lake's Cory Devela (9-4) will return to the cage for the first time in over a year to face welterweight Bobby Voelker (21-8) while light heavyweight "Abongo" Humphrey (7-1) battles Mike "Mak" Kyle (16-7-1).

U.S. Army war veteran and Matt Hume protégé Caros Fodor (2-0) and Cung Le pupil Thomas Diagne (1-1) will get the telecast started in a lightweight contest of promising up-and-comers.

Tickets for the Challengers 9 event are on sale and can be purchased at the Comcast Arena box office (866-332-8499) as well as online at ComcastArenaEverett.com and the official Strikeforce website (www.strikeforce.com ).

UFC Quick Quote: Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson could return as a middleweight by November 2010

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 08:26 AM PDT

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"Anthony Johnson at one point weighed the same as Ricco Rodriguez, which is kind of scary. He weighed the same as Ricco Rodriguez, except he had abs. He had a knee injury. He had surgery, took some time off to let it heal, it was giving him some problems, but now he's in rehab and doing rehab for his knee. We had a UFC offer in September that we weren't able to pursue. We're entertaining the possibility of taking a fight at 185, which is something we might have done anyway even if he didn't have the knee injury because that cut is just so tough for him. We were offered a fight at 185, a fight that we liked and before he accepted it, he said even if I do take a fight at 185, September might be pushing it. I want to get some time in the gym first. We're looking at late October, early November for him, and we're not sure if the first fight back is going to be at 70 and we're going to kill ourselves, or at 85 and just kind of kill ourselves."

Ken Pavia, agent for UFC welterweight Anthony Johnson, tells MMA Weekly that "Rumble" is working his way back from knee surgery and could return to the Octagon by November 2010. But at what weight class? It sounds like Johnson, who's had problems making the cut to welterweight due to his massive frame, is considering a move up to a more natural weight of 185-pounds. Could this devastating striker make a run in the UFC's crowded middleweight division? If so, who gets to play welcoming committee? Fantasy matchmakers, let's hear from you.

And check out a husky "Rumble" from his June 2010 appearance on "Inside MMA" after the jump.

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UFC lightweight Kurt Pellegrino will need surgery to repair a torn ACL and likely be out of action...

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 08:25 AM PDT

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UFC lightweight Kurt Pellegrino will need surgery to repair a torn ACL and likely be out of action until early 2011.

Tickets for Bellator 26 on Aug. 26 from the Kansas City Power & Light District on sale now

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 07:50 AM PDT

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (July 19, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships will bring its thrilling, nationally televised brand of mixed martial arts to the Kansas City Power & Light District for the third time this year during Bellator 26 on Thursday, Aug. 26th.

Tickets for the event are on sale NOW at ticketmaster.com and at The Midland by AMC box office in downtown Kansas City . General admission tickets start at just $20 in advance/$30 at the door. Ringside and Terrace tickets are also available for $100 and $50 respectively.

Bellator 26 will be headlined by opening-round fights in each of Bellator's three Season 3 tournaments - Heavyweight, Bantamweight and the Women's World Championship - as well as five other fights featuring top local fighters from the Kansas City area. Fighters will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Power & Light District is a state-of-the-art, open-air, mixed-use entertainment venue in the heart of downtown Kansas City , owned and managed by The Cordish Company. Bellator has previously played to capacity crowds at the venue on April 29th and June 17th.

"We're extremely excited to be coming back to Kansas City for another event at the Power & Light District," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "Our first two trips to K.C. this spring were two of the best events we've ever put on. We can't wait to return on August 26th with three opening-round tournament fights

For more information, visit Bellator.com or powerandlightdistrict.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

Who does Rich Franklin want to fight next? Don't ask him -- he doesn't care

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 06:50 AM PDT

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Props: MMA Torch

Quoteworthy:

"People ask me 'well who do you want to fight next?' I couldn't care less, this is a business to me; I'm making my way to the 205 lb. title at this point in time so as long as it's somebody that puts me in a direct line for that then I'm good to go, otherwise I don't want to waste my time. I've heard the fans talk about Forrest [Griffin] and I, I've heard the fans talk about Tito [Ortiz] and I. I know there's some fan interest out there for some particular fights, and I know that Dana is particularly interested in building fights that fans want to see, so if those guys are healthy at the time that I'm ready to return and that's a fight he wants to put on then yeah, I'm not going to say no to something like that."

Former middleweight champion Rich Franklin is hoping to throw his name into the hat of possible 205-pound title contenders after his first round knockout of former division champion Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell at UFC 115 last month in Vancouver. "Ace" is content to fight whoever the promotion puts in front of him so long as it doesn't interfere with his title aspirations. Should the former 185-pound kingpin be considered a relevant contender for light heavyweight gold? Or will the division's top dogs chew him up and spit him out?

MMA Flash Forward: 10 major events booked for August 2010

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 06:25 AM PDT

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If you're like me and you've been crying yourself to sleep every night since UFC 116, take care my fellow fight fans, August 2010 is almost upon us.

And in true feast or famine style, we'll have 10 major events to sift through while preparing for September's TUF 12 debut and accompanying "Fight Night."

Sure, there have been a couple of shows to talk about in the wake of Brock Lesnar's successful return to the heavyweight throne on July 3.

We had Tatsuya Kawajiri's bad "DREAM" and a couple of MMA small-stars making an "Impact" down under, but nothing makes this sport better than having one or two days to discuss the fallout from an event before it becomes old news.

Jon Jones could win at UFC on Versus 2 or he could (gasp) lose, but by Tuesday morning all we'll be thinking about is UFC 117: "Silva vs. Sonnen." Maybe there will be a major upset or even another cameo by Disco Stu, but it won't be long until that washes under the bridge from the waves caused by the rudder of "Edgar vs. Penn 2" at UFC 118.

And don't forget about the WEC and Strikeforce.

Here's a quick look at the jam-packed schedule for next month -- and be sure to stick around in the comments section to let us know which fight (or fights) have already got you shadow boxing.

UFC on Versus 2: Jones vs. Matyushenko (Aug. 01)
UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen (Aug. 07)
Bellator Fighting Championships 24 (Aug. 12)
Strikeforce Challengers 10 (Aug. 13)
WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez (Aug. 18)
Bellator Fighting Championships 25 (Aug. 19)
Strikeforce: Houston (Aug. 21)
Sengoku Raiden Championship 14 (Aug. 22)
Bellator Fighting Championships 26 (Aug. 26)
UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn II (Aug. 28)

Anyone want to take a stab at the top story on Aug. 29? Does BJ Penn reclaim the lightweight belt? Will "The Old" Anderson Silva return? Can "King Mo" stop the power punches of Rafael Cavalcante?

Let's hear from you!
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