Thursday, September 23, 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

Wanderlei Silva to Chael Sonnen: Have respect or lose your teeth (Video)

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 08:01 PM PDT

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12: Episode 2 recap and discussion

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 06:59 PM PDT

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The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 12, featuring welterweight coaches (and division rivals) Josh Koscheck and Georges St. Pierre, is back with Episode 2 as the new recruits get dropped off at the TUF house.

Just like in seasons 1-11, each contestant has that "Dayum" look when they see what kind of brick and mortar the fight game can buy you. Naturally the liquor cabinet is found and pillaged within the first three minutes of the show.

After a short settling in process, the group gets escorted to the training center for team picks. GSP and Greg Jackson try to fool Koscheck into thinking they want to pick a fighter they really don't want in an effort to keep "Kos" from selecting top prospect Michael Johnson.

To accomplish this, St. Pierre holds a fake list of names low enough to be seen by wandering eyes as they stand together at the announcement.

Following the coin toss, which goes in Koscheck's favor, he takes the bait and chooses Marc Stevens as his first fighter, thinking he stole St. Pierre's top pick when in reality all he did was free up Johnson for Team Rush. It was hard not to feel bad for Koscheck but round one of the mental warfare goes to the Canadian.

Here are the official team rosters:

Team Koscheck

  1. Marc Stevens
  2. Sevak Magakian
  3. Sako Chivitchian
  4. Andy Main
  5. Nam Phan
  6. Aaron Wilkinson
  7. Jeff Lentz

Team GSP

  1. Michael Johnson
  2. Jonathan Brookins
  3. Spencer Paige
  4. Alex Caceres
  5. Kyle Watson
  6. Cody McKenzie
  7. Dane Sayers

St. Pierre tries to rally his troops with what has to be the worst Sgt. Hartman impression ever put on screen. A Canadian aping cinema's most beloved drill instructor? You can't unwatch that.

Right off the bat we can see some of what goes on behind the scenes at Team Jackson as the support group for St. Pierre sinks their teeth into the contestants. Coach Jackson and company focus on the mental just as much as the physical aspect as they get their sweat on.

Georges insists he's not here to win the show, but to help make his guys better fighters.

On the other side of the gym, Coach Koscheck believes in "mindless training" which includes the announcement that "wrestling wins fights." No secret there. Daniel Cormier sighting! Kos tells the camera he's going to be the guy that has to carry the show but refuses to be labeled.

Josh insists he's here to win the show at all costs.

It's time to throw down, so St. Pierre lets Alex Caceres choose his own opponent (much to Dana's dismay) and "Bruce Leroy" picks Jeffrey Lentz, the red-headed chain smoker who is ready to prove to the world that he's "not a chump" -- despite being picked last.

Leroy reveals his love for Bruce Lee (duh) and his less than fortunate upbringing. He dons the gloves and does some shirtless sparring with Tatanka on the lawn of the TUF house. St. Pierre is confident is his pupil but knows nothing is certain in this sport.

Lentz gets gruff in training and promises to break his opponent. He also loves a steady diet of coffee and cigarettes. Coach Koscheck does not approve and wonders why Lentz is so hyper.

Leroy dons the Chinese formal gi to get himself mentally prepared for the big showdown. Lentz gets ready by sucking down a pack of smokes and wishing his mom was there to see him fight.

Is there more to Caceres than the fancy jumpsuits and Bruce Lee gimmick? Lentz doesn't seem to think so, but we're about to find out.

Elimination fight #1: Alex Caceres (4-2) vs. Jeffrey Lentz (6-1)

Round 1: Gratuitous Burger King logo replaced by gratuitous Dave & Busters logo. Lentz rushes and gets stopped with a kick on the way in. Leroy throwing legs. Lentz lands a high kick and they tie up. Lots of struggling and not much happens. Lentz comes close to a takedown but can't finish it. Leroy has a Thai Plum but loses that himself. Patented Ken Patera bear hug in effect. Lentz tries to scoop him and Leroy jumps into a high guillotine (think Oliveira vs. Escudero). They hit the ground and the hold breaks and Lentz gets one of his own but can't keep it. They're up, they're down, lots of scrambling but not much damage being done. Every time Caceres lands, St. Pierre howls "Ehhhhhhhh!" Do it in the GSP accent and it's funny. Final 30 seconds and they're back to the center of the cage exchanging legs. Leroy eats a right and stumbles and Lentz follows up with a sweet Judo toss. Round over. 10-9 Lentz on the unofficial Nostradumbass scorecard.

Round 2: Arianny is so unbelievably hot. They exchange kicks but nothing lands. Lentz swings wildly and they lock up and go to the cage. Leroy wrestles him to the floor but it's Lentz who assumes top position. From half guard then to full guard, Leroy looks for the triangle. He secures it and withstands a Lentz powerbomb. From there it was academic.

Alex Caceres defeats Jeffrey Lentz via submission (triangle choke) in round two

Team St. Pierre is off to a running start.

Dana admits to being a fan of Bruce Leroy and applauds the win. Lentz is disappointed and apologizes to his team and family for coming up short. As expected, Caceres is ecstatic.

Stay tuned next week as Bruce Leroy celebrates his win in style, Josh Koscheck blasts his team for dogging it, "Iron" Mike Tyson makes a surprise cameo and of course, the next elimination fight.

See you in seven!

Vitor Belfort: 'Dana White just gave me the best present ever' (Video)

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 02:58 PM PDT

Strikeforce: Scott Smith returns to face Jesse Finney on Dec. 4 in St. Louis

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 02:27 PM PDT

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Fresh off today's news that Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral will headline a return to "Gateway City" for the Strikeforce promotion, MMA Die Hards brings word that Scott Smith has also been booked to throw hands on Dec. 4 against hometown favorite Jesse Finney.

The yet-to-be-announced event is expected to air live on Showtime from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Smith (17-7) recently split a pair of fights with former Strikeforce 185-pound Champion Cung Le. After a "miracle in San Jose," one that saw "Hands of Steel" pull of yet another patented comeback stoppage, Smith was finished early by the San Shou striker in their June 26 rematch.

The former UFC middleweight now stands at 3-2 since being acquired in the Elite XC rummage sale and appears to be making good on his promise to drop to 170-pounds.

Like Smith, things didn't exactly turn out as planned for Finney in his last fight. The St. Louis native suffered the first loss of his career when he was choked out by veteran Josh Neer at Fight Me MMA: "The Battle Begins" back on August 14 in St. Charles.

Finney (7-1) remains undefeated under the Strikeforce banner with two submission wins in as many attempts and a televised win over Smith would raise his stock considerably within the division.

Stay tuned for an official announcement from Strikeforce regarding the Dec. 4 fight card in the coming days.

Bellator 32: Cole Konrad vs Neil Grove booked for Oct. 14 in Kansas City

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 02:27 PM PDT

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CHICAGO, IL. (September 22, 2010) -Bellator Fighting Championships will crown its first Heavyweight Champion when powerful striker Neil "Goliath" Grove meets 2-time NCAA Division I Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Cole "The Polar Bear" Konrad for Bellator's World Heavyweight Title at Bellator 32 at the Kansas City Power & Light District on October 14th.

"This fight pits a world-class striker against a world-class wrestler. Both Neil and Cole have been completely dominant in the quarter and semi-final rounds, so whoever wins this fight has earned this title without any questions," said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

The Championship fight will be televised LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net - featuring two fighters at the top of their games, each taking very different routes to the finals.

The 6'5" 265 lbs. U.K-based Grove paved his way to the finals with two devastating first round stoppage victories. In quarterfinal action Grove made quick work of hard-hitting Eddie Sanchez, TKO'ing the UFC veteran in just 92 seconds.

His dominance continued at Bellator 29 where "Goliath" needed a mere 45 seconds to secure his spot in the Bellator Heavyweight Finals, dispatching of highly touted Russian Alexey Oleinik with a brutal TKO. Each of Grove's 10 victories has come via TKO or KO; he will look to continue that streak on October 14th against an undefeated Konrad.

"I'm just excited to get to the finals," said Grove. "Everyone knows I'm a striker, but I haven't really had to show off my wrestling skills. They're certainly going to be on display against Cole, and I'm ready to show people what I can do."

Konrad, a protégé and training partner of reigning UFC Heavyweight Champ Brock Lesnar, will be looking to keep his undefeated record intact on his way to becoming Bellator Heavyweight Champion. After recording back-to-back unanimous decision victories over Spanish submission artist Rogent Lloret and the previously undefeated Polish sensation Damian Grabowski, Konrad plans on decisively finishing Grove.

"It's going to end early," said Konrad. "Neil is a big guy, and when he starts to wear down, I'm going to make my move and the end the fight by submission."

Konrad also has no qualms about trading with Grove.

"It's going to be a great fight," said Konrad. "Everyone knows I'll be looking for the takedown, but my standup game has been steadily improving, and I feel like I can control the fight no matter the situation."

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

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

Rush to Judgement? Questions remain following Chael Sonnen's failed drug test

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 01:44 PM PDT

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The news of Chael Sonnen’s failed drug test spread like a California wildfire throughout the MMA community this past weekend. Like any industry that loves a juicy story, a great number of mixed martial arts fans and media alike couldn’t help but do what UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva couldn’t…hit Sonnen repeatedly with big shot after big shot, early and often.

The irony of the very fighter who railed against Lance Armstrong for PED’s on a recent Pro MMA Radio appearance failing a pre-fight drug test was simply too easy for many to pass up.

As the story unfolded, California State Athletic Commission Executive Director George Dodd disclosed that Sonnen failed for having a “testosterone to estrogen level that is well above normal”, although the actual banned substance has not been identified.

Most shockingly to me, however, was Dodd’s revelation that Sonnen told him one day before the fight that he was taking something that might provide a positive test result. Huh? Even if Sonnen were mainlining enough steroids to kill a horse, why disclose that to the CSAC on the eve of the biggest fight of his life?

I reached out to both Chael and his representatives several times since the news of his drug test broke and received the following statement:

 

“Received your voice mail requesting an interview with Chael. Unfortunately, we must decline. It is our policy not to comment on pending actions by the Athletic Commission. Chael is consulting with his legal advisors and physicians and will have a statement in the near future. Chael will file an appeal with the CSAC and looks forward to working with the Commission to resolve this matter.”

Those who question the normally verbose Sonnen’s silence or want to see it as some implicit admission of guilt have probably never had a serious charge levied against them. Unless he completely disregards the screams of his attorneys, don’t expect him to have much to say in any venue until CSAC board members are sitting in the room and listening.

So, again, why would Sonnen make that damning admission 27 hours before stepping in the cage against Anderson Silva for the belt? I just can’t believe that he could be that stupid. And let’s face it, that would be all-time stupid.

As the person who did that infamous Armstrong interview with Chael, I’ve had the opportunity to interact him numerous times. He’s a highly intelligent, articulate fighter who can be outrageous at times and may be the best mixed martial artist we’ve ever seen at promoting and building interest in a fight..

Sorry, I just don’t buy that Chael is that dumb, clinically insane or has a deep seeded desire to commit career suicide.

That only leaves one answer for me. He had no choice but to disclose it and he didn’t think he was admitting any wrongdoing when he did so. By process of elimination, the only thing that makes sense to me is that Chael has a medical condition and he knew he was bound to disclose whatever medication that had been legitimately prescribed to him to treat that condition because it had the potential to lead to a positive test result.

f Sonnen were prescribed testosterone, a quick Google search reveals a multitude of legitimate reasons having nothing to do with performance enhancement ranging from testosterone deficiency to more serious and potentially life threatening diseases involving major organs and muscle wasting.

When I spoke to Dodd by telephone on Tuesday he informed me that California pre-fight medicals are conducted right before the weigh ins on the day before the event. In the case of UFC 117, Chael’s medicals took place at approximately 3:30 PM on August 6th, which would include standard health checks (blood pressure, etc.) and filling out a form that asks for a list of any medication that the fighter is taking.

Putting aside the mental clarity of a fighter in the final hour of a massive weight cut, Dodd made it clear that “it is incumbent on the fighter to make the commission aware that you are taking an enhancing drug prior to taking the test as well as the medical reasons for using it.”

According to Dodd, Chael verbally informed him of the potential for failing the test at 6:05 PM, ten minutes prior to the drug test being conducted, instead of during the prefight medicals. When asked if he had spoken to the doctor who examined Sonnen at the event to see if the fighter had disclosed the potential failure to that physician he simply responded, “no." Dodd also stated that Chael did not offer a medical reason explaining why he was taking a banned substance.

Let’s also take a closer look at the statement issued by Sonnen’s representatives. “Chael is consulting with his lawyers and physicians…”. Not sure I’ve ever seen that one before but I’m quite sure that most people consult with their physicians about medical issues. If it said medical experts, I’d buy that they were assessing physiological reasons for the failure but that simply isn’t what those carefully scripted words say.

Lastly, the CSAC’s refusal to identify the drug that Sonnen allegedly failed for leads me to believe that we won’t be hearing about specific or exotic steroids as we did when Phil Baroni failed in California for veterinary drugs Boldenone and Stanozolol or Sean Sherk’s publicized, disputed failure for Nandrolone.

t’s more likely to play out similar to when ex-footballer Johnnie Morton got his clock cleaned in 2007 at the Dynamite! USA event and then failed with a high T/E ratio for unspecified steroids. And, again, without knowing the numeric elevated level we should all pump the brakes a bit. According to Healthtree.com and numerous online sources, a normal testosterone/estrogen ratio is 50:1 in healthy males.

If Sonnen’s ratio comes back at 60:1 that’s a whole different story than if he came in at 200:1. If he were under a doctor’s care and using a prescribed drug as directed, then that doctor will have to explain why he was prescribed a dosage of the drug that would trigger a high result or why Sonnen wasn’t blood tested more frequently to insure that his levels didn’t get out of whack. 

Call me crazy, but when an intelligent fighter like Sonnen makes a career-threatening disclosure on the eve of the biggest fight of his life there has to be a better reason than a suddenly non-existent I.Q. A legitimate medical condition being treated with a medication that could impact a test makes all the sense in the world while providing perspective as to why a press release mentions consulting with one’s physician.

Chael neglected to inform the commission in writing of any banned substance usage but did so verbally, he didn’t handle the situation optimally but it would seem that heis actions are in line with the spirit of what was required of him. The CSAC shortened both Baroni and Sherk’s suspensions from one-year to six months…Baroni because he tested clean after the fact and Sherk because of alleged testing irregularities.

If facts come to light that Chael was legally taking a medication for legitimate medical reasons and that his failure was more one of procedure, not substance, a successful appeal or significant shortening of the suspension is not out of the realm of possibility.

And if that happens, neither is the rematch with Anderson Silva that fans were clamoring for nor the possibility that Chael’s inbox will be flooded with apology emails from all those who wanted to prematurely lock up his career and throw away the key.

UFC 125: Chris Leben vs Brian Stann possible for January 1

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 01:29 PM PDT

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When Chris Leben says he'll fight anybody, he means it. Even if his opponent is an apparent step backwards.

After beating Aaron Simpson and Yoshihiro Akiyama all within two weeks just a couple short months ago, MMA Weekly brings word that "The Crippler" has been rewarded for that feat with a bout against Brian Stann.

Guess Leben will have to wait a little longer for that Wanderlei Silva fight. 

As previously mentioned, Leben defeated Aaron Simpson at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 Finale in late June, only to step in for an injured Wanderlei Silva against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116 just two weeks later where he surprised almost everyone with a submission win over "Sexyama," seemingly propelling him to the top tier of the 185-pound division.

Key word being: seemingly.

"The Axe Murderer" is currently rehabbing from surgery after all, so a fight with Stann very well may have been at Leben's request while Silva continues to heal.

While the old adage of anything can happen in a fight holds true, surely Chris will walk into the cage against Brian as a heavy favorite.

The former Marine quickly made a name for himself in the MMA community using some serious power to dispatch of the first six opponents of his career in the first round via strikes.

After suffering his first loss in a rematch with Steve Cantwell at WEC 35, the WEC's light heavyweight division was absorbed into the UFC, where Stann hasn't enjoyed nearly the same success as he did in the UFC's sister promotion.

Now 9-3, Brian has gone just 3-2 inside the Octagon, losing to Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 97 while defeating Steve Cantwell in their trilogy fight at UFC Fight Night: "Diaz vs. Guillard" and Rodney Wallace at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale. Stann's less than stellar ground game was thoroughly exploited his last time out at UFC 109 against top prospect Phil Davis.

Stann is coming off a submission win of his own at UFC on Versus 2 against Mike Massenzio just last month.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news on UFC 125 as it becomes available.

Vitor Belfort vs Anderson Silva for the title, Marquardt vs Okami winner up next

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 12:51 PM PDT

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That's according to UFC President Dana White:

"Vitor is not injured. He is going to fight anderson for the title and the winner of marquardt and okami are next."

I guess that will end all the speculation. It's gonna be Vitor Belfort vs. Anderson Silva for the middleweight title sometime in early 2011. The winner of Nate Marquardt vs. Yushin Okami will be next in line.

Thoughts on the final four pairings? Who's walking away the victors?

Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for more updates on this developing story.

Strikeforce: Dan Henderson vs Renato 'Babalu' Sobral to headline December 4 event

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 12:26 PM PDT

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A rematch 10 years in the making?

Dan Henderson vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral has been made official for Strikeforce's upcoming show in St. Louis, Missouri on December 4. The match will serve as the event's headliner.

Strikeforce officials alerted MMAmania.com of the booking earlier today.

Former PRIDE and UFC star Dan Henderson was expected to do great things back in April when he made his much-ballyhooed debut under the Strikeforce banner against Jake Shields in the main event  of "Saturday Night Fights" on CBS.

And while Shields was counting the days until his promotion release, he obviously was in no hurry to surrender his 185-pound title.

"Hendo" battered the Cesar Gracie disciple en route to a dominant first round in their middleweight championship fight. Shields recovered between rounds and did some dominating of his own, controlling Henderson with a relentless wrestling attack and suffocating top game.

Following his unanimous decision defeat, "Dangerous Dan," who just turned 40, commented on his difficulty in making the 185-pound weight limit.

Now he'll get the chance to prove he still has some gas left in the tank, just at 205.

Henderson narrowly beat the Brazilian under the RINGS banner way back in February 2000. And "Babalu" wants a chance to prove that ten years later, he is the better fighter.

Sobral wasted little time in calling Henderson out following his unanimous decision win over "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler back on June 16 in Los Angeles. It was his first win under the Strikeforce banner since coughing up the light heavyweight title to Gegard Mousasi last August.

"I won't never punch and try to hurt my friends, but I would like to ask for a fight, and all the respect that I have, in the beginning of my career I fought Dan Henderson in Japan and lost to him. I don't want to disrespect, but I would like to fight him. It's going to be 11 years since I fought him. It's a long time, and please, it would be an honor to fight him again, to have the chance to fight Dan Henderson."

"Babalu" got his wish, now only time will tell if he'll regret it.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more fight announcements for Strikeforce's December 4 event as they break.  

Matt Serra UFC 119 video blog

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 11:13 AM PDT

CSAC suspends Chael Sonnen for one year after testing positive for steroids

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 10:00 AM PDT

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It's official; however, Sonnen will file an appeal and is expected to plead his case on Dec. 2 in Sacramento.

From the California State Athletic Commission's (CSAC) official press release:

The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has suspended the license of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Chael Sonnen, after Sonnen tested positive for steroids, a banned substance.

A sample from Sonnen's August 6 drug test came back with a high T/E (testosterone-to-estrogen) level, which is indicative of anabolic steroid use. CSAC learned of the results September 2 and ordered a second test, which also came back positive for steroid use. CSAC received test results from the second sample on September 14 and suspended Sonnen two days later. He is suspended for one year. Sonnen has 30 days to appeal the decision.

"The use of anabolic steroids and other banned substances are not tolerated by the commission," said CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd . "Anabolic agents put the health and safety of both the user and his opponents at risk." Sonnen's test was observed in the presence of a CSAC representative and the sample was sent to the World Anti-doping Agency test facility at the University of California , Los Angeles on August 6, 2010 for processing.

Sonnen, the little contender that could, may miss out on his second shot at UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in early 2011 if his suspension is upheld.

News broke back on Sept. 19 that the mouthy ex-politician was popped for Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED's) in a test administered prior to last month's UFC 117: "Silva vs. Sonnen" title fight at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

Sonnen's pre-fight drug test, obtained from a urine sample that was processed through the UCLA Olympic drug-testing lab, returned a positive result for steroids and could land the trash-talking Realtor a $2,500 fine in addition to his lengthy suspension.

As the CSAC indicated, his second test also returned positive for steroids.

Sonnen is expected to appear on Thursday night's edition of ESPN's "MMA Live," but I wouldn't expect any new information to be revealed while his appeal is pending.

In the meantime, Vitor Belfort may have benefited the most from this mess now that he's been pulled from his Nov. 13 showdown with Yushin Okami.

Could a title fight with "The Spider" be in his near future?

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this breaking story as it develops.

'The Shoot' video for Frank Mir's fight against 'Cro Cop' at UFC 119

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 10:00 AM PDT

Luke Rockhold injured; Strikeforce fight against Matt Lindland replaced by 'Woodley vs Galvao'

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 09:59 AM PDT

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NEW YORK (Sept. 22, 2010) - A matchup of welterweight prospects, Tyron Woodley (8-0), of St. Louis, Mo., and Andre Galvao (5-1) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will replace the fight between Luke Rockhold and Matt "The Law" Lindland on STRIKEFORCE: Diaz vs. Noons II on Saturday, Oct. 9, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The middleweight bout between Rockhold and Lindland was called off after Rockhold sustained a shoulder injury last Saturday while training at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose. The extent of the injury is not yet known.

"The fight between Tyron and Andre is a great matchup between two young fighters looking to take their careers to the next level," said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. "We wish Luke a speedy recovery and are confident he will soon enough rejoin our growing crop of top prospects."

Woodley and Galvao are two of MMA's fastest-rising 170-pounders and both possess the talent, ability and dedication to one day fight for a world title. The highly touted fighters will be making their respective televised debuts on a STRIKEFORCE championship series fight card on SHOWTIME after having appeared on STRIKEFORCE Challengers.

The unbeaten 5-foot-9, 28-year-old Woodley of St. Louis, Mo., is a two-time All-American NCAA wrestler for the University of Missouri. He fought three times on the Challengers series, winning his last on a hard-fought split decision over Nathan Coy in his first start of the year on May 21 in Portland, Ore. Woodley triumphed by submission in both his 2009 outings on STRIKEFORCE Challengers, finishing Rudy Bears with an arm-triangle choke and Zach Light with an arm-bar on Nov. 20 and Sept. 25, respectively.

Woodley, who turned pro in February 2006, is a member of American Top Team. He won his initial start for STRIKEFORCE with a first-round submission (Brabo Choke) over Sal Woods in a non-televised, undercard bout on June 6, 2009, in St. Louis.

Galvao, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, is coming off a third-round TKO (punches) over Jorge Patino in an undercard bout last Aug. 21 at STRIKEFORCE: Houston. In his fight before last, he triumphed via controversial split-decision over Luke Stewart during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event last March 26 in Fresno, Calif.

The 5-foot-7 Galvao, who turns 28 on Sept. 29, is 2-0 in 2010. His only defeat came on a split decision to Jason High in the DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix on July 20, 2009. Before going pro in August 2008, Galvao earned countless Jiu-Jitsu titles in international competition for Brazil, including a gold medal at the World Championships in '08.

The postponement is a setback for Rockhold, an up-and-coming middleweight on a six-fight winning streak.

"There's not much I can do. Injuries are part of the game,'' Rockhold said. 'But I feel bad for Matt, the fans, STRIKEFORCE, everybody. I'd been working really hard and was really focused on this fight. Hopefully, I will be OK soon and Matt and I can get it on in the future.''

In the Oct. 9 main event, STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Nick Diaz (22-7, 1 NC) will defend against KJ Noons (9-1) in an eagerly awaited grudge rematch. STRIKEFORCE Women's Welterweight World Champion Sarah Kaufman (12-0) will risk her 135-pound belt a second time when she faces No. 1 contender Marloes Coenen (17-4) in the co-feature

A third fight on SHOWTIME will match former STRIKEFORCE belt-holder Josh Thomson (17-3) against Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante (15-3-1) in a battle of world-ranked lightweights.

Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.com , at the HP Pavilion ticket office, or by phone at (800) 745-3000. Doors will open at 4 p.m. PT. The first live, non-televised fight is at 4:30 p.m.

'Phenom' coach: Vitor Belfort is '100-percent healthy'

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 08:49 AM PDT

That's according to his coach, Shawn Tompkins.

If the Brazilian isn't injured as previously reported, then could that mean a middleweight title fight against Anderson Silva has been hastily assembled for late 2010 or early 2011?

Nate Marquardt is reportedly fighting Yushin Okami at UFC 122 in Germany while Chael Sonnen is expected to miss a year of action after failing a UFC 117 pre-fight drug test.

Does that leave the promotion with any other option -- and was this by design after the Sonnen scandal? An announcement is expected "very soon."

Stay tuned.

(Pic via Bloody Elbow)

Michael Bisping: 'This time next year I'll be world champion' (Video)

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 07:51 AM PDT

 

DREAM today announced the last minute addition of Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Satoshi Ishii open weight bout...

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 07:41 AM PDT

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DREAM today announced the last minute addition of Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Satoshi Ishii open weight bout for DREAM 16 from the Nippon Gaishi Hall on Sept. 25 in Nagoya, Japan.

MMA Quick Quote: UFC 111 notwithstanding, Georges St. Pierre has 'very exciting' fights

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 06:17 AM PDT

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"It was only my last fight. My other fights before (UFC 111) were very exciting, they were all very exciting. My last fight, people criticized me of course but if I would have got that armbar in the first round, no one would have said nothing and in the third round, the same thing, the Kimura. Sometimes the line is very tiny between a very good win in a great fashion and a decision."

UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre responds to criticism (via MMA Digest) surrounding the recent backlash towards wrestling based offensive attacks that have carried some fighters to victory in spite of crowd satisfaction. "Rush" contends that his unanimous decision win over Dan Hardy at UFC 111 could be viewed as less than exciting, but fans also started booing his five rounder against Thiago Alves back at UFC 100 in July 2009. Are GSP fans spoiled from his dominant run as champion? Or just fed up with wrestlers taking the fight to the ground to avoid danger on the feet?
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