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UFC 117 medical suspensions and injuries for 'Silva vs Sonnen'
WEC 50 predictions, preview and analysis for 'Cruz vs Benavidez 2'
Cain Velasquez Lugz commercial (Video)
Shonie Carter vs. Torrance Taylor finalizes Bellator 25 in Chicago Aug. 19
UFC 117 fighter salaries and paydays for 'Silva vs Sonnen'
UFC 121 tickets for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, on sale soon
EA Sports MMA announces light heavyweight roster for Oct. 19 release. Middleweights to be announced...
UFC 121 poster for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' on Oct. 23
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to undergo hip surgery after withdrawing from UFC 119 main event
Retirement option: Is there 'a little chicken left on that bone' for Jens Pulver?
WEC 50: Dominick Cruz vs Joseph Benavidez video fight talk
"The Hangover" sequel? Jon Fitch celebrates his bachelor party at Tabu Ultra Lounge alongside...
Randy Couture and 'The Expendables' explode at the box office to capture weekend's top spot
Who has two thumbs and a butt-less gown for knee surgery? Roy "Big Country" Nelson, who goes under...
UFC Fight Night 22 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Marquardt vs Palhares' on Sept. 15 in Austin
MMA Quick Quote: Tim Sylvia planning to submit Pedro Rizzo in first PWP title defense
Criss Angel 'Mindfreak' with Georges St. Pierre (Video)

UFC 117 medical suspensions and injuries for 'Silva vs Sonnen'

Posted: 17 Aug 2010 04:08 AM PDT

The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) recently issued its list of medical suspensions for UFC 117: "Silva vs. Sonnen," which took place on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010, from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

With several of the bouts ending early (and violently), 14 of the 22 fighters who competed on the card were flagged for follow up visits with their doctors.

Chief among them was UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, who was battered but not beaten by Chael Sonnen for nearly five full rounds. The "Spider" will be on the sidelines with a rib injury and neurological issues for up to six months, unless, of course, he can get a doctor to clear him to return sooner.

Regardless, the Brazilian must serve a mandatory 45-day medical suspension and cannot have contact for at least 30. Sonnen, meanwhile, will be shelved for at least 60 days and cannot sustain any contact during that time, either.

Rafael dos Anjos (broken jaw), as well as Stefan Struve (lower lip laceration) and Christian Morecraft (head trauma), were also singled out after sustaining their fair share of punishment inside the Octagon.

But that's not all.

Here is the complete list of UFC 117 injuries and their medical instructions:

Anderson Silva: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact) for rib injury and neurological follow up.

Chael Sonnen: Suspended 60 days (60 days no contact) for lacerations.

Rafael dos Anjos: Suspended 180 days (180 days no contact) for broken jaw.

Roy Nelson: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact) for "hard bout."

Junior dos Santos: Suspended 60 days (60 days no contact) for right cheek laceration.

Dustin Hazelett: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact) for precautionary reasons -- needs a new physical.

Phil Davis: Suspended 180 days (180 days no contact) for possible broken hand.

Charlie Brenneman: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact) for precautionary reasons -- needs a new physical.

Tim Boetsch: Suspended 60 days (60 days no contact) for left facial lacerations, additional six-month suspension (broken thumb) unless cleared by a physician.

Todd Brown: Suspended 60 days (60 days no contact) for laceration.

Stefan Struve: Suspended 60 days (60 days no contact) for lower lip laceration.

Christian Morecraft: Suspended 60 days (60 days no contact) for eyebrow lacerations, additional six-month suspension (head trauma) unless cleared by a physician.

Ben Saunders: Suspended 45 days (30 days no contact) for "hard bout."

Dennis Hallman: Suspended 60 days (60 days no contact) for left cheek laceration.

Just a quick reminder: Fighters often return to action much quicker once doctors give them the green light. The lengthy suspensions are just a precaution in most cases.

For complete UFC 117: "Silva vs. Sonnen" results and play-by-play coverage of the televised main card click here and here.

WEC 50 predictions, preview and analysis for 'Cruz vs Benavidez 2'

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 08:06 PM PDT

WEC 50: "Cruz vs. Benavidez" is all set for this Wednesday night (Aug. 18, 2010) from "The Pearl" at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The five-fight main card will air live on the cable channel Versus, beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

WEC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz will defend his title for the first time ever in the night's featured main event against Team Alpha Male product Joseph Benavidez, which marks a rematch of a barn-burner of a fight from WEC 42 last summer.

Shane Roller, Anthony Pettis, Scott Jorgensen, Bart Palaszewski, Cub Swanson and several other WEC stars will be in action on the card, too.

To help get you better prepared for the festivities I've given some analysis and predictions for the main card below. Check it out:

Dominick Cruz vs. Joseph Benavidez(135-pound division limit)

The primary reason Cruz won the first match up between these two is because he surprised Benavidez with two things: His speed and his takedowns.

Benavidez was used to coming into fights being the quicker and more athletic guy, but when Cruz was beating him to the punch on nearly every exchange, he didn't know how to deal with it.

Then on top of that, he was supposed to be the better wrestler, but Cruz kept taking him down. It was an eye-opening fight for the Team Alpha Male trainee for sure, but since then he's done nothing but improve and look more impressive than ever with dominating wins over Rani Yahya and former division kingpin Miguel Torres.

His counter punching attack has improved by leaps and bounds, and he's displayed some devastating power his last two times out. Plus, now that the element of surprise is taken out of the equation, he can come into the rematch with a much more winnable gameplan.

It's a five round fight, so there will be plenty of time to set things up, but Benavidez is not going to let Cruz dot him up from the outside and then shoot in two or three times a round and put him on his back like he did last time.

In fact, you can bet Benavidez is going to want to be the one on top if the fight goes to the ground this time around. He's the better wrestler and he knows how important the takedowns were in the first fight.

I expect Benavidez to fight a much smarter fight, with a much better answer for Cruz's aggression. Benavidez is not completely out-gunned on his feet, but Cruz is still bigger, faster, a lot harder to hit, and probably the more attractive stand up fighter in the eyes of the judges.

Cruz has to respect Benavidez's power, but he still has an edge on his feet with his speed and reach advantages. Still, I think Benavidez is hungrier and much more motivated for this fight. And like I said before, I expect a much smarter gameplan.

Takedowns will be the difference again, but this time for the challenger. Plus, he has a much better chance a scoring a knockout or submission than the champ because of his power and strength. I like Benavidez.

Final prediction: Joseph Benavidez via unanimous decision

Anthony Pettis vs. Shane Roller(155-pound limit)

I got Shane Roller in this fight. Pettis is an exciting fighter with a lot of promise, but this is a bad match up for him.

The two opponents (Sherron Leggett and Bart Palaszewski) he's faced so far in his career that have given him the most trouble were both solid wrestlers. And neither one of those guys is as good as Shane Roller in that department.

Roller is a monster for the lightweight division and he's even stronger than his physically imposing frame suggests. He's going to put pressure on Pettis and negate his striking abilities with clinching and takedowns. When they lock up, Roller is going to be too strong.

I don't think Pettis is going to be able to defend the takedowns, and from there Roller should get this thing done by some type of choke in either the first or second round.

Final prediction: Shane Roller via submission

Zach Micklewright vs. Bart Palaszewski (155-pound limit)

The most important thing to know here is that "Bartimus" has 40 more fights worth of experience than the young Micklewright.

Micklewright has the advantage in the stand up, but he hasn't had to face anyone with the experience or ground skills of Palaszewski ... yet. There's no reason to believe that Palaszewski won't take this kid to school with takedowns and ground control en route to some type of submission.

"Bartimus" is experienced enough to know that it would be stupid for him to take his chances on his feet in this type of fight. Instead, he'll take the youngster out of his comfort zone and win this one on the ground like he's done a bunch of times before.

Final prediction: Bart "Bartimus" Palaszewski via submission

Scott Jorgensen vs. Brad Pickett (155-pound limit)

I like Jorgensen in this fight.

Pickett has an impressive record and a nice winning streak, but he hasn't really faced all that tough of competition. Even in the WEC, both of his fights have been against relative newcomers.

Jorgensen, on the other hand, has been in the WEC cage against guys like Damacio Page, Antonio Baneulos, Kenji Osawa and Takaya Mizugaki, among others.

And he's done very well ... especially lately.

He's quick on his feet. He can take you down. He has good ground and pound. His submissions are tight. And he has a ton of confidence built up after beating the division's former number one contender (Mizugaki) and avenging a previous loss to Banuelos with a one-sided decision.

I think Pickett is going to get taken down and eventually submitted in this fight by an aggressive Scott Jorgensen.

Final prediction: Scott Jorgensen via submission

Chad Mendes vs. Cub Swanson (145-pound limit)

Swanson had some early bad luck in his two WEC losses against Jens Pulver and Jose Aldo, but other than that he's been stellar during his time with the promotion with three submission wins and two others by unanimous decision.

He trains with the Greg Jackson camp in New Mexico, which means he's always going to come into his fights in great shape and with a great gameplan.

Mendes is undefeated in seven fights, including two under the WEC banner. He's a hard-nosed wrestler with excellent strength and solid ground and pound. I expect him to look for takedowns and a lot of top control in this fight.

Swanson has a good guillotine, though, so that could come into play. He is also the better striker, meaning he'll probably try to keep the fight upright. If he gets put on his back, he may be in for a long night.

This one will probably come down to whoever executes their gameplan better. In that case, I'll go with the Greg Jackson guy, although I think Mendes has a great chance.

Final prediction: Cub Swanson via unanimous decision

That's a wrap. Sound off with your predictions in the comments section below.

And Remember that MMAmania.com will provide live blow-by-blow commentary of the main card beginning with the Versus telecast at 9 p.m. ET on fight night. Check in early and often.

Cain Velasquez Lugz commercial (Video)

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 07:36 PM PDT

Shonie Carter vs. Torrance Taylor finalizes Bellator 25 in Chicago Aug. 19

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 07:32 PM PDT

CHICAGO, Ill. (August 16th, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the completion of the Local Feature Fights for Bellator 25 when the promotion returns to the historic Chicago Theatre.

Joining an exciting welterweight fight between the colorful, seasoned Chi-town veteran Shonie Carter (49-24) and battle-tested Torrance Taylor (8-7) slated as the local main event, the promotion today confirmed four additional talent-rich fights for the Fox Sports Net event.

In a battle of Chicago natives, up-and-coming Kevin Knabjian (10-4) faces 14-year MMA veteran Brian Gassaway (28-19) in a welterweight contest that will serve as the Local Co-Main Event. Both Knabijan and Gassaway will be hungry for a win after dropping their last respective fights, which should provide fans with an explosive match-up at 170 lbs.

Hailing from Indiana, UFC and Strikeforce veteran John Kolosci (14-6) will take on undefeated fast-rising Chicagoan Kenny Robertson (9-0) in a 170 lbs. fight. Also on the card is Hawaiian-born Chicago native Keoki Cypriano facing off against Chicago-based fighter Eric Kriegermeier in a lightweight battle.

"It’s great to be producing another nationally televised show in our own back-yard in partnership with Madison Square Garden at the venerable Chicago Theatre. Our four televised fights combined with a great group of feature fight should make for a spectacular night."

Bellator 25’s main card includes:

Undefeated heavyweight sensation Damian "The Polish Pitbull" Grabowski (12-0) makes his US debut meeting dangerous ground-and-pound specialist Scott Barrett (10-1);
The hard-hitting Zoila "Warrior Princess" Frausto (7-1) faces off with undefeated Jessica Pene (7-0) in electrifying women's tournament action;
And Bellator Season 2 Welterweight Finalist Dan Hornbuckle (21-3) returns to the cage when he clashes with heavy-handed UFC veteran "Bad" Brad Blackburn (17-11-1).
The Highly anticipated match-up between Spanish submission ace Rogent Lloret (9-1-1) and undefeated former two-time NCAA Wrestling Champion Cole Konrad (4-0).

Tickets for the event -- which will also be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net along with action-packed highlight shows that will air on NBC Saturday nights -- are on sale now at ticketmaster.com.

UFC 117 fighter salaries and paydays for 'Silva vs Sonnen'

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 03:40 PM PDT

The official fighter purses for those who competed at the UFC 117: "Silva vs. Sonnen" Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010, from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., were released earlier today and passed along by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

As expected, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva was among the top earners of the night, bringing home a cool $200,000 for his dramatic come-from-behind victory over Chael Sonnen in the waning minutes of the fifth and final round. Not to be outdone, former welterweight champion Matt Hughes matched the "Spider" in base pay for his surprise submission over Brazilian jiu-jitsu stylist, Ricardo Almeida.

Jon Fitch and Junior dos Santos didn't do too shabby either, pocketing $108,000 and $80,000, respectively, in their winning number one contender eliminator matches.

Here is the complete list of UFC 117 payouts:

Anderson Silva: $200,000
Chael Sonnen: $35,000
Silva def. Sonnen via submission (triangle choke)

Jon Fitch: $108,000 ($54,000 to show, $54,000 to win)
Thiago Alves: $60,000 ($48,000 after 20 percent was docked for missing weight)
Fitch def. Alves via unanimous decision

Clay Guida: $56,000 ($28,000 to show, $28,000 to win)
Rafael dos Anjos: $12,000
Guida def. Dos Anjos via submission (injury)

Matt Hughes: $200,000 ($100,000 to show, $100,000 to win)
Ricardo Almeida: $35,000
Hughes def. Almeida via submission (front choke)

Junior dos Santos: $80,000 ($40,000 to show, $40,000 to win)
Roy Nelson: $15,000
Dos Santos def. Nelson via unanimous decision

Ricky Story: $22,000 ($11,000 to show, $11,000 to win)
Dustin Hazelett: $18,000
Story def. Hazelett via technical knockout (punches)

Phil Davis: $18,000 ($9,000 to show, $9,000 to win)
Rodney Wallace: $6,000
Davis def. Wallace via unanimous decision

Johny Hendricks: $40,000 ($20,000 to show, $20,000 to win)
Charlie Brenneman: $8,000
Hendricks def. Brenneman via technical knockout (punches)

Tim Boetsch: $32,000 ($16,000 to show, $16,000 to win)
Todd Brown: $6,000
Boetsch def. Brown via unanimous decision

Stefan Struve: $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win)
Christian Morecraft: $6,000
Struve def. Morecraft via knockout (punches)

Dennis Hallman: $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win)
Ben Saunders: $12,000
Hallman def. Saunders via unanimous decision

Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc.

For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." To check out these figures for UFC 117 go here.

The total base fighter payroll for the PPV event, which attracted an official crowd of 14,610 attendees and a live gate of more than $1.56 million, was nearly $1.03 million.

For complete UFC 117: "Silva vs. Sonnen" results and play-by-play coverage of the televised main card click here and here.

UFC 121 tickets for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, on sale soon

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 12:51 PM PDT

Tickets for UFC 121: "Lesnar vs Velasquez" which is slated for the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Oct. 23, will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Aug. 21, at Noon PT.

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 121 will feature a heavyweight title bout pitting division champion Brock Lesnar against undefeated challenger Cain Velasquez. Former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields will make his Octagon debut against well-rounded welterweight stalwart Martin Kampmann in the co-featured fight of the night.

Another high-profile showdown between Tito Ortiz and Matt Hamill has also been made official.

Here is the UFC 121 tickets sales schedule (all times PT):

UFC Fight Club presale: Thursday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m.
UFC Newsletter presale: Friday, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m.
General tickets sale: Saturday, Aug. 21 at Noon.

UFC 121 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 "Lesnar vs Velasquez" stay dialed in to MMAmania.com. To check out the latest UFC 121 fight card and rumors click here.

EA Sports MMA announces light heavyweight roster for Oct. 19 release. Middleweights to be announced...

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 12:51 PM PDT

EA Sports MMA announces light heavyweight roster for Oct. 19 release. Middleweights to be announced 8/23.

To see the heavyweight roster click here.

Props: EA Sports (via Bloody Elbow)

UFC 121 poster for 'Lesnar vs Velasquez' on Oct. 23

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 12:39 PM PDT

To check out the latest UFC 121: "Lesnar vs. Velasquez" fight card and rumors click here.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to undergo hip surgery after withdrawing from UFC 119 main event

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 12:19 PM PDT

The Brazilian tells Tatame.com:

"I hurt my hips training and I’ll have to go on surgery. I’m only depending on a few exams, but I think it’ll be done by the weekend. The surgery will be on both sides of my hips, and I’ll operate my knee too. If everything goes alright I’ll be back on training in four months."

That surgery boots "Big Nog" from his upcoming rematch against Frank Mir, originally scheduled for UFC 119 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The good news is that famed Croatian striker Mirko Filipovic has being tagged as a possible replacement for the Brazilian, who also gets his knee worked on while he's under the knife. "Minotauro" is expected to be out of action for at least four months.

Retirement option: Is there 'a little chicken left on that bone' for Jens Pulver?

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 12:10 PM PDT

Props: FightHubTV.com

Quoteworthy:

"It's just a tough career man, you know I lose eight of nine fights, it's like 'What am I doing?' I'm trying to figure it out, maybe it's just that time. I don't know man, I do it because I love it. I enjoy training and I enjoy going out there and fighting. I feel good [but] it's definitely frustrating.You gotta hear the entrance song I came out to: 'A Little Chicken Left On That Bone' by Craig Morgan and that's exactly what it's about. Nobody's gonna tell me when to retire. Again, I got caught in a damn guillotine. I'm not getting knocked dead asleep and I feel physically great. I'm having a great time. I'm 34-years-old and I'm slumping, I'm slumping hard right now but I'm still having a great time. I love this life and I love this job."

Former UFC lightweight champion and ex-WEC featherweight contender Jens Pulver talks about his career options after losing his lightweight fight against Diego Garijo on the "War on the Mainland" pay-per-view card from Bren Events Center on Aug. 14 in Irvine, California. The submission loss to "El Nino" marks his eight defeat in nine fights and extended his losing streak to six. Is there anything left for "Lil' Evil?" Or should he start looking for a job outside of fighting? Any fans standing behind his decision to keep competing?

WEC 50: Dominick Cruz vs Joseph Benavidez video fight talk

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 11:21 AM PDT

"The Hangover" sequel? Jon Fitch celebrates his bachelor party at Tabu Ultra Lounge alongside...

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 10:24 AM PDT

"The Hangover" sequel?

Jon Fitch celebrates his bachelor party at Tabu Ultra Lounge alongside Strikeforce lightweight Josh Thomson, UFC welterweight number one contender Josh Koscheck and longtime UFC veteran Phil Baroni.

Fitch ties the knot Sept. 4, 2010.

Randy Couture and 'The Expendables' explode at the box office to capture weekend's top spot

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 10:13 AM PDT

Scott Pilgrim may have beaten "The World" to get the girl of his dreams, but his box office debut was a nightmare thanks to the celluloid mercenaries from "The Expendables."

Sylvester Stallone's ensemble action movie, featuring five-time UFC Champion Randy Couture, was the number one movie at the box office this weekend, fending off Michael Cera and the "Pilgrim" graphic novel adaptation as well as a putrid chick-flick from Julia Roberts.

"The Expendables" grossed an estimated $35 million in its weekend debut.

As far as cinema bragging rights, it looks like Couture was a "Natural," outdrawing fellow UFC fighter Quinton Jackson as "B.A. Baracus" in June's "A-Team" movie.

"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 Jackie Chan and his pint-sized co-star Jaden Smith in "The Karate Kid" remake.

"A-Team" opened in second place to a disappointing $26 million back on June 11.

See how "The Expendables" stacks up against the rest of the box office releases after the jump.

1. The Expendables $ 35 Million
2. Eat, Pray, Love $ 23.7 Million
3. The Other Guys $ 18 Million
4. Inception $ 11.4 Million
5. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World $ 10.5 Million
6. Despicable Me $ 6.8 Million
7. Step Up 3D $ 6.6 Million
8. Salt $ 6.4 Million
9. Dinner for Schmucks $ 6.3 Million
10. Cats & Dogs:... $ 4.1 Million

Next up for Randy Couture is a "Boxing vs. MMA" fight against James Toney at UFC 118: "Edgar vs. Penn 2" on Aug. 28 in Boston. For more on that upcoming contest click here.

Who has two thumbs and a butt-less gown for knee surgery? Roy "Big Country" Nelson, who goes under...

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 08:38 AM PDT

Who has two thumbs and a butt-less gown for knee surgery? Roy "Big Country" Nelson, who goes under the knife to have his knee cleaned up following a UFC 117 unanimous decision loss to Junior dos Santos.

Props: Watch Kalib Run

UFC Fight Night 22 results and LIVE fight coverage for 'Marquardt vs Palhares' on Sept. 15 in Austin

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 08:07 AM PDT

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently put the finishing touches on its upcoming Spike TV fight card from the Frank Erwin Special Events Center on the campus of The University of Texas in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010.

Fight Night 22: "Marquardt vs. Palhares" will feature a main event between perennial middleweight contender Nate "The Great" Marquardt and muscular submission master Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares.

TUF alumni and lightweight standouts Matt Wiman and Mac Danzig will also hook 'em up in a rematch from their UFC 115 bout that ended in controversy back on June 12.

Here is the complete UFC Fight Night 22 line up:

Main event:

185 lbs.: Nate Marquardt vs. Rousimar Palhares

Main card (Televised):

155 lbs.: Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
155 lbs.: Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau
155 lbs.: Cole Miller vs. Ross Pearson

Under card (May not be broadcast):

155 lbs.: Efrain Escudero vs. John Gunderson
185 lbs.: Dave Branch vs. Tomasz Drwal
185 lbs.: Rich Attonito vs. Rafael Natal
155 lbs.: Jared Hamman vs. Kyle Kingsbury
170 lbs.: Brian Foster vs. Forrest Petz
170 lbs.: David Mitchell vs. Anthony Waldburger

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC Fight Night 22, beginning with the Spike TV telecast. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

Remember that Fight Night 22 serves as the lead-in to the twelfth season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), featuring coaches and welterweight rivals Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck.

We're still a couple of weeks away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions for "Marquardt vs. Palhares" 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 the latest UFC Fight Night 22 news and notes click here.

MMA Quick Quote: Tim Sylvia planning to submit Pedro Rizzo in first PWP title defense

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 07:22 AM PDT

"I was supposed to fight Pedro (Rizzo) first but he had other fight obligations so Paul (Buentello) stepped in and stepped up to the task. We were expecting Pedro the first time, it didn't happen, so now we'll get ready for him, bring in some good kickboxers. Maybe [I'll] take him down to the ground and submit him."

Newly minted PWP Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia tells Karyn Bryant that he's now getting ready to defend his strap against another former UFC division kingpin when Pedro Rizzo tries to flatten the "Maine-iac" later this year. The New England native stopped Paul Buentello at the Aug. 14 "War on the Mainland" pay-per-view for his third straight win since the Ray Mercer incident back in June 2009. Is Sylvia officially "back?" Or just here temporarily until he defends against the hard-hitting Brazilian -- also the winner of three straight?

Criss Angel 'Mindfreak' with Georges St. Pierre (Video)

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 06:31 AM PDT